Sources of economic growth and stagnation in Iran

There is more than a 10 percentage point difference in the economic performance of Iran in roughly the two decades before and after the Islamic revolution in 1979. This paper aims to explain the difference. A standard measure of Total Factor Productivity (TFP) calculated at the aggregate level shows that over one-third of the difference in economic performance can be explained by the change in TFP growth rates in the two periods. The question is further pursued at the manufacturing level. A time-series cross sectional analysis of the manufacturing sector confirms that TFP growth rates fell after the revolution and did not recover anywhere close to their pre revolution levels even after the Iran–Iraq war. The regression analyses show that decreasing returns to scale and mark-up pricing behavior have developed in the manufacturing sector under the Islamic Republic. A Tornqvist measure of TFP, corrected for market imperfections and non-constant returns to scale technology, is used to explain sources of productivity slowdown. The results show that manufacturing TFP increases with (i) private participation rate in economic activities and (ii) exports. Manufacturing TFP falls with (iii) increase in capital-intensity and (iv) higher entry/exit barriers.     

城市配送的中日比较研究简

日本城市配送经历各阶段不同的做法,中日在城市配送方面存在差异,中国城市借鉴日本城市配送经验的对策建议：对影响城市配送的软环境要进行改善;鼓励国内建大型的零售连资集团;对影响城市配送的技术性问题寻求解决办法.     

The Effects of Maize Market and Policy Reforms on Price Discovery and Competitiveness in Zimbabwe, 1991–1997

Abstract

Maize is Zimbabwe's staple food. An adequate supply of maize is essential to food security and domestic stability. A series of droughts and government mismanagement of the economy led to a maize production and food security problem in the 1980s. Zimbabwe's maize marketing system was transformed dramatically from a government monopoly to a competitive market system in which prices are determined by market forces in the 1990s. This paper examines the steps that Zimbabwe took towards maize market reform and the benefits of that reform. The movement to a competitive market led to formation of a commodity exchange to improve price discovery and increase price transparency. De-regulation has increased entry and competitiveness from new private sector hammer millers and traders. Farmers, millers, and traders face new profit opportunities and new price and financial risks that have increased management responsibilities. Consumers enjoy lower cost maize meal products and more convenient service. The benefits of the 1991–1997 reforms indicate what could be achieved in the long run if prices are determined by the market, rather than by the government.     

农村水利投资演变历程与展望

建国以来,我国农村水利投资经历了不同的阶段,取得了巨大的成绩。分析不同阶段农村的基本经营制度、社会经济条件的历史演变过程以及其对农村水利投资的影响,从而找出其中的规律,对于指导我们今后农村水利投资政策的制定具有一定的现实意义。     

Unionized labor market and licensing by a monopolist

We show that a monopolistic final goods producer may find it profitable to create competition by licensing its technology if the input market is imperfectly competitive. With a centralized union, we show that licensing by a monopolist is profitable under both uniform and discriminatory wage settings by the union. However, the incentive for licensing is higher under the former situation. We also show that licensing by the monopolist is profitable under both quantity and price competition, and the incentive for licensing is higher under price competition than under quantity competition. Our qualitative results hold even with decentralized unions.      

The objective of a privately owned firm under imperfect competition

This paper proposes a model of imperfect competition among privately owned firms that act in the best interest of their shareholders. The existence of a solution for the model is proved under weaker conditions than the ones generally used in the literature. In particular, the results did not require the existence of a continuous equilibrium price selection or concavity assumptions on the profit function.      

Municipal aggregation and retail competition in the Ohio energy sector

Ohio allows communities to vote to aggregate the loads of individual consumers (unless they opt out) in order to seek a competitive energy supplier. Over 200 communities have voted to do this for electricity. By 2004 residential switching reached 69% in Cleveland territory (95% from municipal aggregation) but by 2006 had fallen to 8%. Savings are now small, but customer acquisition costs are low and the cost to consumers is negligible. Aggregation and retail competition have been thwarted by Rate Stabilization Plans holding incumbent utility prices below cost since 2006. In the Ohio gas sector, rate regulation has not discouraged aggregation and competition, but market prices falling below municipally negotiated rates can be politically embarrassing. Municipal aggregation thus works when conditions allow it, and enhances competition. How it would fare against individual choice in a market conducive to retail competition remains an open question.      

长江三角洲城市旅游地竞争关系

旅游地之间的竞争关系客观存在,但区域旅游合作进程的加速一定程度上掩盖了旅游地之间的外显竞争。文章以长江三角洲地区的四个典型次区域为例,分析一定区域内部旅游地之间竞争关系的类型和实质,客观剖析旅游地之间的空间关系。研究表明,在长江三角洲区域内部城市旅游地之间存在四种不同类型的竞争形式:①核心辐射分流竞争,如外围旅游地与区域核心上海的竞争;②市场收益分配竞争,如杭州与苏州、杭州与黄山等旅游地之间的竞争;③资源品牌竞争,如环太湖区域内部旅游地之间的竞争;④区域功能等级竞争,以杭州与宁波、杭州与南京、杭州与黄山等旅游地之间的竞争为代表。旅游地之间的竞争也有显性和隐性两种不同的表现形式。     

贸易开放、不完全竞争与成本加成——基于中国制造业数据的实证分析

文章利用中国制造行业的面板数据,分析贸易开放对我国国内行业成本加成的影响。回归结果表明,市场竞争与国际贸易是影响我国制造行业成本加成的重要因素。进口贸易在高竞争性行业对成本加成具有正向的促进效应,而在低竞争性行业具有相反的效应;出口贸易对国内行业的成本加成具有显著的正向促进效应。     

企业高管与一般雇员工资差距对企业绩效的影响——基于对A股上市公司的实证分析

本文以我国A股上市公司为例,实证检验了企业内部工资分配差距与企业绩效之间的关系。研究结果表明,二者之间具有显著的正向关系——较大的工资差距有利于提高企业绩效,该结果支持了竞赛理论。本文的研究结果具有明确的政策含义:放松对国有企业的工资管制有利于改善企业绩效。