WORK‐RELATED ACCIDENTS AND THE LEVEL OF MARKET COMPETITION: AN ANALYSIS OF WORKER INJURY RATES AT U.S. STEEL CORPORATION, 1907–1939 |
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| Authors: | CHRISTOPHER S DECKER DAVID T FLYNN |
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| Institution: | 1. Decker: Associate Professor, Department of Economics, College of Business Administration, University of Nebraska at Omaha, Omaha, NE 68182. Phone 1‐402‐554‐2828, Fax 1‐402‐554‐2828, E‐mail christopherdecker@mail.unomaha.edu;2. The authors wish to thank Mark E. Wohar, session participants at the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Academy of Economics and Finance, and two anonymous referees for their helpful comments and suggestions. The authors are responsible for all remaining errors.;3. Flynn: Clow Banking Fellow and Associate Professor, Department of Economics, College of Business & Public Administration, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND 58202. Phone 701‐777‐3356, Fax 701‐777‐3365, E‐mail david.flynn@mail.business.und.edu |
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| Abstract: | We investigate the relationship between accident rates and industry structure for the United States’ steel industry during the first four decades of the 20th century. We develop a dominant firm theoretical model linking accident rates to number of competitors, showing a positive correlation between accident avoidance and the number of fringe competitors. We then test this theory empirically and, when controlling for other influences, find that reductions in the dominant firm’s market share reduce worker injury rates substantially. (JEL L13, L61, N62, N82) |
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