Doctoral Dissertations

Date of Award

5-2000

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Major

Economics

Major Professor

Sidney Carroll

Committee Members

V Goff, Delton C. Gerloff , Ham E. Jensen

Abstract

This dissertation consists of three core parts. The first shows that prices may serve as signals of unknown product quality even when a costly return policy is in place. The part also contains empirical evidence suggesting that consumers do believe that prices are signals of quality. The empirical section contains data collected from an internet auction of used computers conducted as http://www.uce.com. The second part shows that when firms assimilate a technology in an asymmetric fashion this may have the result of a price increase.Some examples are provided. Also, the part shows that a dominant firm with a superior technology may strategically license its technology to induce exit from the industry. The third part examines the theory of the relationship between industry concentration and price-cost margins. Arguments are made that Cournot developed a theory consistent with efficiency theory of Demsetz.

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