Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/56275 
Year of Publication: 
2010
Series/Report no.: 
SSE/EFI Working Paper Series in Economics and Finance No. 725
Publisher: 
Stockholm School of Economics, The Economic Research Institute (EFI), Stockholm
Abstract: 
This paper extends the concept of weak renegotiation-proof equilibrium (WRP) to allow for costly renegotiation and shows that even small renegotiation costs can have dramatic effects on the set of equilibria. More specifically, the paper analyzes the infinitely repeated Bertrand game. It is shown that for every level of renegotiation cost there exists a discount factor such that any collusive profit can be supported as an equilibrium outcome. Hence, any arbitrary small renegotiation cost will suffice to facilitate collusive outcomes for sufficiently patient firms. This result stands in stark contrast to the unique pure-strategy WRP equilibrium without renegotiation costs, which implies marginal-cost pricing in every period. Moreover, in comparison to the findings of McCutcheon (1997), who states that renegotiation costs have to be substantial to facilitate collusion, this result points to a quite different conclusion.
Subjects: 
Noncooperative game theory
Weak Renegotiation-proofness
Costly Renegotation
Repeated Bertrand games
JEL: 
C72
D43
Document Type: 
Working Paper

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