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From Russia with Love: The Impact of Relocated Firms on Incumbent Survival

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Listed:
  • Oliver Falck
  • Christina Guenther
  • Stephan Heblich
  • William R. Kerr

Abstract

We identify the impact of local firm concentration on incumbent performance with a quasi natural experiment. When Germany was divided after World War II, many firms in the machine tool industry fled the Soviet occupied zone to prevent expropriation. We show that the regional location decisions of these firms upon moving to western Germany were driven by non-economic factors and heuristics rather than existing industrial conditions. Relocating firms increased the likelihood of incumbent failure in destination regions, a pattern that differs sharply from new entrants. We further provide evidence that these effects are due to increased competition for local resources.

Suggested Citation

  • Oliver Falck & Christina Guenther & Stephan Heblich & William R. Kerr, 2010. "From Russia with Love: The Impact of Relocated Firms on Incumbent Survival," NBER Working Papers 16141, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:16141
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    Cited by:

    1. Martin Obschonka & Eva Schmitt-Rodermund & Rainer K. Silbereisen & Samuel D. Gosling & Jeff Potter, 2013. "The Regional Distribution and Correlates of an Entrepreneurship-Prone Personality Profile in the United States, Germany, and the United Kingdom: A Socioecological Perspective," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 550, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    2. Einiö, Elias, 2016. "The loss of production work: evidence from quasiexperimental identification of labour demand functions," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 69019, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Thomas Brenner & Matthias Duschl, 2015. "Causal dynamic effects in regional systems of technological activities: a SVAR approach," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 55(1), pages 103-130, October.
    4. Aaron Chatterji & Edward Glaeser & William Kerr, 2014. "Clusters of Entrepreneurship and Innovation," Innovation Policy and the Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 14(1), pages 129-166.
    5. Alex Coad & Christina Guenther, 2014. "Processes of firm growth and diversification: theory and evidence," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 43(4), pages 857-871, December.
    6. Ludger Wößmann, 2011. "Die Bedeutung von Bildung für die Wirtschaftsentwicklung: Eine neue wirtschaftshistorische Forschungsagenda anhand preußischer Kreisdaten, Teil 2," ifo Schnelldienst, ifo Institute - Leibniz Institute for Economic Research at the University of Munich, vol. 64(01), pages 41-47, January.
    7. Elias Einiö, 2016. "The Loss of Production Work: Evidence from Quasi-Experimental Identification of Labour Demand Functions," CEP Discussion Papers dp1451, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    8. Ghani, Ejaz & Kerr, William R. & O'Connell, Stephen D., 2013. "Input usage and productivity in Indian manufacturing plants," Policy Research Working Paper Series 6656, The World Bank.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J2 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor
    • L1 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance
    • O1 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Economic Development
    • R1 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics

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