IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/bla/ajecsc/v84y2025i3p547-566.html

Technology Licensing With Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility in a Vertically Differentiated Duopoly

Author

Listed:
  • Dongdong Li
  • Wenyao Lin
  • Chenxuan Shang

Abstract

In this paper, we study the impact of strategic corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities on the optimal licensing strategy for cost‐reducing technology in a vertically differentiated duopoly. We compare three types of licensing strategies—fixed fee, royalty, and two‐part tariff—under three CSR strategy structures: ST model (only firm 1 adopts a CSR strategy), TS model (only firm 2 adopts a CSR strategy), and SS model (both firms adopt CSR strategies). The results show that the licensor prefers fixed‐fee licensing when it adopts a CSR strategy (i.e., ST and SS) but opts for two‐part tariff licensing when it does not (i.e., TS). We also find that the optimal licensing contract leads to higher social welfare under the CSR compliance strategy than under the mixed CSR strategy. Finally, we show that firms endogenously choose the CSR compliance strategy.

Suggested Citation

  • Dongdong Li & Wenyao Lin & Chenxuan Shang, 2025. "Technology Licensing With Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility in a Vertically Differentiated Duopoly," American Journal of Economics and Sociology, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 84(3), pages 547-566, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:ajecsc:v:84:y:2025:i:3:p:547-566
    DOI: 10.1111/ajes.12620
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/ajes.12620
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1111/ajes.12620?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Morton I. Kamien & Yair Tauman, 1986. "Fees Versus Royalties and the Private Value of a Patent," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 101(3), pages 471-491.
    2. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2017. "Corporate social responsibility, profits and welfare with managerial firms," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 64(4), pages 341-356, December.
    3. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2017. "The effects of corporate social responsibility on entry," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 44(2), pages 259-266, June.
    4. Zou, Yuxiang & Chen, Tai-Liang, 2020. "Quality differentiation and product innovation licensing," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 87(C), pages 372-382.
    5. Björn Brand & Michael Grothe, 2015. "Social responsibility in a bilateral monopoly," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 115(3), pages 275-289, July.
    6. Wang, X. Henry, 1998. "Fee versus royalty licensing in a Cournot duopoly model," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 60(1), pages 55-62, July.
    7. Baake, Pio & Boom, Anette, 2001. "Vertical product differentiation, network externalities, and compatibility decisions," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 19(1-2), pages 267-284, January.
    8. Leonardos, Stefanos & Petrakis, Emmanuel & Skartados, Panagiotis & Stamatopoulos, Giorgos, 2021. "Partial passive ownership holdings and licensing," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    9. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2018. "Profitability of corporate social responsibility in network industries," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 65(3), pages 271-289, September.
    10. Yoshifumi Hino & Yusuke Zennyo, 2017. "Corporate social responsibility and strategic relationships," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 64(3), pages 231-244, September.
    11. Yang, Le & Huang, Zining, 2023. "Quality-improving licensing of an outside innovator in a mixed Cournot duopoly," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    12. Kamien,Morton I. & Schwartz,Nancy L., 1982. "Market Structure and Innovation," Cambridge Books, Cambridge University Press, number 9780521293853, December.
    13. Siyu Ma & Debapriya Sen & Yair Tauman, 2024. "Optimal patent licensing: from three to two part tariffs," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 78(4), pages 1233-1273, December.
    14. Lisa Planer-Friedrich & Marco Sahm, 2020. "Strategic corporate social responsibility, imperfect competition, and market concentration," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 129(1), pages 79-101, January.
    15. Huaige Zhang & Xuejun Wang & Xianpei Hong & Qiang (Steven) Lu, 2018. "Technology Licensing in a Network Product Market: Fixed†Fee versus Royalty Licensing," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 94(305), pages 168-185, June.
    16. Singh, Sanjay Kumar & Giudice, Manlio Del & Chierici, Roberto & Graziano, Domenico, 2020. "Green innovation and environmental performance: The role of green transformational leadership and green human resource management," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    17. Mingqing Xing & Sang‐Ho Lee, 2025. "Consumer Environmental Awareness in a Green Managerial Delegation Contract Under Common Ownership," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 76(3), pages 439-452, July.
    18. Kopel, Michael & Brand, Björn, 2012. "Socially responsible firms and endogenous choice of strategic incentives," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 29(3), pages 982-989.
    19. Michael Kopel, 2015. "Price and Quantity Contracts in a Mixed Duopoly with a Socially Concerned Firm," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 36(8), pages 559-566, December.
    20. Goering, Gregory E., 2008. "Socially concerned firms and the provision of durable goods," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 25(3), pages 575-583, May.
    21. Goering, Gregory E., 2012. "Corporate social responsibility and marketing channel coordination," Research in Economics, Elsevier, vol. 66(2), pages 142-148.
    22. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2017. "Corporate social responsibility in a game-theoretic context," Economia e Politica Industriale: Journal of Industrial and Business Economics, Springer;Associazione Amici di Economia e Politica Industriale, vol. 44(3), pages 371-390, September.
    23. ., 2017. "Corporate social responsibility," Chapters, in: Organizational Opportunity and Deviant Behavior, chapter 8, pages 135-158, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    24. Lioui, Abraham & Sharma, Zenu, 2012. "Environmental corporate social responsibility and financial performance: Disentangling direct and indirect effects," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 100-111.
    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. Xingtang Wang & Leonard F. S. Wang, 2022. "Corporate social responsibility, vertical product differentiation, and privatization policy," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 73(2), pages 403-425, April.
    2. Zhang, Qidi & Wang, Leonard F.S., 2022. "Corporate social responsibility, entry and optimal privatization in an international mixed market," International Review of Economics & Finance, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 14-24.
    3. Fanti, Luciano & Buccella, Domenico, 2018. "A note on the social responsibility in a bilateral monopoly," MPRA Paper 88162, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. Chokri Aloui & Khaïreddine Jebsi, 2022. "Does corporate social responsibility solve the chicken‐and‐egg problem for a two‐sided platform?," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(7), pages 3235-3256, October.
    5. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2020. "Publisher Correction: Social Responsibility in a Bilateral Monopoly with Downstream Convex Technology," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 777-777, December.
    6. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2020. "Pareto-Superiority of Corporate Social Responsibility in Unionised Industries," Arthaniti: Journal of Economic Theory and Practice, , vol. 19(2), pages 131-150, December.
    7. Arturo Garcia & Mariel Leal & Sang-Ho Lee, 2021. "Competitive CSR in a strategic managerial delegation game with a multiproduct corporation," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 68(3), pages 301-330, September.
    8. Xu Lili & Lee Sang-Ho, 2022. "Corporate Profit Tax and Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility Under Foreign Acquisition," The B.E. Journal of Theoretical Economics, De Gruyter, vol. 22(1), pages 123-151, January.
    9. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2021. "Corporate social responsibility in unionised network industries," International Review of Economics, Springer;Happiness Economics and Interpersonal Relations (HEIRS), vol. 68(2), pages 235-262, June.
    10. Seung-Leul Kim & Sang-Ho Lee & Toshihiro Matsumura, 2019. "Corporate social responsibility and privatization policy in a mixed oligopoly," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 128(1), pages 67-89, September.
    11. Laszlo Goerke & Nora Paulus, 2024. "Collective bargaining about corporate social responsibility," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 57(4), pages 1285-1313, November.
    12. Buccella, Domenico & Fanti, Luciano & Gori, Luca, 2024. "Corporate Social Responsibility: A theory of the firm revisited with environmental issues," GLO Discussion Paper Series 1421, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    13. Mariana Cunha & Filipa Mota, 2020. "Coordinated Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 20(4), pages 617-641, December.
    14. Jumpei Hamamura & Vinay Ramani, 2023. "Social performance versus relative performance evaluation, asymmetric costs, and quantity competition under managerial delegation," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(3), pages 1706-1719, April.
    15. Lisa Planer-Friedrich & Marco Sahm, 2020. "Strategic corporate social responsibility, imperfect competition, and market concentration," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 129(1), pages 79-101, January.
    16. Mariel Leal & Arturo García & Sang-Ho Lee, 2021. "Sequencing R&D decisions with a consumer-friendly firm and spillovers," The Japanese Economic Review, Springer, vol. 72(2), pages 243-260, April.
    17. Ma, Peng, 2021. "Optimal generic and brand advertising efforts in a decentralized supply chain considering customer surplus," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 60(C).
    18. Liu, Qian & Wang, Leonard F.S. & Chen, Charlie L., 2018. "CSR in an oligopoly with foreign competition: Policy and welfare implications," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 72(C), pages 1-7.
    19. Bárcena-Ruiz, Juan Carlos & Garzón, María Begoña & Sagasta, Amagoia, 2023. "Environmental corporate social responsibility, R&D and disclosure of “green” innovation knowledge," Energy Economics, Elsevier, vol. 120(C).
    20. Luciano Fanti & Domenico Buccella, 2018. "Corporate Social Responsibility and Managerial Bonus Systems," Italian Economic Journal: A Continuation of Rivista Italiana degli Economisti and Giornale degli Economisti, Springer;Società Italiana degli Economisti (Italian Economic Association), vol. 4(2), pages 349-365, July.

    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:bla:ajecsc:v:84:y:2025:i:3:p:547-566. 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: Wiley Content Delivery (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.blackwellpublishing.com/journal.asp?ref=0002-9246 .

    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.