CSR in an Asymmetric Duopoly with Environmental Externality

We investigate a linear state differential game describing an asymmetric Cournot duopoly with capacity accumulation á la Ramsey and a negative environmental externality (pollution), in which one of the firms has adopted corporate social responsibility (CSR) in its statute, and therefore includes consumer surplus and the environmental effects of production in its objective function. If the market is sufficiently large, the CSR firm sells more, accumulates more capital, and earns higher profits than its profit‐seeking rival.     

Capacity Choice and Duopoly Incentives for Information Sharing

We examine a three-stage game in which duopolists face a random-demand intercept. Firms first choose capacities, then decide whether to commit to share the private information they will receive about the intercept. After the private information is observed, firms choose output levels. The costless capacity-limiting case of our model is equivalent to standard models. We show that even small capacity costs may reverse the incentives to share information and lead to equilibria in which information sharing occurs. At some capacity-cost levels, sharing is an equilibrium for conventional reasons (equal expected outputs but higher variance with sharing), while at other cost levels, it is an equilibrium because expected outputs are lower (and, hence, expected prices are higher) with sharing.     

Disclosure of Predecision Information in a Duopoly*

Abstract. This paper analyzes the differential impact of the firm-specific versus industry-wide common components of a firm's information on its voluntary disclosure policy. The firm may or may not receive a private signal, which is related to both firm-specific and industry-wide common uncertainty. The cost and benefit of disclosure are modelled in an imperfectly competitive product market where an uninformed opponent's reaction to a disclosure affects the manager's expected profit. The results indicate that the nature of a privately informed firm's equilibrium disclosure policy depends on whether the signal is relatively more informative of firm-specific or industry-wide uncertainty. Unfavourable news is disclosed, and favourable news, withheld, if the signal is more informative about an industry-wide shock. On the other hand, favourable news is disclosed and unfavourable news is withheld if the signal is more informative about firm-specific shock. Thus disclosure and nondisclosure of specific subsets of signals can each be consistent with profit maximizing behaviour. Comparative statics show that disclosure increases with (1) an increase in the probability that the firm receives private information, (2) an increase in the variance of the prior uncertainty, and (3) a decrease in the precision of the private signal. Furthermore, whether more of the favourable or unfavourable signals are disclosed is sensitive to whether the private signal is more informative about firm-specific or industry-wide factors. The results in this paper may explain the inconsistent findings in several empirical studies of voluntary disclosure. Résumé. L'auteur analyse l'incidence marginale sur la politique de l'entreprise en matière d'informations facultatives des éléments d'information courante qui sont propres à l'entreprise par rapport à ceux qui sont propres à l'ensemble du secteur. L'entreprise peut ou non recevoir des indices privilégiés, reliés aux incertitudes actuelles touchant l'entreprise aussi bien que le secteur dans son ensemble. Les coûts et les avantages de l'information sont modélisés sous la forme d'un marché de produits où la concurrence est imparfaite, dans lequel la réaction d'une entreprise rivale non informée à la publication d'information influe sur les bénéfices espérés du gestionnaire. Les résultats indiquent que la nature de la politique en matière d'informations, en situation d'équilibre, d'une entreprise détenant de l'information privilégiée dépend du caractère de l'indice, à savoir s'il est relativement plus informatif au sujet de l'incertitude propre à l'entreprise ou propre à l'ensemble du secteur. L'information défavorable est publiée et l'information favorable est retenue si l'indice est plus révélateur en ce qui a trait à l'impact sur l'ensemble du secteur. D'autre part, l'information favorable est publiée et l'information défavorable est retenue si l'indice est davantage révélateur en ce qui a trait à l'impact sur l'entreprise elle-même. Ainsi, la publication et la non-publication de sous-ensembles précis d'indices peuvent être, de part et d'autre, inspirées par le désir de maximiser les bénéfices. L'analyse comparative des conditions d'équilibre démontre que la publication d'information croît avec i) la hausse de la probabilité que l'entreprise reçoive de l'information privilégiée, ii) l'augmentation de la variance dans l'incertitude préalable et iii) la diminution de la précision de l'indice privilégié. En outre, le fait que l'indice privilégié soit plus informatif au sujet des facteurs propres à l'entreprise ou propres au secteur dans son ensemble influe sur la quantité des indices favorables ou défavorables qui sont publiés. Les résultats exposés ici peuvent expliquer la divergence des observations notées dans plusieurs études empiriques relatives aux informations facultatives.     

Quality and Quantity Competition in a Multiproduct Duopoly

This article proposes a Cournot model of two‐stage competition to examine the patterns of vertical product differentiation in a multiproduct duopoly. Firms simultaneously choose the number of products and their qualities at the first stage and compete in quantities at the second stage. We show that when the fixed setup cost of a product is high enough to result in a monopoly outcome, the monopolist always sells a single product. Moreover, in any equilibrium of a multiproduct duopoly, quality differentiation between them will develop into a nonsegmented pattern because each firm desires to avoid a strong effect of cannibalization. The set of equilibria reveals the properties of quality differentiation between multiproduct firms. In a multiproduct duopoly, the profit from a high‐quality product can be lower than that from a low‐quality product. This finding sharply contrasts with the literature on single‐product firms, which finds the high‐quality advantage.     

The Manufacturers' Choice of Distribution Policy under Successive Duopoly

We examine an asymmetric noncooperative game between two manufacturers selecting the number of retailers who can distribute their products. In deciding whether to distribute through one or both retailers, there are two conflicting effects: the output expansion effect, because the product is sold in more outlets; and the competitive effect, associated with the introduction of intrabrand competition. Product differentiation and demand asymmetries between the two products determine which of these two effects dominates the other. When product differentiation is strong and brand asymmetry is moderate, both manufacturers distribute through both retailers in equilibrium. However, when both product differentiation and brand asymmetry are weak, exclusive dealing through a single retailer is the equilibrium. Perhaps the most interesting finding is that there also exist asymmetric equilibria in which one manufacturer distributes through both retailers but the other manufacturer distributes through one retailer. These equilibria can arise when both product differentiation and brand asymmetry are strong.     

Determinants of Tacit Collusion in a Cournot Duopoly Experiment

We contribute to a growing literature that examines the relationship between the nature of strategic interaction and collusive behavior. We present results from a repeated Cournot duopoly experiment with treatments in which quantity choices are either strategic complements or substitutes. The initial underlying demand function allows for direct comparison with previous work utilizing a Bertrand duopoly setting. We find some evidence of collusion in the substitutes treatment, but no collusion in the complements treatment. We study an additional substitutes treatment to control for the absolute slope of the reaction functions across treatments, where we again find evidence of collusive behavior. However, using an alternate demand function parameterization where the goods are less closely related, we find no evidence of collusive behavior in either the substitutes or the complements treatment.     

Strategic Export Policy in a Differentiated Duopoly: A Note

The purpose of this paper is to further explore how optimal export policies are affected by the nature of oligopolistic competition and the structure of demand. It is shown that (1) the more cost-competitive the home firm is, the higher the optimal level of export intervention becomes; (2) as the goods become better complements, the optimal level of export intervention increases; (3) the nature of the effects of strategic export policies on foreign firms depends on both the mode of competition and the structure of demand.     

Price‐Match Announcements in a Consumer Search Duopoly

Using a model of sequential search, we show that announcements to price‐match raise prices by altering consumer search behavior. First, price‐matching diminishes firms’ incentives to lower prices to attract consumers who have no search costs. Second, for consumers with positive search costs, price‐matching lowers the marginal benefit of search, inducing them to accept higher prices. Finally, price‐matching can lead to asymmetric equilibria where one firm runs fewer sales and both firms tend to offer smaller discounts than in a symmetric equilibrium. Price increases grow in the proportion of consumers who invoke price‐matching guarantees and in the level of equilibrium asymmetry.     

Trade Liberalization and Union Wages in a Differentiated Bertrand Duopoly

In a framework of a unionized international Bertrand duopoly with differentiated products, this article analyzes national labor market interdependencies and the consequences of trade liberalization for union wages. The analysis suggests that national wages are likely to be strategic complements (substitutes) if products are ordinary substitutes (complements). Under the assumption of linear demand, it is shown that bilateral trade liberalization always leads to higher union set wages and union utilities, regardless of the nature of product rivalry. An analysis of the consequences of unilateral tariff reductions shows that foreign tariff reductions always give rise to higher union wages and utilities, whereas the impact of unilateral domestic tariff reductions depends on the nature of product rivalry.     

Optimal R&D Policy and Managerial Delegation Under Vertically Differentiated Duopoly

The paper investigates the optimal research and development (R&D) policy in a vertically differentiated market with managerial delegation. We consider not only discriminatory R&D policy but uniform R&D policy as well. It shows that R&D policy can vary depending on the regulator's objective: social welfare, consumer surplus or producer surplus; however, the outcomes are invariant to the nature of market competition. Undoubtedly, the relative‐performance contract plays a crucial role for elaborating policy effects. The government prefers discriminatory R&D policy to uniform policy under a consumer‐oriented objective. On the contrary, under a producer‐oriented objective, the government would prefer to choose uniform R&D policy rather than discriminatory policy.     

技术创新投资决策的不对称双头垄断期权博弈分析

文章运用不对称双头垄断期权博弈模型,研究了需求不对称的两个企业在不确定条件下的研发投资决策。研究表明,需求比较优势的大小时企业均衡策略有显著影响．存在三类均衡：抢先均衡、序列均衡和同时投资均衡。均衡的类型取决于企业作为追随者、领先者和同时投资者的相对收益,而需求不对称程度是影响企业收益的重要因素。研究发现,当需求的不时称程度较低时存在明显的先动优势．从而导致抢先均衡;当需求的不对称程度足够大时,低需求冲击的企业没有动力成为领先者,从而产生序列投资均衡,当初始市场冲击大于低需求冲击企业的追随者策略投资临界时,将产生同时投资策略均衡。     

基于霍特林模型的双寡头银行贷款竞价博弈

文章以银行利润最大化为目标,通过建立霍特林博弈模型研究了在我国利率市场化进程中,在线性市场情况以及完全信息情况下,不同规模、不同成本结构的双寡头银行各自的最优贷款定价与贷款风险水平选择。研究发现,当两银行贷款成本相差不大时,规模越大的商业银行的最优贷款定价越高,贷款平均风险水平也越高;此外,加强存款人对商业银行的市场约束力,可以有效降低所有银行的贷款定价水平和贷款风险水平。     

空间双寡头竞争下的创新扩散——基于博弈论的模型

关于创新空间扩散的研究一直没有关注空间竞争对于创新采纳的影响.本文在双人博弈的框架下构建了一个空间双寡头竞争模型,假定厂商已经拥有关于创新的信息,单纯地考察空间竞争对于创新采纳的影响.结果表明,即使同质的厂商同时获得了创新的信息,在竞争的作用下,创新的采纳很少会同时进行.先采纳者具有先发优势,且随着运费率的下降,先发优势愈发得以强化.本文还分析了空间竞争和技术扩散反梯度现象间的关系,结论是空间竞争至少是反梯度现象产生的一个原因.     

基于附加服务差异化的双寡头航空公司动态竞价演化分析

从航空公司提供附加服务的角度出发,建立基于附加服务差异化的双寡头航空公司动态竞价演化模型,通过数值仿真探讨价格调整和附加服务成本水平对航空公司竞价博弈系统稳定性的影响。研究表明,双寡头航空公司均提供附加服务时的票价比任一方单独提供或均不提供时的票价要高;航空公司较少的附加服务成本投入不利于市场稳定;在博弈系统不稳定的状态下,随着航空公司调价幅度的增大,整个系统会出现分叉与混沌状态,利润会随之降低,严重的会出现亏损,整个航空市场也会陷入动荡状态。     

Competitiveness and Subsidy or Tax Policy for New Technology Adoption in Duopoly

We consider a problem of subsidy or tax policy for new technology adoption by duopolistic firms. The technology is developed in and transferred by a foreign country to the domestic country. It is free but each firm must expend some fixed set-up cost for education of its staff to adopt and use it. Assuming that each firm maximizes the weighted average of absolute and relative profits, we examine the relationship between competitiveness and subsidy or tax policies for technology adoption, and show that when firm behavior is not competitive (the weight on the relative profit is small), the optimal policy of the government may be taxation; when firm behavior is competitive (the weight on the relative profit is large), the optimal policy is subsidization or inaction and not taxation. However, if firm behavior is extremely competitive (close to perfect competition), taxation case re-emerges.     

双寡头市场下耐用品出租或销售问题的博弈分析

针对耐用品的双寡头市场结构，在考虑产品耐用性的前提下，基于博弈理论探讨了两周期设置下厂商竞争对耐用品制造商的出租或销售策略的影响。结果表明：在竞争情况下，销售是惟一的占优策略，但是厂商会陷入囚徒困境。     

扩展Hotelling模型下双寡头制造商的低碳策略选择

在一个扩展的Hotelling模型中,研究了双寡头制造商在考虑了消费者低碳偏好情况下的低碳策略选择问题。消费者对低碳效用的偏好程度直接影响到制造商的收益,从而影响到两个制造商在竞争关系下的低碳策略选择。分别求得了在四种情形下两个制造商各自的最优价格及其收益,通过比较分析,得到两个制造商进行低碳策略选择的均衡状态。通过数值仿真,比较了两个制造商在不同选址条件下的盈利情况。研究结果表明:当消费者低碳意识薄弱时,两个制造商均不采用低碳策略;当消费者低碳意识较强时,两个制造商均采用低碳策略。     

外生单向溢出效应下纵向差异化产品Cournot和Bertrand竞争均衡的比较研究

研究价格(Bertrand)和数量(Cournot)竞争模式下,单向溢出对企业质量选择、利润的影响。以纵向差异化市场结构为例,建立了基于单向质量溢出的不对称寡头竞争模型,运用赋值计算对模型的均衡解进行了比较分析,结论是:1给定溢出因子和学习效应的合理取值范围,领先和跟随企业的质量与利润在价格竞争下都小于数量竞争;2质量间的单向溢出效应、跟随者的学习努力都会导致领先者初始质量的下降,但在价格竞争时,这种逆向选择效应的程度较低;3跟随者的学习激励随着溢出效应的提高而降低,并不受竞争策略变化的影响。这些发现可以解释中国轿车产业竞争模式对合资和自主创新企业关系变化的影响。     

基于双寡头垄断模型的垄断国有企业改革分析

国有企业垄断是一个经济学问题,与所有制性质没有必然关系,需要从理性的经济学视角来审视。基于中国国情,从由国有企业构成的双寡头垄断市场出发,分析并比较由国有企业、私有企业及混合所有制企业组合而成的各种双寡头垄断市场的价格、产量及社会福利。可以发现,私有化对社会福利的提升作用是有条件的,完全的私有化未必能提升社会福利;在当前的社会经济条件下,混合所有制是解决国有企业垄断问题可行、务实的途径,其股权结构十分重要。