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The theory of the firm and the markets for strategic acquisitions

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Entrepreneurships, the New Economy and Public Policy

Abstract

Five problems are addressed: (1) the role of competent actors in the venture capital and exit markets supporting the industrialization of winning technologies in small innovative firms, (2) the competence of the large firm to integrate large-scale operational efficiency with small-scale innovative capability through distributed development work and integrated production and (3) the importance of viable markets for strategic acquisitions, both in making this possible and in allowing a flexible choice for the small firm between growing aggressively on its own through own acquisitions, or being acquired strategically itself. We (4) find that the less developed markets in continental Europe may be a disadvantage compared to the US in ushering in a future New Economy. We finally (5) discuss what becomes of the Coasian theory of the firm when production is constantly outsourced in, or insourced from the market as the relative efficiency of coordination through management and over the market changes. One logical consequence is that the costs of business mistakes will have to be included in transaction costs.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Royal Institute of Technology (KTH), 100, S-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden

    Gunnar Eliasson

  2. VitiGen AG, Siebeldingen, Germany

    Åsa Eliasson

Authors
  1. Gunnar Eliasson
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  2. Åsa Eliasson
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Chair for Microeconomics, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, Carl-Zeiss-Str. 3, 07743, Jena, Germany

    Uwe Cantner

  2. Department of Economics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA

    Elias Dinopoulos

  3. Graduate School of Business, University of Florida, 201 Bryan Hall, Gainesville, FL, 32611-7150, USA

    Robert F. Lanzillotti

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© 2005 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Eliasson, G., Eliasson, Å. (2005). The theory of the firm and the markets for strategic acquisitions. In: Cantner, U., Dinopoulos, E., Lanzillotti, R.F. (eds) Entrepreneurships, the New Economy and Public Policy. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-26994-0_7

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