The determinants of product lines
研究了在成本不对称但排除战略动机的情况下，企业如何选择产品线，发现竞争不对称性会塑造产品线，并预测了劣势外国企业会专门生产哪些质量的产品。
Abstract We study product line choice allowing for cost asymmetries but ruling out strategic motivations such as a desire to soften competition. We identify two forces that interact with asymmetric competition to shape equilibrium product lines. Possible outcomes range from head‐to‐head competition to complete separation of product lines and include the intermediate case of partial separation. In an international trade context, we predict which qualities a disadvantaged foreign producer will specialize in. If cost factors drive quality‐based discrimination then foreign firms sell only lower qualities. However, if demand factors are the main drivers then foreign firms sell only high qualities.