Asian Management Strategies and Competition Policies Examined at Workshops

USC economist Guofu Tan worked with Thomas Ross (University of British Columbia, UBC) and other colleagues to organize two workshops. The first focused on competition norms, policies, and laws and the second on industrial organization and management strategy. The competition workshop was the first of its kind, but the second workshop was the fourth such gathering. Shanghai University of Finance and Economics (SHUFE) hosted the gathering, which received support from the university's School of International Business and Administration, UBC's Phelps Centre for the Study of Government and Business, UBC's Institute of Asian Research, and Microsoft Corporation.

Asian Competition Policy

Much is changing with regard to national competition policies. China's parliament, the National People's Congress, has been working to develop and adopt an Anti-Monopoly Law, the first of its kind in China. This work should be completed this summer. Anti-trust policies are undergoing change elsewhere in Asia as well. In some cases policies are being relaxed while in others anti-trust regulations and enforcement has been strengthened. In some instances, prominent multi-national firms (e.g., technology giants) have come under close scrutiny.

The conference organizers assembled economists and lawyers to discuss what the impact of these developments and others are likely to be. Presentations examined specific issues across political boundaries and also focused on specific countries.

Industrial Organization and Management Strategy

This is the fourth such workshop to exchange research results and identify topics for further study. Previous workshops were hosted by Peking University and Tsinghua University.

WORKSHOP ON ASIAN COMPETITION POLICY
May 31, 2007
Organizers: Guofu Tan (University of Southern California and SHUFE) and Thomas Ross (University of British Columbia) Welcome Remarks (8:45AM - 9:00AM)

Session I

Chair: Thomas Ross, University of British Columbia

9:00 – 9:45 AM Luke Froeb, Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University
“Mergers when Firms Compete by Choosing both Price and Promotion”

9:45 – 10:15 AM Lim Youngjae, Korean Development Institute
Country Report: Korea

Coffee/Tea Break (10:15AM - 10:30AM)

Session II

Chair: Cai Hongbin, Peking University

10:30 – 11:15 AM Jay Pil Choi, Michigan State University
“Tying in Two-Sided Markets with Multi-Homing”

11:15 – 11:45 AM Zhang Xinzhu, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and SHUFE
 Country Report: China

Lunch (11:45PM - 1:30PM) Campus Restaurant

Session III

Chair: Zhiqi Chen, Carleton University and SHUFE

1:30 – 2:15 PM Kai-Uwe Kuhn, University of Michigan
“On the Coordinated Effects of Conglomerate Mergers”

2:15 – 2:45 PM Robert Ian McEwin, Competition Commission of Singapore
Country Report: Singapore

Coffee/Tea Break (2:45PM - 3:00PM)

Session IV

Chair: Zhang Xinzhu, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and SHUFE

3:00 – 3:45 PM Yongmin Chen, University of Colorado and SHUFE
 “Dynamic Price Discrimination with Asymmetric Firms”

3:45 – 4:30 PM Ping Lin, Lingnan University
Country Report: Hong Kong

Coffee/Tea Break (4:30PM - 4:45PM)

Session V

Chair: Ivan Png, National University of Singapore

4:45 – 5:15 PM Aditya Bhattacharjea, Delhi School of Economics
Country Report: India

General Discussion and Planning for Future Events

Chairs: Thomas Ross and Guofu Tan

Conference Dinner 6:30PM

WORKSHOP ON INDUSTRIAL ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGY
June 1-2, 2007
Organizers: Bai Chong-En (Tsinghua University), Ivan Png (National University of Singapore), Guofu Tan (University of Southern California and SHUFE), and Wu Changqi (Peking University)

Welcome Remarks (8:50AM - 9:00AM)

Session I (9:00AM - 10:30AM)

Chair: Ivan Png，National University of Singapore

Kai-Uwe Kuhn, University of Michigan and CEPR
“How Market Fragmentation Can Facilitate Collusion”

Chen Zhijun, Zhejiang University
“On the Design of Leniency Programs”

Yuk-fai Fong, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University
“Product Quality, Reputation, and Tacit Collusion”

Coffee/Tea Break (10:30AM - 10:45AM)

Session II (10:45AM - 12:15PM)

Chair: Wu Changqi, Peking University

Ivan Png, National University of Singapore
“Social Interaction, Media Impact and Direct Marketing: Diffusion Analysis of the Do Not Call Registry”

Wei Tan, SUNY-Stony Brook
“Predatory Advertising: Theory and Evidence in the Pharmaceutical Industry”

Chu Junhong, National University of Singapore
“A Study of Category Pricing at an Online Grocery Store”

Lunch (12:15PM - 2:00PM) Campus restaurant

Session III-A (2:00PM - 3:30PM) 行政楼一楼报告厅

Chair: Cai Hongbin, Peking University

Ginger Zhe Jin, University of Maryland & NBER
“The Power of Information: How Do U.S. News Rankings Affect the Financial Resources of Public Colleges?”

Hiroshi Ohashi, Tokyo University
“Did U.S. Safeguard Resuscitate Harley Davidson in the 1980s?”

Hanming Fang, Yale University
“Dynamic Inefficiencies in Employment-Based Health Insurance System: Theory and Evidence”

Session III-B (2:00PM - 3:30PM) 行政楼一楼阶梯教室

Chair: Bai Chong-En, Tsinghua University

Lu Yi, Hong Kong University
“Geographic Concentration and Vertical Disintegration: a Causality Study”

Gong Qiang, CCER, Peking University
“Technology Strategy in Developing Country”

Chen Lin, Lingnan University and Frank Min Song, Hong Kong University
“Competition, Information, and Corruption in Bank Lending”

Coffee/Tea Break (3:30PM - 4:00PM)

Session IV-A (4:00PM - 5:30PM) 行政楼一楼报告厅

Chair: Zhiqi Chen, Carleton University and SHUFE

Thomas Ross, Sauder School of Business, University of British Columbia
“Credible Retaliatory Entry and Strategic Toe-Holds”

Wang Hao, CCER, Peking University
“Retailer Buyer Power, Transportation Costs and Consumer Surplus”

Patrick Bajari, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
“Identification and Estimation of Discrete Games of Complete Information”

Session IV-B (4:00PM - 5:30PM) 行政楼一楼阶梯教室

Chair: Wang Yijiang, Tsinghua University and University of Minnesota

Wei Chi, Tsinghua University
“Ownership, Performance and Executive Turnover”

Liu Guanglin, Tsinghua University
“Hierarchical Agency and Organizational Design”

Wang Yingchun, University of Minnesota
“High-Performance Work Practice and Profit: Positive Correlation and Prescriptive Truthiness”

Huang Pu River Cruise with Buffet Dinner (6:00PM - 9:00PM)

June 2, 2007

Coffee/Tea (8:15AM - 9:00AM)

Session V-A (9:00AM - 10:30AM) 行政楼一楼报告厅

Chair: Yongmin Chen, University of Colorado at Boulder and SHUFE

Zhiqi Chen, Carleton University and SHUFE
“Monopoly and Unemployment: Perspective from an Efficiency Wage Model”

Qiang Fu, National University of Singapore
“Product Design and R&D Competition with Endogenous Spillover”

Andrei Hagiu, Harvard Business School
“Merchants vs. Two Sided Platforms”

Session V-B (9:00AM - 10:30AM) 行政楼一楼阶梯教室

Chair: Ping Lin, Lingnan University

Lixin Colin Xu, World Bank
“Formal Finance and Trade Credit during China's Transition”

Du Julan, Chinese University of Hong Kong
“Governments’ Helping Hands and Economic Performance: The Evidences from China’s Private Sector”

Shing-Yi Wang, Yale University
“Private Property Rights and Entrepreneurship: Evaluating Housing Reform in China”

Coffee/Tea Break (10:30AM - 10:45AM)

Session VI (10:45AM - 12:15PM)

Chair: Thomas Ross, University of British Columbia

Zhou Wen, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
“Industry Reorganization through Endogenous Mergers and Divestitures”

Lin Ping, Lingnan University
“Entry of FDI to the Upstream and Downstream Industries”

Chen Yongmin,University of Colorado at Boulder and SHUFE
“Price-increasing Competition”

Closing Remarks (12:15PM – 12:20PM): Ivan Png,National University of Singapore