RESEARCH
I study how firms collect and use data and its implication on prices, competition, and welfare. My research focuses on real-world industries with imperfect competition and information or incentive problems, such as insurance and e-commerce.
I often work with large datasets from independent collaborations with firms. In my research, I develop formal analytical models that allow me to quantify complex but empirically important features of consumer demand and firm conduct.
Buying Data from Consumers: The Impact of Monitoring in U.S. Auto Insurance
How to quantify the economic impact of direct transactions of consumer data? More data can mitigate information and incentive problems, but consumers must self-select into providing data, and proprietary data may also increase future markups.
Information Acquisition and the Return to Data: Evidence from Firms on an E-commerce Platform
What kind of firms collect what types of data? Can such data facilitate growth? Is so, through what channels?
Training and Selection among Small and Young Firms: Evidence from An E-commerce Experiment
Can business training facilitate growth among small and young firms? If so, what kinds of training are most useful for what types of firms? Can firm behavior during training be informative of potential managerial ability?