DO SMALL FIRMS' PRICE-COST MARGINS FOLLOW THOSE OF LARGE FIRMS?
ABSTRACT
The paper investigates the extent to which small firms' price-cost margins follow those of large firms. A two-equation model is used with data for 36 Dutch three-digit manufacturing industries over the period 1975–86. The effects of market structure characteristics are also examined. The main result is that small firms (10-50 employees) appear to have the freedom to set prices above cost independently of larger firms in the same industry.