In this thesis, we analyze the impact of the decentralization of price and leadtime decisions made by the marketing and production departments, respectively, in a make-to-order firm. We first study a monopoly environment, and find that in the decentralized setting, the total demand generated is larger, leadtimes are longer, quoted prices are lower, and the firm profits are lower as compared to the centralized setting. We show that coordination can be achieved using a transfer price contract with bonus payments, where both departments receive a fraction of the total revenues generated as a bonus payment. In the second study, we extend this work to a duopoly environment, where two firms compete on the basis of their price and leadtime quotes in a common market. We find that under intense price competition, firms may suffer from a decentralized structure, particularly under high flexibility induced by high capacity, where revenue based sales incentives motivate sales/marketing for more aggressive price cuts resulting in eroding margins. We take the parameters of the demand models in the first two studies as constant, while estimating those parameters based on historical data is a very important problem in practice. In the last study of this thesis, we address the challenges encountered in estimating the price sensitivity of customers shifting focus to the passenger travel industry. We explore how to obtain better price elasticity estimates through an empirical study with an emphasis on the endogeneity problem, which arises as a result of the simultaneous determination of supply and demand. We show that if one does not account for endogeneity, price elasticities may induce an upward-sloping demand curve suggesting that high price produces high demand, or may be biased downward to the extent that elastic demand curves are incorrectly classified as inelastic. We show the improvement in price elasticities through an instrumental variable approach.

A Reverse Production System (RPS) is a network of transportation logistics and processing functions that collects, refurbishes, and demanufactures for reuse/recycle used or end-of-life products. In this thesis, I focus on the RPS strategic decisions of a processor and collectors when the collection network and contracts for materials can be co-designed. The research problem is motivated by the need of material processors to ensure a consistent flow of material from collectors at a cost that will enable them to be competitive with virgin raw materials. The failure to develop a cost-effective collection network can lead to poor overall economics where expensive processing assets are not fully utilized. The three key problems from the processor s point of view are: 1) how to design a strategic collection network; 2) how to be competitive in the collected materials market place when significant investment is at risk; and 3) how to avoid overpaying for materials when collectors are in regions with different volumes and costs. The multiple goals of this research are: 1) to integrate the contract and strategic network design in RPS; 2) to develop contract mechanism designs to improve the performance under incomplete information and study the value of information (complete vs. incomplete); and 3) to introduce and analyze new strategic network models for effectiveness in solution quality and time. Concepts of mathematical optimization, contract theory, and game theory are utilized in proposing models that couple contract and network problems, including lump sum and variable volume contracts.

This dissertation is dedicated to study the design and utilization of financial contracts and pricing mechanisms for managing the demand/price risks in electricity markets and the price risks in carbon emission markets from different perspectives. We address the issues pertaining to the efficient computational algorithms for pricing complex financial options which include many structured energy financial contracts and the design of economic mechanisms for managing the risks associated with increasing penetration of renewable energy resources and with trading emission allowance permits in the restructured electric power industry. To address the computational challenges arising from pricing exotic energy derivatives designed for various hedging purposes in electricity markets, we develop a generic computational framework based on a fast transform method, which attains asymptotically optimal computational complexity and exponential convergence. For the purpose of absorbing the variability and uncertainties of renewable energy resources in a smart grid, we propose an incentive-based contract design for thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs) to encourage end users' participation as a source of DR. Finally, we propose a market-based approach to mitigate the emission permit price risks faced by generation companies in a cap-and-trade system. Through a stylized economic model, we illustrate that the trading of properly designed financial options on emission permits reduces permit price volatility and the total emission reduction cost.

Title: IFRS 15- The new revenue recognition standard from contracts with customers.   Level: Student thesis, final assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business Administration    Author: Piran Batte and Zagros Isik   Supervisor: Jean-Claude Mutiganda and Pär Vilhelmson   Date: 2021 – June    Aim: The study aims to examine how listed companies in Sweden are affected by institutional pressures in the implementation of IFRS 15 and what organizational changes the revenue standard entails.    Method: The study examines listed companies in the construction and real estate industry in the Swedish market that have implemented IFRS 15 in their revenue recognition. The study is characterized by a qualitative research approach that produced data through semi-structured interviews and literary sources which were then analyzed via coding and thematic analyzes presented in tabular form.   Result & Conclusions: The results presented in the study show that the examined companies are affected by the isomorphic factors arising from the new institutional theory in the adoption and transition to IFRS 15. The companies are strongly influenced by a mandatory isomorphism as they are listed and are thus legally obliged to comply with IFRS standards. The companies are also characterized by an imitating isomorphism in the form of cooperation with competing companies because of uncertainty regarding the handling of the new standard. A normative isomorphism has been of a lesser degree. The results show no significant changes in the company's internal operations around their internal controls, IT systems and contract design, however, these have been permeated by high workload in the early phase of the implementation process of the standard. All companies felt an overestimated effect of the standard on its internal operations.    Contribution of the thesis: The study fills the existing gap around research on IFRS 15 and its impact on listed companies that are in the Swedish market. The study contributes to the new institutional theory by showing how companies experience pressure from society and norm-setting bodies. The theoretical contribution shows that mandatory and mimicking isomorphism has affected companies in the implementation of IFRS 15. Compliance with laws and advice as well as taking inspiration and collaborating with other companies have been demonstrated. The practical contribution is that companies tend to act under pressure from the environment in the goal of achieving legitimacy.   Suggestions for future research: As the companies examined in this study have been in the construction and real estate industry, a proposal for future research may be to study other listed companies that have adopted IFRS 15 as a revenue standard.    Key words: IFRS 15, Organizational Change, Implementation, New Institutional Theory, IASB, Internal Controls, IT Systems, Contract Design and Work Tasks. / Titel: IFRS 15 – Den nya intäktsstandarden för avtal med kunder   Nivå: Examensarbete på Grundnivå (kandidatexamen) i ämnet företagsekonomi    Författare: Piran Batte och Zagros Isik   Handledare: Jean-Claude Mutiganda och Pär Vilhelmson    Datum: 2021 – Juni    Syfte: Studien syftar till att undersöka hur börsnoterade företag i Sverige påverkas av institutionella påtryckningar vid implementeringen av IFRS 15 samt vilka organisationsförändringar intäktsstandarden medför.   Metod: Studien undersöker börsnoterade företag inom bygg -och fastighetsbranschen på den svenska marknaden som implementerat IFRS 15 i sin intäktsredovisning. Studien präglas av en kvalitativ forskningsansats som samlat in data genom semistrukturerade intervjuer och litterära källor som sedan analyserats via kodningar och tematiska analyser som presenterats i tabellform. Urvalet består av tio respondenter    Resultat & slutsats: Resultaten som framställs i studien visar att de undersökta företagen påverkas av de isomorfa faktorerna som härrör den ny institutionella teorin vid antagandet och övergången till IFRS 15. Företagen påverkas starkt av en tvingande isomorfism då dessa är börsnoterade och är således lagenligt skyldiga att följa IFRS-regelverken. Företagen präglas även av en härmande isomorfism i form av samarbete med konkurrerande företag till följd av ovisshet kring hanteringen av den nya standarden. En normativ isomorfism har varit av mindre grad. Resultatet visar inga påtagliga förändringar på företagens interna verksamhet kring dess interna kontroller, IT-system och kontraktsutformning dock har dessa genomsyrats av en hög arbetsbörda vid en tidig fas av implementeringsprocessen av standarden. Samtliga företag kände en överskattad effekt av standarden på dess interna verksamheter.    Examensarbetets bidrag: Studien fyller det existerande gapet kring forskning om IFRS 15 och dess påverkan på börsnoterade företag som befinner sig på den svenska marknaden. Studien bidrar till den ny institutionella teorin genom att visa hur företag påverkas av påtryckningar från samhället och normgivningsorgan. Det teoretiska bidraget visar att tvingande och härmande isomorfism har påverkat företag i implementeringen av IFRS 15. Att följa lagar och rådgivning samt att ta inspiration och samarbeta med andra företag har påvisats. Det praktiska bidraget är att företagen tenderar att agera under press från omgivningen i mål om att uppnå legitimitet.    Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Då företagen som undersökts i denna studie befunnit sig inom bygg -och fastighetsbranschen kan ett förslag till framtida forskning vara att studera andra branscher ute på börsen som antagit IFRS 15 som intäktsstandard.    Nyckelord: IFRS 15, Organisationsförändring, Implementering, New institutional theory, IASB, Interna kontroller, IT-system, Kontraktsutformning och Arbetsuppgifter

The architecture, engineering and construction industry faces challenges when dealing withprocurement contract design and risk-handling. The optimal contracting practices have beenworldwide studied in areas of contract theory which studies how the optimal incentivemechanism (“contracts”) can be designed to encourage the parties to behave more efficiently.The parties usually consist of a principal and an agent, where the principal hires an agent todeliver goods or services. However, the complexity of contract theory calls for a morepracticable approach in an attempt to understand the procurement problem in the industry andincrease knowledge-sharing between projects. The purpose of this study is to propose a model based on contract theory that can be used inpractice to investigate the effects of project endogenous risks in three different types ofprocurement contracts: fixed-price, time and material, and incentive. Thus, this study usesquantitative methods with the aim to explain the current procurement problem in the Swedisharchitecture, engineering, and construction industry, compare theory and practice, andcontribute to knowledge about the linkage between endogenous risks, optimal risk sharing andcontract design. The conclusions from this study are that the current contracting practices in the industry arenot aligned with the optimal contract design described by the theory. The theory in this researchshowed that, given endogenous project risks, the optimal incentives vary in the agent’saversion to risk resulting in a non-monotone relationship between optimal contract power andproject risk. Further, a contract becomes optimal and efficient when cost savings and qualityincentives are aligned. However, the analysis of real-world projects presented no clearrelationship between contract power and project risk, i.e. some projects with fixed-pricecontracts or time and material contracts presented the same risk level. Hence, this researchproposes a method for computing the optimal incentive contract which can be used in manycases where the other two types of contract are currently being used. Based on the theory, theoptimal incentive contract may add valuable benefits for both parties involved since it aims toefficiently share the project risk between them while providing the agent the right incentivesto work more efficiently to reduce costs and deliver high-quality services or goods. / Byggbranschen står inför utmaningar när det gäller kontraktsdesign och riskhantering. Deoptimala upphandlingsmetoderna har studerats över hela världen inom områden avkontraktsteori som i sin tur studerar hur den optimala incitamentsmekanismen ("kontrakt") kanutformas för att uppmuntra parterna att agera mer effektivt. Parterna består vanligtvis av enprincipal och en agent, där principalen anställer en agent för att leverera varor eller tjänster.Men komplexiteten i kontraktsteori kräver ett mer praktiskt tillvägagångssätt i ett försök attbättre förstå upphandlingsproblemet i byggbranschen samt att öka kunskapsutbytet mellanprojekt. Syftet med denna studie är att föreslå en modell baserad på kontraktsteori som kan användas ipraktiken för att undersöka effekter av endogena risker i tre olika typer avupphandlingskontrakt: fastpris, rörligt pris (time and material) och incitament. Denna studieanvänder därmed kvantitativa metoder i syfte att förklara det aktuella upphandlingsproblemeti den svenska byggbranschen, jämföra teori och praktik, och bidra till utökad kunskap omsambandet mellan endogena risker, optimal riskdelning och kontraktsdesign. Slutsatsen från denna studie är att den nuvarande upphandlingspraxisen i branschen inte är ilinje med den optimala kontraktsdesignen som beskrivs av teorin. Teorin i denna studie visaratt, förutsatt endogena projektrisker, så varierar de optimala incitamenten med agentensriskaversion vilket resulterar i ett icke-monoton förhållande mellan optimal kontraktsdesignoch projektrisk. Dessutom blir ett kontrakt optimalt och effektivt när kostnadsbesparingar ochkvalitetsincitament är i linje med varandra. Men analysen av verkliga projekt visar inget tydligtsamband mellan kontraktsdesign och projektrisk, det vill säga en del projekt med fastpris ellerrörligt pris visade sig ha samma risknivå. Därför föreslår denna studie en metod för beräkningav det optimala incitamentet som kan användas i många fall där de andra två typerna avkontrakt för närvarande används. Teorin säger att det optimala incitamentet kan ge värdefullafördelar för de inblandade parterna eftersom det syftar till att på ett effektivt sätt fördelaprojektrisken mellan dem samtidigt som agenten får rätt incitament att arbeta mer effektivt föratt sänka kostnaderna och leverera högkvalitativa tjänster eller varor.

台灣科技業代工廠常面臨購買合法來源零組件，仍無法擺脫專利侵權控訴之命運，亦或常居於談判地位劣勢之被授權方角色，只能接受授權方完全排除自身擔保責任之契約條款，導致國內廠商始終擺脫不了高額權利金及侵權損害賠償金之累。本論文之核心研究問題，即在於探討如何在專利授權之架構下，降低未來潛在之第三人侵權責任風險？並區分法律制度層面、契約設計層面、管理制度層面，三個面向進行探討，嘗試提出可行之風險管控策略。個案研究方面，選擇美國最高法院Quanta v. LG專利侵權訴訟案，此案受各界宣稱為近期美國司法界對於專利制度最具指標性之判決，本論文透過判決評析探求美國法院見解真意，並在此架構下，提出個人意見及看法，進而對於專利權人未來之策略轉變，以及台灣代工業者應之因應方式提出建議。 1、法律制度面管控： 被控侵權者可運用專利制度下賦予專利權本質上限制之「專利權耗盡原則」，衡平原則發展下之「默示授權原則」，以及「再授權理論」對於專利權人之權利主張限制，以達降低侵權責任成立之風險。美國法下針對專利權耗盡原則及默示授權原則發展出多種態樣，惟其是否於個案中有所適用空間，往往仍取決於授權契約條款之解釋，此即彰顯出事先明確定義授權條款之重要性。 2、契約設計面管控： 由於我國法與美國法下對於專利授權契約定性上之差異，進而推衍出我國法下相較於美國法較加重授權人責任之結果，是以我國學說有主張當被授權人因運用授權標的遭受第三人主張侵權時，應準用民法瑕疵擔保規定使授權人承負一定責任者；反之，美國學說則普遍否認授權人存在有此等法定契約責任，此亦和雙方政策選擇保護立場互異之結果不謀而合。惟在現階段實務及學說對於授權人是否承擔被授權人之侵權瑕疵擔保責任尚無定見之下，以契約條款預先分配侵權風險最可達成管控風險之目的。美國企業之授權契約發展已十分成熟，與侵權責任分配相關之典型條款，如：授權條款、聲明擔保條款、補償條款，均存有許多附隨之細節需於契約設計談判時預先留意。惟若於契約條款中無法獲得有利於己之責任分配模式，即應評估風險性高低，決定是否採行其他之風險管控方式，如：專利侵權責任保險、企業自行提撥風險準備金、進行專利侵權訴訟評估與管理等。 3、管理制度面管控： 授權做為專利眾多換價模式之一，其背後最終之目的即在於具體落實為企業利潤收益，自然無法背離商業策略思維而獨立運作。國內現階段之專利授權實務發展成效不彰，其原因即在於國內普遍認為授權是單純法律之範疇，而未於企業內建立一套完備之授權管理制度。事實上，授權契約設計亦應與智財行銷要素、商業模式建構要素，以及企業營運流程相互配套，藉由平時有效之管理制度，方能確實將侵權風險防患於未然。 4、個案判決評析結論： 國內代工業者Quanta雖於本案中獲得最終勝訴判決，可說是貫徹了美國最高法院近年來持續傾向限縮專利權人權能之見解。然其是否代表台灣代工業者獲得了完全的勝利？往後不需再為合法採購之零件是否侵權一事苦惱？本論文採取保留之態度。因本案判決事實上僅圍繞在判斷LG與Intel授權範圍之解釋，並未對於能否以契約條款限制專利權耗盡原則表示見解。且本案判決出爐後，專利權人未來勢必轉變其授權策略，亦可預見其授權條款將更趨嚴苛，以規避判決中劃定之界限。台灣代工廠商實應謹慎集思因應策略以對。 / Taiwan OEMs are often situated in the role as licensees with inferior bargaining power when negotiated license agreements with foreign companies, and usually had no choice but to accept unfair contract terms. Therefore, Taiwan companies cannot get ride of high royalties and infringement penalty for all these years. This paper aims to discuss how to reduce potential patent infringement risk under the license system. The discussion will be elaborated from three aspects: Legal, Contract, and Management, and it will also try to propose some feasible risk management strategies. Furthermore, the paper will include a case study on Quanta v. LG, which is believed to be the most significant patent infringement case in United States Supreme Court in 2008.Through the analysis of Court opinions, the thesis then proposes some different suggestions about conversion of the patentee’ license strategies and how Taiwan OEMs should cope with the change in the future. 1.Legal Aspect: The defendant of a infringement case can apply for the doctrine of patent exhaustion, implied license, and sublicense. These doctrines are derived from patent right essential limitation. The U.S. law develops a lot of different models of patent exhaustion and implied license. It often depends on the interpretation of the terms of license agreement whether theses doctrines should be applied to individual case. This demonstrates the importance of precise definition and arrangement of contracts in advance. 2.Contract Aspect: The contract qualification of patent license agreement are different in Taiwan Law and the U.S. Law. Taiwan law intensifies licensor’s liability than American Law. Some Taiwan theories consider that when the licensee is accused of infringement because of the use of licensed articles, the licensor should have liability corresponding to the liability of warranty against defects in Civil Law. On the contrary, the majority of American theories deny such contract liability from law of licensor. Such difference corresponds to the different policies adopted in both countries. Since the defect warranty liability of the licensors are still in dispute, it will be the best way for risk management to distribute the infringement liability of both parties in contract explicitly. License agreement research has been fully developed in the U.S.. Grant Clause, Representations & Warranties and Indemnifications are all accompanied with details to be concerned. If the corporation unfortunately cannot obtain favorable clauses for its own side, it should evaluate risk to decide should it adopt another way for risk control, such as insurance, setting up risk reserves or litigation management. 3.Management Aspect: License is one of business models for corporation to make profit from patent. Its main purpose is to realize intangible patents into tangible profit. Accordingly, licensing strategy cannot be apart from commercial strategies. Patent license practice is still immature in Taiwan. Domestic corporations generally consider license as only a legal issue and do not properly construct a management system. In fact, license agreement design is a multidisciplinary subject and should coordinate with IP marketing strategies, business model, and enterprise operation procedure. Effective management system can establish necessary precautions against infringement liabilities. 4.Case Study: United States Supreme Court finally decided in favor of Quanta, Taiwan OEM, in Quanta v. LG case. The judgment does not mean a complete victory for Taiwan OEMs and neither did it indicate that the manufacturers do not need to bother for patent infringement by combining licensed components. Because the Court opinion only focuses within the scope of the license agreement by LG to Intel, without mentioning about if license conditions could break free of the doctrine of patent exhaustion. Furthermore, the stricter license conditions from the licensor is expectable after this case. Taiwan OEMs should make their best to find a solution.

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