Synopses & Reviews
The Organization of Firms in a Global Economy presents a new research program that is transforming the study of international trade. Driven by the availability of new micro data sets and innovative theoretical models, it focuses on the level of firms, products, and stages of production rather than on countries and industries. It addresses such questions as why only a small proportion of firms in a given industry export and why an even smaller proportion invest abroad; why exporters tend to be more productive than nonexporters; why almost one-third of international trade takes place between units of the same firm and why as much as two-thirds involves multinational firms as exporter, importer, or both; and why international trade may have been the most important driver of organizational changes in the corporation that have been taking place in the last decade.
Until a few years ago, models of international trade did not recognize the heterogeneity of firms and exporters, and could not provide good explanations of international production networks. Now such models exist and are explored in this volume.
Review
This outstanding volume will become essential reading for graduate-level courses in international trade. -- Steven Engler - Religious Studies Review
Review
This is no ordinary conference volume. It is an integral part of new and important developments in research that is presently transforming the field of international trade. -- Stephen Redding, London School of Economics
Synopsis
Presents a new research program that is transforming the study of international trade. Until a few years ago, models of international trade did not recognize the heterogeneity of firms and exporters, and could not provide good explanations of international production networks. Now such models exist and are explored in this volume.
About the Author
Elhanan Helpmanis Galen L. Stone Professor of International Trade at <>Harvard Universityand a Fellow at the <>Canadian Institute for Advance Research.Dalia Marinis Professor of Economics at the <>University of Munich.Thierry Verdieris Scientific Director, <>Paris School of Economics, and Professor of Economics, <>University of Southampton.
Table of Contents
- Contractual Frictions and Global Sourcing Pol Antràs and Elhanan Helpman
- The Boundaries of the Multinational Firm: An Empirical Analysis Nathan Nunn and Daniel Trefler
- Contract Enforcement, Comparative Advantage and Long-Run Growth Gianmarco I.P. Ottaviano
- The Dynamics of Firm-Level Adjustments to Trade Liberalization James A. Costantini and Marc J. Melitz
- Competing in Organizations: Firm Heterogeneity and International Trade Dalia Marin and Thierry Verdier
- Optimal Choice of Product Scope for Multiproduct Firms under Monopolistic Competition Robert Feenstra and Hong Ma
- Firm Heterogeneity, Central Locations, and the Structure of Foreign Direct Investment Stephen R. Yeaple
- Export Dynamics in Colombia: Transaction-Level Evidence Jonathan Eaton, Marcela Eslava, Maurice Kugler and James Tybout
- Fair Wages and Foreign Sourcing Gene M. Grossman and Elhanan Helpman
- Organizing Offshoring: Middle Managers and Communication Costs Pol Antràs, Luis Garicano and Esteban Rossi-Hansberg