This paper shows that the adoption of flexible manufacturing techniques by firms leads to a tougher price regime. However, consumers may not benefit since the tougher regime deters entry. Flexible manufacturing's ability to deter entry is moderated by two factors: non-prohibitive costs of...

It has been noted that many problems exist among local construction contractors owing to inefficient materials management. Problems reported include delays in the supply of construction materials, and inappropriate scheduling of materials in construction projects. There is a need for an improved...

Builders merchants are an integral part of the construction industry, yet rarely are they consulted when discussions take place on the future of the construction industry. Throughout history, builders merchants have played a dominant role in the construction industry, initially as an...

We re-examine the economic justification for the regulation of firms' price policies. Existing analysis of the relative benefits of alternative pricing policies, by treating market structure as exogenous, loses an important trade-off. Price deregulation leading to, for example, discriminatory...

We analyze the interaction between entrepreneurs who open new markets and established, `fast second' firms to develop them. We use a spatially differentiated model in which early entry is traditionally excessive. However, the anticipated later entry by the `fast second' brand can potentially...

This paper develops a North-South trade model in which the South produces food and the North produces both food and a high-tech good. Food production is undertaken by unskilled workers while the high-tech product is made only by horizontally differentiated skilled workers. Due to the possibility...

The comparison of two or more risky projects is more of a challenge than the evaluation of one project in isolation. In the numerous decision models and methods suggested in the literature, often it is assumed that the criteria as well as the decision maker's preference or utility function can...