Collective Consuming: Consumers as Subcontractors in Electronic Markets

In this essay, contrary to popular belief, it is argued on the basis of transaction cost economics that consumers will become dependent subcontractors in electronic markets. Consumers invest time and effort building up a relationship with a producer, (r)e-tailer, or intermediary—an investment that is idiosyncratic. The intermediary only needs to invest in generic assets that enable him or her to automate the process of collecting and processing customer information needed to differentiate products and discriminate prices. As subcontractors, consumers face high switching costs and are thus dependent on intermediaries. Virtual communities of consumers that organize countervailing power will not mitigate this tendency.     

专业化分工与市场中介组织的形成及演进机理分析

通过对专业化分工理论的回顾,认为如果从分工角度考察市场中介组织,市场中介组织形成和发展的一个主要原因是专业化分工的深化和交易网络的扩展。在此基础上,从专业化分工视角进一步分析了市场中介组织的演进机理。市场中介组织正是专业化分工的产物,是人们为降低专业化分工产生的交易成本和获取由专业化分工产生的报酬递增的一种制度安排。     

市场细分和专利保护下制造商与再制造商的博弈策略研究

考虑人们对再制造产品的偏好及市场中存在的专利模式,在细分普通消费者与绿色消费者的基础上,探讨不同专利模式下制造商与再制造商的最优博弈策略,并结合数值算例分析模型中关键参数(绿色消费者比例、普通消费者对再制造产品的接受程度)对均衡解及渠道成员利润的影响。研究表明,从环境绩效和消费者利益的角度分析,固定费用专利许可模式下的闭环供应链最优;从制造商与再制造商的角度分析,使用何种专利许可模式或定价策略取决于不同的条件。     

The impact of consumer trust on attitudinal loyalty and purchase intentions in B2C e-marketplaces: Intermediary trust vs. seller trust

The online merchant of an e-marketplace consists of an intermediary, providing the market infrastructure, and the community of sellers conducting business within that infrastructure. Typically, consumers willingly buy from unknown sellers within an e-marketplace, despite the apparent risk, since they trust the institutional mechanisms furnished by the relatively well-known intermediary. Consumers’ trust in one component of the e-marketplace merchant may not only affect their trust in the other, but also influence the way consumers make online purchases. This paper explores the impact of trust on consumer behavior in e-marketplaces. An empirical study has been conducted to accomplish our research objectives, using a questionnaire survey of 222 active e-marketplace shoppers in Korea. The results reveal that consumer trust in an intermediary has a strong influence upon both attitudinal loyalty and purchase intentions, although consumer trust in the community of sellers has no significant effect on the two constructs representing consumer behavior. In addition, it was found that trust is transferred from an intermediary to the community of sellers, implying that the trustworthiness of the intermediary plays a critical role in determining the extent to which consumers trust and accept the sellers in the e-marketplace. This paper offers some implications from the findings of the research.     

供应链运营中的逆向选择问题分析——基于中间商交易的视角

通过在简单的二级供应链运营过程中引入中间商,阐述供应链内的中间商交易过程,分析其在信息不对称的条件下配置产品交易市场的模型。并通过比较是否存在中间商交易情况下的供应链绩效,证明了存在中间商的供应链内部交易将有效地提高供应链绩效,从而避免和降低供应链内部企业之间的逆向选择及合约设计上的道德风险问题。     

大数据发展、营商环境与区域创新绩效

    探讨如何优化营商环境,提高区域创新绩效,对推动高质量发展具有重要意义。基于对大数据发展下营商环境影响区域创新绩效的机制分析,以2008—2017年我国地级市及722家民营企业的面板数据为样本,构建动态面板模型,使用SYS-GMM估计法进行实证检验,得出：（1）优化营商环境虽在总体上有利于提升区域创新绩效,但在不同城市存在异质性,呈现出“非省会强、省会弱”的不均衡特征。（2）大数据发展与营商环境优化的契合是区域创新绩效提升的关键,尤其是在省会城市,其作用更强,但囿于技术学习能力,却在非省会城市作用不确定。（3）营商环境优化作用的不均衡区域特征源于交易成本的中介作用存在城市差异,在省会城市,大数据发展能激发出交易成本的中介作用,增强优化营商环境的间接作用,扭转“非省会强、省会弱”的区域不均衡特征,全面激发营商环境优化的创新绩效提升效应。     

Research on the influencing factors of customer referral behavior based on social network—Application in the catering industry

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate how customers' social network affects customer referral behavior.MethodologyA survey of 180 qualified questionnaires from ordinary consumers in China was conducted. Structural equation model was performed on the collection of data.FindingsThe results show that condensed subgroups and the relationship strength between customers and between customers and companies have a greater influence on customer referrals than network density and centrality. In contrast, network scale and structural holes do not influence customer referrals.Originality/valueContributing to customer referral theory, this paper examines the influencing factors of customer referral behavior based on social network, providing theoretical suggestions for enterprises better using customer referral to acquire customers.     

论我国知识产权用益出资

是否允许知识产权用益出资,我国现行法律规定的并不明确。运用交易成本分析方法,分析制度的不确定性将导致高额的交易成本,而高额的交易成本又遏制人们以知识产权进行投资的积极性。通过建立专利和商标用益出资登记制度,来降低交易成本并鼓励知识产权用益出资。     

时间压力与促销决策信息搜寻的内在关联机制

促销截止日期使消费者必须在较短的时间内实现对决策信息的认知闭合。在不考虑主观时间压力(机会成本感知)时,个人时间约束、促销时间限制(客观时间压力)更易导致消费者依赖经验(直觉)进行决策。此时,促销时间限制对消费者促销决策信息搜寻的影响程度更强,消费者认知闭合的信息参照依赖点往往会集中到产品-价格知识及品牌经验上。在考虑主观时间压力中介效应时,消费者的信息搜寻方式出现了分化,其不仅会依赖直觉经验,还会开展必要的信息搜寻学习(理性思考)。在很大程度上,本研究证明了促销决策过程中的时间压力与因认知闭合需要而导致的信息搜寻具有紧密的内在关联,即,消费者的信息搜寻会因认知闭合需要而往往更偏向于直觉启发式。     

基于信号博弈的供应链交易成本研究

交易成本是企业组织模式变动的原因，是供应链成本管理的重要方面。首先从交易成本经济学的角度分析了供应链交易成本产生的原因及其决定因素和影响因素；然后，通过信号博弈的方法研究了信息不确定的市场中供应链企业间的交易活动，确定了不同市场均衡下供应链企业间的交易成本；最后，通过对不同均衡下供应链交易成本的分析，论述了降低交易成本的方法和途径，为供应链管理提供理论指导。     

中国科技评价政策的变迁与演化：特征、主题与合作网络

作为科技评价活动的“指挥棒”,科技评价政策的制定与实施已经成为政府优化资源配置、提高财政科技投入绩效、实现科技发展战略目标的重要科技管理手段。科技评价政策体系是否科学、合理直接影响着评价工作的效果和质量。研究以1978-2020年的中国科技评价政策为研究对象,对其基本特征、政策主题和合作网络的总体情况及变迁与演化进行了分析与总结。研究发现：政策主题呈现多元化发展趋势,覆盖了各类科技评价相关内容,但对科技规划、政策和发展领域评价关注不足;建设性条款和分类评价成为高频政策内容,但操作性不足;机构合作网络经历了“节点逐渐增多、合作频次大幅增加”的发展趋势,各机构联系的紧密性较为稳定,但机构间权力分布则稳定性不足。最后,从合理分配政策注意力、完善科技评价理论与方法以及加强机构协同性三方面提出改进建议。     

消费者权益保护与企业创新投入

强化消费者权益保护是优化市场环境和推动企业创新的重要举措。本文利用2009—2016年制造业民营上市企业的数据,采用双重差分法考察消费者权益保护对企业创新投入的影响及其机制。研究发现：以《消费者权益保护法》大修为刻画的消费者权益保护增强并没有带来企业积极的CSR活动,但可以提高消费品企业的社会关注度,通过缓解信息不对称促进消费品企业的创新投入。对于在政商关系健康、知识产权保护水平较低的城市、处于成熟期以及技术高管占比较低的企业而言,消费者权益保护的创新促进作用更强。强化消费者权益保护可以优化企业人力资本结构,促进企业的隐性创新,并提高企业的全要素生产率。     

网络环境下第三方评论对冲动购买意愿的实证研究

冲动购买在消费者日常购物中是比较普遍的现象,而口碑是影响消费者冲动购买意愿的重要因素,第三方评论作为口碑的独特形式在互联网Web2.0时代日益重要。文中采用问卷调查的方法,构建了以网络第三方评论为研究对象,通过实证分析的方法进一步探究了口碑对消费者冲动购买意愿的影响。实证研究结果表明:评论者资信度、评论的质量、评论的数量、评论的好评度、评论的时效性等对消费者冲动购买意愿具有正向影响,而消费者专业能力对冲动购买意愿具有负向影响作用。     

管理层持股、融资约束与创新绩效——基于融资约束中介作用的实证研究

本文以我国上市公司2012-2015的样本为对象，使用Hadlock等（2010）的SA指数构建了融资约束虚拟变量，通过递归模型实证研究了融资约束在管理层持股对公司研发投资和研发效率影响中的中介作用。结论显示管理层持股与融资约束是高度显著的U型关系，但与创新效率则是高度显著的倒U型关系，融资约束在管理层持股对创新效率的影响中显著地发挥了部分中介作用，而且管理层持股对公司融资约束和创新绩效的影响主要局限于非国有控股上市公司。本文的研究为明确我国公司管理层持股对公司创新的影响路径提供了新的证据，也为实施股权激励和提高公司创新绩效提供了有益的参考。     

信息化嵌入对中国参与制造业全球价值链的影响研究

本文以信息化和工业化的融合发展为切入点,探究中国制造业全球价值链升级路径,实证检验信息化嵌入对制造业全球价值链参与的影响及作用机制。结果显示：信息化嵌入能显著推动制造业显性比较优势的提高,主要通过技术创新和劳动力成本实现;对制造业整体来说,信息化嵌入通过劳动力成本中介增强制造业全球价值链参与中的显性比较优势;信息化嵌入的影响及传导机制作用于不同技术水平制造业时具有显著差异,高技术制造业与信息化结合更好,技术创新和劳动力成本的中介效应显著,低技术制造业技术水平低、信息化结合能力弱,中介效应不显著。     

消费者、转基因农产品及标签——对转基因农产品问题的实证分析

以消费者为对象选取样本和设计实验,研究了“消费者到底对转基因农产品知多少”和“消费者真的不介意转基因农产品吗”这样两个问题,并得出了一些基本结论。     

外部审计质量对企业创新活动的作用机制研究

基于中国上市公司2007-2017年相关样本数据,本文从外部审计的公司治理与信息传递功能出发,构建实证回归模型,研究了外部审计质量对企业创新活动的影响及其作用机制。实证结果表明：高质量外部审计有助于营造企业创新氛围,推动企业创新活动;并且,外部审计质量的提高可分别通过缓解企业内部代理冲突和降低企业外部融资约束两条作用机制推动企业创新活动。该结论不仅丰富现阶段资本市场审计有关外部治理及信号传递的理论,并且对监管部门、审计师事务所、企业治理层、金融部门以及社会投资者在推动创新实践方面具有一定启示意义。     

Consumer Information Requirements and Telecommunications Regulation

Consumers can be disadvantaged and suffer detriment when information is withheld, when there is deception in the information provided, or when information is too difficult for consumers to obtain or evaluate. While information provision is often favored as a policy/regulatory tool to address “market failure,” it can have its own failings and drawbacks. For instance, the volume of information presented can contain its effectiveness. While the demand-side analysis indicates that actual consumer behavior exhibits systematic departures from the “rational” behavior assumed by conventional (neoclassical) economics, behavioral economics goes further in questioning whether additional information is always useful. It challenges some of the presumptions of conventional economics that consumers make their choices coherently and rationally. This article incorporates such considerations in proposing measures (including regulatory initiatives) that could improve the information made available to telecommunications consumers.     

How Institutional Incentives and Constraints Affect the Progress of Science 1

Much electronic commerce literature addresses the potential existence of digital divides between different classes of users. While many studies document users reported perceptions of disadvantage or cite infrastructure availability benchmarks, few studies quantify the extent of such divides in actual uptake and usage of electronic communications tools. This study seeks to quantify the extent of perceived rural-urban digital divides among businesses in New Zealand. Yellow Pages business register data are analysed to determine business uptake of e-mail and websites by location. The results challenge conventional perceptions of disadvantage on the basis of geography alone. Indeed, some provincial areas demonstrate higher uptake of business e-mail than their urban counterparts. Smaller and more remote provincial centre businesses are more likely to be using e-mail than their counterparts closer to the metropolitan centres. Those centres most remote from New Zealand's traditional commercial centre demonstrate higher uptake than those closer. Explanations based upon disadvantages such as poor telephony infrastructure appear inadequate in accounting for these observations. Rather, we contend that while infrastructure may play some part in the explanation for low rural hinterland uptake, the results of this study are consistent with economic determinations of the optimal time to invest in new technologies. Specifically, higher provincial and rural communication costs are a significant factor in encouraging higher and earlier levels of provincial and rural e-mail adoption, and the optimal time to invest in website adoption depends more upon firm size, local economic conditions and product than infrastructure quality and business location.     

Competition favors the prepared firm: Firms’ R&D responses to competitive market pressure

This paper aims to contribute to the literature on the long-debated relationship between market competition and firm research and development (R&D) by investigating the effect of competitive market pressure on firms’ incentives to invest in R&D. The paper shows that a firm's R&D response to competitive market pressure depends primarily on its level of technological competence or R&D productivity: firms with high levels of technological competence tend to respond aggressively (i.e., exhibit a higher level of R&D efforts) to intensifying competitive market pressure, while firms with low levels of technological competence tend to respond submissively (i.e., exhibit a lower level of R&D efforts). The differential effect of competitive market pressure on firm R&D, conditioned primarily by the level of firms’ technological competence, is empirically supported by unique firm-level data from the World Bank. Furthermore, the role of firm-specific technological competence in conditioning the R&D-competition relationship is more evident and statistically more significant for firms facing consumers whose utility is relatively more elastic to product quality than to price.