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The Review of Economics and Statistics Vol. 72 No. 4 1990

Market Concentration, Contestability, and Sunk Costs

Ioannis N. Kessides

Abstract

This paper provides an exploratory assessment of the theory of contestability that is based on a diverse sample of industries and introduces a new important determinant of market concentration. The results of the paper indicate that the variables determining the degree of contestability of markets are significant correlates of market concentration. Sunk costs account for a substantial portion of the sample variance of concentration even after technological factors are controlled for.

DOI
10.2307/2109601
Volume
72
Issue
4
Pages
614
Sources
crossref openalex

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