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Contribution Details

Type Journal Article
Scope Discipline-based scholarship
Title Competitive pricing reduces wasteful counterproductive behaviors
Organization Unit
Authors
  • Björn Bartling
  • Manuel Grieder
  • Christian Zehnder
Item Subtype Original Work
Refereed Yes
Status Published in final form
Language
  • English
Journal Title Journal of Public Economics
Publisher Elsevier
Geographical Reach international
ISSN 0047-2727
Volume 156
Page Range 34 - 47
Date 2017
Abstract Text Counterproductive reactions to unfavorable trading prices can cause inefficiencies in economic exchange. This paper studies whether the use of a competitive pricing mechanism reduces such wasteful activities. We report data from a laboratory experiment where a powerful buyer can trade with one of two sellers—an environment that can lead to very low prices for the sellers. We find that low procurement prices trigger significantly less punishment by sellers if the buyer uses a competitive auction rather than his price-setting power to dictate the same terms of trade directly. Our data suggest that the use of competitive pricing mechanisms can mitigate inefficient reactions to unequal distributions of trade surplus.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1016/j.jpubeco.2017.08.007
Other Identification Number merlin-id:15620
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Keywords Counterproductive behavior, competitive pricing, markets, auctions, efficiency, inequality