Some Evidence Regarding the Reciprocal Dumping Hypothesis

Reciprocal dumping occurs in intraindustry trade (IIT) when domestic and foreign firms that have market (monopoly) power effect cross hauling through International price discrimination. Data relating to 255 U. S. 4-digit SIC manufacturing industries were used to test the existence of the necessary (but not sufficient) characteristics for reciprocal dumping of (1) intraindustry trade, (2) monopolistic firms, and (3) high profits. These characteristics were found not to exist among U. S. manufacturing industries. [F12]     

Multi-Dimensional Product Differentiation

We analyze product differentiation in a multi-dimensional model with non-uniform consumer distribution. The level of product differentiation is measured by both unit transport costs and firms’ locations. Our analysis concerns both measures. First, fixing firms’ locations, we show that equilibrium prices can increase or decrease with unit transport costs. The overall result depends on the interplay of a shifting effect and a rotating effect—the latter exists only in multi-dimensional models. Second, fixing unit transport costs, we find that under non-uniform distribution, there may exist no equilibrium where firms maximize differentiation on one dimension but minimize differentiation on other dimensions. Instead, there may exist an equilibrium where firms choose intermediate locations, contrary to common findings in existing studies which assume uniform distribution.     

Kreps & Scheinkman with Product Differentiation

Kreps and Scheinkman (1983)’s celebrated result is that in a two-stage model of a market with homogeneous products in which firms noncooperatively pick capacities in the first stage and set prices in the second stage, the equilibrium outcome is that of a one-shot Cournot game. This note derives capacity best response functions for the first stage and extends the Kreps and Scheinkman result to the case of differentiated products.     

Volume Quotas with Heterogeneous Product Categories*

Volume quotas on imports are an important part of assistance packages afforded a number of major industries in Australia. Generally, quota is allocated to importers free of charge, although recently a proportion of quota for some product groups has been sold by tender. In this paper we compare the effects of volume quotas applied to heterogeneous product groups when allocated free of charge, by full tender sale and by a combination offender sale and free allocation. The analysis is undertaken for both competitive markets and in the case where importers have some market power.     

Product Differentiation and Public Education

We demonstrate that differentiation in public services can arise as a way of reducing competition among cities. Quality differentiation can be particularly relevant to the provision of education. If cities finance education through a property tax that generates "tax competition," we find that quality differentiation in education changes the amount of educational services provided. In the case of property-value maximization, this means a reduction in educational services in both the city with high quality and that with low quality. The reduction in educational services means that under reasonable conditions property values in both cities can increase.     

Eco-Labeling and Horizontal Product Differentiation

This paper investigates the impact of eco-labels on the abatement of emissions in a market with horizontal product differentiation. A distinction is made between an end-of-pipe abatement method and a clean technology approach. In the former case underinvestment is likely to occur even if the marginal willingness to pay for abatement of consumers is equal to the social marginal benefit of abatement. The level of abatement depends on the number of firms and on the number of consumers. For a large market with few firms overinvestment in abatement is also possible. Clean technology abatement achieves a first best level regardless of market size if all consumers have a marginal willingness to pay for abatement equal to its social benefit.     

Quasi-Competitive Cournot Oligopoly with Product Differentiation and Symmetric Firms

Since Vives (1984 ), Cheng (1985 ) and Okuguchi (1987 ), the equilibria in Bertrand and Cournot oligopolies with product differentiation have been known to differ. Okuguchi (2005 ) has shown that Bertrand price‐adjusting oligopoly with product differentiation and symmetric firms is quasi‐competitive but not perfectly competitive in the limit state of infinite number of firms. This paper formulates and analyzes two types of Cournot output‐adjusting oligopoly with product differentiation and symmetric firms, in one of which symmetric firms producing the same goods are assumed to collude, and in the other, collusion is ruled out. The limit states are shown to be different in two oligopolies but they are both quasi‐competitive.     

Environmental Product Differentiation and Environmental Awareness

In this paper, we have considered a duopolistic model of environmental product differentiation with two types of consumers (green and brown) to analyze how environmental awareness affects the environment. “Green” consumers value the physical and environmental attributes of the good they purchase while “brown” consumers only value the physical attributes. We find that more environmental awareness may not be good news for the environment as the firm that produces the good without environmental attributes may increase its sales. The result depends on the degree of product differentiation and the cost to achieve it. Social welfare can also be inversely related to environmental awareness if the negative environmental effect dominates the positive market effect.      

Mixed Duopoly with Product Differentiation: Sequential Choice of Location

We investigate the sequential choice of location in a mixed duopoly, where a welfare–maximising public firm competes against a profit–maximising private firm. We examine the desirable role of the public firm in a mixed market. We also consider the effect of price regulation. We find that the public firm should become the follower (leader) if a price regulation is (is not) imposed. We also find that neither price regulation nor privatisation of the public firm improves welfare.     

Interfirm Bundling and Vertical Product Differentiation

In this paper, we study the competitive effects of bundled discounts offered by pairs of independent firms. In a setting with vertically differentiated goods, where firms decide whether to participate in a discounting scheme before prices are set, it is shown that, in equilibrium, all pairs of firms producing goods of the same quality level offer bundled discounts. Relative to the no‐bundling benchmark, we find that (i) all headline prices rise, (ii) all bundle prices, net of the respective discount, decrease, and (iii) only high‐quality sellers will obtain higher profits. Furthermore, this equilibrium corresponds to the worst scenario in terms of consumer welfare, and it and decreases social welfare.     

关于产品差别问题研究的回顾与综述

产品差别问题既是微观经济学中分析垄断竞争的出发点又是当代西方产业经济中重要的前沿问题。本文比较系统地回顾了产品差别问题的研究历程，综述了产品差别研究中的重要观点和成果，概要展示了最新的研究动态，还对产品差别前期研究结果作了一个简单的评价。     

Optimal Licensing Policy under Vertical Product Differentiation

This paper explores a vertical product differentiation model with a licensing arrangement between a multinational firm with superior technology and a domestic firm with obsolete technology. We find that a subsidy provided by the domestic country's government to the domestic firm to assist with the licensing arrangement is welfare enhancing for the domestic country. Furthermore, both the multinational firm and the domestic country are better off under royalty than under fixed fee licensing. These findings stand in contrast to earlier results in the literature.     

产品差别化、价格战与合谋

随着中国市场化改革的不断深入,价格战成为各行各业企业间不断上演的舞台剧。文章旨在从产品差别化与企业间合谋的相互关系出发,来分析企业频繁选择价格竞争而难以进行合谋的原因,即产品垂直差别水平的降低将使合谋难以维持,价格战容易爆发。因此,解决价格战的途径之一是中国企业应该加大自主创新的能力,提高产品垂直差别化程度。     

渠道与产品差异下的供应链技术创新协同策略

考虑电子直销渠道,构建了由两个制造商和一个零售商组成的供应链的技术创新协同模型,研究了其中一个制造商引入电子直销渠道后产品替代度和渠道替代度对零售商的创新补贴、两制造商的批发折扣以及供应链技术创新协同策略的影响。研究发现:产品差异性越小、渠道替代度越大,越有利于实施技术创新协同策略;仅从利润视角看,技术创新协同策略无法实现供应链系统的帕累托改进,但将之与市场份额视角相结合来看,能在一定程度上缓解渠道冲突,对各成员都有益。     

Endogenous Product Differentiation,Market Size and Prices

This paper provides a framework to understand how market size affects firms' investments in product differentiation in a model of monopolistic competition. The theory proposes that consumers' love of variety makes them more sensitive to product differentiation efforts by firms, which leads to more differentiated products in larger markets. The framework also predicts an inverted U ‐shaped effect of trade liberalization on product differentiation, with trade liberalization leading to more differentiated products when starting from autarky but then leading to less differentiated products as the countries approach free trade.     

最优关税和部分私有化战略-产品差异的混合寡头模型

本文通过构建一个双寡头垄断竞争的博弈模型,探讨了存在产品差异的混合寡头市场(mixed oligopoly)中,国内外企业的产品差异程度和公有企业私有化程度对最优关税的影响。研究结果表明:无论政府以收入极大化还是福利极大化为目标,其制定的关税税率都应随着私有化程度和产品差异程度的提高而提高,政府福利目标与关税收入目标都与产品差异程度成正比。与最近的其他研究发现不同,在不存在私有化或者当私有化程度相对较低而差异程度相对较高时,收入极大化关税税率总是高于福利极大化关税税率。同时本文还得出,福利极大化下的社会最优私有化比例总是大于关税收入极大化的社会最优私有化比例。因此,以社会福利极大化为目标的政府比以关税收入极大化为目标的政府更加倾向于私有化本国的公有企业。     

最优关税和部分私有化战略-产品差异的混合寡头模型

本文通过构建一个双寡头垄断竞争的博弈模型,探讨了存在产品差异的混合寡头市场(mixed oligopoly)中,国内外企业的产品差异程度和公有企业私有化程度对最优关税的影响.研究结果表明:无论政府以收入极大化还是福利极大化为目标,其制定的关税税率都应随着私有化程度和产品差异程度的提高而提高,政府福利目标与关税收入目标都与产品差异程度成正比.与最近的其他研究发现不同,在不存在私有化或者当私有化程度相对较低而差异程度相对较高时,收入极大化关税税率总是高于福利极大化关税税率.同时本文还得出,福利极大化下的社会最优私有化比例总是大干关税收入极大化的社会最优私有化比例.因此,以社会福利极大化为目标的政府比以关税收入极大化为目标的政府更加倾向于私有化本国的公有企业.     

供应商规模、产品差异与通道费定价策略

传统理论对通道费的解释是大型零售商相对于供应商所具有的市场势力,本文借助双边市场的分析框架,将大型零售商视为一个为供应商和消费者提供交易服务的平台厂商,通过向双方分别收取通道费和零售加价来获得利润。用户数量和交叉网络外部性是影响大型零售商利润和通道费定价策略的重要因素,产品差异对交叉网络外部性的强弱有重要影响,通道费的高低则与供应商的规模与市场份额密切关系。     

下游竞争、买方谈判能力与上游产品差异化

基于零售商谈判能力的差异,构建完全信息动态博弈模型,考察下游竞争程度、买方谈判能力对上游产品差异化策略激励的影响.结果表明,下游市场竞争与买方谈判能力对产品差异化的激励不存在替代效应;当零售商不具有买方谈判能力时,市场竞争程度通过影响上游利润激励供应商的产品差异化策略,竞争程度不影响批发价格;当主导零售商具有买方谈判能力时,谈判能力通过影响批发价格激励供应商的产品差异化策略;市场竞争削弱了消费者效用水平,而买方谈判能力改善了消费者效用水平.     

基于垂直产品差异的技术扩散分析

针对网络外部性和产品差异程度在新产品技术扩散中的作用,采用垂直产品差异分析框架和动态分析方法,分析了在双寡头垄断环境中新技术在不同条件下的扩散路径。研究结果表明:当产品差异-外部性系数(即网络外部性强度和产品差异程度之比)较小时,新技术总能够在市场中成功生存,特别是当消费者偏好差异不是很大时,新技术最终能够垄断整个市场;当该系数较大时,只有当新技术期初的网络规模超越了一定阀值后,它才能在市场中成功扩散。厂商可根据产品差异-外部性系数、期初网络规模铺设成本及新技术在市场中生存的期限等因素选择最佳的新技术扩散路径。