Taking marketing strategy risks with seemingly no expected gains

This paper investigates the competitive rationale for firms to invest in marketing activities aiming to enhance valuation and achieve differentiation and competitive advantage, while carrying the strategic risks of causing unintended negative consequences. We build a stylized theoretical model where firms offering similar (homogenous) products are competing by determining their marketing strategy and pricing. Each firm must choose between several marketing activities that have different potentials of enhancing consumers’ product valuations while carrying some risk of lowering consumer valuation if unintended negative outcomes occur. The stochastic nature of marketing implies that (1) even when both firms invest the same amount of money aiming to enhance product valuations by the same level, there will be a variety of (posterior) vertical differentiation scenarios where the consumers could value either firm’s product as better as or worse than the rival’s. (2) The firms may employ marketing activities that do not even lead to gains in consumer product valuation in expectation. The duopoly model analysis indicates that associated with strategic pricing, even such stochastic marketing activities may constitute desirable strategies for two a priori symmetric firms in order to avoid a Bertrand type competition as the benefit from differentiation is found to be significant enough to offset the unintended negative outcomes. The oligopoly model analysis indicates that there is an increased incentive to take marketing risk when there is a greater level of competitive intensity in the marketplace. Preliminary experimental evidence is presented to support the main findings from theoretical model analyses. The paper thus provides important managerial implications for firms contemplating investment in seemingly risky marketing activities.

     

Effects of cross-border capital flows on stock returns of dual-listed firms in mainland China and Hong Kong: Evidence from a natural experiment

This study analyses the effects of the Shanghai–Hong Kong Stock Market Connect policy on the price disparity between A-shares and H-shares of dual-listed companies (DLC). Using a difference-in-difference estimation method, we show that the policy decreases the relative twin cumulative abnormal returns of treated DLC by 3% and narrows the price gaps between A-shares and H-shares. We determine that the rising demand for H-shares, which are newly accessible by mainland investors, drives the price of H-shares up. By contrast, the price of A-shares remains unchanged. Further analysis reveals that cross-border capital flow is the main force of the policy.     

Data-driven tree structure for PIN models

Probability of informed trading (PIN) models characterize trading with certain types of information through a tree structure. Different tree structures with different numbers of groups for market participants have been proposed, with no clear, consistent tree used in the literature. One of the main causes of this inconsistency is that these trees are artificially proposed through a bottom-up approach rather than implied by actual market data. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a method that infers a tree structure directly from empirical data. More precisely, we use hierarchical clustering to construct a tree for each individual firm and then infer an aggregate tree through a voting mechanism. We test this method on US data from January 2002 for 7608 companies, which results in a tree with two layers and four groups. The characteristics of the resulting aggregate tree are between those of several proposed tree structures in the literature, demonstrating that these proposed trees all reflect only part of the market, and one should consider the proposed empirically driven method when seeking a tree representing the whole market.

     

Comparative persistence and adherence with newer anti-hyperglycemic agents to treat patients with type 2 diabetes in the United States

Objectives: Non-adherence and non-persistence to anti-hyperglycemic agents are associated with worse clinical and economic outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes. This study evaluated treatment persistence and adherence across newer anti-hyperglycemic agents (canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, sitagliptin, saxagliptin, linagliptin, liraglutide, or exenatide).

Methods: This retrospective cohort study of Truven Health Analytics Marketscan databases included adult patients with type 2 diabetes whose first pharmacy claim for a newer anti-hyperglycemic agent was between February 1, 2014 and July 31, 2014. Treatment persistence and adherence were assessed for 12 months after the first claim (post-index). Persistence was defined as no gap ≥90 days between the end of one pharmacy claim and the start of the next pharmacy claim post-index. Adherence used two definitions: proportion of days covered (PDC) and medication possession ratio (MPR). Multivariable analyses of non-persistence (hazard ratios) and adherence (odds ratios) were adjusted for baseline demographics, drug cost, clinical characteristics, and other anti-hyperglycemic agents.

Results: A total of 11,961 patients met all study selection criteria. Persistence rates at 12 months were significantly greater (p?p?=?0.83; PDC?=?0.79) and canagliflozin 300?mg (MPR?=?0.92; PDC?=?0.81) were greater than for the other index anti-hyperglycemic agents (MPR?=?0.33–0.75; PDC?=?0.33–0.72). Consistent results for treatment persistence and adherence were observed in multivariable analyses that were adjusted baseline characteristics.

Conclusions: Canagliflozin was associated with better treatment persistence and treatment adherence compared with other anti-hyperglycemic agents in real-world settings.     

Timing earnings

Since the opening of China’s securities market, there have been a number of bull and bear cycles. This paper discusses how executives use the market timing approach to manage earnings in different cycles to maximize firm value. We find that Chinese listed companies choose to release more earnings during bull markets and this phenomenon is more evident in companies that are more profitable and have higher valuations. We also find that executives who do not release more earnings during bull markets are more likely to be dismissed.     

P2P网贷模式探究——以宜人贷和有利网为例

P2P网络借贷平台作为互联网金融发展下的产物,不仅在一定程度上帮助国内中小企业解决融资困难的问题,还为投资者提供了一个新的投资渠道,P2P网络借贷平台的发展对我国金融业具有非常重要的意义.本文首先从P2P网络借贷平台的发展起源入手,介绍国外和国内P2P网贷平台的发展模式.具体以宜人贷和有利网为例,详细分析它们的运营模式.结合近期出台的《网络借贷信息中介机构业务活动管理暂行办法》的相关具体规定,发现问题并提出相应的建议,由点及面地总结国内P2P网络借贷平台存在的问题并提出建议.     

UGC的表现形式对网络营销效果的影响研究——以微博为例

随着Web2.0的兴起,用户创作内容（UGC）的概念应运而生,迅速发展并逐渐成为供应商组织生产、商家营销宣传以及消费者购买产品的利器.本论文梳理了UGC相关研究的分类和趋势,并选择微博作为平台,采用情景实验法,探究UGC的表现形式（文本、图片、音视频）对网络营销效果的影响,在此基础上为企业进行更大范围的社会化媒体营销（如博客、SNS社区等）提供策略性建议与营销思路,有效提升UGC互动的效用,在理论和实际应用上都有着显著意义.     

How group efficacy mediates the relationship between group affect and identification

This study examines the mediating role of group efficacy on the relationship between group affect and group identification by integrating the collective cognition process. Using a sample of forty-seven work groups in Study 1, the results show that group efficacy fully mediates the relationship between positive and negative group affect and group identification. Study 2 applies a two-wave panel design to verify the impact of group efficacy on group identification. The results of Study 2 indicate that group efficacy relates positively to the development of group identification. The implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

KIBS企业—顾客交互创新中知识整合的权变机制

引入过程互依性和项目不确定性,探讨了KIBS企业-顾客交互创新中知识整合的权变机制。基于338份服务创新项目问卷数据进行实证研究,结果显示:在KIBS企业-顾客交互四要素中,除规则正式化负向影响外部知识整合以外,决策集体化、资源共享和任务协作均正向影响内、外部知识整合;过程互依性增强了规则正式化、决策集体化和任务协作对内部知识整合的影响,但对资源共享与内部知识整合间关系的调节作用不显著;项目不确定性增强了规则正式化、资源共享和任务协作对外部知识整合的影响,但对决策集体化与外部知识整合间关系的调节作用不显著。     

企业政治关联对风险投资引入方式的影响

从资金需求方出发，以2009年10月至2016年12月深圳创业板和中小板首次公开上市的公司为样本，实证检验了政治关联对风险投资引入方式的影响，以及激励机制和监督机制这两种公司治理机制的调节作用，得到结论如下：政治关联企业倾向于在发展后期引入风险投资；政治关联企业倾向于选择国有性质、经验丰富以及参与程度高的风险投资机构；激励机制会加强政治关联企业在发展后期引入风险投资以及选择国有性质、经验丰富、参与程度高的风险投资机构的意愿；监督机制会减弱政治关联企业在发展后期阶段引入风险投资以及选择国有性质、经验丰富、参与程度高的风险投资机构的意愿。结论对拓展政治关联与风险投资领域的理论和实践具有重要启示意义。