Abstract: Searching a trade partner is the first step for firms to develop B2B transactions. Information and communication technology nowadays has simplified the searching process, search cost of firms has been reduced substantially, and transaction efficiency has been improved largely. This paper based on the consideration that upstream firms conduct the search analyzes the impact of search cost reduction on B2B transaction volume as well as the firm profits. Search cost reduction triggers two kinds of effect: entry effect and matching effect. Entry effect promotes more and more firms to enter into the market and trade; matching effect incites firms to unceasingly search for their optimal trade partner. The findings of this paper are partially in conflict with the intuition. Particularly, taking the two effects together, B2B transaction volume does not constantly increase with the reduced search cost. B2B transaction volume shows both trends of declining and increasing, overall a slowing-downs growth with the reducing search cost; another conclusion against the intuition is that search cost reduction may not intensify the competition among firms, and it does not necessarily lead to a more competitive industry.

Key words: search cost, B2B transaction, transaction behavior, entry effect, matching effect

摘要： 搜索交易伙伴是企业开展B2B交易流程中的首要一环。当下,信息通讯技术的扩散简化了企业搜索交易伙伴的程序,搜索成本得到极大降低,交易效率得以极大提升。本文考虑B2B交易由上游企业主导搜索实现的情况下,搜索成本降低对B2B交易规模及产业竞争的影响。企业搜索成本降低对企业的交易行为将产生两种效应:进入效应和匹配效应。进入效应促使更多企业进入市场参与交易;匹配效应促使企业持续搜寻最优的交易伙伴。理论分析结果与一般直观认识相悖,具体而言,若交易由上游企业主导完成,两种效应叠加导致B2B交易并非总是随着搜索成本的降低而持续增长,而是呈现出增中有降的态势;同时,搜索成本的降低对主导搜索企业所在产业发展有利亦有弊,并不必然导致一个竞争更加剧烈的产业格局。

关键词: 搜索成本, B2B交易, 交易行为, 进入效应, 匹配效应