Product Relocation and Resistance to Change

Selim, Tarek (2006): Product Relocation and Resistance to Change. Published in: Business Review of Cambridge , Vol. 5, No. 1 (September 2006)

Abstract

This paper considers a duopoly market characterization where demand is horizontally differentiated by taste while firms vertically differentiate their products based on quality location. However, firms are able to relocate their product offerings based on changing consumer taste. In general, it is found that a “resistance to change” exists such that firms dislike quality relocation and prefer stable preferences in quality. Yet, a relative change in horizontal preferences may result in wider quality spreads in the market through vertical quality relocations, even though the resistance to change argument may still hold good.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: brand relocation, quality choice, brand space positioning, product differentiation, market asymmetry, quality characteristics, consumer demand, supply repositioning
• Subjects: C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C7 - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory > C72 - Noncooperative Games; D - Microeconomics > D2 - Production and Organizations > D21 - Firm Behavior: Theory; D - Microeconomics > D4 - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design > D47 - Market Design; D - Microeconomics > D4 - Market Structure, Pricing, and Design > D49 - Other; L - Industrial Organization > L1 - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance > L15 - Information and Product Quality ; Standardization and Compatibility; M - Business Administration and Business Economics ; Marketing ; Accounting ; Personnel Economics > M2 - Business Economics > M21 - Business Economics

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