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A Price Theory of Vertical and Lateral Integration (Revised Version)

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Abstract

We present a perfectly-competitive model of firm boundary decisions and study their interplay with product demand, technology, and welfare. Integration is pri- vately costly but is effective at coordinating production decisions; non-integration is less costly, but coordinates relatively poorly. Output price influences the choice of ownership structure: integration increases with the price level. At the same time, own- ership affects output, since integration is more productive than non-integration. For a generic set of demand functions, the result is heterogeneity of ownership and perfor- mance among ex-ante identical enterprises. The price mechanism transmutes demand shifts into industry-wide re-organizations and generates external effects from techno- logical shocks: productivity changes in some firms may induce ownership changes in others. If the enterprise managers have full title to its revenues, market equilibrium ownership structures are second-best efficient. When managers have less than full revenue claims, equilibrium can be inefficient, with too little integration.

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  • Newman, Andrew, 2012. "A Price Theory of Vertical and Lateral Integration (Revised Version)," CEPR Discussion Papers 9004, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:9004
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    Cited by:

    1. Arturs Kalnins & Stephen F. Lin & Catherine Thomas, 2018. "In-house and arms length: productivity heterogeneity and variation in organizational form," CEP Discussion Papers dp1579, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE.
    2. Ki‐Dong Lee & Kangsik Choi & DongJoon Lee, 2020. "Endogenous vertical structure and trade policy in an import‐competing market," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(8), pages 1431-1445, December.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Decision rights; Incomplete contracting; Industrial organization; Integration; Ownership;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D2 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations
    • D4 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design
    • L1 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance
    • L2 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior

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