Contract Duration and Relationship-Specific Investments: Empirical Evidence from Coal Markets

This paper examines the importance of specific relationship investments in determining the duration of coal contracts negotiated between coal suppliers and electric utilities. Data for 277 coal contracts are used to perform the analysis. The results provide strong support for the view that buyers an...

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Veröffentlicht in:The American economic review 1987-03, Vol.77 (1), p.168-185
1. Verfasser: Joskow, Paul L.
Format: Artikel
Sprache:eng
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Zusammenfassung:This paper examines the importance of specific relationship investments in determining the duration of coal contracts negotiated between coal suppliers and electric utilities. Data for 277 coal contracts are used to perform the analysis. The results provide strong support for the view that buyers and sellers make longer commitments to the terms of future trade at the contract execution stage, and rely less on repeated bargaining, when relationship-specific investments are more important.
ISSN:0002-8282
1944-7981