Differentiation and the relationship between product market competition and price discrimination

We investigate how the effect of competition on price discrimination varies depending on the level of quality provided by companies in the hospitality industry. Our findings reconcile conflicting results of previous literature on this topic. Namely, we provide strong empirical evidence that competition affects differently the price of single and double rooms of hotels with greater quality versus those with lower quality. In the presence (absence) of differentiation, competition increases (decreases) price discrimination. Our findings are robust to the use of econometric techniques that alleviate endogeneity concerns.

Potentialities and constraints in the relation between social innovation and public policies: some lessons from South America

Social innovation (SI) can offer alternative forms of organization and novel solutions to complex problems faced by contemporary societies. As governments face increasing pressures from mounting societal challenges, it is assumed that SI can provide bottom-up solutions in ways that can create transformative change. However, the dialectic relation between bottom-up initiatives and government can be difficult and sometimes contradictory. Even more, assumptions about the diminishing powers of government can be misleading and overstress the role of SI. Based on the study of the recent South American experience, we have departed from this assumption, seeking to understand what the role of public policies as initiators or supporters of SI could be. We analyzed two top-down initiatives promoted by public policies that ultimately fostered SI in Argentina, the subsistence agriculture “Pro-Huerta” program and the policies of the National Technology and Social Innovation Program, and one complementary case study of a bottom-up SI experience in Brazil, the One Million Cisterns Program, which was later inserted into public policies. Together, these cases have allowed us to understand the potentialities and limitations of SI and the kind of dialectic relations they established with public policies. In particular, we have considered how public policies can foster and support SI.Fil: Gordon, Ariel. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Economía y Administracion; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Becerra, Lucas Dardo. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Centro de Estudios e Investigación. Instituto de Estudios Sobre la Ciencia y Tecnología; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Fressoli, Juan Mariano. Centro de Investigaciones para la Transformación; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Advanced signal processing techniques for the modeling and linearization of wireless communication systems.

Los nuevos estándares de comunicaciones digitales inalámbricas están impulsando el diseño de amplificadores de potencia con unas condiciones límites en términos de linealidad y eficiencia. Si bien estos nuevos sistemas exigen que los dispositivos activos trabajen cerca de la zona de saturación en busca de la eficiencia energética, la no linealidad inherente puede producir que el sistema muestre prestaciones inadecuadas en emisiones fuera de banda y distorsión en banda. La necesidad de técnicas digitales de compensación y la evolución en el diseño de nuevas arquitecturas de procesamiento de señales digitales posicionan a la predistorsión digital (DPD) como un enfoque práctico. Los predistorsionadores digitales se suelen basar en modelos de comportamiento como el memory polynomial (MP), el generalized memory polynomial (GMP) y el dynamic deviation reduction-based (DDR), etc. Los modelos de Volterra sufren la llamada "maldición de la dimensionalidad", ya que su complejidad tiende a crecer de forma exponencial a medida que el orden y la profundidad de memoria crecen. Esta tesis se centra principalmente en contribuir a la rama de conocimiento que enmarca el modelado y linealización de sistemas de comunicación inalámbrica. Los principales temas tratados son el modelo Volterra-Parafac y el modelo general de Volterra para sistemas complejos, los cuales tratan la estructura del DPD y las series de Volterra estructuradas con compressed-sensing y un método para la linealización en un rango de potencias de operación, que se centran en cómo los coeficientes de los modelos deben ser obtenidos.Premio Extraordinario de Doctorado U

The Dominance of Diversified Versus Specialized Firms Across Industries

Some industries are populated primarily by diversified firms, while other industries are dominated by specialized firms, which are present only in such a given industry. In this study, we analyze what factors determine the dominance of diversified versus specialized firms, and its effect on firm performance. In line with transaction cost economics, we show that market concentration and the degree of variability in the diversification pattern of firms in the industry are negatively associated with the importance of the activity accounted by specialized firms across the 720 industries in our study.

The effect of diversification on performance revisited: diversification discount, premium, or both?

In this paper we argue conceptually and show empirically that the effect of diversification on performance is not homogeneous across industries, as previously assumed in the literature on diversification in strategy and finance. Some industries may be more friendly environments for diversified firms than for specialists, or vice versa. After replicating the main findings in finance and strategy, we show that the number of specialists in an industry is an important moderator of the diversification-performance relationship, which determines the existence of a diversification discount, a premium, or the curvilinear relationship frequently found in strategy research.Diversification, Empirical research, Performance

Proyecciones de Inflación con Precios de Frecuencia Mixta: el caso Chileno

This paper develops time series models that incorporate mixed-frequency data of prices in

Cropping systems for maize and beans in micro-watersheds under rainfed conditions

Siembras en micro-cuencas tipo "W" fueron evaluadas para la producción de maí­z y frijol bajo condiciones de secano. En suelo de tipo fluvisol, se formaron micro-cuencas con pendiente cero, a 1.6 m de separación y 0.4 m de altura. Los tratamientos fueron: siembra convencional en surcos a 0.80 m (SC), siembra en micro-cuencas (SM), sembrando una hilera del cultivo al fondo de las micro-cuencas y otra hilera en el borde, SM con arreglo topológico (SMT), sembrando maí­z en el fondo y frijol en el borde de las micro-cuencas y SM sembrando una hilera de maí­z en cada pendiente de las micro-cuencas (SMP). Se empleó un diseño experimental de bloques al azar con cuatro réplicas. La precipitación pluvial fue 398, 676 y 397 mm distribuidos de junio a septiembre de 2006, 2007 y 2008, respectivamente. En 2006, la producción en SM fue superior a SC (P0.05) y SMT superó a SC en maí­z grano y forraje con 38 y 46 % para 2007 y 34 y 39 % en 2008. SMP superó a SC (PIn the present study, rainfed cropping systems for maize and beans were evaluated in "W" type micro-watersheds. In a fluvisol soil, micro-watersheds with zero slopes were built at 1.6 m distance and 0.4 m high. Treatments were: conventional planting in furrows at 0.80 m (CP), planting in micro-watersheds (MW), with a row at one end and another at the edge, MW with a topological arrangement (MWT), with maize at the end and beans at the edge and MW planting maize in each slope (MWP). A completely randomized block experimental design with four replications was used. Rainfall at the experimental site was 398, 676 and 397 mm between July and September in 2006, 2007 and 2008, respectively. In 2006 MW output was greater than CP (P0.05) and MWT maize yield improved on CP by 38 and 46 % in 2007 and by 34 and 39 % in 2008, in grain and forage, respectively, while MWP produced more maize forage (18 %) and grain (27 %) than CP (