In the property rights approach to the theory of the firm (Hart, 1995), parties bargain about whether or not to collaborate after non-contractible investments have been made. Most contributions apply the regular Nash bargaining solution. We explore the implications of using the generalized Nash...

This era of globalisation is characterized by an ongoing international fragmentation of production where the supply chain is split up in more and more parts. The traditional Ricardian theory of trade in products governed by comparative advantages is replaced by a modern theory of trade in tasks....

Motivated by empirical evidence I uncover on the dynamics of French firms exports, I offer a novel theory of trade frictions. Firms only export into markets where they have a contact. They directly search for new trading partners, but also use their existing network of contacts to remotely...

In designing of production systems, economic and social goals can be combined, if ergonomics is integrated into the design process. More than 50 years of ergonomics research and practice have resulted in a large number of ergonomics standards for designing physical and organizational work...

This paper explores the processes of transforming a network of non-mandated exchange relations into a cohesive and innovative partnership. The question this paper attempts to answer is how to speed up innovation processes in such networks. The paper demonstrates that transformation of networks...

The advantage of multiple sourcing to protect against supplier failures arising from undependable (or even unsafe) products due to latent defects is examined using a quality-cost model of supply base composition. Prior models have focused on supplier failures arising from unreliable supply, such...

Theoretical explanations of the decision to outsource typically range from functionalism (search for efficiency) to institutionalism (search for legitimacy). Up to date, most empirical studies on the subject have been carried out relying on secondary data sources and are generally inspired by...

The IT revolution generated important changes on society and firms. Under these circumstances, the companies’ management reaches to the five-generation assuring, base on plurality, fast decisions making, and an equal treatment of the employers taking into consideration the high level of their...

We develop a model in which multinational investors decide about the modes of organization, the locations of production, and the markets to be served. Foreign investments are driven by market-seeking and cost-reducing motives. We further assume that investors face costs of control that vary...

Although FDI have been at the forefront of economic debate since a long time, economists have not yet developed a unified framework for their investigation. In this paper, we put forward the idea that an essential point to analyze FDI concerns their underpinning motives. Motives are at the core...