Multi-Product Firms and Flexible Manufacturing in the Global Economy

S-Tier
Journal: Review of Economic Studies
Year: 2010
Volume: 77
Issue: 1
Pages: 188-217

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We present a new model of multi-product firms (MPFs) and flexible manufacturing, and explore its implications in partial and general oligopolistic equilibrium. Globalization affects the scale and scope (or intensive margin and intra-firm extensive margin) of MPFs through a competition effect and a demand effect. The model highlights a new source of gains from trade: productivity increases as firms become "leaner and meaner", concentrating on their core competence; but also a new source of losses from trade: product variety may fall. Our results also hold under free entry, which allows in addition for adjustment along the traditional inter-firm extensive margin. Copyright , Wiley-Blackwell.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:restud:v:77:y:2010:i:1:p:188-217
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25