The Division of Labor is Limited by the Extent of the Market
@article{Stigler1951TheDO, title={The Division of Labor is Limited by the Extent of the Market}, author={George Joseph Stigler}, journal={Journal of Political Economy}, year={1951}, volume={59}, pages={185 - 193} }
ECONOMISTS have long labored with the rate of operation of firm and industry, but they have generally treated as a (technological?) datum the problem of what the firm does-what governs its range of activities or functions. It is the central thesis of this paper that the theorem of Adam Smith which has been appropriated as a title is the core of a theory of the functions of firm and industry, and a good deal more besides. I shall (i) make some brief historical remarks on the theorem, (2) sketch…
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