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Capacity Utilization and Market Power

Author

Listed:
  • Fagnart, J.-Fr.

    (University of Copenhagen)

  • Licandro, O.

    (FEDEA, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid)

  • Sneessens, H. R.

    (UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES); Université catholique de Lille)

Abstract

In a monopolistic competition framework, we propose a dynamic model in which capacity underutilization ia a macroeconomic equilibrium feature relying on a diversity of microeconomic situations. Capacity underutilization follows from microeconomic demand uncertainty at the time firms must decide on their productive capacity. We settle a relationship between capacity utilization and markups via the effect of capacity utilization rate changes on firms’ market power. We show that such a relationship influences significantly the short run response of the economy to exogenous shocks. In particular, the same shock can have quite different short run effects depending on the characteristics of the initial stationary state (low or high capacity utilization rate).

Suggested Citation

  • Fagnart, J.-Fr. & Licandro, O. & Sneessens, H. R., 1995. "Capacity Utilization and Market Power," LIDAM Discussion Papers IRES 1996006, Université catholique de Louvain, Institut de Recherches Economiques et Sociales (IRES).
  • Handle: RePEc:ctl:louvir:1996006
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    Cited by:

    1. Horst Entorf & Henri R. Sneessens, 2000. "Aggregation in models with quantity constraints: The CES aggregation function," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 35-59.
    2. Frank Portier & Omar Licandro & Jean Francois Fagnart, "undated". "Idiosyncratic uncertainty, capacity utilization and the business cycle," Working Papers 96-11, FEDEA.
    3. Jean-Bernard Chatelain, 1999. "Taux de marge et structure financière," Annals of Economics and Statistics, GENES, issue 53, pages 127-147.
    4. Zhang, Liang & Ruan, Jian & Ding, Jianhua, 2014. "The institutional power shortage in China: Capacity shortage or capacity under-utilisation?," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 136(C), pages 480-494.
    5. Kalyuzhnova, Yelena & Vagliasindi, Maria, 2006. "Capacity utilization of the Kazakhstani firms and the Russian financial crisis: A panel data analysis," Economic Systems, Elsevier, vol. 30(3), pages 231-248, October.
    6. Dale Squires & Kathleen Segerson, 2022. "Capacity and Capacity Utilization in Production Economics," Springer Books, in: Subhash C. Ray & Robert G. Chambers & Subal C. Kumbhakar (ed.), Handbook of Production Economics, chapter 24, pages 1001-1037, Springer.
    7. Licandro, Omar & Ruiz-Tamarit, Ramón & Puch, Luis A., 1995. "Utilización del capital y ciclo económico español," DE - Documentos de Trabajo. Economía. DE 3372, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía.
    8. Sudipto Sarkar, 2009. "A real-option rationale for investing in excess capacity," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 30(2), pages 119-133.
    9. Jean-François Fagnart & Omar Licandro & Franck Portier, 1999. "Firm Heterogeneity, Capacity Utilization and the Business Cycle," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 2(2), pages 433-455, April.

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