Coalition Analysis in Group Decision Support

GMCR II, a decision support system based on the Graph Model for Conflict Resolution, now contains an algorithm for Coalition Analysis to alert users that certain decision-makers would find it both feasible and beneficial to co-ordinate their actions. The theory and implementation of Coalition Analysis in GMCR II are discussed and illustrated.     

Multiple Criteria Decision Making Models in Group Decision Support

Use of multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) models to aid the group decision process was tested. Two multiple criteria group decision support systems (MCGDSS) were studied, one using the AHP/Tchebycheff method of Iz and the other using Kersten's NEGO system. These systems were compared with a commercial GDSS, VisionQuest. VisionQuest does not include multiple criteria tools. To make the study comparable, VisionQuest was augmented with an ad hoc linear programming model that could generate solutions with specified characteristics requested by the using group. The three systems were compared on the dimensions of solution quality and decision support effectiveness.One of the hypotheses was that MCDM models would force participants to examine criteria, preferences, and aspirations more thoroughly, thus leading to decisions of better quality. Subjects using the MCGDSSs were expected to have higher mean quality and effectiveness values. However, the quality and effectiveness values of the VisionQuest/ad hoc system were found to be better on the dimension of effectiveness. Explanations for this result are included in the paper.Another hypothesis was that the AHP/Tchebycheff method of Iz, a value-oriented system, would yield more effective group support than the goal-oriented NEGO system. However, the NEGO system was found to yield solutions with better quality measures than the solutions obtained with the AHP/Tchebycheff system.Observation of the groups using the MCDM systems indicate that both the AHP/Tchebycheff and NEGO methods can be revised to enhance their effectiveness. The primary difficulty encountered with the AHP/Tchebycheff method was in the large number of pairwise comparisons required by AHP. The NEGO method can be enhanced by including specification of desired attainment levels in the first stage of the method. Both MCDM techniques have potential to benefit group decision support by giving using groups a means to design better solutions.     

基于互联网的BTB电子商务研究

现代企业正在为获得竞争优势而努力,而企业间建立紧密的组织关系将是获得竞争优势的一个关键因素,由于互联网的广泛普及,使得越来越多的企业开始利用这种新的通信媒介来建立BTB的供应链。本文首先研究了哪些因素会影响到企业是否采用基于互联网的BTB电子商务,然后得出结论:企业的初始投入和运营成本、通信标准、连接性将对BTB电子商务的开展起着积极的推动作用,而数据安全、网络的可靠性和带宽将会产生消极的影响。     

基于互联网的BTB电子商务研究

现代企业正在为获得竞争优势而努力,而企业间建立紧密的组织关系将是获得竞争优势的一个关键因素,由于互联网的广泛普及,使得越来越多的企业开始利用这种新的通信媒介来建立BTB的供应链.本文首先研究了哪些因素会影响到企业是否采用基于互联网的BTB电子商务,然后得出结论:企业的初始投入和运营成本、通信标准、连接性将对BTB电子商务的开展起着积极的推动作用,而数据安全、网络的可靠性和带宽将会产生消极的影响.     

Influence Allocation Methods in Group Decision Support Systems

Influence allocation processes are voting and opinion aggregating methods that allow members to distribute some or all of their decision making influence to others in the group in order to exploit not only the group's knowledge of the alternatives, but its knowledge of itself. Only with the common use of group decision support systems (GDSS) has their use become practical. In this paper we reconsider SPAN, an influence allocation process introduced by MacKinnon (1966a). Experimental comparison shows SPAN to be significantly better at selecting a correct option from a set of options than two common voting methods. An alternative influence allocation process that we call RCON (Rational Consensus), is based on a weighting method proposed by DeGroot (1974) and has been explicated as a normative standard for combining opinion by Lehrer and Wagner (1981). The judgmental inputs to SPAN would appear to be logically related to those for RCON. Submitting the SPAN inputs from the experiment, transformed in this logical way, to the RCON process results in somewhat better performance than with SPAN. However, evidence indicated that the two methods are conceptually and psychologically sufficiently different that an experimental comparison is needed between them.     

企业集团电子商务网络研发的研究

建立电子商务研发网络是企业集团提升的创新能力的重要方式。本文基于对企业集团、研发、研发网络的界定,提出企业集团构建研发网络的程序包括三个:建立共同的协作基础、选择参与成员、组建协作网络;构建的方式分为三种:自组织路径、被组织路径和混合路径。     

我国电子商务环境下的网上支付方式研究

电子商务作为网络时代一种新的生产力,以其特有的优势,改变着传统商务活动的模式和格局,也深刻影响着人们的商务理念和生活方式。离开了网上支付的参与,电子商务就停留在网上信息搜索和协议草签的阶段,无法进入实质性的交易阶段,同样无法实现真正的电子商务。基于以上理解,文章通过对各种网上支付方式的具体分析对比,期望加深消费者对网上支付的认识,以更好地促进网上支付及我国电子商务的发展。     

电子商务信息安全与第二代计算机互联网络

构筑安全的电子商务信息环境,保障交易过程和传递信息的安全性是影响电子商务发展的一个至关重要的问题。本文侧重讨论了目前电子商务信息安全的主要内容和解决方案。同时介绍了第二代计算机网络,意在使大家不再仅仅是关注纯粹的技术问题,而是从社会角度多方面多层次去构建一种全新的电子商务的安全体系。     

电子商务环境下物流配送中心选址决策与评价方法研究

电子商务环境下的物流配送中心选址涉及到多方面的因素,是一项复杂的系统工程。为此,提出了定量化的启发式算法来初步确定电子商务环境下配送中心选址方案。方案的确定是为了决策,因此依据定量计算和定性分析的结果,采用协调分析方法来科学地决策符合电子商务环境下的最优选址方案。     

Electronic Commerce

Abstract

Africa has been beset with a plethora of problems stemming from the legacy of colonialism and the current political conflicts across the continent. These developments have made it difficult to strengthen the telecommunication infrastructure, the bloodline of commercial activity. Electronic commerce (EC) has become one of the most popular topics of conversation in the commercial sector. EC, which is a technological framework bolstered by the ubiquitous Internet, has given commercial enterprises an opportunity to increase the flow of transactions, overcoming the barriers of time and distance. This paper examines EC strategies and suggests that its implementation is possible in Africa by analyzing several variables to determine appropriateness of both the technical framework and the execution of strategies.     

Monte Carlo Simulation Techniques in a Decision Support System for Group Decision Making

This paper describes a group decision support system based on an additive multi-attribute utility model for identifying a consensus strategy in group decision-making problems where several decision-makers or groups of decision-makers elicit their own preferences separately. On the one hand, the system provides procedures to quantify the DMs or group of DMs preferences separately. This involves assessing the DMs or group of DMs component utilities that represent their preferences regarding the respective possible attribute values and objective weights that represent the relative importance of the criteria. On the other hand, we propose Monte Carlo simulation techniques for identifying a consensus strategy. An iterative process will be carried out, where, after the simulations have been performed, the imprecise component utilities and weights corresponding to the different DMs or groups of DMs are tightened to output more meaningful information in the next simulations to achieve a consensus strategy. Finally, an application to the evaluation of remedial strategies for restoring contaminated aquatic ecosystems illustrates the usefulness and flexibility of this decision support tool.     

Developing Group Ordered Weighted Averaging Operator Weights for Group Decision Support

A few single decision-making methods under uncertainty (SDMUU) are available in the literature. The reason for such scarcity seems to be mainly due to too insufficient information to induce a reasonable result for effective decision support. Moreover their final outcomes on the same SDMUU problem may be different depending on which method is applied. A group decision-making method under uncertainty (GDMUU) extends a SDMUU in a sense that a group of individuals, each expressing different opinions, work together to solve a relevant problem. As in a SDMUU, we find that just a few methods are available to solve a GDMUU problem. In the paper, the ordered weighted averaging (OWA) method, originally devised for use with the SDMUU problem, is considered to deal with a GDMUU problem where individuals of a group express their degree of optimism in terms of attitudinal characters. We first find the extreme points corresponding to the attitudinal character and then solve a quadratic mathematical program which minimizes a squared distance from each extreme point identified. Thus the resulting OWA operator weights for the group are located at the center of the weights-space constructed by attitudinal characters. This idea is further extended to deal with uncertain attitudinal character expressed in the form of interval in situations where it is difficult to reliably obtain a precise attitudinal character due to time pressure and a limited domain knowledge and so on.     

Group Decision Support Using Fuzzy Cognitive Maps for Causal Reasoning

Cognitive maps have been used for analysing and aiding decision-making by investigating causal links among relevant domain concepts. A fuzzy cognitive map (FCM) is an extension of a cognitive map with the additional capability of representing feedback through weighted causal links. FCMs can be used as tools for both static as well as dynamic analysis of scenarios evolving with time. An FCM represents an expert's domain knowledge in a form that lends itself to relatively easy integration into a collective knowledge base for a group involved in a decision process. The resulting group FCM has the potential to serve as a useful tool in a group decision support environment. An appropriate methodology for the development and analysis of group FCMs is required. A framework for such a methodology consisting of the development and application phases is presented.     

PROMETHEE Group Decision Support System and the House of Quality

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a multi-step method that monitors customer needs throughout a product development process. The House of Quality (HOQ) exercise undertaken in the first phase of QFD is considered as the most important, since customer needs must be accurately translated into a set of technical requirements for the final product. This paper provides a PROMETHEE group decision support system (GDSS) approach that integrates the design preferences of the QFD team. We highlight the selection and ranking of the technical requirements in the HOQ exercise, where a group of multidisciplinary decision makers (DMs) in a globally dispersed QFD team is required to input their individual preferences. Our approach advances the HOQ group decision making context in three important areas. First, it treats each criterion and DM as unique in terms of the preference function and threshold levels. Second, it seeks a multi-criteria approach for the HOQ process, where some DMs may play a more important role than others on a certain criterion. Third, sensitivity analysis through the Geometrical Analysis for Interactive Assistance (GAIA) plane provides valuable information about the conflicts, similarities, or independencies between the criterion and the DMs, respectively. A case on an automotive part illustrates the performance of the PROMOTHEE approach with GAIA.     

电子商务面临的法律问题

随着Internet的日益普及,电子商务得到了迅速发展,并日益形成为一个具有巨大发展潜力的市场。然而,电子商务的兴起也给我们带来了许多始料未及的问题,比如电子信函的法律地位问题、电子合同的法律效力问题、电子商务中的知识产权保护问题等。     

Ethical Issues in Electronic Commerce

This article reviews the incredible growth of electronic commerce (e-commerce) and presents ethical issues that have emerged. Security concerns, spamming, Web sites that do not carry an "advertising" label, cybersquatters, online marketing to children, conflicts of interest, manufacturers competing with intermediaries online, and "dinosaurs" are discussed. The power of the Internet to spotlight issues is noted as a significant force in providing a kind of self-regulation that supports an ethical e-commerce environment.     

Perceptions About Internet Commerce

Abstract

Internet commerce is growing at a rapid rate. However, consumer participation may not be growing as rapidly as company participation. This study attempts to measure consumer participation and willingness to participate in various types of Internet commerce. Respondents were asked how willing they were to participate in various types of transactions using Internet commerce. This initial research indicated unwillingness on the part of most respondents to participate in Internet commerce. In addition, demographic variables were considered in an attempt to determine why the rate of participation in Internet commerce is not higher. Additional research is needed to determine why consumers are hesitant to become involved in financial transactions and whether this attitude is changing or static.     

Electronic Commerce Encourages Differentiation

Abstract

This paper explores why and how ecommerce firms differentiate their products and services. Consumers who shop online are able to do quick and easy comparison shopping, including shopping in an active market for used goods. Since online product search and price comparisons are faster, easier, and involve fewer shopping costs, firms who sell online must differentiate their products and services to a greater extent than those who do not sell online. These product and service differentiations may be certified and rated by host shopping sites and by outside ratings companies.     

基于电子商务平台网络团购模式研究

随着电子商务的迅猛发展,网络团购的出现,产生了一种新型电子商务模式“B2T”,FtpBusinesstoTeam。网络团购很清晰的商业模式很快得到商家和用户的认可。网络团购电子商务平台,是商家有效的营销平台,是用户买到物美价廉很最要的途径。组建网络团购门槛很低,国内团购呈现爆炸式的增长,有少数几家网络团购企业逐渐稳定成熟,但大部分网络团购面临着激烈＼残酷的竞争。有些企业缺乏市场调查和分析,比较盲目。本文对网络团购模式和市场运作进行了深入分析和研究。希望为一些网络团购企业有一定指导作用,对网络团购健康发展有所帮助。     

对电子商务时代网络体育消费者购买决策力的分析与研究

随着电子商务的快速发展,越来越多的体育消费者青睐于网络消费。本文通过对网络体育消费群体的特征、类型以及消费行为的特点与动机等因素进行分析,探讨影响该群体消费行为的因素,进而结合目前体育用品网络消费市场的发展现状,探讨相应体育营销手段,以期有助于网络体育零售商制定适合于网络销售的营销战略和营销工具。