IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/ecm/wc2000/0397.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Price Discrimination Through Barter: A Theory and Evidence from Russia

Author

Listed:
  • Sergei Guriev

    (New Economic School)

  • Dmitry Kvassov

    (Pennsylvania State University)

Abstract

We build a model of imperfect competition where firms can sell for cash or in-kind payments. Barter is indivisible, and there is no double coincidence of wants. Despite these deficiencies, barter emerges in equilibrium as a means of price discrimination if market power is sufficiently concentrated. The model predicts negative correlation between number of sellers and share of barter in sales. We also show that barter disappears at certain level of concentration. Using survey data on Russian firms, we show that empirical evidence is consistent with predictions of the model. Sergei Guriev, Ph.D.

Suggested Citation

  • Sergei Guriev & Dmitry Kvassov, 2000. "Price Discrimination Through Barter: A Theory and Evidence from Russia," Econometric Society World Congress 2000 Contributed Papers 0397, Econometric Society.
  • Handle: RePEc:ecm:wc2000:0397
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://fmwww.bc.edu/RePEc/es2000/0397.pdf
    File Function: main text
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Wendy Carlin & Steven Fries & Mark Schaffer & Paul Seabright, 2000. "Barter and Non-Monetary Transactions in Transition Economies: Evidence from a Cross-Country Survey," CERT Discussion Papers 0004, Centre for Economic Reform and Transformation, Heriot Watt University.
    2. Brana, S. & Maurel, M., 1999. "Barter in Russia : Liquidity Shortage Versus Lack of Restructuring," Papiers d'Economie Mathématique et Applications 1999.98, Université Panthéon-Sorbonne (Paris 1).
    3. Ellingsen, Tore, 1998. "Payments in Kind," SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 244, Stockholm School of Economics, revised 10 Feb 2000.
    4. Abhijit V. Banerjee & Eric S. Maskin, 1996. "A Walrasian Theory of Money and Barter," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 111(4), pages 955-1005.
    5. Williamson, Steve & Wright, Randall, 1994. "Barter and Monetary Exchange under Private Information," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 84(1), pages 104-123, March.
    6. Stewart C. Myers & Raghuram G. Rajan, 1998. "The Paradox of Liquidity," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Oxford University Press, vol. 113(3), pages 733-771.
    7. Caves, Richard E & Marin, Dalia, 1992. "Countertrade Transactions: Theory and Evidence," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 102(414), pages 1171-1183, September.
    8. Clifford Gaddy & Barry W. Ickes, 1998. "To Restructure or Not to Restructure: Informal Activities and Enterprise Behavior in Transition," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 134, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    9. Sergei Aukutsionek, 1998. "Industrial barter in Russia," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 10(2), pages 179-188.
    10. V. Makarov & G. Kleiner, 2000. "Barter in Russia," Problems of Economic Transition, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 42(11), pages 51-79.
    11. Andrews, Donald W K, 1993. "Tests for Parameter Instability and Structural Change with Unknown Change Point," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 61(4), pages 821-856, July.
    12. Ellingsen, Tore & Stole, Lars A., 1996. "Mandated countertrade as a strategic commitment," Journal of International Economics, Elsevier, vol. 40(1-2), pages 67-84, February.
    13. Brown, A.N. & Ickes, B. & Ryterman, R., 1993. "The Myth of Monopoly: A New View of Industrial Structure in Russia," Papers 10-93-5, Pennsylvania State - Department of Economics.
    14. Abhijit V. Banerjee & Eric S. Maskin, 1996. "A Walrasian Theory of Money," Harvard Institute of Economic Research Working Papers 1753, Harvard - Institute of Economic Research.
    15. Hart, Oliver, 1995. "Firms, Contracts, and Financial Structure," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780198288817.
    16. Sergei Guriev & Barry Ickes, 2000. "Barter in Russia," Post-Print hal-03567845, HAL.
    17. Daniel Kaufman & Dalia Marin, 1998. "Disorganization, financial squeeze, barter," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 165, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    18. Marin, Dalia & Schnitzer, Monika, 1995. "Tying Trade Flows: A Theory of Countertrade with Evidence," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 85(5), pages 1047-1064, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Dolud, Olena, 2004. "Nichtmonetäre Transaktionen in der ukrainischen Landwirtschaft: Determinanten, Spezifika und Folgen," Studies on the Agricultural and Food Sector in Transition Economies, Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), volume 24, number 93080.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Guriev, Sergei & Kvassov, Dmitri, 2004. "Barter for price discrimination," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 22(3), pages 329-350, March.
    2. Sergei Guriev & Dmitry Kvassov, 2000. "Barter for price discrimination? A theory and evidence from Russia," Working Papers w0007, Center for Economic and Financial Research (CEFIR).
    3. Richard B. Goud Jr., 2002. "Inter-Firm Non-Monetary Transactions in Russia: A Literature Review," Development and Comp Systems 0207001, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Guriev, Sergei & Makarov, Igor & Maurel, Mathilde, 2002. "Debt Overhang and Barter in Russia," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 30(4), pages 635-656, December.
    5. Canice Prendergast & Lars Stole, 2001. "Barter, Liquidity and Market Segmentation," CESifo Working Paper Series 586, CESifo.
    6. Dalia Marin & Monika Schnitzer, 2002. "The Economic Institution Of International Barter," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 112(479), pages 293-316, April.
    7. Jose Noguera & Susan Linz, 2003. "A Theoretical Model of Barter in Russia," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp207, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague.
    8. Fleischman, Gary & Herz, Paul, 2005. "An empirical investigation of trends in barter activity in the Russian Federation," The International Journal of Accounting, Elsevier, vol. 40(1), pages 39-63.
    9. Kim, Byung-Yeon & Pirttila, Jukka, 2004. "Money, barter, and inflation in Russia," Journal of Comparative Economics, Elsevier, vol. 32(2), pages 297-314, June.
    10. Kim, Byung-Yeon & Pirttilä, Jukka & Rautava, Jouko, 2001. "Money, barter and inflation in Russia," BOFIT Discussion Papers 15/2001, Bank of Finland Institute for Emerging Economies (BOFIT).
    11. Ellingsen, Tore, 1998. "Payments in Kind," SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance 244, Stockholm School of Economics, revised 10 Feb 2000.
    12. Marin, Dalia & Schnitzer, Monika, 2005. "Disorganization and financial collapse," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 49(2), pages 387-408, February.
    13. Sophie Brana & Mathilde Maurel, 1999. "Barter in Russia: Liquidity Shortage versus Lack of Restructuring," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 271, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    14. Sergei Guriev & Barry W. Ickes, 2000. "Microeconomic Aspects of Economic Growth in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union, 1950-2000," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series 348, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    15. Jos?? Noguera & Susan J. Linz, 2005. "Barter, Credit, and Welfare: A theoretical inquiry into the barter phenomenon in Russia," William Davidson Institute Working Papers Series wp757, William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan.
    16. Jose Noguera, 2004. "Is Barter a Hobson’s Choice? A theory of barter and credit rationing," CERGE-EI Working Papers wp239, The Center for Economic Research and Graduate Education - Economics Institute, Prague.
    17. François R. Velde & Warren E. Weber & Randall Wright, 1999. "A Model of Commodity Money, with Applications to Gresham's Law and the Debasement Puzzle," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 2(1), pages 291-323, January.
    18. Mario Gara, 2001. "The Emergence of Non-monetary Means of Payment in the Russian Economy," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 13(1), pages 5-39.
    19. Mechthild SCHROOTEN, 2003. "Fiscal Federalism And Regional Development In Russia," Region et Developpement, Region et Developpement, LEAD, Universite du Sud - Toulon Var, vol. 18, pages 53-72.
    20. Andrei Yakovlev, 2000. "Barter in the Russian Economy: Classifications and Implications (Evidence from Case Study Analyses)," Post-Communist Economies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 12(3), pages 279-291.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:ecm:wc2000:0397. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Christopher F. Baum (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/essssea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.