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Information Exchange, Market Transparency and Dynamic Oligopoly

Author

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  • Overgaard, Per Baltzer

    (Department of Economics, Copenhagen Business School)

  • Møllgaard, Peter

    (Department of Economics, Copenhagen Business School)

Abstract

In the economics literature, various views on the likely (efficiency) effects of information exchange, communication between firms and market transparency present themselves. Often these views on information flows are highly conflicting. On the one hand, it is argued that increased information dissemination improves firm planning to the benefit of society (including customers) and/or allows potential customers to make the right decisions given their preferences. On the other hand, the literature also suggests that increased information dissemination can have significant coordinating or collusive potential to the benefit of firms but at the expense of society at large (mainly, potential customers). In this chapter, we try to make sense of these views, with the aim of presenting some simple lessons for antitrust practice. In addition, the chapter presents some cases, from both sides of the Atlantic, where informational issues have played a significant role.

Suggested Citation

  • Overgaard, Per Baltzer & Møllgaard, Peter, 2006. "Information Exchange, Market Transparency and Dynamic Oligopoly," Working Papers 13-2005, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Economics.
    • Handle: RePEc:hhs:cbsnow:2005_013
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    Cited by:

    1. Wilson, Chris, 2006. "Markets with Search and Switching Costs," MPRA Paper 131, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised 06 Oct 2006.
    2. Ireland, Norman & Waterson, Michael, 2006. "Cartels and Search," Economic Research Papers 269740, University of Warwick - Department of Economics.
    3. Nils-Henrik M. von der Fehr, 2013. "Transparency in Electricity Markets," Economics of Energy & Environmental Policy, International Association for Energy Economics, vol. 0(Number 2).
    4. Rasch, Alexander & Herre, Jesko, 2013. "Customer-side transparency, elastic demand, and tacit collusion under differentiation," Information Economics and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 51-59.
    5. Zhang, Xubing & Jiang, Bo, 2014. "Increasing Price Transparency: Implications of Consumer Price Posting for Consumers' Haggling Behavior and a Seller's Pricing Strategies," Journal of Interactive Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 68-85.
    6. Anne Margarian, 2013. "A Constructive Critique of the Endogenous Development Approach in the European Support of Rural Areas," Growth and Change, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(1), pages 1-29, March.

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    • H00 - Public Economics - - General - - - General

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