IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/reveco/v89y2024ipap594-604.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Optimal nonlinear pricing by a monopoly with smooth ambiguity preferences

Author

Listed:
  • Wong, Kit Pong

Abstract

This paper examines the optimal nonlinear pricing by a monopolist who has smooth ambiguity preferences and sells a single good to two types of buyers with high and low valuation. Ambiguity arises from the monopolist’s uncertainty about which of the subjective beliefs govern the unobserved types of buyers. We show that the prevalence of ambiguity aversion distorts the rent extraction-efficiency tradeoff under asymmetric information in the standard model. Specifically, the ambiguity-averse monopolist acts in a pessimistic manner with the perception that buyers are less likely to have high valuation than the objective beliefs. Compared with the standard model, low valuation buyers consume a less downward distorted quantity and high valuation buyers enjoy a greater information rent. The unit prices paid by all buyers are reduced and the ambiguity-averse monopolist earns a smaller expected profit.

Suggested Citation

  • Wong, Kit Pong, 2024. "Optimal nonlinear pricing by a monopoly with smooth ambiguity preferences," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 89(PA), pages 594-604.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:89:y:2024:i:pa:p:594-604
    DOI: 10.1016/j.iref.2023.07.091
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1059056023002861
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.iref.2023.07.091?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Kit Pong Wong, 2012. "Optimal Two‐part Pricing under Cost Uncertainty," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 33, pages 39-46, January.
    2. Lars A. Stole, 1995. "Nonlinear Pricing and Oligopoly," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 4(4), pages 529-562, December.
    3. Jong-Hee Hahn & Jinwoo Kim & Sang-Hyun Kim & Jihong Lee, 2018. "Price Discrimination with Loss Averse and Horizontally Differentiated Consumers," Korean Economic Review, Korean Economic Association, vol. 34, pages 117-129.
    4. Jong-Hee Hahn & Jinwoo Kim & Sang-Hyun Kim & Jihong Lee, 2018. "Price discrimination with loss averse consumers," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 65(3), pages 681-728, May.
    5. Armstrong, Mark & Vickers, John, 2001. "Competitive Price Discrimination," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 32(4), pages 579-605, Winter.
    6. Rakesh K. Sarin & Martin Weber, 1993. "Effects of Ambiguity in Market Experiments," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 39(5), pages 602-615, May.
    7. Treich, Nicolas, 2010. "The value of a statistical life under ambiguity aversion," Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Elsevier, vol. 59(1), pages 15-26, January.
    8. Christian Gollier, 2011. "Portfolio Choices and Asset Prices: The Comparative Statics of Ambiguity Aversion," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 78(4), pages 1329-1344.
    9. Chow, Clare Chua & Sarin, Rakesh K, 2001. "Comparative Ignorance and the Ellsberg Paradox," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 22(2), pages 129-139, March.
    10. Harrell Chesson & W. Viscusi, 2003. "Commonalities in Time and Ambiguity Aversion for Long-Term Risks ," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 54(1), pages 57-71, February.
    11. Mussa, Michael & Rosen, Sherwin, 1978. "Monopoly and product quality," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 301-317, August.
    12. Gilboa, Itzhak & Schmeidler, David, 1989. "Maxmin expected utility with non-unique prior," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 18(2), pages 141-153, April.
    13. Arthur Snow, 2011. "Ambiguity aversion and the propensities for self-insurance and self-protection," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 27-43, February.
    14. Daniel Ellsberg, 1961. "Risk, Ambiguity, and the Savage Axioms," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 75(4), pages 643-669.
    15. Armstrong, Mark, 1996. "Multiproduct Nonlinear Pricing," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 64(1), pages 51-75, January.
    16. Peter Klibanoff & Massimo Marinacci & Sujoy Mukerji, 2005. "A Smooth Model of Decision Making under Ambiguity," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 73(6), pages 1849-1892, November.
    17. Wong, Kit Pong, 2016. "Ambiguity and the multinational firm," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 404-414.
    18. Jean-Charles Rochet & Philippe Chone, 1998. "Ironing, Sweeping, and Multidimensional Screening," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 66(4), pages 783-826, July.
    19. Destan, Cavit Görkem & Yılmaz, Murat, 2020. "Nonlinear pricing under inequity aversion," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 223-244.
    20. Eric Maskin & John Riley, 1984. "Monopoly with Incomplete Information," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 15(2), pages 171-196, Summer.
    21. Jianli Wang & Jingyuan Li, 2020. "Comparative Ambiguity Aversion in Intertemporal Decisions," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 87(1), pages 195-212, March.
    22. Einhorn, Hillel J & Hogarth, Robin M, 1986. "Decision Making under Ambiguity," The Journal of Business, University of Chicago Press, vol. 59(4), pages 225-250, October.
    23. Kit Pong Wong, 2020. "Optimal nonlinear pricing by a regret‐averse monopoly," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(7), pages 1156-1161, October.
    24. Oren, Shmuel S. & Smith, Stephen A. & Wilson, Robert B., 1983. "Competitive nonlinear tariffs," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 49-71, February.
    25. Yusuke Osaki & Kit Pong Wong & Long Yi, 2017. "Hedging And The Competitive Firm Under Ambiguous Price And Background Risk," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 69(4), pages 1-11, October.
    26. Hongxia Wang & Jianli Wang & Xinping Xia, 2019. "Risk aversion, ambiguity aversion and the incentive problem with interim participation constraints," International Journal of Economic Theory, The International Society for Economic Theory, vol. 15(4), pages 327-340, December.
    27. Takao Asano & Yusuke Osaki, 2020. "Portfolio allocation problems between risky and ambiguous assets," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 284(1), pages 63-79, January.
    28. David Alary & Christian Gollier & Nicolas Treich, 2013. "The Effect of Ambiguity Aversion on Insurance and Self‐protection," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 123(12), pages 1188-1202, December.
    29. Zheng, Mingli & Wang, Chong & Li, Chaozheng, 2015. "Optimal nonlinear pricing by a monopolist with information ambiguity," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 60-66.
    30. W. Viscusi & Harrell Chesson, 1999. "Hopes and Fears: the Conflicting Effects of Risk Ambiguity," Theory and Decision, Springer, vol. 47(2), pages 157-184, October.
    31. Yi‐Chieh Huang & Larry Y. Tzeng, 2018. "A Mean‐Preserving Increase in Ambiguity and Portfolio Choices," Journal of Risk & Insurance, The American Risk and Insurance Association, vol. 85(4), pages 993-1012, December.
    32. Kit Pong Wong, 2017. "Cross‐Hedging Ambiguous Exchange Rate Risk," Journal of Futures Markets, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 37(2), pages 132-147, February.
    33. Kit Pong Wong, 2015. "A Smooth Ambiguity Model Of The Competitive Firm," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(S1), pages 97-110, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Kit Pong Wong, 2015. "A Smooth Ambiguity Model Of The Competitive Firm," Bulletin of Economic Research, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 67(S1), pages 97-110, December.
    2. Wong, Kit Pong, 2016. "Ambiguity and the multinational firm," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 43(C), pages 404-414.
    3. Broll, Udo & Welzel, Peter & Wong, Kit Pong, 2016. "The banking firm under ambiguity aversion," CEPIE Working Papers 01/16, Technische Universität Dresden, Center of Public and International Economics (CEPIE).
    4. Peter, Richard & Ying, Jie, 2020. "Do you trust your insurer? Ambiguity about contract nonperformance and optimal insurance demand," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 180(C), pages 938-954.
    5. Broll, Udo & Wong, Kit Pong, 2014. "Ambiguity and the incentive to export," Dresden Discussion Paper Series in Economics 01/14, Technische Universität Dresden, Faculty of Business and Economics, Department of Economics.
    6. Broll, Udo & Wong, Kit Pong, 2015. "The incentive to trade under ambiguity aversion," The Journal of Economic Asymmetries, Elsevier, vol. 12(2), pages 190-196.
    7. Kit Pong Wong, 2020. "Optimal nonlinear pricing by a regret‐averse monopoly," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 41(7), pages 1156-1161, October.
    8. Biener, Christian & Landmann, Andreas & Santana, Maria Isabel, 2019. "Contract nonperformance risk and uncertainty in insurance markets," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 175(C), pages 65-83.
    9. Michael Hoy & Richard Peter & Andreas Richter, 2014. "Take-up for genetic tests and ambiguity," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 48(2), pages 111-133, April.
    10. Huang, Rachel J., 2012. "Ambiguity aversion, higher-order risk attitude and optimal effort," Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 338-345.
    11. Udo Broll & Peter Welzel & Kit Pong Wong, 2018. "Ambiguity preferences, risk taking and the banking firm," Eurasian Economic Review, Springer;Eurasia Business and Economics Society, vol. 8(3), pages 343-353, December.
    12. Yao Luo & Isabelle Perrigne & Quang Vuong, 2018. "Structural Analysis of Nonlinear Pricing," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 126(6), pages 2523-2568.
    13. Loïc Berger, 2014. "The Impact of Ambiguity Prudence on Insurance and Prevention," Working Papers ECARES ECARES 2014-08, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    14. Diego C. Nocetti, 2018. "Ambiguity and the value of information revisited," The Geneva Risk and Insurance Review, Palgrave Macmillan;International Association for the Study of Insurance Economics (The Geneva Association), vol. 43(1), pages 25-38, May.
    15. Arthur Snow, 2011. "Ambiguity aversion and the propensities for self-insurance and self-protection," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 42(1), pages 27-43, February.
    16. Kocher, Martin G. & Lahno, Amrei Marie & Trautmann, Stefan T., 2018. "Ambiguity aversion is not universal," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 101(C), pages 268-283.
    17. Arthur Snow, 2010. "Ambiguity and the value of information," Journal of Risk and Uncertainty, Springer, vol. 40(2), pages 133-145, April.
    18. Christophe Courbage & Beatrice Rey, 2016. "On ambiguity apportionment," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 118(3), pages 265-275, July.
    19. Victor Filipe Martins da Rocha & Rafael Mouallem, 2020. "Second-Order Beliefs and Second-Order Expected Utility," Working Papers hal-02922263, HAL.
    20. Simon Quemin, 2016. "Intertemporal abatement decisions under ambiguity aversion in a cap and trade," Working Papers 1604, Chaire Economie du climat.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Monopoly; Nonlinear pricing; Smooth ambiguity preferences;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D81 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design
    • L12 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Monopoly; Monopolization Strategies

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:reveco:v:89:y:2024:i:pa:p:594-604. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/inca/620165 .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.