One‐Way Compatibility,Two‐Way Compatibility and Entry in Network Industries

We study the strategic choice of compatibility between two initially incompatible network goods in a two‐stage game played by an incumbent and an entrant firm. Compatibility may be achieved by means of a converter. We derive a number of results under different assumptions about the nature of the converter (one‐way vs two‐way), the existence of property rights and the possibility of side payments. With incompatibility, entry deterrence occurs for sufficiently strong network effects. In the case of a two‐way converter, which can only be supplied by the incumbent, incompatibility will result in equilibrium unless side payments are allowed and the network externalities are sufficiently low. When both firms can build a one‐way converter and there are no property rights on the necessary technical specifications, the unique equilibrium involves full compatibility. Finally, when each firm has property rights on its technical specifications, full incompatibility is observed at the equilibrium with no side payments; when these are allowed the entrant sells access to its network to the incumbent which refuses to do the same and asymmetric one‐way compatibility results in equilibrium.     

Advertising as an Entry Deterrent: Evidence from UK firms

Advertising is widely considered to be an important isolating mechanism through which firms may defend an established competitive advantage. However, there is relatively little empirical evidence on the extent of the strategic use of advertising either to deter or in response to entry. In this paper, I report on a study of the advertising practices of 843 medium‐sized and large UK‐based firms. Nearly one‐quarter of all the advertisers surveyed state that they attribute importance to entry deterrence as an aim of their advertising. Further, one in five managers of advertising firms state that they would increase advertising expenditure if a new rival company appeared in their market. It is also apparent that there is a strong correlation between the perceived importance of advertising as an entry‐deterring tool and the intensity of advertising spending. Multivariate modelling provides confirmation that the existence of a sheltered market position, and the profitability that typically accompanies this, provides a statistically significant determinant of the decision to use advertising as a strategic entry‐deterring weapon.     

Export Entry,Export Exit and Productivity in German Manufacturing Industries

This paper contributes to the flourishing literature on exports and productivity by using a unique newly available panel of exporting establishments from the manufacturing sector of Germany from 1995 to 2004 to test three hypotheses motivated by a theoretical model by Hopenhayn (Econometrica 1992): (H1) Firms that stop exporting in year t were in t?1 less productive than firms that continue to export in t. (H2) Firms that start to export in year t are less productive than firms that export both in year t?1 and in year t. (H3) Firms from a cohort of export starters that still export in the last year of the panel were more productive in the start year than firms from the same cohort that stopped exporting in between. While results for West Germany support all three hypotheses, this is only the case for (H1) and (H2) in East Germany.     

论外资银行进入效应与银行业开放的保护策略

随着2007年WTO过渡期的结束，外资银行将以更快的速度进入我国。外资银行的进入，在促进我国经济快速发展的同时，也带来了不容忽视的金融安全问题。为此，应对外资银行进入的宏微观效应进行评估，并运用理论模型，分析外资进入的替代效应与进入后的监管信息约束效应。面对银行业的全面开放，在我国银行业竞争力相对较弱的现实情况下，为避免外资银行进入对我国银行业造成过度损害，有必要采取相应的保护策略。     

外资进入与国内价值链地位提升

近年来,国际经济形势日趋复杂严峻,全球价值链纵向分工趋于缩短或转移至新地点,构建以国内大循环为主体、国内国际双循环相互促进的新发展格局是我国当前经济转型和未来可持续发展的关键。本文利用中国30个省份区域间投入产出表,结合探索性空间数据分析方法和静态、动态多种空间权重矩阵,系统考察了外资进入对我国区域国内价值链地位提升的影响。研究发现,外资进入对国内价值链地位提升具有显著的促进作用;FDI进入地区不仅可以获得直接的技术溢出,而且对相邻地区产生“非自愿”的溢出效应,但省份内FDI溢出效应作用更为明显。在改变计量模型、变量测算形式后,上述结论仍然成立,且不同分组样本(不同技术水平、外资进入程度以及是否沿海地区)对应的检验结果存在异质性。市场化程度强化了外资进入对国内价值链地位提升的促进作用。进一步地,外资进入通过提高国内价值链地位对我国产业结构升级产生正向影响,且直接效应比间接效应更为显著。     

外资保险公司进入中国的效应分析与政策选择

加入WTO以来,外资保险公司在中国保险市场加速扩张,以保费收入年均超过50%的速度高速增长.在中国这样新兴加转轨市场中以及外资保险公司进入的溢出效应初步实现的背景下,本文分析了外资保险在中国的经营状况和竞争策略,重新审视了外资保险公司进入对中国保险业发展带来的积极效应和新问题,并提出了在开放经济的视角下对外资保险机构的进入与发展应该实施怎样的制度安排.     

Leverage and strategic preemption: Lessons from entry plans and incumbent investments

This paper empirically investigates the effect of leverage on strategic preemption. Using new data on entry plans and incumbent investments from the American casino industry, I find that high leverage prevents incumbents from responding to entry threats. Facing the same set of entry plans, low-leverage incumbents expand physical capacity (by 30%), whereas high-leverage incumbents do not. This difference in investment matters because capacity installations preempt eventual entry. Stock market reactions to withdrawn plans imply that effective preemption increases incumbent firm value by 5%. My findings suggest that leverage matters for industry composition, not just firm-level investment.     

On competition and endogenous firm efficiency

Summary. Conventional wisdom holds that product market competition disciplines firms into efficiency of operation. However, in a well known paper, Martin (1993) has shown that in a linear Cournot setting (with costs determined first and product market competition taking place in a second stage) the exact opposite obtains – a larger number of firms competing in the market implies lower firm efficiency. The note clarifies further the links between market structure and efficiency. Specifically, it argues why (and how) the result derived by Martin (1993) depends upon the assumptions made regarding the structure of demand and nature of conjectures held by firms as to their rivals' behavior. An illustrative counter-example (with Bertrand behavior and non-linear demand) in which entry increases efficiency is provided as well. Received: March 2, 2000; revised version: September 19, 2000     

Retail internationalization and retail failure: issues from the case of Marks and Spencer

Notwithstanding the importance of retailing to urban economies, the role of retailing in the marketing of urban places has been an area neglected by both academics and practitioners alike. It is acknowledged that the principles of marketing can be applied (albeit with modification) to the context of urban places. The theoretical implications of this are considered using Corsico's () metaphors of the city as enterprise, market and commodity. Such issues are considered via a survey of place marketing actors within the specific context of the marketing of towns and cities as shopping destinations in urban places classified as sub-regional and above. Particular attention is paid to responsibility for the marketing of the retail provision, the emphasis given to retail in the marketing/promotional activities of various urban stakeholders, the perceived role of retailing, and the factors influencing the nature of the urban retail provision. Promotion of retailing was found to be important for all urban stakeholders to a greater or lesser degree. However, prime responsibility lay with town centre managers and shopping centre managers. The implications for both theory and practice are discussed.     

Entering China Today

Summary

The peripherally growing and remarkably dynamic Chinese economy is now encouraging the use of more diverse and creative entry modes for international investors. This article illustrates various entry modes of foreign direct investment available at present to foreign companies entering China. These entry modes include equity joint ventures, wholly foreign owned subsidiaries, contractual joint ventures, umbrella companies, acquisitions, representative offices, branches, build-operate-transfers, licensing and franchising. The merits and limitations of each entry mode are discussed. Some practical advice on entry strategies for international executives active in the Chinese market is also highlighted.