The Size Distribution of Firms and Industrial Water Pollution: A Quantitative Analysis of China

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 151-183
Author(s):  
Ji Qi ◽  
Xin Tang ◽  
Xican Xi
Keyword(s):  
Water Pollution ◽  
Size Distribution ◽  
Heterogeneous Firms ◽  
Clean Technology ◽  
Industrial Water ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Aggregate Output ◽  
Size Distribution Of Firms ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Treatment Technologies

We argue that misallocation across firms amplifies industrial water pollution by distorting the firm size distribution in China. Firm-level data indicate that larger firms are more likely to use clean technology but face higher distortions. In a heterogeneous firms model with an endogenous choice of pollution treatment technologies, we show that distortions that increase with firm-level TFP lower the adoption of clean technology, amplify aggregate pollution intensity, and lower aggregate output. Quantitatively, eliminating these correlated distortions would increase output by 30 percent and decrease pollution by 20 percent. Meanwhile, environmental regulations have sizable impact on pollution but limited effects on aggregate output. (JEL O13, O14, P28, P31, Q52, Q53, Q58)

scholarly journals Firm Sorting and Agglomeration

2018 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 3117-3153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecile Gaubert
Keyword(s):  
General Equilibrium ◽  
Economic Activity ◽  
Heterogeneous Firms ◽  
Agglomeration Economies ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Large Cities ◽  
French Firm ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Firm Level Data ◽  
Aggregate Effects

To account for the uneven distribution of economic activity in space, I propose a theory of the location choices of heterogeneous firms in a variety of sectors across cities. In equilibrium, the distribution of city sizes and the sorting patterns of firms are uniquely determined and affect aggregate TFP and welfare. I estimate the model using French firm-level data and find that nearly half of the productivity advantage of large cities is due to firm sorting, the rest coming from agglomeration economies. I quantify the general equilibrium effects of place-based policies: policies that subsidize smaller cities have negative aggregate effects. (JEL D22, D24, R11, R32)

scholarly journals Cross-Country Differences in Productivity: The Role of Allocation and Selection

2013 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 305-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric Bartelsman ◽  
John Haltiwanger ◽  
Stefano Scarpetta
Keyword(s):  
Heterogeneous Firms ◽  
Fixed Capital ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Firm Level Data ◽  
Country Differences ◽  
Cross Country

This paper investigates the effect of idiosyncratic (firm-level) policy distortions on aggregate outcomes. Exploiting harmonized firm-level data for a number of countries, we show that there is substantial and systematic cross-country variation in the within-industry covariance between size and productivity. We develop a model in which heterogeneous firms face adjustment frictions (overhead labor and quasi-fixed capital) and distortions. The model can be readily calibrated so that variations in the distribution of distortions allow matching the observed cross-country moments. We show that the differences in the distortions that account for the size-productivity covariance imply substantial differences in aggregate performance. (JEL D24, L25, O47)

scholarly journals Sales and Markup Dispersion: Theory and Empirics

Econometrica ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 89 (4) ◽  
pp. 1753-1788 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Mrázová ◽  
J. Peter Neary ◽  
Mathieu Parenti
Keyword(s):  
Demand Function ◽  
Structural Model ◽  
Monopolistic Competition ◽  
Heterogeneous Firms ◽  
Dispersion Theory ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Indian Firm ◽  
Necessary And Sufficient ◽  
The Relationship

We characterize the relationship between the distributions of two variables linked by a structural model. We then show that, in models of heterogeneous firms in monopolistic competition, this relationship implies a new demand function that we call “CREMR” (Constant Revenue Elasticity of Marginal Revenue). This demand function is the only one that is consistent with productivity and sales distributions having the same form (whether Pareto, lognormal, or Fréchet) in the cross section, and it is necessary and sufficient for Gibrat's Law to hold over time. Among the applications we consider, we use our methodology to characterize misallocation across firms; we derive the distribution of markups implied by any assumptions on demand and productivity; and we show empirically that CREMR‐based markup distributions provide an excellent parsimonious fit to Indian firm‐level data, which in turn allows us to calculate the proportion of firms that are of suboptimal size in the market equilibrium.

scholarly journals Location decisions of heterogeneous European firms

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-269
Author(s):  
Josep Marti
Keyword(s):  
Logit Model ◽  
Investment Decisions ◽  
Heterogeneous Firms ◽  
Multinomial Logit Model ◽  
Location Decisions ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
European Firm ◽  
Productivity Level ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Foreign Affiliates

We analyze empirically how firms’ characteristics affect the foreign affiliates location decisions of heterogeneous firms in different markets. Using a European firm-level data and estimating the marginal effects for the multinomial logit model, the results corroborate the relevance of firms’ characteristics in their investment decisions, particularly the productivity level.

The Micro and Macro of Managerial Beliefs

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Maria Barrero
Keyword(s):  
Rational Expectations ◽  
Asset Price ◽  
Heterogeneous Firms ◽  
Adjustment Costs ◽  
Consumer Welfare ◽  
Sales Growth ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Managerial Decisions ◽  
Managerial Beliefs ◽  
Growth Volatility

This paper studies how biases in managerial beliefs affect managerial decisions, firm performance, and the macroeconomy. Using a new survey of US managers I establish three facts. (1) Managers are not over-optimistic: sales growth forecasts on average do not exceed realizations. (2) Managers are overprecise (overconfident): they underestimate future sales growth volatility. (3) Managers overextrapolate: their forecasts are too optimistic after positive shocks and too pessimistic after negative shocks. To quantify the implications of these facts, I estimate a dynamic general equilibrium model in which managers of heterogeneous firms use a subjective beliefs process to make forward-looking hiring decisions. Overprecision and overextrapolation lead managers to overreact to firm-level shocks and overspend on adjustment costs, destroying 2.1 percent of the typical firm’s value. Pervasive overreaction leads to excess volatility and reallocation, lowering consumer welfare by 0.5 to 2.3 percent relative to the rational expectations equilibrium. These findings suggest overreaction may amplify asset-price and business cycle fluctuations.

Implicit Taxes Amid Race to the Bottom in a Global Tax Game

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 42
Author(s):  
Igor Semenenko ◽  
Junwook Yoo ◽  
Parporn Akathaporn
Keyword(s):  
Capital Mobility ◽  
Tax Rates ◽  
Corporate Tax ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Race To The Bottom ◽  
Tax Subsidy ◽  
Tax Subsidies ◽  
Level Data ◽  
Tax Returns ◽  
Tax Hypothesis

Growing tax competition among national governments in the presence of capital mobility distorts equilibrium in the international corporate tax market. This paper is related to the literature that examines impact of international tax policies on corporate accounting statements. Employing international firm-level data, this study revisits the race-to-the-bottom hypothesis and documents that tax exemptions lowering effective tax rates relative to statutory rates increase pre-tax returns. This finding directly contradicts the implicit tax hypothesis documented by Wilkie (1992), who provided empirical evidence on inverse relationship between pre-tax return and tax subsidy. We also find evidences that relative importance of permanent versus timing component depends on the geography and that decline in corporate tax rates reduces impact of tax subsidies on profitability. Our findings suggest that tax subsidies play a different role than in 1968-1985, which was examined by Wilkie (1992). These results are consistent with the race-to-the-bottom hypothesis and income shifting explanation

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