Behavioral Structure in Sociomotor Sports: Roller-Hockey

This study, part of a wider research project, presents (1) a category system for observation in roller-hockey, and (2) the results obtained with it. The behavior flow obtained with this category system was analyzed sequentially using the lag technique. The behavior patterns were compared with the results of Exact Permutations analysis of the same data. Finally, the main behavior patterns, and their psychosocial implications, are described. The most distinctive feature of the study is its use of specific software in both the coding and the analysis of the observational categories. Résumé.Cette étude qui est une parte d'autre recherche plus grande, presente(1) une système de categories du observationen hockey sur patins, et(2) les resultat obtenu avec cette système de categories sont traité avec un analyse sequenciel, pour celui-ci est usé le techique de retard. Les patrones de conduite obtenu sont comparé avec les analyses dePermutations Exact réussi avec les mêmesdonnées. A la fin sont décrire les patrones de conduite et leur implication Psychosopcial. Le plus distinctif caractéristique de cette étude est l'ussage de softwarespécifique pour la codification etpour l'analyse du les categories de observation.     

部队摩托化机动油料运输优化模型

在对缓冲区进行分析的基础上,结合Dijkstra最短路径算法和次短路算法,对部队摩托化机动途中油料运输力量前往的后方油库和路线进行了求解,使用排序函数按往返路径所需时间,从小到大对所有可能的路径进行排序,得到多个可供选择的油料运输方案,为油料保障决策提供支持。     

Iterated bootstrap with applications to frontier models

The iterated bootstrap may be used to estimate errors which arise from a single pass of the bootstrap and thereby to correct for them. Here the iteration is employed to correct for coverage probability of confidence intervals obtained by a percentile method in the context of production frontier estimation with panel data. The parameter of interest is the maximum of the intercepts in a fixed firm effect model. The bootstrap distribution estimators are consistent if and only if there are no ties for this maximum. In the regular case (no ties), poor distribution estimators can result when the second largest intercept is close to the maximum. The iterated bootstrap is thus suggested to improve the accuracy of the obtained distributions. The result is illustrated in the analysis of labor efficiency of railway companies.This work was supported in part by grant No. 26 from the program Pôle d'attraction interuniversitaire-Deuxième phase to CORE and by the contract Projet d'Actions de Recherche Concertées of the Belgian governement (PARC) to the Institute of Statistics, Université Catholique de Louvain. The first author was partly financed by the Institut de Mathématiques Appliquées, Université Catholique de Louvain.     

Valeur maximale d'un droit d'option a prix ferme

Résumé Discrètement introduit vers le milieu des années soixante dans la modélisation économique, l'usage des processus de diffusion tend de nos jours à se vulgariser, comme en témoigne par exemple l'ouvrage récent de Malliaris et Brock [1] qui présente un florilège des succès obtenus grâce à cette technique.Déjà séduit [2, 3] par les qualités de cette approche: souplesse d'adéquation à la réalité, propension à fournir de nombreux résultats sous forme explicite et concise, nous poursuivons notre plaidoyer en sa faveur dans cette courte note qui préconise un mode de calcul (différent de celui avancé par Black et Scholes [4]) de la valeur (maximale) des droits d'option à prix fixe.

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Riassunto Il lavoro propone l'uso d'un processo stocastico di diffusione per la descrizione della formazione del valore dei premi di borsa.

     

Sulla nozione di riassunto esaustivo

Si studiano dal punto di vista formale (ponendosi in un quadro astratto molto generale) le relazioni tra la nozione di riassunto esaustivo «in senso classico» e quella di riassunto esaustivo «in senso bayesiano». In particolare si analizzano, per ciascuna di queste nozioni, le condizioni di validità della fattorizzazione di Neyman.

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Résumé On étudie d'un point de vue purement formel (en se plaçant dans un cadre abstrait très général) les relations entre la notion de résumé exhaustif «au sens classique» et celle de résumé exhaustif «au sens bayesien».On analyse notamment, pour chacune de ces deux notions, les conditions de validité de la factorisation de Neyman.

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Pubblichiamo volentieri questo articolo di G. Letta, che per l'impostazione astratta si allontana alquanto dall'ambito degli interessi scientifici di questa Rivista, perché l'argomento trattato è strettamente legato ad un lavoro di D. M. Cifarelli ed E. Regazzini recentemente comparso sul nostro periodico (vedi [3] e la 2^a parte in questo fascicolo).     

Packard Electric/Delphi and the birth of the autopart cluster: the case of Chihuahua,Mexico

The purpose of this article is to describe, from a dual perspective, the birth and evolution of the technological cluster located in Chihuahua, Mexico. It reconstructs Packard Electric–Delphi’s evolutionary path as a dominant company, alongside the technological trajectory of the wiring harness. I build a taxonomy whose purpose is to distinguish different moments in the harness history. This approach to the harness demands systemic distinctions of a dynamic, quantitative and qualitative nature. The formation of the electrical/electronics cluster of automotive parts located in Chihuahua can be understood in the context of Packard Electric’s integration/disintegration dynamics. This regional and international reconstruction process reflects: (1) the accumulation of technological and organizational capabilities inside a firm; (2) technological competition within the sector; (3) the fact that each company follows particular technological learning ‘paths’ as well as a unique regional technological cluster formation (technological path); and (4) that the integration/disintegration dynamics of firms are difficult and unstable processes, dependent on the difference between internal and external transactional costs. L’article décrit lémergence et le développement du district technologique de Chihuahua (Mexique) à travers une approche évolutionniste qui s’attache à reconstituer une double trajectoire: celle d’une firme; Packard Electric–Delphi (PE), et celle d’une technologie, le câblage. Les différentes étapes de la technologie du câblage sont appréhendées en mettant l’accent sur la dynamique systémique de nature quantitative et qualitative. La formation du district technologique du câblage électrique/électronique de Chihuahua est mise en perspective avec la stratégie d’internationalisation et de localisation de la firme multinationale. Cette dynamique est le résultat d’un processus de développement des ressources technologiques et organisationnelles de la firme, du jeu de la concurrence technologique au sein de l’industrie du câblage et de l’articulation entre la trajectoire d’apprentissage technologique de la firme et celle associée à la formation du district technologique. La dynamique d’intégration et de d’externalisation de la firme apparaît ainsi de nature instable, dépendant des différences entre les coûts de transaction interne et externe.     

Contracting under ex post moral hazard and non-commitment

This paper characterizes the optimal insurance contract in an environment where an informed agent can misrepresent the state of the world to a principal who cannot credibly commit to an auditing strategy. Because the principal cannot commit, the optimal strategy of the agent is not to tell the truth all the time. Assuming that there are T > 1 possible losses, and that the agent cannot fake an accident (he is constrained only to misreport the size of the loss when a loss occurs), the optimal contract is such that higher losses are over-compensated while lower losses are on average under-compensated. The amount by which higher losses are over-compensated decreases as the loss increases. The optimal contract may then be represented as a simple combination of a deductible, a lump-sum payment and a coinsurance provision.Received: 29 January 1999, Accepted: 26 June 2001, JEL Classification: D82, G2, C72.I would like to thank my dissertation committee Stanley Baiman, David Cummins, Georges Dionne, Neil Doherty and Sharon Tennyson (supervisor) for their insights, as well as Keith Crocker, Steve Coate, Richard Derrig, Michele Piccone and Pascale Viala. The financial help received during my doctoral studies from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) and the S. S. Huebner Foundation are gratefully acknowledged. This research has been funded by the Fonds pour la Formation de Chercheurs et d'Aide à la Recherche (FCAR-Québec), SSHRC-Canada and the Risk Management Chair at HEC Montréal. The continuing financial support of CIRANO is also appreciated. I am responsible for all errors.     

Aiding and Abetting Employer Discrimination: The Job Applicant's Role

Despite the complex nature of discrimination in employment, antidiscrimination legislation in most countries has placed almost exclusive responsibility on one party, the employer, who may base employment decisions on illegal grounds, by using personal information (such as age, gender, marital status, ethnicity, etc.) provided by job applicants. This study examined 107 real résumés from Australian managerial applicants to determine how much personal information is provided in résumés. It was found that although employers and recruitment consultants are prohibited from seeking personal information from applicants, this information is often either provided directly or indirectly by applicants in their résumés. Thus this paper suggests that job applicants aid and abet employer discrimination in the selection process. Methods to prevent or minimize discrimination in the recruitment and selection phases of the employment process are suggested.     

Multiproject scheduling: Analysis of scheduling strategies under unequal delay penalties

The multiproject scheduling problem is investigated under the assumption that delays corresponding to different projects carry different penalties. Five penalty functions are introduced that simulate typical business behavior. These are: 1) assigning the highest penalty to the project requiring the greatest amount of resources; 2) assigning the highest priority to the longest project; 3) assigning the highest priority to the project requiring the least amount of resources; 4) assigning the highest priority to the shortest project; and 5) random assignment. Justification for each case is provided.Two powerful project summary measures were used to generate the test problems. The first measure, average resource load factor (ARLF), identifies whether the location of the peak requirement of all (i.e., combined) resources is in the first or second half of the project's critical path. If each resource is expressed in terms of dollars, then ARLF identifies the location of the peak cash requirement. Since in practice the choice of the scheduling strategy is influenced by the location of the peak cash requirement, performance of the scheduling strategies is analyzed with respect to values of this measure. The second measure, average utilization factor (AUF), calculates the ratio of resource requirements to availabilities. It is shown that problems tested must have different AUF values in order to be classified different for purposes of experimental design. Thus a factorial model of the form, y = Strategy + Penalty + ARLF + AUF + ? was used to generate 385 problems, each requiring 2 to 4 resources, containing 3 to 5 projects and 34 to 63 activities.The computer program used in the study is based on a parallel method of scheduling in which priorities of the activities are determined when the activity is considered for scheduling. Ten scheduling strategies are tested. Some important ones are: 1) to schedule the shortest activity first; 2) to schedule the activity with minimum slack first; 3) to schedule the activity with maximum work content first (i.e., from the project with highest work content); 4) to schedule the shortest activity from the shortest project first; and 5) to schedule the activity with maximum penalty first. Shortest activity first and minimum slack first are popular strategies introduced by other researchers.Using number of times ranked first as our criterion, scheduling the activity with maximum penalty first provides the best results followed by the strategy of scheduling the activity with maximum work content. But when these results are analyzed with respect to existence of a very expensive project (i.e., dominance) in the problem, performance of the maximum penalty strategy improves. When the overall results are analyzed with respect to values of ARLF, a different picture emerges. Then the strategy of scheduling the activity with the highest penalty first provides the best results if the peak requirement is early. When the peak requirement is toward the middle of a project's unconstrained critical path, scheduling the activity with the highest work content provides the best results. When the peak requirement is late in a project's life, scheduling the shortest activity from the shortest project is the best strategy to adopt. These findings were tested for statistical significance by using nonparametric testing procedures and were found to be significant.     

Dictatorial voting operators

Voting operators map n-tuples of subsets of a given set X of candidates (the voters choices) into subsets of X (the social choice). This paper characterizes dictatorial voting operators by means of three conditions (the non-emptiness condition A1, the independence condition A2 and the resoluteness condition A3) motivated by the idea of transferring to the social choice properties common to all the voters choices. The result is used to refine Lahiris (2001) characterization and to derive dictatorial results in other three types of aggregation problems, in which choice functions are transformed into choice functions, binary relations into choices and binary relations into binary relations.Received: 20 May 2002, Accepted: 5 August 2003, JEL Classification: D70, D71Antonio Quesada: Present address: Departament dEconomia, Facultat de Ciéncies Económiques i Empresarials, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Avinguda de la Universitat 1, 43204 Reus (Tarragona), Spain. I would like to express my gratitude to the referees for their contribution to improve this paper.Part of this work was done at the Departament dAnálisi Económica, Facultat dEconomia, Universitat de Valéncia, Avinguda dels Tarongers s/n, 46022 Valéncia, Spain.     

The motifs of risk transmission in multivariate time series: Application to commodity prices

In this article we propose to exploit topological information embedded in forecast error variance decomposition derived from large Bayesian vector autoregressive models (VAR) to study network connectedness and risk transmission of multivariate time series observations. Firstly, we design a robust link classification procedure based on shortest paths, so to identify salient directional spillovers in a high-dimensional framework. Secondly, we study recurrent and statistically significant sub-graphs, i.e. network motifs, on the induced network backbone by means of null models which account for local node heterogeneity. The methodology is applied to analyze spillover networks of a set of global commodity prices. We demonstrate that spillovers become key drivers of the system variance during commodity price bubbles and bursts, giving raise to complex triadic structures which do not manifest during normal business periods. By accounting for local node connectivity, we observe a departure from the null models due to the high participation of Crude Oil, Food and Beverages and Raw Materials in complex recurrent sub-graphs.     

Exit problems in regime-switching models

This paper provides a general framework for pricing of perpetual American and real options in regime-switching Lévy models. In each state of the Markov chain, which determines switches from one Lévy process to another, the payoff stream is a monotone function of the Lévy process labeled by the state. This allows for additional switching within each state of the Markov chain (payoffs can be different in different regions of the real line). The pricing procedure is efficient even if the number of states is large provided the transition rates are not very large w.r.t. the riskless rates. The payoffs and riskless rates may depend on a state. Special cases are stochastic volatility models and models with stochastic interest rate; both must be modeled as finite-state Markov chains. As an application, we solve exit problems for a price-taking firm, and study the dependence of the exit threshold on the interest rate uncertainty.     

The flow-refueling location problem for alternative-fuel vehicles

Beginning with Hodgson (Geogr.Anal.22(1990) 270), several researchers have been developing a new kind of location-allocation model for “flow capturing.” Instead of locating central facilities to serve demand at fixed points in space, their models aim to serve demand consisting of origin-destination flows along their shortest paths. This paper extends flow-capturing models to optimal location of refueling facilities for alternative-fuel (alt-fuel) vehicles, such as hydrogen fuel cells or natural gas. Existing flow-capturing models assume that if a flow passes just one facility along its path, it is covered. This assumption does not carry over to vehicle refueling because of the limited range of vehicles. For refueling, it may be necessary to stop at more than one facility in order to successfully refuel the entire path, depending on the vehicle range, the path length, and the node spacing. The Flow Refueling Location Model (FRLM) optimally locates p refueling stations on a network so as to maximize the total flow volume refueled. This paper presents a mixed-integer programming formulation for the nodes-only version of the problem, as well as an algorithm for determining all combinations of nodes that can refuel a given path. A greedy-adding approach is demonstrated to be suboptimal, and the tradeoff curve between number of facilities and flow volume refueled is shown to be nonconvex.     

Solomon's Dilemma: An experimental study on dynamic implementation

This paper reports an experimental investigation on two mechanisms for the so-called King Solomon Dilemma, where one of them fails to implement the social choice rule dynamically. We compare the two mechanisms in terms of their welfare, incentive and learning properties.Received: 9 October 2000, Accepted: 13 February 2003, JEL Classification: C70, C78The authors are grateful to José Agulló, Paolo Battigalli, Ted Bergstrom, Ken Binmore, Sandro Brusco, Antonio Cabrales, Francesco Feri, Leo Hurwicz, Raffaele Miniaci, Miguel Angel Meléndez, Juan Mora, Juan D. Moreno-Ternero and seminar participants at the universities of Alicante and Trento for stimulating comments. We also thank an anonymous referee for thoughtful comments and, in particular, for raising questions that led to run additional sessions that significantly improved Sect. 4.4. Usual disclaimers apply. The first version of this paper was written while Giovanni Ponti was visiting the Department of Economics at UCSB. He thanks the Department for providing hospitality, encouragement and funding to run some experimental sessions. Financial support was also provided by CICYT (BEC2001-0980) and by the Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Económicas (IVIE).     

Regularity in overlapping generations exchange economies

In this paper we develop a regularity theory for stationary overlapping generations economies. We show that generically there is an odd number of steady states in which a non-zero amount of nominal debt (fiat money) is passed from generation to generation and an odd number in which there is no nominal debt. We are also interested in non-steady state perfect foresight paths. As a first step in this direction we analyze the behavior of paths near a steady state. We show that generically they are given by a second order difference equation that satisfies strong regularity properties. Economic theory alone imposes little restriction on those paths: With n goods and consumers who live for m periods, for example, the only restriction on the set of paths converging to the steady state is that they form a manifold of dimension no less than one, no more than 2nm.     

Semiparametric estimation of a truncated regression model

This paper proposes a new semiparametric estimator for the truncated regression model under the independence restriction. Many existing approaches such as those in Lee (1992) and Honoré and Powell (1994) are moment-based methods, whereas our approach makes use of the entire truncated distribution. As a result, our approach is expected to require weaker identification and to have more favorable performance. Our simulation results suggest that our estimator outperforms that of Lee (1992) and Honoré and Powell (1994) in a variety of designs. Our estimator is shown to be consistent and asymptotically normal.     

On the smoothness of optimal paths

Abstract The aim of this paper is to study the differentiability property of optimal paths in dynamic economic models. We address this problem from the point of view of the differential calculus in sequence spaces which are infinite-dimensional Banach spaces. We assume that the return or utility function is concave, and that optimal paths are interior and bounded. We study the C ^r differentiability of optimal paths vis-à-vis different parameters. These parameters are: the initial vector of capital stock, the discount rate and a parameter which lies in a Banach space (which could be the utility function itself). The method consists of applying an implicit function theorem on the Euler–Lagrange equation. In order to do this, we make use of classical conditions (i.e., the dominant diagonal block assumption) and we provide new ones. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 90A16, 49K40, 93C55 Journal of Economic Literature Classification: C161, D99, O41     

Extracting Embodied Energy Paths from Input–Output Tables: Towards an Input–Output-based Hybrid Energy Analysis Method

Embodied energy is defined as the energy consumed in all activities necessary to support a process, including upstream processes. The Leontief inverse input–output (IO) matrix gives results that are practically complete, because of the aggregation of direct and indirect requirements, but which are also unreliable, because of inherent assumptions. Although accurate for the system boundary considered, process analysis results are incomplete relative to the pure IO system boundary. Attempts to combine process and IO analysis tend to be based on process analysis data. The system boundary is still significantly incomplete—although not as incomplete as for pure process analysis. An IO-based hybrid analysis technique that requires the extraction of particular paths from the direct IO matrix has been developed. The potential for embodied energy paths to be used as the basis for a hybrid analysis of the Australian residential building sector is discussed. The results indicate that less than three-quarters of the total embodied energy of this sector is likely to be able to be validated, because of the complexity of the embodied energy paths.     

Understanding the decision-making processes for arts sponsorship

• Corporate support is a significant revenue stream for non-profit organisations, yet little is known of the actual decision paths companies take when making these decisions and what characterises these paths. This study seeks to develop a greater understanding of decision processes for companies considering sponsorship of the arts. A multiple-case study approach was taken, with participants from arts organisations and paired sponsoring companies, resulting in the finding of three decision paths: one characterised as high-level and intuitive, one as driven at a lower-level, and a third initially instigated by a third party. Analysis of these paths highlights the importance of existing relationships as well as a ‘fit’ between both parties. In addition, the company's orientation towards more commercial or philanthropic goals is found to be a key element determining the path taken, and the role of individual informed intuition is highlighted as crucial in moving decisions forward. This study extends knowledge in sponsorship and corporate philanthropy, into a decision making and arts sponsorship context. The findings also offer a useful perspective for non-profit arts managers as they pitch their event to the business sector.

Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Orthogonal expansions for the generalized Cramér-von Mises statistics

We provide a new proof for the representation of Cramér-von Mises statistics under (known) gamma and normal distributions. The new method uses orthogonal polynomials and provides an explicit form of the statistics from which the asymptotic distribution can be calculated.Acknowledgements This research was partially supported by FQM-331, FQM-270, BMF 2001-2378 and BMF2002-04525-C02-02. The authors are thankful to the referees for their suggestions and helpful comments.