Coordination in retailer-carrier channels for long term planning

We study a retailer-carrier channel for the purpose of long term planning and coordination. Here, the term channel represents the business interaction between the retailer and the carrier. The retailer sells a particular item with price-dependent demand, whereas the carrier is responsible for transporting the item to the retailer's site. We characterize the profit functions of each channel member as well as the total channel profit. We consider two specific channel structures: (i) the centralized channel and (ii) the decentralized channel. Under the first channel structure, the goal is to set the retail price so as to maximize the total channel profit. Under the latter, the carrier and the retailer choose their own policy parameters, i.e., the freight rate for the carrier and the retail price for the retailer, so as to maximize their individual profits. We model the decentralized channel as a Stackelberg Game and propose a coordination mechanism between the retailer and the carrier in which the retailer signals a price multiplier to the carrier. We illustrate that this mechanism could provide win-win solutions for both parties and present analytical and numerical results on the efficiency of channel coordination. We demonstrate that coordination in retailer-carrier channels can be as promising as supplier-retailer channels. We also discuss the effects of retailer-carrier coordination on inventory levels.     

Reducing reporting risk: Designating foreign currency forward contracts as cash flow hedges

We present an example that compares the effects on earnings of designating a foreign currency forward contract as either a cash-flow or fair-value hedge of a foreign currency denominated receivable. Entities engaging in exchange transactions not denominated in their functional currency frequently enter into foreign currency forward contracts in order to mitigate their foreign exchange rate risk exposure. The aggregate effect on earnings of the transaction gain or loss on the foreign currency receivable and the gain or loss on the forward contract is known on the date the forward contract is initiated. The effect on each period’s earnings during the term of a forward contract designated as a cash-flow hedge is also known on the date the contract is initiated; whereas the effect on each periods’ earnings from a fair-value hedge cannot be determined until the respective balance sheet dates. Therefore, designating forward contracts as cash-flow hedges may suppress volatility in reported earnings compared to designating forward contracts as fair-value hedges. In addition, the reporting risk (the amount of uncertainty surrounding the pending measure of an item to be reported in the financial statements) is lower when a forward contract is designated as a cash-flow hedge relative to designating it as a fair-value hedge. This suggests foreign currency forward contracts designated as cash-flow hedges are more consistent with the purpose of hedge accounting: to mitigate the effects on earnings of applying different measurement criteria for the hedge and the hedged item.     

Adverse Selection,Investor Experience and Security Choice in Venture Capital Finance: Evidence from Germany

This article analyses 336 German venture capital transactions from 1990 to 2005 and seeks to determine why selected financial securities differ across deals. We find that a broad array of financial instruments is used, covering straight equity, mezzanine and debt‐like securities. Based on the chosen financial securities’ upside potential and downside protection characteristics, we provide an explanation for the differing use of these securities. Our results show that investors’ deal experience, adverse selection risks and economic prospects in the public equity market influence the selection of financial securities.     

私人股权投资基金运作模式选择与对策研究

私人股权投资基金有契约型、公司型、合伙型三种组织运作模式，在法律的合规性、避免双重征税、投资管理的效率性、监督管理的有效性等诸多方面有较多差异。通过对三种股权投资基金的运作模式的分析，提出信托型私人股权投资运作模式在现阶段是理性决策。公司型私人股权投资运作模式适合早期阶段，有限合伙人股权运作模式是最终发展目标。     

A contingent plan for disaster response

Natural and man-made disasters imply a great deal of uncertainty in terms of potential damage, though it is certain that there would be a huge spike in the demand for relief supplies causing shortages and/or delays in providing aid. Ruptures in the infrastructure (roads, utility, and communication lines) cause additional delays due to repairs. Therefore, the relief providers need to work in collaboration with retailers, and infrastructure service providers for improving responsiveness. The relief providers (government and non government) rely on acquiring and delivering supplies in real time because such actions accompany little risk of resource underutilization, though the cost of real time acquisitions can be high. In contrast, a proactive response, while minimizing acquisition cost, can be very ineffective if demand surges are high. We study a hybrid of reactive and proactive approaches, where the reactive response is contingent upon the disaster intensity exceeding a certain threshold. We show how the threshold value may impact capacity acquisitions and prices and establish the optimality of contingent response. Further, we establish how an infrastructure contract may help reducing the social cost of disaster.     

Perceptions of the Ethical Work Climate and Covenantal Relationships

Employees perception of the existence of a covenantal relationship between themselves and their employer indicates that they believe there is a mutual commitment to shared values and the welfare of the other party in the relationship. Research suggests that these types of employment relationships have positive benefits for both employees and employers. There has been little research, however, on the factors that determine whether such relationships will develop and thrive.In this paper, we suggest that the organizations ethical work climate may be an important factor affecting employees perceptions about the nature of the relational contract between themselves and their employer. Specifically, we argue that work climates emphasizing benevolence and principle will be associated with covenantal relationships. Conversely, we believe that work climates emphasizing egoism will make it less likely that covenantal relationships will develop between an employer and employee.In order to test our hypotheses, we collected data from 194 employees of a large retail department store. The employees perceived their work climates in terms of principle (laws and professional codes) and benevolence, but to a lesser extent also believed that egoism (self interest) concerns characterized their climate. After controlling for demographic and job-related variables, we found (as expected) that measures of principled and benevolence climate were positively associated with covenantal relationships and that a measure of egoistic climate was negatively associated with covenantal relationships. In the final section of the paper, we discuss the implications of these findings for research and practice.     

Integrating the Ethical Dimension into the Analytical Framework for the Reform of State-Owned Enterprises in China's Socialist Market Economy: A Proposal

The discussions about the reform of state-owned enterprises are so far dominated by economic and legal considerations while the ethical dimension of this highly complex problem is being barely addressed explicitly, much less developed systematically and integrated into a broader analytical framework for companies in China. This paper is a proposal to introduce this kind of ethical considerations. First, the main features of the reform of state-owned enterprises are briefly summarized and a number of critical issues are identified. Second, the "balanced concept of the firm" is presented and compared with other approaches to corporate ethics in chiefly Western literature (discussions on "corporate social responsibility", the stakeholder approach, and social contract theories). Finally, the relevance of this "balanced concept of the firm" for the reform of state-owned enterprises is briefly discussed.     

基于博弈论分析合同在降低市场力方面的作用

统一的出清电价机制对发电商持留发电容量具有激励作用 ,从而增加了发电商滥用市场力的可能。市场力的存在不利于电力市场的持续健康发展 ,而博弈论的分析是一个可以有效提供策略的方法。简述了博弈论的基本概念及发展历史 ,并采用博弈理论分析了合同在有效降低市场力方面的作用     

多边共赢的供应链契约

供应链上的成员通过建立契约关系来协调各方的利益,分配供应链上新增加利润。在供应链契约中,商品的价格、数量、提前期、退货以及对拖延期限的惩罚等都是契约中的主要内容以及契约双方谈判的焦点。通过对契约中订货的数量、价格等供应链契约的决策变量的研究,建立了以契约为枢纽的网状供应链上每个成员能够获得"多赢"的"度"的量化模型。     

“公司+农户”的交易效率与契约选择

运用交易费用经济学、博弈论的基本原理,以"公司+农户"这一组织形式中的契约关系为研究对象,根据抵押品模型,构建了一个"公司+农户"契约选择模型,来讨论"公司+农户"经营组织不同契约类型选择及其效率,并提出改进思路及政策含义。