Background
Backward integration is a form of vertical integration that involves taking ownership and control over previous stages of production or supply. It is implemented by companies aiming to enhance their supply chain efficiencies and assert better control over their resources which were initially procured from external suppliers.
Historical Context
The concept of backward integration has historical roots in the development and expansion strategies of industrial companies. It gained prominence during the early 20th century when companies such as car manufacturers and steel producers sought to control their raw material supplies for cost management and reliability. Firms like Ford and U.S. Steel are notable historical examples.
Definitions and Concepts
Backward integration refers to a company’s strategic decision to internalize and manage the production of its inputs which were previously bought from external suppliers. Activities in backward integration could range from manufacturing components, mining raw materials, producing power supplies, to agricultural undertakings to meet in-house needs. The reasons for pursuing backward integration may include:
- *Improving the quality and reliability of inputs.
- Increasing efficiency and reducing costs.
- Gain greater control over supply chains.
- Enhancing a firm’s monopoly power by restricting input access to rivals.
Major Analytical Frameworks
Classical Economics
Classical economics delves into backward integration from the perspective of division of labor and market specialization. Traditional industries often drew clear lines between different business sectors to take advantage of comparative advantage in producing distinct goods and services.
Neoclassical Economics
Neoclassical economists would analyze backward integration vis-à-vis supply chain optimization, aiming at cost minimization and profit maximization through internal control over input generation versus the market costs of procurement.
Keynesian Economics
Backward integration does not squarely fall into the frameworks of Keynesian economics, which centers more on aggregate demand, government spending, and macroeconomic policies than on firm-level strategic decisions.
Marxian Economics
Marxian economic frameworks might consider backward integration as an attempt by capitalist firms to secure more control over the means of production, thereby enhancing proletarian exploitation by minimizing labor’s strength through tighter control over the production process.
Institutional Economics
Backward integration is assessed with respect to institutional contexts, focusing on regulatory frameworks, contracts, and the institutional arrangements governing business relations, which may support or hinder company decisions in integrating backward.
Behavioral Economics
Behavioral economists might examine backward integration by looking at managerial motives, risk aversion, socio-psychological impacts of dependency on external suppliers, and imagine how overcoming such factors can influence strategic business moves.
Post-Keynesian Economics
Within Post-Keynesian views, backward integration could be analyzed in terms of its effects on market imperfection, operational surpluses, and practices that may stabilize the business cycle by internal creation of value.
Austrian Economics
Austrian economists could perceive backward integration through the lenses of entrepreneurial decision-making, capital investments, and innovation processes, valued for the increased efficiencies gained through curtailing external uncertainties.
Development Economics
Backward integration may have significant relevance in development economics, particularly in resource-rich developing countries where it includes strategies to retain more value locally rather than exporting raw materials.
Monetarism
Monetarists provide less direct insight into backward integration specifics, but they would weigh in on its financial and operational impacts concerning overall monetary stability and firm-level resource allocation.
Comparative Analysis
Backward integration contrasts with forward integration, where a company moves downstream by controlling the final stages of production or the marketplace. While backward integration secures resource-related efficiencies and self-sufficiency, forward integration aims at market capture and optimizing consumer reach.
Case Studies
Ford Motor Company
Ford established its own steel plants, rubber plantations, and glass-making facilities to minimize the dependency on external suppliers.
ExxonMobil
The company integrates backwards by owning oil fields and crude refineries, directly supporting its downstream operations in gasoline and lubricants distribution.
Suggested Books for Further Studies
- “The Theory of Vertical Integration” by Oliver E. Williamson
- “Modern Industrial Organization” by Dennis W. Carlton and Jeffrey M. Perloff
- “Economics of Strategy” by David Besanko, David Dranove, Scott Schaefer, and Mark Shanley
Related Terms with Definitions
- Vertical Integration: The combination of two or more stages of production normally operated by separate companies.
- Horizontal Integration: The acquisition of a business operating at the same level of the value chain in similar or different industries.
- Resource Allocation: Distribution of available resources among various uses according to economic goals and policy decisions.
- Economies of Scale: Cost advantages reaped by companies when production becomes efficient, costs decline, and output increases.
- Supply Chain Management: Managing the flow of goods and services, including all processes transforming raw materials into final products.
