Software variety and hardware value: a case study of complementary network externalities in the microcomputer software industry

We estimate the effects of software provision on the valuation of hardware in the early microcomputer industry, covering the period 1981–1986. Since hardware and software technologies `co-evolve,' a discussion of the economic and technological relationships is provided to clarify the nature of the relationship between software variety and hardware price.     

基于网络外部性的绿色制造策略研究

根据消费者的绿色偏好以及产品的网络外部性特征构建消费者效用函数,在此基础上,对供应链的制造策略进行分析。首先,利用逆向归纳法获得了Stackelberg均衡,并证明了产品的网络外部性对供应链成员收益存在正向影响。其次,利用比较分析法给出了制造商实施绿色制造策略的条件。然后,对信息不对称模型进行研究发现,当制造商对绿色产品网络外部性的估计满足一定条件时,零售商的信息共享策略对制造商和零售商都有利。最后,将模型拓展到混合制造策略下,并通过数值方法,讨论了各种参数变化带来的影响。所得结论对企业绿色制造决策具有重要的参考价值。     

考虑异质性技术的环境效率评价及空间效应

本文在充分考虑异质性技术的基础上,利用Meta-frontier效率函数估算我国(区域)环境效率,并将集聚外部性和地理、贸易等空间因素纳入环境效率的分析框架中,考察环境效率空间溢出的渠道和效应.研究发现:由于不同地区组群之间环境生产技术存在较大差异,导致环境效率呈现东部——西部——中部依次递减的格局.集聚外部性是改善环境效率的重要机制,不同的集聚程度和集聚方式对应于不同的环境效率.其中,东部地区马歇尔外部性和雅各布斯外部性均较显著,而中西部地区仅体现微弱的马歇尔外部性.地理邻接地区间的污染转移倾向都较为严重;全国而言,贸易联系紧密的地区间有着较强的负向环境效率效应,而区域内部则更多体现学习和正向效率溢出效应.在节能减排工作中,要充分发挥空间集聚的“自净效应”,同时高度重视环境污染(政策)的空间相关性,加强跨地区的环境合作.     

Evolving the latent variable model as an environmental DEA technology

This article tests several nonparametric DEA models for their ability to accurately decompose CO₂ emissions change using a Malmquist styled decomposition framework. This production oriented activity analysis involves panel data and two data sets from the literature for comparison. A new Latent Variable radial input-oriented technology is introduced that is closely associated with a Koopmans Efficient Slacks Based Model. The Latent Variable technology simultaneously reduces inputs and undesirable outputs in a single Multiple Objective Linear Program. This production theoretic methodology is adapted to preserve both scale efficiency and causality within the envelopment framework. Finally, the application studies demonstrate the internal consistency of the Latent Variable reduction coefficients, which overturns previous results and paves the way for further research into undesirable externalities.     

两寡头序贯进入下的B2B电子商务网站IT投资决策

在竞争性的B2B电子商务网站这一市场中,用户转移成本及网络外部性的存在会阻碍用户转向市场后入者,从而给市场先入者带来用户规模优势,而IT成本下降可以给后入者带来成本优势,在这些因素交互影响的市场环境下,先入者和后入者应采取何种IT投资策略以保持竞争优势是一重要问题。针对上述问题,通过综合考虑IT成本下降、用户转移成本及网络外部性等因素,构建了一个序贯进入的、两寡头垄断的B2B电子商务网站的IT投资决策模型,探讨了IT成本下降、用户转移成本及网络外部性等参数变化对B2B电子商务网站IT投资决策的影响。研究结果表明,随着IT成本下降,当用户具有高转移成本时,先入者可采取进攻性的、增加投资的策略;反之,当用户具有低转移成本时,后入者则可采取进攻性的、增加投资的策略,并且能够提供更高质量的网站,获得相对于先入者更高的市场份额;当网络外部性增强时,先入者则可采取进攻性的、增加投资的策略,而后入者只能采取防守性的、减少投资的策略。     

Product Life‐Cycle Management of Packaged Software

A software product becomes less valuable for its consumers over time due to technological and economic obsolescence. As a result, firms have an opportunity to introduce and sell upgrades that provide higher utility to consumers compared to an older and out‐of‐date software product. In a market that is growing and consists of homogeneous customers, we prove that the optimal upgrade intervals are monotonically increasing throughout the product's life cycle solely because of demand and cost considerations. This finding is in conformity with empirical evidence, thus validating our theoretical model. We then present comparative statics results to show that increase in the rate of obsolescence or network externalities may sometimes increase upgrade intervals for early upgrades and decrease these for later upgrades in the product's life cycle, but increase in market growth rate always decreases these intervals. Further, when successive software upgrades are forward compatible, upgrade intervals are longer than when they are not. Finally, we present three separate extensions of our model to showcase the robustness of our results. Since upgrade development costs depend on upgrade intervals, these insights help managers understand how costing for upgrades changes over the product's life cycle.     

Multilateral Contracting with Externalities

This paper proposes a model for multilateral contracting, where contracts are written and renegotiated over time, and where contracts may impose externalities on other agents. Equilibria always exist and the equilibrium value function is linear and monotonically increasing on the contracts. If the grand coalition, or contracting among all agents, is inefficient, we show that bargaining delays arise in positive‐externality games and equilibrium inefficiency may remain bounded away from zero even as bargaining frictions converge to zero. Otherwise, if the grand coalition is efficient, there are no bargaining delays, convergence to the grand coalition occurs in a finite number of contracting rounds, and the outcome becomes efficient as players become more patient.     

网络外部性、差异化竞争与主流化策略研究

本文将网络外部性同顾客选择与产品差异化理论结合,通过构建扩展的豪泰林模型研究了网络外部性对市场绩效与企业竞争策略的影响。研究主要表明:当某种网络产品成为主流化产品时,将比非主流化产表现出更强的网络外部性,并且价格和厂商利润均高于非主流化产品。最后,本文对网络企业如何实施主流化策略提出了建议。     

中小企业模仿战略下的技术兼容性分析

本文从企业技术兼容性这个全新的角度研究了在具有网络外部性的市场中,中小企业通过技术模仿来提升技术水平(产品质量)以达到和在位大型企业共存并相互竞争的问题。文中通过引入模仿效率系数来刻画中小企业的技术模仿行为,并将中小企业为获得技术兼容性所支付的兼容成本内生化为模仿成本与兼容度的函数。研究结论表明:中小企业为缩小与大型企业的差距,在模仿效果不显著的前提下,倾向于选择在模仿战略中与大型企业产品进行兼容,从而分享其安装基础达到共存的目的;且在一定的模仿效率下,存在最优技术兼容度使得企业利润最大化。     

具有网络外部性的双寡头市场的动态定价策略

本文通过将消费者对网络大小的预期引入消费者的效用函数,刻画了消费者预期如何影响市场潜量。然后,通过微分对策,分析了在垄断竞争的市场结构中的厂商如何在考虑到消费者对今后的预期时,如何动态的决定自己的价格和相应的策略。结果表明,随着消费者对网络增长预期的增大,将导致更大的网络规模和更低的初始价格。寡头的利润受消费者对其产量的预期的影响。