Bundling, Competition and Quality Investment: A Welfare Analysis

B-Tier
Journal: Review of Industrial Organization
Year: 2013
Volume: 43
Issue: 3
Pages: 221-241

Authors (3)

Alessandro Avenali (not in RePEc) Anna D’Annunzio (not in RePEc) Pierfrancesco Reverberi (not in RePEc)

Score contribution per author:

0.673 = (α=2.02 / 3 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

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

Abstract

We investigate how bundling affects investment in product quality, and derive welfare implications. A monopolist in a primary market competes with a rival in a complementary market. Bundling is the monopolist’s preferred strategy, since it either extracts surplus from the rival’s investment, or forces the rival to provide low quality. Bundling may reduce welfare without foreclosing the rival, but improves welfare when preventing undesirable investment. Since prohibiting bundling is not appropriate, we introduce a price test for bundled offers that preserves efficiencies from both bundling and quality investment, thereby improving welfare relative to the ‘do-nothing’ scenario. We consequently argue that this test should be applied whenever possible. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2013

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:kap:revind:v:43:y:2013:i:3:p:221-241
Journal Field
Industrial Organization
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-25