Incumbents’ defense strategies: a comparison of deterrence and shakeout strategy based on evolutionary game theory

This paper addresses the question of how an established firm can successfully defend its market against current and future competitors. Previous studies on this issue are surprisingly scarce and typically concentrate on only a single generic defense strategy. Thus, little is known about the degree and the manner in which different generic defense strategies, such as a deterrence strategy (pursued before competitor market entry) and a shakeout strategy (pursued after competitor market entry), differ in effectiveness and efficiency and about the corresponding role of product and market conditions. As these strategies tend to be costly, an established firm must decide which of these strategies to focus its scarce resources on. Drawing on evolutionary game theory and an empirical calibration and validation study, this paper seeks to fill these research gaps. While both strategies turn out to be viable options for market defense, the authors find that in general, a shakeout strategy tends to be superior to a deterrence strategy. However, the authors also identify product and market conditions under which an established firm is better off focusing on a deterrence strategy. In methodological respects, the paper contributes to the marketing discipline by introducing evolutionary game theory, which has not been used previously for analyzing marketing issues, as well as an evolutionary approach to research on market defense.     

Is local bias a cross-border phenomenon? Evidence from individual investors’ international asset allocation

Extant literature consistently documents that investors tilt their domestic equity portfolios towards regionally close stocks (local bias). We hypothesize that individual investors’ local bias is not limited to the domestic sphere but instead also determines their international investment decisions. Our results confirm the presence of a cross-border local bias. Specifically, we show (i) that the stockholdings of individual investors living within regional proximity to a foreign country display a significantly lower foreign investment bias towards investment opportunities in that country and (ii) that this drop in foreign investment bias levels is disproportionately driven by investments in regionally close neighbor-country companies. The impact of cross-border local bias on investors’ bilateral foreign equity investments is economically significant and holds even after controlling for previously identified explanations of international asset allocation.     

Gestaltung von Verrechnungspreisen unter Beachtung von Anreiz-und Steuerungseffekten

Ohne Zusammenfassung Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schultze ist Inhaber des Lehrstuhls für Rechnungslegung und Controlling Dipl.-Math. oec. Andreas Weiler ist wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter und Doktorand am Lehrstuhl für Rechnungslegung und Controlling     

Betriebliche Altersversorgung durch Direktversicherungen – Die Folgen der Unternehmensteuerreform 2008 für die Verhandlungsposition von Arbeitgebern und Arbeitnehmern – Aktualisierung des Beitrags in Heft 3/2007, S. 375 ff. –

This paper discusses the consequences of the new German tax regime on the attractiveness of life insurance policies as a possible corporate pension scheme. We analyze those insurances both from the perspective of an employer and from the perspective of an employee. The tax reform decreased their attractiveness, but still it is possible to find agreements which are valuable for both parties.     

Analyzing price and product strategies with a comprehensive system dynamics model—A case study from the capital goods industry

Price reductions and/or product enhancements are widely seen as appropriate ways to increase market share. However, the key findings of this analysis demonstrate the opposite: decreases in price combined with product enhancements can lead to substantial loss in sales revenue and, ultimately, profit. The discussion draws on findings from a comprehensive system dynamics model, which has been developed in a major company in the capital goods industry. The purpose of this research is to analyze the price and product strategies in the capital goods industry. In the case company, testing intuitive beliefs with the help of a formal system dynamics model proved to be beneficial in the strategic decision-making process. The model had a significant impact on the case company, especially when challenging basic assumptions about mechanisms of markets and competition.     

Imports of intermediate goods and the efficacy of fiscal policy under flexible exchange rates

Zusammenfassung Die Einfuhr von Zwischenprodukten und die Wirksamkeit der Fiskalpolitik bei flexiblen Wechselkursen. — Gew?hnlich ist der Einflu\ der Fiskalpolitik auf eine offene Volkswirtschaft unter der Annahme untersucht worden, da\ nur Endprodukte international gehandelt werden. Die Krisen im Gefolge der starken ?lpreissteigerungen haben in Erinnerung gebracht, da\ diese Annahme unrealistisch ist, und daher die Frage aufgeworfen, ob und in welchem Umfang die früher gewonnenen Schlu\folgerungen gültig bleiben, falls ein Land auch Rohstoffe und Halbfabrikate einführt. In diesem Artikel wird gezeigt, da\ bei flexiblem Wechselkurs eine starke Tendenz dafür besteht, da\ solche Importe die Wirksamkeit der Fiskalpolitik verst?rken oder abschw?chen, je nachdem, ob es zu einer Aufwertung oder Abwertung der heimischen W?hrung kommt, und da\ insbesondere bei vollkommener internationaler Kapitalmobilit?t eine solche Politik nicht v?llig unwirksam ist.

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Résumé Les importations des biens intermédiaires et l’efficacité de la politique fiscale sous des conditions des taux de change flexibles. — Traditionellement l’effet de la politique fiscale sur une économie ouverte a été étudié sous la supposition que seulement les biens finaux sont internationalement commercés. Les crises après l’augmentation du prix pétrolier nous ont rappelés que cette supposition est peu réaliste et qu’on doit demander si et à quelle mesure les conclusions auparavant dérivées restent valables si un pays importe aussi des matières premières et des biens demi-finis. Dans cet article les auteurs démontrent que sous des taux de change flexibles il y a une forte tendance que telles importations renforcent ou atténuent l’efficacité de la politique fiscale selon qu’il en résulte une réévaluation ou une dévaluation de la monnaie du pays importatrice. Il est aussi montré que la politique fiscale ne devient pas complètement inefficace si la mobilité des capitaux internationaux est parfaite.

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Resumen Importaciones de bienes intermedios y la eficacia de la política fiscal bajo tipos de cambio flexibles. — Tradicionalmente el impacto de la política fiscal sobre una economía abierta ha sido estudiada bajo el supuesto que solamente los bienes finales son transados internacionalmente. Las crisis del petróleo nos han recordado que este supuesto no es realista y por tanto hizo surgir la pregunta si y en qué medida las conclusiones derivadas anteriormente permanecen válidas si un país también importa materias primas y productos semi-terminados. En el presente articulo se muestra que bajo tipos de cambio flexibles hay una fuerte tendencia de esas importaciones de aumentar o atenuar la eficacia de la política fiscal todas las veces que resulta en una revaluación o devaluación, respectivamente, de la moneda local y.especialmente, que no resulta completamente inefectiva con una perfecta movilidad internacional del capital.

     

Towards value-based pricing—An integrative framework for decision making

Despite a recent surge of interest, the subject of pricing in general and value-based pricing in particular has received little academic investigation. Yet, pricing has a huge impact on financial results, both in absolute terms and relative to other instruments of the marketing mix. The objective of this paper is to present a comprehensive framework for pricing decisions which considers all relevant dimensions and elements for profitable and sustainable pricing decisions. The theoretical framework is useful for guiding new product pricing decisions as well as for implementing price-repositioning strategies for existing products. The practical application of this framework is illustrated by a case study involving the pricing decision for a major product launch at a global chemical company.