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Acemoglu, D., Anderson, G., Beede, D., Buffington, C., Childress, E., Dinlersoz, E. et al. (2022). Automation and the Workforce: A Firm-Level View from the 2019 Annual Business Survey. SSRN Electronic Journal, 47 p.
https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4282509

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: Automation and Cost Structures in SMEs: Are Small Firms Disadvantaged vs. Multinationals?

  AUTHORS: Suman Banerjee, Aayush Dhar, Kush Dave, Ayushmaan Mukherjee

  KEYWORDS: Finance, Automation, MNCs, SMEs, Artificial Intelligence, RBV, Economies of Scale, Technology

  JOURNAL NAME: Open Journal of Business and Management, Vol.14 No.2, March 10, 2026

  ABSTRACT: This paper examines how automation reshapes the cost structures of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) compared to multinational corporations (MNCs). Using the dual lenses of economies of scale and the resource-based view, the study analyzes financial, human capital, and informational constraints that disadvantage SMEs in adopting capital-intensive technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and enterprise platforms. Comparative case studies from Germany, Japan, India, Sub-Saharan Africa, the United States, and the European Union highlight persistent adoption gaps shaped by institutional context. Findings suggest that while automation-as-a-service and supply-chain integration offer partial relief, structural disadvantages risk widening productivity inequalities worldwide.