IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/tin/wpaper/19980013.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Do Small Firms compete with Large Firms?

Author

Listed:
  • D.B. Audretsch

    (Georgia State University, CEPR)

  • Y.M. Prince

    (EIM Small Business Research and Consultancy)

  • A.R. Thurik

    (Erasmus University and EIM Small Business Research and Consultancy)

Abstract

Despite the pervasive phenomenon of scale economies the majority of firms hasalways been small firms. The emergence of small firms as a means of economic development on both sides of the Atlantic has been one of the major new topics of economic policy since the 1980s. This has drawn renewed attention to the question of how small firms are able to exist. The theories of strategic niches and dynamic complementarity imply that small firms seek out markets where they are able to avoid competition with their larger counterparts. Inthis paper we test the validity of these theories by examining the extent to which small-firm profitability is set by large-firm profitability. We find considerable evidence that the price-cost margins of small firms do not tend to follow those of large firms. This is interpreted as supporting the theories that small firms pursue a strategy of producing in distinct productniches.

Suggested Citation

  • D.B. Audretsch & Y.M. Prince & A.R. Thurik, 1998. "Do Small Firms compete with Large Firms?," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 98-013/3, Tinbergen Institute.
    • Handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:19980013
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://papers.tinbergen.nl/98013.pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ian Domowitz & R. Glenn Hubbard & Bruce C. Petersen, 1986. "Business Cycles and the Relationship Between Concentration and Price-Cost Margins," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 17(1), pages 1-17, Spring.
    2. Prince, Yvonne & Thurik, Roy, 1993. "Firm-Size Distribution and Price-Cost Margins in Dutch Manufacturing," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 5(3), pages 173-186, September.
    3. R. E. Caves & M. E. Porter, 1977. "From Entry Barriers to Mobility Barriers: Conjectural Decisions and Contrived Deterrence to New Competition," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 91(2), pages 241-261.
    4. Schmalensee, Richard, 1985. "Do Markets Differ Much?," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(3), pages 341-351, June.
    5. Gallant, A. Ronald & Jorgenson, Dale W., 1979. "Statistical inference for a system of simultaneous, non-linear, implicit equations in the context of instrumental variable estimation," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 11(2-3), pages 275-302.
    6. Newman, Howard H, 1978. "Strategic Groups and the Structure-Performance Relationship," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 60(3), pages 417-427, August.
    7. David B. Audretsch, 1995. "Innovation and Industry Evolution," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262011468, April.
    8. Zoltan Acs & David Audretsch, 1990. "Innovation and Small Firms," MIT Press Books, The MIT Press, edition 1, volume 1, number 0262011131, April.
    9. Pugel, Thomas A, 1980. "Foreign Trade and US Market Performance," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(2), pages 119-129, December.
    10. Porter, Michael E, 1979. "The Structure within Industries and Companies' Performance," The Review of Economics and Statistics, MIT Press, vol. 61(2), pages 214-227, May.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Akbar Ullah & Ejaz Ghani & Attiya Y. Javed, 2013. "Market Power and Industrial Performance in Pakistan," PIDE-Working Papers 2013:88, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics.
    2. Rawwas, Mohammed Y.A. & Iyer, Karthik N.S., 2013. "How do small firms possibly survive? A comparison study of marketing skills and logistics infrastructure of small and large wholesalers," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 687-698.
    3. Ciliberto, Federico & Jäkel, Ina C., 2021. "Superstar exporters: An empirical investigation of strategic interactions in Danish export markets," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    4. Theodore Papadogonas & Vassilis Droucopoulos, 2004. "Do Small Firms Breathe Heavily Down The Necks of Their Larger Brethren?," South-Eastern Europe Journal of Economics, Association of Economic Universities of South and Eastern Europe and the Black Sea Region, vol. 2(1), pages 59-65.
    5. Sanidas, E., 2000. "On the Organisation of SMEs and Economic Growth in the USA and Japan," Economics Working Papers wp00-05, School of Economics, University of Wollongong, NSW, Australia.
    6. Ong, Xander & Freeman, Susan & Goxe, François & Guercini, Simone & Cooper, Brian, 2022. "Outsidership, network positions and cooperation among internationalizing SMEs: An industry evolutionary perspective," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 31(3).
    7. Flora Bellone & Patrick Musso & Lionel Nesta & Michel Quere, 2010. "Market Selection Along the Firm Life Cycle," Chapters, in: Jean-Luc Gaffard & Evens Salies (ed.), Innovation, Economic Growth and the Firm, chapter 5, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    8. Andrei Constantin TIRNOVANU & Marian NASTASE & Julia Anamaria SISU & Narcis RADUCAN, 2023. "Approaches To Knowledge Transfer Between Innovative Organizations To Increase Competitiveness And Sustainable Development," Proceedings of the INTERNATIONAL MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE, Faculty of Management, Academy of Economic Studies, Bucharest, Romania, vol. 17(1), pages 330-337, November.
    9. repec:spo:wpecon:info:hdl:2441/7186 is not listed on IDEAS
    10. Ivan Litvaj & Mário Drbúl & Miloslav Bůžek, 2023. "Sustainability in Small and Medium Enterprises, Sustainable Development in the Slovak Republic, and Sustainability and Quality Management in Small and Medium Enterprises," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(3), pages 1-30, January.
    11. Werner Hölzl, 2002. "Exit, Entry and industry turbulence in Austrian Manufacturing, 1981-1994," Working Papers geewp21, Vienna University of Economics and Business Research Group: Growth and Employment in Europe: Sustainability and Competitiveness.
    12. Flora Bellone & Patrick Musso & Michel Quéré & Lionel Nesta, 2006. "Productivity and Market Selection of French Manufacturing Firms in the Nineties," Revue de l'OFCE, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 97(5), pages 319-349.
    13. Italo Colantone & Kristien Coucke & Leo Sleuwaegen, 2015. "Low-cost import competition and firm exit: evidence from the EU," Industrial and Corporate Change, Oxford University Press and the Associazione ICC, vol. 24(1), pages 131-161.
    14. Odlin, Denis, 2019. "Domestic competitor influence on internationalizing SMEs as an industry evolves," Journal of World Business, Elsevier, vol. 54(2), pages 119-136.
    15. Aneta Ejsmont & Magdalena Majchrzak & Jacek Grzywacz, 2021. "Competitive Advantage in Co-operation of Enterprises Using Kaizen Costing Concept in Times of Extraordinary Dangers," European Research Studies Journal, European Research Studies Journal, vol. 0(Special 4), pages 377-396.
    16. Daunfeldt, Sven-Olov & Lang, Åsa & Macuchova, Zuzana & Rudholm, Niklas, 2011. "Firm Growth in the Retail and Wholesale Trade Sectors – Evidence from Sweden," HUI Working Papers 50, HUI Research.
    17. Cumming, Douglas & Khan, Muhammad Zubair & Khan, Naimat U. & Khan, Zafir Ullah, 2024. "Size matters: Unpacking the relationship between institutional investor size and private equity asset allocation within diverse institutional contexts," Journal of International Financial Markets, Institutions and Money, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).
    18. Giulia Cattafi & Giovanna Mariani & Francesco Pistolesi & Domenico Nicol?, 2023. "Cheating in the evaluation. An expedient to estimate the impact of intangibles on the enterprise value of the high-growth start-ups," MANAGEMENT CONTROL, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2023(3), pages 193-218.
    19. repec:hal:wpspec:info:hdl:2441/7186 is not listed on IDEAS

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Bruckner, Eberhard, 2003. "Überlebenschancen neu gegründeter Firmen: Ein evolutionstheoretischer Zugang," Discussion Papers, Research Unit: Civil Society and Transnational Networks SP IV 2003-105, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    2. Akbar Ullah & Ejaz Ghani & Attiya Javed, 2013. "Market Power and Industrial Performance in Pakistan," Working Papers id:5334, eSocialSciences.
    3. Rawwas, Mohammed Y.A. & Iyer, Karthik N.S., 2013. "How do small firms possibly survive? A comparison study of marketing skills and logistics infrastructure of small and large wholesalers," International Business Review, Elsevier, vol. 22(4), pages 687-698.
    4. Zuniga-Vicente, Jose Angel & de la Fuente-Sabate, Juan Manuel & Suarez Gonzalez, Isabel, 2004. "Dynamics of the strategic group membership-performance linkage in rapidly changing environments," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 57(12), pages 1378-1390, December.
    5. Theodore Papadogonas & Vassilis Droucopoulos, 2004. "Do Small Firms Breathe Heavily Down The Necks of Their Larger Brethren?," South-Eastern Europe Journal of Economics, Association of Economic Universities of South and Eastern Europe and the Black Sea Region, vol. 2(1), pages 59-65.
    6. Audretsch, David B., 1995. "Innovation, growth and survival," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 13(4), pages 441-457, December.
    7. Baldwin, John R., 1999. "Un portrait des entrees et des sorties," Direction des études analytiques : documents de recherche 1999121f, Statistics Canada, Direction des études analytiques.
    8. Enrique Claver & Jose Molina & Juan Tari, 2003. "Strategic groups and firm performance: the case of Spanish house-building firms," Construction Management and Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(4), pages 369-377.
    9. Eriksen, Bo & Knudsen, Thorbjorn, 2003. "Industry and firm level interaction: Implications for profitability," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 56(3), pages 191-199, March.
    10. Baldwin, John R., 1999. "A Portrait of Entrants and Exits," Analytical Studies Branch Research Paper Series 1999121e, Statistics Canada, Analytical Studies Branch.
    11. Day, Diana L. & Lewin, Arie Y. & Li, Hongyu, 1995. "Strategic leaders or strategic groups: A longitudinal data envelopment analysis of the U.S. brewing industry," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 80(3), pages 619-638, February.
    12. Colombelli, Alessandra & Krafft, Jackie & Vivarelli, Marco, 2016. "New Firms and Post-Entry Performance: The Role of Innovation," Department of Economics and Statistics Cognetti de Martiis. Working Papers 201602, University of Turin.
    13. Karel Cool & Ingemar Dierickx, 1993. "Abstract," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 14(1), pages 47-59, January.
    14. Calá, Carla Daniela, 2009. "Spatial issues on firm demography: an analysis for Argentina," Nülan. Deposited Documents 1379, Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Sociales, Centro de Documentación.
    15. Alessandra Colombelli & Jackie Krafft & Marco Vivarelli, 2016. "Entrepreneurship and Innovation: New Entries, Survival, Growth," GREDEG Working Papers 2016-04, Groupe de REcherche en Droit, Economie, Gestion (GREDEG CNRS), Université Côte d'Azur, France.
    16. Robert R. Wiggins & Timothy W. Ruefli, 2002. "Sustained Competitive Advantage: Temporal Dynamics and the Incidence and Persistence of Superior Economic Performance," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(1), pages 81-105, February.
    17. Patricia M. Fairfield & Sundaresh Ramnath & Teri Lombardi Yohn, 2009. "Do Industry‐Level Analyses Improve Forecasts of Financial Performance?," Journal of Accounting Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 47(1), pages 147-178, March.
    18. Alessandra Colombelli & Jackie Krafft & Marco Vivarelli, 2016. "To be born is not enough: the key role of innovative start-ups," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 277-291, August.
    19. Eduardo González-Fidalgo & Juan Ventura-Victoria, 2002. "How Much Do Strategic Groups Matter?," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 21(1), pages 55-71, August.
    20. Fernández, Zulima, 2004. "La competencia dinámica entre pioneros y seguidores: aplicación al sector de la telefonía móvil en Europa," DEE - Documentos de Trabajo. Economía de la Empresa. DB db040805, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía de la Empresa.

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • L0 - Industrial Organization - - General
    • L6 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Manufacturing

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:tin:wpaper:19980013. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Tinbergen Office +31 (0)10-4088900 (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/tinbenl.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.