| This dissertation contains three essays related to the provision of heterogeneous firm quality in equilibrium. The first essay analyzes the impact of urology patients' gender-based preferences for urologists and competition among urology groups on access to female urologists across markets, and examines the implications for health outcomes. The second essay considers circumstances under which the content of a firm's name reveals credible information about itself and documents that plumbing firms that use a name that begins with an "A" or a number provide lower-quality service. The final essay finds that, consistent with theoretical predictions, firms respond to fluctuations in their reputations by taking steps to conceal their identities. |
