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Regulating quality: a comparison between minimum quality standards and mixed oligopoly

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  • Iacopo Grassi

Abstract

This paper compares two possible State interventions in a market where a vertical differentiable good is produced: minimum quality standards (MQS) and mixed competition. In the analysis of MQS I consider an endogenous standard, given by the maximization of the Social Welfare, and the possibility for the firms not to respect such a standard, selling a low quality illegal good. In the study of the mixed oligopoly I concentrate the analysis on sectors where there might be separation between managers (who set the prices maximizing the profit) and employees (who set the quality maximizing the social welfare). The main result is that in these sectors the presence of the public firm allows to increase the Social Welfare with respect to the case when the good is produced by private firms or by a firm regulated with MQS.

Suggested Citation

  • Iacopo Grassi, 2013. "Regulating quality: a comparison between minimum quality standards and mixed oligopoly," STUDI ECONOMICI, FrancoAngeli Editore, vol. 2013(109), pages 25-44.
    • Handle: RePEc:fan:steste:v:html10.3280/ste2013-109002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L50 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - General
    • H44 - Public Economics - - Publicly Provided Goods - - - Publicly Provided Goods: Mixed Markets

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