Size of RJVs and Degree of Cooperation in Product Development

In this paper we provide a model of Research Joint Venture (RJV), and study the incentives of competing firms to cooperate in product development. Firms that participate in the RJV decide on the product components for joint development, i.e., they decide on how much to cooperate. We consider three cases: (i) an RJV with an exogenous size and an endogenous scope, (ii) an RJV with an endogenous size and an exogenous scope, and (iii) an RJV with an endogenous size and scope. Using numerical simulations we show that, on average, there is a negative relationship between the size and the scope of the RJV in both cases (i) and (ii). In case (iii), we find a positive relationship between the equilibrium size and the equilibrium scope of the RJV. Furthermore, both the equilibrium size and scope of the RJV are increasing with the industry size

A Critical Review of the “Ladder of Investment” Approach

The “ladder of investment” is a regulatory approach proposed by Cave (2006), which has been widely embraced by national regulatory authorities in the European telecommunications sector. The approach entails providing entrants, successively, with different levels of access—the “rungs” of the investment ladder, while inducing them to climb the ladder by setting an access charge that increases over time or by withdrawing access obligations after some pre-determined date (i.e., by setting sunset clauses). Proponents of the ladder of investment approach claim that such regulatory measures would make service-based entry and facility-based entry complements—albeit they have been traditionally viewed as substitutes—in promoting competition. The regulators, thus, have shown a strong interest in this approach. The paper provides a critical review of the ladder of investment approach by setting out its two underlying assumptions and discussing their validity with references to the related industrial organization literature

Online social networks and hiring: a field experiment on the French labor market

With the advance of social network sites, employers can screen applicants' online profiles to gain additional personal information without the applicants' awareness. We investigate whether employers rely on such online information when deciding to call an applicant back for interview. During a 12-month period, we set-up a field experiment and sent more than 800 applications of two fictitious applicants that differ for a signal - their perceived origins - solely available on their Facebook profiles. A 40 % gap between the two applicants highlights that online profiles are used to screen and select applicants. For many recruiters, Facebook profiles have become a part of the application material. An unexpected change in the Facebook layout altered the display of our online signal. This natural experiment allows us to pinpoint the cause of screening, and therefore the odds of being called back for interview, within the online profile

Online social networks and hiring: a field experiment on the French labor market

With the advance of social network sites, employers can screen applicants' online profiles to gain additional personal information without the applicants' awareness. We investigate whether employers rely on such online information when deciding to call an applicant back for interview. During a 12-month period, we set-up a field experiment and sent more than 800 applications of two fictitious applicants that differ for a signal - their perceived origins - solely available on their Facebook profiles. A 40 % gap between the two applicants highlights that online profiles are used to screen and select applicants. For many recruiters, Facebook profiles have become a part of the application material. An unexpected change in the Facebook layout altered the display of our online signal. This natural experiment allows us to pinpoint the cause of screening, and therefore the odds of being called back for interview, within the online profile

Do recruiters 'like' it? Online social networks and privacy in hiring: a pseudo-randomized experiment

With the advance of online social networks, the screening of applicants during hiring can extend beyond the usual application material. Although browsing the online profile of an applicant raises ethical issues, this practice potentially improves the job matching, at virtually no cost to the employer. In this paper, we investigate the use of online social networks as a reliable source of information for recruiters on applicants in the French job market. We set up a field experiment using real accountant job offers in the greater Paris area. We adjust the content of Facebook accounts to manipulate the perceived origins of applicants (hometown and language spoken) and analyze the impact on the number of callbacks received from employers. The signal we manipulate to distinguish applicants is available only within the online profile, not the application material. During a 12 month period from March 2012 to March 2013, we submitted more than 800 applications. The test applicant received a third fewer callbacks compared to the control applicant, a significant difference. Our results suggest that online profiles are used indeed to screen applicants, and that this occurs early in the hiring process. During the course of the experiment, a change to the standard Facebook layout sent a part of our signal, namely the language spoken by the applicants, into a sub-tab not directly visible from the front page. This exogenous change (clicking on a tab is now required to access the information) allowed us to measure the recruiter's depth of search. In subsequent months, the gap between the two applicant types shrank and virtually disappeared. This suggests that screening is superficial, illustrating the existence of employer search costs for browsing an entire profile

Coopération en R&D et hétérogénéité des compétences. Un modèle théorique

This article analyzes the cooperative strategies of firms with different technological competencies within the framework of a two-stage Cournot duopoly. We assume the existence of a fixed cooperation cost and that technological spillovers depend on firms? competencies. We show that for an intermediate cooperation cost firms with a low technological dispersion (i.e., similar competencies) don?t cooperate whereas firms with a high dispersion cooperate. We also show that in the case of a low technological dispersion there should be more spillover effects for cooperation to be socially profitable than in the case of a high dispersion. Classification JEL : L1, O3.

Vie privée, valeur des données personnelles et régulation

International audiencePersonal data have an important place in the strategic positioning of Internet firms so as to better target consumers. When these data are combined with other data (from public administrations, for example), processing them can be a matchless source of added value for firms. The new strategies for extracting value from personal data warrant the adoption of appropriate regulations for this market. After identifying the sources of value related to the processing of personal data, this article draws on the academic literature in economics and marketing to shed light both on the strategies eventually adopted by firms for endowing personal data with an economic value and on the new business models that result. Questions are asked about how regulations will protect the privacy of individuals while letting untouched the ability of firms to innovate.Les données personnelles prennent une place de plus en plus importante dans le positionnement stratégique des entreprises de l'Internet en leur permettant de toujours mieux cibler les consommateurs. Quand ces données sont combinées avec d'autres données, par exemple des données administratives, leur exploitation peut générer une valeur ajoutée unique pour les entreprises. Nous soutenons que ces nouvelles stratégies qui visent à extraire une valeur des données personnelles justifient une régulation appropriée du marché. Premièrement, il apparaît important d'identifier les sources de valeur liées à l'exploitation des données personnelles. Deuxièmement, nous mettons en évidence, en nous appuyant sur la littérature académique en économie et en marketing, les stratégies de valorisation des données personnelles auxquelles les entreprises peuvent avoir recours, et la manière dont de nouveaux modèles d'affaires peuvent être ainsi stimulés. Troisièmement, nous nous interrogeons sur le rôle de la régulation, qui vise à protéger la vie privée des individus tout en préservant la capacité d'innover des entreprises

Vie privée, valeur des données personnelles et régulation

International audiencePersonal data have an important place in the strategic positioning of Internet firms so as to better target consumers. When these data are combined with other data (from public administrations, for example), processing them can be a matchless source of added value for firms. The new strategies for extracting value from personal data warrant the adoption of appropriate regulations for this market. After identifying the sources of value related to the processing of personal data, this article draws on the academic literature in economics and marketing to shed light both on the strategies eventually adopted by firms for endowing personal data with an economic value and on the new business models that result. Questions are asked about how regulations will protect the privacy of individuals while letting untouched the ability of firms to innovate.Les données personnelles prennent une place de plus en plus importante dans le positionnement stratégique des entreprises de l'Internet en leur permettant de toujours mieux cibler les consommateurs. Quand ces données sont combinées avec d'autres données, par exemple des données administratives, leur exploitation peut générer une valeur ajoutée unique pour les entreprises. Nous soutenons que ces nouvelles stratégies qui visent à extraire une valeur des données personnelles justifient une régulation appropriée du marché. Premièrement, il apparaît important d'identifier les sources de valeur liées à l'exploitation des données personnelles. Deuxièmement, nous mettons en évidence, en nous appuyant sur la littérature académique en économie et en marketing, les stratégies de valorisation des données personnelles auxquelles les entreprises peuvent avoir recours, et la manière dont de nouveaux modèles d'affaires peuvent être ainsi stimulés. Troisièmement, nous nous interrogeons sur le rôle de la régulation, qui vise à protéger la vie privée des individus tout en préservant la capacité d'innover des entreprises