Arbeitspapier

A simple way to identify the degree of collusion under proportional reduction

Proportional reduction is a common cartel practice, in which cartel members reduce their output by the same percentage. We develop a simple method to quantify this reduction relative to a benchmark market equilibrium scenario. Our measure is continuous, has a simple interpretation as the "degree of collusion" and nests the earlier models in the existing literature. More importantly, by exploiting firms ex post heterogeneity and optimality conditions, Corts (1999) critique can be addressed by estimating time-varying degree of industry monopolization from a short panel of firm-level observations. We illustrate the method in Monte-Carlo simulations and in application to the data from the Joint Executive Committee railroad cartel.

Language
Englisch

Bibliographic citation
Series: SFB/TR 15 Discussion Paper ; No. 497

Classification
Wirtschaft
Firm Behavior: Empirical Analysis
Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices
Multiple or Simultaneous Equation Models: Instrumental Variables (IV) Estimation
Subject
Cartel
Proportional Reduction
Degree of collusion

Event
Geistige Schöpfung
(who)
Shcherbakov, Oleksandr
Wakamori, Naoki
Event
Veröffentlichung
(who)
Sonderforschungsbereich/Transregio 15 - Governance and the Efficiency of Economic Systems (GESY)
(where)
München
(when)
2015

DOI
doi:10.5282/ubm/epub.24505
Handle
URN
urn:nbn:de:bvb:19-epub-24505-5
Last update
10.03.2025, 11:45 AM CET

Data provider

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Object type

  • Arbeitspapier

Associated

  • Shcherbakov, Oleksandr
  • Wakamori, Naoki
  • Sonderforschungsbereich/Transregio 15 - Governance and the Efficiency of Economic Systems (GESY)

Time of origin

  • 2015

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