Thought Experiment Transfer Pricing Alternatives: Supporting John M. Clark’s Workable Competition Pricing

 The object of this study is to analyze numerical results for a thought experiment comparing transfer pricing alternatives of a hypothetical corporation having a manufacturing division making a single product and a marketing division that sells that product. Each division seeks to maximize its own profits. The marketing division faces hypothetical fluctuating demand fluctuations, prosperity versus depression, for a final product that is semi-perishable costly to store such as cement. The manufacturing division has two alternate technologies, high fixed cost versus low fixed costs. The transfer pricing alternatives: A) short-run marginal cost pricing high price volatility over the business cycle versus B) John M. Clark’s workable competition pricing low price volatility over the business cycle. The manufacturing division plants have linear total cost functions with absolute capacity limits. In opposition to perfect competition theory, this study argues in support of John M. Clark (1884-1963) workable competition theory. The thought experiment shows a gain in consumer surplus and to corporate profits over the cycle with transfer pricing John M. Clark’s workable competition theory. This article offers reasons for this gain. This thought experiment should inspire other researchers to do similar hypothetical thought experi-ments.

Author(s) Details:

Gerald Aranoff,
Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel.

Please see the link here: https://stm.bookpi.org/CABEF-V9/article/view/9295