Barriers to entry, deregulation and workplace training: A theoretical model with evidence from Europe

We study the impact of regulatory barriers to entry on workplace training. We develop a model of training in imperfectly competitive product and labour markets. The model indicates that there are two contrasting effects of deregulation on training. As stressed in the literature, with a given number of firms, deregulation reduces the size of rents per unit of output that firms can reap by training their employees. Yet, the number of firms increases following deregulation, thereby raising output and profit gains from training and improving investment incentives. The latter effect prevails. In line with the predictions of the theoretical model, we find that the substantial deregulation in the 1990s of heavily regulated European industries (energy, transport and communication) increased training incidence.     

The effects of transformational leadership,competitive intensity and technological innovation on performance

This study aims to determine the three-way interaction effects of transformational leadership, technological innovation (i.e. product and process innovation) and competitive intensity on firm performance by detecting three-way interactions involving slope differences in moderated multiple regression. Based on a sample of 182 manufacturing enterprises in China, this paper finds that firms under transformational leadership are more likely to conduct process innovation, that the joint effect of the interaction between process innovation and competitive intensity is negatively related to firm performance and that the joint effect of the interaction between transformational leadership and competitive intensity is positively related to firm performance. Accordingly, this paper concludes that a firm should conduct more process innovation in a moderately competitive environment, but it should conduct less process innovation in a fiercely competitive environment, where in stronger transformational leadership should be adopted.     

企业如何从绿色管理中获利:战略更新视角

绿色管理已经成为企业应对政府和公众环境关切的重要战略选择。企业如何以及在何种情况下能依靠绿色管理提高绩效成为重要研究问题。整合资源基础观和战略更新研究,构建一个被调节的中介模型,以阐明绿色管理如何通过战略更新的中介作用影响绩效,同时分析竞争强度的调节作用。基于288家企业的实证结果表明,绿色管理与企业战略更新、战略更新与企业绩效显著正相关,战略更新对绿色管理与绩效之间的关系具有完全中介作用,竞争强度正向调节战略更新对企业绩效的影响,也正向调节战略更新在绿色管理与企业绩效之间的中介作用。研究有助于从战略更新视角深化对绿色管理影响企业绩效路径机制的理解,对企业成功实施绿色转型有重要实践启示。     

Competitive strategies,innovation, and firm performance: an empirical study in a developing economy environment

This paper studies the relationships between competitive strategies, innovation, and firm performance within the context of Turkish manufacturing companies. The data were collected from top management of the firms via Computer Assistant Telephone Interviewing method. One hundred and forty manufacturing firms operating in various sectors including textile, automotive supply, computer and electronics provide the basis for this empirical research. In order to test our model, we employ structural equation modelling using partial least squares. The results show that competitive strategies such as cost-leadership and differentiation can lead to innovation, which, in turn, increase firm performance. Managers implement cost-leadership and differentiation strategies to take part in competitive market conditions; however, they should put additional importance on innovation that plays a significant role as a bridge between competitive strategies and firm performance.     

The relationship among enterprise clustering,prices, and productivity in Ethiopia’s manufacturing sector

We use census panel data on Ethiopian manufacturing firms to analyze how enterprise clustering in local markets covaries with firm‐level output prices and physical productivity. We find a negative and statistically significant relationship between the density of firms that produce a given product in a given location and the local price of that product. We also find a positive and statistically significant relationship between the density of firms that produce a given product in a location and the physical productivity of same‐product firms in the location. These results are consistent with the notion that increased clustering of firms generates higher competitive pressure and positive externalities. Across firms that produce different products, we find no statistically significant relationship between enterprise clustering and firm‐level output prices and productivity. We also find no clustering effects across towns. Our results suggest that while clustering can impact firm performance, the advantages are narrow in scope.     

The relation between the average complexity of high-tech products and their diversity: An empirical test of evolutionary models

What is the relation between the average level of complexity that characterizes a product's technology, and the degree of diversity of that technology across rival firms? Evolutionary theories of innovation and technical advance are consistent with either a direct or an inverse relation. The issue thus becomes an empirical one. This paper uses a unique database containing detailed quantitative data on the specifications of 12 high-tech product groups for the U.S., Japan and selected European countries, for 1982, for both products and processes. It is found that the more complex the technology, the less diverse is the technology of rival firms that produce the product. This is consistent with the following evolutionary process: Economies of scale and scope inherent in high-level technologies require firms who adopt them to dispose entirely of older technologies, in order to remain competitive; at the same time, older, simpler technologies continue to exist and permit wide diversities among firms who pursue “niche” market strategies.     

What Makes Firms Competitive? States,Markets, and Organisational Embeddedness in Competitive Firm Restructuring in Postsocialist Economies

The prevailing transitions literature suggests that dynamic firms in postsocialist economies are the result of macroinstitutional reforms leading to the making of markets. This article builds on work in comparative political economy and economic sociology to show that the degree of competitive behaviour of postsocialist firms is determined not by the existence of general market institutions alone but by the kinds of organisational allies firms possess and the kinds of markets they compete in. Using firm survey data across 28 postsocialist economies, the article examines the determinants of competitive restructuring by firms, including product innovation, standards upgrade, financial transparency, and investments in research and development. The article confirms insights from comparative political economy which suggest that dynamic enterprise sectors emerge when governance is effective. However, at the firm level, the article finds that transnational ties and supportive policy environments are most significant in the making of dynamic postsocialist enterprises. The article also highlights important regional variation in firm behaviour and discusses the relationship between institutional frameworks, organisational embeddedness, and firm restructuring in postsocialist economies.     

Industry shakeouts and product strategies: lessons from the US laser printer industry

Many industries experience a shakeout, which occurs when, after an initial increase, the number of firms drops significantly in a short period of time. A shakeout drives changes in the market structure and, thus, accompanying changes in firms’ strategies. In this paper, we explore differences in firms’ product strategies (i.e. product quality improvement, product line management, and product market strategy) before and after the initiation of an industry shakeout, focusing on the role of product exit. In analyzing a sample of US laser printer manufacturers and their products for the period between 1983 and 2002, we find clear differences in firms’ product exit decisions before and after the initiation of a shakeout. With these findings, our study contributes to the understanding of the link between industry shakeouts and firms’ product strategies.     

Innovation or imitation? The effect of spillovers and competitive pressure on firms’ R&D strategy choice

In this paper a firm’s R&D strategy is assumed to be endogenous and allowed to depend on both internal firm characteristics and external factors. Firms choose between two strategies, either they engage in R&D or abstain from own R&D and imitate the outcomes of innovators. This yields three types of equilibria, in which either all firms innovate, some firms innovate and others imitate, or no firm innovates. Firms’ equilibrium strategies crucially depend on external factors. We find that the efficiency of intellectual property rights protection positively affects firms’ incentives to engage in R&D, while excessive competitive pressure has a negative effect. In addition, smaller firms are found to be more likely to become imitators when the product is homogeneous and the level of spillovers is high. Regarding social welfare our results indicate that strengthening intellectual property protection can have an ambiguous effect. In markets characterized by a high rate of innovation a reduction of intellectual property rights protection can discourage innovative performance substantially. However, a reduction of patent protection can also increase social welfare because it may induce imitation. This indicates that policy issues such as the optimal length and breadth of patent protection cannot be resolved without taking into account specific market and firm characteristics.     

要素品牌策略:突破产品线延伸典型性制约的新途径

产品线延伸的典型性决定了母品牌的品牌联想转移到新产品上的能力,这使得企业往往只能够进行典型的产品线延伸,生产与原有产品线类似的产品。那么,有没有相应的策略可以帮助企业进行非典型的延伸呢?实验研究发现,与某一要素品牌联合的方式推出新产品更容易使企业在非典型性的产品线延伸中获得成功。该结论对于期望通过产品线延伸推出新产品的企业来说具有重要的指导意义。     

Growth of Investor Owned and Cooperative Firms in Greek Dairy Industry

This paper examines the factors that affect the annual growth of cooperatives and investor owned firms (IOF) in Greek diary industry over the period 1990–94. A comparison based on both cooperative principals and property rights theory is made between IOFs and cooperatives to study their characteristics. However an empirical work is required to explain differences, if any, in the growth of the two types of firms within the same market. The work examines the determinants of the annual growth and it tests whether significant differences between IOFs and cooperatives exist. Ordinary least squares results show that both diversification and advertising strategies are important determinants for IOF growth, while the cooperative growth depends on capital structure and intensity and these organizations do not effectively apply competitive strategies.     

An evolutionary model of recycling and product lifetime extension

This paper presents a model-based analysis of the development and diffusion of so-called ‘green’ products, i.e. those which are easily recyclable and which have a long lifetime. We address this problem by developing an evolutionary simulation model to identify the impact of the environmental R&D strategies of business firms on the economy and the environment. The simulation results show that R&D investment both in product recyclability and in product lifetime extension can be positive for the firm. Adopting such a strategy means that the firm can then market green products, which provides it with a competitive advantage on firms investing mainly in product recyclability whatever consumers' preferences. From an environmental point of view, the diffusion of green products will reduce both waste flows in the economy and pressure on virgin resources. However, diversifying R&D investment to develop both product recyclability and lifetime can mean slowing down the flow of recycled materials and may lead to even greater quantities of unrecycled waste. Our results suggest introducing regulation policies aiming at encouraging firms to invest both in product recyclability and lifetime in order to benefit from their complementarities. Furthermore, simulations show that it should be better to direct environmental policies on firms' environmental innovation strategies than on demand attributes because significant changes in these strategies would provide much more radical environmental changes.     

竞争战略与技术创新关系的实证研究

以272家江苏省民营制造企业为研究对象,实证研究了企业的竞争战略与技术创新的关系。研究发现:实施低成本战略的企业进行工艺创新和产品创新的倾向均不明显,实施差异化战略的企业倾向于进行产品创新,实施混合战略的企业进行工艺创新和产品创新的倾向都明显,且实施强度显著高于实施低成本战略和差异化战略的企业;总体来看,所有企业的工艺创新强度都要高于其产品创新强度,产品创新强度整体偏低,这意味着企业转型升级的重点应放在产品创新上。     

Building Technological Capabilities In A Liberalising Developing Economy: Firm Strategies And Public Policy

As a consequence of economic reforms, the Indian manufacturing sector faces a variety of technology related challenges. It not only has to quickly develop world-class manufacturing capabilities, but also gear up to develop new products and processes. In this paper we analyse the technology strategies of six Indian firms in different product groups which are trying to build competitive manufacturing and technology capabilities. The linkages between corporate, technology, and manufacturing strategies are explored and the role of complementary assets is studied in order to identify patterns through which these firms are building capabilities of various kinds. Specifically, we evaluate the extent to which firms use supply chains to develop product and process technologies. Some links between public policy and firm level technological capabilities are also explored to identify a few key priorities in the current context     

Environmental Policy with Endogenous Technology from a Game Theoretic Perspective: The Case of the US Pulp and Paper Industry

The merits of different types of regulatory tools in eliminating pollution and at the same time inducing innovation have long been an interest of researchers in both environmental economics and industrial organization. Although there is a substantial theoretical literature investigating the potential for various environmental policies to attain these dual goals, this is a challenging empirical problem because every industry has its own inherent characteristics that play an important role in determining the performance of different regulatory tools. The majority of the work to date focuses on pollution abatement while leaving pollution prevention understudied. In most of the literature firms are also assumed to be symmetric. Asymmetries among firms add another degree and level of complexity to their strategic interactions, and affect the performance of different regulatory tools. This paper investigates the performance of two alternative regulatory tools, an emissions performance standard and an emissions tax, in reducing pollution and inducing pollution prevention and abatement R&D in the US pulp and paper industry. We construct a model representing the industry in an asymmetric Cournot duopoly framework, calibrate the model to disaggregated industry data, and run scenarios to replicate the behavior of the firms in an imperfectly competitive output market. Our results suggest that pollution prevention R&D can respond quite differently than abatement R&D to different policy instruments. The results indicate that R&D spillovers among firms play crucial role in technology development and strategies of the firms. Our results also suggest that strategic interactions between firms in an imperfectly competitive industry can have significant impacts of the levels of both types of R&D.      

Coupling relationships and synergistic mechanisms between technology management capability and technological capability in product innovation: a simulation study

ABSTRACT

This paper focuses on the dynamic co-evolution of technology management capability and technological capability in the system of product innovation. It is motivated by the increasing attention that product innovation has received recently, as it is considered one of the most important factors that can bring about competitive advantages for firms to compete with their rivals in the current competitive business environment. Framing the system of product innovation as a complex adaptive system and focusing on the roles of technology management capability and technological capability in the system, the most suitable synergistic mechanisms between technology management capability and technological capability that can make the system reach the highest fitness under their diverse coupling relationships are identified by means of NK fitness landscape model. The simulation results show that there are matches between the coupling relationships among the elements of technology management capability and technological capability and their synergistic mechanisms in the system of product innovation. This paper provides a better understanding of the relationships between technology management capability and technological capability and managerial implications for firms to innovate products successfully and promptly and thus improve their competitive advantages.     

Conjectural variations,risk aversion and price-cost margins

Summary We have shown that introduction of random conjectural variations and risk aversion into an oligopoly model leads to results in line with those derived earlier for competitive and monopolistic firms. In particular, a risk-averse firm has smaller output and higher expected price-cost margin than a risk-neutral firm. For a specific form of conjectural variations we have shown that under risk aversion the firm-level expected price-cost margins depend on the market structure, measured in terms of the Herfindahl index of the rest of the firms in the industry, as well as on the expected degree of correlation between the competitors' reactions.     

制造企业绿色创新对政府支持的影响机制——合法性的中介作用

利用新制度主义理论，通过对284家非国有制造企业的问卷调查，采用多元回归分析方法，探讨了制造企业绿色创新对政府支持的影响机制，以及合法性在其中的中介作用。在此基础上，进一步分样本分析了政治关联和所处行业竞争强度在制造企业绿色创新与政府支持关系中的作用机制。研究发现，制造企业绿色创新有助于企业获得政府支持，且合法性在其中发挥了中介作用；在没有政治关联及处于高强度竞争行业的情况下，制造企业绿色创新通过合法性影响政府支持的效应更强。运用新制度主义理论中的合法性观点，将制造企业绿色创新视为一种获得政府支持的战略，将绿色创新后果的研究从企业经济绩效层面拓展到企业与政府关系层面，不仅跳出了学术界关于制造企业绿色创新能否提升经济绩效的争论，也为更好地理解制造企业绿色创新动力提供了一种新思路。     

Long run equilibria in an asymmetric oligopoly

Summary. Consider an oligopolistic industry composed of two groups (or populations) of firms, the low cost firms and the high cost firms. The firms produce a homogeneous good. I study the finite population evolutionarily stable strategy defined by Schaffer (1988), and the long run equilibrium in the stochastic evolutionary dynamics based on imitation and experimentation of strategies by firms in each group. I will show the following results. 1) The finite population evolutionarily stable strategy (ESS) output is equal to the competitive (or Walrasian) output in each group of the firms. 2) Under the assumption that the marginal cost is increasing, the ESS state is the long run equilibrium in the stochastic evolutionary dynamics in the limit as the output grid step, which will be defined in the paper, approaches to zero. Received: September 19, 1997; revised: June 18, 1998     

Vertical educational diversity and innovation performance

This paper uses panel data of Swiss firms to analyse the impact of education-level diversity in the workforce on innovation performance, addressing endogeneity by exploiting within-firm variation as well as variation in labour supply across regions. We find that vertical educational diversity increases the extensive margin of R&D and product innovation, particularly new product innovation. However, the relationship with process innovation, R&D intensity, and product innovation intensity is insignificant. These results are in line with the idea that vertical educational diversity enhances the creative moment of the invention phase, while it has no effect on the commercialization phase due to the relevance of coordination and communication costs relative to the gains in creativity.