Endogenous Fixprices and Sticky Price Adjustment of Risk-averse Firms

Weinrich, Gerd (1997): Endogenous Fixprices and Sticky Price Adjustment of Risk-averse Firms. Published in: Journal of Economics , Vol. 66, (1997): pp. 283-305.

Abstract

A risk-averse price-setting firm which knows the quantity demanded at the status quo price but has imperfect information otherwise may choose not to change it although an otherwise identical risk-neutral firm would do so, provided the variance of the firm's subjective probability distribution over quantities demanded as a function of price displays a kink at the status quo. This is equivalent to risk aversion of order one. When no such endogenous fixprice exists, the size of price adjustment still tends to zero as risk aversion tends to infinity, and to any arbitrarily small menu cost there exists a degree of risk aversion so that the firm will not adjust.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: fixed prices, price adjustment, risk aversion, menu cost
• Subjects: D - Microeconomics > D2 - Production and Organizations > D21 - Firm Behavior: Theory; D - Microeconomics > D8 - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty > D81 - Criteria for Decision-Making under Risk and Uncertainty; D - Microeconomics > D8 - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty > D83 - Search ; Learning ; Information and Knowledge ; Communication ; Belief ; Unawareness