Exploring the relationship between scenario planning and perceptions of strategic conversation quality

This study examines the construct of strategic conversation in a scenario planning context. After defining key terms and a conceptual framework for the strategic conversation, this study presents data gathered from individual participants in a scenario planning project. Data concerning perceptions of strategic conversation skills were collected pre-and post-scenario planning project, and then compared with a standard t-test. Conclusions are drawn and limitations are presented and discussed in depth. Recommendations for improving this research in future studies are also identified.     

The future of hydrogen fueling systems for transportation: An application of perspective-based scenario analysis using the analytic hierarchy process

This paper integrates the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) with scenario analysis techniques to explore the commercialization of future hydrogen fuel processor technologies. AHP is a multi-attribute decision analysis tool useful for evaluating decisions with multiple criteria and alternatives. In this paper, AHP is extended using a technique called perspective-based scenario analysis (PBSA). In PBSA, scenario analysis is conducted based on potential future decision-maker perspectives that are integrated into the AHP framework. This paper discusses this method and applies it to the evaluation of hydrogen fuel processor technologies 15–20 years hence. The results provide an added layer of insight into the opportunities and barriers for the commercialization of these technologies as well as the methodological opportunities for using AHP and PBSA as a futures tool.     

Strategic use of futures and options by commodity processors

The impacts of input–output price relationships on end-users' demands for positions in futures and options are analyzed using a mean-variance portfolio model and applied to price risk management in the bread manufacturing industry. A production relationship was assumed between the input and resultant output, and correlation between the input and output prices were introduced into the portfolio model. The optimal hedge ratio can be either positive or negative depending upon the relationship between the input and output price standard deviation adjusted for production technology and input–output price correlation. Introduction of a call option into the portfolio (in addition to the futures) does not change the hedging demand for futures; however, the speculative component changes. The results show that the addition of input–output linear production and price correlation relationships would not justify a hedging role for options unless there is bias in the futures and/or options markets.     

Exploring the market for breakthrough technologies

In this article, the gap between futures research (long term) and market research (short term) is closed in two ways. Firstly, by describing methods of market exploration that can be used earlier on in the process of development and diffusion of breakthrough technologies, so market research can be applied along with futures research. Secondly, the gap is closed by actually combining futures research and market research. We start the article from the perspective of the market research discipline and describe the problems in market research that require new approaches. The validity of market research results is often low when breakthrough technologies enter the market. To investigate this problem, assumptions for valid market research results are presented. In some cases, when breakthrough technologies first enter the market, these assumptions do not hold and market research becomes problematic whereas in other cases customers' needs and preferences are not an issue at all and attention focuses on technological issues. Potential solutions to explore the market in the former cases are suggested. Four approaches are distinguished: (1) adapting existing methods; (2) combining consumer research with market structure analysis or futures research; (3) using theoretic models; and (4) probe and learn approaches. These approaches require different subsets of assumptions and are therefore applicable in different situations.     

Suspending disbelief: Influencing engagement in scenarios of forest futures

Scenario analysis is an approach to long-term planning that informs decision-making in contexts of highly uncertain future conditions. Scenario-based studies are rapidly growing in popularity, yet many aspects of the method are not fully understood. Participants' willingness to suspend disbelief in possible futures is an integral component of scenario-based studies, essential for considering alternative future scenarios, yet little is known about the factors that affect it. Participation in a scenario project does not necessarily imply willingness or ability to suspend disbelief; participants may not suspend disbelief simply upon request. However, the scenario literature says little about the aspects of scenario-based studies that influence suspension of disbelief.This article explores the factors that influenced the suspension of disbelief in one scenario exercise about the future of Canada's forests. Participants differed in their abilities to suspend disbelief in the scenarios in part because of their past experiences and expertise in particular areas, and their assessments of probable and desired future outcomes. Elements of the project design and implementation influenced participants' abilities to engage the scenarios. The results have implications for those interested in using scenarios for helping people and communities envision possible - and sustainable - futures.     

Commodity futures contracts: Furnishing an elastic currency in the nineteenth century

In this paper, I show that nineteenth century US interest rates are relatively more volatile before 1874 and I propose, and demonstrate how, commodity futures trading is the likely principal proximate explanation for this change in behavior. Borrowing from Turnovsky [Econometrica 51 (1983) 1363], I model the optimizing behaviors of risk averse producers and risk neutral speculators in the absence and presence of futures contracts and I show that, so long as one party to a futures contract was risk averse, futures markets would have quelled interest rate volatility caused by variations in planting and harvesting conditions.     

Roadmapping 3G mobile TV: Strategic thinking and scenario planning through repeated cross-impact handling

In order to deal with growing uncertainties emerging in the 3G wireless industry and to preserve their competitiveness, managers involved in the wireless value network should identify future success very early and develop their strategic planning on time. This study, based on a Scenario Evaluation and Analysis through Repeated Cross impact Handling, allows the generation of both qualitative and quantitative scenarios and can be used as an operative planning tool. The dynamic forces driving the scenario are based on the main principles of system thinking and multiple features. The probabilistic data have been elicited with the help of 40 executives in USA and Europe working for companies in the different phases of the wireless value chain. Findings allow to identify basic trends and uncertainties useful to develop corporate or business strategies.     

The hedging effectiveness of constant and time-varying hedge ratios using three Pacific Basin stock futures

This paper investigates the hedging effectiveness of Australian, Hong Kong, and Japanese stock futures markets. The traditional hedge and the minimum variance hedge ratios are all constant whereas the bivariate GARCH hedge ratio is time varying. The effectiveness of the hedge ratio is compared by investigating the out-of-sample performance of the three ratios. The whole sample consists of weekly returns from January 1990 to December 2000. Two 1-year, out-of-sample periods are used: January 1999 to December 1999 and January 2000 to December 2000. Results show that the time-varying GARCH hedge ratio outperforms the constant ratios in most of the cases. This is true using both out-of-sample periods.     

“Expiration hour effect of futures and options markets on stock market” — A case study on NSE (National Stock Exchange of India)

This paper studies the effect of expiration day of the Index futures and Options on the trading volume, variance and price of the underlying shares. The impact of derivatives trading on the underlying stock market has been widely documented in the Finance literature. In particular, significant differences in the statistical properties of asset returns (for instance, mean and variance) during expiration and non-expiration days have been advanced as an evidence for the destabilization effect (or lack there of) of derivative instruments. The earlier studies have, however, drawn their conclusions without rigorously modelling the underlying stochastic data generation process. Given that the statistical properties mentioned before are merely traits of the asset returns, this approach can lead to spurious results if analyzed in isolation of the underlying process. We propose to address this crucial shortcoming by examining the expiration day effect from a GARCH (Generalized Auto Regressive Conditional Heteroskedastic) framework. We use both daily and high frequency (5 min and 10 min) data on S&P CNX Nifty Index. Our central finding using intra-day data is that while there is no pressure – downward or upward – on index returns, the volatility is indeed significantly affected by the expiration of contracts. This effect, however, doesn’t show up in daily data.     

Environmental rights on the futures markets an application to the dutch manure market

A study was carried out to analyze futures markets for tradable rights after a cash market was initiated. Furthermore, some indication was given on the size of such a futures market to provide insight into its viability. Futures markets can play a role in solving environmental problems, by making the market for pollution rights (i.e. P₂O₅ rights) and agro rights (milk rights, sugar rights and P₂O₅ rights) more effective and transparent. Moreover, the market for tradable rights would be able to meet the users' need for hedging. This paper investigated the possibility of introducing a futures markets for tradable P₂O₅ rights and the commodity manure. Because there is already a cash market for manure, although not well developed yet, and there will be a cash market for P₂O₅ rights, a futures market is a logical sequel. The futures market can play a role in implementing agricultural policy efficiently and with respect to manure and P₂O₅ rights can be an economically efficient solution to environmental problems.We acknowledge the financial support of the ATA (Agricultural Futures Market Amsterdam).     

Medical technology decisions in The Netherlands: How to solve the dilemma of technology foresight versus market research?

In this article, we discuss a dilemma consisting of the market-oriented perspective of users of medical technology versus the long-term technology foresight perspective. The context of medical technology is interesting, because we have to cope with complex future-oriented multi-level and multi-actor strategic decision making. In order to deal with this dilemma we suggest combining the results of a (group) expert opinion forecasting approach with a more market-oriented scenario-approach. More specifically, we use the results of the Delphi-technique as the main input for the development of various capacity (Market-based) scenarios. We exemplify this approach by a real life example directed at the future of imaging techniques for cancer care in The Netherlands and focus on a set of scenarios that deal with the application of the MRI-technique in the period 2005–2015. The Delphi-panel's expectations with respect to imaging technology representing the technological forecasts, combined with other relevant developments (such as demographic and epidemiological developments) are translated into alternative inputs for assumptions of the scenario-model. This model is basic to the future projections in terms of needed MRI-scanners, manpower and investments. We argue that the results provide motivation to continue to explore the methodological interesting area of innovation, aligning the market-oriented perspective of users of (medical) technology with the long-term technology forecasting perspective.     

The future of the future: Strategic foresight in Latin America

With few differences in timing, future studies in Latin America were initiated with a linear conception of reality. Orchestrated with techniques such as the Delphi, future studies were supported by mathematical principles of probability. Several countries have surpassed this stage while moving into strategic foresight. Strategic foresight analyzes the future as a multiple reality. In other words, it means thinking differently and not reading reality in a linear manner. It means accepting that there is not one future but several futures and that one question could have more than one answer.This change has demanded a shift in mentality. The presence of the disciplines in universities is of vital importance. For example, the Technological Institute of Monterrey (Mexico) and the Universidad Externado de Colombia (Bogota) offer foresight and strategy programs at the graduate level.This article describes how different individuals, groups, agencies and institutions in Latin America have emerged thanks to the support provided by the science and technology governmental agencies of each country. The author provides examples from different countries including Colombia, Brazil, Chile and Mexico. Currently, strategic foresight is slowly gaining recognition and acceptance as a compass for productive sectors and as a generator of competitiveness.However, despite the contributions of strategic foresight, Latin American countries, with the exception of some of the above-mentioned countries, have struggled to take off into the future. The role of strategic foresight can become the driving force behind this awakening, if the challenge of linking global trends with local contextualization through scenarios is accepted.     

论传统期货交易所公司化改造的背景

许多传统的会员制非赢利期货交易所近年来纷纷进行公司化改造,成为赢利性的股份公司。尽管对这种组织变革及其相关问题存在着一些不同认识,但要深入研究这些问题,必须首先弄清出现公司化改造浪潮的背景。研究表明,促成这类战略决策的主要因素包括三个方面：信息技术的变革与创新使传统交易方式和组织形式面临技术竞争力方面的压力;国际期货市场结构发生了重大变化,传统交易所组织形式面临竞争方面的严峻挑战,有关国家的市场监管部门为提升本国期货业的竞争实力,对交易所的组织变革提供了有力支持。     

Intraday price information flows between the CSI300 and futures market: an application of wavelet analysis

This study investigates linear and nonlinear price information flows between the Chinese Stock Index 300 (CSI300) and futures market using high-frequency data and their wavelet transformed series for three regimes for which stock short-selling restrictions in China are different. Empirical results generally indicate information feedback between these two markets regardless of assumptions of linear and nonlinear causality and regimes for original series and wavelet transformed data at different scales.     

我国商品期货价格指数与宏观经济指标关系的实证研究简

通过考察我国商品期货价格指数与主要宏观经济变量之间的相互影响关系,发现商品期货价格指数对物价、国内生产总值、利率、人民币汇率均有明显的引导作用和直接影响,并且能够领先CPI指标约5-7个月。商品期货价格指数作为CPI的先行指标具有一定的可行性。     

单只股票期货及其定价模型研究

本文首先介绍了单只股票期货的含义,产生及其优点,然后根据单只股票期货的特点,给出了单只股票期货合约的定价模型,最后分析了单只股票期货对于中国证券市场的意义。     

企业套期保值研究及实证分析--基于基差复制技术的方法

文章针对企业套期保值过程中由于套保比率的设定以及入市点的错误选择使得企业面临亏损风险的问题而提出对策。笔者在套期保值比率问题上首次引入了寻找合理判断入市点的模型并给出了具体方法。利用金融工程中无套利的复制原理,复制出了一个远期的权益,从而得出了文章所认为的最优套保比率,为实务界经常运用的选择入市点问题给予理论支持。文章构建的模型得出,在套保比率的设定问题上不但要选择入市点,还要选择套保的时间因素。在买期保值上,当判断出市场行情有利时我们选择相对较大的保值比率,这样可以使我们能尽量获取基差上扬所带来的收益,另外又不至于把套保比率无限扩大使得套保变成投机,以防在万一出现行情错误的时候出现大幅亏损。在卖期保值上,当判断行情有利时,选择相对较低的保值比率,这样可以使我们能尽量获取基差下跌所带来的收益,另外又不至于把套保比率无限缩小甚至不保使得套保变成投机,以防在万一出现行情错误的时候亏损。     

股指期货对股票市场效率的影响实证分析

通过分析香港恒生指数及其指数期货,研究发现,股指期货对现货价格具有价格发现作用。为防止伪回归问题对分析结果的影响,故采用协整检验和格兰杰（Granger）因果关系检验,就股指期货对市场效率的影响进行验证。研究结果显示,股指期货对现货指数确实存在价格发现功能。     

Nash equilibrium when players account for the complexity of their forecasts

Nash equilibrium is often interpreted as a steady state in which each player holds the correct expectations about the other players' behavior and acts rationally. This paper investigates the robustness of this interpretation when there are small costs associated with complicated forecasts. The model consists of a two-person strategic game in which each player chooses a finite machine to implement a strategy in an infinitely repeated 2×2 game with discounting. I analyze the model using a solution concept called Nash Equilibrium with Stable Forecasts (ESF). My main results concern the structure of equilibrium machine pairs. They provide necessary and sufficient conditions on the form of equilibrium strategies and plays. In contrast to the “folk theorem,” these structural properties place severe restrictions on the set of equilibrium paths and payoffs. For example, only sequences of the one-shot Nash equilibrium can be generated by any ESF of the repeated game of chicken.     

The future of economics: the appropriately educated in pursuit of the knowable

This paper argues that, currently, significant change is takingplace in economics because (1) technological changes in analyticand computing methods are opening up new avenues of study, and(2) the ‘low hanging fruit’ from previous approachesand methods have already been picked. It offers a vision ofthe future of economics that sees economists focusing less onthe study of infinitely bright agents operating in informationrich environments and more on the study of reasonably brightindividuals operating in information-poor environments. Agent-basedmodels and computer analysis of data will increase in importance,and deductive analytics will decrease in importance.