Empirical Patterns of Firm Growth and R&D Investment: A QuUality LadderModel Interpretation

Tor Klette and Zvi Griliches

No 6753, NBER Working Papers from National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc

Abstract: We present a model of endogenous firm growth with R&D investment and stochastic innovation as the engines of growth. The model for firm growth is a partial equilibrium model drawing on the quality ladder models in the macro growth literature, but also on the literature on patent races and the discrete choice models of product differentiation. We examine to what extent the assumptions and the empirical content of our model are consistent with the findings that have emerged from the empirical studies of growth, productivity, R&D and patenting at the firm level. The analysis shows that the model fits well with empirical patterns such as (i) a skewed size distribution of firms with persistent differences in firm sizes, (ii) firm growth independent of firm size, as stated in the so-called Gibrat's law, and (iii) R&D investment proportional to sales, as well as a number of other empirical patterns.

JEL-codes: D43 O31 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1998-10
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-eec and nep-tid
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (6)

Published as Klette, Tor Jakob & Griliches, Zvi, 2000. "Empirical Patterns of Firm Growth and R&D Investment: A Quality Ladder Model Interpretation," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 110(463), pages 363-87, April.

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Related works:
Journal Article: Empirical Patterns of Firm Growth and R&D Investment: A Quality Ladder Model Interpretation (2000)
Working Paper: Empirical patterns of firm growth and R&D investment: a quality ladder model interpretation (1999)
Working Paper: Empirical Patterns of Firm Growth and R&D Investment: a Quality Ladder Model Interpretation (1998)
Working Paper: Empirical Patters of Firm Growth and R&D Investment: A Quality Ladder Model Interpretation (1997)
Working Paper: Empirical Patterns of Firm Growth and R&D Investment: A Quality Ladder Model Interpretation (1997)
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