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Mergers in Multidimensional Competition

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  • CARL DAVIDSON
  • BEN FERRETT

Abstract

Horizontal mergers are often driven by the desire to exploit R&D complementarities. We investigate the positive features of such a merger when oligopolists compete both in process R&D and on the product market. For a non‐trivial degree of R&D complementarity, we show that the merger has the following intuitively appealing features independently of the strategic variable in market competition: insiders benefit; outsiders are harmed; and insiders end up larger than outsiders. These results contrast with those of traditional models of merger to achieve market power alone, which are known to be counterintuitive and sensitive to the mode of product market competition.

Suggested Citation

  • Carl Davidson & Ben Ferrett, 2007. "Mergers in Multidimensional Competition," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 74(296), pages 695-712, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:econom:v:74:y:2007:i:296:p:695-712
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-0335.2007.00595.x
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Davidson, Carl & Mukherjee, Arijit, 2007. "Horizontal mergers with free entry," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 25(1), pages 157-172, February.
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    Cited by:

    1. Ben Ferrett & Joanna Poyago-Theotoky, 2016. "Horizontal Agreements and R&D Complementarities: Merger versus RJV," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 87-107, February.
    2. Marc-Andreas Muendler, 2014. "Export or merge? Proximity vs. concentration in product space," Asia-Pacific Journal of Accounting & Economics, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 21(1), pages 35-57, March.
    3. Cabolis, C. & Manasakis, C. & Moreno, Diego & Petrakis, Emmanuel, 2016. "R&D investments fostering horizontal mergers," UC3M Working papers. Economics 23280, Universidad Carlos III de Madrid. Departamento de Economía.
    4. Motta, Massimo & Tarantino, Emanuele, 2021. "The effect of horizontal mergers, when firms compete in prices and investments," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 78(C).
    5. Tomás Portela Neves de Almeida & Margarida Catalão‐Lopes, 2024. "Innovation and mergers in generalized asymmetric oligopolies," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 45(2), pages 758-769, March.
    6. Miyagiwa, Kaz & Wan, Yunyun, 2016. "Innovation and the merger paradox," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 5-7.
    7. Arijit Mukherjee & Umut Erksan Senalp, 2021. "Firm‐productivity and cross border merger," Review of International Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(4), pages 838-859, September.
    8. Anna Rita Bennato & Stephen Davies & Franco Mariuzzo & Peter Ormosi, 2019. "Mergers and Innovation: Evidence from the Hard Disk Drive Market," Working Paper series, University of East Anglia, Centre for Competition Policy (CCP) 2018-04v3, Centre for Competition Policy, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK..
    9. Bourreau, Marc & Jullien, Bruno, 2018. "Mergers, investments and demand expansion," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 167(C), pages 136-141.
    10. Beladi, Hamid & Mukherjee, Arijit, 2012. "Footloose foreign firm and profitable domestic merger," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 83(2), pages 186-194.
    11. Xiaomeng Guo & Yunjuan Kuang & Chi To Ng, 2023. "To centralize or decentralize: Mergers under price and quality competition," Production and Operations Management, Production and Operations Management Society, vol. 32(3), pages 844-862, March.
    12. Dusanee Kesavayuth & Sang-Ho Lee & Vasileios Zikos, 2018. "Merger and Innovation Incentives in a Differentiated Industry," International Journal of the Economics of Business, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 25(2), pages 207-221, May.
    13. Soo-Haeng Cho & Xin Wang, 2017. "Newsvendor Mergers," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 63(2), pages 298-316, February.
    14. Marc Bourreau & Bruno Jullien & Yassine Lefouili, 2026. "Horizontal Mergers and Incremental Innovation," RAND Journal of Economics, RAND Corporation, vol. 57(1), pages 122-139, March.
    15. Yasuhiro Yamamoto, 2020. "Less competitive bank markets: Conventional and unconventional monetary policies through bank‐lending channels," International Finance, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 23(2), pages 277-296, August.
    16. Cato, Susumu & Matsumura, Toshihiro, 2013. "Merger and entry-license tax," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 119(1), pages 11-13.
    17. James Foreman-Peck & Tom Nicholls, 2013. "SME takeovers as a contributor to regional productivity gaps," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 41(2), pages 359-378, August.
    18. Foreman-Peck, James & Nicholls, Tom, 2008. "Peripherality and the Impact of SME Takeovers," Cardiff Economics Working Papers E2008/9, Cardiff University, Cardiff Business School, Economics Section, revised Jul 2012.
    19. Etro, Federico, 2019. "Mergers of complements and entry in innovative industries," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 65(C), pages 302-326.
    20. Matsushima Noriaki & Sato Yasuhiro & Yamamoto Kazuhiro, 2013. "Horizontal Mergers, Firm Heterogeneity, and R&D Investments," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 13(2), pages 959-990, August.
    21. Cabolis, C. & Manasakis, C. & Moreno, D. & Petrakis, E., 2021. "The interactions of R&D investments and horizontal mergers," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 187(C), pages 507-534.
    22. Sebastian Linde & Ralph Siebert, 2016. "Do Mergers Among Multimarket Firms Create Value?," CESifo Working Paper Series 6139, CESifo.

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