This paper investigates the determinants of vertical integration. We first derive a number of predictions regarding the relationship between technology intensity and vertical integration from a simple incomplete contracts model. Then, we investigate these predictions using plant-level data for...

For small high-tech firms international orientation is regarded as crucial for growth and long-term survival. Even newly founded technology based firms (NTBFs) are often internationally active shortly after their inception ("born globals"). However, in order to create jobs and have a sustainable...

This paper investigates the determinants of vertical integration using data from the UK manufacturing sector. We find that the relationship between a downstream (producer) industry and an upstream (supplier) industry us more likely to be vertically integrated when the producing industry is more...

Like many consumer product industries, the apparel industry is being affected by information technology-based changes in the manufacture and retailing of products. Based on detailed business-unit level data, we show that observed heterogeneity in the adoption of modern manufacturing practices by...

This paper presents an empirical analysis of "outsourcing" using establishment level data for UK manufacturing industries. We analyse an establishment's decision to outsource and the subsequent effects of outsourcing on the establishment's productivity. We compare outsourcing in domestic with...

This paper presents an empirical analysis of "outsourcing" using establishment level data for UK manufacturing industries. We analyse an establishment's decision to outsource and the subsequent effects of outsourcing on the establishment's productivity. We compare outsourcing in domestic with...

The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of subcontracting on Italian manufacturing firms' growth in the second half of the 1990s. By making use of a 5000 firms database we specifically test: a) whether and how subcontracting may affect the growth dynamics of firms; b) whether growth...

This paper uses industry and firm data to look at price cost mark-ups and firm profit margins in U.K. manufacturing and services. In particular it examines how they behave over the business cycle. It has two main findings. First, the estimated average mark-ups and the profit margin results both...

We use the ARD micro level data set for UK manufacturing to document job creation and job destruction (JC&D). Due to data limitations, previous UK studies were unable to use entry and exit in calculations of JC&D and/or were are at the firm rather than establishment/plant level and/or used data...