Document Type
Discussion Paper
Publication Date
11-16-2021
CFDP Number
2312
CFDP Pages
57
Journal of Economic Literature (JEL) Code(s)
C11, C53, D22, D42, L10, L93
Abstract
We study how organizational boundaries affect pricing decisions using comprehensive data from a large U.S. airline. We document that the firm’s advanced pricing algorithm, utilizing inputs from different organizational teams, is subject to multiple biases. To quantify the impacts of these biases, we estimate a structural demand model using sales and search data. We recover the demand curves the firm believes it faces using forecasting data. In counterfactuals, we show that correcting biases introduced by organizational teams individually have little impact on market outcomes, but coordinating organizational outcomes leads to higher prices/revenues and increased deadweight loss in the markets studied.
Recommended Citation
Hortaçsu, Ali; Natan, Olivia R.; Parsley, Hayden; Schwieg, Timothy; and Williams, Kevin R., "Organizational Structure and Pricing: Evidence from a Large U.S. Airline" (2021). Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers. 2661.
https://elischolar.library.yale.edu/cowles-discussion-paper-series/2661