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Irrelevance of productivity difference: A case with labor union

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  • Arijit Mukherjee

    (University of Nottingham, UK)

Abstract

Common wisdom suggests that firms with higher productivities earn higher profits and the higher productivities of the firms benefit consumers by increasing outputs. We show that productivity difference may not matter for outputs and profits in presence of wage bill maximizing labor unions. Our results hold under decentralized (i.e., firm specific) and centralized union-firm bargaining, for any degree of product differentiation and for any bargaining power of the firms. Hence, our results have important implications for firms' incentives for innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Arijit Mukherjee, 2007. "Irrelevance of productivity difference: A case with labor union," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 10(17), pages 1-8.
    • Handle: RePEc:ebl:ecbull:eb-07j50006
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Haucap, Justus & Pauly, Uwe & Wey, Christian, 2001. "Collective wage setting when wages are generally binding An antitrust perspective," International Review of Law and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(3), pages 287-307, September.
    2. Justus Haucap & Christian Wey, 2004. "Unionisation structures and innovation incentives," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 114(494), pages 149-165, March.
    3. Vannini, Stefano & Bughin, Jacques, 2000. "To be (unionized) or not to be? A case for cost-raising strategies under Cournot oligopoly," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 44(9), pages 1763-1781, October.
    4. Layard, Richard & Nickell, Stephen & Jackman, Richard, 2005. "Unemployment: Macroeconomic Performance and the Labour Market," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199279173.
    5. Justus Haucap & Christian Wey & Uwe Pauly, 1999. "The Incentives of Employers’ Associations to Raise Rivals’ Costs in the Presence of Collective Bargaining," CIG Working Papers FS IV 99-06, Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin (WZB), Research Unit: Competition and Innovation (CIG).
    6. Yoshihiro Yoshida, 2000. "Third-Degree Price Discrimination in Input Markets: Output and Welfare," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 90(1), pages 240-246, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Cao, Jiyun & Mukherjee, Arijit, 2018. "Foreign direct investment, unionised labour markets and welfare," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 330-339.
    2. Debasmita Basak & Andreas Hoefele & Arijit Mukherjee, 2022. "Wage bargaining and product innovation: The role of market expansion effect," Manchester School, University of Manchester, vol. 90(3), pages 319-340, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Labor union Productivity difference Wage rates;

    JEL classification:

    • J5 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining
    • L1 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance

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