IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/opmare/v16y2023i1d10.1007_s12063-022-00317-0.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Contract manufacturing, market competition, and labor productivity in US manufacturing industries

Author

Listed:
  • Dazhong Wu

    (University of the District of Columbia)

  • Michael Tannen

    (University of the District of Columbia)

  • Julius Anyu

    (University of the District of Columbia)

  • Sergey Ivanov

    (University of the District of Columbia)

  • Feng Xu

    (University of the District of Columbia)

Abstract

How does contract manufacturing /outsourcing affect productivity? Existing studies have conflicting empirical findings regarding this issue. This paper aims to reconcile these conflicting findings in the literature by viewing the research question through the lens of the property rights theory. The authors develop a moderated moderation model to empirically examine how productivity is influenced by the interactions among contract manufacturing, competition, and suppliers’ productivity spillover. Our model shows that though conflicting findings have been reported in the literature, each finding holds true under certain conditions which are identified in our paper. In brief, contract manufacturing /outsourcing improves productivity when suppliers’ productivity growth is above average and focal industry’s competition is at medium level. On the other hand, if suppliers’ productivity growth is low, or focal industry’s competition is too high or too low, the impact of contract manufacturing /outsourcing could be negative or not significant.

Suggested Citation

  • Dazhong Wu & Michael Tannen & Julius Anyu & Sergey Ivanov & Feng Xu, 2023. "Contract manufacturing, market competition, and labor productivity in US manufacturing industries," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 16(1), pages 377-390, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:opmare:v:16:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s12063-022-00317-0
    DOI: 10.1007/s12063-022-00317-0
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s12063-022-00317-0
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s12063-022-00317-0?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 search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Consoli, Davide & Marin, Giovanni & Marzucchi, Alberto & Vona, Francesco, 2016. "Do green jobs differ from non-green jobs in terms of skills and human capital?," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 45(5), pages 1046-1060.
    2. Golan, Amos & Judge, George & Perloff, Jeffrey M, 1996. "Estimating the Size Distribution of Firms Using Government Summary Statistics," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(1), pages 69-80, March.
    3. Hart, Oliver & Moore, John, 1990. "Property Rights and the Nature of the Firm," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 98(6), pages 1119-1158, December.
    4. Holger Görg & Aoife Hanley & Eric Strobl, 2008. "Productivity effects of international outsourcing: evidence from plant‐level data," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 41(2), pages 670-688, May.
    5. Laurent Frésard & Gerard Hoberg & Gordon M Phillips & Francesca Cornelli, 2020. "Innovation Activities and Integration through Vertical Acquisitions," The Review of Financial Studies, Society for Financial Studies, vol. 33(7), pages 2937-2976.
    6. Daron Acemoglu & Philippe Aghion & Rachel Griffith & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2010. "Vertical Integration and Technology: Theory and Evidence," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 8(5), pages 989-1033, September.
    7. Alexander Hijzen & Tomohiko Inui & Yasuyuki Todo, 2010. "Does Offshoring Pay? Firm‐Level Evidence From Japan," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 48(4), pages 880-895, October.
    8. Syeda Tamkeen Fatima, 2016. "Productivity spillovers from foreign direct investment: evidence from Turkish micro-level data," The Journal of International Trade & Economic Development, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(3), pages 291-324, June.
    9. Gibbons, Robert, 2005. "Four forma(lizable) theories of the firm?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 58(2), pages 200-245, October.
    10. Michael R. M. Abrigo & Inessa Love, 2016. "Estimation of panel vector autoregression in Stata," Stata Journal, StataCorp LLC, vol. 16(3), pages 778-804, September.
    11. 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.
    12. Anna Maziarczyk, 2020. "Impact of outsourcing on the productivity of Polish industrial enterprises," Zeszyty Naukowe Małopolskiej Wyższej Szkoły Ekonomicznej w Tarnowie / The Malopolska School of Economics in Tarnow Research Papers Collection, Malopolska School of Economics in Tarnow, vol. 45(1), pages 41-52, March.
    13. Liang-Chieh (Victor) Cheng & David E. Cantor & Curtis M. Grimm & Martin E. Dresner, 2014. "Supply Chain Drivers of Organizational Flexibility—A Study of U.S. Manufacturing Industries," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 50(4), pages 62-75, October.
    14. Yoon Hee Kim & Tobias Schoenherr, 2018. "The Effects of Supply Chain Integration on the Cost Efficiency of Contract Manufacturing," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 54(3), pages 42-64, July.
    15. Lechner, Christian & Lorenzoni, Gianni & Tundis, Enrico, 2016. "Vertical disintegration of production and the rise of market for brands," Journal of Business Venturing Insights, Elsevier, vol. 6(C), pages 1-6.
    16. Masaaki Kotabe & Ronaldo Parente & Janet Y Murray, 2007. "Antecedents and outcomes of modular production in the Brazilian automobile industry: a grounded theory approach," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(1), pages 84-106, January.
    17. Beata Smarzynska Javorcik, 2004. "Does Foreign Direct Investment Increase the Productivity of Domestic Firms? In Search of Spillovers Through Backward Linkages," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 94(3), pages 605-627, June.
    18. Chowdhury, Priyabrata & Paul, Sanjoy Kumar & Kaisar, Shahriar & Moktadir, Md. Abdul, 2021. "COVID-19 pandemic related supply chain studies: A systematic review," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    19. Grossman, Sanford J & Hart, Oliver D, 1986. "The Costs and Benefits of Ownership: A Theory of Vertical and Lateral Integration," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 94(4), pages 691-719, August.
    20. Cheng, Liang-Chieh (Victor), 2011. "Assessing performance of utilizing organizational modularity to manage supply chains: Evidence in the US manufacturing sector," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 131(2), pages 736-746, June.
    21. Lybbert, Travis J. & Zolas, Nikolas J., 2014. "Getting patents and economic data to speak to each other: An ‘Algorithmic Links with Probabilities’ approach for joint analyses of patenting and economic activity," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 43(3), pages 530-542.
    22. Andy A. Tsay & John V. Gray & In Joon Noh & Joseph T. Mahoney, 2018. "A Review of Production and Operations Management Research on Outsourcing in Supply Chains: Implications for the Theory of the Firm," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 27(7), pages 1177-1220, July.
    23. Ross Levine & Chen Lin & Lai Wei, 2017. "Insider Trading and Innovation," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 60(4), pages 749-800.
    24. Spyros Arvanitis & Euripidis N. Loukis, 2013. "Outsourcing and firm performance--a comparative study of Swiss and Greek firms," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 22(3), pages 771-806, June.
    25. Sigmund, Michael & Ferstl, Robert, 2021. "Panel vector autoregression in R with the package panelvar," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 693-720.
    26. Barry T. Hirsch & David A. MacPherson, 2003. "Union Membership and Coverage Database from the Current Population Survey: Note," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 56(2), pages 349-354, January.
    27. Wolff, Edward N. & Ishaq Nadiri, M., 1993. "Spillover effects, linkage structure, and research and development," Structural Change and Economic Dynamics, Elsevier, vol. 4(2), pages 315-331, December.
    28. Nebojša Stojčić & Edvard Orlić, 2020. "Spatial dependence, foreign investment and productivity spillovers in new EU member states," Regional Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 54(8), pages 1057-1068, July.
    29. Han, Chaodong & Porterfield, Tobin & Li, Xiaolin, 2012. "Impact of industry competition on contract manufacturing: An empirical study of U.S. manufacturers," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 138(1), pages 159-169.
    30. Giroud, Xavier & Mueller, Holger M., 2010. "Does corporate governance matter in competitive industries?," Journal of Financial Economics, Elsevier, vol. 95(3), pages 312-331, March.
    31. Chan, Michael F. S. & Chung, Walter W. C., 2002. "A framework to develop an enterprise information portal for contract manufacturing," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(1-2), pages 113-126, January.
    32. Riaqa Mubeen & Dongping Han & Jaffar Abbas & Iftikhar Hussain, 2020. "The Effects of Market Competition, Capital Structure, and CEO Duality on Firm Performance: A Mediation Analysis by Incorporating the GMM Model Technique," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(8), pages 1-18, April.
    33. Louren�o S. Paz, 2014. "Inter-industry Productivity Spillovers: An Analysis Using the 1989-1998 Brazilian Trade Liberalisation," Journal of Development Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 50(9), pages 1261-1274, September.
    34. Mazzola, Erica & Bruccoleri, Manfredi & Perrone, Giovanni, 2019. "The curvilinear effect of manufacturing outsourcing and captive-offshoring on firms' innovation: The role of temporal endurance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 197-210.
    35. Saibal Kar & Meghna Dutta, 2018. "Outsourcing and Productivity During Economic Crisis: Evidence from Indian Manufacturing Firms," Arthaniti: Journal of Economic Theory and Practice, , vol. 17(2), pages 168-182, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Yu, Zhen & Li, Yuankun & Ouyang, Ziyi, 2021. "Economic policy uncertainty, hold-up risk and vertical integration: Evidence from China," Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    2. Christian A. Ruzzier, 2009. "Asset Specificity and Vertical Integration: Williamson’s Hypothesis Reconsidered," Harvard Business School Working Papers 09-119, Harvard Business School.
    3. Eppinger, Peter S. & Kukharskyy, Bohdan, 2017. "Contracting institutions and firm boundaries," University of Tübingen Working Papers in Business and Economics 100, University of Tuebingen, Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences, School of Business and Economics.
    4. Swinnen Johan & Vandeplas Anneleen, 2012. "Rich Consumers and Poor Producers: Quality and Rent Distribution in Global Value Chains," Journal of Globalization and Development, De Gruyter, vol. 2(2), pages 1-30, January.
    5. Christian Ruzzier & Ricard Gil, 2015. "’Make or Buy’ as Competitive Strategy: Evidence from the Spanish Local TV Industry," Working Papers 119, Universidad de San Andres, Departamento de Economia, revised Feb 2015.
    6. Ricard Gil & Christian A. Ruzzier, 2018. "The Impact of Competition on “Make-or-Buy” Decisions: Evidence from the Spanish Local TV Industry," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 64(3), pages 1121-1135, March.
    7. Kovach, Jeremy J. & Swink, Morgan & Rodriguez, Mauricio, 2023. "A novel measure of firm-level production outsourcing," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 263(C).
    8. Francine Lafontaine & Margaret Slade, 2007. "Vertical Integration and Firm Boundaries: The Evidence," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 45(3), pages 629-685, September.
    9. Christopher Hansman & Jonas Hjort & Gianmarco León-Ciliotta & Matthieu Teachout, 2020. "Vertical Integration, Supplier Behavior, and Quality Upgrading among Exporters," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 128(9), pages 3570-3625.
    10. Sertsios, Giorgo, 2020. "Corporate finance, industrial organization, and organizational economics," Journal of Corporate Finance, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    11. Jason Miller & Keith Skowronski & John Saldanha, 2022. "Asset ownership & incentives to undertake non‐contractible actions: The case of trucking," Journal of Supply Chain Management, Institute for Supply Management, vol. 58(1), pages 65-91, January.
    12. Kukharskyy, Bohdan, 2020. "A tale of two property rights: Knowledge, physical assets, and multinational firm boundaries," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 122(C).
    13. Schmitz, Patrick W., 2021. "On the optimality of outsourcing when vertical integration can mitigate information asymmetries," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 202(C).
    14. Laura Alfaro & Nick Bloom & Paola Conconi & Harald Fadinger & Patrick Legros & Andrew F Newman & Raffaella Sadun & John Van Reenen, 2024. "Come Together: Firm Boundaries and Delegation," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 22(1), pages 34-72.
    15. Hideshi Itoh, 2006. "The Theories of International Outsourcing and Integration : A Theoretical Overview from the Perspective of Organizational Economics," Microeconomics Working Papers 21891, East Asian Bureau of Economic Research.
    16. Sotiris Blanas & Adnan Seric, 2018. "Determinants of intra‐firm trade: Evidence from foreign affiliates in Sub‐Saharan Africa," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(4), pages 917-956, September.
    17. Daron Acemoglu & Philippe Aghion & Rachel Griffith & Fabrizio Zilibotti, 2010. "Vertical Integration and Technology: Theory and Evidence," Journal of the European Economic Association, MIT Press, vol. 8(5), pages 989-1033, September.
    18. 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.
    19. Cécile CEZANNE & Laurence SAGLIETTO, 2014. "Human Capital-Intensive Firms and Symbolic Value Creation," Timisoara Journal of Economics and Business, West University of Timisoara, Romania, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 7(1), pages 70-88.
    20. Holger Görg & Aoife Hanley & Ingrid Ott, 2015. "Outsourcing Foreign Services and the Internet: Evidence from Firm Level Data," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 46(3), pages 367-387.

    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:spr:opmare:v:16:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1007_s12063-022-00317-0. 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.