Parallel trade with an endogenous market structure

This paper sets up a two‐country model in which there is one domestic manufacturer authorising its product to a distributor in the foreign country. The distributor can sell the product not only to its own market (i.e., the foreign market) but also back to the domestic market. The latter is called parallel trade (PT). The paper investigates the effects of PT on the profits of the manufacturer and social welfare if the domestic market structure is endogenously determined. It is found that PT should be encouraged rather than banned as it increases not only the profits of the manufacturer but also the welfare of both the domestic and the foreign countries.     

Analyzing the Impact of Promotions on Manufacturer and Retailer Performance

Abstract

Promotional strategies used by manufacturers (or retailers) influence not only their own outcomes, but also the outcomes of retailers (or manufacturers). As cooperation of both the parties is needed for successful implementation of promotional strategies, the promotions used by either party should provide outcomes that are positive for the other party. The authors propose a framework for examining (1) the effect of promotional strategies on both manufacturer and retailer profitability and (2) which of two promotional strategies (retail price cut or coupon promotion) yields greater total profitability to achieve an exogenously given sales level. The proposed framework also helps in identifying conditions when conflict is likely to occur between manufacturer and retailer, and suggests a cooperative strategy to resolve the conflict.     

The Influence of Relative Power and Locus of Control on Channel Cooperation

This study examines the effects of power imbalances in a dyadic channel relationship and an individual's locus of control orientation on a transaction-specific decision. Both manifest and latent relative power are independently manipulated in favor of either the manufacturer or distributor in an experimental setting. The primary dependent measure is the likelihood of cooperation by the distributor. Results indicate a strong effect along the manifest dimension, perceived direct influence over the transaction. A moderate effect is observed along the latent dimension, a vast imbalance in company size. The direction of these effects on cooperation is dependent upon which party possesses the relative power advanatage. An exploratory path analysis reveals an indirect causal relationship between locus of control and cooperation.     

Retailer voluntary investment against a threat of manufacturer encroachment

To elucidate supply chain cooperation between a manufacturer and a retailer, this study examines a model in which the retailer makes voluntary investments to reduce the marginal production cost of the manufacturer. The manufacturer is allowed to introduce a direct selling channel in addition to the indirect channel through the retailer (i.e., manufacturer encroachment), which however dampens the retailers’ investment incentives. The retailer can leverage its voluntary investments as a means of deterring manufacturer encroachment. We demonstrate that manufacturer encroachment is strategically deterred when the retailer’s cost-reduction technology is sufficiently effective. This strategic encroachment deterrence encourages the retailer to invest more, but it narrows the variety of channels from which consumers can select. When the latter effect dominates the former effect, consumer surplus declines with strategic encroachment deterrence.

     

Strategic alliances in international distribution channels

Given the differing dynamics of managing a distribution channel system, can the extant research on international strategic alliances, which largely focuses on the manufacturer–supplier interface, be extended to the manufacturer–distribution channels context? Owing to the paucity of research on strategic alliances in international distribution channels, this investigation seeks to verify empirically the effects of learning orientation, relationship longevity, and relationship closeness as determinants of cooperation, which, in turn, is an antecedent of performance, and relationship satisfaction.The research hypotheses were tested empirically on data drawn from a sample of manufacturing firms located in the United States (U.S.), Finland, the People's Republic of China (P.R.C.), and Poland. Although some similarities for fostering cooperation in international distribution alliances were detected on a cross-national basis, disparate emphases on alliance management practices were observed as well.     

中国对外区域经济合作的战略模式选择

20世纪80年代以来的全球区域经济合作对世界经济和国际贸易产生了巨大而深刻的影响.与世界各地蓬勃发展的区域经济合作相比,中国对外区域经济合作还处于起步阶段.本文在阐述当代区域经济合作全球态势的基础上,对四种主要模式的经验进行了总结,并通过分析中国对外区域经济合作的现状,提出了今后进行区域经济合作的战略模式选择.     

Pricing,greening, and transparency decisions considering the impact of government subsidies and CSR behavior in supply chain decisions

In this paper, we analytically model different government subsidy strategies in a supply chain manufacturing and selling a green product. We model the interaction between greening degree and transparency level set by a manufacturer and its impact on not only the supply chain, but also consumers and the government. The supply chain is composed of a manufacturer and a retailer. The manufacturer can choose two different strategies. First, he only cares about his production profit; and second, he concerns with CSR in addition to his production profit. We develop a new transparency-based index of consumer satisfaction to model how the market reacts to manufacturer CSR decisions. The government decide three different subsidy strategies. A three-stage Stackelberg game model is developed and solved to analytically derive managerial insights. As a result, if the transparency cost coefficient is sufficiently high, the greening degree and transparency level in CSR concerns strategy are higher than when the manufacturer is not concerned with corporate social responsibility. In addition, when the transparency cost coefficient is sufficiently high, the profit of supply chain members and government are equal in both strategies. We give a real-world example of Iranian brick industry.     

中国认证服务业B2B顾客满意影响机理分析

在越来越多的顾客倾向于与企业建立稳定的合作关系情境下,影响顾客满意的因素不仅存在于交易活动中,还有可能受双方关系互动效果的影响。在以往顾客满意测评成果的基础上,本文从交易和关系两个层次构建起了工业市场情境下的顾客满意测评模型,通过对国内认证服务行业近800位认证客户的问卷调查,对该模型的有效性进行了实证检验。分析结果显示,本模型很好地阐述了工业市场中顾客满意的形成机理,此外还揭示出当前中国认证服务行业当前的发展特性。     

我国物流企业如何发挥顾客资产的战略竞争优势

对物流企业而言,顾客资产不仅能反映企业当前的盈利能力,而且也能反映物流企业未来的盈利能力,所以我国企业应通过顾客维系和顾客资产经营,发挥顾客资产的战略竞争优势。     

Estimating Firm-Specific and Relational Properties in Interorganizational Relationships in Marketing

ABSTRACT

This research attempts to distinguish empirically between the potential influence of a manufacturer as compared to the influence of a manufacturer's salesperson over an industrial distributor. Given the existence of such a distinction, the scope of such influence is examined with regard to a distributor's business in eight different areas of potential influence: price, order quantity, product line, advertising and sales promotion, customer service, inventory, customer credit, and display. Data were collected from 412 industrial distributors in a marketing channel. The authors utilized regression analysis to distinguish between manufacturer and manufacturer salesperson power. Then, factor analysis was utilized to determine if the salesperson does have power over policy areas apart from that of the manufacturer. Research results suggest that the manufacturer's salesperson, compared with the manufacturer, possesses a different domain of power than does the manufacturer in a channel containing an industrial distributor.     

Defensive strategy against a private label: Building brand premium for retailer cooperation

We build a game-theoretic model of price competition between a national brand manufacturer and a retailer that also sells its private label. In particular, we examine a national brand's strategy of building brand premium in the context of channel coordination. The importance of national brand's brand equity has been well-documented in many empirical and behavioral studies. We reinforce the argument that building brand premium should be the first line of defense for a national brand instead of aggressively cutting wholesale price. Not only does the national brand manufacturer benefit from it, but also the retailer who sells both the national brand and its own private label has less incentive to promote the latter. Therefore, it can induce retailer cooperation, which is essential for a successful strategy in a distribution channel.     

边境口岸对俄合作适应性战略调整的对策研究

全球金融危机虽然对中俄贸易产生了一定影响,但并未阻止中俄两国经贸合作的步伐,中俄双方的经济互补性依然很强,从中央到地方各级政府和企业之间的合作愿望、合作基础并未发生变化,两国经济合作健康发展的基本面和长期向好的趋势并未改变。黑龙江省边境口岸应积极巩固对俄货物贸易,优化进出口商品结构,提高对俄出口商品质量;大力发展服务贸易,努力扩大旅游服务,壮大新兴服务产业;实施＂大基地＂战略,拓展外贸发展空间,努力扩大物流,以实现新时期黑龙江省对俄经贸合作的战略性调整。     

Managing advertising investments in marketing channels

This paper investigates how should manufacturers optimally allocate resources to retailer-initiated (retailer) advertising through cooperative advertising programs and own (manufacturer) advertising in a bilateral monopoly. Retailer advertising stimulates immediate sales but may also harm long-term (post-advertising) demand, whereas manufacturer advertising aims at building brand equity and stimulates both immediate and long-term sales. A game-theoretic model in which a manufacturer and a retailer set pricing and advertising decisions over a two-period planning horizon is developed to account for the differences between manufacturer and retailer advertising. We characterize equilibrium solutions for four advertising scenarios for the manufacturer, ranging from no investment in any advertising activity to undertaking own advertising and supporting retailer advertising simultaneously. Comparing the two players’ equilibrium strategies and profits across these scenarios, we find that manufacturers should avoid offering exclusively cooperative advertising programs to retailers. When retailer advertising positively influences long-term sales, manufacturers should offer cooperative advertising supports to retailers in addition to undertaking their own advertising. When retailer advertising negatively affects long-term sales, manufacturers can still undertake own advertising and offer cooperative advertising under certain conditions. However, if these conditions are not met, focusing exclusively on own advertising is their best advertising strategy. Retailers also prefer scenarios in which manufacturers advertise, but may choose not to participate in manufacturers’ cooperative advertising programs. This leads to suboptimal outcomes if cooperative advertising programs are not enhanced by additional incentives (e.g., side payments or other services).     

Understanding Conflicting Interests of a Government and a Tobacco Manufacturer: A Game-Theoretic Approach

Rice is the staple food of nearly half of the population of the world, most of whom live in developing countries. Ensuring a domestic supply of rice from outside sources is difficult for developing countries as less than 5% of the total world’s production is available for international trade. Hence, in order to ensure domestic food security, e.g., food availability and access, governments provide subsidies in agriculture. In many occasions, public money used for the subsidy goes toward promoting undesirable crops like tobacco. Although the strategic interaction between governments and manufacturers is critical, it has not been studied in the literature. This study fills this gap by considering a game between a government (of a developing country) and a tobacco manufacturer in which the government decides on a mix of subsidies and the tobacco manufacturer decides on declaring a purchasing price of tobacco. We provide a numerical study to show that controlling the output harvest price is more effective in reaching the desired end result for both the government and the tobacco manufacturer. A subsidy in fertilizer results in the measurable increase in the government spending but does not have significant effect in reaching the production target. The fertilizer subsidy should be provided only when the output price is too high to be affordable for the population.     

可持续发展背景下地方政府竞争过程中的合作困境剖析——博弈论的分析视角

尽管现阶段促进和实现区域可持续发展的战略目标已成了国家和地区社会经济发展的共识．然而目前在区域可持续发展战略实施过程中的制度保障、基础设施建设等方面的博弈,不仅难以实现区域可持续发展战略中的“帕累托改善”,而且也还极易引发区域可持续发展战略实施中的“搭便车”问题,进而最终形成可持续发展背景下的地方政府竞争过程中的合作困境。     

转移价格的供应链激励机制与道德风险问题研究

考虑一个由制造商与分销商组成的供应链,制造商通过广告投入拉动产品销售,分销商通过促销活动推动产品销售。如果用一个制造商和两个分销商构成的供应链模型,来研究供应链中的博弈关系、激励机制和道德风险问题。只有给出两分销商的Nash均衡结果以及制造商与两分销商间的Nash均衡结果,才能解决供应链中的激励机制的设计。然后通过支付函数的全微分,来揭示供应链中的道德风险问题,从而证明供应链内部存在囚徒困境现象。     

Parallel Imports,their Deterrence and Accommodation with Service Differentiation

In the traditional economics models, parallel imports prevent a manufacturer from price discrimination involving the same good between countries. As a result, the manufacturer loses profit and tries to discourage parallel imports. The consumers in low-price countries also lose when parallel imports are legalized because the price in such countries increases. When value-added services such as a warranty and technical support are available only for the authorized product (i.e., when services are differentiated), however, the manufacturer may obtain a larger profit with parallel imports, as shown in literature. We extend this study by analyzing the case in which the manufacturer can choose the level of value-added services. It turns out that the manufacturer may even encourage parallel imports when the cost for value-added services is not too low or too high. We also show that the consumers in low-price countries may gain when parallel imports are legalized.     

供应商角色绩效与经销商感知公平：社会互动及合同的调节作用

文章探讨了由供应商—经销商构成的渠道关系中,供应商角色绩效对经销商感知公平（分配公平和程序公平）的影响及社会互动与合同对上述关系的调节作用,并进一步考察了经销商感知公平对其绩效的影响。实证研究结果显示：供应商角色绩效可以显著地提高经销商对分配公平的感知,但在提高经销商感知程序公平方面作用不显著;社会互动可以强化供应商角色绩效在提高经销商感知公平方面的作用;合同可以强化供应商角色绩效在提高经销商感知分配公平方面的作用,但无法强化供应商角色绩效对经销商感知程序公平的作用;经销商感知的分配公平可以显著地提高其绩效,但感知的程序公平对其绩效无显著影响。研究结论从渠道情境的角度解释了以往实证研究与理论观点不一致的原因,丰富了现有渠道公平的研究,也为供应商如何有效利用其角色绩效以提高经销商的感知公平提供指导意见。     

Reactions to disappointing performance in manufacturer–distributor relationships: The role of escalation and resource commitments

A model is presented of an exchange episode between a manufacturer and a distributor that generates disappointing performance outcomes. The authors suggest that manufacturers commit different types of resources in the initial stages of relationships with distributors, which affect both the distributor's ability and willingness to achieve performance goals. These initial resource commitments affect the commitment of further resources, after the receipt of negative outcomes, both directly (through a mental budgeting process) and indirectly (through the attributions made about the cause of the disappointment). The authors use resource theory, attribution theory, and research on escalation of commitment to structure their conceptual framework and research propositions. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

中俄边境贸易存在的问题与对策探讨

边境贸易是中俄经济贸易合作的重要组成部分,近年来,中俄边境贸易发展很快。这既是中俄战略伙伴关系建立与发展的结果,也是中俄经贸合作未来的发展方向之一。解决边境贸易中存在的问题,对中俄两国贸易的发展具有一定的积极影响。