Beyond posted prices: the past, present and future of participative pricing mechanisms

Driven by the low transaction costs and interactive nature of the internet, customer participation in the price-setting process has increased. These changes were first brought about by the rise of online auctions in the early 2000s, followed by the emergence of newer participative mechanisms. Today, platforms such as eBay have popularized online auctions on a global scale, Priceline has made headlines with its name-your-own-price (NYOP) business model, and Humble Bundle has enabled independent musicians and game developers to market their works through pay-what-you-want (PWYW) pricing. Advertising exchanges conduct several hundred million individual auctions per day to sell online advertising slots. These are just a few examples of participative pricing in transactions among consumers or businesses. In parallel, academic research on participative pricing has blossomed in recent years, with an overarching concern over the profitability and other marketing implications these mechanisms have on sellers and buyers. The present paper contributes to this literature in three ways. First, we propose a definition of participative pricing mechanisms, as well as a useful taxonomy. Second, we discuss the current understanding by synthesizing conceptual and empirical academic literature. Third, we outline promising research questions with a key focus on the related behavioral aspects of buyers and sellers

Nano- and micrometre addition of SiO2, ZrO2 and TiO2 in fine grained alumina refractory ceramics for improved thermal shock performance

The present contribution investigates the influence of micro-metre- as well as nano-metre-additions of zirconia (ZrO2), titania (TiO2), silica (SiO2) and magnesia (MgO) into alumina-rich fine grained ceramic materials for refractory applications. Slip casted samples in the system alumina-zirconia-titania (AZT), alumina zirconia titania silica (AZTS) and alumina-zirconia-titania-magnesia (AZTM) were sintered and the physical as well as mechanical properties were investigated as fired and after thermal shock treatments. The generation of a micro-crack network after sintering due to the formation of phases with different thermal expansion coefficients and the formation and decomposition of aluminium titanate (Al5TiO5) before and after thermal shock exposure leads to higher strengths after thermal shock attack. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved