Firm hierarchy and the market for knowledge

This paper investigates the role of the market for knowledge in shaping firm hierarchy—that is, the span of control and the number of layers. We predict that, the larger the extent of the market for knowledge, the larger the span of control and the fewer the layers. We test our predictions using a rich database representing industrial firms in Italy during 2005-2018. Our identification strategy is based on existing cross-regional and cross-industry heterogeneity within the extent of the market for business services’ providers and instrumental variables. Results confirm that firms are flatter as the regional market for knowledge expands