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.

A spinning reserve assessment technique for a deregulated system has been developed and presented in this thesis. The technique is based on direct search optimization approach. Computer programs have been developed to implement the optimization processes both for transmission loss and without transmission loss.<p> A system commits adequate generation to satisfy its load and export/import commitment. Additional generation known as spinning reserve is also required to satisfy unforeseen load changes or withstand sudden generation loss. In a vertically integrated system, a single entity generates, transmits and distributes electrical energy. As a part of its operational planning, the single entity decides the level of spinning reserve. The cost associated with generation, transmission, distribution including the spinning reserve is then passed on to the customers.<p> In a deregulated system, generation, transmission and distribution are three businesses. Generators compete with each other to sell their energy to the Independent System Operators (ISO). ISO coordinates the bids from the generation as well as the bids from the bulk customers. In order to ensure a reliable operation, ISO must also ensure that the system has adequate spinning reserve. ISO must buy spinning reserve from the spinning reserve market. A probabilistic method called the load forecast uncertainty (LFU)-based spinning reserve assessment (LSRA) is proposed to assess the spinning reserve requirements in a deregulated power system.<p> The LSRA is an energy cost- based approach that incorporates the load forecast uncertainty of the day-ahead market (DAM) and the energy prices within the system in the assessment process. The LSRA technique analyzes every load step of the 49-step LFU model and the probability that the hourly DAM load will be within that load step on the actual day. Economic and reliability decisions are made based on the analysis to determine and minimize the total energy cost for each hour subject to certain system constraints in order to assess the spinning reserve requirements. The direct search optimization approach is easily implemented in the determination of the optimal SR requirements since the objective function is a combination of linear and non-linear functions. This approach involves varying the amount of SR within the system from zero to the maximum available capacity. By varying the amount of SR within the system, the optimal SR for which the hourly total operating cost is minimum and all operating constraints are satisfied is evaluated.<p> One major advantage of the LSRA technique is the inclusion of all the major system variables like DAM hourly loads and energy prices and the utilization of the stochastic nature of the system components in its computation. The setback in this technique is the need to have access to historical load data and spot market energy prices during all seasons. The availability and reliability of these historical data has a huge effect on the LSRA technique to adequately assess the spinning reserve requirements in a deregulated system.<p> The technique, along with the effects of load forecast uncertainty, energy prices of spinning reserve and spot market and the reloading up and down limits of the generating zones on the spinning reserve requirements are illustrated in detail in this thesis work. The effects of the above stochastic components of the power system on the spinning reserve requirements are illustrated numerically by different graphs using a computer simulation of the technique incorporating test systems with and without transmission loss.

Research Question: Does the pharmacy market seem to change in accordance with the goals stipulated by the government due to the reregulation? This leads to the following sub-questions: Does it seem like the availability of medical drugs for consumers increase? Does it seem like service for consumers get enhanced? Does it seem like the supply of services for consumers increase? Does it seem like the costs of medical drugs are maintained? Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate if the trends resulting from the reregulation of the pharmacy monopoly correspond to the goals stipulated by the government. The purpose is furthermore to compare the reregulation of other Swedish markets and the reregulation of the pharmacy market in other Nordic countries in order to heed their lessons. Method: This study uses method triangulation, with a questionnaire directed to pharmacy customers forming the quantitative basis and interviews with specialists regarding the pharmacy market, forming the qualitative. The study also draws heavily on historic data regarding reregulation of Swedish markets and reregulation of the pharmacy market in other Nordic countries. Conclusions: Availability of medical drugs has increased and will presumably continue to do so.  Service quality has increased somewhat and will presumably continue to do so. Supply of services has increased and it will presumably continue to do so. The cost of medical drugs will only increase if it is required in order to satisfy the other goals.

Bakgrund: Den statliga utredningen En framtida spelreglering presenterades under december 2008. Ett förslag i utredningen är att delar av monopolet på den svenska spelmarknaden i framtiden kan komma att konkurrensutsättas. Syfte: Denna studie syftar till att undersöka hur det sociala ansvarstagandet påverkas och i vilken omfattning CSR kan utgöra en konkurrensfördel på en avreglerad marknad. Genomförande: Vi har använt oss av en kvalitativ undersökningsmetod där Svenska Spel, Ladbrokes och Betssons CSR - arbete studeras. Utöver sekundärdata har det empiriska materialet kompletterats genom intervjuer med varje företag. Resultat: En avreglerad marknad behöver inte innebära att företagens sociala ansvarstagande minskar i samhället. Att integrera CSR i företagsstrategin är ett viktigt led i att nå acceptans bland intressenterna på marknaden. För ett lyckat CSR – arbete menar vi att företagens interna resurser måste användas med hänsyn till flertalet faktorer i den omgivande miljön. / Background: During the end of 2008 the Swedish government published a submission for comment regarding the future legislation of the Swedish gambling industry. The investigation suggests that new entrants may be allowed to enter the Swedish market. Aim: The purpose of this thesis is to determine if and how the social responsibility is affected when a market is deregulated, and if CSR is a possible tool for creating competitive advantage. Completion: The study is based on a qualitative method and examines the gambling companies Svenska Spel, Ladbrokes and Betsson. We conducted questionnaire studies among the examined gambling companies to enhance the secondary data. Findings: Our findings suggest that there is a good possibility for social responsibility to maintain a strong position in a deregulated market. CSR integration with the corporate strategy is an important step concerning acceptance among the company’s stakeholders.

No description available.

<p>Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Universitet, 1992, Härtill 4 uppsatser</p> / digitalisering@umu

Submitted by MATEUS MONTEIRO LOBATO null (mateusmonteirolobato@gmail.com) on 2018-04-02T18:33:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 tese_mateus.pdf: 130966747 bytes, checksum: f56316c457c7bd800dbaa0f961ea7fac (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by ALESSANDRA KUBA OSHIRO ASSUNÇÃO (alessandra@fct.unesp.br) on 2018-04-02T20:47:43Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 lobato_mm_dr_prud.pdf: 130966747 bytes, checksum: f56316c457c7bd800dbaa0f961ea7fac (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-02T20:47:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 lobato_mm_dr_prud.pdf: 130966747 bytes, checksum: f56316c457c7bd800dbaa0f961ea7fac (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-01-17 / A incidência de processos naturais milenares em seu território forjaram, na Amazônia, características ambientais ímpares e essas características são responsáveis por um ambiente diversificado do ponto de vista dos recursos naturais. Por isso, a Amazônia sempre figurou no centro de qualquer debate sobre o tema. Nos últimos cento e cinquenta anos, com a expansão e a consolidação, em nível mundial, do modo capitalista de produção, esse debate ganha ainda mais relevância, pois significa dizer que a formação histórica e geográfica da região está permeada de relações, processos e determinações originadas desse modo de produção. Então, para se compreender a Amazônia, é imprescindível buscar entendê-la a partir da sua inserção na reprodução capitalista. Logo, esta pesquisa tem como objetivo principal investigar a atuação dos sujeitos hegemônicos na economia regional amazônica, especificamente no sudeste paraense, a partir da dinâmica do modo capitalista de produção. A hipótese que guiou essa pesquisa é a de que os sujeitos hegemônicos do capital presentes na região sudeste paraense (produtores de commodities do agronegócio, pecuaristas, madeireiros e empresas ligadas à mineração) podem ser considerados sujeitos integrantes ou à serviço do capital mundializado, que se materializa na fronteira amazônica. Neste espaço geográfico, esses sujeitos criam seus territórios de forma conflituosa e direcionam os processos da fronteira agropecuária, de maneira que toda a dinâmica da fronteira e os sujeitos não hegemônicos estão submissos à lógica dos sujeitos capitalistas hegemônicos. / The incidence of millenarian natural processes in its territory have forged in Amazon unique environmental characteristics and these characteristics are responsible for a diversified environment from the natural resources standpoint. Because that, Amazon was at the center of any natural resources’ debate. However, in the last hundred and fifty years, with capitalist mode of production worldwide expansion and consolidation, this debate becomes even more relevant. This means that the region’s historical and geographical formation are permeated by relations, processes and determinations originated from the capitalism. So, to understand Amazon, it is essential to seek to understand it from its insertion in capitalist reproduction. My research aims to investigate the performance of hegemonic subjects in the regional Amazon economy, specifically in Southeast Pará, from the capitalist mode of production dynamics. The hypothesis guiding this research is that: the hegemonic subjects of capital present in the Southeast Pará region (producers of agribusiness commodities, cattle ranchers, loggers and mining companies) may be considered as members or at the service of globalized capital, which is materialized in the Amazonian border. In this geographic space, these subjects create their territories in a conflictive way and direct the agricultural frontier process, so that all frontier dynamics and the non-hegemonic subjects are submissive to the logic of the hegemonic capitalist subjects.

The overall point of the study is to describe and understand the endeavours of the pre-school teachers’ trade union to establish professionalism within this field of work, from the end of the 1960s to 2005. In order to shed light on the subject the main questions asked and answered in this study were: How does the pre-school teachers’ trade union act on issues regarding the autonomy of the pre-school teaching profession? To what extent, and in what way, does the pre-school teachers’ trade union strengthen the pre-school teaching profession’s position by differentiating itself from, and/or allying itself with other professional groups? Which knowledge base is the pre-school teachers’ trade union trying to establish and how does the union act on issues concerning the pre-school teaching profession’s knowledge base? How can these endeavours be understood from a gender perspective? The study presents profession and gender theoretical perspectives. It is based on an analysis of trade-union and official documents concerning pre-school, such as government enquiries, general guidelines and formal instructions. The analysis shows that state regulation of pre-school and its teachers has increased over the 45-year period in question. The result of this has been clearer directives but, at the same time, a loss of professional autonomy. The pre-school teachers’ trade unions’ endeavours to establish a professional monopoly through attempting to differentiate the profession by excluding people without a university degree, has been unsuccessful despite exclusion strategies aimed at nursery nurses. A clear effort can be seen to build an alliance with the teachers in compulsory schools. Aside from extending the pre-school teachers’ university training to 3.5 years, it is also evident that the move from care and developmental psychology to pedagogy and learning has been effected through the alliance with the compulsory school teachers. From a gender perspective, the context of pre-school teaching can be seen to have changed symbolically from one primarily intended to provide care and monitor children to a more pedagogical institution. Pre-school teachers have become teachers and children’s learning is emphasised more than their development. Overall this means that the pre-school teachers have a new identity and that pre-school teaching is no longer so clearly a woman’s job.

Este trabalho analisou o cenário em que está inserida a comercialização de bovinos para abate, no estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Para isto, foram utilizados dados obtidos através das Guias de Trânsito Animal (GTAs), entre os anos de 2010 (ano em que o sistema informatizado para GTAs foi implantado na Secretaria da Agricultura, Pecuária e Agronegócio - SEAPA) a 2013. Também foram utilizados dados da Declaração Anual de Rebanho, fornecidos pela SEAPA. Um dos diferenciais deste trabalho é esta fonte única, com documentos obrigatórios a todos que comercializam animais e o agrupamento por mesorregião geográfica das informações obtidas. Para o entendimento deste cenário, foram utilizadas como aporte teórico a Teoria da Localização, que considera a otimização da localização de uma firma, e a Organização Industrial, que através do Modelo E-C-D proporciona subsídios para caracterização da concentração em uma indústria. Os resultados mostraram que o número de animais abatidos é diferente entre as mesorregiões geográficas. Os matadouros-frigoríficos recebem animais para abate provenientes da mesorregião geográfica em que se estão localizados, mas também de outras mesorregiões do RS, em diferentes proporções. Nas análises, as mesorregiões geográficas Centro Oriental e Metropolitana destacaram-se pelo maior número de animais abatidos. No entanto, o rebanho nestas mesorregiões ainda não foi o suficiente para a demanda gerada pelo mercado consumidor, que está muito próximo devido as grandes cidades que compõem estas mesorregiões, como Santa Maria e Porto Alegre. A Mesorregião Sudoeste é a terceira que mais abateu animais. A quantidade abatida nesta mesorregião é composta por 74% de animais da própria mesorregião Sudoeste, porém, o seu rebanho foi uma importante fonte de animais para as demais mesorregiões. Neste cenário, o estado do RS apresentou mais de 60 mil ofertantes (pecuaristas) em 2013, e o número de demandantes (matadouros-frigoríficos) chegou a 459. O matadouro-frigorífico que mais abateu em 2010 perdeu participação de mercado até 2013, e frigoríficos menores conseguiram aumentar as suas participações, havendo uma tendência de maior equilíbrio entre as empresas. Não existe concentração na indústria de carne bovina, e as medidas de concentração analisadas mostram índices cada vez menores. / This study analyzed the scenario in which the marketing of cattle for slaughter is inserted in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. For this, it was used data of Animal Transit Guides (GTAs) for slaughter since 2010 - year that these guides were made available electronically by the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Agribusiness (SEAPA) - to 2013. It was also used data from Herd Annual Statement, supplied by SEAPA, which is one of the remarkable points of this paper, the unique and reliable source that was provided with a set of mandatory documents that all cattle sellers must have. Based on information that was founded, it was used the theory of location, considering the optimization of the location of a firm, and the Industrial Organization, through the S-C-P model, focusing on the structure that allows one to see if there was concentration in the industry. The Metropolitan ant Eastern Center Mesoregions are the ones that slaughter the most, having their own production as their raw material. However, these cattle are still not enough for the demand generated by the consumer market, which live close to these centers. The Southwest Mesoregion slaughters a great number of animals, with 74% of these slaughtered cattle coming from their own production and it is still an important source of animals for other Mesoregions. The number of suppliers (farmers) exceeded 60,000 in 2013, and the slaughter houses had reached 459. There is no concentration in the beef industry, and analyzed concentration measurements show dwindling numbers. The most important slaughterhouse in 2010 lost market by 2013, and smaller slaughterhouses were able to increase their holdings, with a trend towards greater balance between companies.

Este trabalho analisou o cenário em que está inserida a comercialização de bovinos para abate, no estado do Rio Grande do Sul. Para isto, foram utilizados dados obtidos através das Guias de Trânsito Animal (GTAs), entre os anos de 2010 (ano em que o sistema informatizado para GTAs foi implantado na Secretaria da Agricultura, Pecuária e Agronegócio - SEAPA) a 2013. Também foram utilizados dados da Declaração Anual de Rebanho, fornecidos pela SEAPA. Um dos diferenciais deste trabalho é esta fonte única, com documentos obrigatórios a todos que comercializam animais e o agrupamento por mesorregião geográfica das informações obtidas. Para o entendimento deste cenário, foram utilizadas como aporte teórico a Teoria da Localização, que considera a otimização da localização de uma firma, e a Organização Industrial, que através do Modelo E-C-D proporciona subsídios para caracterização da concentração em uma indústria. Os resultados mostraram que o número de animais abatidos é diferente entre as mesorregiões geográficas. Os matadouros-frigoríficos recebem animais para abate provenientes da mesorregião geográfica em que se estão localizados, mas também de outras mesorregiões do RS, em diferentes proporções. Nas análises, as mesorregiões geográficas Centro Oriental e Metropolitana destacaram-se pelo maior número de animais abatidos. No entanto, o rebanho nestas mesorregiões ainda não foi o suficiente para a demanda gerada pelo mercado consumidor, que está muito próximo devido as grandes cidades que compõem estas mesorregiões, como Santa Maria e Porto Alegre. A Mesorregião Sudoeste é a terceira que mais abateu animais. A quantidade abatida nesta mesorregião é composta por 74% de animais da própria mesorregião Sudoeste, porém, o seu rebanho foi uma importante fonte de animais para as demais mesorregiões. Neste cenário, o estado do RS apresentou mais de 60 mil ofertantes (pecuaristas) em 2013, e o número de demandantes (matadouros-frigoríficos) chegou a 459. O matadouro-frigorífico que mais abateu em 2010 perdeu participação de mercado até 2013, e frigoríficos menores conseguiram aumentar as suas participações, havendo uma tendência de maior equilíbrio entre as empresas. Não existe concentração na indústria de carne bovina, e as medidas de concentração analisadas mostram índices cada vez menores. / This study analyzed the scenario in which the marketing of cattle for slaughter is inserted in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. For this, it was used data of Animal Transit Guides (GTAs) for slaughter since 2010 - year that these guides were made available electronically by the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Agribusiness (SEAPA) - to 2013. It was also used data from Herd Annual Statement, supplied by SEAPA, which is one of the remarkable points of this paper, the unique and reliable source that was provided with a set of mandatory documents that all cattle sellers must have. Based on information that was founded, it was used the theory of location, considering the optimization of the location of a firm, and the Industrial Organization, through the S-C-P model, focusing on the structure that allows one to see if there was concentration in the industry. The Metropolitan ant Eastern Center Mesoregions are the ones that slaughter the most, having their own production as their raw material. However, these cattle are still not enough for the demand generated by the consumer market, which live close to these centers. The Southwest Mesoregion slaughters a great number of animals, with 74% of these slaughtered cattle coming from their own production and it is still an important source of animals for other Mesoregions. The number of suppliers (farmers) exceeded 60,000 in 2013, and the slaughter houses had reached 459. There is no concentration in the beef industry, and analyzed concentration measurements show dwindling numbers. The most important slaughterhouse in 2010 lost market by 2013, and smaller slaughterhouses were able to increase their holdings, with a trend towards greater balance between companies.