Since the seminal contribution of Jackson & Wolinsky 1996 [A Strategic Model of Social and Economic Networks, JET 71, 44-74] it has been widely acknowledged that the formation of social networks exhibits a general conflict between individual strategic behavior and collective outcome. What has not been studied systematically are the sources of inefficiency. We approach this gap by analyzing the role of positive and negative externalities of link formation. We find general results that relate situations of positive externalities with stable networks that cannot be "too dense" in a well-defined sense, while situations with negative externalities, tend to induce "too dense" networks.
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Paper provided by Bielefeld University, Institute of Mathematical Economics in its series Working Papers with number
400.
Find related papers by JEL classification: D85 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Network Formation C72 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Noncooperative Games L14 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Transactional Relationships; Contracts and Reputation
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Paul Belleflamme & Francis Bloch, 2004.
"Market sharing agreements and collusive networks,"
International Economic Review,
Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 45(2), pages 387-411, 05.
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Jackson, Matthew O. & van den Nouweland, Anne, 2002.
"Strongly Stable Networks,"
Working Papers
1147, California Institute of Technology, Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences.
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