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Durable Goods Monopoly with Endogenous Quality

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  • Jong-Hee Hahn

Abstract

This paper examines the dynamic pricing problem of a durable-good monopolist when product quality is endogenous. It is shown that the relationship between the firm's quality choice and the time-inconsistency problem crucially depends on how the unit production cost varies with quality. The monopolist may use quality as a strategic commitment device to eliminate the time-inconsistency problem. Also, it may have incentives to choose a quality higher or lower than the optimal commitment level. This contrasts with the planned obsolescence literature where durable goods monopolists reduces durability (often regarded as a measure of quality) to mitigate the time-inconsistency problem

Suggested Citation

  • Jong-Hee Hahn, 2004. "Durable Goods Monopoly with Endogenous Quality," Econometric Society 2004 Far Eastern Meetings 665, Econometric Society.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecm:feam04:665
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bagnoli, Mark & Salant, Stephen W & Swierzbinski, Joseph E, 1989. "Durable-Goods Monopoly with Discrete Demand," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 97(6), pages 1459-1478, December.
    2. Jong‐Hee Hahn, 2006. "Damaged durable goods," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 37(1), pages 121-133, March.
    3. Lisa N. Takeyama, 2002. "Strategic Vertical Differentiation and Durable Goods Monopoly," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(1), pages 43-56, March.
    4. Kahn, Charles M, 1986. "The Durable Goods Monopolist and Consistency with Increasing Costs," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 54(2), pages 275-294, March.
    5. von der Fehr, Nils-Henrik Morch & Kuhn, Kai-Uwe, 1995. "Coase versus Pacman: Who Eats Whom in the Durable-Goods Monopoly?," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 103(4), pages 785-812, August.
    6. Butz, David A, 1990. "Durable-Good Monopoly and Best-Price Provisions," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 80(5), pages 1062-1076, December.
    7. Eric W. Bond & Larry Samuelson, 1984. "Durable Good Monopolies with Rational Expectations and Replacement Sales," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 15(3), pages 336-345, Autumn.
    8. Bulow, Jeremy I, 1982. "Durable-Goods Monopolists," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 90(2), pages 314-332, April.
    9. Jeremy Bulow, 1986. "An Economic Theory of Planned Obsolescence," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 101(4), pages 729-749.
    10. Coase, Ronald H, 1972. "Durability and Monopoly," Journal of Law and Economics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 15(1), pages 143-149, April.
    11. Bagnoli, Mark & Salant, Stephen W & Swierzbinski, Joseph E, 1995. "Intertemporal Self-Selection with Multiple Buyers," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 5(3), pages 513-526, May.
    12. Michael Waldman, 1993. "A New Perspective on Planned Obsolescence," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 108(1), pages 273-283.
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Durable Goods; Quality; Time-inconsistency;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D42 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Monopoly
    • L12 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Monopoly; Monopolization Strategies

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