Evolution of cooperation in asymmetric commons dilemmas

Field experiments with asymmetric commons dilemmas have shown that groups who are able to derive high social efficiency also had higher equity compared to groups who were not able to derive significant levels of social efficiency. These findings resemble the high productivity in long-lasting irrigation systems based on self-governance. We present an agent-based model based on cultural group selection that shows that the patterns observed in the field experiments can be evolved in cases where agents participate regularly in less challenging symmetric public good dilemmas. These results indicate that cooperation in asymmetric dilemmas can evolve and persist when the agents contend with other social dilemmas than the asymmetric dilemmas.     

How to improve scenario analysis as a strategic management tool?

Scenarios are claimed to support strategic decision makers. They are especially effective in dealing with uncertainties. This paper addresses some drawbacks of the conventional scenario method, which is especially directed at handling these uncertainties, and indicates possible avenues for methodological adaptations. We take the approach, which rests in the Shell tradition, as exemplary for our discussion on the mainstream scenario methodology. This approach has some limitations when it comes to dealing with simultaneous trends and countertrends, and trends or clusters of trends that are not thought of beforehand, especially the methodological requirements of causality and consistency, which might be limiting factors in this respect. This paper indicates alternative ways for scenario construction. It discusses the use of either recombinant scenarios, context scenarios, or inconsistent scenarios and/or combinations of these scenarios. These options explicitly incorporate the notion of ‘paradoxical trend’ as the codriver of future developments into the methodology.     

On the strategic potential of technological aid in international environmental relations

Prior to noncooperative choices of abatement of a transboundary pollutant, a technologically advanced country considers making an unconditional transfer of abatement technology to its less-advanced rival. Even though technological aid is given unconditionally and abatement strategies are chosen noncooperatively, in a number of plausible circumstances, a transfer of a superior control technology will induce Pareto-superior pollution abatement.     

Banking distress in MENA countries and the role of mergers as a strategic policy to resolve distress

This paper studies banking distress in MENA countries and considers the extent to which mergers are used as a solution for resolving individual banking distress. We use a two-level nested logit model to model the interdependence between merger decisions and the distressed state of banks. Both bank-specific variables and macroeconomic variables are deployed to predict banking distress. In line with other recent papers, we challenge the view that specific bank indicators such as CAMEL category and bank size are more significant determinants of banking distress than macroeconomic variables. A comparison of model fits and out-of-sample forecasts indicates that the unordered NL model statistically outperforms a standard logit model by substantial margins. Our empirical study shows that 67% of the distressed banks in our sample are involved in merger transactions and that weak financial status systematically increases the likelihood of a bank being involved in a merger. Distressed state-owned banks are less likely to be a target of a merger transaction. However, global economic conditions do not significantly affect the decision of distressed banks to initiate a merger policy.     

Banking as a basis for economic cooperation in less developed Europe

This article examines to what extent Russia's increasing reliance on foreign capital could potentially kick-start the economy and generate growth. The analysis highlights more fundamental issues of governance and institutional arrangements, for which the focus on foreign economic activities serves merely as an example to reflect on pathologies of the Russian economy as a whole. The article consists of a theoretical framework, discussing the change of institutional arrangements in the first section and analysing crucial issues of corporate governance and property rights in the last, while empirical information is compiled for Russia as a whole and its constituent regions in the second and third core sections. The article concludes that the Russian map of high foreign trade activities will be shaped only by patchy growth spots, located either where the domestic market is largest or opportunities for export exist, mainly in large urban agglomerations (economies of scale) and commercial hubs, resource-rich and gateway territories (gravitation to international trading blocs). Major investment disincentives will remain as long as the existing system of taxation has not been substantially changed, property rights are not protected, land and bankruptcy legislation is not properly enforced and local authorities are not prevented form rent-seeking activities.     

Time as a strategic variable: business hours in the gasoline market

A popular argument in policy discussions on the liberalization of business hours proceeds on the assumption that business hours are strategic complements: if some firms open longer hours, competitors will be forced to extend their opening hours too. We provide first empirical evidence on the impact of competition and the form of strategic interaction in business hours between firms by using detailed information on business hours as well as the location of retail gasoline stations in Austria. Our findings reject the presumption of business hours being strategic complements. Firms tend to have longer opening hours in a more competitive environment.     

Price as a quality signal in a strategic competition context: The role of a disclosure law

This paper analyses a firm's incentive to use price as a signal of quality in a duopoly competition, even though she can credibly and costlessly disclose her true quality. When a firm sets a higher price to signal higher quality, it has strategic effects on the price chosen by her rival. This could result in higher equilibrium prices and profits. Hence, a mandatory disclosure law is useful to prevent the practice of using of higher price as a device to signal higher quality, and in turn equilibrium prices would be lower. From a welfarist point of view, this argument justifies the establishment of such disclosure law.JEL Classification: D43, D82, K29I would like to thank Dolors Berga, Nicolas Boccard, Ramon Caminal, Carmen Matutes, José Luis Moraga and Ricard Torres for their useful comments. This paper has benefited from the comments of two anonymous referees. All the surviving mistakes are mine. Financial support from SEC2001-2793-C03-03 is gratefully acknowledged.     

Product availabilty as a strategic variable: The implications of regulating retailer stockouts

We study product availability as a strategic variable in a sequential game between consumers and a monopolist. We use a perfect Bayesian equilibrium concept to solve the game under different regulatory regimes. We show that under certain assumptions about the regulatory environment, a two-price equilibrium in which the quantity of the lower-priced good is limited may exist even when a single retailer sells two brands that are perfect substitutes. The FTC Guides Against Bait Advertising are shown to be potentially welfare enhancing as they facilitate commitment on the part of a monopolist credibly to plan for stockouts. Paradoxically, our analysis suggests that the more stringent FTC regulation prohibiting stockouts by retail food stores from 1971 to 1988 was Pareto worsening, as it removed the monopolist's commitment mechanism.     

Constructing and mobilising futures knowledge in an organisation: foresight as a catalyst of dynamic strategic practice

The paper discusses foresight as a dynamic strategic practice and theorises the connections of foresight and strategic management. The paper argues that organisations have a rising need to foster relevant future-oriented knowledge in a continuous process that builds on the systemic understanding of the operational environment. For this purpose, the paper outlines a conceptual framework for continuous organisational foresight practice. The framework is based on two conceptual bedrocks. The first is the idea of continuity, referring to the long-term accumulation of organisational practices. The second bedrock is the notion of discontinuity as an organisational transformation factor. Furthermore, the framework builds on the notion of four knowledge spaces in an organisation, and it is constructed through six layers depicted in detail. The paper demonstrates this framework through a case study of a Finnish research and technology organisation, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.     

内部审计价值变迁的结果:风险导向内部审计

波特的价值链理论将企业的价值活动分为五种基本活动和四种辅助活动,作为辅助活动的内部审计通过整个价值链而不是单个活动起辅助作用.本文运用价值链相关理论分析了内部审计在企业价值链上的定位以及内部审计价值的发展变迁,内部审计的价值决定了内部审计的地位和发展.企业内部审计的发展史也是内部审计价值的发展史,风险导向内部审计是内部审计价值发展变迁的结果.同时还运用价值链理论探讨了风险导向内部审计在公司治理和风险管理中的作用.     

Depicting the future strategic plans of the Royal Australian Navy using a roadmapping framework as a visual composite canvas

Strategic planning can be an arduous and complex task; and, once a plan has been devised, it is often quite a challenge to effectively communicate the principal missions and key priorities to the array of different stakeholders. The communication challenge can be addressed through the application of a clearly and concisely designed visualisation of the strategic plan – to that end, this paper proposes the use of a roadmapping framework to structure a visual canvas. The canvas provides a template in the form of a single composite visual output that essentially allows a ‘plan-on-a-page’ to be generated. Such a visual representation provides a high-level depiction of the future context, end-state capabilities and the system-wide transitions needed to realise the strategic vision. To demonstrate this approach, an illustrative case study based on the Australian Government's Defence White Paper and the Royal Australian Navy's fleet plan will be presented. The visual plan plots the in-service upgrades for addressing the capability shortfalls and gaps in the Navy's fleet as it transitions from its current configuration to its future end-state vision. It also provides a visualisation of project timings in terms of the decision gates (approval, service release) and specific phases (proposal, contract, delivery) together with how these projects are rated against the key performance indicators relating to the technology acquisition process and associated management activities.     

Comparative statics in a simple class of strategic market games

This paper investigates the effects of entry in two-sided markets where buyers and sellers act strategically. Applying new tools from supermodular optimization/games, sufficient conditions for different comparative statics results are obtained. While normality of one good is sufficient for the equilibrium price to be increasing in the number of buyers, normality of both goods is required for equilibrium bids and sellers' equilibrium utilities to be increasing in the number of buyers. When the economy is replicated, normality of both goods and gross substitutes guarantee that the equilibrium of the strategic market game converges monotonically (in quantities) to the competitive equilibrium. Simple counter-examples are provided to settle other potential conjectures of interest.     

从技术知识观到技术演化观:一种新的分析范式

技术知识观是目前技术分析的主流范式,但仍有不少严重缺陷。技术演化观虽然还有诸多分歧和争论,却已经表现出强大的理论整合力和现实解释力,也直接契合了自然科学革命性的进展和哲学的发展方向,主流分析范式从技术知识观转变为技术演化观是理论发展的必然趋势。     

从城市中心主义到统筹立法:饮用水安全保障立法理念的嬗变

城市中心主义立法理念导致农村饮用水安全保障的制度供给严重不足。在城乡分割的二元对峙场景下,走出饮用水安全问题泥淖之根本在于立法理念的突破,即向饮用水安全保障统筹立法的方向转变。城乡饮用水安全保障统筹立法与综合生态系统管理理论具有高度契合性;区际公平理论要求矫正饮用水安全保障立法存在的分配非正义、制度非正义和承认非正义;饮用水安全保障统筹立法以权利平等保障为最终依归。在城乡统筹立法理念下,应推进城乡水务一体化的综合管理模式、突出农村居民饮用水安全权利保障、完善和建构适宜的法律制度并确立城乡均衡化的融资保障机制,以实现城乡饮用水安全保障一体化。     

The boundaries of firms in the new economy: M&As as a strategic tool toward corporate technological diversification

Following the dynamic capabilities approach, we understand the recent wave of M&As as a corporate strategy mainly stimulated by the increasingly complex and uncertain techno-socio-economic environment in which firms operate. In this new situation, the boundaries of firms are in greater flux since firms are unable to develop individually all the competencies required to keep pace with the continual redefinition of business lines being driven by corporate competition. Using US patents granted to the world's largest firms, this paper analyses the dynamics of the sectoral specialisation of corporate technological profiles following large shocks that require some M&A deal. The findings of the analysis enable us to evaluate the adoption of M&As as a strategic tool to reshape corporate technological boundaries. On these grounds, we are able to identify patterns of technological diversification into strategic fields according to different models of industrial technological development.     

Bargaining and the evolution of cooperation in a dynamic game

An example of a dynamic game between a union and a firm is constructed in which an equilibrium path starts out with non-cooperative strategies and switches to cooperative strategies as the level of employment increases.     

Giving at the close: Experimental evidence on cooperation in contributing to a public good

We present a simple dynamic model of contributions to a public good. We test the model by conducting a public good game experiment and fundraising experiment among religious Jewish students for the procurement of sustainable supplies for their campus synagogue. The results of the experiments show a high level of cooperation; particularly, the results of the public good experiment show that contributions are above the predicted optimum. Nevertheless, in accordance with the economic theory, we find that the contribution path is upward sloping and contributions increase with the benefit of the public good. Our findings also suggest that the level of contributions and their path are affected by peer and gender effects.     

联合国工发组织积极推动中非合作

作为联合国系统唯一一个负责工业促进的专门机构,联合国工业发展组织今年首次应邀以观察员身份出席中非论坛.此前,来自非洲塞拉里昂的工发组织总干事尤姆凯拉说,感谢中国政府邀请其参加中非论坛,由于其正在非洲访问,特委派副总干事皮斯科诺夫先生和高级顾问阿科帕先生代表该组织及其本人出席有关会议活动.     

推动中蒙经贸合作升级发展

近些年,中蒙经贸合作关系呈现出贸易总额增速放缓、蒙古对华贸易顺差扩大、贸易结构互补性强、中国对蒙古国投资流量整体下降且投资结构相对集中的特点。蒙古国"第三邻国"的对外政策、不稳定的国内经济政策,以及落后的基础设施、双边市场参与主体不规范的行为等对中蒙双边经贸合作可持续发展形成制约。要推动中蒙经贸合作健康稳定发展,中蒙双方应增进长期政治互信,充分利用现有平台,推动区域层面的经贸合作;不断完善基础设施及边境口岸建设,提升通关能力;调整对蒙投资领域,切合蒙古国经济社会发展需求;规范双边市场参与主体行为,构建和谐关系。     

Research cooperation and international standards in a model of coalition stability

Suggestions on international cooperation in climate policy beyond 2012 include substituting or complementing international environmental agreements (IEA) with technology-oriented agreements (TOA). We look at the impact of TOA on environmental cooperation in a framework of coalition stability. Using a numerical model, we analyze the differences of several TOA and how they interact. We find that participation in and environmental effectiveness of the IEA are raised less effectively when the TOA focuses on research cooperation in mitigation technology rather than cooperation on augmenting productivity in the private good sector. This is due to the former having an effect on all actors via emissions, whereas effects of the latter are exclusive to research partners. For the same reason, we find that restricting research cooperation to the coalition is only credible when it focuses on productivity. Technology standards that reduce the emission intensity of production are unlikely to raise participation by themselves and may suffer from inefficiencies. However, these disadvantages do not apply when standards are implemented as a complementary instrument. Separately negotiated technology standards may hence facilitate participation in an IEA without adding to its complexity.