Equilibrium preference free pricing of derivatives under the generalized beta distributions

This paper demonstrates that the risk neutral valuation relationship (RNVR) exists when the aggregate wealth and the underlying variable for derivatives follow a distribution from the family of transformed beta distributions. Specifically, the asset specific pricing kernel (ASPK) is solved for the generalized beta (GB) distribution class, which is extremely flexible to describe various shapes of underlying distributions. With the ASPK in hand, preference free call option formulas are obtained for rescaled and shifted beta distribution of the first kind (RSB1) and for the second kind (RSB2). These distributions include many well known important distributions as special cases. If the preference free formula does not exist under the GB distribution class, then the call price is shown to be numerically calculated without information of preference parameters once the spot price of the underlying is given.     

High-Frequency Trading,Liquidity Withdrawal,and the Breakdown of Conventions in Foreign Exchange Markets

Conventions, or “that the existing state of affairs will continue indefinitely, except in so far as we have specific reasons to expect a change” (Keynes 1936), play a central role in over-the-counter markets. For instance, by allowing expectations about the future to become more harmonized and orderly, they act as stabilizers for the provision of liquidity. Conventions might, of course, change at any time. Nonetheless, by being attached to the daily trading routine and/or integrated within the institutional structure, the confidence in their relevance and validity can be long-lasting. In the foreign exchange market, in particular, where prices are quoted to end-users on demand, market-making banks rely on a convention to quote prices to each other to maintain liquidity. However, the rise of algorithmic and high-frequency trading poses a practical as well as a theoretical challenge to such conventions. By reacting ultra-fast to new information, including to new limit orders submitted by others, markets largely populated with algorithmic traders have become susceptible to a withdrawal of liquidity at an unprecedented speed and scale. Using a high-frequency dataset provided by Electronic Broking Services (EBS), we investigate the process of liquidity withdrawal from the foreign exchange spot market. By doing so, we consider the crowding out of conventions associated with liquidity provision, traditionally upheld through mutual understanding among financial institutions – in other words, reciprocity and trust among humans.     

A TIME SERIES ANALYSIS OF ANNUAL PASSENGER DEMAND FOR THE STATE RAILWAY OF THAILAND

This paper presents a time series regression model to estimate annual passenger demand for the State Railway of Thailand (SRT). The model was developed for a time period of 15 years (1974–1988), incorporating such variables as the country's gross domestic product (GDP), SRT passenger fares, competing intercity bus fares, and a dummy variable of the Fifth National Five Year Plan advocating a railway-favored modal shift policy. This simple but useful model analysis estimated the demand elasticities as: 0.907 with respect to real GDP; -0.970 with respect to real SRT fare; and 0.808 with respect to real bus fare. Remarkable manufacturing-oriented economic development of Thailand in recent years played an important part in recent SRT demand increases. As the relatively high own and cross fare elasticity estimates imply, the SRT is concerned about demand loss to competing intercity bus services, and has thus been keeping fare levels low. The model analysis also estimated a demand gain of 12.3% due to the modal shift policy during the Fifth Plan period, suggesting effectiveness of the policy.     

Labor unions and productivity: An empirical analysis using Japanese firm-level data

This paper empirically analyzes the relationship between labor union and firm performance in areas such as productivity and profitability by using data on more than 4000 Japanese firms, ranging from listed large firms to unlisted SMEs, in both the manufacturing and non-manufacturing sector. The presence of labor unions has statistically and economically significant positive effects on firm productivity. Unions' effects on wages are also positive, their magnitude being slightly larger than those on productivity. The decrease in the number of employees is greater at unionized firms than at non-unionized firms. The difference in employment growth is mainly attributable to the change in the number of part-time workers. In order to enhance productivity, close cooperation between management and unions is essential.     

A theory of international currency: Competition and discipline

We explicitly consider strategic interaction between governments to study currency competition and its effects on the circulation of currencies and welfare in a two-country two-currency search-theoretic model. Each government finances public goods by means of seigniorage. Compared with a regime with two local currencies, a regime with one international currency allows the issuer of the international currency to reduce the inflation tax while collecting more seigniorage, and forces the other issuer to raise the rate to compensate for a diminished tax base. However, the country with a local currency is sometimes constrained by an inflation discipline: the more open a country is, the stronger is the discipline. Strategic selection of equilibrium gives rise to a further inflation discipline: the larger country tries to have its currency circulate abroad, while the smaller country tries to prevent the circulation of Foreign currency.     

Comparative study on the relationship between just-in-time production practices and operational performance in manufacturing plants

This study analyzes the differences in approaching JIT production across countries in order to identify alternative paths to high manufacturing performance. We applied ANOVA and regression techniques to the database of High Performance Manufacturing Project to examine the similarities and differences across countries in JIT implementation and the effect of JIT production practices on operational performance. The results indicated that JIT production practices were implemented in different ways across the countries. We found that the relationship between JIT production practices and plant performance is contingent on the national context and infrastructure practices in quality and workforce management. JIT delivery by suppliers, JIT layout, and setup time reduction were found to be the most effective approaches to improve cost, delivery, and flexibility. This study highlights the important role of shop-floor communication and information sharing, which should be focused for maximizing the benefits of JIT implementation.     

Marketing Channels and Retail Store Density in East Asia*

By measuring retail store density with regard to population, several studies have indicated that marketing channels in Asia are different from those in the USA and European countries. The present paper investigates to what extent a model similar to Flath and Nariu (1996) can empirically predict retail densities in Japan and China. The results suggest that the secular decline in the number of retail stores in Japan primarily results from the proliferation of car ownership and the expansion in the average size of a dwelling. We also demonstrate that the model accounts for the large variations in China's retail density.     

International Income Transfer under Imperfect Competition

This paper examines the effects of an international income transfer under international monopoly. One of the markets in the donor country is monopolized and there exist two distinct types of agent: monopolist and factor owners. The transfer is provided by the agents with different lump sum tax (burden‐share) rates. The burden‐share rate plays a key role concerning the welfare effects of a transfer. We show that the government of the donor country can raise both its social welfare and the wellbeing of the recipient country by providing a further transfer and by simultaneously adjusting the burden‐share rates.     

ENDOGENIZING CONSUMPTION IN THE INPUT‐OUTPUT MODEL: THEORY AND APPLICATION

Since the basic model of input‐output analysis does not take into consideration the income effect on consumption expenditure, we constructed a model which endogenizes consumption and breaks down integrated production inducement into Leontief and Keynesian effects in a generalized context and in two solution approaches. Using short‐term marginal consumption propensities, we estimated that Keynesian effects make up about 14% of the integrated inducement effects for Japan. The public services sector, which is not influential in the basic model, becomes very influential in consideration of Keynesian effects. Manufacturing and service sector products are the main targets of the expanded consumption. The impact of a change in exogenous final demand can be easily simulated by applying the suggested apparent input coefficient matrix to the integrated inverse matrix.