Does shelf-labeling of organic foods increase sales? Results from a natural experiment

Can a simple point-of-purchase (POP) shelf-label increase sales of organic foods? We use a random-effects׳, random-coefficients׳ model, including a time adjustment variable, to test data from a natural experiment in a hypermarket in Gävle, Sweden. Our model incorporates both product specific heterogeneity in the effects of labeling and consumer adjustment to the labels over time. We find that the introduction of POP displays leads to an increase in sales of organic coffee and olive oil, but a reduction in sales of organic flour. All targeted products became less price-sensitive. The results reveal that product specific differences have to be accounted for, and in some cases consumers adjusted to labeling over time.     

THEORETICAL AND PRACTICAL ARGUMENTS FOR MODELING LABOR SUPPLY AS A CHOICE AMONG LATENT JOBS

Models of labor supply derived from stochastic utility representations and discretized sets of feasible hours of work have gained popularity because they are more practical than the standard approaches based on marginal calculus. In this paper we argue that practicality is not the only feature that can be addressed by means of stochastic choice theory. This theory also offers a powerful framework for developing a more realistic model for labor supply choices, founded on individuals having preferences over jobs and facing restrictions on the choice of jobs and hours of work. We discuss and clarify how this modeling framework deviates from both the conventional discrete approach [Van Soest, A. ( 1995 ) Structural models of family labor supply. A discrete choice approach. Journal of Human Resources 30: 63–88), as well as the standard textbook approach based on marginal calculus (Hausman, J.A. ( 1992 ) The econometrics of nonlinear budget sets. Econometrica 53: 1255–1282]. We furthermore discuss how the model based on job choice can be applied to simulate effects of alternative restrictions on hours of work.     

Chinese consumers’ willingness to pay for pork traceability information—the case of Wuxi

In this study, consumers’ willingness to pay for farming, slaughter and processing, distribution and marketing, and government certification information was investigated in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China using an experimental auction and real choice experiment based on incentive compatibility of the nonhypothetical elicitation method. No significant differences in consumers’ willingness to pay were revealed by the experimental auction and real choice experiment on the whole, and results from both nonhypothetical experimental methods demonstrated that consumers were willing to pay certain premiums for all four types of traceability information and had the highest willingness to pay for government certification information. These results indicate that consumers trust in pork safety protection under governmental supervision. Moreover, it was found that government certification information played a significant role in improving consumer utility, demonstrating that consumers paid close attention to safety risks in farming. Therefore, this study predicts that the introduction of governmental supervision into the pork traceability system and establishment of a system for collecting traceability information starting from the stage of pig farming will play important roles in meeting consumer demands for pork quality and safety, as well as promoting the development of traceable food policies.     

Assigning agents to a line

We consider the problem of assigning agents to slots on a line, where only one agent can be served at a slot and each agent prefers to be served as close as possible to his target. Our focus is on aggregate gap minimizing methods, i.e., those that minimize the total gap between targets and assigned slots. We first consider deterministic assignment of agents to slots, and provide a direct method for testing if a given deterministic assignment is aggregate gap minimizing. We then consider probabilistic assignment of agents to slots, and make use of the previous method to propose an aggregate gap minimizing modification of the classic random priority method to solve this class of problems. We also provide some logical relations in our setting among standard axioms in the literature on assignment problems, and explore the robustness of our results to several extensions of our setting.     

中国对美实施“双反”措施的产业救济效应研究--基于取向电工钢“双反”案的COMPAS模型分析

近年来,“双反”措施已成为国际贸易救济领域的新手段,其对产业的救济力度远超反倾销、反补贴措施单独使用。中国屡遭外国“双反”措施之困,已经成为“双反”措施的最大受害国,而战略性新兴产业成为受害最严重的领域之一。自2009年起,中国开始对外国产品实施“双反”措施,以维护国内产业利益。本文以首例中国对外“双反”案———对美取向电工钢“双反”案为例,以抵消税思想为理论基础,运用COMPAS模型对案件的产业救济效应进行了实证模拟。研究结果表明,中国取向电工钢在采取“双反”措施后,产出回升基准期的1．3%~2．4%,收入回升基准期的6．5%~6．9%,延续了从2005年开始的增长势头,国内产能的释放得益于及时的产业救济;中国实施“双反”削弱了美国取向性硅电钢产品在中国市场的竞争力,有效阻断美国取向性硅电钢产品不正当挤占国内市场的步伐,为国内行业发展和调整赢得了时间。这一案件的成功为未来反制“双反”调查提供了可借鉴的经验。     

基金家族实施造星策略的内在动因与效果

我国基金管理采用的是固定费率制度,这种旱涝保收的收费模式使得基金家族的“造星”成本很低,而基金家族“造星”成功时明星基金的品牌可以吸引到更多的资金流入,进而为该家族带来更多的管理费收入,成本与收益的巨大差异会导致基金家族过度地实施“造星运动”。本文通过理论建模和实证检验深入研究了我国基金家族实施造星策略的内在动因与效果。研究发现,基金家族的造星策略在短期内无效,但从中长期来看效果显著;家族整体业绩和家族现金流入显著正相关,因此,为了获得更多的管理费收入,基金家族应以提高业绩为宗旨。     

贸易自由化与中国劳动需求弹性:基于制造业企业数据的实证分析

本文采用中国制造业企业1998-2007年的微观面板数据,研究贸易自由化对企业劳动需求弹性的影响.我们将中国加入世界贸易组织视为一次自然实验,以加工进口企业为“控制组”,以一般进口企业为“处理组”,采用倍差法和固定效应模型进行回归分析.结果显示,贸易自由化通过提高资本品和中间产品的可获得性,显著提高了劳动需求弹性.进口关税下降越多,企业的劳动需求弹性提高也越多.     

“营改增”、制造业服务化与全要素生产率提升——基于DI合成控制法的实证研究

文章使用上市公司2007-2016年制造业企业面板数据,运用DI合成控制法和中介效应模型,实证检验了"营改增"对制造业全要素生产率的直接影响及"营改增"通过制造业服务化对全要素生产率的间接影响。结果表明："营改增"政策主要通过直接作用提高制造业全要素生产率,经由制造业服务化来提高制造业全要素生产率的中介作用并不存在。文章的研究对"营改增"政策完善与制造业转型升级具有一定的启示。     

欠发达地区产业结构变动中的外资效应探析——基于广西的数据

招商引资热背景下,各地方政府都在加大利用外资力度。论文利用计量经济学方法检验广西产业结构变异度与利用外资水平变动程度之间的关联关系,试图说明利用外资对广西产业结构变动的影响。提出广西在产业结构调整过程中,由于自身的低层次产业特征,使得外资的推动作用出现了替代效应,现阶段区外境内资金正在逐步替代外资在产业结构调整中的作用。因此,广西在利用外资的同时,更应重视区外境内的投资,重视与国内发达地区的经济合作。