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Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management 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.)

Regulating retail fuel prices, which are getting particularly volatile, is an urgent issue amid the shock period that the global energy industry is facing today. Price volatility, however, is a factor in coordinating consumers’ and fuel producers’ plans. Economic theory fails to explain why in some countries, during a shock period, governments tend to regulate retail prices, while in others they develop market pricing mechanisms in the fuel market. The article reveals the influence of Douglass North’s social orders on the tendency of governments to establish a price regulation mechanism in the retail fuel market. New institutional economics constitutes the theoretical framework of the study. Among the research methods are case analysis, comparative crosscountry analysis, and statistical analysis. The empirical evidence comes from regulatory legal acts, US and Russian state statistics on fuel prices for 2019–2023, and materials from the GlobalPetrolPrices project. The research results revealed differences in uncertainty assessments by the governments of countries with different social orders: for regulators in open access social orders, industry shock is the reason of finding a new way to adapt to market conditions; for regulators in limited access social orders, it is the risk of destabilization of the social order. Our findings help to outline the institutional rationale behind the implementation of industry-specific policies.

Background & Aims: Compared to the past, the competition in today's markets is wider and more diverse, and many companies are trying to provide the conditions for their growth and development by developing appropriate competitive strategies. One of these strategies is paying more attention to customers' feelings. (1). Also, in today's competitive market, the most important issue of shopping centers is the different tastes of customers, which is considered one of the important discussions of organizations. Despite the known information about shopping centers, these centers usually have the same products and goods. For example, many shopping centers have placed places as entertainment, reception and conversation centers for friends and customers. Also, some other shopping centers attract customers by placing a variety of products in shop windows and decorating them. In order to bring the best shopping experience to customers, shopping malls must offer unique and different products and services to customers compared to other stores. (2). Nowadays, the good location of shopping centers does not guarantee the success of these centers anymore. The lack of differentiation in providing goods and services to customers is currently a problem in these centers. Shopping centers often offer similar goods and services to customers. However, some of them have added a wide range of amenities to their stores to gain the satisfaction and loyalty of their customers. (3). Today, customer satisfaction is a key factor for the success of organizations. Researchers state that satisfaction is related to the evaluation of products and services and purchase values. These researchers have stated that the evaluation of products in terms of hedonic values leads to a positive effect and the feeling of positive consumption leads to the customer's intention to buy again. (4); Considering that hedonic shopping values affect the mental perceptions and perceptions of customers. (5) Also, due to the reopening of large shopping centers in Iran and stores that offer all the goods needed by the customer in one place, this issue arises that hedonic and materialistic shopping values, according to the different tastes of customers, To what extent can it lead to the intention to repurchase the customers of these shopping centers? Therefore, in this research, based on the background of previous researches and the conceptual model, the effect of hedonism on consumer guilt and consumer shame, the effect of diversification on consumer guilt and consumer shame, the effect of materialism on consumer's feelings Let's examine consumer guilt and consumer shame, consumer guilt and consumer shame on repurchase intention. In the world of shopping and consumption, impulse buying has a lot to do with inappropriate individual behavior and preferences, the negative consequences of which include personal and financial issues, post-purchase satisfaction, social reactions, and above all, individual self-esteem, but sometimes impulse buying is a behavior. It is considered normal and even with positive consequences. Instant shopping is a complex but enjoyable phenomenon. Because a person does not care about the consequences of his actions in the future. Of course, it should be mentioned that just having the feeling of buying a gift does not necessarily lead to action, but various variables can affect the relationship between buying a gift and action. This behavior is an experience, but an experience that happens very quickly. Instant buying can be likened to stealing goods rather than choosing goods, and from an individual point of view, it is more unconscious than conscious. In fact, buyers who experience impulse purchases do not give in to any stimulus or demand. There are various factors that may inform the consumer of his need and at the same time inform him what will be the result of the immediate purchase and the feeling related to it. Factors such as financial situation, time, way of looking at issues and social status and maybe even immediate purchase can be effective in creating the need and evaluating it and speed of purchase. (6) Psychologists believe that people's desire for instant purchases is different and can occur with different notions of hedonism, diversification and materialism. (7,8) Also, shopping for pleasure is always more personal and internal than value based on utility and is often the result of play and entertainment. (9) Consumers can fantasize about owning a product. Also, they may feel arousal after a pleasurable shopping experience. In this case, hedonic shopping consumes emotions such as happiness, jealousy, fear, passion, and pleasure, and these emotions and feelings are phenomena related to motivation and stimuli. (10) In addition, Hirschman and Holbrook state that emotional arousal can be the main motivation of consumers in some product categories such as books, food, games and sportswear and can lead to pleasurable purchases. Just as pleasure-seeking buyers have different motivations, these consumers also have different expectations from their purchases. Babin, Darden, and Griffin state that shopping means more than just having a product, and retailers must focus on the more pleasurable aspects of shopping in order to be successful; Because the pleasant experience of customers plays an important role in gaining a competitive advantage. Despite the fact that retailers try to differentiate themselves from competitors by providing a pleasant experience for the customer; However, limited studies have been done in the academic space on reasons and hedonic motives in the activity of consumer buying activities. (11) Methods: The present study examines the effect of pleasure on consumer guilt and shame, the effect of diversify on consumer guilt and shame, the effect of materialism on consumer guilt and shame, as well as consumer guilt and shame on repurchase intention. The current research is applied in terms of its purpose and is considered a survey in terms of the method of data collection. A questionnaire was used to collect information. For this purpose, among 384 customers of shopping malls in Tehran, the hypotheses were tested by stratified random method according to the volume of distribution and through structural equation modeling. The items are taken from the research of Babin et al. (1994); Lee et al. (2009); Richins and Dawson (1992); Dedeoğlu and Kazançoğlu (2012), Maclnnis and Patrick (2006) and Diallo (2012) were localized with the opinion of professors and experts. To check the validity of the content of the questionnaire, 12 copies of the questionnaire were given to the professors of business administration and the content validity ratio (CVR) was calculated for each of the items, and the value obtained was acceptable for all the items of the questionnaire. Results: According to the research findings, pleasure, diversify and materialism have a positive effect on consumers' feelings of guilt and shame. Also, pleasure, diversify and materialism are effective on repurchase intention. On the other hand, consumer guilt and shame have a negative effect on repurchase intention. Conclusion: Considering that the effect of pleasure, diversify and materialism on guilt and shame was confirmed, shopping center managers should try to take measures to manage and reduce the guilt and shame of consumers after shopping, so that they can buy again in the goods. Purchased, because if these centers do not pay psychological attention to consumers, they may lose a significant part of their buyers. Because considering the importance of postpurchase disonance of consumers such as feelings of guilt and shame in repeat purchases, companies should be aware of the importance of post-purchase anomalies in consumers at all stages of service provision and provide solutions. Because training programs and trainings with products will work more consciously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Business Development Strategies is the property of ECORFAN-Mexico S.C. 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.)

Workforce analytics have evolved considerably in the past two decades and yet application in many organizations is scant. Some organizations, however, are reaping the benefits of using more‐sophisticated, but practical, workforce tools and measures to understand, predict, and control important business outcomes. In this article, we will share some of the work that has been done using several human capital and business frameworks, including the service‐profit chain and People Equity, to show how such frameworks can be used to understand and predict revenue, profit, customer satisfaction, and employee turnover. We also provide recommendations for how organizations can secure senior leader support that leads to actions and improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El artículo presenta una propuesta de evaluación por parte de los actores involucrados en el desarrollo del territorio a los servicios que ofrece el gobierno local. Con el propósito de que los Gobiernos Autónomos Descentralizados (GAD) municipales cuenten con un proceso de evaluación para fortalecer el conjunto de procedimientos que conducen a la toma de decisiones constantemente, de forma técnica y participativa, se propone la adopción de una perspectiva instrumental que mide indicadores como una oportunidad para analizar la implementación de la política pública. Se obtiene la construcción de varios parámetros e indicadores que contribuyen al desarrollo local, diferenciando dos tipos de usuarios: ciudadanía y empresarios. Así, el instrumento de evaluación externo garantiza el retorno de información validada para orientar los principios de la administración gubernamental. El primero compuesto por el conjunto de los habitantes y sus contribuciones; y, el segundo por su presencia y aporte económico en la generación del empleo, competitividad e innovación, a lo que se añade el pago de impuestos y tasas fiscales que están normadas por la ley. La metodología permite la reproducibilidad y la sostenibilidad de iniciativas, que favorecerá el nivel de confianza en la gestión gubernamental, donde la ciudadanía comunica sus expectativas en cuanto a los servicios que recibe, haciéndolos partícipe de los asuntos públicos e influyente en la toma de decisiones que afecta a su comunidad.

Interactions in the healthcare system today involve an important new set of actors: evaluative health platforms (EHPs). These platforms are not neutral intermediaries, but active moderators of how patients express opinions, choose providers, and consume health-related information. This paper adds to our understanding of the varied and evolving commercial interests of EHPs and the implications these have for patient voice. We analyze 71 platforms in the USA, UK, and Germany and identify five ideal types: subscribers, analyzers, advertisers, regulators, and scammers. Each platform type enacts a unique competitive strategy through an evaluative infrastructure which constrains but also generates possibilities for patient voice. Based on our typology, we develop three contributions. First, we nuance universalizing claims about the consequences of platform capitalism by specifying the diverse strategies underpinning competition between EHPs in different countries, and showing how each strategy leads evaluative infrastructures to develop in ways that impact patient voice. Second, we show how patients can navigate the challenges of a complex EHP space by exercising their ability to choose between platforms. Finally, we outline the conditions platforms need to fulfil to become empowering. Overall, this study highlights the varied and complex relationship between platform business models and user voice, which exists not only in healthcare, but also in many other fields. • Typology of evaluative health platforms (EHPs) in the US, the UK, and Germany. • EHP business models and content moderation techniques vary considerably. • EHPs have a wide range of implications for patient voice. • More transparency and competition can help platforms increase patient empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors reflect on the Six Integrated Actions for Change in the social work profession and the potential applications of the said actions to develop an eco-social approach within social work. Topics include the role played by economics in sustainable development and well-being and the reasons why collective well-being should be used as indicator of progress rather than gross domestic product (GDP).

France has a single-payer health insurance system that has the authority to impose pharmaceutical price reductions but relies on decentralized market negotiations between hospitals and manufacturers to establish prices for injected and infused biologies. Hospitals rely on biosimilars--less expensive but therapeutically equivalent variants of biologic medications--to stimulate competition. Price reductions negotiated by hospitals subsequently are adopted by the health insurance system, driving hospitals to negotiate a new round of discounts. This article measures 2004-20 trends in prices, price reductions, utilization, and market shares for three prominent biologies--Remicade, Enbrel, and Humira--and their eleven competing biosimilars. Biosimilar launches are associated with a sequence of price reductions for the reference biologic, for other biologies that treat similar conditions, and for all related biosimilars. The French experience provides lessons for the US in its efforts to use competition from biosimilars to drive price reductions and savings from biologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Food environments are influenced by food industries (packaged food and non-alcoholic beverage manufacturers; supermarkets and quick service restaurants). An important source of this influence is the significant market power held by a limited number of food companies. Market structure analysis, as part of a broader market power research agenda, has received limited attention from the public health community. The aim of this study was to analyse similarities and differences in market structure across countries and industries in the European Single Market. Methods: The companies with the largest market share at the national level for each industry were identified from Euromonitor sales data in 2017/18. The market structure was assessed by the following metrics: the number of global brand owners with ≥1% market share per country, the number of companies unique for one European Single Market member state, the most sold packaged food and non-alcoholic beverage categories, the number of quick-service restaurants and supermarkets per 1000 inhabitants and market concentration by means of the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) and the four firm concentration ratio (CR4). CR4-values > 40% and HHI-values > 2000 indicate concentrated markets with limited competition. Results: The leading packaged food and non-alcoholic beverage manufacturers and the most sold food and beverage product categories were similar across countries in Europe. The observed levels of concentration were however different. Average CR4-values ranged from 21 to 72% among packaged food product markets and 60 to 76% for non-alcoholic beverage product markets. Average CR4-values for quick service restaurants and supermarkets were 50 and 60%, respectively. Across European countries the same leading quick-service restaurants were identified, while this was not the case for supermarkets. Conclusions: This study forms an important basis to understand key aspects of market structure of the European food industry, observing clear differences between food industries and European Single Market member states. This has potential implications for the implementation of food environment policies at different levels of jurisdiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The power implications in the world economy are subject of many debates between specialists. In a multipolar world, power is shared between traditional power centers such as Group of Seven and emerging powers as BRICS countries. This research wants to offer an image about the power shared between the G7 and BRICS countries. For this approach, there are used different indicators from various power dimensions.

The article discloses the role and types of economic competition in the context of global information capitalism, which covers the developed countries of the world. The views on the formal basis of the development of society (negativity towards capitalism or its modification) are generalized, arguments of the authors of the article in favor of the latter are provided. The main driving forces of globalization, which leads to the formation of global competition as a new historical phenomenon, are specified. The principle of two competitions, socialization of capitalism as a method of competitive struggle of TNCs and a new tendency – monopolisation of markets are considered. Ukraine’s transition to a full-fledged capitalist market is critically analyzed. Features of current scientific research on the competition are presented. A modernized modification of the competition policy is suggested, the new direction of which in Ukraine should become, first of all, not the advocacy of competition, but a competitive higher school, in the course of political economy of which should be introduced post-industrial processes allowing Ukraine to accelerate the transition from the industrial market to the information post-industrial society.

Although business groups benefit firms when markets fail, does group affiliation continue to be an advantage for firms in deregulated, globally competitive industries? I argue that affiliation allows firms to tap into the knowledge and connections of sister affiliates. This enables them to attract clients from more industries and foreign markets than can unaffiliated firms, and to attain higher international sales. Using data from the Indian software industry, I find support for these hypotheses, but only for 2000-02, when competition increased as a result of new deregulation. These results suggest business groups continue to provide benefits to group-affiliated firms, including information on market opportunities and "reputation signaling" to clients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Economic Annals-XXI / Ekonomìčnij Časopis-XXI is the property of Institute of Society Transformation 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.)

Current competitive environments have created a growing interest in employee flexibility in firms. Recently researchers have differentiated between two facets of employee flexibility: behavior flexibility and skill flexibility. This study proposes a model of relationships between these two facets of employee flexibility and the extent to which HR practices influence them. This model is tested by estimating structural equation models on a sample of 226 commercial departments in Spanish companies. The results of the study show that the two facets of employee flexibility are interrelated, in that skill flexibility influences behavior flexibility. Furthermore, findings confirm the influence of job enrichment on employee flexibility and the significant effect of the internal fit among HR practices on employee flexibility. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Producao Online is the property of Associacao Brasileira de Engenharia de Producao 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.)

We study physiotherapy providers' prices in repeated competitive biddings where multiple providers are accepted in geographical districts. Historically, only very few districts have rejected any providers. We show that this practice increased prices and analyze the effects the risk of rejection has on prices. Our data are derived from three subsequent competitive biddings. The results show that rejecting at least one provider decreased prices by more than 5% in the next procurement round. The results also indicate that providers have learned to calculate their optimal bids, which has also increased prices. Further, we perform counterfactual policy analysis of a capacity-rule of acceptance. The analysis shows that implementing a systematic acceptance rule results in a trade-off between direct cost savings and service continuity at patients' usual providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research and development (R&D) investments are a key issue for companies. In an increasingly competitive economy, R&D can be a source of competitive advantage. Therefore, a profuse research line on the reasons that can motivate firms for R&D investment has emerged. Theoretical frameworks include the resource-based theory, the creative destruction model, the domestic competitive pressure model, and the exposure to international competition model, among others. However, the culture of the country is not widely used as an explanatory variable. Therefore, in this article we will test the extent to which R&D intensity in European countries may be explained by cultural dimensions. Our study included observations from 6,919 firm-year data from 1,517 firms in a sample of 13 European countries. The results support the idea that culture influences R&D intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author reflects on the 50th anniversary of "Human Resource Management (HRM)." Topics include a brief personal narrative regarding the author's entry into the field of human resources management, the kind of articles published in previous issues of "HRM," and the issues in HR that have not fundamental changed over the past 50 years, such as the role of HR in organization, managing, and incentivizing.

Knowledge spillovers in a region often co-vary with the size of knowledge created in the region, i.e. local knowledge. Local knowledge is, however, open to competition between incumbents and new entrants. Given this competition, the size of local knowledge is not always conductive to new entrants. This study examines which types of local knowledge may increase the potential for knowledge spillovers, and eventually entrepreneurial activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We advance first mover advantage (FMA) theory by examining how the pace of market evolution and technology evolution potentially enables or disables FMA. Integrating several streams of literature, we elaborate on the interplay among these two environmental (macro) conditions and the "isolating mechanisms" that underpin FMA. We model these dynamics to help researchers negotiate the current debate, arising from conflicting empirical evidence, on the conditions necessary for FMA to exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of research into the competitiveness of New Zealand firms that provide professional and other business services suggest that effective branding is a key source of success. Brand strength appears to be linked to four main practices: investing in marketing communications to improve customer awareness and understanding of corporate and product brand values; contributing to the wider community to improve corporate reputation; improving internal communications (internal marketing) so front-line and professional staff are kept better informed about customer needs, market changes and company initiatives, thereby enabling staff to help customers better; and improving service quality to improve market positioning. The paper answers calls for the development of an integrated theory of services branding and concludes by positing three main conditions for effective services strategies and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objectives of the paper is to emphasize the resilience of the Romanian rural entrepreneurs in the context of new business support structures. First off all, we draw some conclusions regarding the literature in the field of resilience and modern business structures and, then, we debated upon the impact of the the modern business structures in Romania and their influence on entrepreneurial manifestation. What would be the manifestation of the Romanian entrepreneurs to modern approaches for supporting business, how those would help them in order to become more competitive and less vulnerable and boost their resilience? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The introduction of biosimilars of biological agents for which the patents and exclusivity periods have expired is an attractive way of reducing healthcare spending through price competition with the reference product. In oncology, biosimilars of growth factors for supportive therapy were the pioneers; now, monoclonal antibody biosimilars are conquering the market. In Europe, this is currently limited to biosimilars of the monoclonal antibodies trastuzumab and rituximab. However, the pipeline is full and several monoclonal antibody biosimilars in oncology are now in late-stage development. We are expecting not only more biosimilar versions of the top 3 blockbuster monoclonal antibodies, trastuzumab, rituximab and bevacizumab, to enter the market; as patent expiration of multiple other cancer biologicals will occur in the next few years, the biosimilar landscape will become much more diversified. Several biosimilars of monoclonal antibodies used in targeted therapy such as cetuximab, pertuzumab, or denosumab are in early development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is uncertain whether consolidation in health care markets affects the quality of care provided and health outcomes.Objectives: To examine whether changes in market competition resulting from acquisitions by two large national for-profit dialysis chains were associated with patient mortality.Methods: We identified patients initiating in-center hemodialysis between 2001 and 2009 from a registry of patients with end-stage renal disease in the United States. We considered two scenarios when evaluating consolidation from dialysis facility acquisitions: one in which we considered only those patients receiving dialysis in markets that became substantially more concentrated to have been affected by consolidation, and the other in which all patients living in hospital service areas where a facility was acquired were potentially affected. We used a difference-in-differences study design to examine the associations between market consolidation and changes in mortality rates.Results: When we considered the 12,065 patients living in areas that became substantially more consolidated to have been affected by consolidation, we found a nominally significant (8%; 95% confidence interval 0%-17%) increase in likelihood of death after consolidation. Nevertheless, when we considered all 186,158 patients living in areas where an acquisition occurred to have been affected by consolidation, there was no observable effect of market consolidation on mortality.Conclusions: Decreased market competition may have led to increased mortality among a relatively small subset of patients initiating in-center hemodialysis in areas that became substantially more concentrated after two large dialysis acquisitions, but not for most of the patients living in affected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organised business played a significant role in the formal policy processes developing the competition regime after apartheid up to and including the drafting of South Africa's competition law. The social organisation of business and its participation in formal policy processes were shifting and changing rapidly. Exploring several published accounts of the drafters of South Africa's first democratic competition law and policy framework reveals the narrative context for the politics of the regime. The process of negotiating and drafting this legislation took place both in National Economic Development and Labour Council (a formal tripartite negotiating organisation) where business was influential, and in Parliament. Big business pursued its interests in competition policy and achieved significant results during this time. The current period differs from the post-apartheid period in light of the much less prominent role of conglomerates in the South African economy, the rise of organised black business structures, and the increasing importance of Parliament as opposed to the NEDLAC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From politics to sports to business, people are quick to categorize those at a competitive disadvantage as "underdogs." Moreover, there is ample anecdotal support that most people do not hesitate to align themselves with underdogs, a phenomenon called "the underdog effect." This study examines the moderation effect of product type (hedonic product vs. functional product) between brand stories and consumer brand identification using a mobile phone as the manipulated product. The moderation effect is tested with data collected from 287 participants in Wuhan, China. Results show that product type plays a significant moderating role. Specifically, consumers have higher brand identification if a functional product uses "top‐dog" brand stories or if a hedonic product uses underdog brand stories. The implications, limitations, and future studies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pricing of stents is being questioned by healthcare stakeholders due to large differences in price of its product types and its variation across different markets. The stent pricing literature published during 1997-2017 were reviewed besides inputs from industry experts to identify initial key pricing drivers. Interpretive structural modeling was used to build priority for checking the price rise in emerging markets like India. Lack of regulation besides other drivers like R&D cost and price of substitute was found to be important drivers of high prices. The findings would help policy makers to take steps to make stent pricing affordable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed at identifying factors that could support increasing urban competitiveness or on the contrary, which may have negative effects on the level of urban competitiveness. The work highlighted a series of viable actions through which Bucharest could maintain a satisfactory level of urban competitiveness. This was accomplished through an empirical research on the urban competitiveness of Bucharest, which included the analysis of the questionnaire results applied on three large employers in Romania in order to test the hypotheses and to capture the factors that could increase the urban competitiveness of Bucharest. Also, the paper revealed the role of local actors regarding the factors that influence competitiveness and what caused Bucharest's decline in terms of urban competitiveness in 2018 compared to 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Comparative Advantage Theory of Competition (CATC) is proposed by Hunt and Morgan (1995) to replace the Neoclassical Theory of Perfect Competition (NTPC). The new theory claims to offer a better explanation for key macro and micro phenomena. The authors' purpose in this article is to evaluate the CATC's potential as a replacement for the neoclassical theory. They argue that (1) both the NTPC and CATC are offshoots of the exchange paradigm; furthermore, (2) the efficient theories in the exchange paradigm family cannot claim superiority over one another since a supracriterion for their contest is lacking; and (3) the CATC-even when considered efficient-cannot challenge the NTPC, let alone replace it. In addition to meeting a host of conditions, a successful contender must come from a new paradigm, which the CATC does not. Therefore, the replacement assertion remains unjustified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]