Thenatureofthefirm英文原版完美重排版Word下载.docx

Thenatureofthefirm英文原版完美重排版Word下载.docx

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plainman”.Sincethereisapparentlyatrendineconomictheorytowardsstartinganalysiswiththeindividualfirmandnotwiththeindustry,itisallthemorenecessarynotonlythatacleardefinitionoftheword"

firm"

shouldbegivenbutthatitsdifferencefromafirminthe"

realworld,"

ifitexist，shouldbemadeclear.Mrs.Robinsonhassaidthat"

thetwoquestionstobeaskedofasetofassumptionsineconomicsare:

Aretheytractable?

And:

Dotheycorrespondwiththerealworld?

“.Though,asMrs.Robinsonpointsout,“moreoftenonesetwillbemanageableandtheotherrealistic”，yettheremaywellbebranchesoftheorywhereassumptionsmayhebothmanageableandrealistic.

Itishopedtoshowinthefollowingpaperthatadefinitionofafirmmaybeobtainedwhichisnotonlyrealisticinthatitcorrespondstowhatismeantbyafirmintherealworld,butistractablebytwoofthemostpowerfulinstrumentsofeconomicanalysisdevelopedbyMarshall,theideaofthemarginandthatofsubstitution,togethergivingtheideaofsubstitutionatthemargin.Ourdefinitionmust,ofcourse,"

relatetoformalrelationswhicharecapable ofbeingconceivedexactly."

Ⅰ

Itisconvenientif,insearchingforadefinitionofafirm,wefirstconsidertheeconomicsystemasitisnormallytreatedbytheeconomists.LetusconsiderthedescriptionoftheeconomicsystemgivenbySirArthurSalter."

Thenormaleconomicsystemworksitself.Foritscurrentoperationitisundernocentralcontrol,itneedsnocentralsurvey.Overthewholerangeofhumanactivityandhumanneed,supplyisadjustedtodemand,andproductiontoconsumption,byaprocessthatisautomatic,elasticandresponsive."

Aneconomistthinksoftheeconomicsystemasbeingcoordinatedbythepricemechanismandsocietybecomesnotanorganizationbutanorganism.Theeconomicsystem"

worksitself."

Thisdoesnotmeanthatthereisnoplanningbyindividuals.Theseexerciseforesightandchoosebetweenalternatives.Thisisnecessarilysoifthereistobeorderinthesystem.Butthistheoryassumesthatthedirectionofresourcesisdependentdirectlyonthepricemechanism.

Indeed,itisoftenconsideredtobeanobjectiontoeconomicplanningthatitmerelytriestodowhatisalreadydonebythepricemechanism.SirArthurSalter'

sdescription,however,givesaveryincompletepictureofoureconomicsystem.Withinafirm，thedescriptiondoesnotfitatall.

Forinstance,ineconomictheorywefindthattheallocationoffactorsofproductionbetweendifferentUsesisdeterminedbythepricemechanism.ThepriceoffactorAbecomeshigherinXthaninY.Asaresult，AmovesfromYtoXuntilthedifferencebetweenthepricesinXandY,exceptinsofarasitcompensatesforotherdifferentialadvantages,disappears.Yetintherealworld,wefindthattherearemanyareaswherethisdoesnotapply.IfaworkmanmovesfromdepartmentYtodepartmentX,hedoesnotgobecauseofachangeInrelativeprices，butbecauseheisorderedtodoso.Thosewhoobjecttoeconomicplanningonthegroundsthattheproblemissolvedbypricemovementscanbeansweredbypointingoutthatthereisplanningwithinoureconomicsystemwhichisquitedifferentfromtheindividualplanningmentionedaboveandwhichisakintowhatisnormallycalledeconomicplanning.

TheexamplegivenaboveistypicalofalargesphereinourmoderneconomicSystem.Ofcourse,thisfacthasnotbeenignoredbyeconomists.Marshallintroduceorganizationasafourthfactorofproduction;

JB.Clarkgivetheco-ordinatingfunctiontotheentrepreneur;

ProfessorKnightintroducesmanagerswhoco-ordinate.As.D.H.Robertsonpointsout,wefindislandsofconsciouspowerinthisoceanofunconsciousco-operationlikelumpsofbuttercoagulatinginapailofbuttermilk."

Butinviewofthefactthatitisusuallyarguedthatco-ordinationwillbedonebythepricemechanism，whyissuchorganizationnecessary 

?

Whyaretherethe"

islandsofconsciouspower"

Outsidethefirm,pricemovementsdirectproduction,whichisco-ordinatedthroughaseriesofexchangetransactionsonthemarket.Withinafirm,themarkettransactionsareeliminatedandinplaceofthecomplicatedmarketstructurewithexchangetransactionsissubstitutedtheentrepreneur-co-ordinator，whodirectsproduction.Itisclearthatthesearealternativemethodsofco-ordinationproduction.Yet,havingregardtothefactthatifproductionisregulatedbypricemovements,productioncouldbecarriedonwithoutanyorganizationatall,wellmightweask,whyisthereanyorganization?

Ofcourse,thedegreetowhichthepricemechanismissupersededvariesgreatly.Inadepartmentstore,theallocationofthedifferentsectionstothevariouslocationsinthebuildingmaybedonebythecontrollingauthorityoritmaybetheresultofcompetitivepricebiddingforspace.IntheLancashirecottonindustry,aweavercanrentpowerandshop-roomandcanobtainloomsandyarnoncredit.Thisco-ordinationofthevariousfactorsofproductionis,however，normallycarriedoutwithouttheinterventionofthepricemechanism.Asisevident，theamountof"

vertical"

integration,involvingasitdoesthesupersessionofthepricemechanism,variesgreatlyfromindustrytoindustryandfromfirmtofirm.

Itcan,Ithink,beassumedthatthedistinguishingmarkofthefirmisthesupersessionofthepricemechanism.Itisofcourse,asProfessorRobbinspointsout,"

relatedtoanoutsidenetworkofrelativepriceandcosts,"

butitisimportanttodiscovertheexactnatureofthisrelationship.ThisdistinctionbetweentheallocationofresourcesinafirmandtheallocationintheeconomicsystemhasbeenveryvividlydescribedbyMr.MauriceDobbwhendiscussingAdamSmith'

sconceptionofthecapitalist:

"

itbegantobeseenthattherewassomethingmoreimportantthantherelationsinsideeachfactoryorunitcaptainedbyanundertaker;

thereweretherelationsoftheundertakerwiththerestoftheeconomicworldoutsidehisimmediatesphere....Theundertakerbusieshimselfwiththedivisionoflaborinsideeachfirmandheplansandorganizesconsciously,"

but"

heisrelatedtothemuchlargereconomicspecialization,ofwhichhehimselfismerelyonespecializedunit.Here,heplayshispartasasinglecellinalargerorganism,mainlyunconsciousofthewiderrolehefills.

Inviewofthefactthatwhileeconomiststreatthepricemechanismasaco-ordinatinginstrument,theyalsoadmittheco-coordinatingfunctionofthe"

entrepreneur,"

itissurelyimportanttoenquirewhyco-ordinationistheworkofthepricemechanisminonecaseandoftheentrepreneurinanother.Thepurposeofthispaperistobridgewhatappearstobeagapineconomictheorybetweentheassumption（madeforsomepurposes）thatresourcesareallocatedbymeansofthepricemechanismandtheassumption（madeforotherpurposes）thatthisallocationisdependentontheentrepreneur-co-ordinator.Wehavetoexplainthebasisonwhichinpractice,thischoicebetweenalternativesis effected.

Ⅱ

Ourtaskistoattempttodiscoverwhyafirmemergesatallinaspecializedexchangeeconomy.Thepricemechanism（consideredpurelyfromthesideofthedirectionofresource）mightbesupersedediftherelationshipwhichreplaceditwasdesiredforitsownsake.Thiswouldbethecase,forexample,ifsomepeoplepreferredtoworkunderthedirectionofsomeotherperson.Suchindividualswouldacceptlessinordertoworkundersomeone,andfirmswouldarisenaturallyfromthis.Butitwouldappearthatthiscannotbeaveryimportantreason,foritwouldratherseemthattheoppositetendencyisoperatingifonejudgesfromthestressnormallylaidontheadvantageof"

beingone'

sownmaster."

Ofcourse,ifthedesirewasnottobecontrolledbuttocontrol,toexercisepoweroverothers,thenpeoplemightbewillingtogiveupsomethinginordertodirectothers;

thatis，theywouldbewillingtopayothersmorethantheycouldgetunderthepricemechanisminordertobeabletodirectthem.Butthisimpliesthatthosewhodirectpayinordertobeabletodothisandarenotpaidtodirect,whichisclearlynottrueinthemajorityofcases.Firmsmightalsoexistifpurchasers"

preferredcommoditieswhichareproducedbyfirmstothosenotsoproduced;

buteveninsphereswhereonewouldexpectsuchpreferences（iftheyexist）tobeofnegligibleimportance,firmsaretobefoundintherealworld.Thereforetheremustbeotherelementsinvolved.

Themainreasonwhyitisprofitabletoestablishafirmwouldseemtobethatthereisacostofusingthepricemechanism.Themostobviouscostof"

organizing"

productionthroughthepricemechanismisthatofdiscoveringwhattherelevantpricesare.Thiscostmaybereducedbutitwillnotbeeliminatedbytheemergenceofspecialistswhowillsellthisinformation.Thecostsofnegotiatingandconcludingaseparatecontractforeachexchangetransactionwhichtakesplaceonamarketmustalsobetakenintoaccount.Again,incertainmarkets，e.g.，produceexch