科斯企业的性质英文版.docx

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

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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