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Collusion and Fights in an Experiment with Price-Setting Firms and Production in Advance

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  • Jordi Brandts
  • Pablo Guillén

Abstract

We present results from 50-round market experiments in which firms decide repeatedly both on price and quantity of a completely perishable good. Each firm has capacity to serve the whole market. The stage game does not have an equilibrium in pure strategies. We run experiments for markets with two and three identical firms. Firms tend to cooperate to avoid fights, but when they fight bankruptcies are rather frequent. On average, pricing behavior is closer to that for pure quantity than for pure price competition and price and efficiency levels are higher for two than for three firms. Consumer surplus increases with the number of firms, but unsold production leads to higher efficiency losses with more firms. Over time prices tend to the highest possible one for markets both with two and three firms.

Suggested Citation

  • Jordi Brandts & Pablo Guillén, 2004. "Collusion and Fights in an Experiment with Price-Setting Firms and Production in Advance," Working Papers 141, Barcelona School of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:bge:wpaper:141
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Tibor Neugebauer, 2007. "Bid and price effects of increased competition in the first-price auction: experimental evidence," LSF Research Working Paper Series 07-17, Luxembourg School of Finance, University of Luxembourg.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    experiments; oligopoly; Collusion;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • C91 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Individual Behavior

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