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On monopolistic competition and optimal product diversity: workers' rents also matter

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  • PICARD, Pierre M.
  • TOULEMONDE, Eric

Abstract

In the Dixit-Stiglitz model of monopolistic competition, entry of firms is socially too small. Other authors have shown that excess entry is also a possibility with other preferences for diversity. We show that workers' rents also contribute to explain excess entry through a general equilibrium mechanism. Larger wages indeed raises the aggregate earnings and firms sales and profits, which entices too many firms to enter. We discuss the possibility of over-provision of varieties by comparing the equilibrium to unconstrained and constrained social optima and to other regulatory framework where wages are not controlled.
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  • PICARD, Pierre M. & TOULEMONDE, Eric, 2009. "On monopolistic competition and optimal product diversity: workers' rents also matter," LIDAM Reprints CORE 2175, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
    • Handle: RePEc:cor:louvrp:2175
    DOI: 10.1111/j.1540-5982.2009.01553.x
    Note: In : Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'Economique, 42(4), 1347-1360, 2009
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Michael Spence, 1976. "Product Selection, Fixed Costs, and Monopolistic Competition," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 43(2), pages 217-235.
    2. Picard, Pierre M. & Toulemonde, Eric, 2006. "Firms agglomeration and unions," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 50(3), pages 669-694, April.
    3. d'Aspremont, Claude & Dos Santos Ferreira, Rodolphe & Gerard-Varet, Louis-Andre, 1996. "On the Dixit-Stiglitz Model of Monopolistic Competition," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 86(3), pages 623-629, June.
    4. Pierre M. Picard & Eric Toulemonde, 2009. "On monopolistic competition and optimal product diversity: workers' rents also matter," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(4), pages 1347-1360, November.
    5. Dixit, Avinash K & Stiglitz, Joseph E, 1977. "Monopolistic Competition and Optimum Product Diversity," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 67(3), pages 297-308, June.
    6. Steven C. Salop, 1979. "Monopolistic Competition with Outside Goods," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 10(1), pages 141-156, Spring.
    7. Matsumura, Toshihiro & Okamura, Makoto, 2006. "A note on the excess entry theorem in spatial markets," International Journal of Industrial Organization, Elsevier, vol. 24(5), pages 1071-1076, September.
    8. Anderson, Simon P & de Palma, Andre & Nesterov, Yurii, 1995. "Oligopolistic Competition and the Optimal Provision of Products," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 63(6), pages 1281-1301, November.
    9. d’ASPREMONT, Cl. & DOS SANTOS FERREIRA, R. & GERARD-VARET, L.-A., 1988. "Unemployment in a Cournot oligopoly model with Ford effects," LIDAM Discussion Papers CORE 1988018, Université catholique de Louvain, Center for Operations Research and Econometrics (CORE).
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    11. Benassy, Jean-Pascal, 1996. "Taste for variety and optimum production patterns in monopolistic competition," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 41-47, July.
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    1. Pierre M. Picard & Eric Toulemonde, 2009. "On monopolistic competition and optimal product diversity: workers' rents also matter," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 42(4), pages 1347-1360, November.
    2. Wei-Bin Zhang, 2019. "Competition versus Monopolistic Competition by Integrating Solow-Uzawa and Dixit-Stiglitz," Ovidius University Annals, Economic Sciences Series, Ovidius University of Constantza, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 0(2), pages 390-400, December.
    3. Iwaisako, Tatsuro, 2019. "Welfare analysis of uniform entry tax in a general equilibrium model with heterogeneous industries," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 178(C), pages 54-57.
    4. Amitrajeet Batabyal & Peter Nijkamp, 2014. "Innovation, Decentralization, and Planning in a Multi-Region Model of Schumpeterian Economic Growth," Networks and Spatial Economics, Springer, vol. 14(3), pages 605-628, December.
    5. Wei-Bin Zhang, 2018. "An Integration of Solow’s Growth and Dixit-Stiglitz’s Monopolistic Competition Models," SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, SPOUDAI Journal of Economics and Business, University of Piraeus, vol. 68(4), pages 3-19, October-D.

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    JEL classification:

    • L16 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Industrial Organization and Macroeconomics; Macroeconomic Industrial Structure

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