Language and the theory of the firm

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Cremer, Jacques; Garicano, Luis; Prat, Andrea
• 署名单位: Universite PSL; Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS); Universite de Toulouse; Universite Toulouse 1 Capitole; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS); University of Chicago; Centre for Economic Policy Research - UK; University of London; London School Economics & Political Science
• 刊物名称: QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF ECONOMICS
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0033-5533
• DOI: 10.1162/qjec.122.1.373
• 发表日期: 2007
• 页码: 373-407
• 关键词: information-technology; ORGANIZATION; KNOWLEDGE; COSTS

摘要

We characterize efficient technical languages and study their interaction with the scope and structure of organizations. Efficient languages use precise words for frequent events and vague words for unusual ones. A broader organizational scope allows for more synergies to be captured, but reduces within-unit efficiency, since it requires a more generic language. A manager working as specialized translator may also be used to achieve between-unit coordination while maintaining separate languages. Our theory reconciles two recent well-documented phenomena within organizations: the recent increase in information centralization and the reduction in hierarchical centralization.