Modeling Price Rigidity or Predicting the Quality of the Good that Clears the Market

31 Pages Posted: 18 Jun 2004 Last revised: 18 Nov 2022

See all articles by Dennis W. Carlton

Dennis W. Carlton

University of Chicago - Booth School of Business; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Date Written: July 1980

Abstract

To say that the price of some good is inflexible over time has little meaning if the "good" is changing over time. In this paper we concentrate on delivery lags as being the only dimension other than price that varies. We show how one can predict the relative importance of price and delivery lag fluctuations as equilibrating mechanisms. The complications of the theory as well as the surprising results underscore the complexity of predicting price behavior when the characteristics of the good are endogenous. The empirical results provide strong support for the theory that delivery lags are an important influence on market behavior and therefore that an understanding of their influence is crucial in predicting how markets will respond to supply and demand shocks.

Suggested Citation

Carlton, Dennis W., Modeling Price Rigidity or Predicting the Quality of the Good that Clears the Market (July 1980). NBER Working Paper No. w0503, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=263385

Dennis W. Carlton (Contact Author)

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