Do firms respond to foreign competitive threats with herding or dispersion?

Jonathan Bitting

International Journal of Managerial Finance, 2025, vol. 21, issue 2, 639-663

Abstract: PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine firms' response to product market threats from foreign competitors, specifically whether they pursue a strategy of dispersion or herding with regards to their product space and executive-incentive plans.Design/methodology/approachThis study applies a two-stage least squares instrumental variable (IV) approach to address endogeneity concerns. The analyses apply to a sample of 9,719 firm-pairs from 21 manufacturing industries over the period from 2006 to 2015.FindingsFirms attempt to distance themselves from their fellow incumbent firms when facing greater foreign competition, specifically with regards to their product descriptions and the incentives they provide to CEOs. This effect becomes stronger when industry peers are more likely to serve as material threats themselves.Research limitations/implicationsThese results provide encouraging opportunities for future research about the long-run implications of dispersion in local industries. The survival rate tied to the observed strategies in this study, as well as general changes to industry structure are remaining questions of interest.Practical implicationsThe observed responses by incumbent firms in this study offer insights for policymakers on tariff-setting, as tariff adjustments may influence the local product space. Additionally, the related shifts in CEO incentives inform shareholders' contracting decisions.Originality/valueThis study reveals that incumbents’ responses to foreign competition reshape local industry product spaces. Furthermore, this study sheds light on a new link between firms’ product spaces and management incentives.

Keywords: Product market competition; Trade shocks; Rival reactions; Differentiation; Executive compensation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eme:ijmfpp:ijmf-02-2024-0106

DOI: 10.1108/IJMF-02-2024-0106

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