It is a generally accepted belief in marketing literature that variation in prices, i.e. price dispersion, is a critical, strategic factor that influences product demand, profitability, and social welfare. While there is a substantial amount of research on price dispersion, prior research has mainly studied price dispersion in the context of consumer heterogeneity, and not comprehensively studied the effects of competition on price dispersion. According to the structure-conduct-performance (SCP) paradigm, market structure and firm conduct are important indicators of firm performance and long-term sustainable competitive advantage.
A greater understanding of the influences of market structure and competition on price dispersion provides valuable insights and extends the stream of research on price dispersion. Therefore, the main objective of this dissertation is to increase the understanding of the effects of strategic price competition on price dispersion. Specifically, this research encompasses an evaluation of the effects of strategic price competition in a multi-market context on price dispersion by focusing on market and competition characteristics. The effects of strategic price competition on price dispersion of airline ticket prices are empirically evaluated based on an extensive database from the U.S. Department of Transportation. The results of this study show that multi-market contact between rival firms and the interaction of multi-market contact and market concentration have a significant effect on price dispersion. These results have important academic and managerial implications.