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Strategic Vertical Integration Without Foreclosure

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  • E. AVENEL

Abstract

We determine the endogenous degree of vertical integration in a model of successive oligopoly that captures both efficiency gains and strategic effects. Foreclosure effects are purposely left aside. The profitability of integration originates in the greater ability of integrated firms to adopt a specific type of technologies. We show that vertical merger waves can stop by themselves before integration is complete because of strategic substitutability in vertical integration. This is in contrast to the strategic complementarity result in McLaren [2000] that leads to either complete integration or complete separation.

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  • E. Avenel, 2008. "Strategic Vertical Integration Without Foreclosure," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 56(2), pages 247-262, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jindec:v:56:y:2008:i:2:p:247-262
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6451.2008.00340.x
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    Cited by:

    1. Gärtner, Dennis L. & Halbheer, Daniel, 2009. "Are there waves in merger activity after all?," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 708-718, November.
    2. Emanuele Bacchiega & Olivier Bonroy, 2015. "On the benefits of contractual inefficiency in quality-differentiated markets," Oxford Economic Papers, Oxford University Press, vol. 67(3), pages 846-863.
    3. Éric Avenel & Stéphane Caprice, 2018. "Collusion et possibilité d’entrée en aval dans une industrie verticalement intégrée," Revue économique, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 69(1), pages 5-28.
    4. E. Bacchiega & O. Bonroy, 2012. "Vertical relations and number of channels in quality-differentiated markets," Working Papers wp823, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
    5. Assaf, A. George & Barros, Carlos & Sellers-Rubio, Ricardo, 2011. "Efficiency determinants in retail stores: a Bayesian framework," Omega, Elsevier, vol. 39(3), pages 283-292, June.
    6. Éric Avenel & Stéphane Caprice, 2012. "Collusion and downstream entry in a vertically integrated industry," Economics Working Paper Archive (University of Rennes & University of Caen) 201208, Center for Research in Economics and Management (CREM), University of Rennes, University of Caen and CNRS.
    7. Eric AVENEL, 2024. "Convolutional Neural Networks to signal currency crises: from the Asian financial crisis to the Covid crisis," Economics Working Paper Archive (University of Rennes & University of Caen) 2024-02, Center for Research in Economics and Management (CREM), University of Rennes, University of Caen and CNRS.
    8. Spindler, Christian & Woll, Oliver & Schober, Dominik, 2018. "Sharing is not caring: Backward integration of consumers," ZEW Discussion Papers 18-006, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure
    • L40 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - General

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