Doctor of Philosophy

Die Liberalisierung der Elektrizitätsmärkte in Europa hat zu einem deutlichen Strukturwandel der Energiewirtschaft geführt; Überkapazitäten und Wettbewerbsdruck bewirkten eine erhebliche Umorientierung in den Energieversorgungsunternehmen. Durch die zunehmende Liquidität des kurzfristigen...

We develop an analytical framework to investigate the competitiveimplications of personalized pricing and quality allocation (PPQ),whereby rms charge di¤erent prices and o¤erdi¤erent qualities to di¤erent consumers, based on theirwillingness to pay. We embed PPQ in a model of...

As Internet-based commerce becomes increasingly widespread, large datasets about the demand for and pricing of a wide variety of productsbecome available. These present exciting new opportunities for empiricaleconomic and business research, but also raise new statistical issuesand challenges. In...

This paper analyzes the optimal choice of pricing schedules andtechnological deterrence levels in a market with digital piracy wheresellers can influence the degree of piracy by implementing digitalrights management (DRM) systems. It is shown that a monopolist’soptimal pricing schedule can be...

This paper analyzes optimal pricing for information goods underincomplete information, when both unlimited-usage (fixed-fee) pricingand usage-based pricing are feasible and administering usage-basedpricing may involve transaction costs. It is shown that offeringfixed-fee pricing in addition to a...

Electronic commerce has enabled the use of intelligent agenttechnologies that can evaluate buyers, customize products, and price inreal-time. Our model of an electronic market with customizable productsanalyzes the pricing, profitability and welfare implications ofagent-based technologies that...

We test the effect of entry on the tariff choices of incumbent cellularfirms. We relate the change in the breadth of calling plans between1996, when incumbents enjoyed a duopoly market, and 1998, whenincumbents faced increased competition from personal communicationsservices (PCS) firms. Entry...

We present a framework for measuring software quality using pricing anddemand data, and empirical estimates that quantify the extent of qualitydegradation associated with software ver- sioning. Using a 7-month,108-product panel of software sales from Amazon.com, we document theextent to which...

We develop and analyze a model of pricing for digital products withdiscontinuous supply functions. This characterizes a number ofinformation technology-based products and services for which variableincreases in demand are fulfilled by the addition of 'blocks' ofcomputing or network...