This paper examines the effect of competition on the irreversible investment decisions under uncertainty as a generalization of the real option approach. We examine this issue with reference to an industry where each firm has only one investment opportunity which is completely irreversible and...

The paper analyses the timing of spontaneous environmental innovation when second-mover advantages, arising from the expectation of declining investment costs, increase the option value of waiting created by investment irreversibility and uncertainty about private payoffs. We then focus on the...