IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/pra/mprapa/64081.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Free entry oligopoly, Cournot, Bertrand and relative profit maximization

Author

Listed:
  • Satoh, Atsuhiro
  • Tanaka, Yasuhito

Abstract

We study a symmetric free entry oligopoly in which firms produce differentiated goods so as to maximize their relative profits. The relative profit of each firm is the difference between its profit and the average of the profits of other firms. We show that whether firms determine their outputs or prices, the equilibrium price when firms maximize their relative profits is lower than the equilibrium price when firms maximize their absolute profits, but the equilibrium number of firms under relative profit maximization is smaller than the equilibrium number of firms under absolute profit maximization. This is because each firm is more aggressive and produces larger output under relative profit maximization than under absolute profit maximization.

Suggested Citation

  • Satoh, Atsuhiro & Tanaka, Yasuhito, 2015. "Free entry oligopoly, Cournot, Bertrand and relative profit maximization," MPRA Paper 64081, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:64081
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/64081/1/MPRA_paper_64081.pdf
    File Function: original version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Dastidar, Krishnendu Ghosh, 1995. "On the Existence of Pure Strategy Bertrand Equilibrium," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 5(1), pages 19-32, January.
    2. Robert Gibbons & Kevin J. Murphy, 1990. "Relative Performance Evaluation for Chief Executive Officers," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 43(3), pages 30, April.
    3. Atsuhiro SATOH & Yasuhito TANAKA, 2016. "Equivalence of Cournot and Bertrand equilibria in duopoly under relative profit maximization: A general analysis," Journal of Economics and Political Economy, KSP Journals, vol. 3(3), pages 513-523, September.
    4. Yasuhito Tanaka, 2013. "Equivalance of Cournot and Bertrand equilibria in differentiated duopoly under relative profit maximization with linear demand," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 33(2), pages 1479-1486.
    5. Fernando Vega-Redondo, 1997. "The Evolution of Walrasian Behavior," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 65(2), pages 375-384, March.
    6. Matsumura, Toshihiro & Matsushima, Noriaki & Cato, Susumu, 2013. "Competitiveness and R&D competition revisited," Economic Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 31(C), pages 541-547.
    7. Yasuhito Tanaka, 2013. "Irrelevance of the choice of strategic variables in duopoly under relative profit maximization," Economics and Business Letters, Oviedo University Press, vol. 2(2), pages 75-83.
    8. Schaffer, Mark E., 1989. "Are profit-maximisers the best survivors? : A Darwinian model of economic natural selection," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 12(1), pages 29-45, August.
    9. Satoh, Atsuhiro & Tanaka, Yasuhito, 2014. "Relative profit maximization in asymmetric oligopoly: Cournot and Bertrand equilibria," MPRA Paper 55883, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Yuanzhu Lu, 2011. "The Relative-Profit-Maximization Objective Of Private Firms And Endogenous Timing In A Mixed Oligopoly," The Singapore Economic Review (SER), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 56(02), pages 203-213.
    11. Atsuhiro Satoh & Yasuhito Tanaka, 2014. "Relative profit maximization and equivalence of Cournot and Bertrand equilibria in asymmetric duopoly," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 34(2), pages 819-827.
    12. Atsuhiro Satoh & Yasuhito Tanaka, 2013. "Relative profit maximization and Bertrand equilibrium with quadratic cost functions," Economics and Business Letters, Oviedo University Press, vol. 2(3), pages 134-139.
    13. Satoh, Atsuhiro & Tanaka, Yasuhito, 2014. "Relative profit maximization and equivalence of Cournot and Bertrand equilibria in an asymmetric differentiated duopoly," MPRA Paper 55895, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    14. Atsuhiro Satoh & Yasuhito Tanaka, 2014. "Relative Profit Maximization in Duopoly: Difference or Ratio," International Journal of Business and Economics, School of Management Development, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, vol. 13(2), pages 127-141, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Atsuhiro Satoh & Yasuhito Tanaka, 2014. "Relative Profit Maximization in Duopoly: Difference or Ratio," International Journal of Business and Economics, School of Management Development, Feng Chia University, Taichung, Taiwan, vol. 13(2), pages 127-141, December.
    2. Satoh, Atsuhiro & Tanaka, Yasuhito, 2017. "Sion's minimax theorem and Nash equilibrium of symmetric multi-person zero-sum game," MPRA Paper 82148, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    3. Atsuhiro Satoh & Yasuhito Tanaka, 2020. "Sion's minimax theorem and Nash equilibrium of symmetric three-players zero-sum game," International Journal of Mathematics in Operational Research, Inderscience Enterprises Ltd, vol. 16(2), pages 279-289.
    4. Satoh, Atsuhiro & Tanaka, Yasuhito, 2016. "Maximin and minimax strategies in symmetric oligopoly: Cournot and Bertrand," MPRA Paper 75837, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Masahiko Hattori & Yasuhito Tanaka, 2014. "Incentive for adoption of new technology in duopoly under absolute and relative profit maximization," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 34(3), pages 2051-2059.
    6. Tanaka, Yasuhito & Satoh, Atsuhiro, 2016. "Maximin and minimax strategies in asymmetric duopoly: Cournot and Bertrand," MPRA Paper 73925, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    7. Masahiko Hattori & Atsuhiro Satoh & Yasuhito Tanaka, 2018. "Minimax theorem and Nash equilibrium of symmetric multi-players zero-sum game with two strategic variables," Papers 1806.07203, arXiv.org.
    8. Satoh, Atsuhiro & Tanaka, Yasuhito, 2016. "Symmetric multi-person zero-sum game with two sets of strategic variables," MPRA Paper 75838, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Atsuhiro Satoh & Yasuhito Tanaka, 2014. "Relative profit maximization in asymmetric oligopoly," Economics Bulletin, AccessEcon, vol. 34(3), pages 1653-1664.
    10. Hattori, Masahiko & Satoh, Atsuhiro & Tanaka, Yasuhito, 2018. "Minimax theorem and Nash equilibrium of symmetric three-players zero-sum game with two strategic variables," MPRA Paper 85503, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    11. Atsuhiro Satoh & Yasuhito Tanaka, 2018. "On the relation between Sion's minimax theorem and existence of Nash equilibrium in asymmetric multi-players zero-sum game with only one alien," Papers 1806.07253, arXiv.org.
    12. Satoh, Atsuhiro & Tanaka, Yasuhito, 2018. "The equivalence of mini-max theorem and existence of Nash equilibrium in asymmetric three-players zero-sum game with two groups," MPRA Paper 87249, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    13. Atsuhiro Satoh & Yasuhito Tanaka, 2019. "Two Person Zero-Sum Game with Two Sets of Strategic Variables," International Game Theory Review (IGTR), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 21(03), pages 1-15, September.
    14. Atsuhiro Satoh & Yasuhito Tanaka, 2013. "Relative profit maximization and Bertrand equilibrium with quadratic cost functions," Economics and Business Letters, Oviedo University Press, vol. 2(3), pages 134-139.
    15. Satoh, Atsuhiro & Tanaka, Yasuhito, 2016. "Choice of Strategic Variables by Relative Profit Maximizing Firms in Oligopoly," Economic Review, Hitotsubashi University, vol. 67(1), pages 17-25, January.
    16. Li, Hui & Zhou, Wei & Elsadany, A. A & Chu, Tong, 2021. "Stability, multi-stability and instability in Cournot duopoly game with knowledge spillover effects and relative profit maximization," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 146(C).
    17. Satoh, Atsuhiro & Tanaka, Yasuhito, 2014. "Relative profit maximization and Bertrand equilibrium with convex cost functions," Economics - The Open-Access, Open-Assessment E-Journal (2007-2020), Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), vol. 8, pages 1-15.
    18. Satoh, Atsuhiro & Tanaka, Yasuhito, 2015. "Relative profit maximization and the choice of strategic variables in duopoly," MPRA Paper 63000, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    19. Satoh, Atsuhiro & Tanaka, Yasuhito, 2014. "Relative profit maximization in asymmetric oligopoly: Cournot and Bertrand equilibria," MPRA Paper 55883, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    20. Atsuhiro Satoh & Yasuhito Tanaka, 2014. "Irrelevance of Conjectural Variations in Duopoly under Relative Profit Maximization and Consistent Conjectures," Journal of Economics and Management, College of Business, Feng Chia University, Taiwan, vol. 10(2), pages 101-115, July.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    free entry; oligopoly; relative profit maximization;
    All these keywords.

    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

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:64081. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Joachim Winter (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/vfmunde.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.