bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Generalized Loss Function for Process Optimization
Authors: Stevens David P. , Baker R. C. 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTThe use of loss functions for measuring the undesirability associated with failure to achieve target values for manufacturing product characteristics is widespread in industry. This study presents a generalization of one of the most commonly used loss functions and compares the two functions based on five theoretical criteria. A simulation involving multiple probability distributions for a single product characteristic is used to compare the performance of the loss functions. An example from the manufacture of helicopter transmission gears is used to empirically demonstrate the superiority of the generalized loss function over the conventional loss function.
A Note on Nucleolus/MTPD Accounting Allocations
Authors: Grange Franklin E. , Kochenberger Gary A. 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTThe nucleolus linear programming (LP) method for allocating joint costs associated with a shared resource often stops short of uniquely specifying all savings allocations. Barton [1] recently presented the minimum total propensity to disrupt (MTPD) as a secondary criterion for uniquely determining those allocations not provided by the initial LP solution. Barton demonstrated the uniqueness of his solution on a specific example with a four‐entity grand coalition. We show a practical approach for implementing Barton's two‐step procedure. Our purpose is to make the nucleolus/MTPD model readily accessible to a wide range of practitioners using commonly available spreadsheet tools. We also demonstrate the global optimality of the allocations that the model provides.
Sources and Outcomes of Competitive Advantage: An Exploratory Study in the Furniture Industry
Authors: Dröge Cornelia , Vickery Shawnee , Markland Robert E. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractWe examine a model of the relationships among sources and outcomes of competitive advantage. The model is integrative across business functions and research disciplines. Functional area competencies are considered as sources of advantage, and three competency constructs are introduced: marketing competency, product design and development (innovation) competency, and manufacturing competency. Each functional area construct is defined as the sum of the performance on 31 competitive items, weighted by importance and extent of responsibility. Relationships between the competency constructs (and their interactions) with performance outcomes such as ROI and market share are analyzed. Results from this exploratory study suggest that innovation is a key source of competitive advantage.
Management of Vital Customer Priorities in Job Shop Manufacturing Environments
Authors: Malhotra Manoj K. , Jensen John B. , Philipoom Patrick R. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractWe present a framework for managing vital customer priorities in job‐shop manufacturing environments. We introduce the notion of attaining near‐perfect on‐time delivery service to a small portion of the firm's customers who contribute to a substantial portion of its sales revenue and profits. Consequently we postulate that appropriate order review and release (ORR) policies, along with the dispatching rules used to schedule customer orders, can be combined effectively to achieve the desired customer service results. Several dispatching rules specifically designed for this study are tested under different operating environments in order to derive the recommended set of ORR and dispatching rule policies. Capacity‐based ORR procedures, in conjunction with dispatching rules that pace a job's progress through different operations in its route, provide the best overall performance. The nature of trade‐offs inherent in managing the priorities of vitally important customers are also identified and presented in the form of managerial recommendations that can be used to enhance a job shop's overall performance.
A Value Platform Analysis Perspective on Customer Access Information Technology*
Authors: Kauffman Robert J. , Lally Laura 
Published: June 2007

AbstractCustomer access information technologies (CAITs) provide a link between a firm and its customers. Firms invest in CAITs to reduce costs, increase revenues and market share, lock in existing customers, and capture new ones. These benefits, however, are notoriously difficult to measure. This paper proposes an evaluative method for CAIT deployment called value platform analysis, based on a conceptual model drawn from the theory of retail outlet deployment in marketing science. Value platform analysis evaluates the impact of the features of a CAIT, the features of its immediate site, and the features of the larger environment into which it is deployed on the transactions it generates and the resulting business value outcomes. Value platform analysis is then applied in an electronic banking context. Hypotheses regarding the likely impact of automatic teller machine (ATM) functionality, the immediate site's surrounding traffic, the customer demographics, and the number of competitors in the environment on ATM transactions are evaluated both before and after the merger of two regional ATM networks. The results indicate that there are a number of key features influencing ATM performance. Two distinct ATM deployment scenarios emerge: one for servicing a bank's own customers, and another for providing transaction services for customers for a fee. The merger of regional networks impacts each of these scenarios differently.
Multiattribute Data Presentation and Human Judgment: A Cognitive Fit Perspective*
Authors: Umanath Narayan S. , Vessey Iris 
Published: June 2007

AbstractWe assessed the ability of the cognitive fit theory to explain the performance of certain display formats on multiattribute judgment tasks. This theory suggests that for most effective and efficient problem solving to occur, the problem representation and any tools or aids employed should all support the strategies (methods or processes) required to perform that task. The theory was tested by assessing performance with schematic faces, graphs, and tables on a bankruptcy prediction task. Bankruptcy prediction involves integrating a large amount of data (a number of financial indicators over a number of years), as well as referring to ranges and/or levels of financial indicators. Schematic faces provide a cognitive fit with such tasks since the information in a face can be processed holistically; however, they do not permit decision makers to refer to the underlying data. Graphs facilitate a different integrating process; further, they preserve characteristics of the underlying data. Tables, on the other hand, do not aid the decision maker in integrating information; they provide only the underlying data values. It was hypothesized that graphs would provide the best cognitive fit for the bankruptcy prediction task since they permit processing both integrated and discrete data. Participants made judgments with two of the three display formats, at two levels of information load, in a fractional factorial design. The information load manipulation was designed to provide meaningful and meaningful plus redundant information to the decision maker in a test of information load “per se.” The research findings provided substantial support for the theory of cognitive fit. The findings also have implications for the study of information load.
Decision Analysis Approach to Competitive Situations with a Pure Infinite Regress*
Authors: Strait R. Scott 
Published: June 2007

AbstractIf the standard decision analysis approach was applied to a competitive situation, then the decision maker would attempt to assess a subjective probability distribution over all possible actions by the competitors or rivals. However, in assessing this robability distribution, the decision maker would quickly find him/herself in an infinite regress. There is a range of possible dependencies between the decision maker's decision and the rival's action that lead to such a regress. This paper presents an approach to overcoming this infinite regress in performing decision analyses of competitive situations with a “pure” infinite regress. In a pure infinite regress there is a dependency between the decision maker's decision and the rival's choice of action: if the decision maker prefers one alternative to any other, then the rival's actions will reflect a belief by the rival that the preferred alternative is more likely to be the decision maker's decision. The approach builds the decision maker's preferred rank order of alternatives, while simultaneously constructing a consistent model of the rival's beliefs about the decision maker's decision.
Vendor Selection with Bundling*
Authors: Rosenthal Edward C. , Zydiak James L. , Chaudhry Sohail S. 
Published: June 2007

Product bundling has become increasingly prevalent not only in consumer goods but also in the industrial sector. We study a purchasing problem in which a buyer must obtain necessary numbers of various stock items from a variety of vendors who charge different prices, have limited capacities and different levels of quality, and offer bundled products at discounted prices.We examine relationships among different bundling scenarios and show that the most general scenario is one in which free items are given to the buyer when sufficient quantities are purchased. We develop a mixed integer linear program that finds the purchasing strategy for the buyer that minimizes the total purchase cost. We present computational results which indicate that the problem is very tractable to solve optimally on a personal computer with standard optimization software. Finally, three extensions of the model are discussed.
On Extending Russell and Krajewski's Algorithm for Economic Purchase Order Quantities*
Authors: Carter Joseph R. , Ferrin Bruce G. , Carter Craig R. 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTRussell and Krajewski presented an optimal purchase order quantity algorithm that considered the effect of the transportation rate structure for less‐than‐truckload (LTL) shipments. The authors applied the Russell and Krajewski algorithm to a variety of freight classes and lengths‐of‐haul. Anomalous cases were found in which the freight rate schedule, when used with the suggested algorithm, resulted in incorrect order size decisions. In this comment, the authors consider the impact of these anomalies on the optimal order quantity and associated total costs. A procedure is presented to adjust the Russell and Krajewski algorithm to arrive at the optimal purchase order quantity and the lowest total annual cost.
An Application of Covariance Analysis to Capacity Expansion at an Intermodal Blending Plant
Authors: Le Blanc Louis A. , Rucks Conway T. 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTAnalysis of covariance (ANCOVA) integrates analysis of variance (ANOVA) and regression. The basic advantages of ANCOVA over ANOVA are: (1) generally greater power, and (2) reduction in bias caused by differences between groups that exist before experimental treatments are administered. ANCOVA has numerous possible applications in the evaluation of simulation output, especially where the values of covariates are not known until after the simulation experiment is completed. These covariates are uncontrolled experimental variables that influence the response but are themselves unaffected by the experimental factors.This paper provides an application of multiple analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) to a simulation experiment to determine whether an intermodal transfer and blending facility should add commodity handling and storage capacity. A discrete simulation model of the plant generated cash flows from several proposed capital projects. These cash flows indicated that capacity expansion was a prudent decision. However, when the treatment means for the various combinations of additional capacity were adjusted by MANCOVA for the same levels of operating volume and scheduling performance, the adjusted cash flows produced unacceptable financial returns. In this example, the increased precision of the MANCOVA model suggested that plant management should not invest in additional storage and commodity handling capacity.
Comparing Decision Rules that Incorporate Customer Diversion in Perishable Asset Revenue Management Situations
Authors: Belobaba Peter P. , Weatherford Lawrence R. 
Published: June 2007

AbstractMost of the initial work on perishable asset revenue management (PARM) situations assumed no possibility of customer diversion from one product class to another when the former is made unavailable. In this paper, an evaluation is made of the few published decision rules that incorporate the realistic and common behavior of customer diversion (or sell‐up). We present a new heuristic approach that incorporates diversion and could be used by airlines and other relevant industries to achieve improvements in expected contribution of 0.25 to 2.5% over the approach currently used. The sensitivity of the difference in expected contribution between these rules is tested relative to changes in the input parameters, and managerial insights are presented.
Designing Lateral Organizations: An Analysis of the Benefits, Costs, and Enablers of Nonhierarchical Organizational Forms*
Authors: Joyce William F. , McGee Victor E. , Slocum John W. 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTTwenty‐first century organizations will require designs that enable them to cope with turbulent environments. Organizations have experimented with lateral organizational designs for this purpose, but research evidence concerning these forms is sparse. We analyzed data obtained from 512 employees within eight diverse organizations implementing flexible lateral organizations. Using a sequence comparison methodology, we were able to identify and categorize the major costs, benefits, and enablers associated with implementing these forms of complex organizations. Propositions for effectively managing lateral relations were tested and managerial implications were explored.
Contractor Accreditation: A Probabilistic Model
Authors: Sarkar Sumit , Ghosh Deb 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTThe selection of competent contractors is a critical function in all business organizations. In contrast to other types of vendors (e.g., distributors, manufacturers, etc.), contractors are typically accredited before any business transaction takes place. In such situations, there is often a considerable amount of uncertainty associated with the accreditation process. This research presents a probabilistic model for accrediting contractors. We discuss a methodology in which probability measures are used to capture the uncertainty inherent in the decision process. These probabilities are estimated from data on (i) past applicants and (ii) their eventual performance, if accredited. Furthermore, these probabilities are used to determine when additional information about an applicant should be collected, as well as what kind of information would be most relevant for the vendor under consideration.
Integration Between Business Planning and Information Systems Planning: Validating a Stage Hypothesis
Authors: King William R. , Teo Thompson S.H. 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTThis paper proposes and empirically validates a stages of growth model for the evolution of Information Systems Planning (ISP). A questionnaire survey of senior IS executives is used to gather information pertaining to the stages of growth model, which includes measurement of the nature and level of integration between business planning (BP) and ISP. The del test is used to validate empirically benchmark variables for each stage of BP‐ISP integration. The results support the stages of growth model of BP‐ISP integration and the benchmark variables are generally found to be successful in predicting the stage of integration.
Optimal Policy for a Reseller When the Supplier Offers a Temporary Reduction in Price*
Authors: Abad Prakash L. 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTA common practice in product distribution is the case in which the supplier offers a temporary reduction in price. It is suggested in the literature that in such situations, the reseller may engage in forward buying (i.e., purchasing additional stock at the reduced price offered by the supplier for later sale at the regular selling price). In this paper, a model is formulated of the reseller's response when the supplier offers a temporary reduction in price. It is assumed that the market demand for the product is elastic with respect to the selling price the reseller sets. A procedure for determining the optimal response of the reseller is developed. The model presented in this paper can easily be adapted to the case in which the reseller faces a permanent increase in the price charged by the supplier.
The Role of Automation and Labor in Determining Customer Satisfaction in a Telephone Repair Service Process
Authors: Collier David A. , Wilson Darryl D. 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTTelephone repair process and performance relationships are modeled using a structural equation approach. The basic structure of the causal model is a function of process flow. The data analysis and modeling approach advocated here can be applied to any manufacturing or service process that has a recurrent process flow and good internal and external performance data. Our primary objectives are to define quantitatively (1) how the performance of repair persons dispatched to the customers' premises is related to automatic testing and repair, and (2) how internal process performance is linked to external customer satisfaction. A secondary objective of this article is to explain briefly some of the practical problems of modeling process‐level performance relationships. Results indicate that the structural equation models are statistically significant and have a meaningful interpretation. Examples of “what if” scenarios using these structural equation models are presented to help managers predict customer satisfaction levels given certain process performance improvements, set standards of performance, and better understand the interdependencies between labor and automation resources in this telephone repair process.
Portfolio Selection Using Stochastic Dominance Criteria
Authors: McNamara John R. 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTThe direct application of stochastic dominance criteria to portfolio selection problems has been thought impractical because an extremely large number of combinations of returns must be considered. This paper proposes and evaluates a rigorous statistical procedure for sampling the combinations of returns on candidate risky assets so that stochastic dominance criteria may be used directly in an efficient linear programming model for portfolio selection. The sampling scheme exploits the association of the return on each candidate stock with the return on a market index in a manner analogous to the Sharpe single‐index model, thereby eliminating the large number of combinations with probabilities close to or equalling zero. Portfolios computed by the proposed linear programming stochastic dominance model are compared with those computed by the single‐index quadratic programming model, using 180 months of recent data on a sample of NYSE common stocks.
Lot Splitting in Unbalanced Production Systems*
Authors: Ruben Robert A. , Mahmoodi Farzad 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTThis research investigates the impact of lot splitting in unbalanced production systems, under a variety of experimental conditions. Scheduling policies specifically designed for use in the presence of a long‐term bottleneck, a condition frequently encountered in practice, are developed and tested. Results indicate that when steps are taken at nonbottleneck work centers to capitalize on capacity imbalances through increasing the number of setups and, hence, the variety of products produced, shop effectiveness is improved. The results also indicate that scheduling policies that tend to increase the size of the average process batch retard the overlapping of operations, which is critical to the success of the lot‐splitting methodology in reducing flow time. Finally, it is shown that increasing capacity at nonbottleneck work centers along with implementation of effectiveness‐oriented scheduling polices leads to improved shop performance.
The Scientific Visualization of Organizations: A Rationale for a New Approach to Organizational Modeling*
Authors: Markham Steven E. 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTThis article examines the rationale for the application of a new research tool, scientific visualization, to the study of organizations. Based upon a general theory of visualization, the ability to simultaneously display both variables and organizational entities should allow for easier and more widespread analysis of organizational research issues. Applications and future directions for both research and praxis are discussed.
A Simulation of Partial Information Use in Decision Making: Implications for DSS Design
Authors: Karim Ahmer S. , Hershauer James C. , Perkins William C. 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTInformation matrices are often the output produced by a decision support system. These matrices are a common method for expressing a decision situation under different decision‐making scenarios. The decisions involved in designing a decision support system to generate the information matrix are important and involve several cost and benefit components. A designer needs guidance in making effective design decisions in this context. Such guidance can be provided by considering the relationships among specific design decisions, costs, and benefits. The general objective of this study is to provide a comprehensive framework for this purpose. This study is the first to develop and present a comprehensive cost‐benefit framework for evaluating design decisions for a variety of scenarios.The specific objective of this research is to provide guidance regarding the number of available information dimensions to incorporate in a computer‐based decision aid. Simulation experiments are conducted with a completely specified model based on the cost‐benefit framework (including needed assumptions) to evaluate how many information dimensions to include for a specific information matrix size to achieve a balance between information use costs and decision quality. Based upon extensive simulation analyses for a hypothetical decision maker, the practical guideline found for designers is to include only the top half of the relevant information dimensions in any specific decision support system. Over a large number of repeating choice decisions, the savings in cognitive effort and information gathering costs clearly offset relatively minor losses in decision quality.
A Model for Planning Resource Requirements in Health Care Organizations
Authors: Bretthauer Kurt M. , Cǒté Murray J. 
Published: June 2007

ABSTRACTIn this paper we present a general model and solution methodology for planning resource requirements (i.e., capacity) in health care organizations. To illustrate the general model, we consider two specific applications: a blood bank and a health maintenance organization (HMO). The blood bank capacity planning problem involves determining the number of donor beds required and determining the size of the nursing and support staff necessary. Capacity must be sufficient to handle the expected number of blood donors without causing excessive donor waiting times. Similar staff, equipment, and service level decisions arise in the HMO capacity planning problem. To determine resource requirements, we develop an optimization/queueing network model that minimizes capacity costs while controlling customer service by enforcing a set of performance constraints, such as setting an upper limit on the expected time a patient spends in the system. The queueing network model allows us to capture the stochastic behavior of health care systems and to measure customer service levels within the optimization framework.