Dynamic Supply Response and Welfare Effects of Technological Change on Perennial Crops: The Case of Cocoa in Malaysia

Modern biotechnology will generate crops with higher yields and enhanced resistance to pests and diseases. In the case of perennial crops, the age composition of the present stand, the farmers' willingness to invest, and the yield profiles of old and new trees determine the speed of adoption of the new technology and the timing of the effects on supply and demand conditions. We adapt conventional welfare measures to account for these factors in the Assessment of research induced supply shifts. The application to cocoa in Malaysia shows that consumers and adopting producers gain and non-adopters lose. Overall, 72% of the welfare gains go to the consumers.     

Mikro- und makroökonomische Effekte der Abwrackprämie

Zusammenfassung  Die Abwrackpr?mie wird heftig und kontrovers diskutiert. Dabei werden Argumente genannt, die nicht alle plausibel zu sein scheinen. Dies wird durch die folgende mikro- und makro?konomische Analyse der Abwrackpr?mie deutlich. Wer profitiert von der Abwrackpr?mie? Prof. Dr. Nikolaus K. A. L?ufer, 72, Emeritus des Fachbereichs Wirtschaftswissenschaften an der Universit?t Konstanz. Prof. Dr. Peter Winker, Universit?t Gie?en, hat dieses Manuskript in erster Fassung gelesen und durch Kritik zu seiner Verbesserung beigetragen.     

Product uniqueness as a driver of customer utility in mass customization

Mass customization (MC) constitutes a promising strategy for companies which aim to provide products which are better adapted to individual customers’ aesthetic and functional preferences. Drawing on commodity theory, we argue that the perceived uniqueness of a self-designed product is a second driver of utility in MC. We find that in addition to the significant effect of aesthetic and functional fit, the perceived uniqueness of a self-designed product (1) contributes independently to the utility a customer experiences, and (2) that this effect is moderated by the consumer’s need for uniqueness. In product categories which can serve this counterconformity motive for consumers, this suggests that MC toolkits should be constructed with the objective of facilitating the creation of unique products as well as providing affirmative feedback that this uniqueness has been achieved.