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Strategic Complementarity and Asymmetric Price Setting among Firms

Author

Listed:
  • Maiko Koga

    (Bank of Japan)

  • Koichi Yoshino

    (Bank of Japan)

  • Tomoya Sakata

    (Bank of Japan)

Abstract

Exploiting a large panel of firm survey data from Japan (Tankan survey), we provide micro evidence of strategic complementarity in firms' price setting. We find that a firm's price adjustment is affected by its competitors' pricing behavior and that this adjustment is larger when the firm is lowering its price, which accords with the theoretical predictions of quasi-kinked demand. Our results also indicate that firms with greater pricing power tend to be less sensitive to their competitors' behavior. Finally, we observe that heightened demand uncertainty mitigates the effect of shifts in demand conditions on the likelihood of price adjustment-evidence of wait and see pricing.

Suggested Citation

  • Maiko Koga & Koichi Yoshino & Tomoya Sakata, 2019. "Strategic Complementarity and Asymmetric Price Setting among Firms," Bank of Japan Working Paper Series 19-E-5, Bank of Japan.
    • Handle: RePEc:boj:bojwps:wp19e05
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Tatsushi Okuda & Tomohiro Tsuruga & Francesco Zanetti, 2019. "Imperfect Information, Shock Heterogeneity, and Inflation Dynamics," IMES Discussion Paper Series 19-E-15, Institute for Monetary and Economic Studies, Bank of Japan.
    2. Haruhiko Inatsugu & Tomiyuki Kitamura & Taichi Matsuda, 2019. "The Formation of Firms' Inflation Expectations: A Survey Data Analysis," Bank of Japan Working Paper Series 19-E-15, Bank of Japan.
    3. Dixon, Huw D. & Grimme, Christian, 2022. "State-dependent or time-dependent pricing? New evidence from a monthly firm-level survey: 1980–2017," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 150(C).
    4. Martin Berka, 2020. "Comments on "Strategic complementarity and asymmetric price setting among firms"," BIS Papers chapters, in: Bank for International Settlements (ed.), Inflation dynamics in Asia and the Pacific, volume 111, pages 99-102, Bank for International Settlements.
    5. MORIKAWA Masayuki, 2023. "Price Setting of Firms under Cost Uncertainty," Discussion papers 23040, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Demand uncertainty; Firm survey data; Price setting; Strategic complementarity;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D22 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
    • D84 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Expectations; Speculations
    • E31 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Price Level; Inflation; Deflation
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles

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