Transaction Costs in Planning Literature: A Systematic Review

“Transaction costs,” as a well-established theory in New Institutional Economics, has been used to explain and analyze various planning matters for about 30 years since its introduction to planning literature. However, there is no study on how planning-related studies have utilized the theory. This paper conducts a systematic review that aims to develop a better understanding of how transaction-cost theory is used in planning literature. The review shows that while potential contributions and implications of transaction costs have been conceptually discussed in planning literature, the empirical studies have remained limited, particularly concerning the magnitude of such costs in planning systems.

Role of Reputation in Sustainable Performance of Online Crowdsourcing Vendors: An Explanation From Transaction Cost Theory

This study reveals a new finding on the impact of reputation growth on crowdsourcing vendors’ sustainable performance in different modes of markets using fixed-effect panel data regression models. To this end, we extract data from a large Chinese crowdsourcing platform named zbj.com for the period of 2012–2014, which was a key stage for the establishment of market diversification. Based on different transaction modes, the study divides the markets on the crowdsourcing platform into task-based market (TBM) and employment market (EPM). By applying the multiple framework, the empirical results exhibit a negative and significant effect of vendors’ reputation on participation rate (PR) in TBM and EPM. At the same time, reputation also has a consistent effect on vendors’ revenue share (RS) of each market. Moreover, this study shows that the significant reputation impact on PR and RS of EPM will be, respectively, weakened and strengthened in fixed-price mode and customized mode when vendors participate more in large-scale projects. The findings suggest that the growth of reputation will promote market transfer of vendors, that is, showing different sustainability in different markets, which will lead to uneven development of the crowdsourcing markets. By adopting the perspective of transaction cost theory (TCT), this study elaborates and analyses these phenomena and derives corresponding policy implications.

Blockchain’s Impact on Accounting and Auditing: A Use Case on Supply Chain Traceability

We use the transaction cost theory, originally proposed by Coase (1937), as a theoretical framework to examine the potential impact of the blockchain technology on accounting and auditing processes in terms of information timeliness, information quality, and auditing costs. Since a blockchain enables recording, tracking, and managing business transactions and assets of firms, it offers natural advantages to accounting and auditing processes, and has the potential to lower various transaction costs. A use case on a supply chain of food products is presented to illustrate how a blockchain can be used to trace the movement of goods and record the related transactions. Subsequently, building on this scenario, we use the transaction cost framework to generate propositions related to accounting and auditing that can be empirically tested in future studies as data become available.

Axiomatic Formulation of the Optimal Transaction Cost Theory in the Legal Process Through Cobb-Douglas Optimization

Subject and purpose of work: This paper uses Cobb-Douglas optimization to formulate an optimal transaction cost algorithm within the constraint of a generalized legal framework. Materials and methods: The author has adopted a Lagrangian approach to formulate the social utility function, then, from a set of legally allowed strategies established the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions for the legal game so as to find the optimal parameters within the social utility function. Finally, the optimal transaction cost algorithm was developed. Results: The Bordered Hessian Matrix from the partial differentials of the social utility function showed that there is a particular parameter within the social utility function which describes the optimal transaction cost. An adjustment of this parameter is essential in mechanism design for legal games. Conclusions: The author has shown how transaction costs influence the set of strategies played by players in a legal game, and has described the essence of a social utility function and how it can be optimized.

Economic Considerations of Legal Delimitation: Evidence from Judicial Verdicts in Bangladesh Courts

The literature on law and economics argues that economic considerations have an important implication for consistent and efficient legal practices. In line with this tradition, this paper aims to analyse legal verdicts through the lens of transaction cost to ascertain if judicial decision takes social cost into account. In so doing, the research draws upon the literature of transaction cost theory, which examines the implications of transaction cost for legal verdicts. Data for the analysis consist of legal verdicts collected from Bangladesh. The paper shows that judicial decisions are influenced by economic matters, especially social and transaction costs. When the issue of these costs is clear, judges take this into consideration in deciding who should own what rights. This research contributes to the literature of law and economics by providing new information, which is believed to help regulators, policymakers, and legal practitioners in deciding value-creating property rights.

How cultural distance affects the formation of international strategic alliance – an explanation of the transaction costs theory

Purpose Based on the transaction cost theory, this paper aims to investigate the impact of cultural distance on international strategic alliance formation and its underlying mechanisms. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses the investment of foreign firms in the Chinese Venture Capital market as an empirical background, Obtaining VC data from Zero2IPO Private Equity, CVsource Investment Database (2001–2015). This paper chooses the Logit regression method, according to Lind’s three-step method to test the inverted U-shaped relationship. Findings The empirical analysis of foreign venture capital firms invested in China revealed that there is an inverted U-shaped relationship between cultural distance and the possibility of international strategic alliances. This relationship is the result of two opposing mechanisms, which are the need and the feasibility of international strategic alliances. In addition, this study further examined the moderating effects of social embeddedness and social reputation, revealing the boundary effects on the complex relationship between cultural distance and possible international strategic alliance formation. Originality/value This study focuses on cultural difference, which is a key factor leading to a firm’s transaction costs. Based on the transaction cost theory, this paper investigates the impact of cultural distance on international strategic alliance formation and its underlying mechanisms.

Contemporaneous financial intermediation

Digital innovations in banking and payments recently have garnered a great deal of attention. Specifically, distributed ledger technology (DLT) has the potential to fundamentally change the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders in the financial sector. DLT is a novel and fast-evolving approach to record and share data, e.g., payment transactions, among members of a decentralized network. Using transaction cost theory, the paper examines how DLT will change the cross-border payment infrastructure. DLT can reduce the overall transaction costs potentially resulting in the disappearance of correspondent banks.