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A Dynamic Oligopoly with Collusion and Price Wars

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Author Info
Chaim Fershtman
Ariel Pakes

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Abstract

We provide a collusive framework with heterogeneity among firms, investment, entry, and exit. It is a symmetric-information model in which it is hard to sustain collusion when there is an active firm that is likely to exit in the near future. Numerical analysis is used to compare a collusive to a noncollusive environment. Only the collusive industry generates price wars. Also, the collusive industry offers both more and higher-quality products to consumers, albeit often at a higher price. The positive effect of collusion on variety and quality more than compensates for the negative effect of collusive prices, so that consumer surplus is larger with collusion.

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Publisher Info
Article provided by The RAND Corporation in its journal RAND Journal of Economics.

Volume (Year): 31 (2000)
Issue (Month): 2 (Summer)
Pages: 207-236
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Handle: RePEc:rje:randje:v:31:y:2000:i:summer:p:207-236

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
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    Other versions:
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  8. John Haltiwanger & Joseph E. Harrington Jr., 1991. "The Impact of Cyclical Demand Movements on Collusive Behavior," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 22(1), pages 89-106, Spring. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Luís Cabral, 2005. "Collusion Theory: Where to Go Next?," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 5(3), pages 199-206, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. David S. Evans & Michael Salinger, 2004. "An Empirical Analysis of Bundling and Tying: Over-the-Counter Pain Relief and Cold Medicines," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
  3. Gabriel Weintraub & C. Lanier Benkard & Ben Van Roy, 2005. "Markov Perfect Industry Dynamics with Many Firms," NBER Working Papers 11900, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Tom Björkroth, 2002. "Market Structure and Welfare in the Finnish Market for Long-Distance Telecommunications," Finnish Economic Papers, Finnish Economic Association, vol. 15(2), pages 87-101, Autumn. [Downloadable!]
  5. Ulrich Doraszelski & Sarit Markovich, 2004. "Advertising Dynamics and Competitive Advantage," Computing in Economics and Finance 2004 61, Society for Computational Economics. [Downloadable!]
  6. Weintraub, Gabriel Y. & Benkard, C. Lanier & Van Roy, Benjamin, 2007. "Computational Methods for Oblivious Equilibrium," Research Papers 1969, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business. [Downloadable!]
  7. Ulrich Doraszelski & Kenneth L. Judd, 2005. "Avoiding the Curse of Dimensionality in Dynamic Stochastic Games," NBER Technical Working Papers 0304, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. George Symeonidis, 2001. "Price Competition, Innovation and Profitability: Theory and UK Evidence," Economics Discussion Papers 530, University of Essex, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. Ulrich Doraszelski & Mark Satterthwaite, 2007. "Computable Markov-Perfect Industry Dynamics: Existence, Purification, and Multiplicity," Levine's Bibliography 321307000000000912, UCLA Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  10. Susan Athey & Kyle Bagwell, 2007. "Collusion with Persistent Cost Shocks," Levine's Bibliography 321307000000000898, UCLA Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  11. Doraszelski, Ulrich & Satterthwaite, Mark, 2007. "Computable Markov-Perfect Industry Dynamics: Existence, Purification, and Multiplicity," CEPR Discussion Papers 6212, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Weintraub, Gabriel Y. & Benkard, C. Lanier & Van Roy, Benjamin, 2007. "Markov Perfect Industry Dynamics with Many Firms," Research Papers 1919r, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business. [Downloadable!]
  13. Christian Bayer, 2004. "The Other Side of Limited Liability: Predatory Behavior and Investment Timing," Industrial Organization 0407001, EconWPA. [Downloadable!]
  14. Lewis Evans and Patrick Hughes, 2003. "Competition Policy in Small Distant Open Economies: Some Lessons from the Economics Literature," Treasury Working Paper Series 03/31, New Zealand Treasury. [Downloadable!]
  15. David S. Evans & Michael Salinger, 2005. "Curing Sinus Headaches and Tying Law: An Empirical Analysis of Bundling Decongestants and Pain Relievers," CESifo Working Paper Series CESifo Working Paper No. , CESifo Group Munich. [Downloadable!]
  16. Rey, Patrick, 2002. "Towards a Theory of Competition Policy," IDEI Working Papers 121, Institut d'Économie Industrielle (IDEI), Toulouse. [Downloadable!]
  17. Markku Stenborg, 2004. "Forest for the Trees: Economics of Joint Dominance," European Journal of Law and Economics, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 365-385, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. George Symeonidis, 2007. "Downstream Competition, Bargaining and Welfare," Economics Discussion Papers 625, University of Essex, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  19. Gabriel Y. Weintraub & C. Lanier Benkard & Benjamin Van Roy, 2005. "Markov perfect industry dynamics with many firms," Working Paper Series 2005-23, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. [Downloadable!]
  20. Markku Stenborg, 2002. "Economics of Joint Dominance," Discussion Papers 834, The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy. [Downloadable!]
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