现代产业经济学系列讲座第195期

时    间:2021年4月6日(周二)13:30-15:30

地    点:复旦大学管理学院史带楼303室

题    目:Preference, Confusion and Competition

主讲人:刘烁 北京大学光华管理学院应用经济学系 助理教授

主持人:陆卓然 复旦大学管理学院产业经济学系 助理教授

摘    要:Do firms seek to make the market transparent, or do they confuse the consumers in their product perceptions? We show that the answer to this question depends decisively on preference heterogeneity. Contrary to the well-studied case of homogeneous goods, confusion is not necessarily an equilibrium in markets with differentiated goods. In particular, if the taste distribution is polarized, so that indifferent consumers are relatively rare, firms strive to fully educate consumers. By contrast, if the taste distribution features a concentration of indecisive consumers, confusion becomes part of the equilibrium strategies. The adverse welfare consequences of confusion can be more severe than with homogeneous goods, as consumers may not only pay higher prices, but also choose a dominated option, or inefficiently refrain from buying. Qualitatively similar insights are obtained for political contests, in which candidates compete for voters with heterogeneous preferences.

主讲人简介:刘烁,北京大学光华管理学院应用经济学系助理教授。2019年毕业于瑞士苏黎世大学经济系,获经济学博士学位。目前主要研究领域为产业与组织经济学,博弈论,以及机制设计。研究成果发表于Theoretical Economics, RAND Journal of Economics, European Economic Review, Games and Economic Behavior, Economic Theory等国际知名学术期刊。

 

产业经济学系

2021-3-30