Bounds for Mixed Strategy Equilibria and the Spatial Model of Elections

We prove that the support of mixed strategy equilibria of two-player, symmetric, zero-sum games lies in the uncovered set, a concept originating in the theory of tournaments, and the spatial theory of politics. We allow for uncountably infinite strategy spaces, and as a special case, we obtain a long-standing claim to the same effect, due to R. McKelvey (Amer. J. Polit. Sci.30 (1986), 283-314), in the political science literature. Further, we prove the nonemptiness of the uncovered set under quite general assumptions, and we establish, under various assumptions, the coanalyticity and measurability of this set. In the concluding section, we indicate how the inclusion result may be extended to multiplayer, non-zero-sum games. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: C72, D72.     

Alliance Dynamics for Entrepreneurial Firms

abstract    Small firms are thought to encounter various difficulties implementing strategic alliances. Due to these problems, they may be less able to reap the benefits of alliance adaptation, and the changes that do occur in alliances may not coincide with a small firm's interests. The evidence we present on contractual renegotiations in alliances suggests that small firms are no more or less likely to adjust their alliances' contracts in general. However, small firms tend to bear inefficiencies of two kinds in their collaborations. First, they are less likely to adapt alliances in the presence of governance misalignments. Second, our sampled small firms were more prone to make transaction-specific investments, which can stimulate ex post hold-up in the form of contractual renegotiations.     

Demonstrating the Intensive Benefit to the Local Implementation of a Statewide Building Code

Ultimately, risk reduction from the implementation of building codes is due to not only the extent of the code as it applies to new construction, but also to the intensity of local adoption and enforcement. It is normally an open question as to how well a code is maintained and enforced at the local level, even for a relatively strong adopted statewide code such as the Florida Building Code. We test the importance of the intensity of building code implementation at the local level for reducing Florida windstorm losses by utilizing Building Code Effectiveness Grading Schedule (BCEGS®) rating data. BCEGS ratings provide a joint assessment of local building code effectiveness in terms of the strength of the adopted codes in addition to how well these adopted codes are enforced. We find that both components provide value in reducing windstorm losses in Florida, with the extent of the statewide code being the dominant effect reducing losses on the order of 72 percent. Although not as substantial in terms of its loss reduction magnitude, intensively implementing building codes at the local level by ensuring codes are properly administered and enforced at this scale provides additional loss reduction value on the order of 15–25 percent. Understanding the relative value of these two implementation components is important to better inform building code policy and enforcement efforts given continuously updated codes.     

Information Technology,Transactions Costs and Patterns Of Globalization in Developing Countries

Though there are a number of mechanisms through which information technology promotes globalization, what is common to these mechanisms is that they can all be interpreted as a reduction in transactions costs between the trading partners. Thus interpreted, we show that developing countries differ in the extent to which, via reductions in transactions costs, they gain from increased trade and foreign investment as ratios to total output.     

Relating inertia and experience in technology markets: an analysis of households’ personal computer choices

This article empirically analyses how households’ PC purchasing behaviours change with market experience. We find that: households generally exhibit inertia in their PC purchases, the level of inertia is increasing as a function of experience on the PC market, and, for households switching brands, the likelihood of buying a lesser-known brand increases with experience, regardless of the brand of the previous purchase. These findings are consistent with the predictions of a simple learning model, and extend our understanding of how market experience affects purchasing behaviour to an important technology product, with implications that may apply to other similar products.     

Modeling the Demand for Sicilian Regional Parks: A Compound Poisson Approach

This analysis examines the demand for a system of regional parks in Sicily (Italy). The analysis utilizes conventional count data methods that do not account for correlation across parks as well as a new model that allows for cross-site correlation and dispersion. In this model, the degree of dispersion and cross-site correlation is shown to evolve as individual grow older. Older individuals exhibit less dispersion and/or cross-site correlation.     

The relative contributions of location and preferential policies in China's regional development: being in the right place and having the right incentives

A large part of the literature on provincial inequality in China has found it necessary to include regional dummies in the provincial growth regressions. A smaller but vocal part of the literature has emphasised the granting of preferential policies to explain the faster growth of the coastal provinces. We replace the regional dummies with a measure of the ability to participate in international trade (Geography), and a preferential policy index (Policy). We find that geography and policy had about equal influence on coastal growth (3 percentage points each). Geography affected growth with a much longer lag than policy, however. The policy index was highest for the metropolises (Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin) and lowest for the central and northwestern provinces. The preferential policies are to a large extent “deregulation policies” that enabled marketization and internationalization of the coastal economies and allowed them to become more like their East Asian neighbours (and competitors). The weak (statistically insignificant) support for conditional convergence is in line with the existence of institutions that retard the income convergence process generated by the movement of labor and capital and by the Stolper–Samuelson mechanism. The household registration system ties the peasants to the land, the monopoly state bank system favors borrowing by state enterprises, and local protectionism reduces inter-provincial trade. Clearly, these institutions need to be deregulated. An effective strategy to develop the western provinces must therefore encompass physical capital formation, human capital formation, and institutional capital formation.     

Establishing Indices of Genetic Merit Using Hedonic Pricing: An Application to Dairy Bulls in Alberta

This study investigates the use of hedonic pricing to identify the value of relevant production and type traits for dairy bulls in Alberta. A hedonic pricing model is estimated that considers semen price as a function of individual production and longevily characteristics for a sample of Holstein bulls. The results suggest that the most important characteristics used by Alberta daity producers in valuing dairy bulls are milk volume, protein and fat content, general conformation, body capacity and the popularity of the bull. For a given set of such characteristics, the probability that the bull's semen may be in short supply does not significantly affect the value. This methodology may be used to establish a method of forecasting semen prices for newly proven bulls. The valuation procedure may be easily updated and adjusted as producers'breeding objectives change over time because of the changing economic environment. The results of this analysis suggest that hedonic pricing may be a better method of placing a value on production and type characteristics for dairy bulls than the Lifetime Profit Index currently being used by the Canadian dairy industry.