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Investment in Capital Assets and Economic Performance: The U.S. Chemicals and Primary Metals Industries in Transition

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  • Catherine J. Morrison

Abstract

The effects of market and technological conditions on the investment and markup behavior of firms, and their resulting impacts on economic performance, are closely interrelated and complex. In this paper determinants of and linkages among these are explored for two industries with very different performance records and development patterns over the past three decades -the chemicals and primary metals industries. The analysis is carried out using a production theory model that permits explicit assessment of the motivations underlying firm decisions, based on BLS data from 1955-86. General capital (K) investments are distinguished from investments in innovative or high tech capital such as office and communications equipment (0) and technical and scientific apparatus (S). Investment behavior and thus capacity utilization are explicitly modeled as responses to adjustment costs for capital assets. This approach facilitates the measurement of technological and behavioral factors underlying investment, input demand and pricing decisions. This in turn allows investment patterns and their determinants across capital assets to be interpreted, and their linkages with productive and financial performance to be identified.

Suggested Citation

  • Catherine J. Morrison, 1991. "Investment in Capital Assets and Economic Performance: The U.S. Chemicals and Primary Metals Industries in Transition," NBER Working Papers 3828, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:3828
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    1. Morrison, Catherine J, 1988. "Quasi-Fixed Inputs in U.S. and Japanese Manufacturing: A Generalized Leontief Restricted Cost Function Approach," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 70(2), pages 275-287, May.
    2. Hall, Robert E, 1988. "The Relation between Price and Marginal Cost in U.S. Industry," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 96(5), pages 921-947, October.
    3. Morrison, C. J. & Berndt, E. R., 1981. "Short-run labor productivity in a dynamic model," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 16(3), pages 339-365, August.
    4. Catherine J. Morrison, 1989. "Unraveling the Productivity Growth Slowdown in the U.S., Canada and Japan: The Effects of Subequilibrium, Scale Economies and Markup," NBER Working Papers 2993, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
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    1. Berndt, Ernst R. & Morrison, Catherine J., 1995. "High-tech capital formation and economic performance in U.S. manufacturing industries An exploratory analysis," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 65(1), pages 9-43, January.
    2. Feenstra, T.L. & Kort, P.M. & de Zeeuw, A.J., 1997. "Environmental Policy in an International Duopoly : An Analysis of Feedback Investment Strategies," Discussion Paper 1997-43, Tilburg University, Center for Economic Research.
    3. Feenstra, Talitha & Kort, Peter M. & de Zeeuw, Aart, 2001. "Environmental policy instruments in an international duopoly with feedback investment strategies," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 25(10), pages 1665-1687, October.
    4. Tarek Eldomiaty & Nourhan Eid & Farida Taman & Mohamed Rashwan, 2023. "An Assessment of the Benefits of Optimizing Working Capital and Profitability: Perspectives from DJIA30 and NASDAQ100," JRFM, MDPI, vol. 16(5), pages 1-19, May.
    5. Dung Ngo, Vi & Leonidou, Leonidas C. & Janssen, Frank & Christodoulides, Paul, 2024. "Export-specific investments, competitive advantage, and performance in Vietnamese SMEs: The moderating role of domestic market conditions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).

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