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Directed search and optimal production

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  • Geromichalos, Athanasios

Abstract

I consider a model of directed search where strategic sellers advertise general trading mechanisms. A mechanism determines the number of buyers that will get served and the side payments, as a function of ex-post realized demand. Buyers observe these advertisements and visit one seller without being able to coordinate their visiting strategies. Despite the oligopolistic nature of the model, all symmetric equilibria are constrained-efficient. In small markets, multiple equilibria exist that are not payoff equivalent. This indeterminacy vanishes as the market grows large. I provide closed form solutions for equilibrium prices, profits, and the matching function under any parameter values.

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  • Geromichalos, Athanasios, 2012. "Directed search and optimal production," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 147(6), pages 2303-2331.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jetheo:v:147:y:2012:i:6:p:2303-2331
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jet.2012.09.008
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    Cited by:

    1. Pedro Gomis‐Porqueras & Benoit Julien & Chengsi Wang, 2017. "Strategic Advertising And Directed Search," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 58(3), pages 783-806, August.
    2. Leo Kaas & Philipp Kircher, 2015. "Efficient Firm Dynamics in a Frictional Labor Market," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 105(10), pages 3030-3060, October.
    3. Gomis-Porqueras Pedro & Julien Benoît & Wang Liang, 2018. "Competitive Search with Ex-post Opportunism," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 18(1), pages 1-17, January.
    4. Cai, Xiaoming & Gautier, Pieter A. & Wolthoff, Ronald P., 2017. "Search frictions, competing mechanisms and optimal market segmentation," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 169(C), pages 453-473.
    5. Athanasios Geromichalos, 2015. "Unemployment Insurance and Optimal Taxation in a Search Model of the Labor Market," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 18(2), pages 365-380, April.
    6. Julien, Benoit & Kennes, John & Ritter, Moritz, 2018. "Bidding for teams," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 52(C), pages 68-73.
    7. Virág, Gábor, 2011. "High profit equilibria in directed search models," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 71(1), pages 224-234, January.
    8. Manolis Galenianos & Philipp Kircher, 2012. "On The Game‐Theoretic Foundations Of Competitive Search Equilibrium," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 53(1), pages 1-21, February.
    9. Athanasios Geromichalos, 2014. "Directed Search And The Bertrand Paradox," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 55(4), pages 1043-1065, November.
    10. Godenhielm Mats & Kultti Klaus, 2015. "Directed Search with Endogenous Capacity," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 15(2), pages 211-249, July.
    11. Seungjin Han, 2015. "Competing Mechanisms: Theory and Applications in Directed Search Markets," Department of Economics Working Papers 2015-07, McMaster University, revised May 2016.
    12. Randall Wright & Philipp Kircher & Benoit Julîen & Veronica Guerrieri, 2017. "Directed Search: A Guided Tour," NBER Working Papers 23884, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    13. William B. Hawkins, 2013. "Competitive Search, Efficiency, And Multiworker Firms," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 54(1), pages 219-251, February.
    14. Peter Norman, 2017. "Matching with Frictions and Entry with Poisson Distributed Buyers and Sellers," 2017 Meeting Papers 1150, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    15. Xiaoming Cai & Pieter Gautier & Ronald Wolthoff, 2015. "Inclusive versus Exclusive Markets: Search Frictions and Competing Mechanisms," Working Papers tecipa-545, University of Toronto, Department of Economics.
    16. Kyungmin Kim & Philipp Kircher, 2013. "Efficient Competition through Cheap Talk: Competing Auctions and Competitive Search without Ex Ante Price Commitment," Edinburgh School of Economics Discussion Paper Series 235, Edinburgh School of Economics, University of Edinburgh.
    17. Nicolas L. Jacquet & John Kennes & Serene Tan, 2019. "Wagevacancy contracts and multiplicity of equilibria in a directed search model of the labour market," Canadian Journal of Economics, Canadian Economics Association, vol. 52(2), pages 784-821, May.
    18. Tan, Serene, 2022. "Income inequality and endogenous market structure under directed search," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    19. Mats Godenhielm & Klaus Kultti, 2014. "Capacity Choice in a Large Market," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(8), pages 1-7, August.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Directed search; Efficiency; Multiplicity of equilibrium; Endogenous matching function;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • C78 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Bargaining Theory; Matching Theory
    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • J6 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Mobility, Unemployment, Vacancies, and Immigrant Workers

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