Skip to main content
Log in

Modeling the design quality competition for durable products

  • Published:
IIE Transactions

Abstract

In this paper we model the design quality competition in durable product markets. We use a duopolistic non-cooperative game theoretic framework. Each firm controls the design quality level and the price of its product. The resulting control theoretic model is solved under certain functional assumptions to describe the Nash equilibrium design quality and pricing strategies of the two competitors. We compare open and closed loop design quality and pricing strategies. We use an extensive set of numerical experiments to investigate the effects of various parameters of the model on the optimal policies. We conclude with a brief summary of our results and some useful managerial insights derived from the model.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Juran, J.M. and Gryna, F.M. Jr. (1980) Quality planning and analysis, in Product Development Through Usage, 2nd edn., McGraw Hill, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Montgomery, D.C. (1985) Introduction to Statistical Quality Control, John Wiley, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Crosby, P.B. (1979) Quality is Free, McGraw Hill, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Crosby, P.B. (1984) Quality Without Tears, McGraw Hill, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Deming, W.E. (1982) Quality, productivity and competitive position. Technical Report, MIT Center for Advanced Engineering, Cambridge MA.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Halpin, J.F. (1966) Zero Defects: A New Dimension in Quality Assurance, McGraw Hill, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Lee, H.L. and Tapiero, C.S. (1986) Quality control and the sales process. Naval Research Logistics Quarterly, 33, 569–587.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Tapiero, C.S. and Lee, H.L. (1989) Quality control and product servicing: a decision framework. European Journal of Operational Research, 39, 261–273.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Kacker, R.M. (1986) Off-line quality control, parameter design and the Taguchi method. Journal of Quality Technology, 17, 176–88.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Taguchi, G. (1986) Introduction to Quality Engineering: Designing Quality into Products and Processes, Asian Productivity Organization, Tokyo.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Fine, C.H. (1986) Quality improvement and learning in production systems. Management Science, 10, 1301–15.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Garvin, D.A. (1988) Managing Quality, Free Press, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Nelson, P. (1974) Advertising as information. Journal of Political Economy, 82, 729–754.

    Google Scholar 

  14. Gaimon, C. (1988) Simultaneous and dynamic price, production, inventory and capacity decisions. European Journal of Operational Research, 35, 426–441.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Gaimon, C. (1994) The price-production problem: an operations and marketing interface. Working Paper, School of Management, Georgia Institute of Technology, GA 30332–0520.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Pessemier, E.A. (1965) New Product Decisions, McGraw-Hill, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Bass, F. (1989) A new product growth model for consumer durables. Management Science, 15, 215–222.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Kotler, P. (1990) Marketing Management: Analysis, Planning and Control, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, p. 260.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Garvin, D.A. (1992) Operations Strategy: Text and Cases, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Anon, (1990) Here come the hot new luxury cars, Fortune, April 28, 58–65.

  21. Holt, D. and Mukundan, R. (1972) A Nash algorithm for a class of non-zero sum differential games. International Journal of Systems Sciences, 24, 379–387.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Fershtman, C. and Muller, E. (1984) Capital accumulation games of infinite duration. Journal of Economic Theory, 33, 322–339.

    Google Scholar 

  23. Gaimon, C. (1989) Dynamic game results of the acquisition of new technology. Operations Research, 37, 410–425.

    Google Scholar 

  24. Sethi, S.P. and Thompson, G. (1981) Optimal Control Theory: Application to Management Science, Nijho., Boston, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Starr, A.W. and Ho, Y.C. (1969) Non-zero sum differential game. Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, 3, 184–206.

    Google Scholar 

  26. Mukundan, R. and Elsner, W. (1975) Linear feedback strategies in non-zero sum di.erential game. International Journal of System Sciences, 6, 513–532.

    Google Scholar 

  27. Mangasarian, O.L. (1966) Sufficient conditions for the optimal control of nonlinear systems. SIAM Journal of Control, 4, 139–152.

    Google Scholar 

  28. Seierstad, A. and Sydsaeter, K. (1977) Sufficient conditions in optimal control theory. International Economic Review, 18, 367–391.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Kamien, M.I. and Schwartz, N.L. (1981) Dynamic Optimization: The Calculus of Variations and Optimal Control in Economics and Management, Elsevier North Holland, New York, p. 122.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Hax, A.C. and Majluf, N.C. (1984) Strategic Management, Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Finnie, W.C. (1994) Hands on Strategy, John Wiley, New York.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Clark, K.B. and Fujimoto, T. (1991) Product Development Performance: Strategy, Organization, and Management in the World Auto Industry, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA.

    Google Scholar 

  33. Gaimon, C. (1988) The acquisition of new technology and its impact on a firm' competitive position. Annals of Operations Research, 15, 37–63.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Roth, A.V., Gaimon, C. and Krajewski, L. (1991) Optimal acquisition of FMS technology subject to technological progress. Decision Sciences, 22, 308–334.

    Google Scholar 

  35. Kouvelis, P. and Mukhopadhyay, S.K. (1995) Competing on design quality: a strategic planning approach for product quality with the use of a control theoretic model. Journal of Operation Management, 12, 369–385.

    Google Scholar 

  36. Mukhopadhyay, S.K. and Kouvelis, P. (1997) A differential game theoretic model for duopolistic competition on design quality. Operations Research, 45, 886–893.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kouvelis, P., Mukhopadhyay, S.K. Modeling the design quality competition for durable products. IIE Transactions 31, 865–880 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007674616495

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1007674616495

Keywords

Navigation