Organizing to Adapt and Compete

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Alonso, Ricardo; Dessein, Wouter; Matouschek, Niko
• 署名单位: University of London; London School Economics & Political Science; Columbia University; Northwestern University
• 刊物名称: AMERICAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL-MICROECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 1945-7669
• DOI: 10.1257/mic.20130100
• 发表日期: 2015
• 页码: 158-187
• 关键词: coordination; COMMUNICATION; ORGANIZATIONS; authority; COSTS; firm

摘要

We examine the relationship between the organization of a multi-divisional firm and its ability to adapt production decisions to changes in the environment. We show that even if lower-level managers have superior information about local conditions, and incentive conflicts are negligible, a centralized organization can be better at adapting to local information than a decentralized one. As a result, and in contrast to what is commonly argued, an increase in product market competition that makes adaptation more important can favor centralization rather than decentralization.