Shipping Fees or Shipping Free? A Tale of Two Price Partitioning Strategies in Online Retailing

In this article, we study the price partitioning decisions of online retailers regarding shipping and handling (S&H) fees. Specifically, we analyze two partitioning formats used by retailers in this context. In the first scenario, retailers present customers with a price that is partitioned into a product price and a separate S&H surcharge (the PS strategy); in the second, customers are offered free shipping through a non‐partitioned format where the product price already includes the shipping cost (the ZS strategy). We first develop a stylized game‐theoretic model that captures the competitive dynamics between (and within) these two formats. Analysis of the model provides insights into how both firm and product level characteristics drive a retailer's strategic choice regarding which partitioning format to adopt and, hence, determines the equilibrium market structure in terms of proportion of ZS and PS retailers. Subsequently, we conduct empirical analyses, based on product and S&H prices data for two different product categories (digital cameras and printers) collected from online retailers, to validate all the results of our theoretical model. We establish that PS retailers charge lower product prices than ZS ones, but the total price (product + S&H) charged is higher for the first group. The S&H charge for PS retailers can be significant—it is, on average, 5.4% (printers) and 3.0% (digital cameras) for our two product categories. Furthermore, retailers which are popular and/or face risky cost environment are more likely to opt for the ZS strategy, while retailers whose portfolio mostly includes large or heavy products with high cost (S&H)‐to‐price ratios usually choose the PS strategy. Lastly, our empirical study also illustrates that the price adjustment behavior of retailers is affected by their shipping‐fee policies—for example, ZS retailers change their product prices almost 1.5 times more frequently than PS ones.     

社员异质性与资金互助合作的稳定运行机制

从我国农村合作经济组织发展实际来看,社员异质性已成为其最重要的内部环境特征。通过分析异质性社员的构成成分,将其分为核心社员和普通社员两类,对比分析他们的行为差异,建立Bertrand博弈模型,探讨异质性社员参与资金互助业务的可能性条件。研究发现异质性社员之间的合作具有节约成本的效用,将合作成本分为组织成本和交易成本进行解读,且合作成本满足一定条件下,异质性社员具有合作的可能性,最后提出了这种合作稳定运行的机制。     

论环境公益诉讼费用征收规则的完善

环境公益诉讼制度的入法,标志着我国环境公益诉讼制度从理论层面走向了制度层面。但我国当下环境公益诉讼费用征收规则难以适应环境公益诉讼发展需要,导致环境公益诉讼在司法实践中受阻。运用文献研究法具体分析我国现行环境公益诉讼费用征收规则,发现在诉讼费用征收标准、诉讼激励机制以及司法救助等方面存在若干不足。因此,建议在《诉讼费用交纳办法》中制定关于环境公益诉讼费用征收规则的原则性规定,并出台关于环境公益诉讼费用交纳规则的具体规定和完善相关配套法律法规等措施来完善我国环境公益诉讼费用征收规则。     

Some essentially complete classes for bayesian multistage sampling inspection

Bayesian multistage inspection plans are often used in inadequate cost models. By means of essentially complete classes this point is made, as well as that of fixed and truncated plans.     

Some basic concepts of numerical treatment of Markov decision models

This survey reviews some results on numerical treatment of MARKOV Decision Models with respect to iV-stage-optimality, discounted optimality, and average optimality criteria. Especially, we deal with accelerated algorithms, approximation procedures and structured problems.

AMS 1980 subject classifications: 93C55, 90C40, 93D35     

论代位权行使过程中必要费用的承担

目前我国关于代位权行使过程中必要费用承担的规定有其合理性,但也存在很多的不足。对于代位权行使过程中必要费用的承担要区分债权人胜诉和败诉两种情况,否则对于债务人来说显失公平。债权人胜诉时的必要费用由债务人承担,但债权人败诉时的必要费用则可能由债权人自己来承担。关于必要费用的范围,在今后的立法改革中应当明确把诉讼费剔除出去,以消除现在存在的争议。当债权人胜诉时,次债务人承担诉讼费后,其可以不当得利为由对债务人行使偿还请求权,这就形成了另外一种法律关系,与目前诉讼费由次债务人承担的规定也并不矛盾。明确必要费用的范围,区分债权人胜诉和败诉两种情况是今后立法改革的重中之重。     

性别差异视角下女农民工城乡迁移个人风险成本的实证研究——基于1012位城乡迁移农民工的问卷调查

对1012位城乡迁移农民工问卷调查数据进行的统计分析表明,女农民工工作的稳定性只有男农民工的60．19％;她们遭遇劳动不安全比例比男农民工稍低;女农民工未签订任何形式劳动合同的比倒要比男农民工高8．13％;男女农民工“体质不如从前”、“遇到失业”的比例虽不存在性别差异,但在女农民工中,这两方面的比例却高达30％、60％;她们遭遇财产不安全的百分比部分与男农民工有差异;她们享受福利的比例较低,大部分福利的享受比例不存在性别差异。为控制女农民工过高的城乡迁移个人风险成本,应将城乡迁移的女农民工纳入城镇社会保障体系,全社会要树立契约意识与强化职业伦理,城市要建立为城乡迁移的女农民工服务的工作体系,切实保障其合法权益。     

农业水费的社会功能分析

农业灌溉用水作为特殊商品具有普通商品在市场经济中的价值属性,水费的收取就是题中应有之义。在农村,水费征收是补偿水利工程建设,维护、管理成本及水管单位良性发展的生产经营性行为,是确保水利工程可持续利用的客观需要。更为重要的是,在农业水费的征收中,还附带着很多政治的诉求与社会的功能。通过农业水费收取,国家政权在农村能够得到有效实施,能转移和稀释农村社会矛盾与纠纷,并能传递乡村治理中的重要信息。     

高校基建审计存在的问题及对策初探

高校基建投资规模逐年增加,工程造价审计日趋重要,本文分析了高校基建审计中存在的问题并提出了相应的对策。