Do Article 22 exemptions adequately stimulate investments in European gas markets?

Stimulating investments whilst introducing competition is a major policy issue for European gas markets. The current Article 22 exemptions regime, which is an application to the gas market of the access holiday theory, is designed to address this issue. Though useful, the access holiday theory provides an incomplete picture. In order to adequately analyze the exemptions regime, this paper incorporates the real options theory of investments into the analysis. Combining both theories provides the properties of an exemptions regime that better stimulates investments in gas. The current exemptions regime has some shortcomings, in particular regarding its risk criterion. A better exemptions regime would grant less exemptions, but if it does, allows higher profits during the exemption. Revised version of a paper presented at the European Doctoral Seminar on Natural Gas, State University, Moscow, November 24, 2007. I would like to thank the participants, especially Martin Gilman and Franz Hubert, as well as Koen Caminada, Ben van Velthoven and a referee of this journal for their comments and suggestions.     

Rural telephony since divestiture

This paper determines whether local rural telephone rates have increased as well as whether rural rates have increased more or less than other telephone rates since the divestiture of AT&T. Also, examined are long distance rates, penetration levels and subsidization in rural telephone markets in an attempt to ascertain whether universal service is in jeopardy in rural areas.The author would like to thank Erwin A. Blackstone, Gerald Faulhaber and Alfred E. Kahn for their helpful comments.     

Customer and retailer rebates under risk aversion

In a supply chain setting, we analyze a manufacturer's customer and retailer rebates, which are sales incentives offered to the end buyers and retailers, respectively. The performance of both rebates is influenced by the retailer's objective and response to the promotion due to his intermediary position in the channel. Earlier studies investigating rebates in distribution channels have traditionally assumed that the retailer is risk neutral with the objective of maximizing expected profits. In our paper, we consider a risk-averse retailer. We formally model risk aversion by adopting the Conditional-Value-at-Risk (CVaR) decision criterion. Using a stochastic and (effective) price dependent demand, we analyze the manufacturer's rebate amount decisions and the retailer's joint inventory and pricing decisions in a game theoretical framework. We provide several structural properties of the objective functions and show monotonicity of the retailer's decisions in the degree of risk aversion. For the case of retailer rebates, we characterize the unique equilibrium, and for the case of customer rebates, we prove the existence of an equilibrium. Using numerical examples, we provide further insights on the impact of risk aversion. For example, given an exogenous wholesale price, we observe a threshold value on the retailer's risk-aversion parameter below (above) which the manufacturer is better off with retailer rebates (customer rebates); implying that the manufacturer's preferred rebate type can be different depending on whether the retailer is risk neutral or sufficiently risk averse.     

An economic-statistical design of double sampling control chart

The double sampling (DS) chart can reduce the sample size when monitoring the process mean. In this study, Duncan's cost model was modified by adding the statistical constraints to develop the design model of DS chart for the optimization of design parameters—sample size, control limit coefficient, warning limit coefficient and sampling interval. A numerical example was provided to illustrate the use of this model. A sensitivity analysis of the effects of model parameters and statistical constraints on the optimal design of DS chart was also performed.     

科研单位QHSE管理体系整合的思考

为提高科研单位管理水平和科技竞争力,2006年辽河油田分公司勘探开发研究院进行了QHSE管理体系整合工作,经过3年多的实际运行,整合后的QHSE管理体系切实地起到了提高管理效率,促进科研生产的目的。     

Order and inventory variance amplification: The equivalence of discrete and continuous time analyses

The well-known “Bullwhip Effect” concerns the increasing variance of orders as they proceed through the supply chain. In the continuous time representation we solve the delay-differential equation for the inventory balance, which is coupled to the ordering policy. The time domain evolution of the system emerges. We calculate the Bullwhip Effect and compare it to known results for the discrete time representation. The discrete and continuous Bullwhip Effect expressions have similar structures. We show that the two domains are managerially equivalent so that in practice either domain can be used to study a supply chain.     

全球经济危机形势下的企业发展——2009年中国首届比较管理研讨会观点综述

中国首届比较管理研讨会期间,与会者就我国企业如何应对此次全球性经济危机、比较管理的研究范式等相关问题展开深度研讨。本文对此次研讨会的发起、主要议题及与会者的主要观点进行了概要介绍,并综述了当前经济形势与危机应对、比较管理的研究范式与方法、比较管理专题三大类问题。     

海洋石油勘探开发重大技术研发项目质量管理实践与思考

研究总院是中国海洋石油总公司的勘探、开发、工程科学研究和决策研究的参谋机构。为公司业务提供技术支持,承担了大量国家级和公司级重大技术研发项目,面临着研究领域多,技术难度高,专业跨度大,研究时间紧迫,研究资源有限等诸多困难。为解决面临的这些困难,保证研究成果的质量,研究总院经过多年的探索和实践,按照ISO9001质量管理体系的要求,在对重大技术研发项目管理过程中,大胆进行实践和思考,逐步形成了一整套的对技术研发项目质量控制的管理方法和程序,取得了良好的效果。     

国有资产管理体制进一步改革的总体思路

本文从国有经济改革面临的两对基本矛盾入手,讨论国有资产管理体制进一步改革,提出竞争性领域国有资本与垄断性领域国有资本从管理体制上分开,建立社会信托投资基金、国家控股公司和承担基础性公益服务的公法人组织三种出资人体制的总体思路。认为竞争性领域的国有资本管理应当完全"去政府化",而在垄断领域,政企分开的目标不可能完全实现,关键是在国有资本的公益性与营利性之间寻求平衡。     

大型石油企业质量管理体系有效性研究与实践

质量管理体系推行在石油企业已有了十几年的历程,对质量管理的提高起到了积极的推动作用,但目前也存在疲于应付、执行力不强的通病,特别是对于油田、地区公司等大型企业怎样建立、改进体系,使其起到更大作用是目前值得探讨的问题,从分析大型企业的特点、体系应用现状以及体系的建立和实施应注意的方面等进行了探讨,同时结合东方地球物理公司体系管理的实践总结了体系建立、运行的体会和收获,得出质量管理体系是大型企业进行质量管理的有效手段的结论。     

精细化管理在油气输送钢管制造企业中的构建与实施

论述了以＂五精四细＂为模式的精细化管理在渤海石油装备华油钢管公司内的构建和实施。详细阐述了＂五精四细＂的基本内涵,即五精之精化、五精之精髓、五精之精品、五精之精通、五精之精密、四细之细分、四细之细密、四细之细化、四细之细则。通过实施精细化管理,企业管理水平得到全方位提升     

Beyond Illinois Brick: The Law and Economics of Cost Pass-Through in the ADM Price Fixing Case

This article reviews the legal standards and theeconomics of pass-through to indirect purchasers andillustrates these principles with a case involving ADMin the market for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).With three assumptions about production technologies,buyers of HFCS experience a 100 percent pass throughof the direct overcharge. The extent of pass throughof the increase by buyers is shown to dependcritically upon the market structure of the purchasingindustry and the shape of the retail demand curve. Flexible demand functional forms are needed to avoidconstraining estimated pass through rates.