Regulating prices in two-sided markets: The waterbed experience in mobile telephony

The distinguishing feature of two-sided markets is that the pricing structure, that is, the relative prices charged to each side, matters. Regulators need to understand and account for the interdependence of prices in both sides. Some interventions that lower the prices on one side can result in higher prices on the other side of such markets. This article reviews the recent literature analyzing this waterbed phenomenon in mobile telephony and draws some more general lessons for policy interventions in two-sided markets.     

The effect of demand-driven structural transformations on growth and technological change

The paper analyses the effect of the dynamics of consumption preferences on the dynamics of macro–economic growth. We endogenously derive micro–dynamics of consumption behavior as a result of the increase in the number of income classes. The different degrees of inertia in the adjustment of consumption levels to income changes affect firm selection and the dynamics of market structure, which is ultimately responsible for different regimes of macro–economic growth. We find, first, that higher heterogeneity in consumption preferences amplifies and accelerates market dynamics, leading to a swift shift from a Malthusian to a Kaldorian growth pattern. Second, consumption smoothing mainly affects the timing of such a take–off. Inertia in consumption delays the occurrence of a Kaldorian engine for growth.     

The Effect of Emigration from Poland on Polish Wages

In this paper, we analyse the effect of emigration from Poland on Polish wages. Focusing on the 1998–2007 period for Poland, we use a unique dataset that contains information about household members who are currently living abroad, which allows us to develop region‐specific emigration rates and to estimate the effect of emigration on wages using within‐region variation. Our findings show that emigration led to a slight increase in wages for high‐ and medium‐skilled workers, which are the two groups with the largest relative outmigration rates. Workers at the low end of the skill distribution might have experienced wage decreases.     

Estimating potential output and the output gap for the euro area: a model-based production function approach

This paper provides an analysis of multivariate unobserved components models for the estimation of potential output and the output gap in the euro area. Bivariate models of output and inflation and multivariate model-based implementations of the production function approach are considered; according to the latter potential output is derived from the permanent components of the factors of production consistent with stable inflation, whereas the output gap results from the combination of the transitory components. This approach allows to measure the contribution of the various factors of production to potential output growth, and to assess the reliability of the output gap estimates. Various alternative statistical specifications for the separation of trend and cycle are considered entertaining different economic hypotheses. The paper also provides an assessment of the reliability of the alternative output gap estimates and analyses their predictive validity by means of a rolling forecast exercise that provides an evaluation of the capability to forecast future inflation. A preliminary version of this paper appeared as EUI working paper ECO2002/09 and was presented at the European Central Bank, the European University Institute, the Growth and Business Cycles in Theory and Practice conference, Manchester UK, 20–21 June 2002, the Common Features in Rio conference, Rio de Janeiro, 29–31 July 2002. We thank the participants, Michael Artis, Gerard Korteweg, Geoff Kenny, Neale Kennedy, Manuel da Mota Freitas Martins, Gerard Ruenstler, and three anonymous Referees for useful discussions and valuable comments. The paper was largely written while the first author was acting as consultant for the ECB. The views expressed in it do not necessarily reflect those of the ECB. All correspondence to Alberto Musso.     

Business model shifts: a case study on firms that apply high technology to cultural goods

Business models (BMs) in high-tech industries are analysed from a dynamic point of view in the context of cultural goods. Despite the increased interest in BMs, there is still a gap in terms of the generally accepted definition and of how BMs are analysed within an integrated framework. The aim of this paper is twofold: to provide a theoretical framework to understand BMs and how they change over time, and an empirical investigation of the characteristics of firms that apply high technology to cultural goods (HTCGs). Having defined what an HTCG firm is, within- and cross-case analyses are carried out on 30 firms that operate in the field of the cultural goods in Tuscany (Italy). The results showed interesting patterns of evolution of BMs, thus providing useful insights into the unexplored field of HTCGs.     

Environmental impact, quality, and price: Consumer trade-offs and the development of environmentally friendly technologies

The paper examines the effect of heterogeneous consumer trade-offs - between environmental performance, quality of service characteristics, and price - on the generation and diffusion of environmentally benign technology paradigms. We find that the direction, timing, and environmental impact of new paradigms is shaped by the distribution of consumer trade-offs. Of key importance are the initial distributions of consumer preferences, and how those distributions evolve over time. This has serious implications on environmental pollution, and for policy makers seeking to influence the ‘greening’ of consumer demand.     

Discussion of the paper “Testing Time Series Data Compatibility for Benchmarking”, by Benoit Quenneville and Christian Gagné

Benchmarking is an important component of the reliability of macroeconomic information, and one which is relevant for both the final data user and the econometrician, as it deals with combining information from different sources, characterised by different frequencies of observation and different degrees of reliability. The paper by Quenneville and Gagné proposes tests for checking the compatibility of the series as a step preliminary to benchmarking. This discussion focuses on the actual implementation of these tests, on alternative tests available in the econometric literature, and on the various sources of measurement errors that affect benchmarking.     

Migration,Unemployment and Trade

Using an oligopoly model of trade with asymmetric costs, we study the individual and world welfare implications of a hub and spoke trade agreement where the hub country is more efficient than spoke countries. Under a hub and spoke trade regime, the hub country can benefit at the expense of the spokes relative to free trade. Furthermore, if the hub is sufficiently efficient compared to the spokes, such a regime can yield higher global welfare than free trade. Preferential treatment of the efficient hub country in its export markets improves world welfare because it helps allocate a larger share of the world’s output to a low cost location.     

House prices and immovable property tax: Evidence from OECD countries

This paper studies the impact of changes in immovable property tax revenues on the growth rate of house prices by analysing a panel of 34 OECD countries over the period 1970–2014. Starting from the annual series of immovable property tax revenues, we isolate years of significant shifts in the property tax regime and study their impact on house prices. We find a strong negative relationship between increases in immovable property tax revenues and house prices. This relationship is robust to the inclusion of cyclical determinants of house prices, country and year fixed effects, and country‐specific linear trends. We also propose an instrumental variable strategy based on countries’ legal origins that confirms a statistically significant negative impact of such taxes in the short run.