IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/alc/alcamo/0901.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

When is concentration beneficial? Evidence from U.S. manufacturing

Author

Listed:
  • Rigoberto A. López

    (Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of Conneticut.)

  • Elena López

    (Departamento de Economía , Universidad de Alcalá.)

  • Carmen Liron-Espana

    (System Planning, ISO-NE.)

Abstract

This article estimates the impact of industrial concentration on market power and cost and then links the ensuing welfare changes to market structure characteristics using a sample of 232 U.S. manufacturing industries. Empirical results indicate that further increases in concentration would enhance welfare in 70% of the industries due to widespread efficiency gains, although these would generally not be passed on to consumers. From a social standpoint, further concentration is more likely to be beneficial in industries with economies of size, high export intensity, which are engaged in consumer-oriented goods, face larger markets, and have low or moderate levels of initial concentration.

Suggested Citation

  • Rigoberto A. López & Elena López & Carmen Liron-Espana, 2009. "When is concentration beneficial? Evidence from U.S. manufacturing," Alcamentos 0901, Universidad de Alcalá, Departamento de Economía..
    • Handle: RePEc:alc:alcamo:0901
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://ebuah.uah.es/dspace/bitstream/handle/10017/2405/Alcamentos0901.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Rigoberto A. Lopez & Elena Lopez, 2003. "The impact of imports on price-cost margins: An empirical illustration," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 403-416, April.
    2. Holmes, Thomas J. & Stevens, John J., 2005. "Does home market size matter for the pattern of trade?," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 489-505, March.
    3. Stalhammar, Nils-Olov, 1991. "Domestic market power and foreign trade : The case of Sweden," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 9(3), pages 407-424, September.
    4. Marc J. Melitz & Giancarlo I. P. Ottaviano, 2021. "Market Size, Trade, and Productivity," World Scientific Book Chapters, in: Firms and Workers in a Globalized World Larger Markets, Tougher Competition, chapter 4, pages 87-108, World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd..
    5. Pagoulatos, Emilio & Sorensen, Robert, 1986. "What determines the elasticity of industry demand?," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 4(3), pages 237-250, September.
    6. Allen N. Berger & Timothy H. Hannan, 1998. "The Efficiency Cost Of Market Power In The Banking Industry: A Test Of The "Quiet Life" And Related Hypotheses," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 80(3), pages 454-465, August.
    7. repec:bla:econom:v:43:y:1976:i:171:p:267-74 is not listed on IDEAS
    8. Rigoberto Lopez & Azzeddine Azzam & Carmen Lirón-España, 2002. "Market Power and/or Efficiency: A Structural Approach," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 20(2), pages 115-126, March.
    9. repec:bla:econom:v:49:y:1982:i:195:p:277-87 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Marvel, Howard P, 1980. "Foreign Trade and Domestic Competition," Economic Inquiry, Western Economic Association International, vol. 18(1), pages 103-122, January.
    11. Lin Bian, 2000. "The efficiencies defence in merger cases: implications of alternative standards," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 33(2), pages 297-318, May.
    12. Fabio Panetta & Dario Focarelli, 2003. "Are Mergers Beneficial to Consumers? Evidence from the Italian Market for Bank Deposits," CEIS Research Paper 10, Tor Vergata University, CEIS.
    13. Dario Focarelli & Fabio Panetta, 2003. "Are Mergers Beneficial to Consumers? Evidence from the Market for Bank Deposits," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 93(4), pages 1152-1172, September.
    14. repec:bla:jindec:v:45:y:1997:i:4:p:377-86 is not listed on IDEAS
    15. Pugel, Thomas A, 1980. "Foreign Trade and US Market Performance," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 119-129, December.
    16. Dickson, V. A. & Yu, Weiqiu, 1989. "Welfare losses in Canadian manufacturing under alternative oligopoly regimes," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 7(2), pages 257-267, June.
    17. Nick Feltovich, 2001. "Mergers, welfare, and concentration: Results from a model of stackelberg-cournot oligopoly," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 29(4), pages 378-392, December.
    18. Azzeddine M. Azzam, 1997. "Measuring Market Power and Cost‐efficiency Effects of Industrial Concentration," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 45(4), pages 377-386, December.
    19. Harris, Frederick H deB, 1988. "Testable Competing Hypotheses from Structure-Performance Theory: Efficient Structure versus Market Power," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(3), pages 267-280, March.
    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. Rigoberto Lopez & Elena Lopez & Carmen Lirón-España, 2014. "Who Benefits from Industrial Concentration? Evidence from U.S. Manufacturing," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 303-317, September.
    2. Joel Stiebale & Florian Szücs, 2022. "Mergers and market power: evidence from rivals' responses in European markets," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 53(4), pages 678-702, December.
    3. John K. Ashton, 2012. "Do Depositors Benefit from Bank Mergers? An Examination of the UK Deposit Market," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 19(1), pages 1-23, February.
    4. Amel, Dean & Barnes, Colleen & Panetta, Fabio & Salleo, Carmelo, 2004. "Consolidation and efficiency in the financial sector: A review of the international evidence," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 28(10), pages 2493-2519, October.
    5. John Ashton & Khac Pham, 2007. "Efficiency and Price Effects of Horizontal Bank Mergers," Working Paper series, University of East Anglia, Centre for Competition Policy (CCP) 2007-09, Centre for Competition Policy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK..
    6. Bhuyan, Sanjib & Lopez, Rigoberto A., 1998. "What Determines Welfare Losses From Oligopoly Power In The Food And Tobacco Industries?," Agricultural and Resource Economics Review, Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association, vol. 27(2), pages 1-8, October.
    7. Azzeddine Azzam & Rigoberto Lopez & Elena Lopez, 2004. "Imperfect Competition and Total Factor Productivity Growth," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 22(3), pages 173-184, November.
    8. Rigoberto A. Lopez & Elena Lopez, 2003. "The impact of imports on price-cost margins: An empirical illustration," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 28(2), pages 403-416, April.
    9. Martha K. Field & Emilio Pagoulatos, 1997. "The Cyclical Behavior of Price Elasticity of Demand," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 64(1), pages 118-129, July.
    10. Wilson, John O.S. & Casu, Barbara & Girardone, Claudia & Molyneux, Philip, 2010. "Emerging themes in banking: Recent literature and directions for future research," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 42(3), pages 153-169.
    11. Lopez, Rigoberto A. & Bhuyan, Sanjib, 1998. "Determinants of allocative efficiency losses from oligopoly power," The Quarterly Review of Economics and Finance, Elsevier, vol. 38(1), pages 61-72.
    12. Akbar Ullah & Ejaz Ghani & Attiya Y. Javed, 2013. "Market Power and Industrial Performance in Pakistan," PIDE-Working Papers 2013:88, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
    13. Gugler, Klaus & Szücs, Florian, 2016. "Merger externalities in oligopolistic markets," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 230-254.
    14. Luca Aguzzoni & Elena Argentesi & Lorenzo Ciari & Tomaso Duso & Massimo Tognoni, 2016. "Ex post Merger Evaluation in the U.K. Retail Market for Books," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(1), pages 170-200, March.
    15. Connor, John M., 2003. "The Changing Structure Of Global Food Markets: Dimensions, Effects, And Policy Implications," Staff Papers 28675, Purdue University, Department of Agricultural Economics.
    16. Orley Ashenfelter & Daniel Hosken, 2008. "The Effect of Mergers on Consumer Prices: Evidence from Five Selected Case Studies," Working Papers 1037, Princeton University, Department of Economics, Center for Economic Policy Studies..
    17. Christos Genakos & Andreas Lamprinidis & James Walker, 2023. "Evaluating merger effects," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(6), pages 3325-3345, September.
    18. De Graeve, Ferre & De Jonghe, Olivier & Vennet, Rudi Vander, 2007. "Competition, transmission and bank pricing policies: Evidence from Belgian loan and deposit markets," Journal of Banking & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 259-278, January.
    19. Kitto, Andrew R., 2024. "The effects of non-Big 4 mergers on audit efficiency and audit market competition☆," Journal of Accounting and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 77(1).
    20. Cerasi, Vittoria & Chizzolini, Barbara & Ivaldi, Marc, 2009. "The Impact of Mergers on the Degree of Competition in the Banking Industry," TSE Working Papers 09-113, Toulouse School of Economics (TSE), revised 07 Jun 2012.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Concentration; welfare; economies of size; market power; manufacturing;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L60 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing - - - General
    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • D61 - Microeconomics - - Welfare Economics - - - Allocative Efficiency; Cost-Benefit Analysis
    • F12 - International Economics - - Trade - - - Models of Trade with Imperfect Competition and Scale Economies; Fragmentation

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:alc:alcamo:0901. 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: Juan Muro (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/dsuahes.html .

    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.