Government investment strategy and platform pricing decisions with the cross-market network externality

Kybernetes ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoping Xu ◽  
Guowei Dou ◽  
Yugang Yu

Purpose Considering the cross-market network externality, this paper aims to explore the platform’s pricing decisions and its optimal profit under the given government investment, and then investigate the investment decision to improve social responsibility, which is measured by the social welfare. Design/methodology/approach When exploring the optimal pricing decisions under the given government investment, extreme value theory and sensitive analysis are used. When investigating the investment level, game theory and optimization method are used. Numerical examples are conducted to further illustrate the results. Findings First, after considering the government investment, whether the buyers and the sellers are charged depends on the investment level and the difference of the cross-market network externality (CNC) of the sellers and the buyers. Second, the optimal price on the sellers is decreasing (increasing) in the CNC of the buyers (sellers). The optimal price on the buyers is significantly affected by the investment level. Finally, the government investment is win-win for both the platform and the government, and Chinese Government should invest on the sellers heavily. Originality/value This study specifies the role of the government investment on the sellers in determining the platform’s pricing decisions and the improvement of the social responsibility, which is measured by social welfare.

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 41-54 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Joyce

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the 2016 elections for Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) and to compare them with those that took place in 2012. It seeks to evaluate the background of the candidates who stood for office in 2016, the policies that they put forward, the results of the contests and the implications of the 2016 experience for future PCC elections. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based around several key themes – the profile of candidates who stood for election, preparations conducted prior to the contests taking place, the election campaign and issues raised during the contests, the results and the profile of elected candidates. The paper is based upon documentary research, making particular use of primary source material. Findings The research establishes that affiliation to a political party became the main route for successful candidates in 2016 and that local issues related to low-level criminality will dominate the future policing agenda. It establishes that although turnout was higher than in 2012, it remains low and that further consideration needs to be devoted to initiatives to address this for future PCC election contests. Research limitations/implications The research focusses on the 2016 elections and identifies a number of key issues that emerged during the campaign affecting the conduct of the contests which have a bearing on future PCC elections. It treats these elections as a bespoke topic and does not seek to place them within the broader context of the development of the office of PCC. Practical implications The research suggests that in order to boost voter participation in future PCC election contests, PCCs need to consider further means to advertise the importance of the role they perform and that the government should play a larger financial role in funding publicity for these elections and consider changing the method of election. Social implications The rationale for introducing PCCs was to empower the public in each police force area. However, issues that include the enhanced importance of political affiliation as a criteria for election in 2016 and the social unrepresentative nature of those who stood for election and those who secured election to this office in these contests coupled with shortcomings related to public awareness of both the role of PCCs and the timing of election contests threaten to undermine this objective. Originality/value The extensive use of primary source material ensures that the subject matter is original and its interpretation is informed by an academic perspective.


Significance This autumn, bitter conflict between the National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Save Romania Union (USR) ended a brief period of centre-right rule, after years of domination by the Social Democrats (PSD). Former army chief Nicolae Ciuca heads the government, which the PSD dominates alongside a much-weakened PNL. Impacts The government may struggle to persuade a suspicious populace to back vaccination, given previous PSD reluctance for anti-COVID-19 measures. The pandemic may deter civil society from mobilising against abuses of power to the extent it did during the last PSD government. The government's dilemma will be curbing the justice system's independence without provoking a strong EU reaction.


2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Lu ◽  
Zhencong Sang ◽  
Kun Song ◽  
Kazuo Kikuchi ◽  
Ippei Machida

PurposeBased on the theory of social identity mechanism, this study aimed to investigate the associations with millennial consumers' need for uniqueness (NFU), susceptibility to peer influence (SPI) and attitudes towards luxury brands (ALB) under the cross-cultural context. The mediating effect of fashion innovativeness (FI) and the moderating effect of culture were examined.Design/methodology/approachThe data for this study were collected through a survey from 217 millennials in Shanghai and 268 millennials in Tokyo. Moderation analysis and mediation analysis using Hayes PROCESS macro were applied to test proposed hypotheses.FindingsResults show that NFU and SPI have a significantly positive effect on millennials' ALB, and fashion innovativeness plays a mediating role in this process. Furthermore, the positive impact of NFU on millennials' ALB for relatively individualistic cities (Shanghai) is stronger than for relatively collectivist cities (Tokyo). The positive impact of susceptibility to informative influence (SII) on millennials' ALB for Tokyo is stronger than for Shanghai.Practical implicationsThe research results suggest how different cultures can support marketers in effectively carrying out their business strategy.Originality/valueUnder the cross-cultural background, the social identity mechanism behind the attitudes of millennials towards luxury brands has been widely recognised. However, little is known about how culture could moderate the social identity mechanism behind millennials' ALB. By analysing these mechanisms, this study compares the cultures of Shanghai and Tokyo and expands the previous research achievements.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Noronha ◽  
Jieqi Guan ◽  
Sandy Hou In Sio

Purpose While the COVID-19 virus has been spreading worldwide, some studies have related the pandemic with various aspects of accounting and therefore emphasized the importance of accounting research in understanding the impact of COVID-19 on society as a whole. Recent studies have looked into such an impact on various industries such as retail and agriculture. The current study aims at applying a sociological framework, sociology of worth (SOW), to the gaming industry in Macau, the largest operator of state-allowed gambling and entertainment in China, which will allow for its development during the COVID-19 pandemic to be charted. Design/methodology/approach The study uses the theory of SOW as a framework and collects data from various sources, such as the government, gaming operators and the public, to create timelines and SOW frameworks to analyze the impact of the virus on the gaming industry and the society as a whole. Findings Detailed content analysis and the creation of different SOW matrices determined that the notion of a “lonely economy” during a time of a critical event may be ameliorated in the long term through compromises of the different worlds and actors of the SOW. Practical implications Though largely theory-based, this study offers a thorough account of the COVID-19 incident for both the government and the gaming industry to reflect on and to consider new ways to fight against degrowth caused by disasters or crises. Social implications The SOW framework divides society into different worlds of different worths. The current study shows how the worths of the different worlds are congruent during normal periods, and how cracks appear between them when a sudden crisis, such as COVID-19, occurs. The article serves as a social account of how these cracks are formed and how could they be resolved through compromise and reconstruction. Originality/value This study is a first attempt to apply SOW to a controversial industry (gaming) while the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are ongoing. It offers a significant contribution to the social accounting literature through its consideration of the combination of unprecedented factors in a well-timed study that pays close attention to analyses and theoretical elaboration.


2020 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 417-435
Author(s):  
Christopher Amoah ◽  
Kahilu Kajimo-Shakantu ◽  
Tanya van Schalkwyk

Purpose The concept of government reconstruction development programme (RDP) social housing in South Africa was rolled out in 1994 after the African National Congress Government came to power when the apartheid rule was abolished. The main aim of the government was to enhance the lifestyles of the poor in society through the provision of houses that they could not afford in the open market. However, many concerns have been reported about the social housing project in terms of poor project implementation and the delivery of deliverables that do not befit the need of the end-users. This study aims to assess the flaws in the application of project management (PM) principles in the construction of these social houses. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative approach was adopted for the study by making use of closed- and open-ended questionnaires to collect data from 1,893 social housing inhabitants in Bloemfontein, Free State. Descriptive statistics and R programming language software were used to analyse the data collected. Findings The findings reveal that there was a profound failure in the application of PM principles in the construction of the social houses leading to the provision of deliverables that do not meet the needs of the beneficiaries. There are also poor project deliverables and lack of consultations that could have probably been prevented had proper PM systems been put in place by the government throughout the project lifecycle. This lack of proper PM philosophies has generated dissatisfaction among the beneficiaries leading to numerous complaints about the social housing programme. Research limitations/implications The survey was done in only RDP housing communities in Bloemfontein in the Free State Province of South Africa; however, the result may be applicable in other RDP housing programmes. Practical implications The empirical results indicate that the government has been providing houses with disregard to project objectives by not instituting an appropriate PM systems; hence, the main objective of providing befitting houses to the less privileged to enhance their living conditions has woefully failed, as the inhabitants do not see any improvement of their social standings after receiving the houses. This means the government might have wasted resources as a result of ineffective PM throughout the project implementation. Originality/value This study has identified PM flaws in the construction of the RDP houses, which have led to poor project deliverables. This study thus gives recommendations with regard to proper PM strategies for the implementation of the same or similar project in the future to achieve project objectives.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rotimi Boluwatife Abidoye ◽  
Gitta Puspitasari ◽  
Riza Sunindijo ◽  
Michael Adabre

Purpose Homeownership, especially for young adults, is a significant challenge in nearly every country and Indonesia, the fourth most populous country in the world, is not exempted. Its capital city, Jakarta, has the lowest homeownership rate when compared with other cities and if this challenge remains unresolved, it could lead to more social and economic issues in the country. Hence, this study aims to investigate the homeownership of young adults in Jakarta, focussing on young adults’ opinions, perceptions and experiences regarding homeownership opportunities. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect data from young adults in the study area. The collected data were analysed using the statistical package for the social sciences 24.0 software. Descriptive analysis, Cronbach’s alpha test, Pearson’s correlation test and mean score ranking were adopted to analyse the collected data. Findings The result shows that homeownership is driven by factors that are more functional and realistic (in terms of a place to live, marriage and parenthood) rather than those related to pride or social status representation (as a personal or career accomplishment). Unaffordability and insufficient income were ranked as crucial barriers to homeownership. Increasing the supply of affordable housing, controlling housing prices through government’s intervention and reducing mortgage interests are potential solutions to address this issue. Practical implications The result of this research would be useful to young adults who are the participants of this study, property developers, lending institutions and the government concerning homeownership policy formulation, loan provision, affordable housing supply, etc. Originality/value Specific studies that focussed on the young adults’ homeownership in Jakarta, Indonesia is limited, therefore, this research provides an insight into the issue of young adults’ homeownership in the country. Also, the findings could be applicable in other developing countries that have similar characteristics to Indonesia.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 427-447
Author(s):  
Rames Sivadasan ◽  
Farzana Quoquab ◽  
Jihad Mohammad ◽  
Rohaida Basiruddin

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate consumers’ buying intentions (BIs) towards sustainable properties with green living concept (GLC). It also aims to examine the dynamic relationships between environmental advertisements (EAd), green brand positioning (GBP), attitude towards environmental responsibility (ER) and consumers’ sustainable properties BI in the Malaysian context. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected via online questionnaire survey, which yielded 143 completed usable responses. Structural equation modelling–partial least squares (Smart PLS, version 3) was used to analyse the data. Findings The findings of this study revealed that EAd and GBP significantly affect consumers’ attitude towards ER, which in turn affects consumers’ BI of the sustainable properties with GLC. Practical implications This study suggests that without inculcating a positive attitude towards the environment among consumers, it becomes a daunting task to drive consumers to purchase sustainable properties in Malaysia. Thus, the marketers should focus on green promotional activities to attract more customers to buy sustainable properties with GLCs. Moreover, it is suggested to target the right market segment to secure more sales. Social implications The findings of this study will enable the government and the social marketers to understand the drivers of buying sustainable properties with GLC, which in turn will contribute to the higher environmental welfare. Originality/value This study is among the pioneers to examine consumers’ sustainable property purchase intention. It provides significant insights for the social marketers and policymakers to understand how to motivate consumers to purchase sustainable properties with GLCs. Moreover, this study has investigated few comparatively new links such as the direct effect of EAd and GBP on attitude towards environmental responsibility and the mediating effect of attitude towards environmental responsibility between environmental stimuli and consumer’s sustainable properties BI.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 397-414 ◽  
Author(s):  
Myungsuh Lim ◽  
Yoon Yang

Purpose This study aims to make a distinction between two types of authenticity (indexical vs iconic), the influence of both of which on the consumer’s inference of companies’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) motivation is determined. Meanwhile, the consumer inference of CSR activities can be affected by the situational context within which the CSR activities are contained. Therefore, the effect of the interaction between the authenticity type and the given social distance (based on the construal level theory) was also examined. Design/methodology/approach The study conducted a 2 × 2 between-subjects design experiment to examine the effects of authenticity type (indexical/iconic) and social distance (close/distant) on the perceived motive of the CSR information in a scenario. Findings The findings showed significant main effect of authenticity type but no significant main effect of social distance on persuasion knowledge. Participants in the indexical authenticity condition perceived a higher degree of persuasion knowledge than the participants in the iconic authenticity condition. Social distance moderated the effect of authenticity type such that for indexical authenticity, there was a significant difference on persuasion knowledge when the social distance was large. However, for iconic authenticity, the perception of persuasion knowledge was not significantly different between a large distance and a close distance. Originality/value The study identified the type of authenticity that is mainly perceived as a result of CSR activities and also determined its relation to the social distance dimension to infer a firm’s CSR motives.


Subject Inequality in China. Significance 'Income distribution' is the social issue of greatest concern to the Chinese public, according to opinion polls by Xinhua and the People's Daily ahead of the National People's Congress (NPC) currently underway in Beijing. However, the latest data from China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicate, paradoxically, that income inequality has actually narrowed for six successive years. Impacts Though falling, inequality is still high enough to weaken political stability. Greater equality will not earn the government as much popular support as cracking down on official corruption and conspicuous consumption. Urbanisation and household registration (hukou) reform will redress imbalances that have disadvantaged people from rural areas.


Subject Political impact of subsidy reform. Significance Saudi Arabia introduced its first major cut to energy subsidies in January, leading to a rise in petrol, diesel, fuel oil, natural gas and electricity prices. Further cuts will be necessary to avert a fiscal crisis -- but with cheap energy seen as a basic part of the social contract between the government and the population, such measures are expected to have wide-reaching political repercussions. Impacts A decision to reverse subsidy cuts in the face of protest would undercut government credibility and reduce the prospect of further reforms. Yet persisting with subsidy reforms could damage government legitimacy and political capital among the youth and lower classes. Successful reforms will improve the long-term economic outlook, and the succession prospects of Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.


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