Price discrimination and efficient matching

This paper considers the problem of a monopoly matchmaker that uses a schedule of entrance fees to sort different types of agents on the two sides of a matching market into exclusive meeting places, where agents randomly form pairwise matches. We make the standard assumption that the match value function exhibits complementarities, so that matching types at equal percentiles maximizes total match value and is efficient. We provide necessary conditions and sufficient conditions for the revenue-maximizing sorting to be efficient. These conditions require the match value function, modified to incorporate the incentive cost of eliciting private type information, to exhibit complementarities in types.JEL Clalssification Numbers C7, D4We thank Jonathan Levin, Tracy Lewis, and the seminar audience at University of California at Los Angeles, University of British Columbia, Duke University, and 2003 Econometric Society North American Summer Meeting for comments and suggestions. We are also grateful for helpful suggestions from the referees and the Editor     

Complementarity, coordination and compatibility: The role of fixed costs in the economics of systems

We analyze industry equilibrium and incentive to compatibility when goods produced by different producers generate utility only when consumed as component parts of a system. We assume the presence of two systems, each composed of some basic component and a set of differentiated complementary products. The combination of complementarity between the two components of the system and of fixed costs in the production of the complementary product results in a form of network effect. We focus on the role played by the size of the fixed costs in the production of the complementary products in determining the size of this system effect and, by this means, the structure and types of equilibria that may be observed: monopolistic or duopolistic, symmetric or asymmetric. We also highlight the consequence of the same fixed costs for the private and social incentives to render the systems compatible.     

The role of complementarity and partner brand price level in new product introduction strategy using bundle offers: A study on the quality perception of bundle components

The quality perception of a new brand improves when it is bundled with a product having a strong brand image, moderated by the level of complementarity between the bundle components. This study takes this research forward with the help of two experiments. The first experiment uses anchoring and adjustment process to conclude that the quality perception of a new brand further strengthens if bundled with a strong brand of a higher price category than itself. The second experiment concludes that the quality perception of the strong brand can also deter if bundled with a new product of uncertain quality.     

中国与中亚5国农产品贸易的互补性分析

中亚5国与中国毗邻,双方在农业领域的合作前景十分广阔,随着上海合作组织区域经济合作的不断深入,中国与中亚5国农产品贸易增长迅速。本文运用修正的显示性比较优势指数、贸易强度指数和产业内贸易指数对中国与中亚5国农产品贸易互补性进行了实证分析。研究表明:中国与中亚5国在农产品生产要素和农产品贸易方面均存在互补性,且贸易互补性与生产要素的互补性相吻合。然而,双边贸易规模还较小,双方潜在的互补性未能充分转化为现实的互利性,因此,中国要加强与中亚5国的农产品贸易合作。     

调整政府支出结构促进居民消费增长——基于政府支出与居民消费互补性关系的分析

本文主要从政府支出与居民消费的互补性关系出发,提出政府支出结构调整的三个主要方面,即加大农村基础设施的投资、加大教育和健康服务等优效品的支付以及加大社会保障和收入支持的支出,以此促进居民消费快速增长,推动经济增长由主要依靠投资和出口拉动向主要依靠内需特别是消费拉动转变。     

中日经贸合作的新动态及其发展趋势

时下学界对中日经贸关系的现状及其发展趋势的判断不尽相同,依据中日双方有关统计数据进行综合分析后,本文认为,“经热”降温的动向值得注意,但现在做出“经凉”或“经冷”的判断尚嫌草率。再从中日两国产业贸易结构的现状分析看,可以肯定,未来一个时期中日两国的竞争领域将有所扩大,但互补性的特点不会发生根本性改变,两国将呈现经济互补、竞争并存的发展趋势。     

入世后中日制成品贸易发展的实证分析

中国"入世"后,中日贸易的发展与中国其他主要贸易伙伴相比有一定的差距,其占中国对外贸易总额的比重不断下降。为了深入了解中日贸易的发展变化,本文以制成品为研究对象,在国际贸易标准分类的基础上,借助贸易强度指数、互补性指数、产业内贸易指数等进行了定量分析。结果表明,双方紧密的贸易联系和较强的互补性并没有发生改变。只要能妥善处理诸多政治分歧,双方贸易增长还将有很大的潜力。     

Toward a Horizonal Theory of Justice: Efficiency,Equity, Rights and Capabilities in a Free Market Economy

The theory of planning horizons and their relation to pricing, conscience and learning has been explored in some detail in terms of efficiency attributes and ecological health (Jennings 2003, Journal of Economic Issues 39:365-373, 2005, 2007a, b, 2008a). This paper addresses the equity implications of planning horizons in terms of the social role and importance of justice, rights and capabilities in a free market economy. From my earlier work, cooperation—not competition—is seen as the means to longer and broader horizons in an efficiency frame, mitigating any alleged tradeoff against equity issues. The impact of longer horizons on fairness and justice in terms of intentions and outcomes along with rights and capabilities still remains unexplored. This paper reviews the normative aspects of planning horizons, showing how ethical and ecological conscience spreads with horizon effects, strengthening goals of fairness and the internalization of social effects. In this setting, capabilities and empowerment are enhanced by respect for human rights, as social conscience spreads through interhorizonal complementarities. The features of a long-horizon world differ from myopic contexts, specifically in the relation of efficiency to other goals. This paper examines that difference in terms of its equity aspects, with regard to social justice and the role of rights and capabilities in economic cultures.     

Public–private partnerships: Task interdependence and contractibility

We examine the proper scope of public–private partnerships in the context of a project consisting of two tasks, building and operation of a facility. We investigate the optimal arrangement regarding bundling versus unbundling and private ownership versus public ownership. Like Bennett and Iossa (2006), we assume that the innovative activity in the building stage has impacts on, among other things, the subsequent operational cost. We relax the nature of task interdependence and study different contractual frameworks. The general insight is that given limitations in contractibility, contrary to common sense, complementarity between tasks favors unbundling over bundling.     

川渝联手开拓南亚市场研究

川渝产业结构与南亚国家具有很强的互补性,川渝自身的区位优势明显,有必要联手拓展南亚国家市场。在此过程中,川渝政府应该进一步完善当前的物流市场,加快高层次外贸人才的培养和引进,并做好其他相关的外贸配套工作,充分将潜在的竞争优势转化现实的竞争力。