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Information transmission and incentives not to price discriminate

Author

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  • Iñaki Aguirre

    (Departamento de Fundamentos del Aná}lisis Económico, Universidad del País Vasco, Avenida del Lehendakari Aguirre 83, 48015 Bilbao, Spain.)

Abstract

This paper analyzes how the pricing policy of an incumbent may signal information not only on the demand level but also on the demand composition. A signalling game with two periods and two players (an established firm and a potential entrant) is considered. The potential entrant has incomplete information on market demand. There exist many sequential equilibria in which the uniform price policy acts as an entry deterrence device by hiding actual market profitability. We can interpret the uniform pricing policy as a rejection of the use of superior information on market demand composition in order to reduce the entrant's expected profits.

Suggested Citation

  • Iñaki Aguirre, 1999. "Information transmission and incentives not to price discriminate," Spanish Economic Review, Springer;Spanish Economic Association, vol. 1(3), pages 283-299.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:specre:v:1:y:1999:i:3:p:283-299
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    2. Manel Antelo, 2012. "A Revenue-raising Government Taxing a Firm with Private Information," Hacienda Pública Española / Review of Public Economics, IEF, vol. 203(4), pages 57-86, December.

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • D82 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Asymmetric and Private Information; Mechanism Design

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