We go through the decision to vertically integrate or its opposite, outsource, in an uncertain environment. We consider two
different market strategies, price setting and quantity setting and two different vertical relationships: an (imperfectly)
competitive one following Stackelberg mode and a more cooperative one with bargaining. In the first scenario, with certainty,
price and quantity settings are alike, while with uncertainty the ranking changes. If a bargaining framework is adopted instead,
quantity setting under uncertainty leads to an asymmetric distribution of realized gains along the vertical chain. Price setting
turns out to be more equitable for firms and preferable even by consumers.
Keywords Vertical Integration - Uncertainty - Stackelberg - Bargaining
JEL Classification L1