Pricing real options under the constant elasticity of variance diffusion

Much of the work on real options assumes that the underlying state variable follows a geometric Brownian motion with constant volatility. This paper uses a more general assumption for the state variable process that better captures the empirical regularities found in commodity markets. We use the constant elasticity of variance diffusion, where volatility is a function of underlying asset prices, and we provide analytic solutions for perpetual American options. We show that a firm that uses the standard lognormal assumption is exposed to significant errors of analysis, which may lead to nonoptimal investment and disinvestment decisions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 31:230–250, 2011     

Interest Rate Derivatives in a Duffie and Kan Model with Stochastic Volatility: An Arrow-Debreu Pricing Approach

Simple analytical pricing formulae have been derived, by different authors and for several derivatives, under the Gaussian Langetieg (1980) model. The purpose of this paper is to use such exact Gaussian solutions in order to obtain approximate analytical pricing formulas under the most general stochastic volatility specification of the Duffie and Kan (1996) model. Using Gaussian Arrow-Debreu state prices, first order stochastic volatility approximate pricing solutions will be derived only involving one integral with respect to the time-to-maturity of the contingent claim under valuation. Such approximations will be shown to be much faster than the existing exact numerical solutions, as well as accurate.     

Your loyalty program is betraying you

Even as loyalty programs are launched left and right, many are being scuttled. How can that be? These days, everyone knows that an old customer retained is worth more than a new customer won. What is so hard about making a simple loyalty program work? Quite a lot, the authors say. The biggest challenges include clarifying business goals, engineering the reward structure, and creating incentives powerful enough to change buying behavior but not so generous that they erode margins. Additionally, companies have to sort out the puzzles of consumer psychology, which can result, for example, in two rewards of equal economic value inspiring very different levels of purchasing. In their research, the authors have discovered patterns in what the successful loyalty programs get right and in how the others fail. Together, their findings constitute a tool kit for designing something rare indeed: a program that won't do you wrong. To begin with, it's important to know exactly what a loyalty program can do. It can keep customers from defecting, induce them to consolidate certain purchases with one seller (in other words, win a greater share of wallet), prompt customers to make additional purchases, yield insight into their behavior and preferences, and turn a profit. A program can meet these objectives in several ways--for instance, by offering rewards (points, say, or frequent-flier miles) divisible enough to provide many redemption opportunities but not so divisible that they fail to lock in customers. Companies striving to generate customer loyalty should avoid five common mistakes: Don't create a new commodity, which can result in price wars and other tit-for-tat competitive moves; don't cater to the disloyal by making rewards easy for just anyone to reap; don't reward purchasing volume over profitability; don't give away the store; and, finally, don't promise what can't be delivered.     

Boom and bust patterns in the adoption of financial innovations

We develop a dynamic model of the adoption of financial innovations.Each period, firms decide whether or not to adopt an innovationof uncertain value, and the profitability of each period's adoptionsreveals information about the innovations's value. We show thatcharacteristics of financial innovation waves cited by criticsas evidence of irrational excess are, in fact, consistent withfully rational behavior. We also show that social welfare isenhanced when more firms adopt innovations of questionable valueand that financial intermediaries have an incentive to encouragesuch adoption.     

Can People Value Protection against Invasive Marine Species? Evidence from a Joint TC–CV Survey in the Netherlands

Harmful algal-bloom species (HABs) are invasiveexotic species that are primarily introduced inNorth European waters through ballast water ofships. Some produce important damages to themarine ecosystem such as the red tides thatcause a massive destruction of marine livingresources, including fish and bottom-livinganimals. Others are responsible for theproduction of thick foams with repellent odorsand the coloration of the beach water, causingimportant damages on beach recreation. Thisarticle reports a monetary valuation study of amarine protection program. This program focuseson the prevention of HABS along the coastlineof the Netherlands. It entails the constructionof a ballast water disposal treatment in theRotterdam harbor and the implementationof a monitoring program of the water quality inthe open sea along the North-Holland beaches.The valuation study is based on a questionnaireundertaken at Zandvoort, a famous Dutchbeach resort. The economic value of the marineprotection program includes non-market benefitsassociated with beach recreation, human healthand marine ecosystem impacts. Both contingent-valuation and travel-cost methods are used.These valuation techniques have not yet beenapplied to value HABs damages. The valuationresults indicate that the protection programmakes sense from an economic perspective aslong as its cost is, in any case, less than 225 millioneuro, and possibly less than 326 million euro, depending on how survey refusals are dealt with.     

Economic valuation of habitat defragmentation: A study of the Veluwe, the Netherlands

This paper offers an economic value assessment of a nature protection programme in the Veluwe, the Netherlands. This programme involves two defragmentation scenarios: the first scenario connects the central part of the Veluwe with river forelands in a north-eastern direction (i.e. the meadows of the IJssel river), while the second scenario is focussed on defragmentation in a south-western direction (i.e. the meadows of the Rhine river). The valuation is based on a questionnaire that was administered during face-to-face interviews in the area and through the Internet. We employ a contingent valuation approach to assess the respondents' willingness to pay for the realisation of the defragmentation scenarios. It appears that the mean willingness to pay (WTP) for the two defragmentation scenarios is € 162.2 (lognormal distribution) per respondent. Because the Veluwe is considered a nature park of national importance, we performed an aggregation of individual WTP estimates over Dutch households. With the resulting aggregate estimates we can compare the total costs and benefits of the two scenarios for habitat defragmentation in the Veluwe. In addition, we test whether respondents value the two scenarios equally. We also check whether the methods of data collection (face-to-face interviews and Internet questionnaires) have distinct influences on the stated WTP responses.     

Most relevant enablers and constraints influencing the spread of telework in Portugal

This paper reports the empirical findings of several surveys conducted among enterprises in Portugal in order to identify and summarise relevant enablers and constraints that may influence the implementation of telework in the Portuguese business environment. It also provided some common characteristics that will help us draw the profile of a Portuguese potential teleworker.     

The Economic Impact of Marena’s Investments on Sustainable Agricultural Systems in Honduras

This study examines the economic impact of sustainable agricultural production systems in Central America. In particular, we investigate the impact of investments promoted by the MARENA Programme in Honduras on the total value of agricultural production (TVAP) of its beneficiaries. Propensity Score Matching techniques along with the Difference‐in‐Differences framework are used to mitigate biases stemming from differences in observed as well as unobserved (time‐invariant) characteristics between beneficiaries and a control group. The econometric estimates suggest that MARENA has had a positive and significant effect on the TVAP of beneficiaries. In addition, the analysis shows that, under alternative scenarios, MARENA yielded higher than expected internal rates of return. The results of this study shed light on the response of small‐scale hillside farmers to economic incentives and lend support to the role of natural resource management projects in Central America as a tool to increase household income while also promoting the conservation of natural resources.