Climate Change Mitigation with Technology Spillovers

We explore the implications of an increase in clean technology spillovers between developed and developing countries. We build a game of abatements in which players are linked with technology spillovers determined by an initial choice of absorptive capacities by developing countries. We show that, within a non-cooperative framework, the response of clean technology investments in developed countries to an increase in cross-country technology spillovers is ambiguous. If the marginal benefits of these additional abatements are not sufficiently high, developed countries have a strategic incentive to decrease investments. Such a strategic response jeopardizes the initial effects of an increase in technology spillovers on climate change mitigation and decreases the incentives for developing countries to enhance their absorptive capacities.     

Accounting for endogeneity in matching function estimation

We show that equilibrium matching models imply that standard estimates of the matching function elasticities are exposed to an endogeneity bias, which arises from the search behavior of agents on either side of the market. We offer an estimation method which, under certain structural assumptions about the process driving shocks to matching efficiency, is immune from that bias. Application of our method to the estimation of a basic version of the matching function using aggregate U.S. data from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) suggests that the bias can be quantitatively important.     

Exploring the ethical behavior of managers: A comparative study of four countries

Donaldson and Dunfee's (1994) social contracts theory of economic ethics was subjected to empirical scrutiny to determine whether it can explain differences in behavior between cultures. Data collected utilizing a series of vignettes developed by Fritzsche and Becker (1984) were examined for differences in indicated ethical behavior among American, Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese managers. Rationale for the behavior was classified according to hyper and community norms which were supported or violated. The results suggest that the three East Asian countries do not neatly cluster together in relation to the U.S. in terms of their patterns of ethical behavior. Nonetheless, when we examined the specific rationale for the decisions provided by the managers, the effects of Asian cultural characteristics became more notable. We also found that the social contracts theory provided a much needed bridge between ethical universalists and relativists. The specific reasons underlying their decisions are discussed in the light of cultural and social differences.This research project was partially supported by a research grant from the School of Business and Management, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.     

Das neue Medien-Menü: Fernsehen und WWW als funktionale Alternativen?

As new media technologies develop and become established, the supply of media services expands. Along with this development, the question arises of how this affects traditional media. As other new media have, the Internet, too, has triggered debates about the future of the «old» media. This paper discusses whether the proliferation of the World Wide Web can have effects on television use. To do this, both relevant theoretical approaches and the state of empirical research are introduced and discussed. Present research results do not consider the systematic difference between cognitive schemata concerning media use as they are reproduced in face-to-face interviews on the one hand, and actual media use on the other. An innovative research concept is developed that takes this critique into account and differentiates between gratification expectations and situational gratifications sought and obtained. As regards gratification expectations, television is superior to the World Wide Web. It is more powerful on all gratification dimensions. Considering actual use, though, the World Wide Web has already outstripped television on some of the dimensions. It is used more often to satisfy specific needs. Thus, cognitive schemata of media use lag behind the actual changes in every day life.     

Conflict and the Social Contract*

We consider social contracts for resolving conflicts between two agents who are uncertain about each other's fighting potential. Applications include international conflict, litigation and elections. Even though only a peaceful agreement avoids a loss of resources, if this loss is small enough, then any contract must assign a positive probability of conflict. We show how the likelihood of conflict outbreak depends on the distribution of power between the agents and their information about each other.     

I. Allgemeine wirstchaftslehre

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Promotion of manufactured exports as development strategy of semi-industrialized countries: The Brazilian case

Zusammenfassung Die F?rderung der Industriewarenausfuhr als Entwicklungsstrategie halbindustrialisierter L?nder: Das brasilianische Beispiel. — In einigen bereits weiter fortgeschrittenen Entwicklungsl?ndern l?\t sich die auf ImportSubstitution basierende Wachstumsstrategie nicht l?nger verfolgen, da die M?glichkeiten der Umlenkung der Importnachfrage auf den heimischen Markt nahezu ersch?pft sind. Damit ergibt sich die Notwendigkeit der Wahl einer neuen Wachstumsstrategie. Da\ diese mit Erfolg eine Exportf?rderungspolitik sein kann, wird am Beispiel Brasiliens gezeigt. Die brasilianischen Ma\nahmen (Wechselkurspolitik, steuerliche Ma\nahmen, kreditpolitische Entscheidungen und direkte Unterstützung der Exporteure bei ihren Verkaufsbemühungen auf dem Weltmarkt) werden im einzelnen beschrieben und ihre Effekte abgesch?tzt. Die sehr hohen Zuwachsraten der industriellen Exporte und die zunehmende Diversifikation (im Hinblick auf L?nder und Produkte) lassen sich — zumindest teilweise — mit der neuen Strategie erkl?ren.

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Résumé L’encouragement de l’exportation de produits industriels comme stratégie de développement des pays semi-industrialisés: Le cas du Brésil. — Certains pays moins développés, qui ont basé leur stratégie de développement sur la substitution de l’importation, ne peuvent pas continuer dans cette voie, étant donné que les possibilités de tourner la demande d’importations vers le marché du pays ont été pratiquement épuisées. Il leur faut donc choisir une autre stratégie de développement. En examinant le cas du Brésil, cet article veut démontrer qu’on peut, avec succès, choisir une politique d’encouragement de l’exportation. Les mesures prises au Brésil comprennent une politique des changes, des mesures fiscales, une politique des crédits et d’autres mesures pour aider les exportateurs à réussir dans le marché mondial. Toutes ces mesures sont décrites en détail, et leurs effets sont calculés. Les taux d’accroissement toujours montants des exportations industrielles et la diversification, quant aux pays et quant aux produits, qui va en augmentant, doivent être attribués, au moins en partie, à la nouvelle stratégie.

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Resumen El fomento de la exportación manufacturera como estrategia de desarrollo en países semi-industrializados: El caso del Brasil. — En algunos países en desarrollo ya mas avanzados no es posible continuar persiguiendo una estrategia de crecimiento económico basada en la sustitución de importaciones, debido a que las posibilidades de tal sustitución han sido casi completamente consumidas. De ahí resulta la necesidad de adoptar una nueva estrategia de crecimiento. Que esta puede consistir en una política de promoción de las exportaciones, lo demuestran las recientes experiencias hechas en Brasil. El autor describe las diferentes medidas brasile?as al respecte (política cambiaria, medidas impositivas, decisiones crediticias, y asistencia directa para el marketing de los exportadores), y trata de evaluar su impacto. Sostiene el autor que las extraordinarias tasas de incremento de las exportaciones industrials y la creciente diversificación de productos y mercados es — al menos en parte — fruto de la nueva estrategia.

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Riassunto L’incremento delle esportazioni di merci industriali come strategia di sviluppo di Paesi semindustriali: l’esempio brasiliano. — In alcuni Paesi in via di sviluppo già molto progrediti, la strategia della crescita che si basa sulla sostituzione dell’importazione non si può seguire più a lungo, giacchè le possibilità di dirigere altrove sul mercato indigeno la domanda d’importazione sono press’ a poco esaurite. Con ciò si dà la necessità della scelta di una nuova strategia della crescita. Che questa possa essere con successo una politica di incremento dell’esportazione, viene mostrato in base all’esempio del Brasile. Le misure brasiliane (politica dei cambi, misure fiscali, decisioni di politica creditizia e appoggio diretto agli esportatori nei loro sforzi di vendita sul mercato mondiale) vengono singolarmente descritte e sono valutati i loro effetti. Il tasso d’incremento assai alto delle esportazioni industriali e la crescente diversificazione (in considerazione di Paesi e prodotti) si può —per lo meno in parte — spiegare con la nuova strategia.