We explore whether lawful cooperation in buyer groups facilitates collusion in the product market. Buyer groups … constitute credible threats. Hence, in theory, buyer groups facilitate collusion. We run several experimental treatments using … firms. Communication is often abused for explicit agreements and this strongly reduces competition. …

We explore the difference between explicit and tacit collusion by investigating the impact communication has in … largest additional profit from talking. We also find that industries continue to collude successfully after communication is … disabled. Communication supports firms in coordinating on collusive pricing schemes, and it is also used for conflict mediation. …

In a Bertrand-oligopoly experiment, firms choose whether or not to engage in cartel-like communication and, if so, they … may get fined by a cartel authority. We find that the four-firm industries form cartels more often than the duopolies …

on firms' price setting behavior in a 2x2 factorial design experiment with and without communication and under present … which correlate with market outcomes and communication's effectiveness. The results have implications for antitrust policy …

on firms' price setting behavior in a 2x2 factorial design experiment with and without communication and under present … which correlate with market outcomes and communication's effectiveness. The results have implications for antitrust policy …

policy which only includes fines for detected cartels, either in duopolies or in quadropolies. Surprisingly, the leniency …

preferred equilibrium. Two-way non-binding pre-play communication among the buyers lowers the power of exclusive contracts and … induces more generous contract terms from the seller. When discrimination and communication are possible, the exclusion rate …