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Profitable horizontal mergers without cost advantages: The role of internal organization, information, and market structure

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  • Huck, Steffen
  • Konrad, Kai A.
  • Müller, Wieland

Abstract

Merged firms are typically rather complex organizations. Accordingly, me rger has a more profound effect on the structure of a market than simply reducing the number of competitors. We show that this may render horizontal mergers profitable and welfare – improving even if costs are linear. The driving force behind these results, which help to reconcile theory with various empirical findings, is the assumption that information about output decisions flows more freely within a merged firm.

Suggested Citation

  • Huck, Steffen & Konrad, Kai A. & Müller, Wieland, 2001. "Profitable horizontal mergers without cost advantages: The role of internal organization, information, and market structure," Discussion Papers, various Research Units FS IV 01-05, WZB Berlin Social Science Center.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:wzbdiv:fsiv0105
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Merger; internal organizational structure; information; timing; market structure; Fusion; Organisationsstruktur; Informationsfluss; Marktstruktur;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • L11 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Production, Pricing, and Market Structure; Size Distribution of Firms
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L22 - Industrial Organization - - Firm Objectives, Organization, and Behavior - - - Firm Organization and Market Structure
    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices

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