Corporate Social Responsibility and Firms Ability to Collude

We examine a duopoly with polluting production where firms adopt a form of corporate social responsibility (CSR) to define their objective functions. Our analysis focusses on the bearings of CSR on collusion over an infinite horizon, sustained by either grim trigger strategies or optimal punishments. Our results suggest that assigning a weight to consumer surplus has a pro-competitive e¤ect under both full and partial collusion. Conversely, a higher impact of productivity on pollution has an anti-competitive effect under partial collusion, while exerting no effect under full collusion. Under partial collusion, the analysis of the isoquant map of the cartel reveals that complementarity arises between the two weights.

The Environmental Impact of Bertrand and Cournot Duopolies. A Cautionary Note

We compare a Bertrand with a Cournot duopoly in a setting where production is polluting and exploits natural resources, and firms bear convex production costs. We adopt Dastidar's (1995) approach, yielding a continuum of Bertrand-Nash equilibria ranging above marginal cost pricing also, to show that softening price competition may lead to a lower output production in a Bertrand rather than a Cournot industry. The market structure bringing about the lowest output determines the highest social welfare, given the fact that the negative environmental effects of production more than offset the gain in consumer surplus.

On the Stability of Mixed Oligopoly Equilibria with CSR Firms

This paper examines the stability conditions of the equilibria in a market where profit-maximising and CSR firms coexist in the presence of an environmental externality. An equilibrium in mixed duopoly is stable for low impact of productivity on pollution and high CSR sensitivity to consumer surplus. In addition, a mixed oligopoly equilibrium is stable if the number of CSR is sufficiently low.

Low-Quality Leadership in a Vertically Differentiated Duopoly with Cournot Competition

We model a vertically differentiated duopoly with quantity-setting firms as an extended game in which firms noncooperatively choose the timing of moves at the quality stage, to show that at the subgame perfect equilibrium sequential play obtains, with the low-quality firm taking the leader's role.

The Dynamics of Disease in a Regulated Vertically Differentiated Health System

We build up a differential game to investigate the interplay between the quality of health care and the presence of an evolving disease in a duopoly where patients are heterogeneous along the income dimension. We prove unicity, stability and perfection of the open-loop Nash solution. Moreover, we identify the admissible parameter region wherein price regulation achieves the twofold objectives of ensuring cares to all patients and eradicating the disease.

Vertical Differentiation in a Cournot Industry: The Porter Hypothesis and Beyond

We modify the vertically differentiated duopoly model by André et al. (2009) replacing Bertrand with Cournot behaviour to show that firms may spontaneously adopt a green technology even in the complete absence of any form of regulation.

Minimum Quality Standards in Hedonic Markets with Environmental Externalities

We investigate the introduction of a minimum quality standard (MQS) in a vertically differentiated duopoly with an environmental externality. We establish that the MQS bites only if the hedonic component of consumer preferences is sufficiently strong. Then, we illustrate an underlying tradeoff between the beneficial effects of quality enhancement on prices and the associated undesirable increase in the environmental externality.

Touristic Websites Performance and Governance Typologies

The paper discusses the results of research, still in progress, regarding the influence of website governance for the promotion of tourism and the balance between delivered services and information. The research aims to test if, according to the common belief, websites owned by private sector organisations focus on the provision of services, compared to public and not-for-profit websites that focus on the provision of information. The relevance of this research topic derives from consideration that the web is a channel for the diffusion, processing, search and storage of tourism information. Therefore, the research can make a contribution to increasing our understanding of how different types of websites (public or private) affect investment in tourism. The study confirms the absence of evidence to suggest that private sector tourism websites offer more services than public or not-for-profit ones. Moreover, public sector websites offer more and different services, compared to private sector websites

On the private and social incentives to adopt environmentally and socially responsible practices in a monopoly industry

This paper studies the incentives to adopt Environmental Corporate Social Responsibility (ECSR) in a multiproduct monopoly. In our framework, products are horizontally differentiated, production is polluting and a time-consistent government levies a tax on emissions. The ECSR monopolist may invest in R&D activities to reduce polluting emissions, while emission-reducing innovation may spillover from one product to the other. We show that the monopolist has no incentive to engage in ECSR, unless a regulatory measure is introduced. By contrast, a time consistent tax induces the adoption of a ECSR statute. Under admissible parameter conditions, profits are concave and single-peaked in the ECSR intensity. Finally, ECSR monotonically increases social welfare, by raising consumer surplus and curbing environmental damage

Innovating the didactical methodologies applied in Universities through Second Life and Practice Firm: case study

The paper analyses and discusses Second Life and Practice Firm as two innovative methodologies used in education considering the recent experiences carried out by Bologna University - Forlì School of Economics, Management and Statistics. Although fast advancements in ICTs frontier for teaching and learning and their criticisms, Higher Education Institutions increasingly used Second Life and Practice firm to test new didactical methodologies. All these topics will be discussed by analysing the experiences in progress carried out by Bologna University - Forlì School of Economics, Management and Statistics in the usage of Second Life, started in 2008, and of Practice Firm through which Perting, the first simulated firm established in an Italian University, operates in consulting services and ICT goods trade. The research question refers to: how we can connect Practice Firm and Second Life in the learning transfer of knowledge, capacities and skills? The paper outlines the main features and implications of these didactical methodologies and how they can be connected for improving the educational process undertaken by Universities