垄断平台价格歧视会降低消费者福利吗——基于消费者保留价格异质性视角  

Will Monopoly Platform's Price Discrimination Reduce Consumer Welfare?A Study Based on Consumers'eservation Price Willingness Heterogeneity

作　　者：张冀[1] 黄馨娆 曹小勇 ZHANG Ji;HUANG Xin-rao;CAO Xiao-yong

机构地区：[1]对外经济贸易大学保险学院,北京100029 [2]联通集团财务有限公司 [3]对外经济贸易大学国际经济贸易学院,北京100029

出　　处：《吉林大学社会科学学报》2023年第3期116-129,238,共15页Jilin University Journal Social Sciences Edition

基　　金：国家社会科学基金项目(18BJY233);国家自然科学基金面上项目(72273023)。

摘　　要：近年来,平台杀熟、价格歧视的行为屡见不鲜。传统经济理论认为,垄断企业的价格歧视降低了消费者剩余和社会福利,那么,作为新型垄断主体,互联网平台借助信息优势影响消费者选择空间的价格歧视是否也会降低消费者福利?从消费者支付意愿下的保留价格视角构建寡头多期动态定价模型,探讨消费者异质性对互联网平台价格歧视行为的影响及程度并进一步分析这种价格歧视对消费者福利的影响。结果发现:1)在给定消费者保留价格情况下,消费者支付意愿的异质性决定了平台价格歧视的程度。平台愿意对支付意愿低的消费者提供更低的价格,提高该群体的福利,而支付意愿高的消费者福利并未因此受损。2)在内生化消费者保留价格情况下,即平台可以控制消费者保留价格时,平台的价格歧视扭曲了消费者选择。这是因为随着平台垄断地位提高和价格歧视能力增强,垄断平台借助“信息茧房”效应控制消费者的选择空间,改变消费者的保留价格,迫使消费者支付意愿提高,尤其是提高低保留价格消费者的支付意愿,从而扭曲消费者选择。因此,降低垄断平台对消费者支付意愿的控制力是限制平台扭曲市场的重要路径。In recent years,it is not rare for platforms to conduct price discrimination by taking advantage of their monopoly on information service.However,will discriminatory pricing have a heterogeneous impact on consumer welfare?The answer to this question requires an analysis of the source of price discrimination within monopoly platforms,in addition,the factors that influence the degree of price discrimination.This paper constructs an oligopoly multi-period dynamic pricing model from the perspective of reservation price which reflects consumers'willingness to pay,discusses the impact of consumer heterogeneity on platform's price discrimination,and further analyzes the impact of price discrimination on consumer surplus.The results show that,1)given the consumers'willingness to pay,the heterogeneity of consumers determines the degree of price discrimination of platform.Monopoly platform is willing to offer lower prices to consumers with less willingness to pay,which will improve the welfare of this group and no damage would be led on the welfare of other groups.2)In the case of endogenous consumer reservation price,that is,when the platform can control the consumer reserve price,the platforms price discrimination will distort consumer choice.As the platform's monopoly position improves and its ability to price discrimination increases,monopoly platform has the power of raising consumers'reservation prices by squeezing consumers'choice space.The result will be forcing consumers to increase their willingness to pay,especially those with low reservations.Therefore,reducing the controlling power of monopoly platform over consumers'willingness to pay is an important access to limit market distortion caused by platform.

关 键 词：价格歧视 垄断平台 消费者异质性 消费者福利 保留价格 支付意愿 

分 类 号：F49[经济管理—产业经济] F274