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Economic theory posits that competition drives efficiency; the extent to which this is true in an oligopolistic audit market poses an empirical challenge. Furthermore, studies have postulated that both traditional and modern industrial organization theories are relevant for analyzing market competition. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of static and dynamic audit market competition on audit efficiency in the Nigerian banking industry. Secondary data were obtained from the audited annual financial statements of 12 banks from 2006 to 2020. The study adopted a 2-stage regression model; in the first stage, the audit efficiency scores were derived from an output-based, variable-return-to-scale version of data envelopment analysis (DEA) comprising audit report lag and audit fees as audit input variables and audit quality as the audit output variable. The efficiency scores were regressed on audit market competition and some control variables in the second stage via the bootstrapped truncated regression technique to analyze the effect of competition on efficiency in the audit market. The results showed a positive association between static competition and audit efficiency (50.57, p = 0.014). Because high concentration implied low competition, this finding implied that efficiency was impaired because of a lack of significant competition. The results also showed a positive and significant association between dynamic competition and efficiency, which implied that dynamic competition enhanced efficiency (0.21, p = 0.000) in the audit market. The study concluded that static competition impairs efficiency, while dynamic competition ensures efficiency in the Nigerian banking industry.

This study aimed to evaluate the value and affordability of insulin glargine 300 U/mL (Gla-300) in a budget impact model from a United States (U.S.) payer perspective by leveraging recent real-world evidence (RWE) studies and incorporating the recent insulin price caps where applicable. An economic model for a hypothetical one million U.S. health-plan population was developed to assess the budgetary impact of therapeutic interchanges in either direction between the two long- and longer-acting basal insulins (BIs) for patients with type 2 diabetes over a three-year model horizon. The utilization of long-acting BIs, longer-acting BIs, biosimilar BIs, and insulin degludec (IDeg-100) were informed by IQVIA data and internal forecasting at Sanofi. The DELIVER-2 and DELIVER-naïve studies provided healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) parameters. In the model base case, 24% of patients switched from long-acting BIs to insulin glargine biosimilars, IDeg-100, and other longer-acting BIs (Gla-300) by projected year 3. The base case total costs were $10,145 per patient per year (PPPY) in year 3 for the cumulative population. When all patients switched to Gla-300, the total costs in year 3 were $8,799, reflecting a net savings of -$660 PPPY compared to the budget increase of $686 PPPY in the base case. However, the longer-acting to long-acting BIs reversal scenario demonstrated a budgetary decrease of $676 PPPY over the model horizon. The reduction in incremental PPPY cost of $93 was observed using net drug costs rather than wholesale acquisition costs (WAC). The market shares for years 1–3 were based on expectations supported by the clinicians' expert opinions and were not obtained from real-world data. The economic value of increased utilization of Gla-300 was driven by the reduction in HCRU, costs and market shares assumptions. Budgetary reductions were achieved by switching patients from long-acting BIs to Gla-300. Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is a chronic and debilitating condition that can lead to severe macro or microvascular complications. To mitigate these complications, it is crucial to effectively manage blood glucose levels. When other treatments prove ineffective in achieving adequate glucose control, insulin-based therapy becomes necessary. However, insulin-based treatments often come with the risk of hypoglycemic episodes, which can lead to increased utilization of healthcare resources (HCRU) and have a negative impact on costs. This study aimed to assess the budgetary impact of higher market shares of longer-acting basal insulins (specifically insulin glargine Gla-300) compared to long-acting basal insulins, insulin glargine biosimilars, and insulin degludec (IDeg) in the treatment of T2D. The perspective taken was that of a U.S. payer, taking into account the recent insulin price caps where applicable. The economic benefit of increased utilization of Gla-300 was driven by reductions in HCRU, costs, and market share assumptions. This resulted in a budgetary increase of $686 per patient per year (PPPY). In an alternative scenario where all patients transitioned to Gla-300, it led to a net savings of $660 PPPY. These findings provide valuable insights for decision-makers and healthcare professionals when making choices related to formulary placement and treatment utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The President's 2021 Executive Order urged the Division to reevaluate certain aspects of antitrust analyses, facilitate a whole-of-government approach to reinvigorating competition, and pursue aggressive antitrust enforcement. Consistent with the Order, Division economists engaged on competition issues with several federal agencies while contributing to the Division's many investigations—including several cases that are in ongoing litigation. The Division also continued its vigorous enforcement efforts, including the proposed Cargotec-Konecranes merger and the proposed Aon-Willis Towers Watson merger. These mergers highlight issues that are frequently presented to EAG economists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to theoretically clarify the content of the concept of "competitiveness", to summarize the main results of institutional reforms in Ukraine, to test approaches to a more accurate macroeconomic assessment of the dynamics of competitiveness of major domestic commodity groups and technological complexity of foreign trade. Methodology. The article proposes to consider the concept of "competitiveness" as the level of compliance of goods (services) with consumer preferences of market participants. This conceptual position is used to interpret the basic competitiveness of large product groups and determine methods for its evaluation. The results of the assessment of the methodology and technique showed that in 2017-2019 the basic competitiveness of Ukrainian exports gradually increased, but in its composition the shares of certain types of raw materials and products of their shallow processing increased. At the same time, the competitiveness of consumer and investment products in the domestic market decreased and was gradually replaced by imported analogues. These trends suggest that Ukraine is selling more raw materials on international markets and producing fewer goods of higher technological sophistication with innovative or higher quality characteristics. Despite this, Ukraine's specialization in the global economy remains economically justified and effective. However, in the long run, this position of Ukraine is socially undesirable, as it holds back the development of the economy and throws it to the margins of technological progress. Practical implications. It is substantiated that, despite institutional changes, Ukraine has not approached the goal of increasing the level of competitiveness of products of high technological complexity, which have a relatively large share of added value. Value/originality. The study uses the dynamics of macroeconomic competitiveness of large commodity groups as a criterion of the effectiveness of institutional reforms in the country.

The currency denomination of trade has been shown in many recent contributions to have far‐reaching effects on different macroeconomic phenomena, such as inflation and the international transmission of nominal shocks. In this work, we apply a novel index of bargaining power, which incorporates the network dimension of trade and brings fresh evidence as to the relevance of network‐related features (and implied bargaining power) in the choice of invoicing currency, which has received relatively little attention in the empirical literature, so far. By using a highly disaggregated, almost transaction level, data set of Italian imports and exports, we contribute to the existing empirical literature by documenting a very significant impact of trade network asymmetries, captured by our adjusted index of market share, on the choice of an invoice currency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of REMAH Journal is the property of Research & Development of Human Recourses Center (REMAH) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

We analyze the effect of the European Union Competition Authority's block exemption towards R&D cooperatives in a horizontal market structure, valid as long as the combined product market share is not too large. Two less efficient firms attempt to catch up with a technological leader, and may use the safe harbour provided by the legislation. We consider when the incentives of the R&D-performing firms are aligned with those of consumers, and when increases in the market share limit improves welfare. We show that an effective policy within this framework might be elusive. The market share restriction must be set in order that it is optimal for firms to use the safe harbour, and that this leads to more R&D than under competition. Even in this case, further increases in the market share restriction can harm welfare. This has widespread implications for how the EU Competition authority should respond to calls for an increase in the market share restriction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel methodology to develop itinerary choice models (ICM) for air travelers that addresses the limitations of the traditional utility-maximization approach. The methodology integrates a reinforcement learning algorithm and an airline network competition analysis model. The reinforcement learning algorithm searches for the values of parameters of the itinerary choice model while considering maximizing a reward function. The reward function is measured as the negative of the difference between the estimated and observed system metrics. The airline network competition analysis model is used to calculate the estimated system metrics. It is a simulation model that represents passenger-itinerary assignment. It captures the demand–supply interactions at the network level while considering the competition among all airlines. An ICM system is calibrated using the developed framework considering the global airline network, which includes more than 500,000 airport pairs. Validating the model against ground truth data shows that the developed model adequately captures the travelers' itinerary choice behavior and replicates the competition pattern among airlines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fostering the uptake of heating technologies based on renewable resources is an important part of the EU energy policy. Yet, despite efforts to promote their diffusion, heating systems based on fossil fuels are still predominant. In order to better tailor energy policies to citizens preferences, it is crucial to collect accurate information on their determinants of heating choices. At this purpose, we adopted a choice experiment and a latent class model to analyze preferences of householders in the Veneto region (North-East Italy) for different heating systems and their key features. We focused on three devices based on biomass and three on fossil fuels, and accounted for technical, economic and environmental characteristics of such systems. Model estimates highlight the presence of substantial preference heterogeneity among the population, which can be partially explained by citizens socio-demographics. We also use model outputs to simulate market shares for heating systems under alternative policy scenarios. Results provide interesting suggestions to inform the design of policies aimed at fostering the adoption of biomass-based heating systems.

Fostering the uptake of heating technologies based on renewable resources is an important part of the EU energy policy. Yet, despite efforts to promote their diffusion, heating systems based on fossil fuels are still predominant. In order to better tailor energy policies to citizens preferences, it is crucial to collect accurate information on their determinants of heating choices. At this purpose, we adopted a choice experiment and a latent class model to analyze preferences of householders in the Veneto region (North-East Italy) for different heating systems and their key features. We focused on three devices based on biomass and three on fossil fuels, and accounted for technical, economic and environmental characteristics of such systems. Model estimates highlight the presence of substantial preference heterogeneity among the population, which can be partially explained by citizens socio-demographics. We also use model outputs to simulate market shares for heating systems under alternative policy scenarios. Results provide interesting suggestions to inform the design of policies aimed at fostering the adoption of biomass-based heating systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Firms compete for clients, creating distributions of market shares ranging from domination by a few giant companies to markets in which there are many small firms. These market structures evolve in time, and may remain stable for many years before a new firm emerges and rapidly obtains a large market share. We seek the simplest realistic model giving rise to such diverse market structures and dynamics. We focus on markets in which every client adopts a single firm, and can, from time to time, switch to a different firm. Examples include markets of cell phone and Internet service providers, and of consumer products with strong brand identification. In the model, the size of a particular firm, labelled i , is equal to its current number of clients, n i. In every step of the simulation, a client is chosen at random, and then selects a firm from among the full set of firms with probability p i = (n i α + β) / K , where K is the normalization factor. Our model thus has two parameters: α represents the degree to which firm size is an advantage (α > 1) or disadvantage (α < 1), relative to strict proportionality to size (α = 1), and β represents the degree to which small firms are viable despite their small size. We postulate that α and β are determined by the regulatory, technology, business culture and social environments. The model exhibits a phase diagram in the parameter space, with different regions of behaviour. At the large α extreme of the phase diagram, a single dominant firm emerges, whose market share depends on the value of β. At the small α extreme, many firms with small market shares coexist, and no dominant firm emerges. In the intermediate region, markets are divided among a relatively small number of firms, each with sizeable market share but with distinct rankings, which can persist for long times before changing. We compare the model results to previously published empirical data from a broad range of Japanese industries, and find good agreement with a central statistical result relating the standard deviation of market share changes to the value of the market share before the change. • Two-parameter model of market structure evolution based on client switching. • Each individual client has a single firm, and can change firms from time to time. • Produces full range of market concentrations, from monopoly to many small firms. • Model results are consistent with empirical data from range of Japanese markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The North American pawpaw (Asimina triloba (L.) Dunal) is a high-value native specialty fruit crop that offers multiple opportunities for commercial value-added products. A survey was conducted to obtain a better understanding of consumer preferences for pawpaws as fresh and value-added food products. The survey was distributed to 524 individuals who were members of the North American Pawpaw Growers Association, attendees of the 2016 International Pawpaw Conference at Frankfurt, Kentucky, and participants at the 2017 Ohio Pawpaw Festival, Albany, Ohio. Respondents were asked to self-identify their positions (consumers or producers) in the pawpaw market. Those who self-identified as consumers were asked to take the survey. A total of 192 responses were collected. Survey results indicated that the majority of the respondents consume fresh or value-added pawpaw products at least once a year. They reported strong preferences for the flavor and texture of fresh pawpaws. Price, origin, and type of production process had statistically significant impacts on consumers' purchase preferences. The characteristic that most influenced demand was local production—consumers were willing to pay a premium of $5.20/kg for locally produced pawpaws compared to pawpaws of unknown region of origin. Consumers also preferred certified organic and pesticide-free pawpaws to fruit produced using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides. The average price premiums consumers were willing to pay for certified organic and pesticide-free fruits were $4.19 and $3.28/kg, respectively. Providing information about the region of origin, organic and pesticide-free production processes can potentially increase consumer demand for pawpaws and their share of the fresh and value-added fruit market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a simple, yet powerful, battery of univariate and panel unit root tests on market shares to draw some inferences regarding the level of rivalry within an industry. As an application, we employ them on the Japanese tire industry over a 40-year period. We find that rivalry seems to be present among the smaller firms, while at the same time, the dominant firm seems unperturbed by the competition. We compare these conclusions with a previous study of the industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a duopolistic discounted marketing model with linear advertising costs and advertised prices for mature markets still in expansion. Generic and predatory advertising effects are combined together in the model. We characterize a class of advertising models with some lowered production costs. For such a class of models, advertising investments have a no-free-riding strict Nash equilibrium in pure strategies if discount rates are small. We discuss the entity of this efficiency at varying of parameters of our advertising model. We provide a computational framework in which market shares can be computed at equilibrium, too. We analyze market share dynamics for an asymmetrical numerical scenario where one of the two firms is more effective in generic and predatory advertising. Several numerical insights on market share dynamics are obtained. Our computational framework allows for different scenarios in practical applications and it is developed, thanks to Mathematica software. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea of agency-issued guidelines as an effective enforcement tool was novel indeed when Professor Donald F. Turner unveiled it as a priority upon being nominated to be head the Justice Department's Antitrust Division in 1965. This chapter reviews how Turner and we who were on his team worked to create the Merger Guidelines that were issued on his last day in office in May 1968. It also discusses how Turner's novel merger guidelines idea has since been widely used in United States and globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cost pass-through to retail prices shows how changes in marginal costs are allocated between producers and consumers, and it is, therefore, closely related to market structure and competition. This paper uses Swedish data on coffee products at the barcode level to evaluate pass-through from the cost of green coffee beans, the main marginal cost, to the retail price of roasted and ground coffee. First long-run cost pass-through is estimated for each product, and then regression is used to analyse how pass-through varies across market shares, retailer-owned brands and other product characteristics. A general result is that pass-through is roughly complete for products with large market shares, while those with small market shares have low pass-through rates. There is no evidence that retailer-owned brands have higher pass-through than brand-name products with similar market shares, which would be the case if retailer-owned brands avoided double marginalisation through vertical integration. Thus, although there is not perfect competition in the Swedish coffee market, a large part of it appears to be highly competitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper extends the Lanchester model of advertising competition to a setup in which the rate at which a firm attracts customers from its competitors depends not only on the firm’s own advertising effort, but also on the efforts of its rivals. Doing so enables us to use attraction rate specifications borrowed from the economic theory of contests. Exploiting the fact that the sum of attraction rates equals one, we show that the differential equations that define the evolution of market shares in the Lanchester model can be considerably simplified. This makes the optimization problems of the firms considerably easier to analyze. Finallly, to illustrate how the above extensions work, three alternative specifications of attraction rates are studied: the Tullock ratio formulation, a linear transformation of the Tullock ratio, and a specification that incorporates an exogenous bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Since 2012, Life Cycle Engineering Experts (LCEE) have carried out a series of comprehensive studies into the sustainability of market‐relevant (also potentially) construction methods in German housing ([1] to [4]). The methodical basis was a systematic application of the sustainability assessment approach of the Deutsches Gütesiegel Nachhaltiges Bauen (DGNB) applied to representative model buildings from the detached house and apartment building sectors (see Figs. 1 and 2). The key findings have been compressed into themed fact sheets intended to ensure appropriate knowledge and information transfer to various recipients. As a contribution to less marketing and more reality, the following paper outlines the lessons learnt from selected example fact sheets concerning sustainable housing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I examine the dynamics of oligopolies when firms derive subjective value from market leadership. In equilibrium, prices alternate in tandem between high levels and occasional price wars, which take place when market leadership is at stake. The stationary distribution of market shares is typically multimodal; that is, much of the time, there is a stable market leader. Even though shareholders do not value market leadership per se, a corporate culture that values market leadership may increase shareholder value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Handel Wewnêtrzny is the property of Institute for Market, Consumption & Business Cycles Research and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The present study attempts to explain the export performance of Indian Bovine meat trade and its competitiveness in International market for the period of 20 years from 1996-2014. Performance was studied using growth of exports, market shares, export shares, and source of growth was analysed by using two stage CMS analysis to decompose the growth of Indian Bovine meat exports into broad components and its sub components. It was found that overall Indian bovine meat exports registered growth rate of 13.03%, 7.94% and 22.01% in terms of quantity, price and exports value respectively. The share of India in world Bovine meat exports fluctuated and remained less than 10% for most of the years. India's bovine meat exports increased rapidly to other countries with highest overall growth of 34% while the growth of major traditional importers remained at 6.56%. The results showed that while India's market share in other countries increased, share in importing countries decreased during the study period. The results of decomposition analysis revealed that competitive effect was more significant in explaining the growth of exports. CMS analysis revealed that Bovine meat exports were more competitive in new markets in contrast to major traditional export destinations and requires emphasis. Dual strategy of penetrating in to new markets while concentrating on existing markets by increasing competitiveness will make India as major player in the world Bovine meat trade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knowledge of real-world greenhouse gas emission rates for traffic is necessary for forecasting transport greenhouse gas emissions. This paper presents greenhouse gas emission rates that assist forecasting and modelling greenhouse gas emissions from light vehicles, i.e. private passenger vehicles and light commercial vehicles under realistic traffic conditions. It develops confidence intervals for market shares by categories for fuel or energy efficiency on the Australian market for new light vehicles for the period 2016–2030. The model estimates realistic market scenarios by simulating likely variations of capital and running costs of alternatives for car buyers and by considering buyers’ willingness-to-pay for fuel/energy efficiency. The results suggest that market forces will be insufficient to promote battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in Australia. On average the widths of the 95% confidence intervals for greenhouse emission rates are about 10–15% of the magnitudes of the emission rates, so that analysts can forecast transport greenhouse gas emissions with a reasonable level of certainty. The study suggests that policy interventions to accelerate the uptake of low or zero emitting vehicles may be required. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present paper is to gauge the main trends in the evolution and structure of the EU trade in goods, mainly after 2004, starting from a quantitative analysis and comparing trends in the trade in goods with trends in the trade in services, where necessary. We focus on the trade of the EU-27 as a group, but we stress the differences and similarities between the old member states (EU- 15) and the new member states (NMS) as well. Structured in seven parts, the paper reveals several noteworthy conclusions. Firstly, the EU remains the world trade leader; nevertheless, its market shares have been diminishing in the recent years, both in the export and import flows, due to a complex of factors. Secondly, the NMS shares in the EU trade flows have been growing; yet, the NMS shares in the exports and imports of the EU-27 remain at a very low level. Besides, the normalized trade balance of the NSM, compared with that of the EU-15 underlines the different competitive advantages of the two groups. Thirdly, the trade deficit of the EU-27 continues to deepen (the extra-EU trade deficit tripled in 2004-2008); however, there are significant differences between the manufactures trade balance (with large surpluses) and the commodities trade balance (with a deficit that doubled between 2004 and 2008). Fourth, the paper points out that the extra-EU exports and the imports are dominated by the manufactures; however the share of manufactures in the import flows is much smaller than that in the export flows. Finally, the present analysis traces evidence of the major impact of the global financial and economic crisis on the EU trade flows and the first signs of recovery.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the market shares of private labels in the European Union and on the global market, and to compare the results of the analysis with the level of presence of private labels on the Croatian market. Moreover, through the application of macro and microeconomic tools, the author tried to estimate the future trends of private labels in Croatia.For the purpose of the paper secondary and primary data was used in the research. Relevant scientific and professional literature of local and foreign authors was analyzed. In addition, a few recent research studies were analyzed and their results compared. Field research has been conducted by the survey method, with 225 respondents included in the intentional sample.The main hypothesis of the paper based on research is that, in total sales, private labels are gaining a growing share in all markets, regardless of the development level of those markets. Alongside the main hypothesis of the work, three supporting hypotheses were tested to see which private labels are a good alternative to other brands on the world market. Private labels are generally developed on generic products. The third supporting hypothesis starts from the assumption that the investments in the promotion of private labels are negligible, resulting in lower prices of thoseproducts. The results of research and analyses in the work indicate that the position of private labels will strengthen internationally, as part of the process of liberalization and globalization of trade flows. In the process of purchase of private labels the positioning of the point of sale and price have an increasing contribution. With the concentration of commerce in chain stores, the share of private labels grows, approaching a half of the total sales in some countries. Considering the Croatian market, according to the international product life cycle theory, the share of private labels in the total sales will grow in the future with the expansion of the national chain stores.

Copyright of Research Papers of the Wroclaw University of Economics / Prace Naukowe Uniwersytetu Ekonomicznego we Wroclawiu is the property of Uniwersytet Ekonomiczny we Wroclawiu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The telecommunication system industry has long been dominated by the Swedish giant, Ericsson. Huawei, a newly emerged firm from China, entered the industry, grew rapidly, and finally overtook Ericsson in terms of sales in 2012. Given the rarity of this phenomenon, this study seeks to explain how this became possible. We first verified that Huawei's market share catch-up is rather owing to its technological capabilities than its cost advantages. Then, our analysis of the European patents shows that Huawei grew rapidly by developing technologies that are different from those of Ericsson, and that the former relies more on recent and scientific knowledge in its innovation strategies. This study suggests that creating one's own technological path rather than following the path of the incumbents could be a viable strategy for successful technological catch-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional method in determining the market position of undertakings--defining the relevant market, ascertaining the market shares, "qualitative" analysis--has had to face more and more competition in the past decades. For some issues, there exist more suitable methods of analysis today than the antiquated market-share approach. In an age in which product differentiation represents the norm, approaches that base an analysis of competition on market shares can seem more and more to be behind the times. In its assessment of mergers between manufacturers of differentiated products, the European Commission has made a remarkably clean break with the outmoded market-share-based analysis. For such a modernization of competition law application, the general framework of European law offers better conditions than the American system. The European Commission has a freer choice of methods than its American counterparts, the antitrust agencies, because the Commission itself--without invoking a court--is competent to issue decisions, while those addressed can have the Commission's prohibition decisions reviewed by a court. Also, the courts of the European Union, when they have been involved in merger cases, have themselves contributed to modernizing the decision-making practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anticompetitive agreements are usually made by enterprises that interact frequently during their day by day activities. Although some agreements are necessary for the good development of their businesses, some economic operators are concluding secret agreements that are harmful for competition as well as for the final consumers. Detecting such behaviors is in the responsibility of the worldwide competition authorities. They are using either direct proof, got through down raids, or through indirect evidences, obtained by using analytical methods for detecting anticompetitive behaviors. This research paper reveals a series of quantitative methods for detecting cartels and some case studies where these methods have been applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Scientiarum Polonorum. Oeconomia is the property of Wydawnictwo SGGW and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The textile and clothing sector in Poland suffered severe losses in the transition period. The clothing industry was the first where sales rates started to increase, which made garment production and trade an interesting area for research. This article was designed to assess the size of the clothing market in Poland, to estimate the difference (surplus or deficit) between clothing exports and imports, and to analyse the sales revenues of major clothing companies in Poland (Polish- and foreign-owned). To achieve these three goals, the authors selected appropriate secondary statistics and used them in their own calculations to extract necessary numbers, which were presented in tables and provided with comments. They showed the present situation of the clothing industry in Poland in terms of its sales at home and exports, enabling the comparison of domestic sales of Polish and foreign-owned companies, and providing inputs for predicting the likely future of clothing trade in the country. The forecast pointed to the clothing industry's substantial potential for growth, to the competitive advantage of garments made by large Polish producers in the domestic market over clothing products delivered by foreign-owned firms, and to a probability that clothing exports would exceed clothing imports soon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper proposes the use of panel data unit-root tests to assess market-share instability in order to obtain indications of industry dynamics. The idea is to consider movements in market shares as much more than mere elements of the market structure. In fact, these movements reflect conduct that arises from that market. If shares are mean-reverting, then firm actions have only a temporary effect on shares. On the other hand, if shares are evolving, as signaled by the presence of unit roots, then any gain in shares with respect to the competitors is long term. To illustrate the potential of unit-roots tests, the paper considers an application to the Italian retail banking industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]