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Endogenous Capacities and Price Competition: The Role of Demand Uncertainty

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Author Info
de Frutos, Maria-Angeles
Fabra, Natalia

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Abstract

This paper analyzes a model of capacity choice followed by price competition under demand uncertainty. Under various assumptions regarding the nature and timing of demand realizations, we obtain general predictions concerning the role of demand uncertainty on equilibrium outcomes. We show that it reduces the multiplicity of equilibria, it may rule out the existence of symmetric equilibria, and it leads to endogenous capacity asymmetries even though firms are ex-ante symmetric. Furthermore, as compared to the certainty equivalent game, demand uncertainty reduces prices and increases consumer surplus, but it also decreases total welfare because of the emergence of idle capacity. By relying on the analysis of firms' reaction functions as well as on the theory of submodular games, we are able to show that a subgame perfect equilibrium always exists and to fully characterize it.

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Paper provided by C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers in its series CEPR Discussion Papers with number 6096.

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Date of creation: Feb 2007
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Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:6096

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Related research
Keywords: demand uncertainty; investment; price competition; submodular game;

Find related papers by JEL classification:
D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure and Pricing - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
D80 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - General
L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Natalia Fabra & Nils-Henrik M. von der Fehr & David Harbord, 2006. "Designing Electricity Auctions," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 37(1), pages 23-46, Spring.
    Other versions:
  2. Carl Davidson & Raymond Deneckere, 1986. "Long-Run Competition in Capacity, Short-Run Competition in Price, and the Cournot Model," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 17(3), pages 404-415, Autumn. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. Osborne, Martin J. & Pitchik, Carolyn, 1983. "Price Competition in a Capacity-Constrained Duopoly," Working Papers 83-08, C.V. Starr Center for Applied Economics, New York University. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Jean J. Gabszewicz & Sougata Poddar, 1997. "Demand fluctuations and capacity utilization under duopoly," Economic Theory, Springer, vol. 10(1), pages 131-146. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  5. Reynolds, Stanley S. & Wilson, Bart J., 2000. "Bertrand-Edgeworth Competition, Demand Uncertainty, and Asymmetric Outcomes," Journal of Economic Theory, Elsevier, vol. 92(1), pages 122-141, May. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  6. Klemperer, Paul D & Meyer, Margaret A, 1989. "Supply Function Equilibria in Oligopoly under Uncertainty," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 57(6), pages 1243-77, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Dechenaux, Emmanuel & Kovenock, Dan, 2003. "Endogenous Rationing, Price Dispersion, and Collusion in Capacity Constrained Supergames," Purdue University Economics Working Papers 1164, Purdue University, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  8. Dan Kovenock & Raymond J. Deneckere, 1996. "Bertrand-Edgeworth duopoly with unit cost asymmetry (*)," Economic Theory, Springer, vol. 8(1), pages 1-25.
  9. Veronika Grimm & Gregor Zoettl, 2006. "Capacity Choice under Uncertainty: The Impact of Market Structure," Working Paper Series in Economics 23, University of Cologne, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  10. Kovenock, D. & Roy, S., 1995. "Dynamic Capacity Choice in a Bertrand-Edgeworth Framework," Purdue University Economics Working Papers 1080, Purdue University, Department of Economics.
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  11. Allen, B. & Deneckere, R. & Faith, T. & Kovenock, D., 1994. "Capacity Precommitment as a Barrier to Entry: A Bertrand-Edgeworth Approach," Purdue University Economics Working Papers 1062, Purdue University, Department of Economics.
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  12. Grant, Simon & Quiggin, John, 1996. "Capital Precommitment and Competition in Supply Schedules," Journal of Industrial Economics, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 44(4), pages 427-41, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  13. Vives, Xavier, 1990. "Nash equilibrium with strategic complementarities," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 19(3), pages 305-321. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  14. Moreno, Diego & Ubeda, Luis, 2006. "Capacity precommitment and price competition yield the Cournot outcome," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 56(2), pages 323-332, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  15. Amir, Rabah & Wooders, John, 2000. "One-Way Spillovers, Endogenous Innovator/Imitator Roles, and Research Joint Ventures," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 31(1), pages 1-25, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  16. Benoit, Jean-Pierre & Krishna, Vijay, 1987. "Dynamic Duopoly: Prices and Quantities," Review of Economic Studies, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 54(1), pages 23-35, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Compte, Olivier & Jenny, Frederic & Rey, Patrick, 2002. "Capacity constraints, mergers and collusion," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 46(1), pages 1-29, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  18. Robert W. Staiger & Frank A. Wolak, 1992. "Collusive Pricing with Capacity Constraints in the Presence of Demand Uncertainty," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 23(2), pages 203-220, Summer. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  19. Leonard F. Herk, 1993. "Consumer Choice and Cournot Behavior in Capacity-Constrained Duopoly Competition," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 24(3), pages 399-417, Autumn. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  20. David M. Kreps & Jose A. Scheinkman, 1983. "Quantity Precommitment and Bertrand Competition Yield Cournot Outcomes," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 14(2), pages 326-337, Autumn. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Christou, Charalambos & Kotseva, Rossitsa & Vettas, Nikolaos, 2007. "Pricing, Investments and Mergers with Intertemporal Capacity Constraints," CEPR Discussion Papers 6433, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Charalambos Christou & Rossitsa Kotseva & Nikolaos Vettas, 2009. "Pricing, Investments and Mergers with Intertemporal Capacity Constraints," Discussion Paper Series 2009_06, Department of Economics, University of Macedonia, revised Mar 2009. [Downloadable!]
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