Dr John Thanassoulis

MA Mathematics; MPhil & DPhil Economics

former NERA Antitrust Consultant

University Lecturer and Tutor of Economics

john.thanassoulis@economics.ox.ac.uk

I provide the tutorials for microeconomics and for the Finals Honours paper in the Economics of Industry. I lecture Microeconomic Theory, and Economics applied to Finance at the graduate level.

My research has three main strands. The first is to understand bargaining in the supply chain. As a case study I have interviewed numerous executives in the UK milk supply chain from the leading supermarkets, through the processors, to farmers' representatives. This has allowed a bargaining model of the relationships to be constructed. The project now involves a full structural modelling allowing us to conduct 'what if' analyses exploring profit and pricing implications should the industry structure change.

 

The second project is to seek algorithms for optimal bargaining. A tool has been developed allowing the optimal length of stalling to be derived to take advantage of a seller's anxiety that another buyer will not materialise against the buyer's perceived risk that they might. Finally I work on sellers' optimal bundling, volume discount and loyalty rebate strategies.