This paper explores the link between learning and corporate growth by developing different models of learning and showing that they produce observably different models of corporate growth. Using data on the growth of a number of firms in the US automobile industry during the 20th century, we...

The paper studies whether “idiosyncratic riskâ€, i.e. the degree to which firm and industry specific returns are more volatile than aggregate market returns, is higher in innovative industries which are characterized by more risk and uncertainty. Volatility is studied both at the...

This paper focuses on a single simple stylized fact which stands out from the post-war history of the US Car industry, namely that industry concentration fell just at the same time as industry advertising expenditures rose sharply. Since both events were almost certainly caused by the entry and...

This paper focuses on a single simple stylized fact which stands out from the post-war history of the US Car industry, namely that industry concentration fell just at the same time as industry advertising expenditures rose sharply. Since both events were almost certainly caused by the entry and...

Recent studies find that idiosyncratic risk (IR) has increased since the 1960's and attribute this to economy wide factors such as the role of the IT revolution. To gain further insights into why IR has increased over time, our paper uses industry level data and firm level data to study if...

The paper studies the co-evolution of industrial turbulence and financial volatility in the early phase of the US automobile industry (1900-1930) and the early phase of the US PC industry (1970-2000). In both industries, stock prices were the most volatile and idiosyncratic (compared to the...