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Investment interdependence and the coordination of lumpy investments: evidence from the British brick industry

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  • Andrew Wood

Abstract

The brick industry is characterized by regional markets, lumpy capacity increments and high fixed costs. In such an industry, the coordination of rival expansions in capacity can be crucial to the profitability of those expansions. Evidence from the British brick industry suggests that excess investments are generally avoided, but there is little support for existing theories to explain how this is achieved. The explanation for how coordination failures are avoided is based on firm heterogeneity, the regional dimension to the investment decision and the prospects for, and consequences of, growth by acquisition.

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  • Andrew Wood, 2005. "Investment interdependence and the coordination of lumpy investments: evidence from the British brick industry," Applied Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 37(1), pages 37-49.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:applec:v:37:y:2005:i:1:p:37-49
    DOI: 10.1080/0003684042000287646
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Yang, Shu-Jung Sunny & Anderson, Edward James, 2014. "Competition through capacity investment under asymmetric existing capacities and costs," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 237(1), pages 217-230.
    3. Besanko, David & Doraszelski, Ulrich & Lu, Lauren Xiaoyuan & Satterthwaite, Mark, 2010. "On the role of demand and strategic uncertainty in capacity investment and disinvestment dynamics," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 28(4), pages 383-389, July.
    4. David Besanko & Ulrich Doraszelski & Lauren Xiaoyuan Lu & Mark Satterthwaite, 2010. "Lumpy Capacity Investment and Disinvestment Dynamics," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 58(4-part-2), pages 1178-1193, August.
    5. Ulrich Doraszelski & Mark Satterthwaite & Lauren Xiaoyuan Lu & David Besanko, 2009. "Lumpy Capacity Investment and Disinvestment Dynamics," 2009 Meeting Papers 106, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    6. Faninam, Farzan, 2023. "The Impact of Multiple Investment Opportunities on the Initial Investment," Discussion Paper 2023-030, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.

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