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Price equilibrium and willingness to pay in a vertically differentiated mixed duopoly

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  • C. Benassi
  • M. Castellani
  • M. Mussoni

Abstract

In the framework of a vertically differentiated mixed duopoly, with uncovered market and costless quality choice, we study the existence of a price equilibrium when a welfare-maximizing public firm producing low quality goods competes against a profit-maximizing private firm producing high quality goods. We show that a price equilibrium exists if the quality spectrum is wide enough vis vis a measure of the convexity of the distribution of the consumers' willingness to pay, and that such equilibrium is unique if this sufficient condition is tightened. Log-concavity of the income distribution is inconsistent with the existence of equilibrium.

Suggested Citation

  • C. Benassi & M. Castellani & M. Mussoni, 2015. "Price equilibrium and willingness to pay in a vertically differentiated mixed duopoly," Working Papers wp1012, Dipartimento Scienze Economiche, Universita' di Bologna.
  • Handle: RePEc:bol:bodewp:wp1012
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    Cited by:

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    3. Laine, Liisa T. & Ma, Ching-to Albert, 2017. "Quality and competition between public and private firms," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 140(C), pages 336-353.
    4. Francesco Angelini & Corrado Benassi & Massimiliano Castellani, 2021. "Platform competition and willingness to pay in a vertical differentiated two-sided market," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 41(2), pages 772-780.
    5. Xingtang Wang & Leonard F. S. Wang, 2022. "Indirect taxation, quality choice, and social welfare," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 43(6), pages 1764-1772, September.
    6. Xingtang Wang, 2023. "Who is more aggressive under vertical product differentiation?," Managerial and Decision Economics, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 44(1), pages 608-618, January.
    7. Del Rey Elena & Estevan Fernanda, 2020. "Assessing Higher Education Policy in Brazil: A Mixed Oligopoly Approach," The B.E. Journal of Economic Analysis & Policy, De Gruyter, vol. 20(1), pages 1-16, January.
    8. Xingtang Wang & Leonard F. S. Wang & Huizhong Liu, 2024. "Cross-ownership and managerial delegation under vertical product differentiation," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 143(2), pages 161-181, October.
    9. Wu, Di & Sun, Ji & Wang, Leonard F.S. & Liu, Huizhong, 2024. "Network externalities in a vertically differentiated luxury goods market," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 100-109.
    10. 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.

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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D43 - Microeconomics - - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design - - - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation

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