Recommended for you: The effect of word of mouth on sales concentration

I examine the role of word of mouth in consumer's product discovery process and its implications for the firm. A monopolist supplies an assortment of horizontally differentiated products and consumers search for a product that matches their taste by sampling products from the assortment or by seeking product recommendations from other consumers. I analyze the underlying consumer interactions that lead to the emergence of word of mouth, examine the optimal pricing and assortment strategy of the firm, and explain the impact of word of mouth on the concentration of sales within the assortment. The model provides a rationale for the long tail phenomenon, explains recent empirical findings in online retail, and is well suited for product categories such as music, film, books, and video game entertainment

Peer-to-Peer File Sharing and Cultural Trade Protectionism

We examine the Internet’s impact on the cross-border distribution of cultural goods and assess its implications for cultural policy and cultural diversity. We present a stylized model of a two-country economy where governments are endowed with political preferences over the consumption of domestic content and enact import barriers and subsidies to protect it. We introduce peer-to-peer file sharing as a distinct distribution channel enabled by the Internet that provides access to all media products at a low cost. We report two main findings. First, the Internet renders legacy cultural policy inefficient, and the elimination of import barriers and the reduction of subsidized production can be desirable even when governments exhibit paternalistic preferences favoring the consumption of domestic content. And second, even though the Internet increases cultural diversity within countries, it can also reduce diversity across them

Competing against online sharing

Purpose – This paper aims to explore online sharing of copyrighted content over peer‐to‐peer (p2p) file sharing networks and its impact on the music industry, and to assess the viable business models for the industry in the future. Design/methodology/approach – The authors analyze the evolution of the online content market over the years that followed the widespread adoption of p2p. The paper is based on a teaching case, and builds on two related academic papers that provide the theoretical underpinnings for the analysis. Findings – Based on the early developments observed in this marketplace and the aforementioned theoretical work, the paper argues that it is unfeasible to fully eradicate p2p, and so the industry must embrace it by understanding how consumers derive value from the technologies that enable it. Originality/value – The developments analyzed here offer relevant insights for the online content marketplace, allow the scope of strategies available to the music industry to be understood better, and may provide lessons for other industries transitioning to online business models

Business model responses to digital piracy

Digital piracy challenges firms by reducing revenues and shifting consumption habits. Recently, some firms have successfully leveraged business models against piracy, but the understanding about this phenomenon still lacks depth and structure. This study examines the characteristics of digital piracy in some of the most affected industries, presents comparative case studies of two iconic firms, Spotify and Netflix, and analyzes their digital business model responses. We generalize their adoption to generic digital content distributors and explain how they contribute to generate and capture value. Theoretical and practical implications for technological innovation, firm diversification, and network competition are also discussed

¿Qué hay dentro de la cueva? : una experiencia multisensorial para trabajar las ciencias con alumnos de Educación Infantil

Este trabajo implica el diseño, planificación, implementación al aula y análisis de una experiencia multisensorial donde se trabajan contenidos científicos dirigida a alumnos de Educación Infantil (EI). El objetivo es doble: en primer lugar educar sensorialmente a los niños mediante una exploración en la que utilizan los cinco sentidos de manera simultánea y experimentar las sensaciones que ofrece la manipulación de materiales naturales. En segundo lugar, que los maestros en activo, al analizar la experiencia, evalúen la necesidad de trabajar la educación sensorial en ciencias y reconozcan su insustituible valor didáctico en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje.Este trabajo implica el diseño, planificación, implementación al aula y análisis de una experiencia multisensorial donde se trabajan contenidos científicos dirigida a alumnos de Educación Infantil (EI). El objetivo es doble: en primer lugar educar sensorialmente a los niños mediante una exploración en la que utilizan los cinco sentidos de manera simultánea y experimentar las sensaciones que ofrece la manipulación de materiales naturales. En segundo lugar, que los maestros en activo, al analizar la experiencia, evalúen la necesidad de trabajar la educación sensorial en ciencias y reconozcan su insustituible valor didáctico en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje

Espacios artísticos para vivir las ciencias en Educación Infantil

Este trabajo presenta el diseño, planificación, implementación en el aula y análisis de una secuencia de ocho sesiones de instalación artística que posibilitan el aprendizaje de contenidos científicos en el alumnado de Educación Infantil (EI). Se analiza desde una perspectiva descriptiva cómo las actividades les permiten experimentar con los objetos que configuran cada instalación para descubrir los procesos científicos que implican sus acciones, verbalizarlos, pensar en lo que ocurre y conocer de este modo la ciencia que hay a nuestro alrededor. This article presents the design, planning, classroom implementation and analysis of a sequence of eight artistic installation sessions that make it possible for early-childhood pupils to learn scientific content. Using a descriptive perspective, the study analyses how the activities allow researchers to experiment with each installation's object to discover the scientific processes involved in their actions, verbalise them, think about what is happening and thus know the science around us

Identification of nonlinearity in conductivity equation via Dirichlet-to-Neumann map

We prove that the linear term and quadratic nonlinear term entering a nonlinear elliptic equation of divergence type can be uniquely identified by the Dirichlet to Neuman map. The unique identifiability is proved using the complex geometrical optics solutions and singular solutions

Growth and texture of Spark Plasma Sintered Al2O3 ceramics: a combined analysis of X-rays and Electron Back Scatter Diffraction

Textured alumina ceramics were obtained by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS) of undoped commercial a-Al2O3 powders. Various parameters (density, grain growth, grain size distribution) of the alumina ceramics, sintered at two typical temperatures 1400{\deg}C and 1700{\deg}C, are investigated. Quantitative textural and structural analysis, carried out using a combination of Electron Back Scattering Diffraction (EBSD) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), are represented in the form of mapping, and pole figures. The mechanical properties of these textured alumina ceramics include high elastic modulus and hardness value with high anisotropic nature, opening the door for a large range of applicationsComment: 16 pages, 6 figures, submitted to J. Appl. Phy

A review of economic consequences and costs of male violence against women

This article focuses on male violence against women. As it takes place in what is often considered to be ‘the private sphere’ of the home, violence is difficult to prove, to measure, to prevent and easy to ignore. A multi-country study (WHO, 2005, WHO multi-country study on women’s health and domestic violence against women: Summary report of initial results on prevalence, health outcomes and women’s responses, Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization) shows that there are wide variations between countries resulting in 15 per cent to 71 per cent of women aged between 15 and 49 years saying that they have been victims of physical or sexual violence in intimate relationships. This article reviews and summarises literature that analyse types of economic costs that result from domestic violence and abuse perpetrated against women