Vertical integration and firm boundaries : the evidence

Since Ronald H. Coase's (1937) seminal paper, a rich set of theories has been developed that deal with firm boundaries in vertical or input–output structures. In the last twenty-five years, empirical evidence that can shed light on those theories also has been accumulating. We review the findings of empirical studies that have addressed two main interrelated questions: First, what types of transactions are best brought within the firm and, second, what are the consequences of vertical integration decisions for economic outcomes such as prices, quantities, investment, and profits. Throughout, we highlight areas of potential cross-fertilization and promising areas for future work

Vertical Integration in the U.S. Pulp and Paper Industry, 1900-1940.

A transaction-cost model of vertical integration is tested, based on detailed descriptions of every pulp and paper mill operating in the United States between 1900 and 1940. This study contributes to the literature on integration through the use of a large, disaggregated database that allows identification of individual mills over time. Vertical integration of pulp and paper production is found to be positively associated with regional concentration, paper-mill capacity, and production of standardized grades of paper. Over time, new entrants behaved differently than established mills, because few mills switched between integration and specialization once established. Copyright 1994 by MIT Press.