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Consumer Heterogeneity and Strategic Quality Decisions

Author

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  • Byong-Duk Rhee

    (John M. Olin School of Business, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130)

Abstract

Though recent studies show that quality differentiation is an equilibrium outcome, products of similar qualities frequently are observed in the marketplace. This inconsistency may be explained by incorporating consumer heterogeneity along unobservable attributes into a model of competition. In this paper, consumers not only take into account the quality and price of a product but also their heterogeneous tastes along other attributes which are unobservable to firms. We investigate the effect of heterogeneity along the unobservable attributes on both quality and price equilibrium in a two-stage game framework. We show that when consumers are sufficiently heterogeneous along the unobservable attributes, the firms offer products of identical qualities in equilibrium. Under low levels of heterogeneity along the unobservable attributes, however, our results are consistent with past research which argues for quality differentiation.

Suggested Citation

  • Byong-Duk Rhee, 1996. "Consumer Heterogeneity and Strategic Quality Decisions," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 42(2), pages 157-172, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ormnsc:v:42:y:1996:i:2:p:157-172
    DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.42.2.157
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Meng Li & Suresh P. Sethi & Jun Zhang, 2016. "Competing with bandit supply chains," Annals of Operations Research, Springer, vol. 240(2), pages 617-640, May.
    2. Xue Li & Xiaoqiang Cai & Jian Chen, 2022. "Quality and Private Label Encroachment Strategy," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 31(1), pages 374-390, January.
    3. Trung-Hieu Tran & Yong Mao & Peer-Olaf Siebers, 2019. "Optimising Decarbonisation Investment for Firms towards Environmental Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(20), pages 1-19, October.
    4. Yang, Shilei & Munson, Charles L. & Chen, Bintong, 2010. "Using MSRP to enhance the ability of rebates to control distribution channels," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 205(1), pages 127-135, August.
    5. Buechel, Berno & Roehl, Nils, 2015. "Robust equilibria in location games," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 240(2), pages 505-517.
    6. Bernstein, Fernando & Song, Jing-Sheng & Zheng, Xiaona, 2008. ""Bricks-and-mortar" vs. "clicks-and-mortar": An equilibrium analysis," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 187(3), pages 671-690, June.
    7. Zhu, Wenge & He, Yuanjie, 2017. "Green product design in supply chains under competition," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 258(1), pages 165-180.
    8. Altug, Mehmet Sekip, 2016. "Supply chain contracting for vertically differentiated products," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 171(P1), pages 34-45.
    9. Chester Chambers & Panos Kouvelis & John Semple, 2006. "Quality-Based Competition, Profitability, and Variable Costs," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(12), pages 1884-1895, December.
    10. repec:syb:wpbsba:06/2013 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Rhee, Byong-Duk, 2006. "First-mover disadvantages with idiosyncratic consumer tastes along unobservable characteristics," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 36(1), pages 99-117, January.
    12. Cirer-Costa, Joan Carles, 2013. "The role of geography in the success of the balearic tourism industry," MPRA Paper 47701, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Ron Adner & Felipe A. Csaszar & Peter B. Zemsky, 2014. "Positioning on a Multiattribute Landscape," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 60(11), pages 2794-2815, November.
    14. David P. Baron, 2021. "Dynamic positioning, product innovation, and entry in a vertically differentiated market," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(2), pages 287-307, May.
    15. Chen, Jingxian & Liang, Liang & Yang, Feng, 2015. "Cooperative quality investment in outsourcing," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 162(C), pages 174-191.
    16. Ye, Taofeng & Yang, Huiqiang, 2020. "Price and Quality Management with Strategic Consumers: Whether to Introduce a High or Low Product Variant," Applied Mathematics and Computation, Elsevier, vol. 386(C).
    17. David Soberman, 2022. "Business Expansion Through Acquisition," Customer Needs and Solutions, Springer;Institute for Sustainable Innovation and Growth (iSIG), vol. 9(3), pages 74-94, December.
    18. Zhou, Yong-Wu & Cao, Bin & Tang, Qinshen & Zhou, Wenhui, 2017. "Pricing and rebate strategies for an e-shop with a cashback website," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 262(1), pages 108-122.
    19. Joan Carles Cirer-Costa, 2022. "Qualitative revenue management in sun-and-beach hotels," Journal of Revenue and Pricing Management, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 21(4), pages 462-469, August.
    20. Christiaan Hogendorn, 2004. "Broadband Internet: Open Access and Content Competition," Wesleyan Economics Working Papers 2004-002, Wesleyan University, Department of Economics.

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