IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/wpaper/hal-00581571.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Market Size and Vertical Equilibrium in the Context of Successive Cournot Oligopolies

Author

Listed:
  • Ivan Dufeu

    (CREM - Centre de recherche en économie et management - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UR - Université de Rennes - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Métis Lab EM Normandie - EM Normandie - École de Management de Normandie)

Abstract

This paper illustrates the effect of market size on the decision of whether or not firms should vertically integrate or disintegrate. We use a model of two successive stages of production with Cournot competition in each stage. In this model, firms choose to specialize (either upstream or downstream) or to integrate the two stages, before making their production decisions. The decision of whether or not to integrate or specialize depend on the trade-off between "escaping from" the double marginalization problem or the gain from specializing on the production stage in which the firm is more efficient. We show (using simulations) that more firms choose to be vertically integrated as the valuation of the final product or the number of consumers increase, unless the number of firms increases proportionately

Suggested Citation

  • Ivan Dufeu, 2004. "Market Size and Vertical Equilibrium in the Context of Successive Cournot Oligopolies," Working Papers hal-00581571, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-00581571
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-00581571
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hal.science/hal-00581571/document
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gérard Gaudet & Ngo Van Long & Antoine Soubeyran, 1999. "Upstream-Downstream Specialization by Integrated Firms in a Partially Integrated Industry," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 14(4), pages 321-335, June.
    2. Wilder, Ronald P & Tucker, Irvin B, 1984. "Trends in Vertical Integration: Reply," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 32(3), pages 391-392, March.
    3. Géarard Gaudet & Ngo Van Long, 1996. "Vertical Integration, Foreclosure, and profits in the Presence of Double Marginalization," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 5(3), pages 409-432, September.
    4. Michael A. Salinger, 1988. "Vertical Mergers and Market Foreclosure," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 103(2), pages 345-356.
    5. Young, Allyn A., 1928. "Increasing Returns and Economic Progress," History of Economic Thought Articles, McMaster University Archive for the History of Economic Thought, vol. 38, pages 527-542.
    6. Perry, Martin K., 1984. "Vertical equilibrium in a competitive input market," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 2(2), pages 159-170, June.
    7. George J. Stigler, 1951. "The Division of Labor is Limited by the Extent of the Market," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 59(3), pages 185-185.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Kensuke Kubo, 2011. "Explaining vertical integration in the generic pharmaceutical industry," Discussion Papers 11-02, Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi.
    2. Zanaj Skerdilajda, 2010. "Successive Oligopolies and Decreasing Returns," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 10(1), pages 1-26, November.
    3. Ivan Dufeu, 2008. "Déterminants du choix d’intégration et de désintégration verticale des entreprises," Post-Print hal-02815119, HAL.
    4. Matsushima Noriaki & Mizuno Tomomichi, 2012. "Equilibrium Vertical Integration with Complementary Input Markets," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 12(1), pages 1-32, June.
    5. Noriaki Matsushima & Tomomichi Mizuno, 2007. "Why do large firms tend to integrate vertically? - asymmetric vertical integration reconsidered -," Discussion Papers 2007-34, Kobe University, Graduate School of Business Administration.
    6. Yvan Dufeu, 2008. "Déterminants du choix d’intégration et de désintégration verticale des entreprises," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 11(1), pages 131-154, March.
    7. Zanaj Skerdilajda, 2010. "Successive Oligopolies and Decreasing Returns," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 10(1), pages 1-26, November.
    8. Buehler, Stefan & Schmutzler, Armin, 2008. "Intimidating competitors -- Endogenous vertical integration and downstream investment in successive oligopoly," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 26(1), pages 247-265, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Ivan Dufeu, 2004. "Market Size and Vertical Equilibrium in the Context of Successive Cournot Oligopolies [Taille du marché et équilibre vertical dans un contexte d'oligopoles successifs de Cournot]," Post-Print hal-02816481, HAL.
    2. Zhong-Yuan Han & Shu-Lin Wang, 2012. "Theory on the Functions of a Firm: A Resolution to Smith¡¯s Dilemma," Journal of Management and Strategy, Journal of Management and Strategy, Sciedu Press, vol. 3(1), pages 18-31, February.
    3. Andrés Rodríguez-Pose & Michael Storper, 2006. "Better Rules or Stronger Communities? On the Social Foundations of Institutional Change and Its Economic Effects," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 82(1), pages 1-25, January.
    4. Yang, X. & Liu, P.W., 1999. "Division of Labor Transaction Cost, Emergence of the Firm and Firm Size," Papers 10, Chicago - Graduate School of Business.
    5. Jean-Louis Peaucelle, 2012. "Rhetoric and logic in Smith's Description of the Division of Labor," Post-Print hal-01402198, HAL.
    6. Gabszewicz, Jean & Tarola, Ornella & Zanaj, Skerdilajda, 2010. "On uncertainty when it affects successive markets," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 106(2), pages 133-136, February.
    7. Felipe Balmaceda & Eduardo Saavedra, 2007. "Vertical Integration And Shared Facilities In Unregulated Industries," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 55(4), pages 771-772, December.
    8. Xavier Ragot, 2003. "Division du travail et progrès technique," Revue économique, Presses de Sciences-Po, vol. 54(4), pages 725-741.
    9. Arunanondchai, May, 2001. "Can Indonesia Gain from Log Export Barriers?," The Warwick Economics Research Paper Series (TWERPS) 619, University of Warwick, Department of Economics.
    10. repec:hal:spmain:info:hdl:2441/4cufqrm9749dbol0m0bsfeopka is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Robert P. Gilles & Emiliya A. Lazarova & Pieter H. M. Ruys, 2007. "Stability, Specialization And Social Recognition," Division of Labor & Transaction Costs (DLTC), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 2(02), pages 83-109.
    12. Gérard Gaudet & Ngo Van Long & Antoine Soubeyran, 1999. "Upstream-Downstream Specialization by Integrated Firms in a Partially Integrated Industry," Review of Industrial Organization, Springer;The Industrial Organization Society, vol. 14(4), pages 321-335, June.
    13. Balakrishnan, Pulapre & Das, Mausumi & Parameswaran, M., 2017. "The internal dynamic of Indian economic growth," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 46-61.
    14. Zanaj Skerdilajda, 2010. "Successive Oligopolies and Decreasing Returns," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 10(1), pages 1-26, November.
    15. GABSZEWICZ, Jean J. & ZANAJ, Skerdilajda, 2007. "A note on successive oligopolies and vertical mergers," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 2007074, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    16. Xavier Ragot, 2003. "Croissance et division du travail," Post-Print hal-03475968, HAL.
    17. Abiru, Masahiro & Nahata, Babu & Raychaudhuri, Subhashis & Waterson, Michael, 1998. "Equilibrium structures in vertical oligopoly," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 37(4), pages 463-480, December.
    18. Walter Elberfeld, 2001. "Explaining Intraindustry Differences in the Extent of Vertical Integration," Journal of Institutional and Theoretical Economics (JITE), Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, vol. 157(3), pages 465-477, September.
    19. Lynne Pepall & George Norman, 2001. "Product Differentiation and Upstream‐Downstream Relations," Journal of Economics & Management Strategy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 10(2), pages 201-233, June.
    20. Murata, Yasusada, 2007. "Taste heterogeneity and the scale of production: Fragmentation, unification, and segmentation," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 135-160, July.
    21. repec:spo:wpmain:info:hdl:2441/4cufqrm9749dbol0m0bsfeopka is not listed on IDEAS
    22. Jeffrey D. Sachs & Xiaokai Yang, 1999. "Gradual Spread of Market-Led Industrialization," CID Working Papers 11A, Center for International Development at Harvard University.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:hal:wpaper:hal-00581571. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.