Thesis advisor: Hideo Konishi / This dissertation covers three essays in modelling the market competitions with the presence of consumer search. The first two essays add on Wolinsky's (1986) model to investigate firms' optimal choice of their way of doing business in response to the changing consumer search behaviors during the information age. The third essay modifies the Varian's (1980) model to provide a new mechanism to rationalize the countercyclical markups in supermarkets. The first essay concerns the formation of referral alliance. It extends the Wolinsky's (1986) model to a three-stage game with two types of products produced by a continuum of firms with each one having strength in a single type only. In the first stage, firms simultaneously decide on the formation of referral alliances, in which each alliance consists of a pair of firms producing different types of products. In the second stage, they set price simultaneously. In the third stage, each consumer who only values one type of product searches sequentially for the right product. We show that firms with low ability to deal with the unmatched consumers are positively assorted together in the formation of referral alliance with multiple equilibrium possible. The proliferation of referral alliance always benefits consumers but not necessarily firms. One the one hand, it intensifies competition and drives down the market price. On the other hand, it increases the mass of consumers participating in the search market. The price elasticity of demand together with our stability condition govern the changes in consumer and social welfare as the search cost varies. The reduction in search cost always increases consumer and social welfare only if the equilibrium is stable with elastic demand. The policy implication from our results is that it might be more effective to improve consumer and social welfare by inducing more firms to participate in the referral alliances rather than reducing the consumers' search cost. The second essay studies the incentives for stores to invest effort in serving customers if effort is costly and might be merely persuasive that reduces consumption utility. We incorporate a sales agent to each store in Wolinsky's (1986) model, in which the sales agent is paid either by fixed wage or by commissions. The commissions motivate sales agents to provide more advice, which could be indeed useful to increase clients' willingness to pay or merely persuasive without affecting it. Consumers are sophisticated that understand the dual roles of effort before visiting firms, but they might be impressionable and therefore could not stay away from the effect of persuasion when they are making the purchasing decision. When consumers are heterogeneous in terms of their impressionability, they are sorted into stores with fixed wage and commissions in the equilibrium. The composition of stores varies with the search cost and the ability of sales agents to increase consumers' willingness to pay (effectiveness of advice). When the advice is relatively ineffective, there will be an increase in mass of fixed wage stores in response to a reduction in search cost. The reverse is true when the advice is sufficiently effective. Additionally, the mass of fixed wage stores always increases as the advice becomes less effective. The competitive equilibrium outcome might imply that there are too little commission-based stores, so it could be social welfare enhancing by encouraging more consumers to visit the stores with commissions. The third essay provides a simple mechanism that rationalizes the countercyclical markups in supermarkets with the presence of a warehouse club. We first provide a mechanism on the higher supermarket prices upon the entry of the warehouse club. The new warehouse club attracts price-sensitive consumers away from supermarkets, which reduces the price elasticity of the consumers in the supermarket regime. This relaxes price competition resulting in higher supermarket prices. After that we apply the same mechanism to explain the countercyclical markups in supermarkets. During economic booms, the time value of consumers increases making them less willing to visit the warehouse club. Thus, economic booms increase the amount of price-sensitive consumers in supermarkets, intensifying price competition and inducing a lower price relative to cost in booming times. / Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015. / Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Economics.

Ritmos biológicos são regulados por mecanismos homeostáticos que asseguram a confiabilidade funcional do relógio fisiológico independentemente de mudanças de temperatura no ambiente. Compensação de temperatura, ou a independência do período oscilatório em relação à temperatura, é conhecida por exercer um papel central em muitos ritmos biológicos, mas um fenômeno raro em osciladores químicos. Estudou-se nessa dissertação a influência da temperatura na dinâmica oscilatória durante a oxidação catalítica de ácido fórmico sobre eletrodo de platina policristalina. Os experimentos foram conduzidos em cinco temperaturas diferentes de 5 à 25 ºC, e as oscilações foram estudadas sob controle galvanostático. Resultados experimentais foram comparados a um novo modelo proposto para a eletro-oxidação de ácido fórmico, considerando formato como intermediário ativo e a desidrogenação da água em altos potenciais. Sob condições oscilatórias apenas comportamento anti-Arrhenius foi observado. Sobre-compensação com coeficiente de temperatura (q10, definido como a razão entre a constante de velocidade à temperatura T + 10 ºC e em T) < 1 é achada para a maioria dos casos, exceto em altas correntes aplicadas onde compensação de temperatura, q10 ~ 1 predomina. O comportamento do período e amplitude resulta de uma combinação complexa entre a temperatura e corrente aplicada ou, equivalentemente, a distância do equilíbrio termodinâmico. Altas energias de ativação aparente foram obtidas em condições voltamétricas, não-oscilatórias, as quais implicam que o comportamento anti-Arrhenius observado sob regime oscilatório resulta de um acoplamento entre as rotas reacionais em vez de uma fraca dependência da temperatura nas etapas elementares. Mecanisticamente, os experimentos e o modelo matemático sugerem que o período em regime de (sobre)compensação de temperatura durante a eletro-oxidação de ácido fórmico sobre platina é governado pelo acoplamento entre as taxas reacionais de formação/remoção de monóxido de carbono e formato em condições oscilatórias. / Biological rhythms are regulated by homeostatic mechanisms that assure that physiological clocks function reliably independent of temperature changes in the environment. Temperature compensation, i.e. the independence of the oscillatory period on temperature, is known to play a central role in many biological rhythms, but it is rather rare in chemical oscillators. It was studied in this master thesis the influence of temperature on the oscillatory dynamics during the catalytic oxidation of formic acid on a polycrystalline platinum electrode. The experiments are performed at five temperatures from 5 to 25 ºC, and the oscillations studied under galvanostatic control. Experimental results are compared to a new model proposed for formic acid electro-oxidation, which includes formate as an active intermediate and water dehydrogenation at high potentials. Under oscillatory conditions only non-Arrhenius behavior is observed. Over-compensation with temperature coefficient (q10, defined as the ratio between the rate constants at temperature T + 10 ºC and at T) < 1 is found in most cases, except that temperature compensation with q10 ~ 1 predominates at high applied currents. The behavior of the period and the amplitude result from a complex interplay between temperature and applied current or, equivalently, the distance from thermodynamic equilibrium. High, positive apparent activation energies were obtained under voltammetric, non-oscillatory conditions, which implies that the non-Arrhenius behavior observed under oscillatory conditions results from the interplay among reaction steps rather than from a weak temperature dependence of the individual steps. Mechanistically, the experiments and the mathematical model suggest that the period in temperature (over)compensation regime during electro-oxidation of formic acid at platinum is governed by the coupling among the reaction rates of formation/removal of carbon monoxide and formate coverage in oscillatory conditions.

by Tam Wing Wah, Michael. / Bibliography: leaves 35-37 / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1984

A proposta central do estudo foi investigar se o valor da remuneração pode influenciar na preferência ou atratividade da auditoria independente como uma alternativa de ocupação profissional no ambiente brasileiro. Teve como foco os alunos do curso de ciências contábeis que são os prováveis candidatos a optar por essa atividade profissional. Para alcançar tal objetivo, foi definido como estratégia de pesquisa o desenho quase-experimental, conduzido com 240 alunos pertencentes às instituições públicas estaduais e federais no Brasil, em que os sujeitos participantes foram direcionados aleatoriamente ao grupo de controle ou ao grupo experimental. Cada grupo recebeu algumas ofertas de trabalho nas três atividades profissionais definidas para a pesquisa, cuja tarefa dos integrantes era dizer se aceitava ou não a vaga ofertada. A diferença entre o grupo de controle e o experimental foi o estímulo da remuneração apresentada para o grupo de experimento. A metodologia aplicada nas mensurações compreendeu basicamente análises de frequência dos grupos e testes não paramétricos para verificar a existência ou não de diferenças de média entre os grupos. Os resultados indicaram o aceite da primeira hipótese de que a preferência pela atividade de auditoria é influenciada pela percepção do valor da remuneração e, em termos relativos essa influência representou 26% na taxa de aceite, o teste não paramétrico de Mann-Whitney também confirmou a existência dessa influência apontando um p-valor < 0,000. Os resultados também indicaram suporte ao modelo de valência da teoria da expectativa em que os indivíduos com alto índice de valência pela atividade de auditoria escolheram essa atividade independentemente do estímulo remuneração uma vez que já tinham valorado os atributos de trabalho mais preferidos. Com isso, a segunda hipótese da pesquisa de que a remuneração não influencia na escolha quando a valência pela auditoria for alta, também foi aceita. Por outro lado, os resultados também apontam para o aceite da terceira hipótese indicando que aqueles indivíduos com menor valência tiveram influência significativa do fator remuneração na escolha da vaga de auditoria. Apesar de não ser o foco dessa pesquisa também foi possível evidenciar os atributos de trabalho mais preferidos pelos alunos, os quais se mostraram similares aos levantados em outras pesquisas como, por exemplo, Rendell e Brown (2011) e Leschinsky & Michael (2004), esses fatores foram 1. Oportunidade de avanço na carreira, 2. Estabilidade e segurança no trabalho e 3. Conseguir alta remuneração, seguida por outros com menor grau de importância. A principal contribuição dessa pesquisa foi evidenciar a influência do fator remuneração na atração da atividade de auditoria, permitindo assim corroborar com as pesquisas que apontam a remuneração como um dos motivos da carência de auditor independente no país, como é o caso da pesquisa de Amorin (2012). / The main goal of this study was to investigate whether compensation value can influence the preference for or attractiveness towards independent auditing as a vocational choice in Brazil. It focused on students majoring in Accounting, who are the most likely candidates to opt for this professional occupation. To that end, the research strategy was defined in a quasi-experimental design, among 240 students enrolled at state and federal universities in Brazil; participants were randomly assigned to either the control or experimental group. Each group received a number of job offers in all three professional fields defined for the study, and participants had the task of declaring whether or not they would have accepted the job offer. The difference between the control and experimental groups was the compensation incentive (specific salary offer) presented to the experimental group. The methodology applied in the measurements consisted basically of frequency analyses of the groups and non-parametric tests to determine whether or not means differed between the groups. The results indicated acceptance of the first hypothesis that the preference for the auditing occupation is influenced by the perception of remuneration value; in relative terms, this influence accounted for 26% of the job acceptance rate, and the Mann-Whitney non-parametric test confirmed the existence of this influence as well, indicating a p-value < 0.000. The results also supported the value model of expectancy theory in which individuals with high valuing rates for the auditing occupation chose it regardless of the compensation stimulus, as they had already valued their most preferred job attributes. With that, the second research hypothesis - that compensation does not influence the choice whenever valence for auditing is high - was accepted as well. On the other hand, the results also indicate acceptance of the third hypothesis, indicating that those individuals with lower valence were significantly influenced by the compensation factor when choosing the auditing job opening. Although it was not the focus of this research study, it was possible to determine the students\' most preferred job attributes, which proved similar to those surveyed in other studies, such as Rendell & Brown (2011) and Leschinsky & Michael (2004). Those factors were: 1. Opportunities for career advancement, 2. Job security and stability, and 3. High remuneration, followed by other factors with lower degrees of importance. The main contribution provided by this research was to evidence the influence of the compensation factor on the attractiveness of the auditing occupation, thereby making it possible to corroborate studies that show remuneration as one of the reasons for the shortage of independent auditors in Brazil, as observed in research by Amorin (2012).

Programme evaluation research examined the criminological and socio-legal issues of a Claimant Fraud Investigation Program (CFIP) operating inside the workers' compensation system. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to evaluate the programmes' choice of deterrence as an instrumental mechanism for achieving compliance. Key aspects of the programme were analysed from both criminological and socio-legal standpoints. Justice and liberty tensions were examined in reference to the programmes' deterrence mechanisms and the perceptions of fourteen participants' were thematically analysed. The study develops an analytically useful concept of light blue-collar crime that could be applied to other organisations and scenarios. The study concluded the programme is not effective and has more of a symbolic than instrumental value. It conducts itself ethically, however, there are problems with its' choice of deterrence and the study indicates there is a low probability for a deterrent effect. Recommendations are made for other actors and institutions to play non-deterrence based roles intended to achieve compliance.

No description available.

The diploma thesis examines employee satisfaction and employee benefits in a chosen company. It was used a research: asking via a questionaire. The analysis of chosen quality characters has been made in this thesis and the financial impact of the employee benefits has been monitored. On the basis of the results the reseatched situation has been appreciated and there have been proposed possible changes and improvement in the providing of emplayee benefits.

Release of glutamate in cerebral ischemia results in an excitotoxic reaction in the central nervous system resulting in neuronal cell loss. Providing neuronal protection via N‐methyl D‐asparate (NMDA) receptor blockade in response to cerebral ischemia may result in preservation of function following ischemia. The present study was designed to test compound AT010, an NMDA signaling antagonist, on behavioral compensation and infarct size in a cerebral ischemia model in the rat. Animals were surgically implanted with a filament via the external carotid artery, providing an occlusion of he medial cerebral artery for 60 min. Approximately 30‐45 minutes prior to surgery, the compound AT010 (3uM or 10uM) or saline was iv administered at 1% of body weight. All animals were behaviorally tested on behavioral tasks that analyzed postural reflex, limb placement, righting reflex, adhesive removal, and behavioral motor function at 3, 7, and 14 days post‐ischemia. In addition, animals were tested on the Morris water maze, a spatial memory task 28 days post‐ischemia. Regardless of dose, composite neurological scores for all motor and sensory tasks were higher for animals given AT010 compared to saline at 7 and 14 days post‐ ischemia. Water maze results revealed significant improvement of animals administered the higher dose of AT010 (10uM) on acquisition and probe trial performance, although no effect was revealed for the lower dose (3 uM). Finally, analysis of brain tissue samples revealed no significant effect on infarct size. These results indicate that compensation occurred throughout the undamaged brain areas, likely through synaptic communication changes as a result of drug treatment.

Modern electric power utilities are facing a variety of challenges introduced by the increasing complexity of their operation, structure, and consumer loads. One such challenge has been to supply the ever growing demand for reactive power which is essential for grid support. For this reason dynamic VAR technologies are becoming much more important to modern day power systems. A recent dynamic VAR technology known as the Dynamic Capacitor offers full quadrant capacitive VAR control through the combination of AC/AC buck and boost cells. This paper introduces a new topology deemed the “Four-Switch Buck-Boost Dynamic Capacitor” which promises to combine the performance of the AC/AC buck and boost cells into a single power electronic device. This is done in an effort to reduce the required component count and thus reduce the overall device footprint and implementation cost of the Dynamic Capacitor technology. Derivations and analysis will detail the workings of the Four-Switch Buck-Boost Dynamic Capacitor, while simulations in LTSpice and Matlab Simulink will demonstrate the functionality and performance of the proposed topology. The results of this thesis prove the Four-Switch Buck-Boost Dynamic Capacitor to be a feasible shunt reactive compensating device.

Employee turnover costs long-term care facilities billions of dollars on an annual basis. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationships between employee turnover intention of certified nursing assistants (CNAs) in the long-term care industry and employee compensation, engagement, job satisfaction, motivation, and work environment. The predictor variables were employee compensation, engagement, job satisfaction, motivation, and work environment. The criterion variable was employee turnover intention. The population of interest consisted of CNAs who were residents of Florida, over the age of 18 years, and employed in the long-term care industry. The theoretical framework that grounded this study was the motivational-hygiene theory. For this study, a sample of 157 participants completed an electronic survey. Multiple linear regression analyses predicted the dependent variables, R-² = .34, F(5, 151) = 15.22, p < .0001. The multiple regression model with 4 of the 5 predictors accounted for significantly more variance in turnover intention than would be expected by chance. Correlation tests resulted in statistically significant inverse relationships between employee turnover intention and employee compensation, engagement, job satisfaction, and work environment. The negative correlation observed between motivation and turnover intention was not statistically significant. The findings in this study may contribute to positive social change by reducing turnover intention while improving the quality of care and reducing costs of care that affect the lives of the long-term care residents, concerned family members, and significant others.