nep-ict New Economics Papers
on Information and Communication Technologies
Issue of 2005‒10‒04
three papers chosen by
Walter Frisch
University Vienna

  1. IT, Enterprise Reform and Productivity in Chinese Manufacturing Firms By Kazuyuki Motohashi
  2. Will online bill payment spell the demise of paper checks? By James C. McGrath
  3. Vertical Integration and Technology: Theory and Evidence By Acemoglu, Daron; Aghion, Philippe; Griffith, Rachel; Zilibotti, Fabrizio

  1. By: Kazuyuki Motohashi
    Abstract: This paper is a first attempt of looking into the impact of IT and enterprise reform on productivity of Chinese manufacturing firms by using large scale firm level datasets from 1995 to 2002. It is found that enterprise reforms captured by entry and exit of firms have a positive impact on aggregated productivity growth. In addition, IT plays relatively more important role in productivity performance of post reform enterprises, as compared to enterprises which are not affected by major restructuring in the course of Chinese state owned enterprise reforms.
    Date: 2005–09
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:dpaper:05025&r=ict
  2. By: James C. McGrath
    Abstract: Over the past several years, the emergence and adoption of electronic payment instruments have acutely affected check usage. This transition has been especially evident at the point of sale as debit and credit cards have become pervasive. Today, the rapid growth of online bill payment looks to threaten checks’ last redoubt. However, bill payment technology is still in its adolescence; the interplay of many stakeholders in the industry, including technology firms, banks, billers, payment cards, and customers, has led to rapid, unscripted innovation in just a few years. This paper quantifies some of the trends in the industry while addressing the interests and impact of the market’s prime movers in an effort to determine to what extent the displacement of checks will continue.
    Keywords: Electronic funds transfers ; Checks ; Internet banking
    Date: 2005
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedpdp:05-08&r=ict
  3. By: Acemoglu, Daron; Aghion, Philippe; Griffith, Rachel; Zilibotti, Fabrizio
    Abstract: This paper investigates the determinants of vertical integration. We first derive a number of predictions regarding the relationship between technology intensity and vertical integration from a simple incomplete contracts model. Then, we investigate these predictions using plant-level data for the UK manufacturing sector. Most importantly, and consistent with theory, we find that the technology intensities of downstream (producer) and upstream (supplier) industries have opposite effects on the likelihood of vertical integration. Also consistent with theory, both these effects are stronger when the supplying industry accounts for a large fraction of the producer's costs. These results are generally robust and hold with alternative measures of technology intensity, with alternative estimation strategies, and with or without controlling for a number of firm and industry-level characteristics.
    Keywords: hold-up; incomplete contracts; internal organisation of the firm; investment; R&D; residual rights of control; technology; UK manufacturing; vertical integration
    JEL: L22 L23 L24
    Date: 2005–09
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:5258&r=ict

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