Determination of a hospital management policy using conjoint analysis in the analytic network process

When making management performance decisions, administrators frequently utilize balanced scorecard (BSC) to measure performance because the BSC does not excessively focus on financial measures and seeks a balance among customer perspectives, learning and growth, internal business processes and financial measures. A growing number of studies have applied the analytic hierarchical process (AHP) method to choose BSC metrics for management performance. These AHP methods assume that criteria are independent. Saaty (Decision making with dependence and feedback: the analytic network process. RWS Publications, Pittsburgh, 1996) presented the analytic network process (ANP) method to solve the limitations that criteria are independent. Conventional ANP methods involve complex calculations when the number of criteria increases. Hence, this study attempts to integrate conjoint analysis (CA) and the ANP method to simplify the ANP calculation procedure. Additionally, the decision of management policy is utilized with BSC to determine whether the situation at a hospital demonstrates the feasibility of integrating CA with ANP. Study results reveal that the proposed methodology increases the efficiency of decision making among policymakers and reduces associated risks     

Evaluation of critical constructs for measurement of sustainable supply chain practices in lean‐agile firms of Indian origin: A hybrid ISM‐ANP approach

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the critical criteria that are influencing the successful implementation of sustainable supply chain practices (SSCP) in the lean‐agile manufacturing firm. From the systematic literature review and field professionals' opinion, various criteria that are influencing sustainable supply chain were identified. Data were collected from 16 experts and analysed by an integrated approach of “interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and analytic network process (ANP).” ISM methodology was utilized to get a hierarchical relationship between all criteria. Further, the input to the ANP matrices was taken from the output of ISM, and three organizations that differ in their principle of operation were ranked to find out the extent of implementation of SSCP in the Indian context. The obtained results indicate that “Information technology‐enabled system support (ITS), SC member's awareness and literacy (SAL), Societal issues (SIS), and Scarcity of natural resources (SNR)” were most significant constructs for successful implementation of SSCP for the case organizations.     

民办本科高校教育“双证书”模式的探讨

本文利用实证数据,通过因子分析方法确定了民办本科高校教育中实行"双证书"模式的影响因素,建立了民办本科高校教育中实行"双证书"模式的基础条件评价指标体系,采用网络层次分析法(ANP)确定了各项指标的权重。     

基于ANP的逆向物流运作模式决策研究

研究了影响逆向物流运作方案的各个因素,建立了具有内部关联的多因素逆向物流运作模式决策模型,并运用网络分析法（ANP）对模型进行分析,最后使用超级决策软件（SuperDecisions）结合算例进行计算,结果证明了该模型的有效性。     

集装箱码头客户满意度及发展对策研究

分析集装箱码头运作机理,从不同视角剖析客户需求,并建立具有内部依赖性的集装箱码头客户满意度指标体系。运用网络层次分析法和模糊综合评判方法进行指标权重确定和综合评价,判定服务主体综合服务水平。最后,运用该方法对厦门港集装箱码头进行实例分析,发现制约厦门港发展关键点,并根据分析结果提出解决对策。     

基于ANP的企业发展低碳物流关键影响因子评价体系

文中借助ANP方法,建立了影响企业低碳物流发展的关键因子评价体系,从政府、行业、企业三个层面定量揭示了影响企业低碳物流发展的关键因子,找出制约低碳物流企业发展的政府方面的关键因素,指出在目前低碳物流发展阶段,政府在企业发展低碳物流前期起到约束与倡导的核心作用。最后建议在企业低碳物流发展中,政府要积极发挥政策引导作用,加大政府宣传力度,为低碳物流的实施创造环境。     

An Analytic Network Process model for financial-crisis forecasting

We discuss and develop an imbalance-crisis turning point model to forecast the likelihood of a financial crisis based on an Analytic Network Process framework. The Analytic Network Process (ANP) is a general theory of relative measurement used to derive composite-priority-ratio scales from individual-ratio scales that represent relative influence of factors that interact with respect to control criteria. Through its supermatrix, which is composed of matrices of column priorities, the ANP framework captures the outcome of dependence and feedback within and between clusters of explanatory factors. We argue that our framework is more flexible and is more comprehensive than traditional methods and previous models. We illustrate how the ANP model would be implemented for forecasting the probability of crises.     

A combination of QFD and imprecise DEA with enhanced Russell graph measure: A case study in healthcare

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a proven tool for process and product development, which translates the voice of customer (VoC) into engineering characteristics (EC), and prioritizes the ECs, in terms of customer's requirements. Traditionally, QFD rates the design requirements (DRs) with respect to customer needs, and aggregates the ratings to get relative importance scores of DRs. An increasing number of studies stress on the need to incorporate additional factors, such as cost and environmental impact, while calculating the relative importance of DRs. However, there is a paucity of methodologies for deriving the relative importance of DRs when several additional factors are considered. Ramanathan and Yunfeng [43] proved that the relative importance values computed by data envelopment analysis (DEA) coincide with traditional QFD calculations when only the ratings of DRs with respect to customer needs are considered, and only one additional factor, namely cost, is considered. Also, Kamvysi et al. [27] discussed the combination of QFD with analytic hierarchy process–analytic network process (AHP–ANP) and DEAHP–DEANP methodologies to prioritize selection criteria in a service context. The objective of this paper is to propose a QFD–imprecise enhanced Russell graph measure (QFD–IERGM) for incorporating the criteria such as cost of services and implementation easiness in QFD. Proposed model is applied in an Iranian hospital.     

Location choice for direct foreign investment in new hospitals in China by using ANP and TOPSIS

This study models location choices for foreign direct investments in new hospitals in China as an multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem and designs develops a multidirectional relationship decision model combines the techniques of analytic network process (ANP) and technique for order performance based on similarity to the ideal solution (TOPSIS). This study discusses applying ANP to the relative weighting of multiple assessment criteria. The TOPSIS approach is employed to rank 15 counties without the Zhoushan of China’s Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region in terms of their overall performance under the decision model. To illustrate how the proposed approach is applied to the problem of selecting locations for new hospitals in China an empirical study of a real case is performed. This study demonstrates the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed assessment procedure.     

基于武汉城市圈发展的区域物流节点规划研究

运用因子分析和聚类分析方法，根据影响区域物流节点布局的因素，建立评价备选节点的综合评价指标体系，提出了基于武汉城市圈发展的区域物流的空间网络布局和功能定位，为武汉城市圈现代物流业的发展提供决策依据。     

Platform control during battles for market dominance: The case of Apple versus IBM in the early personal computer industry

We conduct a case study of the battle for market dominance between the industry platforms led by Apple and by IBM in the early personal computer industry (1977–1986). Platform leaders such as Apple or IBM need to consider many technological, strategic, and network factors in managing their industry platforms. We explore how platform leaders deploy these factors and their interactions during a battle for market dominance. We find that platform leaders choose various control modes to do so, ranging from central control to distributed control. The adoption of these control modes is dependent on the choice of being first entrant with a technological discontinuity (central control) or follower (distributed control). Within a control mode, technological, strategic, and network factors are managed in a coherent way.     

Networks and market-based measures of systemic risk: the European banking system in the aftermath of the financial crisis

This article investigates the behaviour of the European banking system during the financial crises that occurred in the last decades. Among the various approaches for measuring systemic risk, we consider network analysis, which describes the linkages among financial institutions and their whole structure. We construct a time-varying network of the European banking system. Banks are linked to form a global interconnected system and they mutually influence one another in terms of risk. We model their reciprocal influence via a weighted and directed network, in which weights are related to risk measures that are based on equity returns. Then, we apply two network indicators to investigate the prominence of a bank in spreading and receiving risk from the others. The results enable us to capture many features of the banking system while identifying the global systemically important banks. Moreover, the results of the analysis over time show how interconnections change over periods that are characterized by various economic scenarios.

     

Selection model based on ANP and GRA for independent media agencies

This study develops a model for selecting an optimal independent media agency for an advertiser. The proposed model comprises two parts. The first part uses the modified Delphi technique to identify suitable criteria for evaluating media agencies, after which the analytic network process (ANP) is applied to determine the relative weights of the criteria. The second part adopts the grey relational analysis (GRA) to rank alternatives and to select the optimum media agency. Additionally, the example of a famous Taiwanese beverage company is used to demonstrate the process of media agency selection using this model. The proposed model method provides advertisers with an objective and effective of selecting an optimum media agency.     

The efficacy and efforts of interest groups in post elections policy formation

This paper presents a new model of interest groups and policy formation in the legislature. In our setting, the already given party ideological predispositions and power distribution determine the expected policy outcome. Our analysis applies to the case of un-enforced or enforced party discipline as well as to two-party and multi-party (proportional representation) electoral systems. The interest groups’ objective is to influence the outcome in their favor by engaging in a contest that determines the final decision in the legislature. Our first result clarifies how the success of an interest group hinges on the dominance of its ideologically closer party and, in general, the coalition/opposition blocks of parties under un-enforced party or coalition/opposition discipline. Such dominance is defined in terms of ideological inclination weighted by power. Our second result clarifies how the success of an interest group hinges on the dominance of its ideology in the ruling coalition (party) in a majoritarian system with enforced coalition (party) discipline. We then clarify under what condition an interest group prefers to direct its lobbying efforts to two parties or the two coalition and opposition blocks of parties under un-enforced discipline rather than to the members of the ruling coalition (party) under enforced discipline. The lobbying efforts under un-enforced and enforced party discipline are also compared. Finally, we clarify the effect of ideological predispositions and power on the efforts of the interest groups.     

Accountability and Role Effects in Balanced Scorecard Performance Evaluations When Strategy Timeline Is Specified

Abstract

This study experimentally examines if fixation on lagging financial measures (relative to leading non-financial measures) as reported in prior balanced scorecard literature is mitigated when evaluators are provided with a strategy implementation timeline (a non-manipulated variable). The experiment manipulates whether or not evaluators are subject to process accountability as well as the role to which evaluators are assigned (i.e. supervisor or subordinate). We predict and find that, in general, the provision of an implementation timeline results in evaluators placing more weight on strategically linked, leading non-financial measures within a subordinate's time span of control compared to strategically linked, lagged financial measures beyond the subordinate's controllable time horizon. However, we also find that evaluators in the role of a supervisor differentiate less between strategically linked non-financial measures that fall within the subordinate's control and strategically linked financial measures beyond the subordinate's control when held accountable compared to supervisors not held accountable. On the other hand, participants in the role of a subordinate were able to differentiate appropriately between these measures when held accountable. Our results extend prior research by considering how linking a timeline to strategy implementation may assist evaluators when assessing performance in the presence of both leading and lagging strategic measures. Further, reference to an implementation timeline may influence role and accountability effects. Implications for future research in multidimensional strategic performance evaluation are discussed.     

The Prophecy of Place: A Labor Market Study of Young Women and Education

This study demonstrates that place—defined in this article as labor market area (LMA)— provides a useful context for examining how youth manage gendered situations. Places vary by conditions in which gender is more, less or differently salient, and a particular mix of factors accommodates different individual outcomes. This study utilizes multi–level modeling to examine influence of LMA characteristics on over–time educational measures for young women (Center for Human Resource Research 1994). Hierarchical models determine place–level effects on both average outcomes (within and between LMAs) and attainment processes. A major finding of this study is that aggregate place effects channel personal decisions and outcomes of young women. Young women's educational aspirations are dependent on gender– specific variables such as the number of women in college or the number of young women married in a local area. Attainment depends on the percentage of women in higher education and a local labor market's average age at first marriage. Further, what are assumed to be positive environmental effects (e.g., manufacturing dominance) are based on structural advantages for men and actually depress outcomes for women. Notably, the influence of place is independent of strong individual–level determinants, including social class.     

Hybrid MADM-based study of key risk factors in house-for-pension reverse mortgage lending in Taiwan's banking industry

The issue of financial problems among the elderly has garnered the attention of multiple generations. In 2018, Taiwan formally attained an ageing society status. In order to address the financial difficulties elderly people face, an annuity system reform was launched by the Taiwanese government. Reverse mortgage lending, which is performed on the basis of house-for-pension, is an alternate method for enhancing their standard of living and sustaining their financial stability. The elderly applicants often mortgage their properties to financial institutions in order to maintain a steady cash flow for the fulfilment of their daily needs and live their remaining years in the mortgaged properties without vacating. Prior studies on house-for-pension in the Taiwanese context primarily concentrated on institutional implementation analysis but limitedly explored the uncertainty risks banks face when implementing the house-for-pension scheme. First, a literature review on the risks associated with house-for-pension reverse mortgage financing and comprehensive interviews with banking industry professionals were conducted. Subsequently, in the Taiwanese banking sector, assessment criteria for important risk factors in house-for-pension reverse mortgage financing were devised. The decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) was utilised to assess the interdependence of the assessment criteria. Next, the DEMATEL-based analytic network process (ANP) or DANP were used to calculate the weights of evaluation criteria. By employing modified VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR), a gap analysis was undertaken on the assessment criteria and sub-criteria. The study's findings serve as a guideline for the Taiwanese banking industry in formulating, improving, or amending the risk exposure mitigation measures for reverse mortgage lending.     

AHP与ANP应用于供应商选择方案评估之比较

主要介绍了应用层次分析法(AHP)和网络分析法(ANP)评估供应商选择方案的基本步骤，讨论了两种分析方法对选择方案排序结果的影响，得出了应用ANP比应用AHP能更合理地对供应商选择方案进行评估的结论。