In this paper, the contribution of information technology (IT) use to management performance is compared between Japanese, U.S., and Korean firms, based on an analysis using data from the “International Comparative Survey of Firms’ IT Strategies” (RIETI). The results reveal that Japanese firms have received positive effects from “mission critical systems,” which include routine business activit...

Do firms derive economic returns from business-to-business (B2B) initiatives? How do returns to startup firms compare to those for established firms in B2B initiatives? How do returns to B2B initiatives around digital goods compare to those involving tangible goods? We offer a rigorous definition of B2B then conduct an empirical test of incomplete contract theory to examine the returns to B2B e...

We consider a frictional labor market in which firms want to insure their senior employees against income fluctuations and, at the same time, want to recruit new employees to fill their vacant positions. Firms can commit to a wage schedule, i.e. a schedule that specifies the wage paid by the firm to its employees as function of their tenure and other observables. However, firms cannot commit to...