Correspondence: Irene CL, Ng, School of Business and Economics, University of Exeter, Streatham Court, Rennes Drive, Exeter EX4 4PU, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 1392 263250; Fax: +44 (0) 1392 263242; E-mail: Irene.ng@exeter.ac.uk

¹Irene C. L. Ng is with the School of Business and Economics, University of Exeter, UK. She is also the Group Vice Chairman of SA Tours Group of Companies, a regional tour operator based in Malaysia, Singapore and China.

Received 21 July 2005.

Abstract

This paper takes an interdisciplinary approach towards revenue management, incorporating economics and marketing concepts and proposing that firms employ a dynamic service differentiation so that consumer needs are met more closely. To locate market segments, the paper proposes that firms employ segmentation based on self-selection, providing consumers with an array of choices that are truth revealing and allowing firms to price discriminate without the need to predetermine segments. Through differentiation and self-selection, uncertainty could also be reduced. Furthermore, self-selection could also allow firms to reduce the costs of coordinating and monitoring rate fences.