Collusive Market Structure Under Learning-By-Doing and Increasing Returns

S-Tier
Journal: Review of Economic Studies
Year: 1991
Volume: 58
Issue: 5
Pages: 993-1009

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

Learning-by-doing and increasing returns are often perceived to have similar implications for market structure and conduct. We analyse this in the context of an infinite-horizon price-setting game. Learning is shown to not reduce the viability of market-sharing collusion between a given number of firms, whereas intra-period increasing returns invariably does. We subsequently develop a model where the number of active firms is determined endogenously, under the assumption that the post-entry game is collusive. In this model, learning has no effect on concentration, while scale economies increase concentration.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:restud:v:58:y:1991:i:5:p:993-1009.
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-26