科斯企业的性质英文版.docx
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科斯企业的性质英文版
科斯:
企业的性质(英文版)
TheNatureoftheFirm(1937)
R.H.COASE
Economictheoryhassufferedinthepastfromafailuretostateclearlyitsassumption.Economistsinbuildingupatheoryhaveoftenomittedtoexaminethefoundationsonwhichitwaserected.Thisexaminationis,however,essentialnotonlytopreventthemisunderstandingandneedlescontroversywhicharisefromalackofknowledgeoftheassumptionsonwhichatheoryisbased,butalsobecauseoftheextremeimportanceforeconomicsofgoodjudgmentinchoosingbetweenrivalsetsofassumptions.Forinstance,itissuggestedthattheuseoftheword“firm”ineconomicsmaybedifferentfromtheuseofthetermbythe“plainman.”'Sincethereisapparentlyatrendineconomictheorytowardsstartinganalysiswiththeindividualfirmandnotwiththeindustry,2itisailthemorenecessarynotonlythatacleardefinitionoftheword"firm"shouldbegivenbutthatitsdifferencefromafirminthe"realworld,"ifitaists,shouldbemadeclear.Mrs.Robinsonhassaidthat"thetwoquestionstobeaskedofasetofassumptionsineconomicsare:
Aretheytractable?
and:
Dotheycorrespondwiththerealworld?
"3Though,asMrs.Robinsonpointsout,"Moreoftenonesetwillbemanageableandtheotherrealistic,"yettheremaywellbebranchesoftheorywhereassumptionsmaybebothmanageableandrealistic.Itishopedtoshowinthefollowingpaperthatadefinitionofafirmmaybeobtainedwhichisnotonlyrealisticinthatitcorrespondstowhatismeantbyafirmintherealworld,butistractablebytwoofthemostpowerfulinstrumentsofeconomicanalysisdevelopedbyMarshall,theideaofthemarginandthatofsubstitution,togethergivingtheideaofsubstitutionatthemargin.4Ourdefinitionmust,ofcourse,"relatetoformalrelationswhicharecapableofbeingconceivedexactly."5
1
Itisconvenientif,insearchingforadefinitionofafirm,wefirstconsidertheeconomicsystemasitisnormallytreatedbytheeconomist.LetusconsiderthedescriptionoftheeconomicsystemgivenbySirArthurSalter6.“Thenormaleconomicsystemworksitself.Foritscurrentoperationitisundernocentralcontrol,itneedsnocentralsurvey.Overthewholerangeofhumanactivityandhumanneed,supplyisadjustedtodemand,andproductiontoconsumption,byaprocessthatisautomatic,elasticandresponsive.”Aneconomistthinksoftheeconomicsystemasbeingco-ordinatedbythepricemechanismandsocietybecomesnotanorganizationbutanorganism.7Theeconomicsystem“worksitself.Thisdoesnotmeanthatthereisnoplanningbyindividuals.Theseexerciseforesightandchoosebetweenalternatives.ThisisnecessarilysoifthereistobeorderinthesystemButthistheoryassumesthatthedirectionofresourcesisdependentdirectlyonthepriceTheNatureoftheFirm(1937)R.H.COASE
2
mechanism.Indeed,itisoftenconsideredtobeanobjectiontoeconomicplanningthatitmerelytriestodowhatisalreadydonebythepricemechanism.8SirArthurSalter'sdescription,however,givesaveryincompletepictureofoureconomicsystem.Withinafirm,thedescriptiondoesnotfitatall.Forinstance,ineconomictheorywefindthattheallocationoffactorsofproductionbetweendifferentusesisdeterminedbythepricemechanism.ThepriceoffactorAbecomeshigherinXthaninY.Asaresult,AmovesfromYtoXuntilthedifferencebetweenthepricesinXandY,exceptif50farasitcompensatesforotherdifferentialadvantages,disappears.Yetintherealworld,wefindthattherearemanyareaswherethisdoesnotapply.IfaworkmanmovesfromdepartmentYtodepartmentX,hedoesnotgobecauseofachangeinrelativeprices,butbecauseheisorderedtodo50.Thosewhoobjecttoeconomicplanningonthegroundsthattheproblemissolvedbypricemovementscanbeansweredbypointingoutthatthereisplanningwithinoureconomicsystemwhichisquitedifferentfromtheindividualplanningmentionedaboveandwhichisakintowhatisnormallycalledeconomicplanning.Theexamplegivenaboveistypicalofalargesphereinourmodemeconomicsystem.0fcourse,thisfacthasnotbeenignoredbyeconomists.Marshallintroducesorganizationasafourthfactorofproduction;J.B.Clarkgivestheco-ordinatingfunctiontotheentrepreneur;ProfessorKnightintroducesmanagerswhoco-ordinate.AsD.H.Robertsonpointsout,wefind"islandsofconsciouspowerinthisoceanofunconsciousco-operationlikelumpsofbuttercoagulatinginapailofbuttermilk.”9Butinviewofthefactthatitisusuallyarguedthatco-ordinationwillbedonebythepricemechanism,whyissuchorganizationnecessary?
Whyaretherethese"islandsofconsciouspower"?
Outsidethefirm,pricemovementsdirectproduction,whichiscoordinatedthroughaseriesofexchangetransactionsonthemarket.Withinafirm,thesemarketstransactionsareeliminatedandinplaceofthecomplicatedmarketstructurewithexchangetransactionsissubstitutedtheentrepreneurco-ordinator,whodirectsproduction.10Itisclearthatthesearealternativemethodsofco-ordinatingproduction.Yet,havingregardtothefactthatifproductionisregulatedbypricemovements,productioncouldbecarriedonwithoutanyorganizationatall,wellmightweask,whyisthereanyorganization?
0fcourse,thedegreetowhichthepricemechanismissupersededvariesgreatly.Inadepartmentstore,theallocationofthedifferentsectionstothevariouslocationsinthebuildingmaybedonebythecontrollingauthorityoritmaybetheresultofcompetitivepricebiddingforspace.IntheLancashirecottonindustry,aweavercanrentpowerandshop-roomandcanobtainloomsandyarnoncredit.11
Thisco-ordinationofthevariousfactorsofproductionis,however,normallycarriedoutwithouttheinterventionofthepricemechanism.Asisevident,theamountof“vertical”integration,involvingasitdoesthesupersessionofthepricemechanism,variesgreatlyTheNatureoftheFirm(1937)R.H.COASE
3fromindustrytoindustryandfromfirmtofirm.Itcan,Ithink,beassumedthatthedistinguishingmarkofthefirmisthesupersessionofthepricemechanism.Itis,ofcourse,asProfessorRobbinspointsout,“relatedtoanoutsidenetworkofrelativepricesandcosts,”
12butitisimportanttodiscovertheexactnatureofthisrelationship.ThisdistinctionbetweentheallocationofresourcesinafirmandtheallocationintheeconomicsystemhasbeenveryvividlydescribedbyMr.MauriceDobbwhendiscussingAdamSmith'sconceptionofthecapitalist:
“Itbegantobeseenthattherewassomethingmoreimportantthantherelationsinsideeachfactoryorunitcaptainedbyanundertaker;thereweretherelationsoftheundertakerwiththerestoftheeconomicworldoutsidehisimmediatesphere...theundertakerbusieshimselfwiththedivisionoflabourinsideeachfirmandheplansandorganisesconsciously,”but“heisrelatedtothemuchlargereconomicspecialisation,ofwhichhehimselfismerelyonespecialisedunit.Here,heplayshispartasasingleceIlinalargerorganism,mainlyunconsciousofthewiderr?
lehefills.”13
Inviewofthefactthatwhileeconomiststreatthepricemechanismasacoordinatinginstrument,the?
alsoadmittheco-ordinatingfunctionofthe“entrepreneur,”itissurelyimportanttoenquirewhyco-ordinationistheworkofthepricemechanisminonecaseandoftheentrepreneurinanother.Thepurposeofthispaperistobridgewhatappearstobeagapineconomictheorybetweentheassumption(madeforsomepurposes)thatresourcesareallocatedbymeansofthepricemechanismandtheassumption(madeforotherpurposes)thatthisallocationisdependentontheentrepreneur-co-ordinator.Wehavetoexplainthebasisonwhich,inpractice,thischoicebetweenalternativesiseffected.14II
Ourtaskistoattempttodiscoverwhyafirmemergesatahinaspecializedexchangeeconomy.Thepricemechanism(consideredpurelyfromthesideofthedirectionofresources)mightbesupersedediftherelationshipwhichreplaceditwasdesiredforitsownsake.Thiswouldbethecase,forexample,ifsomepeoplepreferredtoworkunderthedirectionofsomeotherperson.Suchindividualswouldacceptlessinordertoworkundersomeone,andfirmswouldarisenaturallyfromthis.Butitwouldappearthatthiscannotbeaveryimportantreason,foritwouldratherseemthattheoppositetendencyisoperatingifonejudgesfromthestressnormallylaidontheadvantageof“beingone'sownmaster;”150fcourse,ifthedesirewasnottobecontrolledbuttocontrol,toexercisepoweroverothers,thenpeoplemightbewillingtogiveUpsomethinginordertodirectothers;thatis,theywouldbewillingtopayothersmorethantheycouldgetunderthepricemechanisminorderTheNatureoftheFirm(1937)R.H.COASE
4tobeabletodirectthem.Butthisimpliesthatthosewhodirectpayinordertobeabletodothisandarenotpaidtodirect,whichisclearlynottrueinthemajorityofcases.16Firmsmightalsoexistifpurchaserspreferredcommoditieswhichareproducedbyfirmstothosenot50produced;buteveninsphereswhereonewouldexpectsuchpreferences(iftheyexist)tobeofnegligibleimportance,firmsaretobefoundintherealworld.17Thereforetheremustbeotherelementsinvolved.
Themainreasonwhyitisprofitabletoestablishafirmwouldseemtobethatthereisacostofusingthepricemechanism.Themostobviouscostof“organizing”productionthroughthepricemechanismisthatofdiscoveringwhattherelevantpricesare.18Thiscostmaybereducedbutitwillnotbeeliminatedbytheemergenceofspecialistswhowillsellthisinformation.Thecostsofnegotiatingandconcludinga