Mergers, Asymmetries and Collusion
Experimental Evidence
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9712718 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Miguel A Fonseca (0000-0002-5294-6784, Columbia University), Hans‐theo Normann (Royal Holloway College) |
| Year | 2008 |
| Volume | 118 |
| Issue | 527 |
| Pages | 387-400 |
| Publication date | 2008-03-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Economic Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0013-0133 • E-ISSN: 1468-0297 |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press (OUP) (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1468-0297.2007.02126.x |
| OpenAlex | W3122339540 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 14 |
We analyse the impact of mergers in experimental Bertrand-Edgeworth oligopolies. Treatment variables are the number of firms (two, three) and the distribution of industry capacity (symmetric, asymmetric). Consistent with a dynamic collusion model, we find that, even though they are more concentrated, asymmetric markets exhibit lower prices than symmetric markets with the same number of firms. Consistent with the static Nash prediction, duopolies charge higher prices than triopolies when we control for (a)symmetry. The overall impact of a merger (which comprises both fewer firms and an asymmetry) is anti-competitive but the price increase is not significant. Copyright © 2008 The Author(s)
Asymmetry · Bertrand competition · Collusion · Cournot competition · Econometrics · Economics · Microeconomics · Nash equilibrium · Oligopoly · Physics · Corporate Finance and Governance · Economic Policies and Impacts · Merger and Competition Analysis
| Citations per year | 0.33 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2011 - 2025 (15) |
| Highly cited | No |