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Competition and Innovation: An Experimental Investigation

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Author Info
Donja Darai () (Socioeconomic Institute, University of Zurich)
Dario Sacco ()
Armin Schmutzler () (Socioeconomic Institute, University of Zurich)

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Abstract

The paper analyzes the effects of more intense competition on firms'incentives to invest in process innovations. We carry out experiments for two-stage games, where R&D investment choices are followed by product market competition. As predicted by theory, an increase in the number of firms from two to four reduces investments. However, a positive effect is observed for a switch from Cournot to Bertrand, even though theory predicts a negative effect in the four-player case. This result reflects overinvestment in the Bertrand case. The results arise both in treatments in which both stages are implemented and in treatments in which only one stage is implemented.

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File URL: http://www.soi.uzh.ch/research/wp/2006/wp0608.pdf
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File Function: revised version, 2009
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Publisher Info
Paper provided by University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute in its series Working Papers with number 0608.

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Length: 33 pages
Date of creation: Jun 2009
Date of revision: Apr 2007
Handle: RePEc:soz:wpaper:0608

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Related research
Keywords: R&D investment; intensity of competition; experiment;

Other versions of this item:

Find related papers by JEL classification:
C92 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Design of Experiments - - - Laboratory, Group Behavior
L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
O31 - Economic Development, Technological Change, and Growth - - Technological Change - - - Innovation and Invention: Processes and Incentives

This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

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. Dennis Gaertner & Armin Schmutzler, 2006. "Merger Negotiations and Ex-Post Regret," Working Papers 0607, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Dec 2007. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Fabian Waltert & Felix Schlaepfer, 2007. "The role of landscape amenities in regional development: a survey of migration, regional economic and hedonic pricing studies," Working Papers 0710, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  3. Helga Fehr & Thomas Epper & Adrian Bruhin & Renate Schubert, 2007. "Risk and Rationality: The Effect of Incidental Mood on Probability Weighting," Working Papers 0703, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  4. Adrian Bruhin & Thomas Epper, 2007. "Risk and Rationality: Uncovering Heterogeneity in Probability Distortion," Working Papers 0705, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Jul 2007. [Downloadable!]
  5. Rafael Lalive & Armin Schmutzler, 2005. "Exploring the Effects of Competition for Railway Markets," Working Papers 0511, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Apr 2007. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  6. Hans Gersbach & Armin Schmutzler, 2006. "A Product-Market Theory of Industry-Specific Training," Working Papers 0610, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  7. Philippe Mahler & Rainer Winkelmann, 2005. "Single Motherhood and (Un)Equal EducationalOpportunities: Evidence for Germany," Working Papers 0512, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  8. Hans Gersbach & Armin Schmutzler, 2006. "Foreign Direct Investment and R&D offshoring," Working Papers 0606, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  9. Isaac, R Mark & Reynolds, Stanley S, 1988. "Appropriability and Market Structure in a Stochastic Invention Model," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 103(4), pages 647-71, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  12. Rafael Lalive & Armin Schmutzler, 2006. "Entry in liberalized railway markets: The German experience," Working Papers 0609, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Apr 2007. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  13. Stefan Boes & Markus Lipp & Rainer Winkelmann, 2005. "Money Illusion Under Test," Working Papers 0514, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  14. Adrian Bruhin & Rainer Winkelmann, 2007. "Happiness Functions with Preference Interdependence and Heterogeneity: The Case of Altruism within the Family," Working Papers 0702, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Feb 2008. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  15. Delbono, Flavio & Denicolo, Vincenzo, 1991. "Incentives to Innovate in a Cournot Oligopoly," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 106(3), pages 951-61, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  16. Lee, Tom & Wilde, Louis L, 1980. "Market Structure and Innovation: A Reformulation," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 94(2), pages 429-36, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  17. Josef Falkinger, 2008. "Between Agora and Shopping Mall," Working Papers 0805, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  18. Stefan Buehler & Christian Kaiser & Franz Jaeger, 2007. "On the Geographic and Cultural Determinants of Bankruptcy," Working Papers 0701, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Jun 2007. [Downloadable!]
  19. Stefan Boes & Kevin Staub & Rainer Winkelmann, 2007. "Hedonic Adaptation to Living Standards and the Hidden Cost of Parental Income," Working Papers 0713, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  20. Gersbach, Hans & Schmutzler, Armin, 2007. "Does Globalization Create Superstars?," CEPR Discussion Papers 6222, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  21. Suetens, Sigrid, 2005. "Cooperative and noncooperative R&D in experimental duopoly markets," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 23(1-2), pages 63-82, February. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  22. Cohen, Wesley M. & Levin, Richard C., 1989. "Empirical studies of innovation and market structure," Handbook of Industrial Organization, in: R. Schmalensee & R. Willig (ed.), Handbook of Industrial Organization, edition 1, volume 2, chapter 18, pages 1059-1107 Elsevier. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  23. Stefan Boes, 2007. "Nonparametric Analysis of Treatment Effects in Ordered Response Models," Working Papers 0709, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  24. Loury, Glenn C, 1979. "Market Structure and Innovation," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, MIT Press, vol. 93(3), pages 395-410, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  25. Huck, Steffen & Normann, Hans-Theo & Oechssler, Jorg, 2004. "Two are few and four are many: number effects in experimental oligopolies," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 53(4), pages 435-446, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  26. Adrian Bruhin, 2008. "Stochastic Expected Utility and Prospect Theory in a Horse Race: A Finite Mixture Approach," Working Papers 0803, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  27. Isaac, R. Mark & Reynolds, Stanley S., 1992. "Schumpeterian competition in experimental markets," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 17(1), pages 59-100, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  28. Dennis Gaertner, 2007. "Why Bayes Rules: A Note on Bayesian vs. Classical Inference in Regime Switching Models," Working Papers 0719, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  29. Stefan Boes & Rainer Winkelmann, 2006. "The Effect of Income on Positive and Negative Subjective Well-Being," Working Papers 0605, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  30. Daniel Halbheer & Ernst Fehr & Lorenz Goette & Armin Schmutzler, 2007. "Self-Reinforcing Market Dominance," Working Papers 0711, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  31. Donja Darai & Dario Sacco & Armin Schmutzler, 2009. "Competition and Innovation: An Experimental Investigation," Working Papers 0608, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Apr 2007. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  32. Helga Fehr-Duda & Adrian Bruhin & Thomas Epper & Renate Schubert, 2007. "Rationality on the Rise: Why Relative Risk Aversion Increases with Stake Size," Working Papers 0708, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Feb 2008. [Downloadable!]
  33. Armin Schmutzler, 2007. "The relation between competition and innovation – Why is it such a mess?," Working Papers 0716, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  34. Bester, Helmut & Petrakis, Emmanuel, 1993. "The incentives for cost reduction in a differentiated industry," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 11(4), pages 519-534. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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  35. Felix Schlaepfer, 2007. "Contingent valuation: a new perspective," Working Papers 0715, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
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  36. Stefan Boes, 2007. "Count Data Models with Unobserved Heterogeneity: An Empirical Likelihood Approach," Working Papers 0704, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
Full references

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. Rafael Lalive & Armin Schmutzler, 2005. "Exploring the Effects of Competition for Railway Markets," Working Papers 0511, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Apr 2007. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Donja Darai & Jens Grosser & Nadja Trhal, 2009. "Patents versus Subsidies – A Laboratory Experiment," Working Papers 0905, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  3. Dario Sacco & Armin Schmutzler, 2008. "Competition and Innovation: An Experimental Investigation," Working Papers 0807, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  4. Lukas Steinmann & Harry Telser & Peter Zweifel, 2005. "The Impact of Aging on Future Healthcare Expenditure," Working Papers 0510, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Dec 2006. [Downloadable!]
  5. Sandra Hanslin, 2008. "The effect of trade openness on optimal government size under endogenous firm entry," Working Papers 0802, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  6. Stefan Boes, 2007. "Nonparametric Analysis of Treatment Effects in Ordered Response Models," Working Papers 0709, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  7. Johannes Schoder & Peter Zweifel, 2008. "Managed Care Konzepte und Lösungsansätze– Ein internationaler Vergleich aus schweizerischer Sicht," Working Papers 0801, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  8. Dennis Gaertner, 2007. "Monopolistic Screening under Learning By Doing," Working Papers 0718, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  9. Josef Falkinger, 2008. "Between Agora and Shopping Mall," Working Papers 0805, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  10. Helga Fehr-Duda & Adrian Bruhin & Thomas Epper & Renate Schubert, 2007. "Rationality on the Rise: Why Relative Risk Aversion Increases with Stake Size," Working Papers 0708, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute, revised Feb 2008. [Downloadable!]
  11. Adrian Bruhin, 2008. "Stochastic Expected Utility and Prospect Theory in a Horse Race: A Finite Mixture Approach," Working Papers 0803, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  12. Dennis Gaertner, 2007. "Why Bayes Rules: A Note on Bayesian vs. Classical Inference in Regime Switching Models," Working Papers 0719, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  13. Dario Sacco & Armin Schmutzler, 2008. "All-Pay Auctions with Negative Prize Externalities: Theory and Experimental Evidence," Working Papers 0806, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
  14. Daniel Halbheer & Ernst Fehr & Lorenz Goette & Armin Schmutzler, 2007. "Self-Reinforcing Market Dominance," Working Papers 0711, University of Zurich, Socioeconomic Institute. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
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This page was last updated on 2009-11-4.

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