Welfare effects of non-tariff barriers: A general equilibrium analysis

Zusammenfassung Wohlfahrtswirkungen nichttarif?rer Handelshemmnisse. Eine Analyse des allgemeinen Gleichgewichts. — Dieser Aufsatz geht von der Beobachtung aus, da? Importquoten, Exportquoten oder freiwillige Ausfuhrbeschr?nkungen zu unterschiedlich hohen Anteilen der Handelspartner an der Knappheitsrente führen, und behandelt die Wohlfahrtswirkungen der internationalen Verteilung der Renten aus solchen protektionistischen Ma?nahmen. Unter anderem wird gezeigt, da? die Konsumenten in einer Zwei-L?nder-Welt mit repr?sentativen Haushalten um so weniger von einer Handelsbeschr?nkung profitieren, je kleiner ihr Anteil an der Knappheitsrente ist.

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Résumé Les effets du bien-être des barrières non-tarifaires: une analyse de l’équilibre général. — Commen?ant par l’observation que les quotas d’importations ou d’exportations ainsi que les restrictions à l’exportation volontaires mènent aux parts différentes des partenaires commerciaux en ce qui concerne la rente résultant de la pénurie, cette étude expose les conséquences pour le bien-être de la distribution internationale de la rente qui résulte de telles mesures de protection. Entre autres, on démontre que dans un monde de deux économies aux ménages représentatifs, les consommateurs d’un pays probablement profitent le moins d’une barrière non-tarifaire, si leur part concernant la rente résultant de la pénurie est plus petite.

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Resumen Los efectos de barreras no arancelarias sobre el bienestar: un análisis de equilibrio general. — Partiendo de la observatión de que cupos de importation, cupos de exportation o restricciones voluntarias a las exportaciones dan lugar a participaciones diferentes en la renta por escasez para cada una de las partes comerciantes, este trabajo trata de las implicaciones que tiene para el bienestar la distribución international de la renta ligada a dichas medidas protectionistas. Inter alia se demuestra que en un mundo con dos economías y hogares representatives, los consumidores de un país se benefician con menor probabilidad de una restrictión al comercio, cuanto menor sea su participatión en la renta por escasez.

     

Plädoyer zur gesetzlichen Regelung des Streikrechts – eine Replik

In the recent past, Germany has experienced increasing strike activity by small trade unions. This became possible through a change in high-level legislation allowing competition between trade unions at the firm level. The German government has responded by implementing a new law, which restricts this competition, but many observers regard it as inappropriate. In a recent issue of this journal, the Scientific Advisory Board to the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure proposes specific legal measures to be taken. The present paper comments on these proposals. It supports the claim for legal regulation of strike activities, but it deviates with regard to the scope of application. The point is made that striking is an activity that inherently requires legal regulation, and that legal regulation is only dispensable in sectors governed by strong competition.     

Exclusive dealing and common agency in international markets

This paper investigates the contractual choice between exclusive dealing and common agency in a simple international oligopoly model where products are sold through intermediaries. We find that when trade barriers are high, domestic firms tend to adopt exclusive dealing contracts whereas trade liberalization may lead firms to choose common agency. Social welfare can be raised be prohibiting exclusive dealing (common agency) when trade barriers are high (low) and products are close substitutes.     

Konjunkturschlaglicht: Leicht höhere Steuereinnahmen

HWWA-KONJUNKTURFORUM

Konjunkturschlaglicht: Leicht h?here Steuereinnahmen     

Friends with benefits: Behavioral and fMRI studies on the effect of friendship reminders on self-control for compulsive and non-compulsive buyers

Does the real or imagined presence of friends invariantly drive consumers to engage in disinhibited behavior, and give in to the “urge to splurge” in the face of consumption temptations? Or might there be situations in which being with friends or even merely thinking of friends or the friendships we have with them can actually improve self-control?In five studies, using a unique combination of controlled experiments examining overt consumer behavior and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we propose and show that the extent to which consumers identify a goal conflict between giving in to buying temptations on the one hand and the perceived consequences for maintaining satisfactory relationships with close friends on the other is a critical mediator of whether friendship reminders decrease or increase self-control. We further show that such a goal conflict is most likely for consumers with a chronic, compulsive tendency for uncontrolled, disinhibited acquisition and consumption—for consumers classified as compulsive buyers. For their non-compulsive counterparts, in contrast, acts of acquisition and consumption, even incidental disinhibited ones, are perceived to be less problematic in light of their friendships and hence do not induce a goal conflict to the same extent. Our findings provide insights into social influences on self-control and identify the concept of friendship reminders as a way to reduce a common type of dysfunctional consumer behavior. In addition to enhancing consumer well-being, reducing compulsive buying will substantially reduce handling costs for organizations. Hence, the findings are of academic, societal and managerial relevance.