Competition Economics and Service Strategy

Competition Economics and Service Strategy is one of Hanken's Areas of Strength

Read more about the research in this area:

Research of sub-groups “Quantitative consumer behaviour and competition economics” at the site of Helsinki Graduate School of Economics, Group: Behavioural Economics & Consumer Behaviour and Industrial Organization Research Group
Research of sub-group “Service and customer-oriented management” at the site of CERS Centre for Relationship Marketing and Service Management

The area comprises two sub-groups of research: (1) quantitative consumer behaviour and competition economics and (2) service and customer-oriented management. The focus of research in both sub-groups is on company strategies as well as consumer and customer behaviours in new markets, which involve digitalization and servitization.

(1) “Quantitative consumer behaviour and competition economics” uses quantitative methods, including field and laboratory experiments, to study the interaction of companies and consumers in markets, in order to deliver strategic insights for firms, consumers, and policy makers. The insights help companies design effective pricing, service, and business strategies, which also promote consumer and societal welfare.

(2) “Service and customer-oriented management”, in turn, takes an essentially cross-functional, market-oriented approach to studying customers and their behaviour vis-à-vis firms in different industries. A broad perspective on customers and other beneficiaries is adopted in developing insights into customer perceptions, practices, decisions, and networks as well as to the implications of these for firms’ strategic decision-making.

Key non-scientific/managerial question: What kind of business/competitive strategies can companies design that align with or alter consumer and customer behaviors in new digital and service intensive markets?
Scientific sub-disciplines:
(1) behavioural economics, competition economics, experimental economics, industrial organization, consumer behaviour, quantitative marketing;
(2) service management, service marketing, customer oriented management, consumer marketing, business-to-business marketing, service business, servitization, transformative service
Scientific research topics:
(1) collusion, competition, consumer surplus, efficiency, naivete, market power, pricing, producer surplus, switching costs;
(2) customers, service, customer relationships, Nordic School of Service Research, interactions, customer experience, innovation, disruptive markets, value creation, social media, digitalisation, business dynamics
Scientific research methods:
(1) lab experiments, field experiments, natural experiments, quasi-experiments, quantitative data, big data, field studies;
(2) qualitative empirical research, quantitative empirical research, mixed method research, problematisation, abduction, conceptual development, case study, interviews, etnography, netnograhy, longitudinal design

Events