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Price Competition and Product Differentiation when Goods have Network Effects

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  • Klaus Conrad

Abstract

. The objective of our approach is to develop a model that captures horizontal product differentiation under environmental awareness with price competition whereby environmentally friendly products are costlier to produce. As an example, we refer to automobile producers offering cars with a gasoline‐powered engine and one with a natural gas‐powered engine. The network of petrol stations provides the complementary good. We use a two‐stage game in prices and characteristics to analyse the market structure. In order to find out whether a private decision on the type of engine coincides with a socially optimal product differentiation, we determine the position of the two types of engine by a welfare‐maximizing authority.

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  • Klaus Conrad, 2006. "Price Competition and Product Differentiation when Goods have Network Effects," German Economic Review, Verein für Socialpolitik, vol. 7(3), pages 339-361, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:germec:v:7:y:2006:i:3:p:339-361
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0475.2006.00159.x
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    3. Slivko, Olga, 2012. "Direct and indirect subsidies in markets with system goods in the presence of externalities. Preliminary version," Working Papers 2072/211631, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department of Economics.
    4. Fakher Jaoua & Hussein M. Almurad & Ibrahim A. Elshaer & Elsayed S. Mohamed, 2022. "E-Learning Success Model in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic in Higher Educational Institutions," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-19, March.
    5. Greaker, Mads & Midttømme, Kristoffer, 2016. "Network effects and environmental externalities: Do clean technologies suffer from excess inertia?," Journal of Public Economics, Elsevier, vol. 143(C), pages 27-38.
    6. Dietrich, Antje-Mareike, 2017. "Platform intermediation to sponsor alternative fuel vehicles," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(C), pages 90-99.
    7. Greaker Mads & Heggedal Tom-Reiel, 2010. "Lock-In and the Transition to Hydrogen Cars: Should Governments Intervene?," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 10(1), pages 1-30, May.
    8. Gøril L. Andreassen & Knut Einar Rosendahl, 2020. "The Tradeoff between Indirect Network Effects and Product Differentiation in a Decarbonized Transport Market," CESifo Working Paper Series 8298, CESifo.
    9. Conrad Klaus, 2009. "Engines Powered by Renewable Energy, the Network of Filling Stations and Compatibility Decisions," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 229(4), pages 362-381, August.
    10. Dominic Hauck & Erik Ansink & Jetske Bouma & Daan van Soest, 2014. "Social Network Effects and Green Consumerism," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 14-150/VIII, Tinbergen Institute.
    11. Charu Grover & Sangeeta Bansal, 2021. "Effect of green network and emission tax on consumer choice under discrete continuous framework," Environmental Economics and Policy Studies, Springer;Society for Environmental Economics and Policy Studies - SEEPS, vol. 23(4), pages 641-666, October.
    12. Wang, Wei & Lyu, Gaoyan, 2020. "Sequential product positioning on a platform in the presence of network effects," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    13. Dietrich, Antje-Mareike, 2016. "Governmental platform intermediation to promote alternative fuel vehicles," Economics Department Working Paper Series 16, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Economics Department.
    14. Andreassen, Gøril L. & Rosendahl, Knut Einar, 2022. "One or two non-fossil technologies in the decarbonized transport sector?," Resource and Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).

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