Subject-specific performance information can worsen the tragedy of the commons: Experimental evidence

The main aim of this article is to investigate the behavioral consequences of the provision of subject-specific information in the group effort levels chosen by players in an experimental CPR game. We examine two basic treatments, one with incomplete information and the other with complete information. In the former, subjects are informed only about their own individual payoffs and the aggregate extraction effort level of the group, and in the latter they are also informed about the individual effort levels and payoffs of each subject. Given this setting, the basic question we attempt to answer is: Will the provision of subject-specific performance information (i.e. individual’s effort levels and payoffs) improve or worsen the tragedy of the commons (i.e. an exploitation effort level greater than the socially optimum level)? In order to motivate our hypotheses and explain our experimental results at the individual level, we make use of the theory of learning in games, which goes beyond standard non-cooperative game theory, allowing us to explore the three basic benchmarks in the commons context: Nash equilibrium, Pareto efficient, and open access outcomes. We use several learning and imitation theoretical models that are based on contrasting assumptions about the level of rationality and the information available to subjects, namely: best response, imitate the average, mix of best response and imitate the average, imitate the best and follow the exemplary learning rules. Finally, in order to econometrically test the hypotheses formulated from the theoretical predictions we use a random-effects model to assess the explanatory power of the different selected behavioral learning and imitation rules.     

From stagnation to growth: Revisiting three historical regimes

This paper explores the role of mortality in the long transition from Malthusian stagnation to sustained economic growth. An endogenous child mortality rate that varies inversely with parents standard of living is added to the framework in Galor and Weil (AER 2000). In our version of the model, the transition from stagnation to growth, triggered by an exogenous shock to technology, comprises a mortality revolution succeeded by a demographic transition.This paper has benefitted from discussions with and suggestions made by KarlGunnar Persson, Christian Schultz, and, particularly, Christian Groth at the University of Copenhagen. I gratefully acknowledge the insightful criticisms of two anonymous referees, and I thank Paula Madsen for English proof-reading. Responsible editor: Alessandro Cigno.     

“Living in sin” and marriage: A matching model

This paper develops a two sided matching model of premarital cohabitation and marriage in which premarital cohabitation serves as a period of learning. We solve for the optimal policy to be followed by individuals by treating the model as a three stage dynamic programming problem. We find that couples are more discriminating when forming marital unions than when forming cohabiting unions. Cohabitation unions arise among members of the same “class” and there is overlap between the classes formed by marital unions and cohabiting unions. This implies that some cohabiting unions progress to marriage while others do not, a finding borne out by empirical studies. Received: 4 November 1999/Accepted: 4 September 2000     

物流理论演化的历史考证与最新发展

考察物流理论演化发展的历史背景、条件和过程,可以看到20世纪80年代中期物流理论出现了由PD向Logistics的转化;20世纪90年代末至21世纪初又出现Logistics向SCM发展;随着21世纪强调知识经济和可持续发展,物流理论进一步向MF方向发展,因此,全球的物流理论呈现出“PD—k塔isticrSCM——MF”发展变化的规律和趋势。     

适应网格环境的物流网络研究

随着物流网络这一概念的明确，对物流网络运行环境特性与对应发展模式等问题的探索已接踵而至。本文论证了物流网络应与将逐步兴起的网格环境协调发展的合理性，并展开了对物流网络与网格环境协调发展的框架结构、网络服务资源管理等一些关键问题的进一步分析。