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Optimal diversity: increasing returns versus recombinant innovation
[journal article]
Abstract Choices regarding diversity play an important role in economics and innovation management, but often remain implicit. Once made explicit, the objectives of efficiency and diversity are usually posed as in conflict, as efficiency relates positively and diversity negatively to various increasing retur... view more
Choices regarding diversity play an important role in economics and innovation management, but often remain implicit. Once made explicit, the objectives of efficiency and diversity are usually posed as in conflict, as efficiency relates positively and diversity negatively to various increasing returns to scale in markets. Such a perspective, however, neglects the benefits of diversity in terms of realizing system improvements through recombinant innovation or spillovers. The latter implies a contribution of diversity to long-term efficiency. Dominant economic approaches that address diversity, such as option value and real options theories, regard benefits of diversity as exogenous. This paper proposes a simple model of variable, endogenous diversity to analyse the optimal balance between increasing returns to scale and recombinant innovation. It is discussed under which conditions one of four solutions is optimal: complete specialization regardless of which option, complete specialization in one specific option, symmetric diversity (perfect balance), and asymmetric diversity. The results give rise to a number of policy insights.... view less
Keywords
evolution
Classification
Basic Research, General Concepts and History of Economics
Political Economy
Free Keywords
Balance; Disparity; Distribution; Economies of scale; Efficiency; Exploration versus exploitation; Investment theory; Learning; R&D; B52; O31; Q28; Q42
Document language
English
Publication Year
2008
Page/Pages
p. 565-580
Journal
Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 68 (2008) 3-4
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2008.09.003
Status
Postprint; peer reviewed
Licence
PEER Licence Agreement (applicable only to documents from PEER project)