Real wages,real interest rates,and the Phillips curve

This article argues that any analysis of a Phillips curve should include the real interest rate in addition to inflation and real wages as any changes in the interest rate changes the labour–capital input mix in the production process leading to a change in the level of employment in the economy. To justify this argument a Phillips curve model is developed, which includes the real interest rate in addition to inflation and real wages. After the diagnosis of the time series properties of the data, an error correction model is developed and estimated using a set of US annual data from 1948 to 1996. The estimated parameters of the model do suggest that one should really take into consideration of the real interest rate while analysing the Phillips curve. A non-nested test (F-test) also suggests that the Phillips curve model with real interest rate as an additional variable performs better than the conventional method that does not include the real interest rate.     

On stochastic comparisons of minimum order statistics from the location–scale family of distributions

We consider stochastic comparisons of minimum order statistics from the location–scale family of distributions that contain most of the popular lifetime distributions. Under certain assumptions, we show that the minimum order statistic of one set of random variables dominates that of another set of random variables with respect to different stochastic orders. Furthermore, we illustrate our results using some well-known specific distributions.     

Advertising as special service provision under non-price vertical restraints: exclusive territories in beer distribution

This article presents statistical evidence which supports Lester Telser's 1960 hypothesis, that when vertical restraints are made illegal, intrabrand competition results which diminishes the provision of point-of-sale, special services. This results because of the public goods problem exhibited by the special services. Increased special service provision by the national manufacturer must then substitute for the special service provision left unfilled by the wholesaler. Evidence relating to the efficacy of such substitution is also presented.     

Exchange rate uncertainty and the level of investment in selected South-east Asian countries

The effect of real exchange rate uncertainty on aggregate private investment in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand is examined using time series data from 1972–2000. Since the use of non-stationary time series data may produce spurious results, the data series are tested for stationarity using the augmented Dickey–Fuller and Phillips–Perron tests. After establishing the stationarity of the data series, cointegration tests are performed. The cointegration test results reject the hypothesis of no cointegration. Therefore, an error correction model is developed and estimated. The estimated results point to an inconclusive empirical relationship between real exchange rate volatility and aggregate private investment.     

Ownership Structure and Technological Upgrading in International Joint Ventures

In a model of a joint venture between a local and a foreign firm who provide complementary inputs, this paper derives optimal ownership structures under different sharing rules. The local firm's profits may be maximized by assigning a majority share to the foreign firm. Efficiency (i.e., the minimization of double moral hazard) requires that the firm with the more productive input should get majority ownership. When only the foreign firm can upgrade its input, it should receive a larger share than what it receives in the absence of upgrading. The analysis implies that a blanket policy of prohibiting majority foreign ownership is theoretically unfounded.     

Inflows of Foreign Technology and Indigenous Technological Development

This paper explores the effects of inflows of foreign technology on technological development in developing countries. It evaluates the existing literature exploring this issue and indicates directions for further research. In particular, it is argued that the implications of the theory of foreign direct investment (the dominant channel of international technology transfer) for technological development have not been fully explored. Dynamic analyses of technology transfer that accommodate the salient features of developing countries have also begun to appear only recently. Further work along these lines is likely to yield rich dividends.     

Czech Mate: Expropriation and Investor Protection in a Converging World

This paper examines the expropriation of a foreign investorby a local partner and the subsequent resolution of the casethrough international arbitration in favor of the investor.Despite the investor's 99% interest in the joint venture, thelocal partner managed to divert the entire value of the underlyingentity for his personal benefit. This clinical examination ofan expropriation and its aftermath illustrates the interactionof property and contract rights in a global setting, how corporatecontrol is shaped by geography, and how multinational firmsmay be advantaged by availing themselves of stronger investorprotections than local firms.     

NATIONAL TREATMENT AT THE WTO: THE ROLES OF PRODUCT AND COUNTRY HETEROGENEITY*

This paper analyzes the World Trade Organization's (WTO's) national treatment (NT) clause in a two‐country model where quality of goods and/or market size are heterogenous across countries. When market size is symmetric across countries, a reciprocal NT agreement (i) benefits the high‐quality country, (ii) hurts the low‐quality country, and (iii) delivers higher aggregate world welfare. However, such an agreement can arise in equilibrium if the high‐quality country's market is relatively bigger and the quality gap between goods is small (i.e., goods are sufficiently alike). The qualitative nature of these results does not change when quality is endogenously determined.