Product Differentiation,the Volume of Trade and Profits under Cournot and Bertrand Duopoly

This article analyses how product differentiation affects the volume of trade under duopoly using Shubik-Levitan demand functions rather than the Bowley demand functions used by Bernhofen (2001). The drawback of Bowley demand functions is that an increase in product differentiation increases the size of the market so the increase in the volume of trade may be the result of the increase in the size of the market rather than the increase in product differentiation per se. The Shubik-Levitan demand functions have the advantage that an increase in product differentiation does not increase the size of the market, but consumers still have a ‘love of variety’. It is shown that the volume of trade in terms of quantities falls with increasing product differentiation when the trade cost is relatively low, but rises with increasing product differentiation when the trade cost is relatively high. Among the results, it is shown that the trade liberalisation is more likely to be profitable under Cournot duopoly than under Bertrand duopoly for differentiated products with a positive trade cost.     

A NOTE ON FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT AND EXPORTS IN VERTICALLY DIFFERENTIATED INDUSTRIES

We examine the FDI versus exports decision of a multiproduct multinational firm which supplies vertically differentiated products, and show that the proximity‐concentration trade‐off can generate FDI‐export coexistence, i.e., the firm supplies the low‐quality products through FDI and the high‐quality products through exports. We also show that the opposite can never happen. Moreover, when the multiproduct multinational firm faces price competition in the target markets, it has an incentive to use trade costs to soften price competition, which can reduce its FDI incentive.     

Professional urban agriculture and its characteristic business models in Metropolis Ruhr,Germany

‘Low-cost specialization’, ‘differentiation’, and ‘diversification’ are three overarching business models of professional urban agriculture in developed countries. Manifold city-adjusted farm activities belong to these business models resulting in the characteristic farm heterogeneity of urban areas. This paper makes use of the business models as tool for a geo-statistical analysis to spatially investigate farming patterns in reference region Metropolis Ruhr, Germany. Additional farm interviews substantiate findings of the geo-statistical analysis by focusing on horticulture as a common farm activity towards ‘low-cost specialization’, direct marketing and participatory farming belonging to ‘differentiation’, and equestrian services as a representative of the ‘diversification’ business model. These farm activities and underlying business models concentrate and tend to spatially cluster in the metropolitan’s center where population density is highest and farmland proportion is lowest. Agriculture plays a significant role in Metropolis Ruhr cultivating about one-third of the metropolitan area, but on-going loss of farmland and short-term lease of land affect farms considerably by complicating access to land. Most differentiated and diversified farms require certain amount of farmland to be successful, which is threatened by further farmland losses along with increased competition for the remaining farmland. Long-term planning security is crucial for farms focusing on high added value crops and organic farming. Progressively emerging participatory farming activities demonstrate urban farms’ abilities to innovatively adapt to societal demands. Better knowledge on professional urban agriculture’s farm activities and business models is of importance for farms and their related advisory services to address the urban context in farm development strategies more accurately, but also for public authorities’ planning and policies in land-related decision making. Economic viability of professional urban agriculture is the key requirement for additional social, environmental, and landscape functions within urban areas.     

组织学习与组织创新关系的元分析——维度分化和边界效应

采用元分析对组织学习与组织创新关系进行精确估算，并从维度分化、边界效应视角探讨二者关系的演化规律。结果发现：组织学习显著促进组织创新；探索式/利用式学习与突破式/渐进式创新呈正相关，但探索式学习对突破式创新的促进作用更显著，利用式学习则反之；中国文化对二者关系的提升作用显著强于西方文化，组织学习完整构念对组织创新的影响程度大于单一维度，而地区发达程度和所属行业并未显现出调节作用。     

Antecedents to differentiation strategy in the exporting SME

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) face various constraints related to size and resource base. Such firms face additional liabilities when they venture into foreign markets. Given such conditions, exporting SMEs should develop and leverage appropriate orientations and strategies, with a view to maximizing firm performance. In this paper, we examine the antecedents to differentiation strategy in the exporting SME. We focus on differentiation strategy because, among the generic strategies, it provides especially important competitive advantages to SMEs. Using survey data from several hundred SMEs, we examine key factors that support the use of differentiation strategy in exporting smaller firms. Findings support our model and hypotheses, and reveal strong roles for Entrepreneurial Orientation, International Growth Orientation, and International Learning Orientation, in the development of Differentiation Strategy. Findings hold implications for SMEs and resource-constrained firms generally.     

商业业态分化与城市商业空间结构的变迁——来自长沙的实证研究

长沙市作为中部地区中心城市之一,长期以来第三产业占据了城市经济发展的主导地位,商业的发展对长沙的城市经济发展与空间结构产生了重要的影响.论文对长沙市商业业态的分化历程及其空间分布进行实证分析,进而得出长沙市城市商业空间结构的演变基本规律,分析商业业态分化与城市空间结构之间的相关性.研究认为,长沙商业业态分化已经呈现出多...     

感知差异化对零售店顾客惠顾与支付意愿影响机理研究

本文在零售顾客感知归类模型的基础上构建了顾客感知差异化对惠顾与溢价支付意愿影响机理的理论模型,并通过大规模调查,运用结构方程及回归分析对该模型进行检验.研究结果显示感知差异化与享乐性价值、功用性价值、店铺印象存在正相关关系,而享乐性价值、功用性价值、店铺印象与惠顾意愿、溢价支付意愿的关系受到场所依赖的部分中介作用.本文还发现在高顾客介入情境下,功用性价值对场所依赖的影响程度削弱,店铺印象对场所依赖的影响增强.     

独立学院服务外包人才差异化培养模式探讨

发展服务外包业,人才培养是源头。除市场化程度差异之外,我国人才存量、教育培训体系、劳动力成本与质量,知识结构与文化适应性等方面存在较大的差异,导致各地服务外包人才供需失衡。根据我国服务外包人才需求层次、类型的差异化,独立学院服务外包人才培养必须发挥特色,定位准确,实行差异化模式。     

Emerging Trends in the Food Distribution System

Abstract

Two trends, the drive for differentiation and the clamor for collaboration, are emerging from intermediaries in the food distribution system. Differentiation by large manufacturers and retailers will encourage more direct marketing by farmers. Although differentiation by manufacturers creates entry barriers for small firms, differentiation by retailers may open opportunities. Some collaboration initiatives will increase the supply chain efficiency up to the retailer, but adoption rates of collaborative technologies by stores will likely be slow. With more differentiation, consumers will have greater choice. Some technologies that could boost the efficiency of the food distribution system may be resisted by consumers.     

LOGISTICS PERFORMANCE: EFFICIENCY,EFFECTIVENESS, AND DIFFERENTIATION

This research examines the nature of logistics performance and the contribution of logistics to the firm by empirically investigating the impact of logistics performance on organizational performance. Logistics performance is tested as a second‐order formative construct comprised of three dimensions: logistics efficiency; logistics effectiveness; and logistics differentiation. Results indicate that logistics performance positively impacts organizational performance. Theoretical and empirical support is also provided for measuring logistics performance as a second‐order formative construct, indicating that efficiency, effectiveness, and differentiation are not necessarily trade‐offs, but rather are complementary. Importantly, perceptual measures for organizational performance collected from managerial respondents were strongly correlated with secondary financial data for participating organizations obtained from Compustat, lending empirical credence to the logistics performance–organizational performance relationship.