Optimal Pricing and Price-Cap Regulation in the Postal Sector

This paper studies the optimal price structure in the postal sector when worksharing is available (e.g., for collection, sorting and transportation) and when the operator faces a break-even constraint. Users differ in opportunity and cost to engage in worksharing. We determine the optimal worksharing discount and provide sufficient conditions (on demand functions) under which it exceeds the ECPR level. Furthermore, we show that the optimal prices can be implemented through a global price cap imposed on a weighted average of the prices of all products. The appropriate weights are proportional to the market demand (evaluated at optimal prices) of the corresponding products.     

Efficient Entry,Monopoly, and the Universal Service Obligation in Postal Service

This paper analyzes the nature of and justification for the Universal Service Obligation (USO) and its relationship to the Reserved Area for Postal Service. This is motivated by problems of funding the USO in the face of increasing competition in the postal sector. After reviewing various approaches to defining and funding the USO, we develop a model to consider the optimal scope of both the Reserved Area and the USO. The model assumes an incumbent postal provider and potential entrants. The incumbent is guaranteed a monopoly franchise for services in its Reserved Area R and offers services in a possibly larger set of services U at uniform prices. All services not in R face competition from entrants. We characterize the welfare-optimal scope of R and U subject to a breakeven constraint for the incumbent. Implications for USO policy are discussed in light of the results of the analysis.     

Competition and Public Service Obligations: Regulatory Rules and Industries Games

The introduction of competition in regulated industries may have positive or negative side-effects on the provision of collective goods or services. The paper shows that these effects are closely related to two associated elements: the industrial strategies developed by utilities and the regulatory environment within which they operate. Regulatory rules and corporate strategies influence the treatment of public service obligations. This raises a major issue regarding the regulation of public utilities. To reduce the drawbacks of the introduction of competition, it is necessary to set regulatory rules that allow the implementation of market configurations enabling public utilities to follow a public service orientation rather than a pure market-based approach.     

银行业服务质量维度测量及其影响因子分析

针对认知服务质量的维度,笔者基于前人的研究构建了技术质量、功能质量和服务环境三个维度及影响路径关系,同时利用对银行顾客实测的数据,对原有SERVQUAL量表的各指标进行测量并予以修正,以此探究认知服务质量维度的影响因子.本研究发现,在银行这样的高接触性行业中,功能质量比技术质量和服务环境对认知服务质量的影响要强,这一维度构成了认知服务质量的主要驱动因素.     

Tax Competition, Capital Mobility and Innovation in the Public Sector

Abstract. The paper analyses the impact of tax competition on innovation in the public sector. It is shown that the effects of increased mobility of the tax base on innovation and growth are ambiguous. The negative relationship is more likely, however. Moreover, it is shown that a Leviathan government may be induced to spend a larger share of its budget on unproductive activities.     

Competition and Cooperation in the Small Firm Sector

This paper examines the nature of economies of scale in the small firm sector and aims to provide new insight into the economic efficiency of small firm industrial districts. The theoretical analysis identifies the role played by collective external economies of scale that are realised through cooperation over input activities. Using game theory it is shown that cooperation can emerge both as a result of rational profit maximising behaviour and as a result of institutional and cultural environments that encourage cooperation and trust. The implications for industrial policy are discussed in the concluding section.     

Worksharing and Access Discounts in the Postal Sector with Asymmetric Information*

This paper analyzes the optimal worksharing and access amounts granted to mailers and entrants in a liberalized postal sector when there is asymmetric information about the Post Office’s (PO) costs. I show that when the regulator is unable to ascertain which part of the total cost of sorting has to be attributed to each sorting facility, the optimal “access discount” given to entrants is set in a pro-competitive way. This facilitates the entry of firms that are less efficient than the PO. However, the optimal “worksharing discount” may prevent the entry of mailers that are more efficient than the PO.     

Credence Goods,Efficient Labelling Policies,and Regulatory Enforcement

We analyse the optimality of information revelation of hidden attributes of “credence goods” via alternative labelling procedures. When consumers are heterogeneous in their willingness to pay for the hidden attribute, producers can either self-label their products, or have them certified by a third party. The government can impose self or third party labelling requirements on either the “green” or the “brown” producers. Our benchmark model develops a condition that links the optimal imposition of third party labelling to the relative market share of each type of the good under complete information. We extend our analysis to incorporate asymmetric information and cheating by the producers. When corrupt producers can affix spurious labels, the government needs to supplement the labelling policy with costly monitoring activities. We find that mandatory self-labelling schemes generally dominate mandatory third party labelling, unless the “market share effect” greatly exceeds the “incentive-to-cheat effect”.      

监管竞争和监管合作:争论及启示

在学术界,关于监管竞争和监管合作的讨论早已有之,在一些联邦制的国家,很早就有学者讨论联邦体制下州与州之间的监管竞争问题。近年来,随着世界经济全球化进程的不断推进和跨国交易壁垒的减少,对这一问题的讨论上升到了国家层次,在国际上又引起了众多学者的关注,形成了一场影响甚广的辩论。     

Regulatory Policy and the Efficiency of the Banking Sector in Australia

This paper examines the technical efficiency of Australian banks during the post‐Wallis period (1997–2005). The results based on data envelopment analysis reveal that the extent of technical efficiency varies across the banks and over the years. The National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank and Macquarie Bank are found to be technically efficient, whereas Adelaide Bank, the Bank of Queensland and Westpac Bank are found to be prominently inefficient. Technical efficiency is the lowest among small banks and has declined over time largely due to deterioration in scale efficiency. Medium‐sized banks have outperformed both the small and large banks in terms of efficiency improvements. Some insights into the debate over the removal of the ‘four‐pillar’ policy are provided.     

服务业增长、城市化与经济发展——改革开放后中国数据的经验研究

经济发展的实践表明,产业结构转变的高级阶段是现代服务业成为国民经济的主导.工业化推动了城市化,城市化引致生产要素向城市集聚,城市数量增加和规模的提升、非农人口比重的提高极大地刺激了服务业的需求,居民收入的增加和就业结构的转变最终促进了服务业的发展.本文建立多变量的计量模型,使用Johan-son协整、ECM、VAR、IRF和方差分解等现代经济计量方法对改革开放以来中国经济增长中的服务业进行经验研究,从经济发展和结构转变的角度考察了服务业的增长.     

Mixed Market Competition in a Quality Differentiated Duopoly Model An Approach to Banking Sector

This paper attempts to develop a theoretical framework to investigate the competitive implications of quality choices of financial institutions whereby they charge prices to consumers based on their willingness to pay for the service qualities in the mixed market scenario under vertical product differentiation model. Initially, it analyzes benchmark equilibrium solutions of monopoly and duopoly to establish the degree of quality differentiation between two private banks in an uncover market configuration. Further, it estimates the quality differentiation between private and public banks, and examines the interaction between two market structures keeping public bank as both leader and follower, and then measures the social welfare from different prospectives. The explicit operation of two stages Nash equilibrium game forecasted that public banks＇ monopoly seems to be still better than a private banking, and it is socially optimal. The outcome demonstrates a significant importance of vertical quality differentiation for policy implication in banking industry and provides an insight on the reasons of particular co-existence of public and private banking services in the specified location. In this context, it is concluded that the presence of public banks in banking industries is a crucial condition for obtaining the higher range of social welfare.     

中国服务业结构变动与增长的关联分析

1991年以来我国服务业发展呈现出明显的结构变动特征。本文通过对我国服务业内部结构与服务业增长之间相关关系进行动态和静态的实证分析,得出结论认为我国四个层次服务业的合理发展次序应为三、一、二、四。我国第二、四层次服务业发展速度应低于第一层次服务业,第三层次服务业发展速度应高于第一层次服务业,目前我国第一层次服务业增长速度趋缓不利于拉动我国服务业的进一步增长。文章最后给出了结论与政策性启示。     

经济发展过程与竞争政策评价--日本竞争政策演变的启示

将反垄断法这一产生于发达市场经济国家的制度引入像日本这种后发展国家的经济体制内后，传统的反垄断思想和理念与后发展国家中主导经济发展的政府权力发生矛盾和冲突，竞争政策与产业政策的关系成为主要的磨合点。由于后发展国家所处的经济社会环境与发达国家不同，竞争政策的价值取向以及与其他制度和政策的互补关系也不同，所以政策评价的标准也应该是不同的。     

中国邮政体制改革对策研究

本文提出邮政体制改革的八大对策:明确邮政体制改革的目标和原则;坚决推进政企分开、政资分开等,转变邮政部门职能;对邮政企业进行公司化和集团化改造,加快建立现代企业制度;分拆普遍服务业务和竞争性业务,缩小专营业务范围;明确普遍服务业务范围,建立普遍服务补偿机制;建立独立公正的邮政监管机构,加强对监管机构的监督;将《邮政法》修改与邮政体制改革衔接起来;全面推进邮政其他各项制度改革。     

Market Integration and Competition in Environmental and Trade Policies

Recent empirics suggest the relevance of transport cost reductions for world trade growth along with eliminations in protectionist trade barriers. To address the welfare effects of trade cost reductions in a context of ??trade and the environment,?? we develop a two-stage game model where governments choose environmental and trade policies and firms play a Cournot-Nash game. We show that reductions in transport costs lead to lower emission taxes and higher tariffs. And, we find that the degree of pollution damage plays a central role in whether market integration is welfare-improving relative to autarky.     

Competition and Diversification Trends in Telecommunications: Regulatory, Technological and Market Pressures

In this paper, I examine: (i) regulatory, technological and economic trends driving telecommunications diversification and competition; and (ii) substantial investments and marketing efforts of telecommunications firms to diversity and enter each others' markets via vertical integration, joint ventures, and mergers. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 and ongoing regulatory, market and technological trends have addressed concerns that local exchange company (LEC) ownership of essential facilities may hinder diversification into local markets and stimulated substantial competition across historically distinct markets. (For example, long distance companies have entered local markets.) The entry of one LEC into the Connecticut long-distance market demonstrates that the benefits of competition—lower rates and service innovation—will be realized when Bell operating companies are allowed to enter long distance markets.     

市场竞争、东道国引资政策与跨国公司的技术转移

在一个两阶段古诺竞争模型基础上,本文研究了东道国引资政策对跨国公司技术转移的影响,结果显示,跨国公司对东道国的技术转移取决于东道国市场竞争程度、本地企业的模仿能力与跨国公司的技术转移成本。在东道国企业模仿能力有限的情况下,跨国公司低技术的直接投资将损害东道国企业,从而降低东道国的国民福利水平;文章同时研究了市场竞争对跨国公司技术转移的影响,结果表明,对东道国来说,维持一个适度有序竞争的国内市场,同时对跨国公司的直接投资进行有选择地甄别与吸收,比单纯的竞争战略更有利于跨国公司的技术转移与技术扩散。     

Corporate Power and the Development of New Competition Policies in Canada

The aim of this paper is to associate elements of Aristotle's view of a "good society" with the development ethics standpoint of a "good society." For Aristotle, the vehicle to "eudaimonia" and to a "good society" is "politics." We argue that development ethics provides an ethical response to the question "what is good society" based on Aristotle's key concept of "eudaimonia." The Aristotelian vision for a "good life" can be perceived as a precursor and a contributor to development ethics perspective for a "good society."