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We analyze the welfare consequences of a monopolist having additional information about consumers' tastes, beyond the prior distribution; the additional information can be used to charge different prices to different segments of the market, i.e., carry out \"third degree price discrimination.\" We show that the segmentation and pricing induced by the additional information can achieve every combination of consumer and producer surplus such that: (i) consumer surplus is nonnegative, (ii) producer surplus is at least as high as profits under the uniform monopoly price, and (iii) total surplus does not exceed the surplus generated by efficient trade.

This paper describes and discusses the phenomenon ‘predatory publishing’, in relation to both academic journals and books, and suggests a list of characteristics by which to identify predatory journals. It also raises the question whether traditional publishing houses have accompanied rogue publishers upon this path. It is noted that bioethics as a discipline does not stand unaffected by this trend. Towards the end of the paper it is discussed what can and should be done to eliminate or reduce the effects of this development. The paper concludes that predatory publishing is a growing phenomenon that has the potential to greatly affect both bioethics and science at large. Publishing papers and books for profit, without any genuine concern for content, but with the pretence of applying authentic academic procedures of critical scrutiny, brings about a worrying erosion of trust in scientific publishing.

Asymmetries in the Vietnamese lending central bank's policy-related rate spread were documented. Empirical results revealed that the spread adjusts to the threshold faster when the central bank's policy-related rates decrease relative to the lending rates than when the central bank's policy-related rates move in the opposite direction. Additionally, the empirical findings indicate that Vietnamese commercial banks exhibit competitive rate setting behavior which may be attributable to graft maximization by bank's management. The results also show bidirectional Granger causality between the Vietnamese lending rate and the central bank's policy-related rate, indicating that the lending rate and the central bank's policy-related rate affect each other's movements. These results suggest that monetary authority can use its countercyclical monetary policy instruments to achieve its macroeconomics objectives. However, the estimation results of the GARCH (2, 3)-in-Mean model suggest that they should intervene more frequently and by small policy measures to minimize the conditional variance of the spread to minimize the magnitude of the cycle of the lending rate.

The sustainable development goals (SDGs) of Transforming our world, the 2030 agenda for sustainable development, and specifically SDG 17, call for cooperation, collaboration and partnership between government, civil society and businesses. To reach the agenda’s objectives, the international community needs to find ways to effectively harness the public and private sectors. The SDGs are integrated and indivisible, with progress in one area dependent upon progress in others. Both the private and public sector are needed to meet the health-related SDG 3, including the target of universal health coverage (UHC) and related goals such as SDG 8 (decent work and economic growth) and SDG 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure). In the health area, the private sector refers to all non-state actors involved in health: profit and not-for-profit, formal and informal, domestic and international. Almost all countries have mixed health systems, with goods and services provided by the public and private sector, and health consumers requesting these services from both sectors. Therefore, efforts towards UHC cannot ignore the private sector. The private sector’s involvement in health systems is significant in scale and scope and includes the provision of health-related services, medicines and medical products, financial products, training for the health workforce, information technology, infrastructure and support services

We formally characterize predatory pricing in a modern industrydynamics framework that endogenizes competitive advantage and industry structure. As an illustrative example we focus on learningby-doing. To disentangle predatory pricing from mere competition for efficiency on a learning curve we decompose the equilibrium pricing condition. We show that forcing firms to ignore the predatory incentives in setting their prices can have a large impact and that this impact stems from eliminating equilibria with predationlike behavior. Along with the predation-like behavior, however, a fair amount of competition for the market is eliminated.

Purpose This paper aims to explain how the dynamics of inter-firm relations between small and large firms can, in the case of some behaviours, be interpreted as inter-organizational bullying. Design/methodology/approach This paper draws on a qualitative approach adopting the critical incident method to explore the subjective experiences of 13 individual managers and owners of small service businesses in dealing with the representatives/executives of the large corporations they serviced. The method facilitated an investigation of the significant occurrences identified by the small-firm respondents about the undue advantage taken by the large firms. This was found to be more than simple occasional opportunistic or unfair business practices perpetrated by representatives of the large firms but, instead, involved bullying. Findings The results revealed that large corporations actively, though covertly, sought to take advantage of their small service providers by resorting to bullying practices. Intimidation, opportunism, use of deceitful or unfair business practices, as well as abuse of power, were manifestations of inter-organizational bullying committed by the large and powerful corporations. The contrasting characteristics of size, access to resources, economic and market power were identified as strong impediments against building effective ethical relational exchanges between the large corporations and their small service providers. Research limitations/implications The study's findings provide valuable insights into the root causes and consequences of inter-organizational bullying. However, it is crucial to interpret these results in the context of this specific study. It is worth nothing that these findings primarily represent the self-perception of inter-organizational bullying among small service providers and may not capture other viewpoints or aspects of the industrial sector. Replicating this study in different sectors could enhance the generalizability of the conclusions drawn. Practical implications This analysis is valuable in understanding what constitutes the phenomenon referred to as inter-organizational bullying. It also assists to understand the conditions when large firms exhibit such behaviours and their implications on the well-being of relevant stakeholders. Social implications Firstly, the business partners should maintain a healthy relationship if they want to avoid incidents of bullying, which can harm the performance of the relationship. In doing so, they need to reduce the level of uncertainty in their business relationships through the transparent information exchange, formulating commonly agreeable contracts and enhancing communication procedures. They also need to put aside their self-interest, but rather strive for achieving results that will be beneficial to both parties. Originality/value This exploratory study offers a novel and unexplored way of theorizing inter-organizational bullying, as well as uncovering its antecedents and impacts on the welfare of small businesses, particularly small service providers.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the service infusion literature explains competitive advantage through services. The four strategic management theories – competitive forces, the resource-based view, dynamic capabilities, and relational view – are applied in the analysis. Design/methodology/approach – A systematic literature review analyzes the links between the service infusion and strategy literature. Findings – The review reveals that although discussion of service infusion applies strategic management concepts, the stream lacks rigor with respect to construct definition and justification. Additionally, contextual variables are often missing. The result is an over-emphasis of contextually bound measures, such as technology, and focal actors. Research limitations/implications – The growing trends toward social networks, co-specialization, actor dependency and shared resources encourage service infusion scholars to focus on network-related and relational capabilities, co-opetition, open business models, and relational rent extraction. Furthermore, service infusion research would benefit from considering strategy-based theoretical discussions, constructs, and constraints that would improve the scientific rigor, impact and contribution. Originality/value – This paper represents a systematic attempt to link the service infusion literature with strategic management theories and thoroughly analyzes the knowledge gaps and possible misconceptions.

PREDICTABILITY, COMPLIANCE, AND EFFICIENCY General consensus advocates transparency in antitrust enforcement (and indeed, transparency in government writ large) as a laudable goal.4 Transparency in enforcement-that is, clear, publicly available enforcement procedures and insight into the reasoning for enforcement action or inaction-can increase public confidence in the government and ensure fair treatment of citizens.5 Transparency into the rationale underpinning enforcement decisions increases predictability in outcomes, which can play a key role in economic growth and engender increased antitrust compliance in the first instance.6 Predictability in outcomes and enhanced compliance, in turn, entail significant efficiency benefits-for businesses and antitrust enforcers alike. [...]the antitrust risk assessment likely will inform (i) regulatory risk-shifting provisions that allocate the extent of the antitrust risk borne by the buyer and seller, (ii) whether the parties have an obligation to litigate if the transaction is challenged by the DOJ or FTC (or any other competition enforeer), and (iii) the outside date for completing the transaction, which generally accounts for anticipated timing to secure all required antitrust clearances, among other key terms.7 The risk assessment also has an effect on each party's obligations during the transaction-review process, including the obligation to agree to potential remedies, with or without materiality caps.8 Similarly, transparency in enforcement allows businesses and advisors to better understand whether contemplated conduct might violate antitrust law and the extent of the anticipated consequences. While clear-cut rules apply to conduct that is per se unlawful under the antitrust laws, such as naked price fixing, bid rigging, or market allocation,9 most conduct falls outside of these bright-line rules and is evaluated under the rule of reason.10 Judicial precedent and enforcement transparency allow businesses and legal advisors to understand when practices such as exclusivity agreements, loyalty rebates, or bundling-which often indicate fierce competition rather than conduct designed to limit or foreclose competition-could entail antitrust risk. When legal enforcement is predictable and easy to follow, businesses are more likely to follow the laws.11 When enforcement is unpredictable, it is dif-ficult for businesses to understand when conduct might violate antitrust laws; companies need clear rules to know how to operate effectively and within the bounds of the law.12 In the face of uncertainty, businesses may forgo poten-tially profitable, procompetitive conduct that could benefit consumers-such as certain types of discounts or rebates to facilitate launch of a product.13 However, this sort of assessment presumes that the type of behavior that is clearly anticompetitive is readily discernible.