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Today, there is a significant "digital divide" in the agricultural sector between developing and developed countries. Such a digital disparity has negative consequences on the international competitiveness of these countries and their ability to comply with Food Satefy Standards. We propose a theoretical model to analyze the role of smart agriculture in the ability of countries to comply with international food safety regulations, specifically the Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for contaminants such as aflatoxins, pesticides,and heavy metals. Firstly, we show that reducing the digital divide will always improve international food safety and food security (availability of a global supply). However, it can lead to more intense international competition, potentially causing a perverse effect: underinvestment in good agricultural practices by more digitally advanced countries. Furthermore, the digital catch-up of less advanced countries cannot sufficiently reduce health risks in international markets unless accompanied by strengthening official food control systems. Finally, we show that such digital catch-up encourages lowering MRLs rather than relaxing them, contrary to what producers or authorities might hope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lacking predictability of enforcement hinders the deterrent function of competition law. This article shows that academic analyses of optimal competition rules do not always treat this factor adequately, paying instead excessive attention to the problem of error. Sometimes, predictability is completely ignored as a relevant factor. At other times, it is taken into account but its effects are framed in a way that undermines their significance. This article further discusses three possible reasons why a part of competition law and economics scholarship engages in such mistreatment of predictability. First, it may be a result of writing convenience. Secondly, the role of predictability in selecting the optimal competition rule may simply be misunderstood. Thirdly, the role of predictability may be belittled intentionally in order to advocate rules benefiting the interests of competition practitioners and/or defendants. This article also briefly explores how problematic each reason is and what solutions might be available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, there is a significant "digital divide" in the agricultural sector between developing and developed countries. Such a digital disparity has negative consequences on the international competitiveness of these countries and their ability to comply with Food Satefy Standards. We propose a theoretical model to analyze the role of smart agriculture in the ability of countries to comply with international food safety regulations, specifically the Maximum Residue Limits (MRLs) for contaminants such as aflatoxins, pesticides, and heavy metals. Firstly, we show that reducing the digital divide will always improve international food safety and food security (availability of a global supply). However, it can lead to more intense international competition, potentially causing a perverse effect: underinvestment in good agricultural practices by more digitally advanced countries. Furthermore, the digital catch-up of less advanced countries cannot sufficiently reduce health risks in international markets unless accompanied by strengthening official food control systems. Finally, we show that such digital catch-up encourages lowering MRLs rather than relaxing them, contrary to what producers or authorities might hope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many firms vie to attain a strategic bottleneck position in their industry, as it promises superior value appropriation over an extended period. Using a mixed-methods approach, we investigated the power dynamics between bottleneck and challenger segments in the airline ticket distribution sector. Our study of the bottleneck formed by the global distribution system (GDS) firms reveals the mechanisms that these firms employed to maintain power, as well as the mechanisms that airlines in the challenger segment used to attain power. These mechanisms strongly influenced the momentum of power shifts as the industry evolved towards greater modularization; we show how they worked recursively in a process of power distribution dynamics during that evolution. In addition, these mechanisms explain the dynamics at work between the incumbent and challenger segments, with airlines increasing the pressure to modularize and the GDS firms resisting that pressure. Our findings contribute to the literature on industry architectural change and industry evolution by providing a comprehensive understanding of the power dynamics that affect when and how strategic bottlenecks dissolve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Problemas del Desarrollo. Revista Latinoamericana de Economía is the property of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. Instituto de Investigaciones Economicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present investigation elaborates on the level of game theory application for the applied and theoretical analyses of climate change and development studies. This editorial shows that the common good character of global climate alongside the increasing internalization of environmental externalities through national regulations and international environmental treaties jointly result in the increasing congruence between the context of climate change problems and the game theoretical method. Furthermore, the adoption of the Paris Accord by the overwhelming majority of developing countries as well as the disproportionate vulnerability of the Global South have led to an increasing shift in focus with regard to international development cooperation, from poverty alleviation and economic growth to green growth and circular economy solutions, within developing countries. The underutilization of game theory in the context of development studies is not satisfactory. This paper underlines the importance of implementing an impetus to researchers for scholarly discussions and applications of game theory in a discourse on the following topics: 1. economic growth; 2. climate change mitigation and adaptation; and 3. a broader socioeconomic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to investigate the Role of ownership structure on the Effect of investment strategy on future performance. The research focuses on ownership that compares foreign and domestic ownership structures. The research sample is a non-financial company in ASEAN countries. Multiple regression was performed to test the hypothesis using a financial dataset from 795 firm years of observation of non-financial companies in ASEAN. Our results show that foreign and domestic owners negatively affect the relationship between investment strategy and the future performance. The study’s results indicate that foreign and domestic ownership have no significant difference as a supporting factor for implementing the investment strategy in improving the company’s future performance. Our findings confirm the IO theory about implementing an investment strategy that affects future performance even though it impacts decreasing financial performance because companies need more time to see the impact of an investment strategy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Al Bashaer Economic Journal is the property of Al Bashaer Economic Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Private sector innovation is critical to mitigating and adapting to climate change. This paper studies innovation in solar energy technology, a key source of clean energy that has experienced rapid price declines over the past decade. To understand the causes and effects of innovation, I estimate a dynamic structural model of competition among solar panel manufacturers. The model captures important features of the industry, including the role of government subsidies for solar adoption, and I employ a unique measure of technological progress that is observable and verifiable. The results produce two main insights. First, ignoring innovation by firms can generate biased estimates of the effects of government policy. Second, decentralized government intervention in a global market generates spillovers; a subsidy in one country causes international firms to innovate more, leading to lower prices and increased adoption elsewhere. This spillover underscores the need for international coordination by governments and the private sector to address climate change. This paper was accepted by Erica Plambeck, Special Section of Management Science on Business and Climate Change. Funding: The author acknowledges support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowship Assistance Agreement FP-91769401-0] and Harvard [Joseph Crump Fellowship]. Supplemental Material: The data files and online appendix are available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2022.4662. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Does the proof-of-work consensus protocol serve its intended purpose of supporting decentralized cryptocurrency mining? To address this question, we develop a game-theoretical model in which miners first invest in hardware to improve the efficiency of their operations and then compete for mining rewards in a rent-seeking game. We show that centralization grows with heterogeneity in mining costs, but hardware capacity constraints prevent the most efficient miners from monopolizing the mining process. Investment leads to a more decentralized network unless larger miners have a significant comparative advantage in acquiring new hardware. Our model generates empirically supported implications: (i) mining centralization is countercyclical with respect to mining reward, and (ii) a change in mining reward leads to a less-than-proportional change in hash rates. This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, Special Section of Management Science: Blockchains and Crypto Economics. Supplemental Material: The data file is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2023.4840. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postmodern organizations strive to cultivate open innovation systems to foster product innovation and commercialization. Cultural dynamics can be a massive obstacle in flourishing the inbound and outbound open innovation in many organizations. However, little is known about the effect of different types of culture on the open innovation dimensions. This research aimed to investigate the role of cultural subtleties in nurturing inbound and outbound open innovation in the organizations. A quantitative research design was employed, and data were collected from a random sample of 231 managers from the automotive industry. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was used to test the hypotheses using Smart PLS. The results indicated that hierarchy culture, associated with formal rules and regulations, negatively affects the inbound and outbound open innovation. The Market culture has a positive relationship with inbound and outbound open innovation while adhocracy culture could positively impact the inbound open innovation only. On the other hand, clan culture has a negative effect on the outbound open innovation. We concluded that the organizational culture focused on internal integrations is more suitable for outbound open innovation, and the type of organizational culture focused on external differentiation is more likely to support inbound open innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the effect of foodborne outbreaks that occurred in 2006 and 2008 in the peanut butter industry across the United States. The objective of this study was to estimate the demand and pricing conduct in the peanut butter industry under the salmonella outbreaks. The study applied a random coefficients multinomial logit demand for differentiated peanut butter brands. With own and cross-price elasticities and cost parameters corresponding to those products' attributes, the study analyzes the effect of a foodborne outbreak on consumers' behavior and manufacturers' pricing performance. Furthermore, this study used the demand estimates to measure the market power of peanut butter brands. Consumers react negatively to price in all cities, but the other taste parameter estimates for calorie, fat, sugar, and protein had a wide distribution, depending on consumers' demographics. For pricing conduct, the cities indicated higher Lerner indices when the city shifted the pricing conduct. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses both a geometrical and mathematical analysis to explain monopolistic third-degree price discrimination, and it also shows how price discrimination affects society. A frequent policy question in the literature on price discrimination is whether to allow third-degree price discrimination or enforce uniform pricing. A key feature to understanding this issue in the context of imperfectly competitive markets is the impact of price discrimination on output. The article shows that a monopoly facing downward-sloping linear demands and constant marginal costs will obtain higher profits under price discrimination than under a single-price strategy, but price discrimination lowers welfare if the total output does not change. When price discrimination causes total output to increase, then this practice will have a beneficial effect on overall welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyzes the plans and layouts of Chinese ceramic workshops from the Tang to Ming periods (seventh to seventeenth century AD) to understand how ceramic production was organized and how organization developed over time. Through the comparative examination of 254 workshops from 96 workshop sites, two workshop types have been defined based on the spatial arrangement of their production facilities. This paper argues that each workshop type reflects a different degree of labor specialization, and despite some regional differences, the organization of ceramic production developed in a consistent way across China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Academic dialogue related to 'organizational performance' in strategic management has primarily centred around the industrial organization theory (IO) and resource-based view (RBV). Both perspectives, though conceptually dialectic, have served as primary competing theories governing research studies in the domain of strategic management. However, the confluence of these theoretical perspectives has not been adequately explored to advance a shared view of competitive advantage. This study aims to explore the likelihood of embedded commonalities between RBV and IO. Design/methodology/approach: A bibliometric analysis was conducted to visualize the intellectual map of studies and knowledge development encompassing these theories. This was followed by a comprehensive literature review to understand how the business environment (BE) and organizational capabilities have contributed towards attaining competitive advantage. Findings: This study established that connecting the intellectual boundaries of these theoretical perspectives would facilitate better comprehension of the processes and outcomes in organizations. Integrating the knowledge emerging out of this methodological blend, a convergence framework connecting the intellectual boundaries of both theories was presented. Practical implications: The framework that emerged from this study would help in better understanding of organizational behaviour from a dual theoretical lens. It would also motivate future studies to consider RBV and IO as complementary theories rather than the current narrative of competing theories. Social implications: This study added to the efforts to achieve equilibrium between the BE and internal capabilities of organizations so as to maximize positive social externalities. Originality/value: This study contributed to the limited attempts to leverage shared knowledge from a dual perspective using a comprehensive literature review in sequential combination with bibliometric analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a model for research and development (R&D) investment in food innovations based on new plant engineering techniques (NPETs) and traditional hybridization methods. The framework combines uncertain and costly food innovation with consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) for the new food. The framework is applied with elicited WTP of French and US consumers for new improved apples. NPETs may be socially beneficial under full information and when the probability of success under NPETs is relatively high. Otherwise, the traditional hybridization is socially optimal. A probable collapse of conventional apples raises the social desirability of new apples generated by NPETs and traditional hybridization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the effects of a vertical merger in a standard setting with a single upstream supplier of a critical input and two downstream customers that compete with each other. Initially, the upstream supplier first announces prices, then the two downstream customers announce their retail prices. We show that this pre-merger timing does not survive a vertical merger. The merged firm may choose to be either a first mover or a second mover in the post-merger pricing game with its unintegrated rival. Our results suggest that a vertical merger is unlikely to lead to a significant upstream price increase unless the downstream firm involved in the merger is relatively large. In such a case, an upstream price increase is to be expected. For vertical mergers involving a large downstream firm, in most simulations the merged firm reduces its downstream price. Its rival often increases its price. In all simulations, the rival is caught in a price squeeze. This calls into question the rival's long-term viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Global Sport Management is the property of the Global Alliance of Marketing & Management Association and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Industrial Organization as a branch of Economics concerned with the conduct of Firms which operates in Imperfect Markets.IO as a discipline is involved in study of those factors and strategies which helps the firms to achieve superior performance or competitive advantage. Since the emphasis of IO remains on the rivalry conditions which exist in markets hence much of the study of IO is the theory of Business Strategy. Industrial Organization is all about the way in which the firms in the markets compete with each other.IO is concerned with behavior of Firms in the Non Perfectly Competitive Markets. Market Power exists because of the existence of Imperfect Competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluate the impact of competition on investments in Europe's mobile communications market during the 2011 to 2021 period. There are stark and sustained differences in market outcomes between three- and four-player markets in Europe, and economic theory suggests these could be partly explained by the dynamic effects of competition on the ability and incentives to invest by market players. We find strong evidence that market concentration in Europe is below optimal levels that would maximize investments, especially in four-player markets. The dispersion of fixed costs and assets among a greater number of players can result in diseconomies of scale and a less efficient use of resources. We also find evidence that investment incentives to improve quality and innovate are lower in markets with lower concentration indices and profit margins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The active and intentional involvement of a person in changing and developing as a person is a crucial and worth considering phenomenon that comes under the umbrella of positive psychology. There has been a previous study done on personal growth initiative (PGI) but that study did not explain whether this phenomenon exceeds in men or in women. Plus, previous studies were confined to college students only. This study aims to assess how gender influences PGI, to validate the psychometric properties of the PGI scale and to evaluate the relationship of PGI with mental well-being, career orientation and to examine whether this factor dominates in men or women and to critically validate at what age an individual starts initiating personal growth. The other main objective of the study is to work on the limitations and gaps left in previous studies on PGI by establishing a psychometrically reliable and valid scale/instrument. Design/methodology/approach: To develop a scale, first, focus group discussions were conducted with six groups. Through random sampling, a sample of 50 men and 50 women were taken for the pilot study and N = 449 (156 men and 293 women) for the main study with ages ranging from 18 to 35 years were taken (M = 42.30, SD = 12.61). The study consisted of focus group discussions followed by thematic analysis and item pool generation which further followed the main study analysis. For the development of the scale, a theoretical basis along with focus group discussion was conducted to establish an item pool of 123 items. Afterward, 7 experts in the surroundings examined those 123 items to perform subject expert matter to establish content validity. Mixed method was used as a research method in which exploratory sequential design was used. Focus groups were used as a data collection technique. Random sampling is used to collect participants for study/methodology/approach – the study consisted of focus group discussions followed by thematic analysis and item pool generation which further followed the main study analysis. A 19 item five-point Likert-type scale is constructed for public administration on a sample of N = 449 (men = 156 and women = 293). Alpha reliability of the scale (0.83), Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) (0.88) and Bartlett's, psychometric properties of study variables skewness (0.47), kurtosis (−0.17). Inter item correlation matrix, item-total correlation, Scree plotting, t-test (t = −1.90) and (p = 0.05) and linear regression analysis are analyzed on the data and items. This scale is kept parsimonious so that it could be understood by the general population as well. Findings: A 19 item five-point Likert-type scale is constructed for public administration on a sample of N = 449 (men = 156 and women = 293). High Alpha reliability of the scale (a = 0.83), KMO (0.88) and Bartlett's, psychometric properties of study variables skewness (0.47), kurtosis (−0.17). Inter item correlation matrix, Scree plotting, t-test (t = −1.90) and (p = 0.05) and linear regression analysis are analyzed on the data and items. Three factors i.e. effectiveness, shaping and aptitude were formed through exploratory factor analysis (EFA). KMO value of 0.88 suggests that the sample is sufficient to perform EFA. Regression analysis suggests that gender is positively predicting PGI as results are statistically. Research limitations/implications: Some of the limitations of this scale on which the future researchers can work are that the sample included participants above age 18 only, so for future researchers they could include participants below this age and find out the PGI factor in them. The sample also included mostly unmarried individuals so for future applications they can find out the extent to which being married can affect the PGI factor, as compared to being unmarried. Another thing that should be mentioned is that the main objective was to find out whether PGI differs among men and women and as the results show that it does differ on the basis of gender but for future studies, the researchers could work on if there is also a difference in men and women in the three subscales (formed during EFA). Practical implications: This scale is developed using a significant element of human personality called personal growth which is applicable to various categories and settings of the society to measure the aptitude and inclination toward PGI. This scale can be eligibly administered for research purposes for measuring the growth attitude as a reliable predictor in suitable combination with other expected variables like career development. Originality/value: The findings suggest the instrument to be psychometrically valid and reliable and can be helpful in many domains such as industrial organizations, career counseling areas and clinical and research settings. Also, the instrument can be beneficial for future studies in identifying other possible relationships with multiple variables. The current study is an original work to assess the level of PGI in men and women as the previous studies did not include participants below 25 and also they did not assess the inclination of PGI comparably in men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Geosul is the property of Geosul and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Theoretical background: These studies are motivated by three reasons: (1) the Competitive Intelligence (CI) approach is a critical factor in increasing the organization’s ability to monitor and strengthen competitive advantage; (2) too little research has been done on the use of new management theories in the CI approach and (3) there is no research devoted to computer-assisted CI. Purpose of the article: This study proposes a comprehensive framework for extending the CI’s potential in the organization’s activities and its computer-assisted support. The purpose of this article is to develop a new CI construction theory and propose a holistic, conceptual CI model, as well as carry out its initial verification. Research methods: The comprehensive CI model is based on the following theories: (1) Resource-Based View (RBV), Industrial Organization (IO) and Business Model Canvas, which were used for CI design, (2) theories for measuring and validating CI implementation, i.e.: Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM), Industrial Critical Success Factors (ICSF) and (3) theories for integrated computer-assisted CI. The validation of the proposed comprehensive CI model was based on data on the opinions of SUV class users. Main findings: The results obtained during the validation of the CI model show great importance for a comprehensive look at the topic of computer-assisted CI. This contribution is significant because in the literature there are no such studies and conclusions obtained from them. The results obtained and conclusions should be useful for all organizations that need to analyze competitiveness using a comprehensive CI model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Papeles de Europa is the property of Universidad Complutense de Madrid and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Economia Contemporânea is the property of Revista de Economia Contemporanea and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de Economía is the property of Universidade Federal do Parana and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

International small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) encounter several problems, including how to manage the industry forces in order to achieve their performance goals. Focusing mainly on international SMEs, we explored this issue by examining competitive advantage as a mediator in the relationship between industry forces and international SMEs' performance. This study was conducted in the context of the Iranian market. Iran offers substantial economic opportunities to international SMEs since it has a population of 85 million people, a range of natural resources, and a sophisticated manufacturing industry. In Iran, an international SME is a firm with less than 100 employees that originated outside of Iran but has an entity inside the country. The partial least squares method was employed in analyzing the survey data collected from 166 international SMEs in Iran. The results indicate that industry forces have significant effects on performance, but competitive advantage does not have a mediating impact. The results of this study reaffirm that international SMEs should be aware of the consequences of industry forces in order to attain their performance goals. This is especially critical for some developing economies which are more characterized by ambiguities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new type of agricultural management organization alliance, the effect of the benefit linkage generated by agricultural industrialization consortium on collaboration performance is closely related to the sustainable development of the agricultural economy. Based on survey data on consortia in Shanghai, this paper analyzes the effects of benefit linkage and uses multiple linear regression modeling to comprehensively explore the impact of benefit linkage effects on collaboration performance from both subjective and objective aspects, as well as the differences in impact on the collaboration performance of consortia with different organizational structures. The results show that the benefit linkage effect has a positive impact on collaboration performance, and there are differences in the impact of the benefit linkage effect on collaboration performance under different types of organizational structures, among which the resource allocation effect, capitalization effect and correlation effect of the benefit linkage of non-joint stock consortia have a positive impact on collaboration performance; the resource allocation effect of joint-stock consortia has no significant impact on collaboration performance, the capitalization effect on collaboration performance is significantly lower than that of non-joint stock consortia, and the correlation effect on collaboration performance is significantly higher than that of non-joint-stock consortia. Therefore, under a certain benefit linkage, according to the establishment purpose and collaboration goal, a consortium with different types of organizational structures should be established to give full play to the impact of the benefit linkage effect on collaboration performance and promote the sustainable development of agricultural industrialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regulation of the electricity sector, in general and in the particular case of Spain, has been brilliantly analysed by economists and contemporary jurists placing the emphasis, preferably, on economic efficiency and social justice. This article, based on the writings of economic historians in recent years, has as its objective to shed light on the logic to regulatory changes in Spain. Exactly as has been done for other countries, the explanation of factors and of the characteristics of this regulatory change, without doubt, will contribute to the understanding of its special nature within the overall international panorama, as well as a better understanding of the contributions of other previous and future works from different perspectives of analysis. The conclusions on the historical construction of the regulation of the electricity industry until the twentieth century allow us to define four big stages, deeply conditioned by their political regimes and the economic circumstances of the country, as well as by the unequal importance of economic agents in the taking of decisions: powerful energy companies, weak governments, and a complete lack of consumer input. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of multinational platforms organizing the interplay of a multiplicity of firms and consumers is analysed by regulation theory approach. The fall of Yahoo! and then the rise of Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple and Wikipedia give an unprecedented impetus to the construction of new eco-system led by a constant flow of innovations on information. Can it define a new configuration in the history of capitalisms? Against the hypothesis of a technological determinism, various types of platform may coexist and delineate contrasted reconfigurations of the modern world: a market led platform capitalism in the USA, a panoptic control society in China, whereas ideally the European Union aims at converting information into a global Common, monitored by citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Science Technology & Industry is the property of Chinese Society of Technology Economics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

On May 5, 2020, the U.S. Trade Representative announced plans to negotiate a free trade agreement with the United Kingdom (USUKFTA). We use GTAP to model the economic impacts of such a free trade agreement. We also develop a modified GTAP model that includes worker displacement to incorporate unemployment generated by the free trade agreement into the model. We find that a standard GTAP model leads to a very small improvement in economic conditions for both countries, but more for the U.K. than the U.S.A. Our worker displacement model shows a small negative impact to employment for both countries and a negative effect on GDP for the U.S.A. It is unusual for a trade model to show a negative impact on GDP or employment from adoption of a free trade agreement. Our results suggest that worker displacement is an important impact of trade agreements. Our results also explain the industry-specific effects of a USUKFTA. We find that the manufacturing sector is behind most changes in output and the trade balance for both models. In particular, the U.S. transportation equipment and Computer/electrical sectors suffer the most, while the U.K. suffers more from a decline in service sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How does the capture of explicit monopoly rent via intellectual property rights interact with the capture of additional profit via monopsonistic labour markets, and with what consequences? Most analyses of changes in the labour market focus on the distributional struggle between capital and labour over the wage share. This paper examines how the distributional struggle among firms over shares of aggregate profit has affected the labour market, generating rising income inequality. Over the past 40 years, struggles over shares of the value generated in a given commodity chain have driven de jure but not de facto vertical disintegration of those value chains. Firms vertically disintegrated by outsourcing non-core production and support activities, by in-sourcing contingent labour, and, where possible, by adopting a franchise model of corporate organization. The franchise model enables core firms to exert near total control over firms that are technically separate legal entities, while avoiding legal and social responsibility for the workers (and owners) of those subordinate firms. Vertical disintegration has produced three ideal typical kinds of firms whose differing ability to capture value and thus profit stems from their different forms of control over other firms in the value chain. Vertical disintegration generated labour shedding and employment contingency. Differential value capture has concentrated profit into firms with relatively small headcounts, reducing the degree to which profits are (partially) redistributed among workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The future organizational landscape may change drastically by mid-century as a result of widespread implementation of 3D printing. This article argues that global will turn local; mega (factories, ships, malls) will become mini; long supply chains will shrink; many jobs will be broadened to combine design, consulting, sales, and production roles; and large organizations will make room for smaller ones. "A once-shuttered warehouse is now a state-of-the art lab where new workers are mastering the 3D printing that has the potential to revolutionize the way we make almost everything." [President Obama, State of the Union Address, 2013]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kim and Luca (2019) consider Google's grouped results for local businesses (the "OneBox"). They contend that Google made a "strategic decision" to exclude reviews from other platforms (like Yelp) in these results and claim that this led to a quality degradation for search users, based on a randomized controlled trial (RCT) experiment. The purpose of this Comment is to clarify the robustness of Kim and Luca's characterization of the situation and empirical findings, including in particular with respect to the noise and likely bias resulting from the control benchmark for the RCT experiment being based on a degraded version of Google's OneBox, rather than the actual version. This paper was accepted by Alfonso Gambardella, business strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper defends the viability of de-idealization strategies in economic modeling against recent criticism. De-idealization occurs when an idealized assumption of a theoretical model is replaced with a more realistic one. Recently, some scholars have raised objections against the possibility or fruitfulness of de-idealizing economic models, suggesting that economists do not employ this kind of strategy. We present a detailed case study from the theory of industrial organization, discussing three different models, two of which can be construed as de-idealized versions of the first (the so-called Bertrand model of oligopoly). We conclude that recent pessimism about de-idealization in economics is largely unfounded, and that de-idealization strategies are not only possible but also widely employed in economics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to analyze the effect of industry growth rates on the characteristics of high-growth firms (HGFs) that are active in a particular industry. By making a distinction between HGFs active in stable and declining industries and HGFs active in growing and high-growing industries, it is analyzed if the main dimensions of firm performance are significantly different for HGFs active in one of these different industry types. Gaining more insight into this industry aspect of high firm growth is important as governmental measures towards HGFs may be more effective if they have a specific sectoral focus. Design/methodology/approach: A subset of 740 Belgian HGFs was analyzed. Data were gathered from the Belfirst database. HGFs were classified within their corresponding industry type: a declining industry (negative growth), a stable industry (0 −5% growth), a growing industry (5 −10% growth) and a high-growth industry (>10% growth). Four dimensions of structural firm performance that are expected to correlate with high growth were taken into consideration: productivity (value added per FTE), profitability (ROA), innovativeness (intangible assets) and financial health (solvency and liquidity).Tukey's range tests in conjunction with post-hoc analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests were carried out to test for significant differences in all the mentioned variables for the HGFs in the four different industry types. Findings: Results show that HGFs active in a stable industry are not significantly more profitable or innovative than HGFs active in a growth industry. However, significant differences could be encountered when it comes to the other two dimensions of structural firm performance: productivity and financial health. It is shown that HGFs active in declining and stable industries are significantly more productive than HGFs active in growth industries and high-growth industries. Also, HGFs active in declining and stable industries have significantly higher liquidity ratios than firms active in growth industries, pointing towards a better financial health for HGFs in nongrowing industries. Research limitations/implications: The results confirm the conceptual logic that the differences between resource-based view (RBV) and industrial organization (IO) propositions will have an impact on the drivers of firm performance and high business growth. Every future study that focuses on the growth determinants of HGFs should be aware that considering the subset of HGFs as one homogenous group may be suboptimal. It is likely that the growth determinants of both HGF types will indeed be fundamentally different. Originality/value: Until now, all studies on HGFs have considered the subset of HGFs as a whole. This paper tried to disentangle the subset based on the growth rate of the industry in which HGFs are mainly active. In this proposition, a reason for the lack of knowledge about characteristics of HGFs may – at least partially – be found in the fact that industry membership plays an important role in determining the characteristics of a high-growth firm. Future studies focusing on high-growth determinants may benefit from systematically taking the industry growth rates into account, with the knowledge that the propositions of two different theories – IO and RBV – may be the fundamental drivers of a firm's high-growth rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the views on competition theory and policy of the American institutional economists during the first half of the 20th century. These perspectives contrasted with those of contemporary neoclassical and later mainstream economic approaches. We identify three distinct dimensions to an institutionalist perspective on competition. First, institutionalist approaches focused on describing industry details, so as to bring theory into closer contact with reality. Second, institutionalists emphasized that while competition was sometimes beneficial, it could also be disruptive. Third, institutionalists had a broad view of the objectives of competition policy that extended beyond effects on consumer welfare. Consequently, institutionalists advocated for a wide range of policies to enhance competition, including industrial self-regulation, broad stakeholder representation within corporations, and direct governmental regulations. Their experimental attitude implied that policy would always be evolving, and antitrust enforcement might be only one stage in the development toward a regime of industrial regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, I reflect on my career in the agricultural economics profession as a researcher who has focused predominantly on the synthesis of two fields in economics: industrial organization and international trade. In that context, I consider my main contribution to have been in analyzing the impact of public policy where imperfect competition matters in the food and agricultural marketing system, be it in either the horizontal or vertical market dimensions. In addition, I have also paid considerable attention to incorporating market structure into empirical analysis of food and agricultural trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Platforms are everywhere. The rise of Uber, Netflix, and Facebook has attracted a lot of attention to this business model. However, despite its relevance and presence in the digital economy, the definition of platforms, their main characteristics, the intuitions about how they set prices, solve coordination issues, or choose their ownership structure seem to be scattered in many papers. This review attempts to organize the last two decades of research on multisided platforms around three essential elements of platforms: price structure, network effects, and control rights. We highlight which definitions are used in the literature, how they are related to the defining characteristics of platforms, and what research has been made on those characteristics. We pay special attention to the research done on pricing, coordination problems, and ownership structure. We conclude by reviewing the theoretical evidence around monopolization and competition policy in multisided markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Finance & Business Economies Review is the property of Finance & Business Economies Review and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Most technology startups are set up for exit through acquisition by large corporations. In choosing when to sell, startups face a trade-off. Early acquisition reduces execution errors, but later acquisition both improves the likelihood of finding a better match and benefits from increased buyer competition. Startups' exit strategies vary considerably: Some startups aim to sell early; others remain in stealth mode by developing the invention for a late sale. We develop an analytical model to study the timing of the exit strategy. We find that startups with more capable founding teams commit to a late exit, whereas those with less capable founding teams commit to an early exit. Finally, startups with founding teams of intermediate capabilities remain flexible: They seek early offers but eventually sell late. If trying the early market is so costly that startups have to make a mutually exclusive choice between an early and late sale, startups sell inefficiently late. Instead, if they can collect early offers at no cost before deciding on the timing of sale, there are too many early acquisitions. This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, business strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some sympathetic critics have recently found trouble with the latest iteration of the global production networks theory (GPN 2.0) developed in economic geography. I term these immanent critiques "GPN trouble" and address them in this Exchanges paper in relation to GPN 2.0's conceptualization of value and risk and its perceived "missing" elements of the state, labour, and so on. Reiterating briefly its core tenet, I first demonstrate GPN 2.0's modest role as a meso theory of industrial organization and economic development in an interconnected world economy. I argue that empirical analysis based on GPN 2.0 must open up the "black box" of production networks in order to evaluate the causal links between network dynamics and uneven development outcomes. Second, I show how understanding these causal links can provide better answers to the crucial question of "in what sense a GPN problem?" Addressing both issues appropriately will likely reduce the sort of "GPN trouble" one might encounter in future research on global economic restructuring during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To describe the use of renewable energies in firms in the agricultural sector in order to associate their use to competitiveness variables and to determine if their incorporation has an impact on the competitive performance of the firms. Design/Methodology/Approach An instrument was designed aimed at managers and owners of companies in the agricultural sector based on the theory of industrial organization and competitiveness. The information was coded, and association tests as well as comparative cluster analysis were performed. Results The use of renewable energy by the firms addresses economic and commercial strategies. Of the twelve competitiveness variables used to compare firms, nine were linked to the use of renewable energies. The firms using renewable energy demonstrated superior results in competitiveness. Study Limitations/Implications The results are applicable to firms in the agricultural sector within the region analyzed. Financial and energy consumption variables should be considered if the method of analysis is to be replicated. Findings/Conclusions The use of renewable energy is a strategic behavior that allows companies to improve their market position. Companies that use renewable energy as a strategic behavior are more competitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims at analyzing the relationship between market structure and the performance of the insurance companies in Algeria's property and casualty insurance market by adopting the model of analysis in the industrial organization (SCP); (Structure-Conduct-Performance). Moreover, the study is based on the hypothesis of existence of a Mutual Influence between market structure and performance. Accordingly, the study sample is included ten insurance companies during the period between 2007 and 2015. A simultaneous equation is employed to estimate the parameters of the model, relying on Two-Stage Least Square (2SLS) and Three-Stage Least Square. On the whole, the study concludes that Algeria's property and casualty insurance market is characterized by a monopoly structure and heading towards competition, the study also dictates the existence of impact between the structure of the insurance market and the performance of insurance companies operating in it, this effect is negative between the two variables in both directions, which means rejection of the structure-Conduct-performance paradigm hypothesis, that is, public insurance companies that control the insurance market do not benefit from the dominant position in making unusual profits, and they are far from monopolistic behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Problemas del Desarrollo. Revista Latinoamericana de Economía is the property of Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico. Instituto de Investigaciones Economicas and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)