This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Encourage Online Complaints: A Duopolistic Model With Consumers' Information Exchange

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Mingzhi Li (Tsinghua University)
Dale O. Stahl (University of Texas at Austin)
Andrew B. Whinston (University of Texas at Austin)
Abstract

The unprecedented easiness of exchanging information among consumers on the internet could add another dimension to the firms' competition against each other. In this paper, we introduce consumers' learning from each other about the degree of product differentiation into a Hotelling duopoly model, and investigate how the consumers' learning behaviors affect the market equilibria. We show that in equilibrium it could be optimal for the two firms to charge different prices and set up a "window of complaints" to reduce the consumers' uncertainty on product differentiation. Communication among consumers through word of mouth can help explain the existence of price dispersion in a duopolistic market. We also discuss some implications of the public good aspect of information about product differentiation

Download Info
To our knowledge, this item is not available for download. To find whether it is available, there are three options:
1. Check below under "Related research" whether another version of this item is available online.
2. Check on the provider's web page whether it is in fact available.
3. Perform a search for a similarly titled item that would be available.

Publisher Info
Paper provided by Society for Computational Economics in its series Computing in Economics and Finance 2000 with number 356.

Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML, plain text, BibTeX, RIS (EndNote), ReDIF
Length:
Date of creation: 05 Jul 2000
Date of revision:
Handle: RePEc:sce:scecf0:356

Contact details of provider:
Postal: CEF 2000, Departament d'Economia i Empresa, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Ramon Trias Fargas, 25,27, 08005, Barcelona, Spain
Fax: +34 93 542 17 46
Email:
Web page: http://enginy.upf.es/SCE/
More information through EDIRC

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Christopher F. Baum).

Related research
Keywords:

Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? RePEc stands for Research Papers in Economics.

This page was last updated on 2008-12-2.

This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.