Attention Platforms,the Value of Content,and Public Policy

This paper shows that two related aspects of attention platforms are important for the sound economic analysis of public policy including antitrust: first, attention platforms generate valuable content. Even though people often don’t pay for content, we know from revealed preference that content is valuable because people spend a considerable amount of time—which has an opportunity cost—consuming it. Second, demand for advertising and the supply of content are interdependent. A decrease in the demand for advertising reduces the returns to supplying content and therefore the amount of content that is provided. Accounting for the value of content and these positive feedbacks cannot determine optimal interventions; but failing to do so can result in policies that reduce consumer—as well as advertiser—welfare. The paper then considers the implications of these considerations for public policy: particularly privacy regulation and antitrust enforcement. From the standpoint of promoting consumer welfare, the failure to account for the value of content and the ad-content interdependencies increases the chances that authorities do not intervene when they should and do intervene when they should not.

     

A LONGITUDINAL ANALYSIS OF THE CONTEXT AND STRUCTURE OF A LARGE BRITISH FINANCIAL INSTITUTION

This study represents an analysis of the changes in the environment, context and structure of an organization, using the full Aston Interview Schedule.² The limitations of generalizing from a single case are acknowledged, but the longitudinal analysis provides support for the notion that organizations can and do develop self-evaluative capacities when threatened by external change. The results of the process of self-evaluation on the part of the organization are shown as changes in the organization's scores on the various scales of organizational context and structure developed by the Aston school, at two points in time. These changes provide support for a number of conjectures arising from previous analyses of the relationships among the structural dimensions of organizational form displayed by the Aston methodology; notably the relationship between size/standardization and centralization/standardization. The analysis also suggests that the centralization scale can be viewed as having two components – one related to policy decisions, the other to operational decisions.     

Tourism and cross cultural communication

Adaptive strategies that facilitate economic and socio-cultural interaction in a West Mexican resort community, Puerto Vallarta, are examined over time. The special role played by bilingual culture brokers and the presence of both seasonal and resident foreigners contribute to rapid culture change, the expansion of tourism, and strenghening ethnic identity. This paper focuses on the spatial, temporal, linguistic, and cultural factors that mediate between the various types of guests and the host country.     

Communication patterns in two UK R & D laboratories

Abstract The literature shows that two patterns of communication exist in an R&D environment, one dominated by a project system and the other directly related to distance. A study was made of the communication patterns of two laboratories about to merge. The study was able to show that differences do exist between the two laboratories, mainly because of the geographical differences on the two sites, but overall communication patterns were similar. These patterns showed that the number of communications did drop off with distance but work contacts and a project system override the distance factor.     

Towards the Development of a Tax System Complexity Index

Reducing tax system complexity is a common goal amongst policymakers; yet there is no commonly agreed definition of complexity. This paper seeks to fill this gap, by proposing the construction of an index of tax system complexity, conceived as a summary indicator of the overall complexity of a tax system at a particular point in time. If adopted, such an index would not only enable assessment of the changing level of a country's tax system complexity over time, but may also facilitate comparisons of the relative complexity of different countries' tax systems in future.     

Planning and analysis of a ridesharing evaluation study

We present a case discussion of the development of surveys for evaluating a metropolitan ridesharing project. We trace the conceptual development of an “ideal” survey design, the problems encountered in actual implementation, and finally the design of a low-cost narrow-range survey which focuses on specific information used to assess program benefits. We feel that this discussion can assist other ridesharing agencies, particularly those in the initial stages of formation, in determining costs and outcomes of specific survey techniques.     

Optimal price regulation in a growth model with monopolistic suppliers of intermediate goods

Abstract. In this paper we investigate the trade‐off faced by regulators who must set a price for an intermediate good somewhere between the marginal cost and the monopoly price. We utilize a growth model with monopolistic suppliers of intermediate goods. Investment in innovation is required to produce a new intermediate good. Marginal cost pricing deters innovation, while monopoly pricing maximizes innovation and economic growth at the cost of some static inefficiency. We demonstrate the existence of a second‐best price above the marginal cost but below the monopoly price, which maximizes consumer welfare. Simulation results suggest that substantial reductions in consumption, production, growth, and welfare occur where regulators focus on static efficiency issues by setting prices at or near marginal cost. JEL Classification: D42, D61, D92, O38 Régulation du prix optimal dans un modèle de croissance où existent des fournisseurs monopolistes de biens intermédiaires. Dans ce mémoire, on enquête sur la relation d’équivalence à laquelle les régulateurs doivent faire face au moment de définir le prix quelque part entre le niveau du coût marginal et le niveau du prix de monopole. On utilise un modèle de croissance dans le cas où existent des fournisseurs monopolistes de biens intermédiaires. Des investissements dans l’innovation sont nécessaires pour produire un nouveau produit intermédiaire. La tarification au coût marginal décourage l’innovation alors que la tarification au niveau du prix de monopole maximise l’innovation et la croissance au prix d’une certaine inefficacité statique. On montre que l’existence d’un prix qui est un optimum de second ordre et se situe au‐dessus du coût marginal mais au dessous du prix de monopole maximise le niveau de bien‐être des consommateurs. Des résultats de simulation suggèrent que des réductions substantielles dans la consommation, la production, la croissance, et le niveau de bien‐être se produisent quand les régulateurs sont focalisés sur les problèmes d’efficacité statique et fixent les prix au niveau (ou près du niveau) du coût marginal.     

POLICING IN THE UK AND USA: A BRIEF COMPARISON

The relative advantages and disadvantages of approaches to policing in the UK and USA can be traced back to their different methods of funding and organisation. However, in both cases, the community role is essential for the future of successful policing.