外商直接投资、知识产权保护与发展中国家的社会福利--兼论发展中国家的引资战略

本文在一个由发达国家企业和发展中国家企业所构成的寡头垄断的产量竞争模型中 ,考察了在发达国家企业所进行的产品创新型R&D投资具有溢出效应的情况下 ,发达国家企业对发展中国家的外商直接投资 (FDI)所产生的福利效果。本文发现 ,即使发展中国家拥有生产成本相对低廉的优势 ,发达国家企业对发展中国家的FDI也只有在溢出效应较小时才可能发生。但这种情况下的FDI也可能损害发展中国家的同类竞争企业 ,甚至损害发展中国家的社会福利。当然 ,以上结论并不意味着引进外资必然损害发展中国家的利益 ,外资引进对发展中国家所产生的福利效果 ,在很大程度上取决于FDI的性质 (产品市场的所在国 )、发展中国家成本优势的大小以及它对知识产权的保护力度等因素。     

Choice of the empirical definition of zero in the translog multiproduct cost functional form

The translog cost function is valuable to researchers for empirical analysis in themodelling of indirect cost and profit functions. A flaw of the functional form is in themodelling of zero output values. This study examined the impacts of empirical definition of zero output values on price elasticities, economies of scope and scale, using the translog cost function. Estimation of a system of cost and factor share equations with regularity condition imposed was conducted. Results show that the choice of default values affects policy recommendations.     

Estimating economies of scope using the profit function: A dual approach for the normalized quadratic profit function

Theoretical relationships between parameters of the normalized quadratic profit and cost functions are derived allowing for economies of scope to be calculated using profit function estimates. An empirical example confirms that the cost function is recovered using the estimated profit function.     

我国财产保险公司范围经济效应的实证检验与真伪性分析

我国自1996年实施产寿分业经营以来,保险公司数量急剧增加,财险业务中车险的比重不断上升,呈现出“一险独大”的市场状况。运用超越对数成本函数,对国内20家具有代表性的财险公司2005-2012年的范围经济状况进行检验发现,以保费为基础的检验结果与以总资产为基础的检验结果存在着很大差异,意味着我国财险公司的范围经济效应存在着“真伪性”。对此,通过对财务数据、业务结构、业务规模等数据的分析,鉴别了我国财险公司范围经济效应的“真、伪”性。     

Product differentiation, firm heterogeneity and international trade: Exploring the Alchian–Allen effect

In a model of international trade with horizontally differentiated goods, increasing returns and monopolistically competitive markets, this paper proposes that the degree of differentiation in a product mix–defined as the ratio of the number of varieties to the total value of imports–can be regarded as another aspect of quality. Furthermore, this paper draws a parallel to the Alchian–Allen effect and shows that, when firms are heterogeneous in either fixed or variable costs, the degree of differentiation is increasing in per unit transportation costs.     

我国寿险公司范围经济效应的实证研究

我国自1996年实施产寿分业经营以来,人身保险业务快速增长,寿险公司数量急剧增加,寿险公司业务中新型寿险的比重不断上升,呈现出"一险独大"的市场状况。运用超越对数成本函数,对国内29家具有代表性的寿险公司2005-2010年期间的范围经济状况进行检验的结果显示:不同规模和背景的寿险公司的范围经济系数均比较明显,但是很多寿险公司所表现出来的范围经济性具有"欺骗性"。因此,寿险业务结构调整缺乏内部的市场激励,需要强有力的外部力量推动。     

Licensing to a durable-good monopoly

This paper incorporates a durable-good monopoly model and re-examines the argument on licensing contracts. It shows that, from the perspective of the non-producing patent holder, the optimal licensing contract depends on the nature and the degree of the innovations. Specifically, for small cost-reducing or quality-improving innovations, charging a royalty is optimal. For large cost-reducing or quality-improving innovations, licensing by means of a fee and a royalty is superior to using either alone. However, for the case of horizontal product innovations, using a fee contract is optimal.     

Economies of scope and scale in the Norwegian electricity industry

An important issue for multi-product firms to consider is economies of scope, i.e., whether there is any benefit from producing two or more products, or whether specializing in producing only one product would be less costly. We examined the economies of scope for Norwegian electricity companies because policy makers have decided to force companies that both generates and distributes electricity to split their operations into two companies, one engaged in generation only and the other in distribution only. We set out to test the validity of the policy makers decision on unbundling generation and distribution. Using data from Norwegian electricity companies for the period 2004–2014, we found evidence of economies of scope, meaning that policy makers’ insistence on separating generation and distribution companies will have increased costs. We also found evidence of economies of scale, meaning that there are cost savings in expanding outputs. Our findings provide important information to consider in future policy decisions in the Norwegian electricity industry, probably with implications for other countries.     

Remarks on good vs. bad characteristics in vertical differentiation

In a recent paper, Garella and Lambertini [Economic Letters 65 (1999) 245] claim that we should distinguish between good and bad characteristics in analysing the incentives for a duopoly to vertically differentiate their products. We prove here that the results obtained by the authors are false and we show that in the context of their model, maximum differentiation should appear whether characteristic is good or bad.     

Costly location in Hotelling duopoly

We introduce a cost of location into Hotelling׳s (1929) [9] spatial duopoly model. We derive the general conditions on the cost-of-location function under which a pure strategy price-location Nash equilibrium exists. With linear transportation cost and a suitably specified cost of location that rises toward the center of the Hotelling line, symmetric equilibrium locations are in the outer quartiles of the line, ensuring the existence of pure strategy equilibrium prices. With quadratic transportation cost and a suitably specified cost of location that falls toward the center of the line, symmetric equilibrium locations range from the center to the end of the line.     

差异化产品价格战的产生与扩散机制分析

本文基于消费者的"0-1"购买特征和产品的纵向差异化特征,建立了一个新的价格战模型。通过应用数学证明和数值模拟的方法发现:(1)合谋体系、背叛体系以及价格战体系的均衡结果均与需求冲击无关;(2)差异化产品厂商的背叛动机以及产品链条的合谋稳定性也与需求冲击无关;(3)产品的差异化程度是影响合谋稳定性的重要因素,差异化程度越大,合谋越稳定;(4)合谋集团对背叛厂商的惩罚策略存在着"误伤效应",这种效应在一定条件下能够自我抑制,表现为产品链条上的价格战和合谋共存,在其他条件下,这种效应不能自我抑制,价格战一旦发动就会迅速扩散到整个产品链条。     

Scope economies and technical efficiency of cocoa agroforesty systems in Ghana

A number of studies have addressed issues relating to the physiological, environmental and economic values of trees in cocoa farming systems. However, to date, little has been done to quantitatively examine the effect of crop diversity on cocoa farming efficiency. This study therefore sets out to first investigate whether and to what extent crop diversity (defined as the mixing of cocoa with other crop species on farmers' plots) affects productivity on cocoa farms. Secondly, it sought to establish whether there are economies of scope (i.e., cost complementarities) from the sharing of farm inputs by crops on the same plots. Our results indicate that diversified (i.e., multi-crop) cocoa farms are more efficient than single (i.e., mono) crop farms. Furthermore, our estimate for the economies of scope parameter indicates possibilities for cost complementarities between production of cocoa and other crops on the same plot. We advocate further investigation on the issue of scope economies to determine which crop combinations offer better cost complementarities and also meet biodiversity conservation objectives.     

Quality certification standards in competitive markets: When consumers and producers (dis)agree

A quality certification standard in a competitive setting can improve welfare but may affect consumers and producers differently. In a competitive model with quality preferences of the vertical product differentiation type, we find that producers prefer a higher (lower) quality standard than consumers if individual demand functions are log-convex (log-concave).     

管理会计的本质、边界及发展

本文首先对会计学界具有代表性的关于管理会计本质属性的两大观点进行了回顾与评述,认为管理会计本质是一个通过提供经营管理信息提升企业价值的会计信息系统,价值提升是渗透在管理会计所涉及的各个“毛细血管”中的;其次,重点从横向和纵向两个方面探讨了管理会计边界,指出企业动态环境的变化大大促进了管理会计的价值思维及体系边界的扩展,管理会计边界由相对静止（即认为管理会计的边界是明确、清晰与固定的）向逐渐变化的动态发展（即认为管理会计的边界是随环境条件而变化,呈现出模糊性）,但没有根本动摇管理会计的价值管理和价值提升的本质;第三,可以预见管理会计未来的发展趋势是整合,它将围绕企业核心能力的培植与企业价值提升而形成一个超越传统会计的,全新的综合化信息系统;最后,笔者对我国管理会计的发展和应用提出一些看法,认为管理会计在我国的发展和应用还需要在企业管理实践的研究、管理者对管理会计价值的认识和需求,管理会计职业推进方面做出努力。     

Jointness in production and farmers' willingness to supply non-marketed ecosystem services

This paper highlights how farmers' willingness to supply non-marketed ecosystem services (ES) is influenced by whether or not the non-marketed ES are produced jointly with agricultural products. When marketed products and non-marketed ES share some production inputs the production relationships between the two may be complementary, competitive or substitutive. Using a cost minimization framework, it is shown how complementary relationships lead to costless voluntary provision of non-marketed ES (typically the case for ES that are supportive of provisioning ES for marketed farm products). It is also shown how competitive production relationships lead to provision of non-marketed ES at lower cost than when non-marketed ES are direct substitutes for farm products or are produced outside of agriculture. The paper closes by showing how the minimum willingness to accept (WTA) payment for ES that are complementary/competitive is less than or equal to the minimum WTA for the same ES produced in substitute or independent production relationships.     

Complementarity between product and process innovation in a monopoly setting

In this article we study complementarity between market-enhancing product innovation and cost-reducing process innovation in a monopoly setting. First, we consider the possibility for a firm to alternatively invest only along one of the two directions and compare the incentives of process vs. product innovation. Then, we allow the firm to invest simultaneously in both activities, showing that both investment levels and profit are higher than in the case of individual investment. Thus, product and process innovations are complementary, and the firm always prefers the simultaneous adoption of both activities.     

Vertical Innovation and Catching-Up: Implications of EU Integration for CEECs-5

We analyze the role of vertical innovation in trade patterns for developing economies trading with technologically advanced countries. A model is presented where the international diffusion of knowledge, promoted by economic integration, is the source of a technological catching up and leads to a convergence in the quality of traded goods, with a positive effect on exports. We then turn our attention on the evolution of trade between the Central and Eastern European countries (CEECs-5) and their European Union partner countries, assessing whether economic integration has increase the quality of the goods produced. For the period 1995–2005, we find evidence of the increasing role of intra-industry trade and vertical differentiation and a process of specialization in higher quality products, especially in the medium- and high-skill sectors.

Pricing in a market without apparent horizontal differentiation: Evidence from web hosting services

This article explores pricing in a product lacking the conventional attributes of horizontal differentiation—physical location, design, color, etc.—and whose vertical characteristics are precisely specified and capable of rapid imitation. Web hosting exhibits low entry barriers, high turnover and low concentration. We use an electronically collected database covering over 17,500 US and UK product offerings, and find that after controlling for quality reputation and e-visibility characteristics exert a strong positive impact on price. This result from a heterogeneous B2B market, without horizontal differentiation, complements homogeneous B2C research elsewhere in suggesting that price disparities persist, even in ultra-competitive e-markets.     

Trade liberalization in a differentiated duopoly reconsidered

Constructing a model of differentiated Cournot duopoly, we consider welfare effects of trade liberalization (i.e. reductions in transport costs). We examine both multilateral trade (i.e. the firms in both countries export bilaterally) and unilateral trade, under which foreign entry is possible but the home firm cannot export. Some new results on trade gains under differentiated oligopoly are proved and their implications are discussed.     

新产品开发过程中的战略均衡研究

基于企业促销和广告宣传能提高消费者心目中的新产品质量水平,而将市场阶段细分为上市初期阶段和中后期阶段。考虑到上市初期阶段新产品质量的提高会影响产品需求率,进而影响企业收益和成本,建立基本产品、新产品和竞争产品并存下的企业利润模型,研究了新产品开发时间与质量之间的平衡问题,并分析了上市初期阶段产品质量的提高对企业利润和营销战略的影响。