Pricing Variation Within Dual-Distribution Chains: The Different Implications of Externalities and Signaling for High- and Low-Quality Brands

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Kalnins, Arturs
• 署名单位: Cornell University
• 刊物名称: MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0025-1909
• DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2015.2334
• 发表日期: 2017
• 页码: 139-152
• 关键词: organizational studies; strategy; hotel; motel; pricing; brand externality; signaling

摘要

Within many of the multioutlet branded chains that dominate the retail and services landscape, the organizational form(e.g., company management, franchising) used to manage an outlet varies from site to site, as do the prices charged at those sites. I propose that organizational form and prices may be systematically related as a result of brand externalities. In particular, I develop logic that the relevant form of externality should differ for upper quality tier brands and lower tier brands. Using panel data on price and organizational form from more than 6,700 branded U.S. hotels affiliated with 40 dual-distribution brands-those brands that simultaneously company manage and franchise individual outlets-I find that, consistent with the brand externality arguments, company-managed locations have higher prices within high-quality chains, whereas franchisees price higher in the lower tiers.