Huck, S. and Luenser, G. and Tyran, J.-R. (2007) Consumer networks and firm reputation: a first experimental investigation. (ELSE Working Papers 291). ESRC Centre for Economic Learning and Social Evolution: London, UK.
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Abstract
Arguing that consumers are the carriers of firms’ reputations, we examine the role of consumer networks for trust in markets that suffer from moral hazard. When consumers are embedded in a network, they can exchange information with their neighbors about their private experiences with different sellers. We find that such information exchange fosters firms' incentives for reputation building and, thus, enhances trust and efficiency in markets. This efficiency-enhancing effect is already achieved with a rather low level of network density.
| Type: | Working / discussion paper |
|---|---|
| Title: | Consumer networks and firm reputation: a first experimental investigation |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Publisher version: | http://else.econ.ucl.ac.uk/newweb/papers.php#2007 |
| Language: | English |
| Keywords: | C72, C92, D40, L14 |
| UCL classification: | UCL > School of Arts and Social Sciences > Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences > Economics |
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