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Outsourcing, Complementary Innovations and Growth

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  • Ottaviano, Gianmarco
  • Naghavi, Alireza

Abstract

This paper analyzes the organization of firms in a dynamic setting with endogenous growth to shed light on the link between economic growth and the parallel creation and adoption of complementary innovations by independent labs and plants. In the presence of search friction and incomplete outsourcing contracts, we show that the ex-post bargaining power of upstream and downstream parties at the production stage feeds back into innovation and growth. Our dynamic perspective reveals a tension between the static and dynamic effects of outsourcing. The reason is that firms make their organizational choices weighting the higher searching and contracting costs of outsourcing against the higher entry and foregone specialization costs of vertical integration. In so doing, they neglect the effects of their choices on innovation and growth. Hence, when outsourcing is selected, the static gains from specialized production may at times be associated with relevant dynamic losses for consumers.

Suggested Citation

  • Ottaviano, Gianmarco & Naghavi, Alireza, 2006. "Outsourcing, Complementary Innovations and Growth," CEPR Discussion Papers 5925, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:5925
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Carlo Altomonte & Tommaso Aquilante & Gábor Békés & Gianmarco I.P. Ottaviano, 2013. "Internationalization and innovation of firms: evidence and policy [Managing knowledge within and outside the multinational corporation]," Economic Policy, CEPR, CESifo, Sciences Po;CES;MSH, vol. 28(76), pages 663-700.
    2. E. Loukis & N. Kyriakou & K. Pazalos & S. Popa, 2017. "Inter-organizational innovation and cloud computing," Electronic Commerce Research, Springer, vol. 17(3), pages 379-401, September.
    3. Fabrice Defever, 2011. "Incomplete Contracts and the Impact of Globalization on Consumer Welfare," CESifo Working Paper Series 3484, CESifo.
    4. Mohammad Yamin, 2011. "A Commentary on Peter Buckley’s Writings on the Global Factory," Management International Review, Springer, vol. 51(2), pages 285-293, April.
    5. Ottaviano, Gianmarco, 2007. "Contract Enforcement, Comparative Advantage and Long-Run Growth," CEPR Discussion Papers 6419, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Cassey Lee & Dionisius Narjoko, 2015. "Escaping the Middle-Income Trap in Southeast Asia: Micro Evidence on Innovation, Productivity, and Globalization," Asian Economic Policy Review, Japan Center for Economic Research, vol. 10(1), pages 124-147, January.
    7. Alireza Naghavi & Gianmarco Ottaviano, 2009. "Offshoring and product innovation," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 38(3), pages 517-532, March.
    8. Cassey LEE, 2012. "Knowledge Flows, Organization and Innovation: Firm-Level Evidence from Malaysia," Working Papers DP-2012-11, Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).
    9. García-Vega, María & Huergo, Elena, 2019. "The role of international and domestic R&D outsourcing for firm innovation," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 157(C), pages 775-792.
    10. Lionel Fontagné & Guillaume Gaulier & Soledad Zignago, 2007. "Specialisation across Varieties within Products and North-South Competition," Working Papers 2007-06, CEPII research center.
    11. Riccardo Crescenzi & George Petrakos, 2016. "The European Union and its neighboring countries: The economic geography of trade, Foreign Direct Investment and development," Environment and Planning C, , vol. 34(4), pages 581-591, June.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Incomplete contracts; Growth; Organization of firms; Welfare; Outsourcing; Complementary innovations;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D91 - Microeconomics - - Micro-Based Behavioral Economics - - - Role and Effects of Psychological, Emotional, Social, and Cognitive Factors on Decision Making
    • L14 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Transactional Relationships; Contracts and Reputation
    • L23 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Organization of Production
    • O32 - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth - - Innovation; Research and Development; Technological Change; Intellectual Property Rights - - - Management of Technological Innovation and R&D

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