Nature Of Competitive Interactions Research Articles

СОЦИАЛЬНО-ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКОЕ ПОЛОЖЕНИЕ РЕГИОНОВ, ВЗАИМОДЕЙСТВУЮЩИХ В РАМКАХ КОМПЛЕКСНОГО ИНВЕСТИЦИОННОГО ПРОЕКТА «ЕНИСЕЙСКАЯ СИБИРЬ»

Socio-economic relations in the context of market changes give rise to other types of interactions between neighboring regions in the general spatial aspect of the country's development. The market system itself creates a new nature of competitive interactions between various economic agents, accordingly, differentiation between entities increases, all this is characterized by new transformations to minimize this situation at the level of the country and regions. Therefore, recently the regions began to activate their potential capabilities by coordinating actions in a single direction, and one of such integral projects is the Yenisei Siberia complex investment project (KIP ES). The purpose of this study is to study the foundations of the socio-economic development of interacting regions. The research is based on the fundamental provisions of the theory and methodology of socio-economic development, the theory of interaction and scientific research in the field of regional economics. Various methods were used in the study, such as comparative analysis, graphical and tabular methods. To study the aspects of socio-economic development, the participants of the KIP "ES" were considered: Krasnoyarsk Territory, Republic of Khakassia, Republic of Tyva. The project participants have the prospects of cross-border cooperation in the spatial development of the country, and one of the participants has the potential to open an "international corridor" to Mongolia and China due to its peripheral territorial position. The interaction of three subjects of the Russian Federation of different levels of socio-economic development: the developed Krasnoyarsk Territory, the developing Republic of Khakassia and the underdeveloped Republic of Tyva - as a result of the implementation of investment projects included in the EU CIP, will increase the economic potential, strengthen economic ties in the spatial development of territories.

Competition or cooperation: a case study of the 2005 'employee discount pricing' promotions in the US automobile industry

This paper considers the widely successful employee discount pricing (EDP) promotional program of 2005 to uncover the nature of competition in the US automobile industry, with a specific focus on the big three automakers. In contrast to previous research on automobile competition, this paper uses quarterly average dealer-level transaction price data to capture the short term nature of inter-firm competition that might be embedded in such promotional programs. In doing so, a structural oligopoly model of differentiated products is setup explicitly incorporating the nature of competitive interactions. Results imply that the overall nature of competitiveness in the US automobile industry is consistent with a static model of Bertrand behaviour without any changes in conduct among the big three during the EDP promotion period. These results corroborate the problems of inventory backlog faced by the big three in recent years and indicate that the EDP program has been more of a novel marketing intent on part of the big three to clear up such backlogs.

Sustaining diversity in trait-based models of phytoplankton communities

It is well-established that when equilibrium is attained for two species competing for the same limiting resource in a stable, uniform environment, one species will eliminate the other due to competitive exclusion. While competitive exclusion is observed in laboratory experiments and ecological models, the phenomenon seems less common in nature, where static equilibrium is prevented by the fluctuating physical environment and by other factors that constantly change species abundances and the nature of competitive interactions. Trait-based models of phytoplankton communities appear to be useful tools for describing the evolution of large assemblages of species with aggregate group properties such as total biomass, mean trait, and trait variance, the latter representing the functional diversity of the community. Such an approach, however, is limited by the tendency of the trait variance to unrealistically decline to zero over time. This tendency to lose diversity, and therefore adaptive capacity, is typically solved by fixing the variance or by considering exogenous processes such as immigration. Exogenous processes, however, cannot explain the maintenance of adaptive capacity often observed in the closed environment of chemostat experiments. Here we present a new method to sustain diversity in adaptive trait-based models of phytoplankton communities based on a mechanism of trait diffusion through subsequent generations. Our modeling approach can therefore account for endogenous processes such as rapid evolution or transgenerational trait plasticity.

Selecting Various Industrial Competitors Affect the Risk Level of Viet Nam Hardware Industry During and After the Global Crisis 2007-2011

INTRODUCTIONStudies reveal that competition has affected business risk and return. Eugen F., and French, Kenneth R., (2004) also indicated in the three factor model that value and are significant components which can affect stock returns. They also mentioned that a stock's return not only depends on a market beta, but also on market capitahzation bata. The market bata is used in the three factor model, developed by Fama and French, which is the successor to the CAPM model by Sharpe, Treynor and Lintner. Pagano and Mao (2007) stated that an intermediated market can therefore remain viable in the face of competition from a possibly faster, non-intermediated market as long as the specialist can generate revenue for the above services that covers his/her costs associated with asymmetric information, order processing, and inventory management. As Luis E. Peirero (2010) pointed, the task of estimating cost of equity in emerging market is more difficult because of problems such as collecting data in short periods.Together with financial system development and the economic growth, throughout many recent years, Viet Nam hardware industry is considered as one of active economic sectors, which has some positive effects for the economy. Additionally, financial risk and reactions has become an issue after the global crisis 2007-2009 which has some certain impacts on the whole Viet Nam economy, and specifically, the Viet Nam hardware industry. Hence, this research paper analyzes market risk under a one factor model of these hsted firms during this period. The purpose of this study is to find out how much market risk for this industry in changing contexts of competitors. For the estimating of impacts of a one factor model· the size of competitor on beta for listed hardware industry companies in Viet Nam stock exchange, research issues will be mentioned as following:Issue 1: Whether the risk level of hardware industry firms under the different changing scenarios of the size of competitor increase or decrease so much.Issue 2: Whether the disperse distribution of beta values become large in the different changing scenarios of the size of competitor in the hardware industry.Therefore, this paperwork will explain not only the relationship between risk and competitor size, but also presents how much risk for the hardware industry in each competitor scenario. It finds out competition or competitor size definitely has certan effects on market risk of hsted hardware firms.This paper is organized as follow. The research issues and literature review will be covered in next sessions 2 and 3, for a short summary. Then, methodology and conceptual theories are introduced in session 4 and 5. Session 6 describes the data in empirical analysis. Session 7 presents empirical results and findings. Next, session 8 covers the analytical results. Then, session 9 will conclude with some pohcy suggestions. This paper also supports readers with references, exhibits and relevant web sources.LITERATURE REVIEWKim et all (2002) noted that the nature of competitive interaction in an industry is important in assessing the effect of corporate product strategies on shareholder value. Jimenez et all (2005) pointed As market power is the primary source of franchise value, reduced competition in banking markets has been seen as promoting banking stability.Umar (2011) found that firms which maintain good governance structures have leverage ratios that are higher (forty- seven percent) than those of firms with poor governance mechanisms per unit of profit. Daly and Hanh Phan (2013) investigated the competitive structure of the banking industries in five emerging Asian countries including Viet Nam and showed that the global financial crisis affected dramatically the competition of banking system in emerging Asian countries.Chen et all (2013) supported regulators' suspicions that over-reliance on short-term funding and insufficient collateral compounded the effects of dangerously high leverage and resulted in undercapitalization and excessive risk exposure for Lehman Brothers. …

Rules of Competitive Stimulus Selection in a Cholinergic Isthmic Nucleus of the Owl Midbrain

In a natural scene, multiple stimuli compete for the control of gaze direction and attention. The nucleus isthmi pars parvocellularis (Ipc) is a cholinergic, midbrain nucleus that is reciprocally interconnected to the optic tectum, a structure known to be involved in the control of gaze and attention. Previous research has shown that the responses of many Ipc units to a visual stimulus presented inside the classical receptive field (RF) can be powerfully inhibited when the strength of a distant, competing stimulus becomes the stronger stimulus. This study investigated further the nature of competitive interactions in the Ipc of owls by using two complementary protocols: in the first protocol, we measured the effects of a distant stimulus on responses to an RF stimulus located at different positions inside the RF; in the second protocol, we measured the effects of a distant stimulus on responses to RF stimuli of different strengths. The first protocol demonstrated that the effect of a competing stimulus is purely divisive: the competitor caused a proportional reduction in responses to the RF stimulus that did not alter either the location or sharpness of spatial tuning. The second protocol demonstrated that, for most units, the strength of this divisive inhibition is regulated powerfully by the relative strengths of the competing stimuli: inhibition was strong when the competitor was the stronger stimulus and weak when the competitor was the weaker stimulus. The data indicate that competitive interactions in the Ipc depend on feedback and a globally divisive inhibitory network.

Competitive interactions during basking between native and invasive freshwater turtle species

The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) is currently introduced in many Mediterranean countries, where it behaves as an invasive species that competes and displaces native populations of the endangered Spanish terrapin (Mauremys leprosa). However, the nature of competitive interactions is relatively unknown. During basking activity, factors like greater body size or pre-existing behavioral adaptations to an original habitat with higher levels of interspecific competition might confer competitive advantages to introduced T. scripta with respect to native terrapins. We hypothesized that competition for basking places with the introduced T. scripta might negatively affect the efficiency of basking and thermoregulation of the native Spanish terrapin. We experimentally analyzed the basking activity of T. scripta and M. leprosa under occasional and long-term situations of intra- and inter-specific competition. Native M. leprosa subjected to interspecific competition reduced their basking activity, basked for shorter periods than T. scripta, and avoided basking stacked with the exotic turtles. These results suggested the displacement from the basking sites of the native terrapin by the introduced T. scripta. The decreased basking activity of native M. leprosa when competing directly for basking places with introduced sliders may lead native terrapins to a loss in the efficiency of physiological functions related to ineffective thermoregulation, such as digestion or locomotor performance, thus favoring the expansion of the invasive species.

Past Interactions and New Foreign Direct Investment Location Decisions

Analyzing the nature of competitive interaction among multinational firms in the tire industry, we find that the histories of the interactions between particular rivals matter. The decision to enter a new foreign market in the era of global consolidation is related to the identities of rivals in the market, characteristics of the firm and the market, and the extent of past competitive interactions with the international pioneering firm. Results suggest that, in an oligopolistic environment, aspects of multimarket competition are important to foreign direct investment decisions.

Interspecific differences in heat exchange rates may affect competition between introduced and native freshwater turtles

In the Iberian Peninsula, the red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) is an introduced invasive species that is displacing the endangered native Spanish terrapin (Mauremys leprosa). However, the nature of competitive interactions is relatively unclear. In temperate zones, mechanisms for maximizing heat retention could be selectively advantageous for aquatic turtle species, since individuals usually lose the heat gained from basking very rapidly when entering the water. We hypothesized that interspecific differences in morphology, and thus, in heating and cooling rates, might confer competitive advantages to introduced T. scripta. We compared the surface-to-volume ratios of both, introduced and native turtles, basing on biometric measures, and their effects on thermal exchange rates. T. scripta showed a more rounded shape, a lower surface-to-volume ratio and a greater thermal inertia, what facilitates body heat retention and favors the performance of activities and physiological functions such as foraging or digestion, thus aggravating the competition process with native turtles in Mediterranean habitats.

Interspecific Differences in Responses to Predation Risk May Confer Competitive Advantages to Invasive Freshwater Turtle Species

AbstractThe nature of competitive interactions between native and introduced invasive species is unclear. In the Iberian Peninsula, the introduced red‐eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) is an invasive species that is competing and displacing the endangered native Spanish terrapin (Mauremys leprosa). We hypothesized that interspecific differences in antipredatory behavior might confer competitive advantages to introduced T. scripta. We examined whether interspecific differences in responses to predation risk affect the time that turtles remained hidden in the shell before using an active escape to water. Both turtle species adjusted hiding times by balancing predation threat, microhabitat conditions and the costs of remaining hidden. However, introduced T. scripta showed longer hiding times before escaping than native M. Leprosa, which, in contrast, switched from waiting hidden in the shell to escape to deep water as soon as possible. These interspecific differences might result from the risk of facing different types of predators in different microhabitats (land vs. water) in their original habitats. However, in anthropogenically altered habitats where predators have been greatly reduced, T. scripta may avoid potential costs of unnecessary repeated escape responses to water (e.g. interruption of basking). These behavioral asymmetries could contribute to the greater competitive ability of introduced T. scripta within anthropogenically disturbed environments.

The evolution of self-fertilization in density-regulated populations.

The evolution of selfing in hermaphrodites has been studied to reveal the demographic conditions that lead to intermediate selfing rates. Using a demographic model based on Ricker-type density regulation, we assume first that, independent of population density, inbred individuals survive less well than outbred individuals and second, that inbred and outbred individuals differ in their competitive abilities in density-regulated populations. The evolution of selfing, driven by inbreeding depression and the cost of outcrossing, is then analysed for three fundamentally different demographic scenarios: stable population densities, deterministically varying population densities (resulting from cyclical or chaotic population dynamics) and stochastic fluctuations of carrying capacities (resulting from environmental noise). We show that even under stable demographic conditions evolutionary outcomes are not confined to either complete selfing or full outcrossing. Instead, intermediate selfing rates arise under a wide range of conditions, depending on the nature of competitive interactions between inbred and outbred individuals. We also explore the evolution of selfing under deterministic and stochastic density fluctuations to demonstrate that such environmental conditions can evolutionarily stabilize intermediate selfing rates. This is the first study, to our knowledge, to consider in detail the effect of density regulation on the evolution of selfing rates.

How Does Strategic Competition Affect Firm Values? A Study of New Product Announcements

We examine the role of strategic interaction in explaining the valuation effect of new product announcements and employ Sundaram, John, and John’s (1996) competitive strategy measure to operationalize the nature of a firm’s competitive interaction. Using a sample of new product introductions between 1991 and 1995, we find that the market values introductions announced by firms in strategic substitutes competition more favorably than those announced by firms in strategic complements competition. These results hold after we control for other variables that could explain the announcement effect. We also find that industry rivals of those announcing firms that compete in strategic substitutes and experience a positive announcement effect generally suffer a small, but significant wealth loss. The evidence supports the notion that the nature of competitive interaction in an industry is important in assessing the effect of corporate product strategies on shareholder value. Previous studies show that announcements of new product strategies are generally associated with a positive effect on shareholder value (Woolridge, 1988; Chaney, Devinney, and Winer, 1991; Kelm, Narayanan, and Pinches, 1995; and Chen and Ho, 1997). Chaney et al. (1991) find that the value of a new product announcement is higher for firms in more technologically based industries and for firms that make original- or multiple-product announcements. They find that the value is lower for firms that make frequent product announcements. Chaney et al. (1991) also find that higher short-term interest rates have a negative impact on the value of new product

Competitive Pricing Behavior in the Auto Market: A Structural Analysis

In a competitive marketplace, the effectiveness of any element of the marketing mix is determined not only by its absolute value, but also by its relative value with respect to the competition. For example, the effectiveness of a price cut in increasing demand is critically related to competitors' reaction to the price change. Managers therefore need to know the nature of competitive interactions among firms. In this paper, we take a theory-driven empirical approach to gain a deeper understanding of the competitive pricing behavior in the U.S. auto market. The ability-motivation paradigm posits that a firm needs both the ability and the motivation to succeed in implementing a strategy (Boulding and Staelin 1995). We use arguments from the game-theoretic literature to understand firm motivation and abilities in different segments of the auto market. We then combine these insights from the game-theoretic literature and the ability-motivation paradigm to develop hypotheses about competition in different segments of the U.S. auto market. To test our hypotheses of competitive behavior, we estimate a structural model that disentangles the competition effect from the demand and cost effects on prices. The theory of repeated games predicts that firms with a long-run profitability objective will try to sustain cooperative pricing behavior as a stable equilibrium when conditions permit. For example, markets with high concentration and stable market environments are favorable for sustaining cooperative behavior and therefore provide firms with the ability to cooperate. The theory of switching costs suggests that in markets in which a firm's current customers tend to be loyal, firms have a motivation to compete very aggressively for new customers, recognizing the positive benefits of loyalty from the customer base in the long run. As consumer loyalty in the market increases, the gains from increasing market share by means of aggressive competitive behavior are more than offset by losses in profit margins. Firms therefore have the motivation to price cooperatively. Empirically, we find aggressive behavior in the minicom-pact and subcompact segments, cooperative behavior in the compact and midsize segments, and Bertrand behavior in the full-size segment. These findings are consistent with our theory-based hypotheses about competition in different segments. In estimating a structural model of the auto market, we address several methodological issues. A particular difficulty is the large number of car models in the U.S. auto market. Existing studies have inferred competitive behavior only in markets with two to four products. They also use relatively simple functional forms of demand to facilitate easy estimation. Functional forms of demand, however, impose structure on cross-elasticities between products. Such structure, when inappropriate, can bias the estimates of competitive interaction. We therefore use the random coefficients logit demand model to allow flexibility in cross-elasticities. We also use recent advances in New Empirical Industrial Organization (NEIO) to extend structural estimation of competitive behavior to markets with a large number of products. We use the simulation-based estimation approach developed by Berry et al. (1995) to estimate our model. A frequent criticism of the NEIO approach is that its focus on industry-specific studies limits the generalizability of its findings. In this study, we retain the advantages of NEIO methods but partially address the issue of generalizability by analyzing competitive behavior in multiple segments within the auto industry to see whether there is a consistent pattern that can be explained by theory. Theoretical modelers can use our results to judge the appropriateness of their models in predicting competitive outcomes for the markets that they analyze. A by-product of our analysis is that we also get estimates of demand and cost apart from competitive interactions for the market. Managers can use these estimates to perform “what-if” analysis. They can answer questions about what prices to charge when a new product is introduced or when an existing product's characteristics are changed.

The competition effects of the Single Market in Europe

The reduction in trade barriers in Europe through the Single Market Programme (SMP) was intended to increase competition in European markets, and hence welfare and efficiency. The paper examines how the SMP has affected trade patterns and what can be learnt from this regarding the impact on competitive behaviour. Combining an econometric and computable general equilibrium methodology, it is argued that (1) the SMP has indeed had a strong impact on competitive behaviour; (2) the extent of the impact depends both on changes in the intensity of competition as well as on changes in the nature of competitive interaction; (3) while all economies experience potentially large welfare gains from the SMP, it is the smaller economies that experience the larger gains, but this in turn suggests that they experience a greater degree of restructuring.

Microclimatic changes and the indirect loss of ant diversity in a tropical agroecosystem.

Recent changes in the coffee agroecosystem of Costa Rica were used to study the mechanism of biodiversity loss in transforming agroecosystems, focusing on the ground-foraging ant community. Coffee farms are being transformed from vegetationally diverse shaded agroforestry systems to unshaded coffee monocultures. We tested the hypothesis that the high-light environment and lack of leaf litter cover in the unshaded system are the determinants of the differences in ground-foraging ant diversity. Four treatments were established within the light gaps of a shaded plantation: shade, leaf litter, shade plus leaf litter, and a control (no shade or leaf litter added). Ants were sampled using tuna fish baits and light and temperature were measured. Shade and leaf litter had a significant effect on the ant fauna but probably for indirect reasons having to do with species interactions. In both shade treatments, Solenopsis geminata, the tropical fire ant, decreased significantly while the other species increased. The possibility that the physical factor changes the nature of competitive interactions between the most abundant species is discussed.

Predator‐Induced Behavioral Indirect Effects: Consequences to Competitive Interactions in Anuran Larvae

This study examines the non—lethal effects of an odonate predator (Anax junius) on the competitive interactions among several size classes of anuran larvae. In an outdoor experiment using cattle watering tanks, we estimated the effects of both large and small bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) on themselves, on each other, and on small green frogs (R. clamitans) in the absence and non—lethal (caged) presence of Anax. The presence of Anax depressed both growth and survivorship of small bullfrogs and green frogs. In contrast, the presence of Anax had positive effects on growth rates and size at metamorphosis of the large bullfrogs. Increasing density of competitors also decreased survivorship of small classes, and growth rates of all classes. The per—unit—biomass competitive effects of the small bullfrogs on target classes were much greater than those of large bullfrogs. The presence of Anax significantly altered the per—unit—biomass competitive effects of small bullfrogs but not large bullfrogs, presumably because individuals in the small class reduced their activity rates in the presence of Anax. Overall production of new tadpole biomass was quite similar across experimental units, with decreases in production of small size classes in the presence of Anax compensated for by increases in production of the large size class. Thus the non—lethal presence of Anax had substantial effects on the nature of competitive interactions in this system, and we discuss the implications of such behavioral indirect effects in the study of ecological communities. Our results also illustrate the futility of attempting to partition the effects of competitors and predators, as both competitors and the non—lethal presence of predators significantly affected growth rates and death by starvation of small larvae. Finally, our results illustrate how individual behavioral responses may be translated to community and ecosystem properties.

Seasonal Succession and the Strength of Intra‐ and Interspecific Competition in a Daphnia Assemblage

Species of the genus Daphnia are generalized filter—feeders and potentially strong competitors, yet several species often coexist in the open waters of lakes. We investigated the population dynamics and competitive interactions of two Daphnia species in Gull Lake, Michigan. In each of 3 yr D. pulicaria was always common, while D. galeata mendotae became abundant only in late summer. The summer invasion of D. galeata mendotae was associated with a decline in abundance of D. pulicaria in some, but not all years. Decline of D. pulicaria was strongly predicted by the loss of oxygen from deep water during summer, which resulted in greater spatial overlap between the species, and by changes in the quality of the phytoplankton resources. We employed in situ enclosures to manipulate the density of each species and quantify the intensity of intra— and interspecific competition. Repeated competition experiments demonstrated that the relative exploitative ability of species reversed from early to late summer. Strong interspecific competition was often observed, but its strength varied with juvenile or adult stage, and with season. Daphnia pulicaria juveniles were always affected strongly by interspecific effects, while D. galeata mendotae juveniles were impacted largely by intraspecific effects. The relative strength of intra— and interspecific competition on adults reversed from early to late summer for each species. The magnitude of intra— and interspecific effects on D. pulicaria adults was similar during early summer, but by late summer interspecific effects were much stronger than intraspecific effects. The reverse was true for D. galeata mendotae adults; interspecific effects greatly decreased in late summer. This seasonal shift in the nature of competitive interactions provides an explanation for seasonal succession in this Daphnia assemblage.

Ecology of subtropical grasses in temperate pastures: an overview

Subtropical grasses can be a significant component of northern North Island pastures. Several annual and perennial types with different functional characteristics are widely established, allowing a range of different climatic, soil and moisture situations to be colonised. Many of the species have persistent seed banks or vegetative propagation facilitating long-term persistence. Biochemical types associated with moist conditions arc most common but types associated with arid conditions are also represented. Abundant rainfall at temperatures above 25"C, and factors which reduce temperate grass productivity (lowered soil fertility and winter/spring grazing damage) appear to favour higher proportions of both annual and perennial subtropical grasses such as summer grass and paspalum. Grazing pressure and timing, and level of fertiliser inputs appear important for species such as ratstail and carpet grass in less productive sites; The nature of competitive interactions between subtropical (C,) species and temperate (C,) species is poorly understood and invertebrate herbivory can be important in altering the balance between these species. An analysis of present subtropical grass species distributions in northern districts of New Zealand indicates that knowledge of the underlying species biological characteristics is useful in predi'cting subtropical grass abundance. To predict likely problem years and to develop management strategies to minimise problems, a better understanding is needed of the effects of climate on subtropical grass abundance in temperate pastures and competitive interactions. There may be scope for developing improved varieties for dry areas. Keywords: C,, C,, climate, competition, ecology, grazing, pasture, subtropical grasses, temperate

Competitive Interactions among Tadpoles: Responses to Resource Level

Using experimental populations of Rana clamitans tadpoles, I examined the hypothesis that the nature of competitive interactions among individuals changes in response to the amount and distribution of the food resource. Competitive interactions within populations were dominated by the largest individuals. Large tadpoles outcompeted small tadpoles for the solid food resource. Small tadpoles ordinarily engaged in filter feeding and were thus exposed to relatively high concentrations to parastic yeast, Candida humicola. At lower food concentrations, large tadpoles responded by increasing the amount of filter feeding relative to substrate feeding, which increase the parasite population growth rate. Small tadpoles subsequently experienced a disproportionate increase in their parasite burden which decreased their competitive abilities relative to the large tadpoles. The aspect of the food resource which alters these competitive interactions appears to be the bivarate distribution of food items in time and space. The results of this investigation imply that deterministic models may be inadequate to predict outcomes even in laboratory situations because organism seem to be maximizing their probability of success conditional on their current situation.