nep-tid New Economics Papers
on Technology and Industrial Dynamics
Issue of 2009‒01‒10
three papers chosen by
Rui Baptista
Technical University of Lisbon

  1. Product innovation and firm survival in a network industry By Fumiko Hayashi; Zhu Wang
  2. Competition Policy and Market Leaders By Ilir Maçi; Kresimir Zigic
  3. Spin-offs: theory and evidence By Luis Cabral; Zhu Wang

  1. By: Fumiko Hayashi; Zhu Wang
    Abstract: This paper studies product innovation and firm survival in the U.S. ATM/debit card industry. The industry started with a few shared ATM networks in the early 1970s. The number of networks grew quickly up until the mid 1980s, but then declined sharply. We construct a theoretical model based on Jovanovic and MacDonald (1994). In contrast to their model focusing on cost-saving technological innovation, our model shows a major product innovation may also trigger the shakeout. The theoretical predictions are tested using a novel dataset on network entry, exit, size, location, ownership and product choices. The findings suggest introducing the point of sale debit function in the mid 1980s played an important role driving the network consolidation. Unlike previous studies, we find little advantage of being early industry entrants. Rather, due to network effects in the industry, large networks had better chance to adopt the product innovation and survive the shakeout.
    Date: 2008
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedkrw:rwp08-14&r=tid
  2. By: Ilir Maçi; Kresimir Zigic
    Abstract: We study the potential loss in social welfare and changes in incentives to invest in R&D that result when the market leading firm is deprived of its position. We show that under plausible assumptions like free entry or repeated market interactions there is a social value of market leadership and its mechanical removal by means of competition policy is likely to be harmful for society.
    Keywords: Market leaders, Competition policy, Innovation.
    JEL: F12 F13 L11 L13 L16 K21
    Date: 2008–11
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cer:papers:wp375&r=tid
  3. By: Luis Cabral; Zhu Wang
    Abstract: We develop a “passive learning” model of firm entry by spin-off: firm employees leave their employer and create a new firm when (a) they learn they are good entrepreneurs (type I spin-offs) or (b) they learn their employer's prospects are bad (type II spin-offs). Our theory predicts a high correlation between spin-offs and parent exit, especially when the parent is a lowproductivity firm. This correlation may correspond to two types of causality: spin-off causes firm exit (type I spin-offs) and firm exit causes spin-off (type II spin-offs). We test and confirm this and other model predictions on a unique data set of the U.S. automobile industry. Finally, we discuss policy implications regarding “covenant not to compete” laws
    Date: 2008
    URL: http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedkrw:rwp08-15&r=tid

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