INDUSTRY LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND THE HETEROGENEITY OF FIRM PERFORMANCE

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Balasubramanian, Natarajan; Lieberman, Marvin B.
• 署名单位: University of California System; University of California Los Angeles; State University System of Florida; Florida International University
• 刊物名称: STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT JOURNAL
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0143-2095
• DOI: 10.1002/smj.816
• 发表日期: 2010
• 页码: 390-412
• 关键词: Learning; firm heterogeneity; RBV; PRODUCTIVITY

摘要

This paper characterizes interindustry heterogeneity in rates of learning-by-doing, and examines how industry learning rates art, connected with firm performance. Using plant-level data from the U.S. manufacturing Sector, we measure the industry learning rate, as the coefficient on cumulative output in a production function. We find that learning rates vary considerably among industries and are higher in industries with greater R&D, advertising, and capital intensity. More importantly, we find that higher rates of learning are associated with wider dispersion of Tobin's q and profitability, among firms in the industry. These findings suggest that learning intensity represents an important characteristic of the industry environment that affects the range of firm performance. Copyright (C) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.