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Estimating Production Functions of Multiproduct Firms

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  • Valmari, Nelli

Abstract

Despite the fact that multiproduct firms constitute a considerable share of firms and account for an even greater share of production, virtually all production function estimates are based on the assumption that firms are single-product producers. The single-product assumption is made due to lack of data on input allocation across the various product lines multiproduct firms operate. I provide a method to estimate product-level production functions without observable input allocations. The empirical application and Monte Carlo simulations show that the single-product firm assumption leads to biased parameter and productivity estimates and overestimated productivity differences between firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Valmari, Nelli, 2016. "Estimating Production Functions of Multiproduct Firms," ETLA Working Papers 37, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy.
    • Handle: RePEc:rif:wpaper:37
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    6. H. S. Houthakker, 1955. "The Pareto Distribution and the Cobb-Douglas Production Function in Activity Analysis," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 23(1), pages 27-31.
    7. James Levinsohn & Amil Petrin, 2003. "Estimating Production Functions Using Inputs to Control for Unobservables," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 70(2), pages 317-341.
    8. Wooldridge, Jeffrey M., 2009. "On estimating firm-level production functions using proxy variables to control for unobservables," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 104(3), pages 112-114, September.
    9. repec:pri:cepsud:231deloecker is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Ackerberg, Daniel & Caves, Kevin & Frazer, Garth, 2006. "Structural identification of production functions," MPRA Paper 38349, University Library of Munich, Germany.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Mertens, Matthias, 2020. "Labor market power and the distorting effects of international trade," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    2. Orth, Matilda & Maican, Florin, 2021. "Entry Regulations and Product Variety in Retail," Working Paper Series 1386, Research Institute of Industrial Economics, revised 13 Sep 2024.
    3. De Loecker, Jan, 2021. "Comment on (Un)pleasant ... by Bond et al (2020)," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 15-18.
    4. Maican, Florin & Orth, Matilda, 2021. "Determinants of economies of scope in retail," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).
    5. Emir Malikov & Gudbrand Lien, 2021. "Proxy Variable Estimation of Multiproduct Production Functions," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 103(5), pages 1878-1902, October.
    6. Binlei Gong & Robin C. Sickles, 2021. "Resource allocation in multi-divisional multi-product firms," Journal of Productivity Analysis, Springer, vol. 55(2), pages 47-70, April.
    7. Rodríguez-Castelán, Carlos & López-Calva, Luis Felipe & Barriga-Cabanillas, Oscar, 2023. "Market concentration, trade exposure, and firm productivity in developing countries: Evidence from Mexico," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    8. Mertens, Matthias, 2019. "Micro-mechanisms behind declining labour shares: Market power, production processes, and global competition," IWH-CompNet Discussion Papers 3/2019, Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH).
    9. Emmanuel Dhyne & Amil Petrin & Valerie Smeets & Frederic Warzynski, 2024. "Multiproduct Firms, Import Competition and Productivity," CESifo Working Paper Series 11155, CESifo.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Multiproduct firm; production function; productivity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D24 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Production; Cost; Capital; Capital, Total Factor, and Multifactor Productivity; Capacity
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L25 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Performance

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