Time-varying pricing may increase total electricity consumption: Evidence from Costa Rica

We study the implementation of a time-varying pricing (TVP) program by a major electricity utility in Costa Rica. Because of particular features of the data, we use recently developed understanding of the two-way fixed effects differences-in-differences estimator along with event-study specifications to interpret our results. Similar to previous research, we find that the program reduces consumption during peak-hours. However, in contrast with previous research, we find that the program increases total consumption. With a stylized economic model, we show how these seemingly conflicted results may not be at odds. The key element of the model is that previous research used data from rich countries, in which the use of heating and cooling devices drives electricity consumption, but we use data from a tropical middle-income country, where very few households have heating or cooling devices. Since there is not much room for technological changes (which might reduce consumption at all times), behavioral changes to reduce consumption during peak hours are not enough to offset the increased consumption during off-peak hours (when electricity is cheaper). Our results serve as a cautionary piece of evidence for policy makers interested in reducing consumption during peak hours—the goal can potentially be achieved with TVP, but the cost is increased total consumption     

The market-based dissemination of energy-access technologies as a business model for rural entrepreneurs: Evidence from Kenya

Improving access to more modern forms of energy requires supply chains that reach further into rural areas. This paper studies a supply-side intervention intended to foster last-mile distribution of energy-access technologies through local small-scale entrepreneurship. We use a staggered-implementation evaluation design to assess the impact on employment and income outcomes of the intervention, which is a large-scale program in Kenya that supports the diffusion of improved cookstoves and small solar products. The results demonstrate how trained entrepreneurs intensify and diversify their income-generating activities, often by shifting away from subsistence farming as a main source of income. For cookstove entrepreneurs, this goes along with improvements in individual and household incomes as well as perceived economic well-being. Our estimates suggest that impacts do not only differ between the two technologies but also across subgroups including gender, age, and baseline occupation. Our findings substantiate that market-based interventions can foster energy access in rural areas by supporting the establishment of local businesses. We highlight several contextual factors that are of relevance when considering the adoption of this approach.     

Financing energy efficiency retrofits in Chilean households: The role of financial instruments,savings and uncertainty in energy transition

High firewood consumption for heating produces high levels of pollution in cities in central and southern Chile, with serious consequences for health and quality of life. Energy efficiency measures (EEMs) have been identified as the best strategy to reduce air pollution and maximize social benefits. However, their adoption has been slow. The objective of this article is to investigate household preferences for financial incentives needed to promote private investments in EEMs in Central-Southern Chilean households and study the role of energy savings and the uncertainty about potential savings in the investment decision, with the aim of finding solutions to increase the adoption of these technologies. We use a choice experiment to explore the trade-off between the investment costs, financial instruments, energy savings, and the uncertainty about achieving the theoretical savings provided by engineering and architectural models. The results show that financial instruments play the most important role in this decision, followed by the savings achieved by the retrofit. Householders prefer to finance their investments with a mix of their personal resources and medium-term credits, trying to avoid long-term commitments. Although uncertainty was found to be a significant variable, it seems to play a small role in the investment decision.     

Overcoming the “Solow paradox”: Tariff reduction and productivity growth of Chinese ICT firms

This paper examines the phenomenon of the “Solow paradox” in China using the Annual Survey of Industrial Production database and the China Customs Records dataset from 1998 to 2007. We find that China likely fell into the Solow paradox in the period 1998–2002, but the total factor productivity of information and communication technology (ICT) enterprises has achieved rapid growth since 2003. Accession to the World Trade Organization is the key reason for China to overcome the Solow paradox, that is, input tariff reduction significantly promoted the productivity of ICT firms. A series of validity and robustness checks confirmed the results. Mechanism analysis shows that input liberalization promotes the productivity of ICT firms through optimizing factor structure, importing more and high-quality inputs, and increasing research and development investment. The conclusions provide strong empirical evidence for developing countries to overcome the Solow paradox through trade liberalization.     

基于SWOT-AHP模型的西塘古镇旅游产业发展策略研究

西塘古镇素有"生活着的千年古镇"之名,其旅游产业的发展存在众多优势的同时也面临严峻内外部挑战。对影响西塘古镇发展的各因素进行SWOT定性分析,并在此基础上采用AHP定量模型分析限制和促进古镇旅游业发展因素,按照AHP分析结果,从域内景点布局升级优化、区位优势挖潜、过度商业开发控制以及文化与产业融合等角度提出了对应的改进策略建议。     

Coopetition strategies for competitive intelligence practices-evidence from full-service hotels

Our study investigates how coopetition strategies can influence hotels’ competitive intelligence (CI) practices to achieve a stronger competitive advantage. In-depth interviews were conducted with 39 hoteliers from 22 hotel groups in Hong Kong. Participating hotels employed different kinds of CI activities, though they were unaware of this concept. In particular, internal customer intelligence was added to integrated intelligence to better describe CI in the service sector. Still, investing in CI can be expensive and time-consuming since it requires hoteliers to align all insights from their respective intelligence pools toward building a holistic understanding of the results. We propose coopetition as a strategic approach allowing hotels to construct collective actions around CI without losing individual competitiveness. Actual coopetition in CI was only found between sister properties. Hence, we propose a coopetition model in which hotels can collaborate and compete in CI at an inter-organizational level via focusing on sharing open-source information and knowledge.     

突发公共事件对电影行业影响的量化研究

人工收集和整理2012—2018年在中国市场上映的首轮院线电影信息数据，构建电影需求的嵌套logit回归模型，以新冠肺炎疫情为准自然实验，来量化突发公共事件对电影行业复产复工的影响。结果显示：第一，关于上映时间选择，在恢复营业后，如果所有因为疫情尚未上映的电影选择顺延上映能有效避免过度竞争的局面。第二，关于上映节奏控制，控制好未定档电影的上映节奏，保持适当的竞争能促进经济效益提升。其中，从11月份开始以每周两部的频率上映未定档电影的经济效益最佳。第三，关于上映方式选择，与线下播放相比，疫情期间选择线上播放能及时收回成本并有利于经济收益最大化的实现。研究结论为电影行业制定复产复工策略提供依据，为未来应对突发公共卫生事件提供参考。     

我国物流业2019年发展回顾与2020年展望

2019年是中华人民共和国成立70周年,也是物流业稳中有进、变中求新的一年。面对严峻形势,我国物流业顶住下行压力,实现平稳运行,取得多方面进展。具体而言,一是社会物流需求增速持续放缓,总体运行缓中趋稳;二是物流需求结构持续优化,物流供给结构稳步升级,供需结构加速调整;三是科技应用引领数智化转型,科技赋能物流数智化、平台化;四是新兴的供应链服务企业向标准化发展迈出了重要一步,供应链创新发展进入新阶段,现代供应链成为新亮点;五是物流基础设施网络加快升级,物流枢纽网络建设进入实质推进阶段,助力枢纽经济发展;六是物流业"走出去"空间加大,国际物流打开对外开放新局面,我国对外投资合作与对外援助执行保持平稳有序健康发展;七是绿色物流配合污染防治攻坚战,绿色可持续物流取得新进展;八是物流政策落地,物流企业获得感增强,从业人员稳定性增强,物流营商环境持续改善。2020年,我国经济稳中向好的基本趋势不会改变,物流业平稳增长的总体方向不会改变,物流业主要经济指标将继续保持平稳增长,但物流业下行压力依然较大,发展不平衡、不充分矛盾依然比较突出,与人民群众日益增长的美好生活需要和现代化经济体系建设的要求相比依然存在差距,高质量发展任重道远。在新的一年里,为更好地推动我国物流业发展,一要平衡物流稳增长与高质量发展关系,决胜全面建成小康社会;二要坚持目标导向,探索新时代物流业发展的新使命新要求;三要突出新发展理念,推动传统数量型降成本向效率型降成本转变;四要深化产业联动融合,从低水平粗放式发展向精细化、高品质发展转变;五要坚持科技引领和技术驱动,激发物流业高质量发展新动能;六要推进国家物流枢纽联盟工程和全国百家骨干物流园区互联互通工程,建设物流基础设施网络;七要配合"一带一路"倡议,推动国际物流合作与交流;八要进一步处理好政府与市场、国家与地方、市场与企业的关系,营造政府、企业与协会合力推动物流业高质量发展的产业生态圈。     

基于GM(1,1)模型的造纸业上市公司财务研究——以冠豪高新为例

财务风险是企业调整发展战略、提升管理水平的重要参考指标之一。财务风险预测模型的建立能够预测企业在中短期内的财务风险,为企业敲响警钟。以造纸业上市公司冠豪高新为例,选取近五年财务杠杆系数为风险指标,建立GM(1,1)风险预测模型,结果显示该公司短期内财务风险呈下降趋势,调查发现这主要得益于产品成本的降低以及营销策略的改变。