This dissertation consists of three essays on strategic and tactical issues in product design. The first essay presents a dynamic investment game in which firms that are initially identical develop assets which are specialized to different market segments. The model assumes there are increasing...

This thesis contains three separate essays that deal with word of mouth. In the first essay, "Promotional Chat on the Internet," we analyze the firms' incentives to anonymously supply positive reviews of products in chat rooms and other recommendation sites. This, in turn, lowers the credibility...

Firm boundaries have been the subject of much scholarly interest in recent years, as firms increasingly hire external, "contingent" workers and outsource previously core activities. However, little empirical research has directly studied what happens differently inside the firm's boundaries,...

This thesis consists of three chapters, each with implications on information and trading patterns in financial markets. Chapter 1: In most financial markets, dealers are given trading advantages meant to encourage liquidity provision. However, it is unclear if these advantages truly induce such...

The primary goal of this research effort was to integrate several pieces of relatively simple dynamics simulations into a full blown system dynamics simulation of the telecom industry. The economic simulation model was used to analyze potential dynamics, reaching basic qualitative insights on...

We analyze issues related to proprietary disclosures by specialized investment institutions such as hedge funds to their trading counterparties and creditors. In this paper, disclosure can be costly because of the potential for exploitation through competitive trade or "front-running". In...

Organizations face increasing pressure to improve internal conflict management, which has led to experimentation with different types of dispute resolution components. These include: Rights-based processes, in which third-parties determine the outcome of a dispute based on laws, contracts or...

In this dissertation, we explore problems in two areas of Supply Chain Management. The first relates to strategic supplier management. The second focuses on tactical decisions on inventory and pricing during inter-generational product transition. In many industries, manufacturing firms use...