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Mergers in Stackelberg Markets with Efficiency Gains

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  • Mariana Cunha
  • Hélder Vasconcelos

Abstract

This paper analyzes the profitability of mergers and their induced welfare effects in a setting where: (i) firms compete `a la Stackelberg; and (ii) mergers may give rise to efficiency gains. The results contrast with the ones obtained by previous literature where merger’s induced efficiency gains are assumed away. In particular, we find that under certain conditions regarding the cost benefits resulting from mergers, the so called “free-riding problem” is eliminated and mergers are not only profitable but also welfare enhancing, even with linear costs. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

Suggested Citation

  • Mariana Cunha & Hélder Vasconcelos, 2015. "Mergers in Stackelberg Markets with Efficiency Gains," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 15(2), pages 105-134, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jincot:v:15:y:2015:i:2:p:105-134
    DOI: 10.1007/s10842-014-0182-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Farrell, Joseph & Shapiro, Carl, 1990. "Horizontal Mergers: An Equilibrium Analysis," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(1), pages 107-126, March.
    2. Motta, Massimo & Vasconcelos, Helder, 2005. "Efficiency gains and myopic antitrust authority in a dynamic merger game," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 23(9-10), pages 777-801, December.
    3. Stephen W. Salant & Sheldon Switzer & Robert J. Reynolds, 1983. "Losses From Horizontal Merger: The Effects of an Exogenous Change in Industry Structure on Cournot-Nash Equilibrium," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 98(2), pages 185-199.
    4. Marc Escrihuela-Villar & Ramon Faulí-Oller, 2008. "Mergers in asymmetric Stackelberg markets," Spanish Economic Review, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 10(4), pages 279-288, December.
    5. Huck, Steffen & Konrad, Kai A. & Muller, Wieland, 2001. "Big fish eat small fish: on merger in Stackelberg markets," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 73(2), pages 213-217, November.
    6. Perry, Martin K & Porter, Robert H, 1985. "Oligopoly and the Incentive for Horizontal Merger," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 75(1), pages 219-227, March.
    7. Rothschild, R. & Heywood, John S. & Monaco, Kristen, 2000. "Spatial price discrimination and the merger paradox," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(5), pages 491-506, September.
    8. John S. Heywood & Matthew McGinty, 2007. "Mergers among leaders and mergers among followers," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 12(12), pages 1-7.
    9. Nick Feltovich, 2001. "Mergers, welfare, and concentration: Results from a model of stackelberg-cournot oligopoly," Atlantic Economic Journal, Springer;International Atlantic Economic Society, vol. 29(4), pages 378-392, December.
    10. Brito Duarte & Catalão-Lopes Margarida, 2011. "Small Fish Become Big Fish: Mergers in Stackelberg Markets Revisited," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 11(1), pages 1-20, May.
    11. John S. Heywood & Matthew McGinty, 2008. "Leading and Merging: Convex Costs, Stackelberg, and the Merger Paradox," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 74(3), pages 879-893, January.
    12. Daughety, Andrew F, 1990. "Beneficial Concentration," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(5), pages 1231-1237, December.
    13. repec:ebl:ecbull:v:12:y:2007:i:12:p:1-7 is not listed on IDEAS
    14. Raymond Deneckere & Carl Davidson, 1985. "Incentives to Form Coalitions with Bertrand Competition," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 16(4), pages 473-486, Winter.
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Gamal Atallah, 2015. "Multi-Firm Mergers with Leaders and Followers," Working Papers E1501E, University of Ottawa, Department of Economics.
    2. Hamed Jafari & Seyed Reza Hejazi & Morteza Rasti-Barzoki, 2016. "Pricing Decisions in Dual-Channel Supply Chain Including Monopolistic Manufacturer and Duopolistic Retailers: A Game-Theoretic Approach," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 323-343, September.
    3. Manel Antelo & David Peón, 2019. "On Cooperation Through Alliances and Mergers," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 19(2), pages 263-279, June.
    4. Walter Ferrarese, 2020. "When Multiple Merged Entities Lead in Stackelberg Oligopolies," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 56(1), pages 131-142, February.
    5. Mariana Cunha & Hélder Vasconcelos, 2018. "Sequential Mergers and Antitrust Authority’s Decisions in Stackelberg Markets," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 18(3), pages 373-394, September.
    6. Gamal Atallah, 2016. "Endogenous Efficiency Gains from Mergers," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 83(1), pages 202-235, July.
    7. Escrihuela-Villar Marc & Ferrarese Walter, 2019. "Horizontal Mergers in a Dynamic Cournot Market: Solving the Free Riding Issue Without Efficiency Gains," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 19(4), pages 1-14, October.
    8. Walter Ferrarese, 2021. "Merger Waves Through Market Leadership," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 7(3), pages 371-385, November.
    9. Walter Ferrarese, 2017. "Endogenous Mergers and Leadership Acquisition in Cournot Oligopolies," CEIS Research Paper 398, Tor Vergata University, CEIS, revised 06 Dec 2017.
    10. Marc Escrihuela-Villar, 2019. "On Mergers in a Stackelberg Market with Asymmetric Convex Costs," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 19(1), pages 21-32, March.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Mergers; Efficiency gains; Stackelberg; L13; D43; L40; L41;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • L40 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - General
    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices

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