Endogenous Learning, Learning by Doing and Information Sharing

Using the work in experimentation, the author endogenizes the, until now, exogenous information in information sharing models. He finds that agreements to exchange information affect the value and production of information. With unknown cost, a learning-by-doing like effect also arises. These effects affect consumer welfare, the incentive to receive information, and the incentive to enter information sharing agreements. Information sharing contracts may have negative future effects on firms through decreased information production. However, the decreased information production has the current benefit of softening competition, which induces information sharing agreements under conditions contrary to previous results and vice versa. Copyright 1995 by Economics Department of the University of Pennsylvania and the Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association.