Desirable role in a price-setting international mixed duopoly

In this paper, we study the order of moves in a mixed international duopoly for differentiated goods, where ���rms choose whether to set prices sequentially or simultaneously. We discuss the desirable role of the public ���rm by comparing welfare among three games. We ���nd that, in the three possible roles, the domestic public ���rm put a lower price, and then produces more than the foreign private ���rm.

Desirable role in an international duopoly model with tariffs

In this paper, we study an international market model in which the home government imposes a tariff on the imported goods. The model has two stages. In the ���rst stage, the home government chooses an import tariff to maximize a function that cares about the home ���rm���s pro���t and the total revenue. Then, the ���rms engage in a Cournot or in a Stackelberg competition. We compare the results obtained in the three different ways of moving on the decision make of the ���rms.

Environmental and international tariffs in a mixed duopoly

In this paper, we study the effects of environmental and trade policies in an international mixed duopoly serving two markets, in which the public ���rm maximizes the sum of consumer surplus and its pro���t. We also analyse the effects of privatization. The model has two stages. In the ���rst stage, governments choose environmental taxes and import tariffs, simultaneously. Then, the ���rms engage in a Cournot competition, choosing output levels for the domestic market and to export. We compare the results obtained in the three different ways of moving on the decision make of the ���rms.

International Stackelberg model with tariffs

This paper analyses the effects of tariffs on an international economy with a monopolistic sector with two ���rms, located in two countries, each one producing a homogeneous good for both home consumption and export to the other identical country. We consider a game among governments and ���rms. First, the government imposes a tariff on imports and then we consider the two types of moving: simultaneous (Cournot-type model) and sequential (Stackelberg-type model) decisions by the ���rms. We also compare the results obtained in each model.

Licensing in an international triopoly

We study the effects of entry of two foreign ���rms on domestic welfare in the presence of licensing, when the incumbent is technologically superior to the entrants. We consider two different situations: (i) the cost-reducing innovation is licensed to both entrants; (ii) the cost- reducing innovation is licensed to just one of the entrants. We analyse three kind of license: (lump- sum) ���xed-fee; (per-unit) royalty; and two-part tariff, that is a combination of a ���xed-fee and a royalty. We prove that a two part tariff is never an optimal licensing scheme for the incumbent. Moreover, (i) when the technology is licensed to the two entrants, the optimal contract consists of a licensing with only output royalty; and (ii) when the technology is licensed to just one of the entrants, the optimal contract consists of a licensing with only a ���xed-fee.

The impact of national cultures on international marketing strategy and subsidiary performance of portuguese SME���s

The dynamic of the international business and its multidimensional nature requires the understanding of the complexities of different contexts dictated by cultural differences between countries. The purpose of this paper is to study, in depth howsmall and medium-sized companies develop their international marketing mix strategy in their overseas subsidiaries. We use the theoretical construct of Hofstede (1980, 1991) in the dimensions of Power Distance (PD), Uncertainty Avoidance (UA), Individualism (IND), Masculinity (MASC) and Long-Term Orientation (LTO) to assess the cross cultural differences between countries and the business practices to analyze the adaptation or standardization of the international marketing mix strategy of foreign Portuguese subsidiaries. Ourstudy uses an exploratoryand qualitative methodology. We conducted semi-structured interviews in order to achieve a good understanding ofinternational marketing mix strategy of four companies from different sectors. Our results show that the national cultural differences have great influence in the marketing strategy of the subsidiary. The business practices adjustments in the subsidiary company that proved to be necessary conditions for their performance are conducted by the products augmented offerings concerning the characteristics of the product, design and brand name in order to meet the requirements and specificities of the host country of the subsidiary.

The impact of the 2008 and 2010 financial crises on international stock markets : contagion and long memory

Nesta tese estudamos os efeitos de cont��gio financeiro e de mem��ria longa causados pelas crises financeiras de 2008 e 2010 em alguns mercados acionistas internacionais. A tese �� composta por tr��s ensaios interligados. No Ensaio 1, recorremos �� teoria das c��pulas para testar a exist��ncia de cont��gio e revelar os canais ���investor induced��� de transmiss��o da crise de 2008 aos mercados da B��lgica, Fran��a, Holanda e Portugal (grupo NYSE Euronext). Conclu��mos que existe cont��gio nestes mercados, que o canal ���portfolio rebalancing��� �� o mecanismo mais importante de transmiss��o da crise, e que o fen��meno ���flight to quality��� est�� presente nos mercados. No Ensaio 2, usando novamente modelos de c��pulas, avaliamos os efeitos de cont��gio provocados pelo mercado acionista grego nos mercados do grupo NYSE Euronext, no contexto da crise de 2010. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que durante a crise de 2010 apenas o mercado portugu��s foi objeto de cont��gio; al��m disso, conclui-se que os efeitos de cont��gio provocados pela crise de 2008 s��o claramente superiores aos efeitos provocados pela crise de 2010. No Ensaio 3, abordamos o tema da mem��ria longa atrav��s do estudo do expoente de Hurst dos mercados acionistas da B��lgica, E.U.A., Fran��a, Gr��cia, Holanda, Jap��o, Reino Unido e Portugal. Verificamos que as propriedades de mem��ria longa dos mercados foram afetadas pelas crises, especialmente a de 2008 ��� que aumentou a mem��ria longa dos mercados e tornou-os mais persistentes. Finalmente, usando c��pulas mais uma vez, verificamos que as crises provocaram, em geral, um aumento na correla����o entre os expoentes de Hurst locais dos mercados foco das crises (E.U.A. e Gr��cia) e os expoentes de Hurst locais dos outros mercados da amostra, sugerindo que o expoente de Hurst pode ser utilizado para detetar efeitos de cont��gio financeiro. Em s��ntese, os resultados desta tese sugerem que comparativamente com per��odos de acalmia, os per��odos de crises financeiras tendem a provocar inefici��ncia nos mercados acionistas e a conduzi-los na dire����o da persist��ncia e do cont��gio financeiro.

Implementa����o e integra����o do modelo de acredita����o da Joint Commission International na unidade de imagiologia do Hospital Privado da Boavista

Este trabalho descreve a abordagem abrangente sobre a melhoria do sistema de gest��o da qualidade na Unidade de Imagiologia do Hospital da Boavista atrav��s da implementa����o das normas de acredita����o da Joint Commission International (JCI). Fundamental para a melhoria geral da qualidade �� a redu����o cont��nua de riscos para os doentes e para os profissionais da Unidade. Tais riscos podem existir ao n��vel do ambiente f��sico assim como no circuito dos exames e dos doentes. A acredita����o em Sa��de �� uma das prioridades estrat��gicas do Minist��rio da Sa��de e tem como objetivo fortalecer a confian��a dos cidad��os nos profissionais de sa��de bem como nas institui����es de sa��de. �� importante que Portugal cultive a melhoria da qualidade e seguran��a nas institui����es de sa��de mantendo uma rela����o adequada custo/benef��cio. A Uni��o Europeia tem feito um esfor��o para que a acredita����o seja harmoniosa nos seus princ��pios, no entanto �� respeitada sempre a preval��ncia da legisla����o de cada pa��s, bem como as suas especifica����es culturais e religiosas (Shaw, 2006), responsabilizando-o pelo seu sistema de sa��de O trabalho aqui apresentado tem como objetivo principal fundamentar a escolha do modelo de acredita����o da JCI para o Hospital da Boavista, nomeadamente para a Unidade de Imagiologia, ver se os padr��es est��o de acordo com os procedimentos da Unidade, identificar falhas e apontar possiveis melhorias. Pretende-se ainda mostrar a import��ncia da implementa����o dos sistemas de certifica����o e acredita����o da gest��o da qualidade, documentada pela experi��ncia profissional, bem como o know-how do Hospital da Boavista, assim como a complementaridade dos programas da gest��o da qualidade, certifica����o e acredita����o. A escolha do modelo de acredita����o da JCI, foi uma op����o do Hospital da Boavista baseada na credibilidade e no grau de exig��ncia que a entidade imp��e. Foi imperativo que a Unidade de Imagiologia realizasse as suas fun����es de forma v��lida e fi��vel e que disponibilizasse produtos / servi��os de qualidade. A monitoriza����o e consequente controlo de qualidade do servi��o prestado pela Unidade de Imagiologia, foi dif��cil mas simplificado, em parte, devido ao sistema de gest��o da qualidade ISO 9001:2008 j�� implementado, tendo este sido consolidado com a implementa����o da acredita����o da JCI, com padr��es espec��ficos bem definidos na gest��o do controlo de qualidade na Unidade de Imagiologia do Hospital da Boavista.

Motivations to participate in international trade fairs: the Portuguese experience

Motivations/barriers to participate in ITF

Participate (or not) in international trade fairs? Decision factors of Portuguese managers

Portugal is a small economy, with an open domestic market that needs competitive exporters to prosper. Trade fairs are an international promotion tool that can be used by firms when considering export development and expansion. This study identifies and evaluates the critical factors that influenced the decision making process of Portuguese SME���s (Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises) managers to participate (or not) in international trade fairs. The results indicate that the firm���s critical decisions factors to select an international trade fair were value for money and the stand (location, typology and size)

A MAP approach to evidence accumulation clustering

The Evidence Accumulation Clustering (EAC) paradigm is a clustering ensemble method which derives a consensus partition from a collection of base clusterings obtained using different algorithms. It collects from the partitions in the ensemble a set of pairwise observations about the co-occurrence of objects in a same cluster and it uses these co-occurrence statistics to derive a similarity matrix, referred to as co-association matrix. The Probabilistic Evidence Accumulation for Clustering Ensembles (PEACE) algorithm is a principled approach for the extraction of a consensus clustering from the observations encoded in the co-association matrix based on a probabilistic model for the co-association matrix parameterized by the unknown assignments of objects to clusters. In this paper we extend the PEACE algorithm by deriving a consensus solution according to a MAP approach with Dirichlet priors defined for the unknown probabilistic cluster assignments. In particular, we study the positive regularization effect of Dirichlet priors on the final consensus solution with both synthetic and real benchmark data.

The influence of pre-departure training on expatriate adjustment: an empirical investigation with portuguese international assignees

This chapter examines the cross-cultural influence of training on the adjustment of international assignees. We focus on the pre-departure training (PDT) before an international assignment. It is an important topic because in the globalized world of today more and more expatriations are needed. The absence of PDT may generate the failure of the expatriation experience. Companies may neglect PDT due to cost reduction practices and ignorance of the need for it. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews to 42 Portuguese international assignees and 18 organizational representatives from nine Portuguese companies. The results suggest that companies should develop PDT programs, particularly when the cultural distance to the host country is bigger and when there is no previous experience of expatriation to that country in the company. The study is original because it details in depth the methods of PDT, its problems, and consequences. Some limitations linked to the research design and detailed in the conclusion should be overcome in future studies.

Privatization in an international mixed duopoly with environmental taxes

We study the effects of environmental and trade policies in an international duopoly serving two countries, with pollution abatement. This analysis is done in both mixed and privatized markets. The model has two stages: First, governments choose environmental taxes and import tariffs, simultaneously; then, the firms compete in the market by choosing output levels for the domestic market and to export and also abatement levels.

China's space program : a new tool for PRC "soft power" in international relations?

When China launched an anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon in January 2007 to destroy one of its inactive weather satellites, most reactions from academics and U.S. space experts focused on a potential military ���space race��� between the United States and China. Overlooked, however, is China���s growing role as global competitor on the non-military side of space. China���s space program goes far beyond military counterspace applications and manifests manned space aspirations, including lunar exploration. Its pursuit of both commercial and scientific international space ventures constitutes a small, yet growing, percentage of the global space launch and related satellite service industry. It also highlights China���s willingness to cooperate with nations far away from Asia for political and strategic purposes. These partnerships may constitute a challenge to the United States and enhance China���s ���soft power��� among key American allies and even in some regions traditionally dominated by U.S. influence (e.g., Latin America and Africa). Thus, an appropriate U.S. response may not lie in a ���hard power��� counterspace effort but instead in a revival of U.S. space outreach of the past, as well as implementation of more business-friendly export control policies.