A genetic algorithm for the partial binary constraint satisfaction problem: an application to a frequency assignment problem

We describe a genetic algorithm for the partial constraint satisfaction problem. The typical elements of a genetic algorithm, selection, mutation and cross-over, are filled in with combinatorial ideas. For instance, cross-over of two solutions is performed by taking the one or two domain elements in the solutions of each of the variables as the complete domain of the variable. Then a branch-and-bound method is used for solving this small instance. When tested on a class of frequency assignment problems this genetic algorithm produced the best known solutions for all test problems. This feeds the idea that combinatorial ideas may well be useful in genetic algorithms.     

On the uniqueness of the solution to a large linear assignment problem

The core of a linear assignment problem contains a continuum of allocations. A model is presented where this core shrinks to a unique solution of the limit problem as the number of agents grows.     

我国拟开征物业税的公平性问题探讨

物业税是一种财产税,理论上具有调节贫富差距的作用,但在实施过程中存在诸多不足,影响了其公平功能的发挥。文中在物业税的内涵与特征基础上,通过对现有房地产税公平功能的分析,提出了增强物业税公平的对策建议。     

Efficient spatial allocation in the quadratic assignment problem

Koopmans and Beckmann found that the competitive mechanism cannot sustain an assignment of indivisible plants to spatially distinct sites when intermediate product flows are required and transportation costs between sites are positive. Hartwick claims to have found valid counterexamples to this result. This paper demonstrates that while counterexamples to the Koopmans-Beckmann result do exist, Hartwick's examples are inappropriate. A correct example of a price-sustainable integer assignment is provided.     

Modeling multiple criteria in the faculty assignment problem

This paper describes two multiple criteria models for generating teaching assignments for faculty members. The first model requires faculty members to input utility values for possible teaching schedules while the second model requires that each faculty member only rank order possible teaching schedules. Unlike previously proposed models for this problem, the models described in this paper allow the user to evaluate the impacts and tradeoffs between goals that are associated with each individual faculty member and goals that are associated with the organization as a whole during the faculty assignment process.     

Ex-post evaluation of scenarios: the case of nanotechnology societal impacts

Scenario development is one of the popular methods of futures studies. There has been a lot of attention paid to different methods of scenario writing in theoretical literature; but what is important is to evaluate the scenarios which has not been a matter of comprehensive study heretofore. In this paper, we have carried out a comprehensive study in this regard. Accordingly, evaluation has been divided into three categories: ex-ante evaluation, mid-term evaluation and ex-post evaluation. Ex-ante evaluation is carried out when the scenario is generating; mid-term evaluation is carried out when the scenarios are transferring; and ex-post evaluation is being done after the transfer of scenarios. It should be noted that main purpose for ex-ante evaluation is considered “effectiveness”, for mid-term evaluation “relevance”, and for ex-post evaluation “the impact”. The outstanding part of this paper is the ex-post evaluation of scenarios for societal impact of nanotechnology, (which is carried out in accordance with a former paper) whose corresponding National Iranian Nanotechnology Initiative (NINI) time began approximately 10 years ago.     

Probabilistic assignment problem with multi-unit demands: A generalization of the serial rule and its characterization

We study a probabilistic assignment problem when agents have multi-unit demands for objects. We first introduce two fairness requirements to accommodate different demands across agents. We show that each of these requirements is incompatible with stochastic dominance efficiency (henceforth, we use the prefix “sd” for stochastic dominance) and weak sd-strategy-proofness, unless all agents have unitary demands. We next introduce a new incentive requirement which we call limited invariance. We explore implications of these requirements in combination of consistency or converse consistency.Our main result is that the generalized serial rule, which we propose as an adaptation of the serial rule to our setting, is the only rule satisfying sd-efficiency, the sd proportional-division lower-bound, limited invariance, and consistency. Uniqueness persists if we replace the sd proportional-division lower-bound by sd normalized-no-envy, or consistency by converse consistency, or both. The serial rule in Bogomolnaia and Moulin (2001) is characterized as a special case of our generalized serial rule.     

如何解决民营企业主与职业经理人之间的委托代理问题

民营企业老板和职业经理人之间的冲突源于两大问题:一是双方的目标追求不一致。二是双方信息不对称。解决这两大问题的方法,既不是呼吁职业经理人提高自身的道德水平。也不是单纯的激励机制,而是有效的监督和建立在监督基础上的激励和约束机制。 民营企业的委托代理问题 委托代理机制是现代企业制度的核心问题。企业委托人(所有者)希望以尽     

Pay fairness and intrinsic motivation: the role of pay transparency

The fairness of managerial pay can be judged in terms of its distributive justice properties (‘is my pay fair when compared to others’) and its procedural justice properties (‘is my pay fairly determined’). While both types of justice have been studied extensively in the organizational literature, their relative importance in predicting work-related outcomes is still open to debate. In this paper, we provide field evidence that the relationship between pay justice and managers' intrinsic motivation is moderated by pay transparency, which is the extent to which managers know each other's pay levels. In a homogeneous sample of 139 Slovenian bank managers, we find that procedural justice is a better predictor of intrinsic motivation when pay transparency is low, and that distributive justice is a better predictor of intrinsic motivation when pay transparency is high. These findings that are congruent with fairness heuristic theory (Van den Bos, Lind, Vermunt and Wilke 1997a) suggest the importance of considering pay transparency for understanding and designing fair managerial pay systems.     

Citizenship behavior and fairness in organizations: Issues and directions for future research

In this review, we discuss the preceding papers in the special issue, and explore their implications for future research. In particular, the effects of fairness on citizenship behaviors are summarized, the role of managerial responses to OCBs on subsequent perceptions of fairness are explored, and directions for future research are discussed.     

On the generalized principal-agent problem: a comment

Faynzilberg and Kumar (Rev Econ Design 5(1):23–58, 2000) show that the usual Mirrlees–Rogerson conditions to validate the first-order approach in moral hazard agency models are no longer valid in the generalized agency case. They consider the risk-averse agent case and identify one set of technological conditions, where the production technology satisfies the linear distribution function condition in actions and types, that validates ex-ante the first-order approach. With the usefulness of their decomposition approach, we show that the first-order approach in the generalized agency case can be checked ex-ante under the Mirrlees–Rogerson conditions when the agent is risk-neutral but there is a binding limited liability constraint on the agent’s wage.      

Argumatics: a text analysis procedure for supporting problem formulation

Problem formulation is the most critical phase of the decision making process. This, particularly in the case of high level multi-stakeholder problems, is not trivial, as the problems do not come “neatly packaged”. The procedure presented in this paper aims to support (i) the exploration of the stakeholders' mental constructs, and (ii) the generation, comparison and synthesis of alternative problem formulations. The suggested procedure — while using the decision analytic approach of the traditional text analysis procedures, follows an inverse, bottom-up direction of analysis: first the individual arguments inherent in the text are explored, then taking them as a starting point, the structures behind the arguments are identified.     

Due process for non-union employees: The influence of system characteristics on fairness perceptions

This article examines fairness perceptions associated with alternative dispute resolution systems. Collaborating with seven Center for Advanced Human Resource Studies sponsors, data collected from 450 non-union, non-management employees were analyzed. The major finding is that alternative dispute resolution systems that are regarded as credible, accessible, and safe (i.e., no retaliation) influence perceptions of fairness which, in turn, influence the likelihood to use the system. Implications are drawn for practice and research. © 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Expatriate pay satisfaction: the role of organizational inequities,assignment stressors and perceived assignment value

Using equity, stress and buffer theories, we investigate the role played by organizational inequities (organizational justice and provision of benefits) and assignment stressors (work adjustment and role novelty) in predicting expatriate pay satisfaction. We also assess the role of perceived assignment value as an important buffer that moderates the above relationships. With a sample of 78 expatriates from nine nationalities working in Hong Kong, we find that organizational justice and work adjustment are both positively related to expatriate pay satisfaction. We also find that perceived assignment value strengthens the provision of benefits–pay satisfaction and work adjustment–pay satisfaction relationships. Limitations and managerial implications are discussed.     

An alternative procedure for taking a random sample

Summary The procedure proposed consists in going through the population to be sampled item by item deciding each time with probability p whether the item at hand shall be incorporated in the sample. The "distances" between successive items in the sample will then form a random sample from a geometric distribution. A series of these random distances can easily be produced on a computer and can be conveniently used for taking the sample required. In some cases this method may have its advantages over the conventional use of a table of random numbers.     

On optimal allocations for estimating the surface of a random field

In general, the construction of optimal designs is apparently a difficult task for the approximation of a random field indexed by more than one dimension. Besides the rate of convergence of the minimum achievable error hardly anything is known until now. However, if there is an immanent structure present in the random field, then, taking this structure into account, improved estimates can be obtained. For this situation we present adequate designs which show, at least, a nearly optimal performance. work supported by 313/ARC/VII/93/151 of the DAAD work supported by Ku719/2-1 of the DFG     

The expert problem: a survey

The survey is focused on the typical problems in information transmission from experts to non-experts. Attention is paid to the factors that can affect information disclosure in models that apply a game-theoretic approach to the use of professional advice. In the economic literature expertise is mainly analyzed as a special case of asymmetric information between expert and non-expert. The contributions are reviewed according to a double criterion, that takes into account both the preferences of the experts and the properties of communication. On one side, either the non-expert plays the role of a decision-maker, who chooses an action that is payoff-relevant for the expert, or the preferences of the expert directly depend on some measure of his reputation as a high-ability forecaster. On the other side, communication can range from pure cheap talk to completely verifiable messages.     

Perceived fairness of personality tests and the impact of explanations for their use

Utilizing a sample of 138 printing firm employees, this field experiment tested two hypotheses regarding the perceived fairness of using personality tests in employment contexts. The results largely supported Hypothesis 1, which proposed that a selection procedure utilizing both an employment interview and a personality test would receive significantly lower fairness ratings than an interview-only selection procedure. In contrast, the results provided only partial support for Hypothesis 2, which proposed that negative fairness perceptions of personality tests can be reduced via the use of explanations for the use of such tests. In total, these findings suggest that it may be difficult to overcome negative perceptions toward the use of personality tests in employment contexts.