Business history and the organization of industry

This paper focuses on recent developments of business history on a specific theme : the boundaries of firms and industries. Connexions with industrial organisation, and especially with neo-institutionalism, have increasingly appeared in the literature. Connexions are generally developed according to two main tendencies which are discussed in the paper. We show that the first tendency uses economic models dealing with information problems as a benchmark for the analysis of historical facts, while the second tendency offers the opportunity to refine some of the principles of industrial organisation by taking into account the emphasis of business history on a concrete problem of innovative firms and industries : the coordination of productive activities.

A taxonomy of multi-industry labour force skills

This paper proposes an empirical study of the skill repertoires of 290 sectors in the United States over the period 2002–2011. We use information on employment structures and job content of occupations to flesh out structural characteristics of industry-specific know-how. The exercise of mapping the skills structures embedded in the workforce yields a taxonomy that discloses novel nuances on the organization of industry. In so doing we also take an initial step towards the integration of labour and employment in the area of innovation studies

Outsourcing versus FDI in Industry Equilibrium

We study the determinants of the extent of outsourcing and of direct foreign investment in an industry in which producers need specialized components. Potential suppliers must make a relationship-specific investment in order to serve each prospective customer. Such investments are governed by imperfect contracts. A final-good producer can manufacture components for itself, but the per-unit cost is higher than for specialized suppliers. We consider how the size of the cost differential, the extent of contractual incompleteness, the size of the industry, and the relative wage rate affect the organization of industry production.

Vertical Integration Versus Outsourcing in Industry Equilibrium

We study the determinants of the extent of in-house vertical integration and of outsourcing in foreign countries. Potential suppliers must make a relationship-specific investment in order to serve each prospective customer. Such investments are governed by imperfect contracts. A final-good producer can manufacture components for it, but the per-unit cost is higher than for specialized suppliers. We consider how the size of the cost differential, the trade costs of components, the relative costs of searching in south country for final producers, the relative cost of customizing inputs affect the organization of industry protection.Outsourcing, Vertical Integration, Customization, Search Cost

Globalization, entrepreneurship and the region

The present document analyzes the linkages between globalization, entrepreneurship and the role of regions. After dealing with the meaning of globalization, the regional dimension of the response to globalization is described where downsizing, knowledge spillovers and agglomeration are the essential phenomena. Next, it is shown how these developments have led to the emergence of new entrepreneurial activities. Subsequently, more details are given on the effects of the information and communication (ICT) revolution on the organization of industry in a globalized economy. Finally, it is concluded that policies promoting both knowledge investments as well as entrepreneurship have become prominent for many regions in the most developed countries. �

Outsourcing versus FDI in Industry Equilibrium

We study the determinants of the extent of outsourcing and of direct foreign investment in an industry in which producers need specialized components. Potential suppliers must make a relationship-specific investment in order to serve each prospective customer. Such investments are governed by imperfect contracts. A final-good producer can manufacture components for itself, but the per-unit cost is higher than for specialized suppliers. We consider how the size of the cost differential, the extent of contractual incompleteness, the size of the industry, and the relative wage rate affect the organization of industry production.outsourcing, direct foreign investment, multinational corporations, imperfect contracting, intra-industry trade

INFORMATION SYSTEMS, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, AND THEIR EFFECTS ON INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION

There is general agreement among academic researchers that information systems can prove strategic if they are well crafted. However, the field currently lacks frameworks that predict which applications might provide lasting benefit and sustainable competitive advantage. Moreover, little has been attempted in analyzing effects on the organization of industry. These effects may, in the long term, prove at least as interesting as effects on individual firms. We present here an initial examination of the effects of information systems and telecommunications on the competitive position of firms. Our intention is to provide guidelines for choosing opportunities that convey sustainable competitive advantage. We present also an initial analysis of predicted changes in the organization of industry. This work draws on field research and on recent work in market economics

Usages of the internet and e-tourism. Towards a new economy of tourism

This paper analyses the impact of internet on the organization of industry and the marketdynamics in the tourism activities, focusing in the European scene. Tourism incorporates many features ofthe contemporaneous information and communication economy. Even if e-tourism still stands for a smallshare of the whole tourism activity, the paper establishes that the internet basically explains theorganization of the activities and markets that emerge today. A relevant analytical framework able toapprehend these dynamics is first defined. The concept of sectoral system of production and innovation isshown to provide a relevant analytical framework to grasp the basic changes of the tourism industry. Thepaper enlightens on this basis the evolution resulting from the emergence of e-tourism and the uses ofinternet, their impacts on the coordination of the activities and the markets, with a special focus on theEuropean caseTourism; Sectoral Systems of Production and Innovation;ICT; Virtual Communities; GDS

Transition from Inflation to Price Stability

This paper provides a detailed discussion of the real phenomena that materialized in the stabilization period which followed the German hyper-inflation. Significant real dislocations arose after the monetary reform; and these can be attributed to a government policy which subsidized heavy industry through the inflation tax proceeds. The "credibility problem" appears not to have been a significant factor in the post-reform dislocation.