Advertising a second-price auction

This study examines a symmetric private-value second-price auction model in which the seller solicits bidders at a cost, sets a reserve price, and receives a payoff which is a convex combination of revenue and welfare. The bidder’s valuations are drawn from a distribution with a decreasing hazard rate and non-decreasing virtual valuations. We find that at equilibrium the seller adopts an advertising policy which minimizes the uncertainty over the number of participants, and sets a reserve price which only depends on the distribution of valuations and the weight on revenue in the objective function. A welfare-maximizing seller is shown to advertise more than a revenue-maximizing seller, and a ceteris paribus increase in the advertising level is proved to increase the expected winner’s rent.     

Public perceptions of future threats to humanity and different societal responses: A cross-national study

There is growing scientific evidence that humanity faces a number of threats that jeopardize its future. Public perceptions of these threats, both their risks and reactions to them, are important in determining how humanity confronts and addresses the threats. This study investigated the perceived probability of threats to humanity and different responses to them (nihilism, fundamentalism and activism), in four Western nations: the US, UK, Canada and Australia. Overall, a majority (54%) rated the risk of our way of life ending within the next 100 years at 50% or greater, and a quarter (24%) rated the risk of humans being wiped out at 50% or greater. The responses were relatively uniform across countries, age groups, gender and education level, although statistically significant differences exist.Almost 80% agreed “we need to transform our worldview and way of life if we are to create a better future for the world” (activism). About a half agreed that “the world’s future looks grim so we have to focus on looking after ourselves and those we love” (nihilism), and over a third that “we are facing a final conflict between good and evil in the world” (fundamentalism). The findings offer insight into the willingness of humanity to respond to the challenges identified by scientists and warrant increased consideration in scientific and political debate.     

为何言路难开?领导拒谏构念维度与形成机理探究

员工谏言不仅具有建设性,而且具有挑战性和结果的不确定性,使得领导者可能纳谏也可能拒谏。然而,现有研究主要关注员工谏言与领导纳谏,却忽略了领导拒谏。本研究在回顾员工谏言及相关研究的基础上发现,领导者会对员工谏言进行建设性评估和威胁性评估,具有建设性和防御性两种行为目的。基于此,首先,从领导者的双元行为目的出发探讨了领导拒谏的概念与维度,依据发展视角、人际视角和防御视角将领导拒谏划分为:指导员工驱动的拒谏、维持关系驱动的拒谏、保证权威驱动的拒谏。其次,分析了领导拒谏的形成机理,从谏言内容、谏言员工和谏言行为三方面考察领导者对员工谏言的认知评估过程,详细讨论了组织距离如何通过领导注意间接影响领导拒谏,并探讨了权力距离在领导注意与领导拒谏之间所具有的调节作用。本研究有助于推动领导拒谏的理论构建,拓展认知评估理论的应用,而且能为组织管理实践给予一定的参考与借鉴。     

What caused Japan’s Great Stagnation in the 1990s? Evidence from an estimated DSGE model

Despite the widespread belief that Japan’s “Great Stagnation” in the 1990s is due to the financial dysfunction after the collapse of asset price bubbles, Hayashi and Prescott (2002) argue that its main cause is a slowdown in total factor productivity growth, using a calibrated neoclassical growth model. The present paper aims to fill this gap by estimating a New Keynesian dynamic stochastic general equilibrium model augmented with a financial accelerator mechanism and associated financial shocks. Our estimation results show that even in the presence of the financial shocks an adverse neutral technology shock mainly induced the Great Stagnation and that the rate of neutral technological change is strongly correlated with all enterprises’ financial position in the Tankan. Based on these findings, the paper argues that the Great Stagnation was caused by an adverse neutral technology shock that is likely to represent a tightening of firms’ financing, which induced reduction of R&D investment and misallocation of resources as indicated in previous literature.     

Users expectations and the need for differential beach management frameworks along the Costa Brava: Urban vs. natural protected beaches

Beaches are social–ecological systems where plainly physical, ecological, social and economic dimensions interact, providing several functions and services leading to improved human well-being. Although these systems can provide several protective, recreational and natural functions, only recreation has been traditionally prioritized by managers. This has led to the homogenization of beach management practices, which are poorly adapted to beach settings and beach users. While public participation was highly encouraged, decision-making has traditionally been done by a single stakeholder following a strict hierarchic order. In two antagonistic beaches (natural protected vs. urban) we assess and compare users’ expectations and perceptions that could suggest the necessity of a differential management. Behind an apparent homogeneity, significant differences were detected between these two antagonistic beaches. Although certain normal preferences were common in both beaches, natural attributes were the priority in the natural protected setting, as well as facilities in the urban one. However, the influence of traditional mass tourism model on users’ expectations was undeniable. Particular management frameworks for beaches with singular natural characteristics are necessary. A special emphasis on education and information is needed, as a cornerstone for a sustainable use of these social–ecological systems.     

《毛泽东思想和中国特色社会主义理论体系概论》教学研究

本文根据《中共中央、国务院关于进一步加强和改进大学生思想政治教育的意见》和《中共中央宣传部、教育部关于进一步加强和改进高等学校思想政治理论课的意见》为贯彻落实党的十七大精神,针对"毛泽东思想和中国特色社会主义理论体系概论("以下简称"概论)"课程建设与教学,科研与教学方法及实践教学进行全方位的教学方面的研究和论述,同时根据本课程的特点,结合高校思政教学要求,对"概论"课程的教学实施阐述教学体会。     

Kuhn’s Theorem for extensive form Ellsberg games

We propose the notions of mixed and behavioral Ellsberg strategies for extensive form games and prove that these strategies are outcome-equivalent if and only if mixed Ellsberg strategies satisfy a certain rectangularity condition. In addition, we show that not only the profile of Ellsberg strategies must be appropriately chosen but also the extensive form must satisfy further restrictions beyond those implied by perfect recall in order to ensure that each player will respect his ex ante strategy choice with the evolution of play.     

What about people in cycle network planning? applying participative multicriteria GIS analysis in the case of the Athens metropolitan cycle network

The bicycle is gaining ground as an inexpensive, fast, healthy, and enjoyable mode of transport, but the development of cycle infrastructures appears to be a necessary prerequisite for supporting further growth in cycling rates. Thus far, few studies have developed comprehensive methodologies for the prioritisation of cycling infrastructure investments, and the role of end users has been underestimated in this process. The unique relationship that cyclists develop with the bicycle itself, their co-cyclists, bicycle facilities, and the urban environment as a result of sensory, kinaesthetic, symbolic, or even political reasons can assist in designing cycle facilities that are more efficient and closer to fulfilling the needs and desires of users. We propose a comprehensive four-step methodology for cycle network planning, which both accounts for the city structure and the zones in which higher cycling demand is possible and uses participative multicriteria GIS processes to incorporate cyclists’ views with regard to choosing the cycle network segments. Our case study is Athens, Greece, where cycling facilities are few and heavily fragmented, although cycling demand has recently grown. This methodology may be useful for cities attempting to introduce and prioritise cycling infrastructures because it focuses on determining where cyclists would prefer to cycle to make such investments more successful in attracting users.     

Residents’ perceptions of the 2014 Sochi Olympic Games

This study examines the perceptions of local residents prior to the 2014 Sochi Olympic and Paralympic Games. A survey conducted amongst residents, 5 months prior to the Games opening, reveals a lower level of support for the Games during the preparation period compared to other Olympic host cities. Socio-demographic data about the residents help explain the varying attitudes towards the Games that were identified. The conclusions suggest that Sochi residents’ perceptions have been largely influenced by their thoughts regarding potential economic and socio-cultural impacts, whether positive or negative. When these opinions are analysed further, three main considerations were found: (1) impacts on urban development and quality of residential life; (2) positive impacts on tourism and the destination’s economy and (3) negative results of hosting the Games. The study also finds, using structural equation modelling, that residents of Sochi, who could receive some benefit from the Games, were involved in the decision-making process or had more information about the upcoming Games, demonstrated more positive attitudes towards hosting the Olympics.     

Modeling the Factors Affecting Organic or Local Cucumber Purchasing Motivations in Northern Iran

This article has attempted to examine the impact of motivation on the purchasing and represents a model for organic or local cucumbers buying dimensions. Data were collected by a sample of 300 people in two northern provinces of Iran during 7 months and were tested using structural equation modeling (SEM) technique. Results indicate that not using pesticides, preserving people’s health, conservation, better taste, and region of origin of organic or local cucumbers have significant positive impacts on purchasing dimensions and persistence has no significant effect on purchasing dimensions.