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Seller's dilemma due to social interactions between customers

Author

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  • Gordon, Mirta B.
  • Nadal, Jean-Pierre
  • Phan, Denis
  • Vannimenus, Jean

Abstract

In this paper, we consider a discrete choice model where heterogeneous agents are subject to mutual influences. We explore some consequences on the market's behaviour, in the simplest case of a uniform willingness to pay distribution. We exhibit a first-order phase transition in the profit optimization by the monopolist: if the social influence is strong enough, there is a regime where, if the mean willingness to pay increases, or if the production costs decrease, the optimal solution for the monopolist jumps from a solution with a high price and a small number of buyers, to a solution with a low price and a large number of buyers. Depending on the path of prices adjustments by the monopolist, simulations show hysteretic effects on the fraction of buyers.

Suggested Citation

  • Gordon, Mirta B. & Nadal, Jean-Pierre & Phan, Denis & Vannimenus, Jean, 2005. "Seller's dilemma due to social interactions between customers," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 356(2), pages 628-640.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:phsmap:v:356:y:2005:i:2:p:628-640
    DOI: 10.1016/j.physa.2005.03.003
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    1. Jean-Pierre Nadal & Denis Phan & Mirta Gordon & Jean Vannimenus, 2005. "Multiple equilibria in a monopoly market with heterogeneous agents and externalities," Quantitative Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(6), pages 557-568.
    2. Denis Phan & Stephane Pajot & Jean-Pierre Nadal, 2003. "The Monopolist's Market with Discrete Choices and Network Externality Revisited: Small-Worlds, Phase Transition and Avalanches in an ACE Framework," Computing in Economics and Finance 2003 150, Society for Computational Economics.
    3. Alan Kirman, 1997. "The economy as an evolving network," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 7(4), pages 339-353.
    4. Bulow, Jeremy I & Geanakoplos, John D & Klemperer, Paul D, 1985. "Multimarket Oligopoly: Strategic Substitutes and Complements," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 93(3), pages 488-511, June.
    5. Weisbuch, Gérard & Stauffer, Dietrich, 2003. "Adjustment and social choice," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 323(C), pages 651-662.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Vladimir Belitsky & Antonio L. Pereira & Fernando P. de Almeida Prado, 2009. "Stability analysis with applications of a two-dimensional dynamical system arising from a stochastic model of an asset market," Papers 0909.4815, arXiv.org.
    2. Denis Phan, 2006. "Discrete Choices under Social Influence:Generic Properties," Post-Print halshs-00105857, HAL.
    3. Mirta B. Gordon & Jean-Pierre Nadal & Denis Phan & Viktoriya Semeshenko, 2012. "Entanglement between Demand and Supply in Markets with Bandwagon Goods," Papers 1209.1321, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2012.
    4. Gérard Weisbuch & Vincent Buskens & Luat Vuong, 2008. "Heterogeneity and increasing returns may drive socio-economic transitions," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 14(4), pages 376-390, December.
    5. Gunter M. Schutz & Fernando Pigeard de Almeida Prado & Rosemary J. Harris & Vladimir Belitsky, 2007. "Short-time behaviour of demand and price viewed through an exactly solvable model for heterogeneous interacting market agents," Papers 0801.0003, arXiv.org, revised Jun 2009.
    6. Christian Borghesi & Jean-Philippe Bouchaud, 2007. "Of songs and men: a model for multiple choice with herding," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 41(4), pages 557-568, August.
    7. Vincenzo Atella & Jay Bhattacharya & Lorenzo Carbonari, 2008. "Pharmaceutical industry, drug quality and regulation. Evidence from US and Italy," CEIS Research Paper 138, Tor Vergata University, CEIS, revised 16 Dec 2008.
    8. Jean-Philippe Bouchaud, 2012. "Crises and collective socio-economic phenomena: simple models and challenges," Papers 1209.0453, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2012.
    9. G'erard Weisbuch & Vincent Buskens & Luat Vuong, 2007. "Heterogeneity and Increasing Returns May Drive Socio-Economic Transitions," Papers 0706.1454, arXiv.org.
    10. Schütz, Gunter M. & de Almeida Prado, Fernando Pigeard & Harris, Rosemary J. & Belitsky, Vladimir, 2009. "Short-time behaviour of demand and price viewed through an exactly solvable model for heterogeneous interacting market agents," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 388(19), pages 4126-4144.
    11. Sebastian Goncalves & M. F. Laguna & J. R. Iglesias, 2012. "Why, when, and how fast innovations are adopted," Papers 1208.2589, arXiv.org.
    12. Gordon, Mirta B. & Laguna, M.F. & Gonçalves, S. & Iglesias, J.R., 2017. "Adoption of innovations with contrarian agents and repentance," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 486(C), pages 192-205.
    13. Evgeny KRYUKOV & Vladislav MALGIN & Irina MALGINA, 2014. "The Influence Of Hysteresis In Consumer’S Behaviour For Premium Price Evaluation," Management and Marketing Journal, University of Craiova, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, vol. 0(2), pages 205-218, November.
    14. Jean-Pierre Nadal & Denis Phan & Mirta Gordon & Jean Vannimenus, 2005. "Multiple equilibria in a monopoly market with heterogeneous agents and externalities," Quantitative Finance, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 5(6), pages 557-568.
    15. Moran, José & Fosset, Antoine & Kirman, Alan & Benzaquen, Michael, 2021. "From ants to fishing vessels: a simple model for herding and exploitation of finite resources," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 129(C).
    16. Pigeard de Almeida Prado, Fernando & Belitsky, Vladimir & Ferreira, Alex Luiz, 2011. "Social interactions, product differentiation and discontinuity of demand," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 47(4-5), pages 642-653.
    17. Semeshenko, Viktoriya & Gordon, Mirta B. & Nadal, Jean-Pierre, 2008. "Collective states in social systems with interacting learning agents," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 387(19), pages 4903-4916.

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