Skip to main content

Structure and Macroeconomic Performance: Heterogeneous Firms and Financial Fragility

  • Chapter
New Tools of Economic Dynamics

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems ((LNE,volume 551))

  • 1050 Accesses

Summary

In this paper we adopt a new macrodynamic tool, i.e. a system of non-linear difference equations describing the evolution over time of the first and second moments of the distribution of firms’ degrees of financial robustness captured by the ratio of the equity base to the capital stock - the equity ratio for short - which affects supply and capital accumulation decisions. For particular configurations of parameters the dynamic patterns of the average equity ratio and the variance generate irregular and asymmetric time series in which growth and fluctuations are jointly determined (fluctuating growth).

We also thank participants to seminars held at the meeting of the European Economic Association in Istanbul, LATAPSES at the University of Nice, CENDEF at the University of Amsterdam, University of Ancona and University of Bergamo for useful comments and criticisms. Special thanks to the referees for their insightful comments and criticisms. The usual disclaimer applies.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

eBook
USD 16.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 109.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Agliari, A., Delli Gatti, D., Gallegati, M. and Gardini, L. (2000), “Global Dynamics in a Non-linear Model of the Equity Ratio”, Journal of Chaos, Solitons and Fractals.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Altman, E.I. (1984), “A Further Empirical Investigation of the Bankruptcy Cost Question”, Journal of Finance, 39:1067–1089.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bernanke, B. and Gertler, M. (1989), “Agency Costs, Net Worth and Business Fluctuations”, American Economic Review, 79:14–31.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bernanke, B. and Gertler, M. (1990), “Financial Fragility and Economic Performance”, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 105:87–114.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bernanke, B., Gertler, M. and Gilchrist, S.G. (1998), “The Financial Accelerator and the flight to Quality”, Finance and Economics Discussion Papers, Federal Reserve Board, n. 94-18.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Bernanke, B., Gertler, M. and Gilchrist, S.G. (1999), “The Financial Accelerator in a Quantitative Business Cycle Approach”, in J. Taylor and M. Woodfors (eds), Handbook of Microeconomics, Amsterdam, Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Caballero, R. J. (1992), “A Fallacy of Composition”, American Economic Review, 82,5: 1279–92.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Caballero R., E. Engel and J. Haltinwanger (1997), “Aggregate Employment Dynamics: Building from Microeconomic Evidence”, American Economic Review, 87: 115–37.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Cochrane, J.H. (1994), “Shocks”, NBER working paper, n.4698.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Day, R. (1994), Complex Economic Dynamics, Cambridge (Mass.), MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Fazzari, S., Hubbard, G. and Petersen, B. (1988), “Financing Constraints and Corporate Investment”, Brookings Papers on Economic Activity, I: 141–206.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Fisher, J. (1996), “Credit Market Imperfections and the Heterogeneous Response of Firms to Monetary Shocks”, Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, working paper 96-23.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Gallegati, M. (1993), “Capital Accumulation, Growth and Cycles”, Banca Nazionale del Lavoro Quarterly Review.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Gertler M., and R.G. Hubbard (1988), “Financial Factors in Business Fluctuations”, Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, Financial Market Volatility.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Gilson, S.C. (1990), “Bankruptcy, Boards, Banks and Blockholder: Evidence on Changes in corporate Ownership and Control when Firms Default”, Journal of Financial Economics, 27:355–388.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Gordon, R.H., Malkiel, B.G. (1981), “Corporation Finance” in Aaron H.A. and Pechman J.A. (eds.), How Taxes Affect Economic Behaviour, Washington D.C., Brookings Institution.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Greenwald, B.C. and J.E. Stiglitz (1986) “Externalities in Economies with Imperfect Information and Incomplete Markets”, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 101:229–64.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Greenwald, B.C., Stiglitz, J.E. (1988), “Imperfect Information, Finance Constraints and Business Fluctuations”, in Kohn, M. and Tsiang, S.C. (eds.), Finance Constraints, Expectations and Macroeconomics, Oxford, Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Greenwald, B.C., Stiglitz, J.E. (1990), “Macroeconomic Models with Equity and Credit Rationing”, in Hubbard, R. G. (ed.), Financial Markets and Financial Crises, Chicago, Chicago University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Greenwald, B.C., Stiglitz, J.E. (1993), “Financial Market Imperfections and Business Cycles”, Quarterly Journal of Economics, 108:77–114.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Greenwald, B.C., Stiglitz, J.E., Weiss, A. (1984), “Informational Imperfections in the Capital Markets and Macroeconomic Fluctuations”, American Economic Review, 74:194–200.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Kaplan, S.N., and Reishus, D. (1990), “Outside Directorship and Corporate Performance”, Journal of Financial Economics, 27:389–410.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Kirman, A.P. (1992) “Whom or What Does the Representative Individual Represent?”, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 6:117–36.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Kiyotaki, N. and J. Moore (1997), “Credit Cycles”, Journal of Political Economy, 105: 211–48.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Lippi, M. and M. Forni (1996), Aggregation and Microundations of Macrodynamics, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Mankiw, N.G. and D. Romer (eds) (1991) New Keynesian Economics, 2 vols, Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Minsky, H.P. (1982), Can “It” Happen Again? Essays on Instability and Finance, Armonk N.Y., M.E. Sharpe.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Myers, S.C., Majluf, N.S. (1984), “Corporate Financing and Investment Decisions when Firms Have Information that Investors Do Not Have”, Journal of Financial Economics, 13:187–221.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Stanca L., D. Delli Gatti and M. Gallegati (1999), “Financial fragility, heterogeneous agents, and aggregate fluctuations: evidence from a panel of U.S. firms”, Applied Financial Economics.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Stiglitz, J.E. (1992), “Methodological Issues and the New Keynesian Economics”, in A. Vercelli and N. Dimitri (eds) Macroeconomics: A Survey of Research Strategies, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 38–86.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Stoker, T.M. (1993) “Empirical Approaches to the Problem of Aggregation over Individuals”, Journal of Economic Literature, 21: 1827–74.

    Google Scholar 

  32. White, M.J. (1989), “The Corporate Bankruptcy Decision”, Journal of Economic Perspectives, 3:129–151.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Zamowitz V. (1998), “Has the Business Cycle been Abolished?”, NBER working paper, n.6367.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Gatti, D.D., Gallegati, M. (2005). Structure and Macroeconomic Performance: Heterogeneous Firms and Financial Fragility. In: Leskow, J., Punzo, L.F., Anyul, M.P. (eds) New Tools of Economic Dynamics. Lecture Notes in Economics and Mathematical Systems, vol 551. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-28444-3_4

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics