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Monopolistic competition with pro- and countercyclical pricing

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  • Zink, Helmut

Abstract

We develop a market model which explains how prices react to short-run demand variations when the number of active price-setting firms is held fixed on its long-run level. We assume that for each firm the average production cost function is U-shaped, that customers are imperfectly informed about the quality of offers, and that customers may search for better offers. For low degrees of market transparency the long-run market outcome exhibits price dispersion with an endogenous finite number of firms. In this case, in the short-run, price mark-ups respond countercyclically to demand variations and productivity is procyclical. In the complementary case of higher degrees of market transparency, in the long-run we have a single-price equilibrium. In that case, in the short-run price mark-ups fall with decreasing demand while productivity diminishes with any deviation of demand from its long-run level.

Suggested Citation

  • Zink, Helmut, 1991. "Monopolistic competition with pro- and countercyclical pricing," Discussion Papers, Series I 255, University of Konstanz, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:kondp1:255
    as

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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    increasing returns; monopolistic competition; business cycle theory;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D40 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - General
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness
    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms

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