IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/kap/jeczfn/v111y2014i3p263-287.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Outsourcing versus technology transfer: Hotelling meets Stackelberg

Author

Listed:
  • Andrea Pierce
  • Debapriya Sen

Abstract

We consider a Hotelling duopoly with two firms $$A$$ and $$B$$ in the final good market. Both can produce the required intermediate good, firm $$B$$ having a lower cost due to a superior technology. We compare two contracts: outsourcing ( $$A$$ orders the intermediate good from $$B$$ ) and technology transfer ( $$B$$ transfers its technology to $$A$$ ). An outsourcing order is equivalent to building an endogenous capacity and it generates a Stackelberg leadership effect for firm $$A,$$ which is absent in technology transfer. We show that compared to the situation of no contracts there are always Pareto improving outsourcing contracts (making both firms better off and all consumers at least weakly better off), but no Pareto improving technology transfer contracts. It is also shown that if firm $$B$$ has a relatively large bargaining power in its negotiations with $$A,$$ then both firms prefer technology transfer while all consumers prefer outsourcing. Copyright Springer-Verlag Wien 2014

Suggested Citation

  • Andrea Pierce & Debapriya Sen, 2014. "Outsourcing versus technology transfer: Hotelling meets Stackelberg," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 111(3), pages 263-287, April.
  • Handle: RePEc:kap:jeczfn:v:111:y:2014:i:3:p:263-287
    DOI: 10.1007/s00712-012-0328-y
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s00712-012-0328-y
    Download Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s00712-012-0328-y?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to look for a different version below or search for a different version of it.

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ziss, Steffen, 1993. "Entry deterrence, cost advantage and horizontal product differentiation," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 523-543, September.
    2. Nagaoka, Sadao, 2005. "Determinants of high-royalty contracts and the impact of stronger protection of intellectual property rights in Japan," Journal of the Japanese and International Economies, Elsevier, vol. 19(2), pages 233-254, June.
    3. Williamson, Oliver, 2009. "The Theory of the Firm as Governance Structure: From Choice to Contract," Ekonomicheskaya Politika / Economic Policy, Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, vol. 6, pages 111-134, December.
    4. Vishwasrao, Sharmila, 2007. "Royalties vs. fees: How do firms pay for foreign technology?," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 741-759, August.
    5. Peter Egger & Robert Stehrer, 2003. "International Outsourcing and the Skill–Specific Wage Bill in Eastern Europe," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(1), pages 61-72, January.
    6. R.J. Aumann & S. Hart (ed.), 2002. "Handbook of Game Theory with Economic Applications," Handbook of Game Theory with Economic Applications, Elsevier, edition 1, volume 3, number 3.
    7. Chen, Yutian & Dubey, Pradeep & Sen, Debapriya, 2011. "Outsourcing induced by strategic competition," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 484-492, July.
    8. Pedro Mendi, 2005. "The Structure of Payments in Technology Transfer Contracts: Evidence from Spain," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(2), pages 403-429, June.
    9. Vidal, Carlos J. & Goetschalckx, Marc, 1997. "Strategic production-distribution models: A critical review with emphasis on global supply chain models," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 98(1), pages 1-18, April.
    10. Toshihiro Matsumura & Noriaki Matsushima, 2009. "Cost differentials and mixed strategy equilibria in a Hotelling model," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 43(1), pages 215-234, March.
    11. Chen, Yongmin & Ishikawa, Jota & Yu, Zhihao, 2004. "Trade liberalization and strategic outsourcing," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 63(2), pages 419-436, July.
    12. Mary Amiti & Shang-Jin Wei, 2005. "Fear of service outsourcing: is it justified? [‘Location of vertically linked industries: agglomeration versus comparative advantage’]," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 20(42), pages 308-347.
    13. Pio Baake & Jörg Oechssler & Christoph Schenk, 1999. "Explaining cross-supplies," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 70(1), pages 37-60, February.
    14. Mary Amiti & Shang‐Jin Wei, 2009. "Service Offshoring and Productivity: Evidence from the US," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(2), pages 203-220, February.
    15. Ryuhei Wakasugi & Banri Ito, 2009. "The effects of stronger intellectual property rights on technology transfer: evidence from Japanese firm-level data," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 145-158, April.
    16. Xavier Wauthy & Nicolas Boccard, 2005. "Equilibrium payoffs in a Bertrand-Edgeworth model with product differentiation," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 12(11), pages 1-8.
    17. Milgrom, Paul & Roberts, John, 1988. " Communication and Inventory as Substitutes in Organizing Production," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 90(3), pages 275-289.
    18. Nickerson, Jack A. & Vanden Bergh, Richard, 1999. "Economizing in a context of strategizing: governance mode choice in Cournot competition," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 1-15, September.
    19. Riordan, Michael H. & Williamson, Oliver E., 1985. "Asset specificity and economic organization," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 3(4), pages 365-378, December.
    20. Shy, Oz & Stenbacka, Rune, 2003. "Strategic outsourcing," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 203-224, February.
    21. Hummels, David & Ishii, Jun & Yi, Kei-Mu, 2001. "The nature and growth of vertical specialization in world trade," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 54(1), pages 75-96, June.
    22. Toshihiro Matsumura & Noriaki Matsushima & Giorgos Stamatopoulos, 2010. "Location equilibrium with asymmetric firms: the role of licensing," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 99(3), pages 267-276, April.
    23. Lee G. Branstetter & Raymond Fisman & C. Fritz Foley, 2006. "Do Stronger Intellectual Property Rights Increase International Technology Transfer? Empirical Evidence from U. S. Firm-Level Panel Data," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 121(1), pages 321-349.
    24. Arya, Anil & Mittendorf, Brian & Sappington, David E.M., 2008. "Outsourcing, vertical integration, and price vs. quantity competition," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 1-16, January.
    25. Milgrom, Paul & Roberts, John, 1990. "The Economics of Modern Manufacturing: Technology, Strategy, and Organization," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(3), pages 511-528, June.
    26. Xavier Wauthy, 1996. "Capacity constraints may restore the existence of an equilibrium in the Hotelling model," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 64(3), pages 315-324, October.
    27. David M. Kreps & Jose A. Scheinkman, 1983. "Quantity Precommitment and Bertrand Competition Yield Cournot Outcomes," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 14(2), pages 326-337, Autumn.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Chen, Yutian & Dubey, Pradeep & Sen, Debapriya, 2011. "Outsourcing induced by strategic competition," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 484-492, July.
    2. Kabiraj, Tarun & Sinha, Uday Bhanu, 2016. "Strategic outsourcing with technology transfer under price competition," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 281-290.
    3. Yen-Ju Lin & Yan-Shu Lin & Kuang-I Tu, 2016. "Strategic input outsourcing and equilibrium location choice," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 56(1), pages 83-99, January.
    4. Yen-Ju Lin & Yan-Shu Lin & Kuang-I Tu, 2016. "Strategic input outsourcing and equilibrium location choice," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 56(1), pages 83-99, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yen-Ju Lin & Yan-Shu Lin & Kuang-I Tu, 2016. "Strategic input outsourcing and equilibrium location choice," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 56(1), pages 83-99, January.
    2. Chen, Yutian & Dubey, Pradeep & Sen, Debapriya, 2011. "Outsourcing induced by strategic competition," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 484-492, July.
    3. Yen-Ju Lin & Yan-Shu Lin & Kuang-I Tu, 2016. "Strategic input outsourcing and equilibrium location choice," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 56(1), pages 83-99, January.
    4. Yutian Chen, 2010. "Strategic Outsourcing between Rivals," Annals of Economics and Finance, Society for AEF, vol. 11(2), pages 301-311, November.
    5. Dermot Leahy & Catia Montagna, 2011. "Economising, Strategising and the Decision to Outsource," Discussion Papers 11/17, University of Nottingham, GEP.
    6. Sudipto Bhattacharya & Claude d’Aspremont & Sergei Guriev & Debapriya Sen & Yair Tauman, 2014. "Cooperation in R&D: Patenting, Licensing, and Contracting," International Series in Operations Research & Management Science, in: Kalyan Chatterjee & William Samuelson (ed.), Game Theory and Business Applications, edition 2, chapter 0, pages 265-286, Springer.
    7. Dermot Leahy & Catia Montagna, 2006. "'Make-or-Buy' in International Oligopoly and the Role of Competitive Pressure," Dundee Discussion Papers in Economics 197, Economic Studies, University of Dundee.
    8. Tarun Kabiraj & Uday Bhanu Sinha, 2011. "Strategic Outsourcing with Technology Transfer," Working papers 203, Centre for Development Economics, Delhi School of Economics.
    9. Canals, Claudia & Şener, Fuat, 2014. "Offshoring and intellectual property rights reform," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 17-31.
    10. Ki‐Dong Lee & Kangsik Choi & DongJoon Lee, 2020. "Endogenous vertical structure and trade policy in an import‐competing market," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(8), pages 1431-1445, December.
    11. Yutian Chen, 2011. "Strategic sourcing for entry deterrence and tacit collusion," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 102(2), pages 137-156, March.
    12. Matthew Beacham, 2012. "The effect of Stackelberg cost reductions on spatial competition with heterogeneous firms," Discussion Papers 12/14, Department of Economics, University of York.
    13. Lommerud, Kjell Erik & Meland, Frode & Straume, Odd Rune, 2009. "Can deunionization lead to international outsourcing?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(1), pages 109-119, February.
    14. Kabiraj, Tarun & Sinha, Uday Bhanu, 2016. "Strategic outsourcing with technology transfer under price competition," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 281-290.
    15. Chrysovalantou Milliou & Joel Sandonis, 2016. "Vertical Foreign Direct Investment: Make, Sell and (Not) Buy," CESifo Working Paper Series 6190, CESifo.
    16. Colombo, Stefano & Lambertini, Luca, 2023. "R&D investments with spillovers and endogenous horizontal differentiation," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    17. Dermot Leahy & Catia Montagna, 2008. "Outsourcing Versus Fdi In Oligopoly Equilibrium," Dundee Discussion Papers in Economics 215, Economic Studies, University of Dundee.
    18. Martin Tobal, 2019. "A model of wage and employment effects of service offshoring," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 52(1), pages 303-338, February.
    19. Yutian Chen & Debapriya Sen, 2015. "Strategic Outsourcing Under Economies Of Scale," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(2), pages 134-145, April.
    20. João Amador & Sónia Cabral, 2014. "Global Value Chains: Surveying Drivers, Measures and Impacts," Working Papers w201403, Banco de Portugal, Economics and Research Department.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Outsourcing; Technology transfer; Hotelling duopoly; Stackelberg leadership effect; Pareto improving contracts; D43; L11; L13;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:kap:jeczfn:v:111:y:2014:i:3:p:263-287. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.