The benefits of agglomeration back to productive work of Marshall (1982 [1890]), especially the externalities arising from specialization of firms within a cluster. Several schools of economic thought converge, from there, the perception that the relationship between these companies and other institutions in a defined geographical area, as well as certain parameters ´environmental´ has a significant role in contributing to the competitive development. Some researchers (Albagli, 2002; Aun, Koeff and Carvalho, 2005) citing the dangers, limitations and difficulties of doing a translation of foreign experience and methodologies for our reality, maintain and reinforce the concept of local productive arrangement (APL), marked ´a more appropriate understanding of the key concepts of neo-Schumpeterian literature learning and innovation and a spatial dimension land and socio-technical it is able to capture these concepts´ (Cassiolato and Lastres, 2002). Even no previous experience equivalent, was chosen based on APL with chains, vertical integration, the initiatives to support the emerging model, bringing forth an alternative way of thinking about regional development/local, with support of ´economies of agglomeration´. There a consensus that whatever the conceptual model chosen, the strategy would have to pass through the density of productive chains and have the cooperation as a key element. It should be noted that the ´great leap´collective, is to enable the family farmer conditions for entering the competitive and sustainable agricultural production and the production of vegetable oil, which had greater value, including the managerial needs of a contemporary structure. / As vantagens da aglomeração produtiva remontam a obra de Marshall (1982[1890]), especialmente as externalidades advindas da especialização das firmas dentro de um aglomerado. Diversas escolas de pensamento econômico convergem, a partir daí, na percepção de que as relações entre as empresas e destas com outras instituições num espaço geográfico definido, assim como determinados parâmetros ambientais , tem um papel significativo na contribuição para o desenvolvimento competitivo. Alguns pesquisadores (Albagli, 2002; Aun, Carvalho e Koeff, 2005) citando os perigos, as limitações e dificuldades de se fazer uma transposição das experiências e metodologias estrangeiras para a nossa realidade, defendem e reforçam o conceito de arranjo produtivo local (APL), balizado num entendimento mais apropriado sobre os conceitos-chave da literatura neoschumpeteriana aprendizado e inovação e numa dimensão espacial território e sóciotécnico que seja capaz de captar esses conceitos (Cassiolato e Lastres, 2002). Mesmo não existindo experiência anterior equivalente, optou-se fundamentar em APL com integração vertical de cadeias, as iniciativas de suporte ao modelo emergente, trazendo à tona uma forma alternativa de pensar o desenvolvimento regional/local, com suporte das economias de aglomeração . Há um consenso de que qualquer que seja o modelo conceitual escolhido, a estratégia teria que passar pelo adensamento das cadeias produtivas e ter, a cooperação como elemento-chave. Saliente-se que, o grande salto coletivo, consiste em possibilitar ao agricultor familiar condições de inserção competitiva e sustentável na produção agrícola e na produção de óleo vegetal, que possui maior valor agregado; contemplando as necessidades gerenciais de uma estrutura organizacional contemporânea.

In recent years the three Prairie Pools have actively expanded their primary operations to include a number of investments both within and outside of the agricultural sector. The Pools' investment strategies are economically interesting because they are being pursued within the context of a co-operative organizational structure which requires that the users of the cooperative business also own, control, and benefit from its operations. This thesis examines the possible economic incentives agricultural co-operatives may have to invest in vertically integrated and diversified activities using the case of the Western Canadian co-operative elevator companies as an example. The analysis undertaken in this thesis is structured in two ways. First, the economic literature regarding co-operative formation and conventional firm expansion is surveyed. This analysis suggests that an important difference between vertically integrated investments and diversified investments is that they are motivated by the realization of distincly different sets of economic benefits for the co-operative firm and its members. It is argued that co-operative vertical integration can convey benefits to members indirectly through the market, in the form of increased producer margins and improved market access. However, these benefits may not impact the "bottom line" of the co-operative firm. Diversification can, on the other hand, provide a co-operative with direct monetary benefits in the form of improved financial performance and increased profits, which can translate into increased patronage refunds available to members. The second component of this analysis involves the development of a simulation model to examine the implications of an additional hypothesis proposed to explain co-operative expansion. The proposed hypothesis is based on the notion that perhaps the indirect market benefits from cooperation and co-operative expansion are being undervalued. This undervaluation can result in a preoccupation with the monetary benefits from co-operative business, and may therefore cause a bias towards diversified investments. The model developed in this thesis illustrates that, although such a bias may improve a co-operative's rate of return, it may also result in significant opportunity costs for agricultural producers due to a decrease in a co-operative's pro-competitive effect on primary markets. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

There is a wide range of factors that impact the balance between vertical acquisitions and strategic outsourcing, which not only can be explained in terms of efficiency. These factors are multi-layered and can be found in the individuals who set the strategy, the organizations as a whole, and also the environment in which they operate, which has shown to be dynamic. Depending on the vertical integration strategy of firms, the concept of organizational boundaries are applied very differently. Numerous organizational boundaries expand and contract when a company vertically integrates with an acquisition or when non-integrating by strategically outsourcing tasks along the value-chain.

Governments play a key role in modern economies. However, modern-day governments face several challenges that limit their functioning. Some examples include inadequate conduct of elections, tax evasion, and market failures. Each chapter in this thesis explores a key challenge faced by government and policy intervention that helps address it. Chapter 1 explores the poor turnout of women in India and tests whether increasing security at the polling booths increases women's representation. Chapter 2 explores the role of tax evasion by firms in low revenue collection under a Value Added Tax (VAT) in India. Chapter 3 examines the current housing crisis in major cities across the United States and evaluates the effects of tax incentives designed to encourage new residential investment. To provide robust causal evidence, I use natural experiments combined with novel microdata. Chapter 1 uses a regression discontinuity design arising from the rule used to assign security measures to polling booths during a major state election in India. In particular, polling booths which received more than 75% of votes in favor of one candidate in the previous election received security measures with a higher probability. I use the regression discontinuity design to estimate effects on women's share in total turnout and political outcomes. Chapter 2 uses the staggered roll-out of VAT across states in India to estimate the effect of VAT adoption on vertical integration in firms. Chapter 3 uses a natural experiment in New York City where a delayed implementation of the property tax increase on new construction led to a short-term boom in residential investment as developers rushed to claim expiring tax benefits. I estimate effects on nearby rents, demographics, businesses. The end result is a set of robust policy conclusions. Chapter 1 finds that strengthening security at the polling booths increased women's turnout, which in turn had consequences for political outcomes. For instance, suggestive evidence indicates that non-incumbent and educated candidates received more votes whereas corrupt candidates received fewer votes. Chapter 2 finds that firms integrated vertically to evade taxes under a Value Added Tax. This suggests that low revenue collection in developing countries is possibly a combination of both evasion and real production response of firms. Chapter 3 finds that new tax-exempt residential investment increased rents in existing buildings within 150 meters. This happened because new building attracted high-income residents who increased demand for local businesses, reflected in the entry of businesses that cater to high-income residents. The result highlights potential negative spillover effects of new construction on incumbent low-income residents and suggests that optimal tax policy must incorporate such spillovers when designing incentives that encourage investment.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to examine barriers and facilitators to collaboration within compulsory care for substance abusers according to LVM. Furthermore, the aim is to examine how these factors affect the care provided to clients with comorbidity of substance abuse and mental health disorders. The empirical data are based on experiences of professionals who work at the social services, at LVM-institutions and at operations that accept clients according to 27 § LVM. The result is divided into three periods, which are before the institution, during the institution and after the institution. The barriers and facilitators are divided into three theoretical themes in each period. These themes are regulations, organisation and point of view. Different forms of vertical and horizontal integration are used to supplement the analysis and examine what significance each form of integration has on the care provided to clients with comorbidity. The result shows that the barriers and facilitators are relatively similar in each period of the LVM-care. Overall, it seems that it is set up for the collaboration to fail at some point because of the unpredictable barriers, which is why it is important that a high degree of both vertical and horizontal integration exist, since one of them is not enough to bring overall satisfactory care for the clients with comorbidity. A closeness to each other and an organisation that is more coordinated can lead to a high degree of integration on both levels.

Discipline‐based medical curricula face the challenges of promoting horizontal (across course) and vertical (across years) integration, as well as providing opportunities for students to build the skills needed to become “residents‐as‐teachers”. To address these issues, we developed an Integrated Grand Rounds (IGR) series in which cases are co‐presented to M1/M2 students by clinical and basic science faculty. Sub‐topics relevant to the case are expanded upon by means of live patient interviews and small group sessions led by M3/M4 students. IGR effectiveness is measured by comparison of pre‐/post‐test scores and student attitude questionnaires. Overall, student post‐test scores improved by 23% and >; 95% of all students felt that this activity was an effective way to both integrate information across courses and highlight clinical applications of basic science material. Additionally, all M3/M4 students polled felt that the IGR provided a valuable opportunity to review important basic science concepts and practice clinical teaching skills. The IGR series has proven to be a highly successful tool for cross‐course and longitudinal integration and is enthusiastically supported by both faculty and students. Notably, the IGR provides an efficient and cost‐effective vehicle to expand interdisciplinary connections and enhance integration. As a result, we are in the process of expanding its use in our curriculum.

Na região de Puno-Peru, existe suficiente recurso hídrico para a criação de trutas arco-íris, mas apesar do potencial não há suficiente exploração da atividade. Existem produtores agrupados dedicados empiricamente, que vêm desenvolvendo a indústria pesqueira, e para isso algumas estratégias industriais são adotadas pelos criadores, para viabilizar sustentabilidade. As estratégias industriais revisadas foram competitivas e cooperativas, de integração horizontal, de integração vertical, supply chain e economia de custos de transação. O método utilizado para desenvolver a pesquisa foi o exploratório, através do estudo de caso, envolvendo quatro empresas pertencentes a quatro agrupamentos, um de cada. Neste estudo constatou-se que os agrupamentos estão conformados por micro e pequenas empresas na sua maioria, cuja rentabilidade não é satisfatória, devido à falta de economias de escala e a escasso recurso financeiro, principalmente. Há relacionamento de parceria formal entre o produtor e o cliente atacadista nas áreas econômica, controle de qualidade e marketing, sob estrito parâmetro de responsabilidade; não há parceria formal com fornecedores de insumos, apenas relações comerciais guiadas pela cultura de responsabilidade e confiança entre os membros deste estágio. Quanto às estratégias competitivas e cooperativas, há como destaque diferenciação na pigmentação da carne e responsividade no atendimento ao cliente, sendo o mercado foco o intermediário regional e empresa exportadora. Ressalta-se a coordenação de atividades de compra e venda conjunta, ajuda mútua e empréstimos entre participantes dos agrupamentos. Foi identificado também apoio efetivo por uma organização não governamental, no processo de criação de peixes, porém falta incentivo por parte das instituições públicas. As informações coletadas permitiram contextualizar a estrutura industrial da truta nessa região. Finalmente, se propõe um modelo de estratégias de organização industrial baseado no relacionamento de agrupamentos de micro e pequenas empresas, como resultado das melhores estratégias utilizadas. Conclui-se que devem ser priorizados: relacionamentos horizontais entre os produtores, sob a filosofia de cooperação e competitividade, relacionamentos verticais com o fornecedor e cliente, em qualidade de parceiros, relacionamento com instituições públicas e privadas, como estratégias de suporte. / In the region of Puno-Peru, sufficient exists water resource for the creation of trouts rainbow, but although the potential does not have sufficient exploration of the activity. They exist empirically producing grouped dedicated, that they come developing the fishing industry, and for this some industrial strategies are adopted by the creators, to make possible support. The revised industrial strategies had been competitive and cooperative, of horizontal integration, of vertical integration, supply chain and economy of transaction costs. The used method to develop the research was the exploratory, through the case study, involving four pertaining companies four groupings, one of each. In this study it was evidenced mainly that the groupings are conformed by micron and small companies in its majority, whose yield is not satisfactory, due to lack of scale economies and the scarce financial resource. It has relationship of formal partnership between the producer and the wholesale customer in the areas economic, quality control and marketing, under strict parameter of responsibility; it does not have formal partnership with suppliers of inputs, only commercial relations guided by the responsibility culture and confidence enters the members of this period of training. How much to the competitive and cooperative strategies, it has as it has detached differentiation in the pigmentation of the meat and responsiveness in the attendance to the customer, having been the market focus the regional intermediary and exporting company. It is standed out coordination of activities of purchase and joint sales, mutual aid and loans between participants of the groupings. Effective support for a not governmental organization was also identified, in the process of creation of fish; however it lacks incentive on the part of the public institutions. As informações coletadas permitiram contextualizar a estrutura industrial da truta nessa região. Finally, if it considers a model of strategies of industrial organization based in the relationship of micron groupings and small companies, as resulted of the best used strategies. One concludes that they must be prioritized: horizontal relationships between the producers, under the philosophy of cooperation and vertical competitiveness, relationships with the supplier and customer, in quality of partners, relationship with public and private institutions, as support strategies.

Este trabalho desenvolve um modelo simples de ganhos de troca na presença custos de medida de atributos relevantes em uma transação econômica. Em particular, mostramos como o modelo pode ser utilizado para uma maior reflexão sobre os custos e benefícios da integração vertical, ou seja, mostramos que a integração vertical pode evitar custos de transação na forma de gastos em excesso de medida de atributos relevantes do insumo intermediário transacionado, não obstante os custos de monitoramento por parte do empresário da firma integrada. Em seguida, este trabalho desenvolve um modelo de escolha de padrões privados numa cadeia vertical, através de uma função de beneficio exclusive os custos de padronização. Finalmente, mostramos as condições em que a escolha do padrão pode ser uma variável do tipo complemento estratégico. / The present thesis develops a simple model of gains from trade when there are costs of measuring of relevant attributes in economic transactions.It´s shown how the model can be applied for the study of costs and benefits of vertical integration. In particular, it´s argued that vertical integration can avoid excessive transaction costs, in the form of costs of measure of intermediate outputs, although the costs of monitoring that the owner of the integrated firm must spend. Next, this thesis develops a model of choice of private standards in a vertical chain. Finally, it´s studied situations where the standards can be strategic complements.

The EU has been promoting unbundling of the transmission grid from other stages of the electricity supply chain with the aim of fostering competition in the upstream stage of electricity generation. At present, ownership unbundling is the predominant form of unbundling in Europe. From a policy perspective, a successful unbundling regime would require that the benefits of increased competition in power generation would at least offset the associated efficiency losses from vertical divestiture. Since evidence on this topic is scarce, this study helps fill this void by empirically estimating the magnitude of economies of vertical integration (EVI) between electricity generation and transmission based on a quadratic cost function. For this purpose we employ unique firm-level panel data of European electricity utilities. Our results confirm the presence of substantial EVI of 14% for the median sized integrated utility. Moreover, EVI tend to increase with firm size.

Understanding how health care markets function is important not only because competition has a direct influence on the price and utilization of health care services, but also because the proper functioning, or lack thereof, of health care markets has a very real impact on patients who depend on health care markets and providers for their personal well-being. In this dissertation, I examine the role of government policies and regulation in health care markets, with a focus on the response of health care providers. In Chapter 1, I analyze the impact of Medicare payment rules on hospital ownership of physician practices. Since the mid-2000’s, there has been a rapid increase in hospital ownership of physician practices, however, there is little empirical research which addresses the causes of this recent wave of integration. Medicare’s “provider-based” billing policy allows hospital-owned physician practices to charge higher reimbursement rates for services provided compared to a freestanding, independent physician practice, without altering how or where services are provided. This “site-based” differential creates a premium for physicians to integrate with hospitals, and the size of this differential varies with the types of health care services provided. I find that Medicare payment rules have contributed to hospital ownership of physician practices and that the response varies across physician specialties. A 10 percent increase in the relative reimbursement rate paid to integrated physicians leads to a 1.9 percentage point increase in the probability of hospital ownership for Medical Care specialties, including cardiology, neurology, and dermatology, which explains about one-third of observed integration of these specialties from 2005 through 2015. Magnitudes for Surgical Care specialties are similar, but more sensitive across specifications. There is no significant response for Primary Care physicians. In combination with other empirical literature which finds that integration between physicians and hospitals typically results in higher prices with no impact on costs or quality of care, I cautiously interpret this responsiveness as evidence that Medicare’s provider-based billing policy overcompensates integrated physician practices and leads to an inefficiently high level of vertical integration between physician and hospitals. In Chapter 2, I analyze the effect of anti-fraud enforcement activity on Medicaid spending, with a particular focus on the False Claims Act. The False Claims Act (FCA) is a federal statute which protects the government from making undeserved payments to contractors and suppliers. Individual states have chosen to enact their own versions of the federal FCA, and these statutes have increasingly been used to target health care fraud. FCA statutes commonly include substantial monetary penalties such as “per-violation” monetary fines and tripled damages, as well as a “whistleblower” provision which allows private plaintiffs to initiate a lawsuit and collect a portion of recoveries as a reward. Using variation in statelevel FCA legislation, I find state FCAs reduce Medicaid prescription drug spending by 21 percent, while other spending categories - which are less lucrative for FCA lawsuits - are unresponsive. Within the prescription drug category, drugs prone to off-label use show larger declines in response to the whistleblower laws, consistent with FCA lawsuits being used to prosecute pharmaceutical manufacturers for off-label marketing and promotion. Spending and prescription volume for drugs prone to off-label use fall by up to 14 percent. This effect could be driven by pharmaceutical manufacturers’ changes in physician detailing for drugs prone to off-label use and/or physicians’ changes in prescribing behavior.