Improper quality adjustment has long been identified as a source of potential measurement bias in consumer price indices (CPIs). However, as no benchmark for quality adjustment exists, it has always been difficult to estimate a potential bias. For this paper, we develop a corridor in which...

This report is an assessment of the Ghanaian cashew sector’s performance in relation to SPS practices. It does this in the context of the sector’s position in the world cashew market by comparative analysis, assessment of best practice and consideration of market trends. This is timely since...

Minimum standard regulations for energy-using durables have long been suspected of having hidden costs: quality improvements in the regulated dimension reduce quality in other dimensions. We substantiate this claim for the U.S. clothes washer market, which has become a notorious example of the...

Platforms that provide product recommendations to consumers, such as marketplaces like Amazon or online travel agencies like Expedia, govern a substantial part of transactions in many markets. In addition to selling via platforms, most firms, however, also operate a direct channel. This paper...

This paper studies self-preferencing in search results and how it affects quality competition in the U.S. Apple App Store. Leveraging a search algorithm change, I find that rankings significantly affect app demand and developers’ quality provision. To examine the welfare effects of...

This study examines the unintended consequences of quality disclosures, focusing on how Academy Award nominations impact consumer satisfaction in the movie industry. Awards and certifications typically signal high quality and increase consumer expectations. Yet, if the experience falls short of...

We study information design in a vertically differentiated market. A third party publicly discloses information about the product qualities of two competing firms. More precise information improves consumer matching but increases perceived differentiation, enabling firms to raise prices....

Auch die amtliche Statistik nutzt Methoden der Künstlichen Intelligenz (KI) und ihres Teilbereichs Maschinelles Lernen (ML). Dies wirft verschiedene ethische Fragestellungen auf, die im ersten Teil des Artikels ("Identifikation") mithilfe von Vorarbeiten aus anderen Staaten und von...

Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) hat mit ihrem Teilgebiet Maschinelles Lernen (ML) Einzug gehalten in die Verwaltung im Allgemeinen sowie in die amtliche Statistik in Deutschland im Speziellen. Welche ethischen Fragen sind jedoch beim Einsatz von KI/ML in der Produktion amtlicher Statistiken zu...

Die größtenteils noch papierbasierten Erhebungen der Bautätigkeitsstatistik ohne ausreichende Verzahnung mit digitalen Verwaltungsdaten verursachen einen stetigen Nachlauf an verspäteten Meldungen, was die Abbildung des Baugeschehens verzerren kann. Um die Qualität zu verbessern und...

The investigation into sharia hotel websites is highly relevant for Muslim tourists, particularly because the strict regulations governing their choices necessitate detailed information to aid in their decision-making when renting hotels online. The aim of this study is to examine the impact of...

This paper introduces a novel ratio-based framework for analyzing how consumer heterogeneity translates into product differentiation in vertically structured monopoly markets. We consider a monopolist facing a continuum of consumers and a strictly convex production cost function and identify...

This study presents a Machine Learning (ML) framework for an Ahead-of-Time (AoT) prediction of production halts and defects in particleboard manufacturing that uses only pre-production input variables. The proposed approach incorporates both Single-Task Learning (STL) and Multi-Task Learning...

This paper presents an advanced human-centric circular supply chain optimization framework that integrates economic, environmental, and behavioral dimensions into a unified multi-objective model. By jointly optimizing selling price, product quality, warranty duration, and production cycle time,...

Using data from China's A-share listed companies from 2010 to 2023, we employ the entropy weight method to create an enterprise-level new quality productive forces (NQPF) index to assess the impact of government subsidies on enterprises' NQPF. Our findings indicate that government subsidies can...

Are consumers willing to trade-off verified drug quality against higher prices in markets where substandard and falsified antibiotics are common? We answer this using a randomized online survey experiment in Nigeria. The design elicits indifference curves between the price and the verified...

The study provides a technical analysis as support for further standardization activities on the gas quality in Europe's future hydrogen infrastructure. It synthesizes key literature on the influence of different supply chain elements on hydrogen gas composition and assesses the implications of...

Consumers increasingly value the environmental and social responsibility of the production processes used by firms, yet these processes often remain unobservable, even after consumption. In this paper, we develop a simple model to examine firms’ technology choices and subsequent price...

The regulation on GI foods such as Parmesan cheese has been reinforced to promote more sustainable and animal-friendly food systems. Although GIs tend to be perceived as more animal-friendly due to their allegedly artisanal production, no previous research has broadly investigated the binding...