Abstract

GARCIA GARNICA, Alejandro  and  TABOADA IBARRA, Eunice Leticia. Teoría de la empresa: las propuestas de Coase, Alchian y Demsetz, Williamson, Penrose y Nooteboom. Econ: teor. práct [online]. 2012, n.36, pp.9-42. ISSN 2448-7481.

There are many questions about the firm that are not yet answered theoretically. For example: Why does the firm exist? How does the firm coordinate? How does the firm develop? What are the limits of its size and rate of growth? and What is the firm's frontier? Authors have offered different answers with different emphasis. The paper's objective is to show and to compare five theoretical proposals that have been significant to explain what the firm is, its importance, its characteristics and its limits. The first three proposals (Ronald Coase, Armen Alchian and Harold Demsetz, and Oliver Williamson's ideas) are linked to the contractual focus; the others (Edith Penrose y Bart Nooteboom's ideas) are associated to the capabilities focus. This short exposition and contrast between ideas and perspectives seek to highlight the firm's complexity and the relevancy of analyzing the firm from different points of view.

Keywords : firm; contractual perspective; capacities perspective.