Generic advertising campaigns promote the general qualities of a product to customers thus improving the demand of all firms who market that product. Recent national campaigns of this nature include the milk advertising campaign "Got Milk?" and the advertising campaign by florists "Think Flowers." The focus of this dissertation is to study, through analytical modeling and an experimental economics perspective, the strategic issues that arise in the organization of such an advertising campaign. We investigate two mechanisms used in practice--Voluntary Contribution Mechanisms (VCMs) and Mandated Contribution Mechanisms (MCMs). In the former, industry members can decide if they want to participate and if so, how much they wish to contribute. Here, the strategic problem relates to achieving complete participation. Specifically, either "free-rider" or "cheap-rider" equilibria obtain, leading to sub-optimal advertising. In order to overcome this, we propose the Provision Point VCM where the campaign is conducted only if contributions exceed a pre-determined threshold. Here, optimal advertising is always a feasible equilibrium. We experimentally investigated the impact of these two VCMs, face-to-face communication and completeness of information on contributions. Managers with experience in such advertising also participated in our study. The findings from the forty four economic experiments were: (1) Simple VCM led to lower efficiency in comparison to Provision Point VCMs. (2) When the provision point was set at the Pareto Optimum, a high efficiency and provision percentage resulted. (3) Communication always led to gains in efficiency. A weak long-term effect was found in the Simple VCM case and a strong long-term effect was found in the Provision Point VCM case. (4) The efficiency in the complete and incomplete information cases for both Simple and Provision Point VCMs were very similar. This is a surprising result. In MCMs, the government stipulates a payment rule by legislation and all industry members must comply. Firms can reduce their share of the advertising budget only by under-stating privately held information, leading to sub-optimal advertising. We design a mechanism that overcomes this by ensuring that truthful information revelation is the dominant strategy for all firms.

<p> The main objective of this dissertation is to evaluate the unexpressed effect of Cross-Listing on stock prices of Companies from Latin America, in particular, I expect stock prices to get closer to their intrinsic or true value after cross-listing. Specifically, I test the impact of the issuance of ADRs on two market microstructure variables, namely, volatility and efficiency, which will be assessed throughout the usage of three models: the GARCH model, which measures the impact on volatility, second, the news impact curve, which assesses the effect of volatility over bad news, and third, the proper ARMA model is specified to gauge efficiency.</p><p> Overall, in 82% of the cases at least one result is as expected, and 49% of results are consistent with the hypotheses. First, in the case of the GARCH model, 59% of the results are as expected, particularly in the case of Brazil 73% of the results are as expected, in the case of Argentina 43% are as expected, Mexico 50%, Chile 40%, Peru 50% and Colombia 100%. On the other hand, 32% of the results show improvements in terms of efficiency, specifically, in the case of Brazil 40% of the results are as expected, in the case of Argentina 43% are as expected, Mexico 25%, Chile 0%, Peru 50% and Colombia 0%. Finally, in the case of the News Impact Curve test, 56% of the results are as expected, in the case of Brazil 67% of the results are as expected, in the case of Argentina 43% are as expected, Mexico 0%, Chile 60%, Peru 100% and Colombia 100%. In contrast, assessing the effect of companies that issue ADRs versus the competition, I find that in 80% of the cases, companies that cross-list are better-off in terms of expected results when comparing with the competitors. Moreover, dividing the findings before and after the introduction of electronic systems in each country, I find that in general, before the introduction of electronic systems, overall, there is a consistency of 54% in the whole region, whereas after the introduction of electronic systems, there is a consistency of only 38% of expected results. This outcome suggests that once the electronic systems are implemented there is an improvement in terms of the information environment, thus reducing the effects of crosslisting This study contributes to the financial literature because it tests the impact of crosslisting on two specified market microstructure variables through the utilization of novel models. </p>

<p> The advances in information technologies and the Internet significantly promote the prosperous growth of electronic commerce in recent years. Simply surfing the Internet allows consumers to conveniently explore endless product choices and a flood of related product information. As one of the most important sources of product information, Word-of-Mouth (WOM) helps consumers assess product quality, reduces decision risk without physical trials, and thus facilitates locating their best matches. WOM volume on the Internet has been rising fast while the Internet also unprecedentedly enhances the reach of WOM. As a result, online WOM could significantly influence consumer decision-making. More and more firms are embracing and applying online WOM marketing as a complementary strategy for advertising to increase sales. Even so, not much has been known regarding the mechanism underlying the WOM effect on online consumer behavior. A deeper understanding of the economic impact of online WOM is needed to provide practitioners insightful guidance on information systems design and the allocation of firm resources to more effectively develop online WOM marketing strategies. </p><p> This dissertation seeks to shed light on online WOM effect from three angles using a three-essay structure. The first essay of this dissertation investigates how a demand side factor (online user-generated WOM) interplays with a supply side factor (product variety) to affect a product's popularity in the online market where product choices are abundant and consumers can easily access product information. Extant research primarily looks into either demand side or supply side justifications for the heterogeneity of consumption pattern. Alternatively, this study highlights that consumers' reliance on online user reviews to choose products is significantly influenced by the quantity of products available. </p><p> In addition, this dissertation also explores the differential impact of online WOM created by different types of reviewers on online user choices. While consumers are widely exposed to both online user reviews and professional reviews, those two sources of WOM information are generally believed to influence user choices independently. However, an in-depth mediation analysis conducted in the Bayesian framework shows that professional reviews influence online user choices not only directly but also indirectly through the volume of online user reviews. This study also proposes a more robust hierarchical structure to model the interaction effect between online user reviews and product variety, refining the first essay. </p><p> Following this line of inquiry, this dissertation further studies the impact of the distribution of online WOM across retailing and third-party websites on consumers' purchasing decisions. In parallel with the flocking WOM available on the Internet, nowadays consumers are able to reach almost every piece of online WOM information relevant to their interested products. The distribution of WOM information across the Internet may accordingly influence consumers' search costs for product information and affect their final decisions. This research has found empirical evidence that both the dispersion of WOM volume and variation of WOM valence across the Internet significantly influence online retail sales.</p>

<p> Economic development has become a key issue in the United States. The recruitment and retention of public and private development is a pivotal strategy for increasing the economic prosperity of a region or nation as well as its inhabitants. While all segments of the nation benefit from economic development, the importance of this issue is paramount to the rural areas where income, living conditions, and educational levels may not mirror those of their urban counter part. As a result, rural regions are particularly interested in attracting both public and private investments to improve their economy, increase their tax base, and increase the standard of living for those residents living in a given region. </p><p> This project utilizes GIS siting analysis models to explore potential areas for economic development in the rural area of Fulton County. In this project, ten variables were analyzed to determine suitable sites for economic development based on physical variables, transportation variables, and public utility infrastructure variables. These variables were selected based on a review of relevant literature based on economic development in rural areas. Site suitability maps were developed using a multi-criteria decision making model and weighting each variable with respect to cost incurred to the taxpaying public. The final map displays multiple areas of high suitability for light industrial development based on an analysis of these factors as they relate to Fulton County.</p>

Bilateral air service agreements have determined the nature of international air services through regulation of entry, service quality and pricing. Negotiations for such treaties reflect each government's aim to gain at least an equivalent right before granting certain traffic rights to the other party. Given these negotiated rights as endowments, each airline determines its strategies within the designated market. Station routing models and profit functions identify each firm's strategies. Using stage length as a proxy for network type, efficiency forecasting of stochastic frontiers measures productive efficiency for three primary transpacific airlines. The inclusion of input and output prices accounts for relative costs and revenues. Results indicate that international route structures must be linked to an extensive domestic route network in order to exhibit high productive efficiency. Changes in relative costs through exchange rate fluctuations furthermore reflect the vulnerabilities in the international trade of services.

My dissertation consists of two unrelated essays. In the first essay, "Wage Subsidy in an Optimal Redistribution Program", I analyze the efficiency of income transfers and wage subsidies as instruments of income redistribution in an optimal taxation framework. I extend the Mirrlees model (1971) of income inequality by specifying a model in which individuals' productivity and wages depend on investment in skill acquisition in addition to ability. The principal result of the research is that a wage subsidy has an important role to play in an optimal system of income maintenance. In the second essay, "Bundling Hardware and Software", a class of simple models is analyzed to explain prevailing bundling practices in computer markets. A profit-maximizing monopolist may over-provide hardware-software bundles, practice "pure bundling" when preferences are symmetric with respect to software, and under-bundle and under-produce software when preferences are asymmetric.

In this dissertation, structural models that utilize parametric and nonparametric approaches are developed that are used to measure competition and cost efficiency in the US banking industry (1990--96). Competition in loan and deposit markets is studied using the method of conjectural variations (Bresnahan, 1982). The results indicate that market imperfections present are negligible, and that loan and deposit services are competitively priced. Cost efficiency is studied using a stochastic cost frontier in the spirit of Bauer (1990), and cost increases above optimal levels are assigned to technical and allocative inefficiencies. The results indicate that technical inefficiency is the major cause for deviations from the cost frontier and allocative inefficiency is declining during this period.

No description available.

The aggregate market of the Eastern United States is quantitatively modelled and the interaction of its components measured. Concrete and paving aggregate were the selected types for the purposes of this study. Using 1987 as base year, production is segmented into geographic units by using information obtained from the Mine Safety and Health Administration. The quarry price is given by an empirical relation, accounting for urbanization, and based on an extensive telephone survey. The global demand is determined by econometric procedures. The break-down by geographic unit is performed using construction data in an input/output manner. Transport, which is multi-modal, is simulated by linear programming. These concepts are consolidated by the optimisation of aggregate distribution. The model developed is used to simulate different situations, demonstrating the reliability of the obtained solutions.

<p> The objective of the mixed-methods research project was to expand understanding of economic incentives and barriers to international expansion for small and medium sized enterprises located in the coastal counties of South Carolina. Growing global markets are linked to increased opportunities for smaller enterprises to participate in international commerce. Limited understanding of incentives that enable success and techniques effective for overcoming barriers that restrict South Carolina firms from rewarding participation in international markets was the research problem addressed in the study. The purpose of the study was to explore the international expansion experience of leaders for South Carolina small and medium-sized enterprises and examine differences in leader-perceived levels of success for Lowcountry firms because of international status. The project was a mixed methods study using an exploratory, sequential design with an initial stream employing qualitative techniques followed by a subsequent stream using quantitative tools to analyze survey data. Qualitative interview techniques were used to engage a limited number of firms to acquire data on common internationalization experiences among participants. Three internationalization incentives and three barriers were identified. Hypotheses developed from the initial strand of the project were then answered using analysis of survey data collected via a census of the available population. Triangulation of data from two phases of the mixed-methods study revealed foreign market opportunity and supply chain resources as incentives, and ample domestic-market opportunity as a significant barrier to international commerce. Leaders of internationally active firms reported larger customer bases, larger numbers of employees, higher levels of competition, and higher five-year average rates of revenue growth.</p>