在實踐中，越來越多製造企業採用外包物流给专业的第三方物流供应商的方式來降低物流成本。然而，在學術研究領域，大部分現有的物流外包研究主要以描述性和規範性的研究為主，缺乏解釋性或預測性的研究。本文嘗試整合交易成本經濟學、基於資源觀和制度理論，來驗證和解釋物流外包的驅動因素及績效影響。本研究從大陸及香港的200家上市母公司中收取了250家的子公司作為研究樣本，並採用了結構方程模型、層次回歸、路徑分析的統計方法來檢驗相關的理論假設， 研究的結果表明： / 在研究一中，本研究結果發現內部生產資源和能力，例如物流基礎設施、物流資訊系統、內部物流技術，沒有直接影響物流外包。但是，介面性質的資源或能力，例如管理第三方物流供應商的能力和其他職能系統的使用，與物流外包的水準呈正相關。最後，研究還表明內部生產資源和能力通過介面性質的能力，例如管理第三方物流供應商的能力，影響著外包。 / 在研究二中，本研究發現，基於頻率和特質的模仿壓力正向地影響物流外包，基於結果的模仿壓力對物流外包沒有顯著的影響。當製造商對他們內部物流需求不確定，基於頻率的模仿壓力對物流外包的影響將會降低。同時，過高的外部市場不確定性將增加基於結果的模仿壓力對外包物流採用的影響。 / 在研究三，本研究將物流活動分類為基於資產的物流活動和基於非資產的物流活動，然後建立物流外包-運營績效-財務績效的實證模型。實證結果表明基於資產的物流活動外包顯著影響著交付績效和財務績效，但是不影響成本和柔性績效。然而，基於非資產物流活動外包直接顯著影響著成本和柔性績效，但不影響交付績效和財務績效。總而言之，基於資產的物流活動外包直接影響財務績效，但有限影響著運營績效，而基於非資產的物流活動外包通過運營績效來影響財務績效。 / 本文對物流外包和運營管理領域有如下貢獻。首先，本文提出及驗證了資源-能力-外包的理論模型，拓展了傳統資源觀的應用。其次，本研究通過驗證宏觀制度壓力對內部物流運作的影響將制度理論擴展到物流和運營管理領域。最後，本研究通過對基於資產及非資產物流業務外包影響的研究，對運營及財務績效的提升提供了新的啟示。 / An increasing number of manufacturers outsource their inbound and outbound logistics activities to Third-Party-Logistics (3PL) providers to reduce logistics cost. Most previous studies on logistics outsourcing are descriptive and prescriptive in nature, and thus devoid of explanatory or predictive orientation. This dissertation will investigate and explore the antecedents and consequents of logistics outsourcing by integrating transaction cost economics, resource-based view, and institutional theory. Several key hypotheses are tested using structural equation modeling (SEM), hierarchical multiple regression (HMR) and path analysis (PA) based on data collected from 250 subsidiaries of 200 publicly listed manufacturing companies in Mainland China and HK. / In study 1, the results show that internal production resources and capabilities, such as, logistics infrastructure, logistics information systems, internal logistics skill, do not exert a direct influence on logistics outsourcing. Interface resources or capabilities, however, such as 3PL management capabilities and the usage of other functional systems, are positively associated with the degree of logistics outsourcing. At last, the findings also indicate that internal production resources and capabilities influence outsourcing through interface capability, such as 3PL management capability. / In Study 2, this research reveals that frequency-based and trait-based imitative pressures are related with degree of logistics outsourcing, while outcome-based imitative pressures are not. The influence of frequency-based imitative pressure on logistics outsourcing will be decreased when manufacturers are more uncertain about their internal logistics requirements and demand. On the other hand, high external market uncertainty will increase the effect of outcome-based imitative pressure on logistics outsourcing. / In Study 3, the research classifies logistics activities into asset-based logistics activities and non-asset logistics activities and then builds outsourcing-operational performance-financial performance model. Empirical results show that asset-based logistics outsourcing significantly impacts both delivery performance and financial performance, but not cost and flexibility performance. However, non-asset-based logistics outsourcing significantly influences both cost performance and flexibility performance directly, but not delivery and financial performance. In summary, asset-based logistics outsourcing effects financial performance directly, but slightly influences operational performance, while non-asset-based logistics outsourcing influences financial performance mainly through operational performance. / This dissertation makes several contributions to logistics outsourcing & operations management. First, this dissertation proposes and empirically tests a model of resource-capability-outsourcing and thus extends the traditional resource-based view model. Second, this dissertation extends institutional theory into logistics and operations management area by linking macro-institutional pressures to internal logistics operations. Third, this study provides insights on the effects of logistics outsourcing on operational and financial performance by examining the effects of asset-based and non-asset based logistics outsourcing. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Zhuang, Bochao. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2012. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 117-137). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstract also in Chinese; appendix 5 in Chinese. / ABSTRACT --- p.I / ABSTRACT (CHINESE) --- p.III / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.V / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.IX / LIST OF TABLES --- p.X / LIST OF APPENDICES --- p.XI / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Research Motivation --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Research Objectives --- p.2 / Chapter 1.3 --- Research Methods and Framework of this Dissertation --- p.3 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- Theoretical Background --- p.5 / Chapter 2.1 --- Transaction Cost Economics and Outsourcing --- p.5 / Chapter 2.2 --- Resource-based View and Outsourcing --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- RBV and New Streams in RBV --- p.9 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Resources& Capabilities Classification & Empirical Model in RBV --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Conceptual Work Linking RBV with Outsourcing --- p.13 / Chapter 2.3 --- Institutional Theory and Outsourcing --- p.14 / Chapter 2.4 --- Multi-Theoretical Frameworks from TCE, RBV and IT --- p.16 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- The Effects of Organizational Resources and Capabilities on Logistics Outsourcing --- p.21 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.21 / Chapter 3.2 --- Theoretical Background and Hypotheses --- p.22 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Infrastructure and Outsourcing --- p.22 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Capabilities and Outsourcing --- p.24 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Infrastructure-Capabilities-Outsourcing --- p.25 / Chapter 3.3 --- Research Methodology --- p.28 / Chapter 3.3.1 --- Questionnaire Design and Measures --- p.28 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Sampling and Data Collection --- p.30 / Chapter 3.3.2 --- Measurement Quality --- p.33 / Chapter 3.4 --- Hypotheses Tests and Results --- p.35 / Chapter 3.5 --- Discussion --- p.37 / Chapter 3.6 --- Conclusion and Limitations --- p.42 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- The Effects of Imitation and Uncertainty on Logistics Outsourcing --- p.44 / Chapter 4.1 --- Introduction --- p.44 / Chapter 4.2 --- Theoretical Background and Hypotheses --- p.44 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Imitative Pressures and Outsourcing --- p.45 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Uncertainty, Imitative Pressure and Outsourcing --- p.50 / Chapter 4.3 --- Research Methodology --- p.54 / Chapter 4.3.1 --- Questionnaire Design and Measures --- p.54 / Chapter 4.3.2 --- Sampling and Data Collection --- p.56 / Chapter 4.3.3 --- Measurement Quality --- p.56 / Chapter 4.4 --- Hypotheses Tests and Results --- p.59 / Chapter 4.5 --- Discussion --- p.61 / Chapter 4.6 --- Conclusion and Limitations --- p.69 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- The Effect of Logistics Outsourcing on Operational and Financial Performance --- p.71 / Chapter 5.1 --- Introduction --- p.71 / Chapter 5.2 --- Theoretical Background and Hypotheses --- p.72 / Chapter 5.2.1 --- Literature Review on Outsourcing-Performance --- p.72 / Chapter 5.2.2 --- Outsourcing Types and Operational Performance --- p.74 / Chapter 5.3 --- Research Methodology --- p.79 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Questionnaire Design and Measures --- p.79 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Sampling and Data Collection --- p.81 / Chapter 5.3.3 --- Measurement Quality --- p.81 / Chapter 5.4 --- Hypotheses Tests and Results --- p.84 / Chapter 5.5 --- Discussion --- p.85 / Chapter 5.6 --- Conclusion and Limitations --- p.91 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Overall Conclusions and Future Research --- p.93 / APPENDICES --- p.96 / References --- p.117

The increasing concern with environmental damage and climate change has highlighted the importance of environmental innovations (EI) as an alternative to current technological standards. This thesis aims to contribute to the analysis of the determinants of environmental innovation and also to the identification of the effects of the adoption of environmental innovations on labor demand and performance of Brazilian manufacturing firms. Based on panel data between 1998 and 2008, the results obtained in Chapter 2 corroborate international evidence on the determinants of environmental innovation adoption. The environmental inducement hypothesis is verified, indicating that environmental regulation has an important role to influence the Brazilian firms in order to adopt both technical and organizational environmental innovations. Specifically related to developing countries innovative processes, our results confirm that foreign owned firms are significantly more likely to adopt \"green\" innovation, usually through capital embodied technology transfer and licensing agreements. The size of the firm and physical capital intensity are also important determinants of environmental innovation in Brazilian manufacturing firms. In Chapter 3 we use a translog cost function approach and we analyze the impact of environmental innovations on employment shares and wage bill shares in Brazilian manufacturing industries. The results obtained indicate that environmental technologies are unskilled biased, favoring blue-collar positions and wages, relative to white-collar ones. The \"green-collar\" jobs deriving from the green technologies adopted are in many situations (especially in low and medium technological intensive industrial sectors) filled by blue-collar workers, trained with green skills and thus capable of dealing with environmental preservation challenges. On the other hand, organizational environmental innovations registered a negative impact in blue-collar employment and wage bill shares, reinforcing the skill biased organizational change hypothesis, as the white-collar workforce is better prepared to deal with increased uncertainty, multi-tasking activities and increased responsibility. Concerning the effects of environmental innovation adoption on performance, Chapter 4 modeling strategy is based on a translog production function, due to its flexibility to represent different production structures, especially in the case of more than two factor inputs. The results indicate that both technical EI and organizational EI have positive impact on Brazilian manufacturing firms\' value added. We analyze four different types of technical EI in order to consider different characteristics of each type of EI, including those that reduce resources consumption and those that reduce environmental negative externalities, traditionally understood as additional compliance costs. All the different types of EI tested registered positive correlation with value added change. Pollution abatement investment was also tested and indicated positive effects on value added, even if to a lesser extent. / A crescente preocupação com a degradação ambiental e variações climáticas trouxe à tona a importância de inovações ambientais (IA) como uma alternativa ao padrão tecnológico atual. Esta tese tem como objetivo contribuir para a análise dos determinantes da inovação ambiental e também para a identificação dos seus efeitos sobre a demanda por mão de obra e sobre o valor adicionado das indústrias de transformação brasileiras. Utilizando dados de painel entre 1998 e 2008, os resultados obtidos no capítulo 2 corroboram a evidência internacional sobre os determinantes da adoção de inovações ambientais. A hipótese de viés ambiental é verificada, o que indica que a regulação ambiental apresenta um papel importante para influenciar as firmas brasileiras a adotar tanto inovações ambientais tecnológicas quanto organizacionais. Em relação especificamente ao processo inovativo em países em desenvolvimento, nossos resultados confirmam que empresas de capital estrangeiro têm maior probabilidade de adotar inovações \"verdes\", geralmente através de transferência tecnológica e acordos de licenciamento. O tamanho da firma e a intensidade de capital físico também são importantes determinantes da inovação ambiental nas indústrias de transformação brasileiras. No capítulo 3 utilizamos uma abordagem baseada na função de custo translog e analisamos o impacto de inovações ambientais na participação de emprego e massa salarial nas indústrias brasileiras de manufatura. Os resultados obtidos indicam que as tecnologias ambientais são enviesadas para o trabalho não qualificado, favorecendo o emprego e salários de mão de obra menos qualificada (ou diretamente ligada à produção) em detrimento da mão de obra mais qualificada (ou não diretamente ligada à produção). Os empregos \"verdes\" derivados da adoção de tecnologias ambientais são, em muitos casos (especialmente nos setores de baixa ou média intensidade tecnológica), ocupados por trabalhadores de baixa qualificação treinados com habilidades \"verdes\" e, portanto, capacitados para lidar com os desafios da preservação do meio ambiente. Por outro lado, as inovações ambientais organizacionais registraram um impacto negativo na contratação e nos salários de mão de obra de baixa qualificação, reforçando a hipótese de mudança tecnológica enviesada para a qualificação, uma vez que a mão de obra qualificada é mais bem preparada para lidar com o aumento da incerteza, atividade multitarefas e aumento de responsabilidade. Em relação aos efeitos da adoção de inovações ambientais no valor adicionado da empresa, no capítulo 4 adotamos como estratégia de modelagem uma função de produção translog, devido à sua flexibilidade para representar diferentes estruturas produtivas, especialmente no caso de mais de dois fatores de produção. Os resultados indicam que tanto as IA tecnológicas quanto as organizacionais apresentam impacto positivo sobre o valor adicionado das firmas brasileiras. Nós analisamos quatro tipos diferentes de IA tecnológicas com o intuito de considerar as diferentes características de cada tipo de IA, incluindo aquelas que reduzem o consumo de recursos e aquelas que reduzem as externalidades negativas sobre o meio ambiente, tradicionalmente entendidas como custos adicionais de conformidade à regulação ambiental vigente. Todos os diferentes tipos de IA testados registraram correlação positiva com variações no valor adicionado. Investimento em redução de poluição também foi testado e indicou efeito positive sobre o valor adicionado, ainda que em menor intensidade.

Nós comparamos o leilão aberto e o leilão selado utilizados para compras públicas na Bolsa Eletrônica de Compras (BEC) do Estado de São Paulo usando dados das transações de açúcar refinado entre 2008 e 2011. O leilão selado gera uma economia para o Estado de aproximadamente 3% em relação ao leilão aberto. Sob a ótica do paradigma de valores privados independentes, nós adotamos um modelo com licitantes assimétricos e aversão ao risco. Ao recuperar a propensão a pagar dos participantes com econometria estrutural, descobrimos que estas hipóteses se encaixam razoavelmente bem aos leilões, ainda que não possamos descartar conluio ou comportamentos gerados por leilões online / We compared the open and the sealed bid auctions used for procurement transaction at the electronic platform Bolsa Eletrônica de Compras (BEC) of São Paulo state using data from refined sugar purchases between 2008 and 2011. The sealed bid generates lower prices in about 3% compared to the open auction. Under the independent private values paradigm, we adopted asymmetric bidders and risk aversion. We recover with structural econometrics the cumulative distribution functions of cost of potential bidders and we found evidence we can fit reasonably well our data, although we cannot reject collusion or behaviors generated by online auctions.

Este trabalho analisa a magnitude dos custos de mudança no mercado de prestação de serviços do setor bancário brasileiro. Custos de mudança, ou switching costs, são custos percebidos pelos agentes econômicos quando eles trocam seus fornecedores. São a principal causa de lock-in (captura) dos clientes, podendo conferir certo grau de poder de mercado às firmas, com implicações importantes para a competitividade do mercado. A forte associação com a assimetria de informação sugere a relevância dos custos de mudança particularmente para o setor bancário. As estimativas obtidas neste trabalho, utilizando-se as informações contábeis dos bancos entre 2009 e 2011, sugerem que os custos de mudança são relevantes no mercado de depósitos. As evidências sugerem ainda que estes custos tendem a ser menores para os clientes dos bancos maiores, para as duas metodologias testadas. Também há indicação de que é significativa a parcela da participação de mercado de um banco que se deve à continuidade do relacionamento entre o banco e o cliente ao longo dos trimestres (efeito lock-in). / This study examines the switching costs\' empirical importance for the Brazilian banking services industry. Switching costs are costs economic agents sustain when they change suppliers. These are the leading cause for customer lock-in, in that they may grant the institutions some level of market power, thus carrying major implications for market competitiveness. The strong link with information asymmetry suggests how relevant switching costs are, especially for the banking industry. The estimates obtained in this study--by using the banks\' accounting information collected from 2009 to 2011--indicate there are substantial switching costs in the deposit market. The evidence, under both tested methodologies, also suggests that these costs tend to be lower for customers of larger banks. Additionally, there is indication that much of a bank\'s market share is due to its continued relationships with customers over the quarters (lock-in effect).

by Lui Wing-Wa. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-114). / ABSTRACT --- p.ii / TABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.iii / LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS --- p.v / LIST OF TABLES --- p.vi / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.vii / Chapter CHAPTER I --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / Chapter CHAPTER II --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.7 / Why Strategic Group Formed? --- p.8 / Strategic Group - Theoretical and Empirical --- p.11 / Level of Analysis --- p.13 / Industrial Organization --- p.14 / Dynamic Strategic Group --- p.19 / Cognitive Perspective of Strategic Group --- p.21 / Resource-Based Approach --- p.22 / Technological Paradigm --- p.24 / Summary --- p.25 / Chapter CHAPTER III --- THEORY AND HYPOTHESES --- p.31 / Competitor Analysis and Inter-firm Rivalry --- p.33 / "Strategic Groups, Competitor Analysis and Inter-firm Rivalry" --- p.37 / Strategic Group and Firm Performance --- p.39 / Chapter CHAPTER IV --- METHODOLOGY --- p.45 / Sample --- p.45 / Measures --- p.46 / Independent Variables --- p.46 / Dependent Variables --- p.50 / Analytical Strategies --- p.52 / Chapter CHAPTER V --- RESULTS --- p.55 / Results Ordinary Least Square (OLS) Analysis --- p.55 / Results of Moderating Multiple Regression (MMR) Analysis --- p.57 / Chapter CHAPTER VI --- FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION --- p.65 / Market Commonality and Resource Similarity Mapping in Japanese Automobile Manufacturing Industry --- p.65 / "Market Commonality, Resource Similarity and Performance" --- p.76 / Chapter CHAPTER VII --- CONCLUSION --- p.81 / APPENDIX 1 --- p.86 / APPENDIX 2 --- p.89 / APPENDIX 3 --- p.94 / APPENDIX 4 --- p.96 / APPENDIX 5 --- p.98 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.104

L’inadaptation des organisations hiérarchiques à l’émergence de la virtualité s’exprime à travers les exigences suivantes : les dirigeants modernes doivent composer entre « organisations dures » et « organisations molles », entre science quantitative et qualitative, entre flexibilité et productivité maximale, entre performance de l'entreprise et qualité de la vie au travail, entre qualité des produits et désir des clients. Nous appuyant sur l’abductivité de notre propre expérience, c'est-à-dire en faisant des allers-retours entre les cadres théoriques et les observations de terrain, cette recherche tend à montrer que la firme virtuelle est l’une des réponses organisationnelles apportée à l’adaptation au nouveau contexte économique.Face aux incertitudes entourant le concept d’entreprise virtuelle et surtout à la multiplicité des références utilisées en la matière, il nous a semblé nécessaire de le clarifier, ce qui nous a conduit à élaborer un cadre théorique spécifique faisant la synthèse des aspects divers de la littérature sur l’entreprise virtuelle, puis à nous interroger sur la disparition de l’entrepreneur pour enfin envisager l’avenir de ce type d’organisation comme business model. Ainsi, dans ce nouvel environnement, un nouveau type d'entreprise est née : mince, flexible, dont l'objectif est de limiter son activité interne à ses seules compétences stratégiques et d'externaliser toutes les autres fonctions en les confiant à des fournisseurs, des sous-traitants, ou des partenaires extérieurs. Ainsi l'entreprise se concentre sur ce qu'elle sait le mieux faire et peut croître rapidement ou lancer régulièrement de nouveaux produits avec moins de capitaux et des structures de management plus réduites. / The inadequacy of hierarchical organizations to the emergence of virtuality is expressed through the following requirements: modern leaders must compromise between « hard organizations » and « soft organizations », quantitative and qualitative sciences, flexibility and maximum productivity, company performance and quality of work life, product quality and customer’s desires. Building on the abductivity of our own experience, that is to say by going back and forth between theoretical frameworks and field observations, this research suggests that the virtual firm is one of the organizational responses adapted to the new economic environment. Facing the uncertainties surrounding the concept of virtual enterprise, and especially the multiplicity of references used, it seemed necessary to clarify it, which led us to develop a specific theoretical framework summarizing the various aspects of literature on the virtual enterprise, and to wonder about the disappearance of the head-manager to finally consider the future of this type of organization as a business model. Thus, in this new environment, a new type of company is born: thin, flexible, which aims to limit its internal activity to its own strategic competencies and outsource all other functions by entrusting them to suppliers, subcontractors or external partners. Thus, the company focuses on what it knows better and can grow quickly or regularly launch new products with less capital and smaller management structures.

No Brasil, as liberalizações econômicas vivenciadas na última década do século XX abriram as portas de seus mercados de energia à competição e os colocaram sob tutela do Sistema Brasileiro de Defesa da Concorrência (SBDC). Com a Indústria Sucroalcooleira Brasileira (ISB) não foi diferente, e, após vinte anos de intensa regulamentação (sob a figura do Proálcool), este setor passou a estar exposto aos incentivos de mercados competitivos, entrando em uma rota de maturação marcada por diversas fusões e aquisições. O presente estudo tem como objetivo analisar as principais implicações em política antitruste de tal abertura e determinar o procedimento que deve ser adotado para a definição de Mercados Relevantes na ISB. Para isso, primeiro faz-se uma análise sob a ótica da Organização Industrial de sua cadeia industrial, com ênfase para os aspectos estratégicos que estão por trás das diversas fusões ocorridas no setor. Em seguida, analisa-se o efeito dinâmico que a introdução dos veículos flexfuel possui sobre o mercado de combustíveis líquidos, mostrando-se como um verdadeiro choque tecnológico. Por último, é adotada a metodologia sugerida pelo Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE) e Federal Trade Comission (FTC) para a definição de Mercados Relevantes em casos de fusões horizontais, abordando o tema Consistência Temporal, importante fator a ser considerado dada a rápida expansão da participação de veículos flexfuel dentro da frota nacional de veículos leves. Com isso, espera-se contribuir para um procedimento que deve ser cada vez mais adotado pela autoridade antitruste brasileira e abordando um tema, Consistência Temporal, que pode aparecer em outros setores expostos a choques tecnológicos. / The process of economic liberalization undergone by Brazil in the last decade of the twentieth century had a significant impact on the functioning of energy markets, which became open to competition under the surveillance of the Brazilian System of Competition Policy (SBDC). The Brazilian Ethanol and Sugar Industry (ISB) did not constitute an exception to this. Thus, after twenty years of intense regulation by Proálcool, this sector started being exposed to the incentive schemes characterizing competitive markets, and entered a maturation route marked by several mergers and acquisitions. On the other hand, technological advancements also affected the recent history of ISB. In particular, the introduction of flexfuel vehicles constituted an important technological shock. The peculiar experience of the ISB provides interesting implications from an Industrial Organization perspective. In particular, considering the above-mentioned technological shock, something can be learnt as regards the importance of time consistency in defining Relevant Markets in sectors exposed to technological shocks. These aspects constitute the main focus of the present study, which is organized as follows. Firstly, the ISBs industrial chain and recent history will be appraised, under the perspective of Industrial Organization, with emphasis on the strategic aspects underlying the mergers that have occurred. Then, the technological shock and its dynamic effects on the liquid fuels market will be assessed. Finally, the methodology suggested by the Administrative Conselho Administrativo de Defesa Econômica (CADE) and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for the definition of Relevant Markets in cases of horizontal mergers will be considered. The conclusion will be reached that, in sectors exposed to technological shocks such as the ISB time consistency issues should represent a major concern in relevant market definition.

Real estate activity is notably influenced by local land use regulation. By acting as redtape costs or explicitly through compensatory payments, such rules typically increase construction costs by reducing supply and increasing demand in the housing market, which leads to higher prices. This is the first study to model the decision-making process of housing supply using a game theoretic approach. To shed light on the roleof regulation and competition in this industry, I employ a static-entry model that incorporates the demand, cost and strategic factors common to the activity. I built aunique data set forthe city of São Paulo, Brazil, with information on the universe ofnew residential buildings launched in the city, along with a history of all licenses requested by the developers tothe government for each project. My empirical results show that the regulation play akey role in developer activity. For the areas with the most intense activity of the city,the bureaucracy in the residential approval process cost annually R$ 47 millions (US$ 14millions) by entrant firm. / A atividade imobiliária é particularmente influenciada pela regulação do uso da terra. Ao agir como \"custos burocráticos\" ou explicitamente por meio de pagamentos compensatórios,essas regras normalmente aumentam os custos de construção ao reduzir a oferta e aumentara demanda de novas residências, o que leva a preços mais altos. Este é o primeiro estudo amodelar o processo de decisão de oferta de residências usando uma abordagem de teoria dos jogos. Para mostrar os efeitos da regulação e da competição nesse setor, eu emprego um modelo de entrada estático que incorpora os fatores de demanda, custo e estratégicos comuns a essa atividade. Eu construí uma base de dados única para a cidade de São Paulo, Brasil, com informações sobre o universo de novos empreendimentos residenciais na cidade, juntamente comum histórico de todas as licenças e alvarás requeridos pelas incorporadoras à Prefeitura para cada projeto. Meus resultados mostram que a regulação tem um papel chave na atividade imobiliária. Para as áreas com atividade mais intensa da cidade, a burocracia no processo de aprovação de novas residências tem um custo média anual de R$ 47 milhões por firma entrante no mercado.

The dissertation is comprised of three papers. In the first two Chapters, I analyze the importance of competition, preference heterogeneity, and socio-economic/country-specific factors to explain the differences in penetration rates of mobile phone services across EU Member States. Chapter 1 presents a model of demand and supply for mobile phone services in which products are perceived as homogenous but consumers are heterogeneous with respect to their valuation of the services. Once a service is purchased, consumers (temporarily) leave the market. The parameters which govern the distribution of preferences are allowed to vary by country and will be estimated as part of the demand specification. The model matches the data well and is able to replicate the observed u-shape in the coefficient of variation in penetration rates over the sample period. Using the demand parameters, consumer acquisition costs are backed out and counterfactual experiments performed. I find that preference heterogeneity and differences in the cost of consumer acquisition explain most of the variation in penetration rates across countries. Competition and other control variables, such as the price of fixed-line calls, play only a minor role. In Chapter 2 I relax the assumption that firms are perceived as homogenous and model them as differentiated products. I incorporate endogenous population weights in a standard random coefficients logit model to capture changes in the demographic composition of potential buyers over time due to the (temporary) market exit of adopters. Compared to the results of Chapter 1, I find a larger role of competition and a smaller impact of the (net) cost of consumer acquisition in explaining differences in mobile phone services diffusion. In the third Chapter, I analyze the effect of a product introduction on labor supply. I demonstrate that it is possible to overcome many of the limitations associated with the lack of individual level purchase data by focusing on teenage labor supply and the introduction of video game consoles. I find that 16- to 17-year old male teenagers significantly increase their hours of work in the months prior to video console introductions beyond the usual male-female difference.

This thesis consists of three papers. Industries that motivated this analysis range are exclusive clubs (Chapter 1) and pharmaceuticals (Chapters 2 and 3). A common thread is the study of the strategic behavior of monopoly or monopoly-like firms and the implications of such behavior. Chapter 1 studies an “invitation only” strategy for a durable goods monopolist. “Invitation only” functions as a commitment device, enabling the extraction of more profit than the conventional durable goods setting. In addition, the effectiveness of commitment devices in profit-extraction can be compared: each commitment device is modeled as an extra condition in the profit maximization of the general durable goods monopolist, enabling straightforward comparisons across commitment devices. Chapters 2 and 3 discuss the effect of patent protection on innovation in the pharmaceutical industry, in particular competition to produce drugs that follow-on from pioneer drug discovery, and any feedback effects on pioneer innovation. Despite the conventional notion, I show that longer patent protection may reduce or distort the incentives of innovation: with longer patents, the increased need of pioneer inventors in deterring the production of follow-on drugs may translate to less profitability for the pioneer inventor. Chapter 2 serves as a background and a literature review for Chapter 3. It explains the multi-stage drug discovery process and the phenomenon of follow-on drugs; it reviews strategic entry deterrence theories and summarizes the behavior of brand-name drug firms in deterring generic entry studied in the literature; it also reviews the optimal patent length and breadth literature. Chapter 3 presents several observed puzzles in the pharmaceutical industry and provides a unified explanation for these puzzles within a strategic entry deterrence model. The central conclusion is that under some general conditions, longer patent life distorts incentives for innovation and lowers research productivity: pioneer research is discouraged relative to follow-on research; inexpensive R&D projects are discouraged, and ceteris paribus expensive projects are favored instead, especially those with large clinical trial costs. Other predictions from the model accord with industry observations, including mid-development cancellations of potential drugs for non-medical reasons and early development of follow-on drugs in large markets.