Diversification: The growing confusion

Over the years the concepts of diversification have been simplified and a system of shorthand has developed for discussing the issues surrounding the strategy. Because of this a confusion in terminology has developed and sight of the fundamental principles involved has been lost within the vagaries of fashion. Selection of a particular strategy ought to be based on the clear identification of the benefits that the strategy will offer. Those benefits should be used to help solve specific problems. Only by returning to this type of thinking can the legitimacy of diversification be revived and the alternating acclamation and denunciation of the strategy be overcome.     

贸易开放、就业结构变迁与生产率增长

本文考察了中国贸易开放对劳动力市场就业结构变迁的影响,并量化了就业结构变迁对制造业企业生产率增长的贡献。研究发现,中间产品进口关税的下降导致1998—2007年行业内国有企业5.32个百分点的劳动力移到非国有企业,这解释了该时期劳动力在行业内部不同所有制部门间总流动规模的8.56%。中间产品进口关税下降使非国有企业的中间产品成本以更大幅度下降,同时缓解了非国有企业的融资约束。非国有企业获益更多,从而得以扩大生产经营规模,引发了劳动力向非国有企业转移。进一步研究发现,贸易开放引致的就业所有制结构调整改进了资源配置效率,能解释同时期源于企业间要素配置带来的生产率增长的7.51%,同时,能解释制造业总体生产率增长的1.46%—1.85%,是贸易开放促进生产率增长的重要渠道之一。本文的研究表明,充分释放贸易红利需要打破要素流动壁垒,降低劳动力要素迁移成本,以市场化方式优化资源在不同部门间的配置。同时,建立健全金融配套措施、改善信贷不平等也是最大化贸易红利的重要举措。本文不仅为中国实现要素资源的优化配置、产业结构的转型升级和增长动力的转换提供了新证据,也为理解中国的就业结构变迁提供了新视角。     

The Effect of Unions on Productivity Growth, Investment and Employment: A Report on some Recent Work

Using two British microeconomic data sets, this paper reports the following. (1) Union firms experienced faster productivity growth during 1980–4, but there was no difference in performance in 1975–9, or 1985–6. So unions do not necessarily reduce productivity growth. It is also unlikely that the above pattern can be explained by changes in union legislation. (2) Unionism appears to have no significant effect on in vestment, once one allows for the effects of differential productivity growth. (3) Wages in union and non-union firms are equally responsive to changes in the capital–labour ratio. (4) Contrary to what is often alleged, unionism per se does not reduce employment growth. Instead, the negative correlation observed in 1980–4 probably arises from a significant reform of working practices in unionized firms during 1980–4.     

Trade Unions and Productivity: The German Evidence

This paper provides a brief review of the empirical evidence on union productivity effects in Germany. The influence of trade unions on productivity is the net effect of conflicting forces which can lead to higher or lower productivity. Although the German dual system of workers' representation via unions and works councils is quite favourable to the existence of productivity-enhancing 'voice' effects, various empirical studies have not been able to detect significant positive net effects of these institutions on productivity.     

The Firm Size Distribution and Inter-Industry Diversification

We show that the stylized facts of the Firm Size Distribution (FSD) by age cohorts, as shown in Cabral and Mata (2003), bind within 4-digit manufacturing industries in the UK and Belgium. This paper investigates whether the time to build a portfolio of products from inter-industry diversification is a mechanism that helps explain the stylized facts of the FSD by age cohorts. We find that the degree of inter-industry diversification has a separate impact on firm size when controlling for age, amongst other factors. Using the techniques of Cabral and Mata, we find that inter-industry diversification does shift the FSD to the right, and more so in older age groups.     

Diversification and sophistication of livestock products: The case of African countries

This study assesses the level of sophistication of livestock products in Africa by evaluating technology intensity and economic complexity of each product. Using trade data from 1995 to 2012, livestock commodity exports are classified based on technology intensity. Employing a method of reflection in computing the economic complexity of export products, we find that one fifth of African livestock commodity exports are manufactured with low technology while the rest is composed of raw materials. The results also show that the ten most complex livestock commodities represent about a third of African livestock total exports while the world level is almost double this figure. Yet African countries spend a huge share of their wealth on importing complex products. The results imply that by exporting non-complex products Africa loses nearly a third of the total value of its livestock exports. To boost the value of livestock products, African countries should exploit their untapped potential while securing the domestic market to achieve import substitution. This can be done by integrating with global value chains or developing niche markets at the regional or international markets and improving productive capabilities.     

Diffusion at Sub-National Levels: A Regional Analysis of New Product Growth

Nearly all studies of diffusion in the business literature focus attention on the rate of diffusion over time. In contrast, William Redmond draws our attention to spatial dimensions of innovation diffusion. His research examines sub-national units within the U.S. for differences in diffusion rates and relates there differences to relevant variables representing socioeconomic characteristics. Sales data on color TV and VCRs reveal differences in regional diffusion rates; these differences are associated with purchasing power, age, and mobility. This approach extends diffusion research into spatial dimensions and has implications for both adoption and diffusion theories.     

International Diversification and Performance: Evidence from Singapore

This study focuses on how international diversification affects a firm in terms of multiple performance measures (accounting-based, market-based, and intangible value creation). The study is unique as it uses segment data made available only recently, which enables the examination of both product and international diversification with performance. The period studied coincided with Singapore firms performance during the Asian Financial Crisis. In contrast to previous studies on Singapore, our results show that product diversification is negatively correlated to all measures of performance, while international market diversification is positively correlated. We attribute the difference to the time period which covers both upswings and downturns of the economy, unlike previous studies which considered only the former. Other control measures were incorporated; firm size is highly significant in explaining all measures of performance but not so for firm age, leverage, risk and industry. For top managers, we suggest that regardless of economic climate, the dominant diversification strategy is to take a focused approach to product diversification, but a broad approach to international diversification.Dr. Er and Dr. Kwok are assistant professors in the Department of Finance & Accounting, National University of Singapore (NUS). Mr Lin recently graduated with a B.B.A. honours (1st class) degree from NUS.     

基于DEA的中国能源生产率增长变动及影响因素研究

本文基于生产率和效率的内涵界定,探讨了能源生产率、能源效率及变化率的衡量指标,指出若要度量能源利用的动态变化情况,生产率增长指标比效率改进指标更为合适;同时全要素框架下测算能源生产率增长率(即全要素能源生产率增长率)应比单要素能源生产率增长率更能准确反映能源生产率变动情况。通过将这两个指标用于2000~2010年能源生产率增长情况,本文发现两者在反映能源生产率增长率的纵向变化趋势时基本一致,但在横向比较时有一定差别。本文还发现受经济周期和政策环境变动的影响,2000~2010年我国全要素能源生产率增长率的演化趋势可分为4个阶段。最后,利用计量模型考察全要素能源生产率增长率的影响因素,并对在"五年规划"纳入节能指标对能源生产率的影响进行定量评估。     

产品市场与金融市场的战略互动与经济增长

产品市场与金融市场作为信息集散和企业监控机制在功能上具有一定的替代性；同时，当事人在两个市场上的战略行动又会产生溢出效应，从而形成两个市场间的战略互补关系。两市场间的这种相互作用客观上弱化了各自的协调失灵问题。进一步引入不确定性，发现当事人知识的差异性也会导致专业分工，从而刺激具有不同专业知识的人采取有溢出效应的战略行动，结果导致了两市场之间的战略互补关系。这种不确定性引发的两市场战略互补对经济增长有重要影响，并且其中也有乘数效应。     

The Determinants of Employee Productivity and Earnings

This paper uses data on employee wages and characteristics drawn from a nationwide sample of firms to re-examine the determinants of employee productivity and earnings. The results show that previous experience and tenure in the current job have significant, positive effects on wages and productivity. Hours of training are positively related to productivity and wage growth but generally not to levels of either. Lastly, gender effects are evident. Productivity growth and current productivity levels are slightly higher for females while their wages are significantly lower.     

Diversification and diffusion: A social networks and institutional perspective

We examine the diffusion of a major firm strategy, unrelated diversification, among a population of Chinese listed firms during the 1991 to 2002 period. We propose that a firm??s social network can serve as both an information disseminator and a channel of influence in the diffusion of the diversification decision. Further, we investigate how the institutional environment alters the role of a network over time. We find that firms are more likely to diversify into conglomerates if (1) they occupy a central position in the network; (2) they have higher levels of government shareholding; and (3) the firms with which they have network ties diversify. Moreover, as the institutional environment strengthens over time, the influence of a firm??s network partners decreases. Consistent with these results, we contend that diversification is not only a response to economic and agency concerns, but also a function of the social and institutional context in which a firm is embedded.     

The Impact of Product Portfolio Strategy on Financial Performance: The Roles of Product Development and Market Entry Decisions

Innovation is one of the most important issues facing business today. The major difficulty in managing innovation is that managers must do so against a constantly shifting backdrop as technologies, competitors, and markets constantly evolve. Managers determine the product portfolio through key decisions about product development and market entry. Key strategic questions are what portfolio strategies provide the greatest reward. The purpose of this study is to understand the relative financial values of each component of a product portfolio. Specifically, the paper examines the short‐term and long‐term financial impacts of product development strategy and market entry strategy. These strategies reflect two critical tensions that must be balanced in product portfolio decision making and essentially determine a firm's product portfolio. In doing so, the paper also investigates how a firm's capabilities drive each component of a product portfolio. From the empirical analyses in the context of the biomedical device industry, the paper found important insights regarding product portfolio strategies. First, a large product portfolio helps a firm's financial performance. In particular, the pioneering new products have strongest impacts on short‐term performances, and nonpioneering mature products do not provide significant contribution. Second, the results indicate a persistent first‐mover advantage. The first‐to‐market new products yield not only an immediate effect, but also persistent long‐term effects, suggesting that it is important to be first in the market even though there may be short‐term losses. Third, the results suggest the need to balance between “mature” and “new” products. Also, firms need to balance “first‐to‐market” and “late‐entered” products. Because a new or pioneering product requires more resource, it may hurt other products in the portfolio. Thus, without support from mature or follower products, new products and pioneering products alone may not increase firm sales or profit. Fourth, from a long‐term perspective, the paper found that the financial market only rewards a firm's overall capability to deliver new products first in the marketplace. Thus, short‐term performance is mainly driven by product‐level innovativeness, whereas firm‐level innovativeness enhances forward‐looking long‐term performance. Fifth, the paper also found that pioneering new products are driven by integrating both primary and complementary technological capabilities. And nonpioneering new products are mainly driven by the capabilities in primary technology domain. These results provide important insight into the relative value and timing of return on investment in radical versus incremental innovation and alternative market entry strategies. By understanding the performance trade‐offs of these different factors in the short and long term, one can develop better guidelines for optimizing innovation strategies, and their dependence on both external and internal environmental conditions.     

Diversification strategies in network-based services: The case of mobile virtual network operators

This paper aims at discussing the entry process and competitive strategies of MVNOs in Italy and France. It illustrates the features of competition in a sector – the mobile telecom service industry – which is characterized by market saturation and demand heterogeneity. In doing so, it looks at the characteristics of the two countries in terms of competition and entry of new operators, at the motivations behind the entry of MVNOs, and at the performance of different companies. Results show that the most successful MVNOs are those characterized by the ability to find a perfect match between their core competencies (large network management, strong brand reputation) and the needs of specific segments of demand that had not been previously fulfilled. In this context, companies with ICT network management skills, whether coming from the telecom sector or from other network-based service industries such as postal operators, have been particularly successful in the market. From a policy perspective, despite the failure of some MVNOs, customers have benefited from the increased competition between MNOs and MVNOs in terms of range of service offerings and prices.     

Bank Efficiency, Risk-Based Capital, and Real Estate Exposure: The Credit Crunch Revisited

The turbulent real estate market during the early 1990s coincided with the implementation of risk-based capital standards for commercial banks. In this study we use non-parametric linear programming techniques to identify the lost real estate lending due to bank inefficiency. Inefficiency may arise from one of three sources: risk-based capital standards which constrain bank real estate lending, inefficiency stemming from managerial oversight of real estate lending, and scale inefficiency which arises from banks not operating at constant returns to scale. The results indicate that the lost real estate lending associated with risk-based capital standards averaged 2.7% of total bank assets. However, banks could compensate by exercising better managerial oversight of real estate lending and by operating at constant returns to scale.     

Diversification, Concentration and Economic Performance: Korean Business Groups

The purpose of this paper is to analyze empirically some of therelationships involving corporate diversification, concentration and economic performance for agroup of 25 of the largest Korean chaebols or business groups over the period 1985–1995. UsingHerfindahl–Hirschman indices of inter-industry diversification and intra-group member firm concentration,our results indicate that increased conglomerate diversification does not affect chaebol profitswhereas changes in internal member firm concentration do. Of particular interest with respect to bothdiversification and concentration are our findings that a quadratic relationship exists between groupprofits and the number of member firms, with both smaller and larger chaebols having higher profitsthan intermediate size chaebols. A similar relationship also exists with respect to group size measuredin terms of total assets. Since the number of member firms is included as an explanatory variable, ourresults imply that profitable chaebols expand primarily within their existing industries ratherthan by adding firms in new markets.     

Market Consolidation and Productivity Growth in U.S. Wireline Telecommunications: Stochastic Frontier Analysis vs. Malmquist Index

This study analyzes the merger effects for 25 Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers over the period 1996–2005 using stochastic frontier analysis with a time-varying inefficiency model. We further conduct a comparison of results between the stochastic frontier analysis and the Malmquist index method. The empirical results indicate that the sample of telecommunications firms has experienced deterioration in average productivity growth following mergers. Significantly, both approaches suggest that firms that do not merge underperform in terms of average productivity growth.