The Notion of Effectual Supply and the Theory of Normal Prices with Exhaustible Natural Resources

This paper proposes a revised theory of the classical notion of normal prices for an economy with exhaustible natural resources. The author introduces the notion of effectual supply and argues that Sraffa’s equations, without the Hotelling rule equation, can be reformulated to deal with the existence of an exhaustible natural resource. Such a revision of a well-established theory requires a reinterpretation and methodological clarification of Sraffa’s equations, but without a change in their mathematical form. The revised theory must focus on the effectual supply of the resource and it can ignore its total endowment.     

Alternative paths for the growth of e-commerce

Electronic commerce promises to be the drive behind a new wave of economic growth. Yet, the actual achievement of the prospected benefits and their allocation will depend on the features of the business models driving the diffusion of the new sales channel. The paper rejects the existence of a deterministic relation between e-commerce technological features and the structure of future electronic markets. Accordingly, alternative growth paths are explored and different scenarios are sketched depending upon the prevailing nature of the economic relations among the involved actors. For each scenario, the paper discusses the implications in terms of e-commerce diffusion speed and benefits allocation. The analysis of possible growth paths reveal that public intervention plays a non-negligible role in shaping the business model(s) that will eventually emerge, hence the impact of e-commerce on social welfare.     

Optimal Investment and Financial Strategies under Tax‐Rate Uncertainty

Abstract. In this paper, we apply a real‐option model to study the effects of tax‐rate uncertainty on a firm's decision. In doing so, we depart from the relevant literature, which focuses on fully equity‐financed investment projects. By letting a representative firm borrow optimally, we show that debt finance not only encourages investment activities but can also substantially mitigate the effect of tax‐rate uncertainty on investment timing.     

A meta-design approach to agroindustrial buildings: A case study for typical Italian wine productions

The study is part of a wider research aiming at defining building design criteria for small and medium-sized wine-growing and producing farms. The goal of this paper is to work out and validate a specific meta-design process, suitable to lead to the definition of possible layout solutions optimized in terms of functional requirements. The production process has been resolved into two macro-phases, in their turn composed of sections consisting of various series of operations and functions. The in-depth analyses performed on the spatial requirement of these operations and functions allowed to define the functional areas and spatial units suitable for building design. Finally, their functional and spatial relations were analysed through flow charts and matrix approach. The results allowed us to outline examples of possible layout solutions.     

Toward an ‘International Business’ Paradigm of Endogenous Growth: Multinationals and Governments as Co-Endogenisers

Endogenous growth theory has recently originated in economics. Building on this theory, this paper conceptualises the phenomenon of endogenous growth in terms of some new ideas developed in the field of international business (IB), especially Dunning's eclectic paradigm and his notion of macro-organisation policy. These ideas have so far not been linked to the notion of endogenous growth. At the same time, mainstream economics has not made much progress in exploring the MNC-government relationships through which growth-inducing 'mechanics' are created, a topic of great importance in IB. Both MNCs and governments complement each other in facilitating an efficient matching of ownership-specific assets (notably knowledge) with location-specific advantages through Dunning's OLI mechanism, thereby enabling the developing host countries to realise potential growth in an intensified manner, a new mode of endogenous growth that counteracts the law of diminishing returns. The phenomenon of MNC-cum-governmentdriven endogenous growth will be conceptualised.     

Consumption and time in economics: prices and quantities in a temporary equilibrium perspective

The main tenet of the paper is that cost-plus non-competitiveprices, while obviously set by firms according to expected marketdemand for their output, can be assumed to be independent ofpossible discrepancies between the expected and the actual demandfor firms' output. The analysis is placed within Hicks's temporaryequilibrium framework, though suggesting an explanation of demandtotally different from Hicks's. It is argued that the rationalefor the independence of prices from actual sales might be foundin Gossen's notion of optimum frequency of consumption.     

SAVINGS BEHAVIOR IN 17 OECD COUNTRIES

This article compares savings behavior in a sample of 17 OECD countries over 24 years. On the basis of an analysis of variance and of a life-cycle-hypothesis-based equation, we test the homogeneity of households' savings behavior. It appears that one cannot really speak of a homogeneous saving behavior across countries. This is a relevant finding in times of increasing economic and financial integration.     

Collective Marketing Arrangements for Geographically Differentiated Agricultural Products: Welfare Impacts and Policy Implications

We examine the incentives of atomistic producers to differentiate and collectively market products. We analyze market and welfare effects of alternative producer organizations, discuss circumstances under which they will evolve, and describe implications for the ongoing debate between the EU and the United States. As fixed costs of development and marketing increase and the anticipated market size falls, it becomes essential to increase the producer organization's ability to control supply to cover the fixed costs associated with the introduction of differentiated products. Counterintuitively, stronger property right protection for producer organizations may enhance welfare even after a differentiated product has been developed.     

Welfare Impacts of Intellectual Property Protection in the Seed Industry

We examine the welfare impact of different intellectual property protection (IPP) regimes in private sector seed research and development (R&D). We take into account the period after expiration of legal IPP, and require simultaneous equilibrium in markets for R&D, seeds, and final product. Optimal IPP is remarkably insensitive to alternative parameterizations, except for R&D productivity. Results suggest that optimal IPP is greater than IPP in the U.S. seed corn market, but lower than the IPP that could be attained with genetic use restriction technologies. Optimal IPP is much higher than IPP achieved under open-pollinated crops or where legal IPP is limited.