IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/reecon/v64y2010i1p28-35.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Union objectives and indexation externalities in a monopolistically competitive economy

Author

Listed:
  • James, Jonathan G.
  • Lawler, Phillip

Abstract

This paper extends the literature on indexation externalities by analyzing equilibrium and efficient indexation in a unionized economy characterized by a monopolistically competitive goods market. The assumption that union objectives relate to both employment and the real wage implies that union indexation decisions are associated with a negative externality and, as a consequence, the equilibrium degree of indexation is inefficiently high. This feature is characteristic of both passive and activist policy environments.

Suggested Citation

  • James, Jonathan G. & Lawler, Phillip, 2010. "Union objectives and indexation externalities in a monopolistically competitive economy," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 64(1), pages 28-35, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reecon:v:64:y:2010:i:1:p:28-35
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1090-9443(09)00029-5
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    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. Hutchison, M M & Walsh, C E, 1998. "The Output-Inflation Tradeoff and Central Bank Reform: Evidence from New Zealand," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 108(448), pages 703-725, May.
    2. David D. VanHoose & Christopher J. Waller, 1989. "Discretion, wage indexation, and inflation," Research Working Paper 89-03, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.
    3. Aizenman, Joshua & Frenkel, Jacob A, 1985. "Optimal Wage Indexation, Foreign Exchange Intervention, and Monetary Policy," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(3), pages 402-423, June.
    4. Cukierman, Alex & Lippi, Francesco, 1999. "Central bank independence, centralization of wage bargaining, inflation and unemployment:: Theory and some evidence," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 43(7), pages 1395-1434, June.
    5. Gray, Jo Anna, 1976. "Wage indexation: A macroeconomic approach," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 2(2), pages 221-235, April.
    6. Devereux, Michael, 1987. "The effect of monetary variability on welfare in a simple macroeconomic model," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 427-435, May.
    7. Herrendorf, Berthold & Lockwood, Ben, 1997. "Rogoff's "Conservative" Central Banker Restored," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 29(4), pages 476-495, November.
    8. Fabrizio Coricelli & Alex Cukierman & Alberto Dalmazzo, 2006. "Monetary Institutions, Monopolistic Competition, Unionized Labor Markets and Economic Performance," Scandinavian Journal of Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 108(1), pages 39-63, March.
    9. Acocella, Nicola & Di Bartolomeo, Giovanni, 2004. "Non-neutrality of monetary policy in policy games," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 695-707, September.
    10. Holden, Steinar, 2005. "Monetary regimes and the co-ordination of wage setting," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(4), pages 833-843, May.
    11. David Soskice & Torben Iversen, 2000. "The Nonneutrality of Monetary Policy with Large Price or Wage Setters," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 115(1), pages 265-284.
    12. Fischer, Stanley, 1977. "Wage indexation and macroeconomics stability," Carnegie-Rochester Conference Series on Public Policy, Elsevier, vol. 5(1), pages 107-147, January.
    13. Christopher J. Waller & David D. VanHoose, 1992. "Discretionary Monetary Policy and Socially Efficient Wage Indexation," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 107(4), pages 1451-1460.
    14. Lars Calmfors & Asa Johansson, 2006. "Nominal Wage Flexibility, Wage Indexation and Monetary Union," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 116(508), pages 283-308, January.
    15. Duca, John V, 1987. "The Spillover Effects of Nominal Wage Rigidity in a Multisector Economy: A Note," Journal of Money, Credit and Banking, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 19(1), pages 117-121, February.
    16. Lawler, Phillip, 2000. "Centralised Wage Setting, Inflation Contracts, and the Optimal Choice of Central Banker," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 110(463), pages 559-575, April.
    17. Duca, John V & VanHoose, David D, 1991. "Optimal Wage Indexation in a Multisector Economy," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 32(4), pages 859-867, November.
    18. De Bruyne, Guido, 1997. "Wage Indexation and the Exchange Rate Regime: A Strategic Analysis," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 571-589, July.
    19. Dai, Meixing & Sidiropoulos, Moïse, 2008. "Central bank's conservativeness and transparency," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(4), pages 179-187, December.
    20. repec:bla:scandj:v:87:y:1985:i:2:p:160-93 is not listed on IDEAS
    21. Laurence Ball, 1988. "Is Equilibrium Indexation Efficient?," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 103(2), pages 299-311.
    22. Fischer, Stanley & Summers, Lawrence H, 1989. "Should Governments Learn to Live with Inflation?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 79(2), pages 382-387, May.
    23. Fukuda, Shin-Ichi, 1993. "Informational advantage, exogenous variability, and economic welfare: Can the informational advantage of the policymaker reduce welfare?," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 15(2), pages 349-363.
    24. repec:bla:econom:v:63:y:1996:i:252:p:687-99 is not listed on IDEAS
    25. Lawler, Phillip, 1998. "Wage Indexation and Government Intervention under Perfect Information," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 20(1), pages 189-197, January.
    26. Duca, John V. & Vanhoose, David D., 1998. "The Rise of Goods-Market Competition and the Decline in Wage Indexation: A Macroeconomic Approach," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 20(3), pages 579-598, July.
    27. repec:bla:scandj:v:97:y:1995:i:1:p:105-12 is not listed on IDEAS
    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. James, Jonathan G. & Lawler, Phillip, 2006. "Productivity, indexation and macroeconomic outcomes: The implications of goods market competition and wage bargaining structure," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 58(5-6), pages 465-479.
    2. Acocella, Nicola & Di Bartolomeo, Giovanni & Hibbs Jr., Douglas A., 2008. "Labor market regimes and the effects of monetary policy," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 30(1), pages 134-156, March.
    3. Phillip Lawler & Jonathan James, 2005. "Macroeconomic Shocks and Central Bank Disclosure Policy: Is increased Transparency Necessarily Beneficial?," Money Macro and Finance (MMF) Research Group Conference 2005 27, Money Macro and Finance Research Group.
    4. James, Jonathan G. & Lawler, Phillip, 2010. "Macroeconomic shocks, unionized labour markets and central bank disclosure policy: How beneficial is increased transparency?," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 26(4), pages 506-516, December.
    5. Duca, John V. & VanHoose, David D., 1998. "Goods-market competition and profit sharing: a multisector macro approach," Journal of Economics and Business, Elsevier, vol. 50(6), pages 525-534, November.
    6. Nir Klein, 2003. "Reputation and Indexation in an Inflation Targeting Framework," Bank of Israel Working Papers 2003.13, Bank of Israel.
    7. Bratsiotis, George J., 2008. "Influential price and wage setters, monetary policy and real effects," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 24(2), pages 503-517, June.
    8. Frank Heinemann, 2003. "The Inflationary Impact of Wage Indexation," CESifo Working Paper Series 867, CESifo.
    9. Giuseppe Diana & Pierre‐Guillaume Méon, 2008. "Monetary Policy in the Presence of Asymmetric Wage Indexation," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 75(1), pages 69-90, July.
    10. James, Jonathan G. & Lawler, Phillip, 2011. "Optimal delegation implications of central bank transparency," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 113(1), pages 8-11, October.
    11. Lars Calmfors & Asa Johansson, 2006. "Nominal Wage Flexibility, Wage Indexation and Monetary Union," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 116(508), pages 283-308, January.
    12. Tilemahos Efthimiadis, 2007. "On Central Bank Independence, Wage Indexing And A Monopoly Union," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(1), pages 25-36, January.
    13. Lawler, Phillip, 2007. "Strategic wage setting, inflation uncertainty and optimal delegation," European Journal of Political Economy, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 1105-1118, December.
    14. Duca, John V. & Van Hoose, David D., 2001. "The Rise of Goods-Market Competition and the Fall of Nominal Wage Contracting: Endogenous Wage Contracting in a Multisector Economy," Journal of Macroeconomics, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 1-29, January.
    15. P Lawler, 2004. "Monetary Uncertainty, the Appropriate Choice of Central Banker and Social Welfare," Economic Issues Journal Articles, Economic Issues, vol. 9(2), pages 43-50, September.
    16. James, Jonathan G. & Lawler, Phillip, 2006. "Might a conservative central banker reduce employment variability?," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 93(3), pages 367-373, December.
    17. Oscar Landerretche & Fernando Lefort & Rodrigo O. Valdés, 2002. "Causes and Consequences of Indexation: A Review of the Literature," Central Banking, Analysis, and Economic Policies Book Series, in: Fernando Lefort & Klaus Schmidt-Hebbel & Norman Loayza (Series Editor) & Klaus Schmidt-Hebbel (Serie (ed.),Indexation, Inflation and Monetary Policy, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 2, pages 019-064, Central Bank of Chile.
    18. Christoph S. Weber, 2020. "The unemployment effect of central bank transparency," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 59(6), pages 2947-2975, December.
    19. Sánchez, Marcelo, 2011. "Monetary strictness and labour market outcomes under incomplete transparency," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 65(2), pages 95-99, June.
    20. Frank Heinemann, 2006. "Wage Indexation and Monetary Policy," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 162(3), pages 486-504, September.

    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:eee:reecon:v:64:y:2010:i:1:p:28-35. 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: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/622941 .

    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.