IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/yor/yorken/12-14.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

The effect of Stackelberg cost reductions on spatial competition with heterogeneous firms

Author

Listed:
  • Matthew Beacham

Abstract

This article extends the theory of spatial competition by allowing firms to endogenously select their operating costs within a Hotelling (1929) framework. A three-stage duopoly model is examined in which the firms compete in cost reduction, locations and finally prices. Furthermore, it is assumed that firms are identical except with respect to their cost reducing technologies and one firm has a Stackelberg leadership advantage in the cost-reduction stage. The model implies two results that are unique within the literature. First, if a firm possesses both an efficieny and investment timing advantage, it always becomes the dominant firm in the product market in all relevant respects. Second, if an ex ante inefficient firm has an investment timing advantage it can only become the ex post market leader if and only if the a priori efficiency gap is not too large. Consequently, these results suggest that a firm's ability to innovate - in terms of both efficiency and timing - play a large part in determining the composition of the final product market.

Suggested Citation

  • Matthew Beacham, 2012. "The effect of Stackelberg cost reductions on spatial competition with heterogeneous firms," Discussion Papers 12/14, Department of Economics, University of York.
    • Handle: RePEc:yor:yorken:12/14
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.york.ac.uk/media/economics/documents/discussionpapers/2012/1214.pdf
    File Function: Main text
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. van Damme, Eric & Hurkens, Sjaak, 2004. "Endogenous price leadership," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 47(2), pages 404-420, May.
    2. van Damme, Eric & Hurkens, Sjaak, 1999. "Endogenous Stackelberg Leadership," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 105-129, July.
    3. Lambertini, Luca, 1997. "Unicity of the equilibrium in the unconstrained Hotelling model," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 785-798, November.
    4. Chad Syverson, 2004. "Market Structure and Productivity: A Concrete Example," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 112(6), pages 1181-1222, December.
    5. Tabuchi, Takatoshi & Thisse, Jacques-Francois, 1995. "Asymmetric equilibria in spatial competition," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 13(2), pages 213-227.
    6. Toshihiro Matsumura & Noriaki Matsushima, 2010. "Patent licensing, bargaining, and product positioning," ISER Discussion Paper 0775, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    7. Alderighi, Marco & Piga, Claudio A., 2010. "On cost restrictions in spatial competition models with heterogeneous firms," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 40-42, July.
    8. Domenico Scalera & Alberto Zazzaro, 2005. "Cost reducing investments and spatial competition," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 12(20), pages 1-8.
    9. van Damme, Eric & Hurkens, Sjaak, 1999. "Endogenous Stackelberg Leadership," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 105-129, July.
    10. Jonathan Vogel, 2008. "Spatial Competition with Heterogeneous Firms," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 116(3), pages 423-466, June.
    11. Marco Alderighi & Claudio A. Piga, 2008. "The Circular City with Heterogenous Firms," Working Paper series 16_08, Rimini Centre for Economic Analysis.
    12. Ziss, Steffen, 1993. "Entry deterrence, cost advantage and horizontal product differentiation," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(4), pages 523-543, September.
    13. Toshihiro Matsumura & Noriaki Matsushima, 2009. "Cost differentials and mixed strategy equilibria in a Hotelling model," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 43(1), pages 215-234, March.
    14. Steven C. Salop, 1979. "Monopolistic Competition with Outside Goods," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 10(1), pages 141-156, Spring.
    15. d'Aspremont, C & Gabszewicz, Jean Jaskold & Thisse, J-F, 1979. "On Hotelling's "Stability in Competition"," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 47(5), pages 1145-1150, September.
    16. Mai, Chao-cheng & Peng, Shin-kun, 1999. "Cooperation vs. competition in a spatial model," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(4), pages 463-472, July.
    17. repec:ebl:ecbull:v:12:y:2005:i:20:p:1-8 is not listed on IDEAS
    18. Toshihiro Matsumura & Noriaki Matsushima & Giorgos Stamatopoulos, 2010. "Location equilibrium with asymmetric firms: the role of licensing," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 99(3), pages 267-276, April.
    19. Toshihiro Matsumura & Noriaki Matsushima, 2004. "Endogenous Cost Differentials between Public and Private Enterprises: A Mixed Duopoly Approach," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 71(284), pages 671-688, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    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. Colombo, Stefano & Lambertini, Luca, 2023. "R&D investments with spillovers and endogenous horizontal differentiation," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    2. Meza, Sergio & Tombak, Mihkel, 2009. "Endogenous location leadership," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 27(6), pages 687-707, November.
    3. Yen-Ju Lin & Yan-Shu Lin & Kuang-I Tu, 2016. "Strategic input outsourcing and equilibrium location choice," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 56(1), pages 83-99, January.
    4. Alderighi, Marco & Piga, Claudio A., 2010. "On cost restrictions in spatial competition models with heterogeneous firms," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 108(1), pages 40-42, July.
    5. Yen-Ju Lin & Yan-Shu Lin & Kuang-I Tu, 2016. "Strategic input outsourcing and equilibrium location choice," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 56(1), pages 83-99, January.
    6. Ralph Braid, 2013. "The locations of firms on intersecting roadways," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 50(3), pages 791-808, June.
    7. Matsumura, Toshihiro & Matsushima, Noriaki, 2012. "Welfare properties of strategic R&D investments in Hotelling models," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 115(3), pages 465-468.
    8. Vettas, Nikolaos & Kourandi, Frago, 2010. "Endogenous Spatial Differentiation with Vertical Contracting," CEPR Discussion Papers 7948, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    9. Toshihiro Matsumura & Noriaki Matsushima, 2010. "Patent licensing, bargaining, and product positioning," ISER Discussion Paper 0775, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    10. Toshihiro Matsumura & Yoshihiro Tomaru, 2015. "Mixed duopoly, location choice, and shadow cost of public funds," Southern Economic Journal, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 82(2), pages 416-429, October.
    11. Brekke, Kurt R. & Straume, Odd Rune, 2004. "Bilateral monopolies and location choice," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 275-288, May.
    12. Toshihiro Matsumura & Noriaki Matsushima, 2009. "Regional restriction, strategic delegation, and welfare," ISER Discussion Paper 0761, Institute of Social and Economic Research, Osaka University.
    13. Kevin Wiseman, 2010. "Location, Productivity, and Trade," 2010 Meeting Papers 671, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    14. Ebina, Takeshi & Matsushima, Noriaki & Shimizu, Daisuke, 2015. "Product differentiation and entry timing in a continuous time spatial competition model," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 247(3), pages 904-913.
    15. Jianhu Zhang & Changying Li, 2013. "Endogenous timing in a mixed oligopoly under demand uncertainty," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 108(3), pages 273-289, April.
    16. Hsu, Wen-Tai & Lu, Yi & Ng, Travis, 2014. "Does competition lead to customization?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 10-28.
    17. Torbenko, A., 2015. "Linear City Models: Overview and Typology," Journal of the New Economic Association, New Economic Association, vol. 25(1), pages 12-38.
    18. Jianhu Zhang & Changying Li, 2013. "Endogenous R&D spillover and location choice in a mixed oligopoly," The Annals of Regional Science, Springer;Western Regional Science Association, vol. 51(2), pages 459-477, October.
    19. Chia-Hung Sun, 2020. "Simultaneous and sequential choice in a symmetric two-player game with canyon-shaped payoffs," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 71(2), pages 191-219, April.
    20. Vitor Miguel Ribeiro, 2014. "Strategic delegation in two-sided markets," FEP Working Papers 536, Universidade do Porto, Faculdade de Economia do Porto.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Location model; Asymmetric firms; Stackelberg game; Endogenous cost selection;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • R32 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - Real Estate Markets, Spatial Production Analysis, and Firm Location - - - Other Spatial Production and Pricing Analysis

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    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:yor:yorken:12/14. 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: Paul Hodgson (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/deyoruk.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.