This paper analyses price competition under product differentiation when goods are defined ina two dimensional characteristic space, and consumers do not know which firm sells whichquality. Equilibrium prices consist of two additive terms, which balance consumers' relativevaluation of goods'...

We analyse firms' incentives to provide two-way compatibility between two network goodswith different intrinsic qualities. We study how the relative importance of verticaldifferentiation with respect to the network effect influences the price competition as well as thecompatibility choice. The...

Der Beitrag behandelt die erst kürzlich in der Zeitschrift „Die Betriebswirtschaft“durch Haller (2004) aufgeworfene Frage, ob und inwiefern ein funktionierendes QualitätsmanagementEinfluss auf die Wirtschaftlichkeit von deutschen Unternehmen nimmt. Konkret wird im Rahmen einerempirischen...

Als wesentliche Beteiligte am IT-Management (bzw.Informationsmanagement) werden für gewöhnlich die Unternehmensleitung,die Fachabteilung und die IT-Abteilung genannt. Demgemäß konzentriertsich die Diskussion um die Verantwortung für die effektive undeffiziente Nutzung der informationellen...

We propose a framework for analyzing transformations of demand. Such transformations frequently stem from changes in the dispersion of consumers` valuations, which lead to rotations of the demand curve. In a wide variety of settings, profits are a U-shaped function of dispersion. A high level of...

This paper considers the impact of reviewers on sales of products of quality unknown to consumers. Sales occur simultaneously after consideration by a reviewer with a known level of bias. Consumers observe the reviewer`s decision and a private signal. We find that: (a) with flexible prices and...

The trend towards Internet self-regulation is driven both by gov-ernments that feel reluctant to invest in direct regulation (because offreedom of speech concerns or high cots of monitoring and enforce-ment) and by the industry that is under the threat of rising publicconcerns over content...

Firms selling multiple quality-differentiated products frequently alter theirproduct lines when a competitor enters the market. We present a model of multiproductmonopoly and duopoly using a general “upgrades” approach that yields a powerfulanalytical framework. We provide a simple...

This paper evaluates alternative strategic models of competition and market structure inonline retailing, and makes comparisons with traditional retailing. Online consumers areless concerned than traditional consumers about spatial characteristics and moreconcerned about hidden quality...

This paper deals with modern industrial development processes of new technologies. It focuses an in-creasing complexity and interdependence of the different actors combining different knowledge assets.