OPTION VALUES AND BARGAINING DELAYS

We consider a version of Rubinstein bargaining in which both parties p ossess symmetric information about an asset's value, but the value may change over time. When players can wait to learn new information befo re responding to a given offer, each offer carries an implicit option value. When the players are patient, it is optimal for them to make co nservative offers to minimize the option value, but such offers are re jected when the value of the asset increases. Multiple equilibrium out comes also support the construction of further equilibria in which the players wait many periods before making a serious offer. Unlike other complete information models, waiting in our model is built from stati onary asymmetric equilibria. In a limiting case, waiting can become ar bitrarily long and the payoffs arbitrarily smalll. (C) 1994 Academic P ress, Inc.