Does competition solve the hold-up problem?

Felli, Leonardo and Roberts, Kevin (2001) Does competition solve the hold-up problem? TE/01/414. Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK.

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Abstract

In an environment in which both buyers and sellers can undertake match specific investments, the presence of market competition for matches may solve hold-up and coordination problems generated by the absence of complete contingent contracts. In particular, this paper shows that when matching is assortative and sellers’ investments precede market competition then investments are constrained efficient. One equilibrium is efficient with efficient matches but also there can be equilibria with coordination failures. Different types of efficiency arise when buyers undertake investment before market competition. These inefficiencies lead to buyers’ under-investment due to a hold-up problem but, when competition is at its peak, there is a unique equilibrium of the competition game with efficient matches – no coordination failures – and the aggregate hold-up inefficiency is small in a well defined sense, independent of market size.

Item Type:	Monograph (Discussion Paper)
Official URL:	http://sticerd.lse.ac.uk/
Additional Information:	© 2001 by the authors.
Library of Congress subject classification:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce H Social Sciences > HB Economic Theory
Journal of Economic Literature Classification System:	D - Microeconomics > D8 - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty > D83 - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief D - Microeconomics > D4 - Market Structure and Pricing > D43 - Oligopoly and Other Forms of Market Imperfection C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C7 - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory > C78 - Bargaining Theory; Matching Theory
Sets:	Research centres and groups > Financial Markets Group (FMG) Collections > Economists Online Research centres and groups > Suntory and Toyota International Centres for Economics and Related Disciplines (STICERD) Departments > Economics Collections > LSE Financial Markets Group (FMG) Working Papers
Identification Number:	TE/01/414
Date Deposited:	28 Feb 2008
URL:	http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/3579/

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