We argue that competition between dealers in a classic dealer market is intertemporal: A trader identifies a particular dealer and negotiates a final price with only the intertemporal threat to switch dealers imposing pricing discipline on the dealer. In this kind of market structure, we show that dealers will offer greater price improvement to more regular customers, and, in turn, these customers optimally choose to submit larger orders. Hence price improvement and trade size should be negatively correlated in a dealer market. We confirm our model's predictions using unique data from the London Stock Exchange during 1991.

Agency problems in inter-firm trading relationships are severe in developing and transitional economies because of the limited decentralized information that can support contract enforcement and because the timing of intermediate goods production and payment differ. The consequences are derived for the equilibrium distribution of firm structures, production, prices, profits and trade in developing and transitional economies. Within a multi-market setting, equilibrium outcomes are characterized both for firms that are directly affected by contracting problems and for those that are not. The equilibrium features both excessive vertical integration and excessive development of small-scale retail enterprises, and insufficient, inefficient inter-firm trade. Average profits of vertically integrated firms are higher and those of small-scale retail enterprises and intermediate suppliers are lower than they would be were enduring trading relationships more easily established.

"This paper considers the strategic behavior of a multinational firm with superior technology operating in a developing country. Domestic firms do not have access to the superior technology other than by hiring away multinational corporation (MNC) workers. The MNC can retain its workers by paying a wage premia, and we determine how the industry structure and the nature of strategic competition between firms affects the MNC's incentive to pay this premia and thus preserve its informational advantage. We characterize conditions under which MNCs inefficiently divide job tasks in order to raise the cost to domestic firms of acquiring the MNC's trade secrets." ("JEL" F23, J31, O33) Copyright (c) 2008 Western Economic Association International.