Pleas for a level playing field, for instance in international trade, are often not well-founded. This is because it is not exactly clear what a 'level playing field' means. But even if it would be clear what the plea would imply, a level playing field is not always desirable from an economic...

This paper analyses competition in the professions, paying attention to the consequences for the price level and price differentiation in particular. This is relevant not only for the evaluation of competition policy, but also for monetary policy. If enhancing competition is successful, it may...

Tight oligopolies are oligopolies the market characteristics of which facilitate the realisation of supranormal profits for a substantial period of time. We entangle the link between market structure and the possibility of welfare reducing behaviour by firms. A useful distinction can be made...

The aim of this study is to investigate how network effects affect the quality and price decisions of firms in a vertically differentiated market. As network effects increase, high-quality producers tend to raise quality while low-quality producers lower it. The degree of product differentiation...

The article considers cost planning methods in activity of the utility companies. Particular focus is given to features of two methods - cost-based planning of utility expenses and normative-based planning. The author concludes that the optimal choice of method should count for the institutional...