Ex-ante regulations and ex-post liabilities for using a new technology will induce additional costs for adopters. The standard model is advanced by including irreversibility and uncertainty and taking into account transaction costs of negotiating possible cost reductions. The case analysed is...

Formulating a model comprising transportation, uncertainty and price, we describe how Web procurement is likely to boost volumes of international services vs. materials inputs. Using panel data for over 2,000 firms, we find that Web procurement increases international services outsourcing by...