Predicting and measuring alliance performance: a multidimensional analysis

The strategic alliance literature demonstrates that alliances create value for the partners, but also that many alliances fall short of expectations. This study addresses the complex issue of alliance performance. We follow 100 contractual alliances over a 5-year period, and study their performance in terms of abrupt termination, short-term performance, and long-term performance. The results indicate that alliances that are considered strategically important are less likely to be abruptly terminated. We also find that newly established alliances have a higher termination rate than older alliances. Short-term performance is primarily affected by access to complementary and strategically important resources, whereas long-term performance is related to specific investments in human capital combined with the partners' ability to develop and expand alliance activities over time. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

EVOLUTION IN IMPERFECT COMMITMENT BARGAINING—STRATEGIC VERSUS IGNORANT TYPES

To commit in bargaining is crucial: in the ultimatum game with its one‐sided commitment power the ‘proposer’ (almost) receives the whole pie while the ‘responder’ is left with (almost) nothing. When bargaining parties commit simultaneously the symmetric Nash (Econometrica, 1950, vol. 18, pp. 155–162) bargaining solution predicts equal shares. Continuously connecting these two games yields a one‐parameter family of games ( Fischer et al. , Experimental Economics, 2006, vol. 9, pp. 17–33) for which we distinguish two behavioral dispositions, namely (1) neglecting commitment power and (2) reacting to it strategically. Their pay‐off implications define the evolutionary set‐up for which we derive the evolutionarily stable behavioral disposition. Our analysis sheds light on the hypothesis that in experiments participants neglect strategic aspects such as commitment power.     

Revisiting the norm concept in relational governance

In this paper two of the fundamental issues concerning the norm concept, its definition and its classification, are explored. First, in the field of marketing, norms have been defined as expectations developed by actors concerning other actors' behavior in a given context [Jap, S., & Ganesan, S. (2000). Control mechanisms and the relationship life cycle: Implications for safeguarding specific investments and developing commitment. Journal of Marketing Research, 37, 227-245; Heide, J. B., & John, G. (1992). Do norms matter in marketing relationships? Journal of Marketing, 56, 32-44]. An analysis of to what extent this definition is in line with the definitions made in other disciplines will be carried out. Secondly, an identification of typologies of norms, which allows classifying different norms, will be set forth.     

Anpassung an den Klimawandel von zunehmender Bedeutung

Die ?konomie des Klimawandels befasste sich anfangs vor allem mit der Vermeidung des Klimawandels. In jüngerer Zeit rückt die Anpassung an die Folgen aber verst?rkt in den Mittelpunkt von wissenschaftlichen Untersuchungen und ?ffentlicher Diskussion, denn bestimmte Klimafolgen gelten mittlerweile als unvermeidlich. Diese Klimafolgen wirken sich sowohl auf Regionen als auch auf Wirtschaftszweige unterschiedlich stark aus. Am Beispiel Norddeutschland wird die Problematik hier verdeutlicht.     

Spatial dependencies and spatial drift in public transport seasonal ticket revenue data

When firms' customers are located in spatially dispersed areas, it can be difficult to manage service quality on a geographically small scale because the relative importance of service quality might vary spatially. Moreover, standard approaches discussed so far in the marketing science literature usually neglect spatial effects, such as spatial dependencies (spatial autocorrelation for example) and spatial drift (spatial non-stationarity). We propose a comprehensive approach based on spatial econometric methods that covers both issues. Based on the real company data on seasonal ticket revenue of a local public transport service company, we show that addressing such spatial effects of service data can improve management's ability to implement programs aimed at enhancing seasonal ticket revenue. In particular, the article shows how a spatial revenue response function might be specified.     

Recurrences formulae for the semi-invariants of some discontinuous frequency functions of n variables

Abstract

Professor Ragnar Frisch has as is well-known given a recurrence formula for the semi-invariants of the Bernouillian frequency function of one variable. Mr. Paul Quale has later generalised his result to certain frequency functions (Pascal and Poisson laws).