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Collusion in a price-quantity oligopoly

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  • van den Berg, A.H.J.

    (Quantitative Economics)

  • Bos, A.M.

    (Organisation,Strategy & Entrepreneurship)

Abstract

In the context of an infinitely repeated oligopoly game, we study collusion among firms that simultaneously choose prices and quantities. We compare a price cartel with a price-quota cartel and analyze when and why firms prefer the latter to the former. Output quota may be required to solve coordination and incentive problems when market demand is sufficiently elastic. If market demand is sufficiently inelastic, then the cartel faces a trade-off between increasing prices and the amount of costly overproduction. We find that a price cartel prices consistently below the monopoly price to mitigate excessive production. In this case, a quota arrangement allows firms to avoid overproduction and to sustain the monopoly price. From a policy perspective, our findings suggest that an overall price increase in conjunction with more stable prices and market shares is indicative of collusion in industries where production precedes sales and outputs are imperfectly observable.
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Suggested Citation

  • van den Berg, A.H.J. & Bos, A.M., 2011. "Collusion in a price-quantity oligopoly," Research Memorandum 039, Maastricht University, Maastricht Research School of Economics of Technology and Organization (METEOR).
    • Handle: RePEc:unm:umamet:2011039
    DOI: 10.26481/umamet.2011039
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    Cited by:

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    2. Quan-tao Zhu & Xin-wang Wu & Laixiang Sun, 2014. "A generalized framework for endogenous timing in duopoly games and an application to price-quantity competition," Journal of Economics, Springer, vol. 112(2), pages 137-164, June.
    3. Wu, Jiang & Zou, Liuxin & Gong, Yeming & Chen, Mingyang, 2021. "The anti-collusion dilemma: Information sharing of the supply chain under buyback contracts," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 152(C).
    4. Bos, Iwan & Vermeulen, Dries, 2021. "On pure-strategy Nash equilibria in price–quantity games," Journal of Mathematical Economics, Elsevier, vol. 96(C).
    5. Tasnádi, Attila, 2020. "Production in advance versus production to order: Equilibrium and social surplus," Mathematical Social Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 11-18.
    6. Heywood, John S. & Li, Dongyang & Ye, Guangliang, 2023. "Private provision of price excludable public goods by rivals," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 214(C), pages 291-307.
    7. Christian Ewerhart, 2022. "Diagonal payoff security and equilibrium existence in quasi-symmetric discontinuous games," ECON - Working Papers 414, Department of Economics - University of Zurich, revised Aug 2022.

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    JEL classification:

    • L1 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance
    • L4 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies

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