Model-Based Decision Support in Manufacturing and Service Networks

In this paper, we sketch some of the challenges that should be addressed in future research efforts for model-based decision support in manufacturing and service networks. This includes integration issues, taking into account the autonomy of the decision-making entities in face of information asymmetry, the modeling of preferences of the decision makers, efficiently determining robust solutions, i.e. solutions that are insensitive with respect to changes in the problem data, and a reduction of the time needed for model building and usage. The problem solution cycle includes problem analysis, the design of appropriate algorithms and their performance assessment. We are interested in a prototypical integration of the proposed methods within application systems, which can be followed up with field tests of the extended application systems. We argue that the described research agenda requires the interdisciplinary collaboration of business and information systems engineering researchers with colleagues from management science, computer science, and operations research. In addition, we present some exemplifying, illustrative examples of relevant research results.     

Measures of cost containment, impact of the economical crisis, and the effects perceived in nursing daily practice: an Italian crossover study

A qualitative/quantitative study in two phases was undertaken to describe the economical crisis intensity, cost-containment interventions adopted locally, and their effects perceived in daily practice by Italian nurses. The main economic crisis effects reported by nurses were (a) the staff stress level has increased, (b) patients with social problems have increased, and (c) the workload has increased. Overall, nurses perceived moderate disadvantages due to the economical crisis; several cost-containment measures have been adopted at different levels of the National Health Service. atients in general seem frailer and nurses working in the community centers also seem frailer compared with nurses working at the hospital level. Changes in daily nursing practice both at the hospital and community levels are warning signs that should be monitored carefully for both their short and long-term negative impacts on patients, nurses, and the National Health Service.     

On the bad reputation of reputational concerns

Can reputational concerns do any good? Economists have shown how they lead agents to ignore valuable information, to herd, and to become overly risk averse. We explore how they may be a social blessing. An agent may exert effort to become informed about the uncertain benefits of a project. A smart agent's efforts make him better informed; a dumb agent's efforts are to no avail. If an agent does not know his type, reputational concerns are socially beneficial. If an agent knows his type, reputational concerns may be socially beneficial. A dumb agent takes inefficient, unconventional decisions to mimic a smart agent. The latter exerts more effort in order not to be mistaken for a dumb. This holds whether or not project rejection is a safe haven for the dumb.     

Price/Wage Staggering and Persistence: A Unifying Framework

Abstract.  In this paper, we provide a general unified framework to clarify the issue of persistence of real effects of money shocks in staggered wage/price models. We mainly aim to: (i) highlight which features of the underlying economy, and particularly of the labour market, are crucial for generating output persistence; (ii) analyse the differences between price and wage staggering.     

Creation and Pursuit of Entrepreneurial Opportunities: An Evolutionary Economics Perspective

Considerable debate surrounds the concept of entrepreneurial opportunities. This paper approaches the opportunity concept from an evolutionary market process perspective. It argues that new opportunities for entrepreneurial activity frequently emerge as by-products of market competition. Agents may deliberately or unwittingly create opportunities. Organizational development and the evolution of industries are additional sources of new entrepreneurial opportunities. At the same time, they enable agents to acquire the skills required to exploit these opportunities.      

Ancora sul processo stocastico nascite-morti

Si determinano direttamente le probabilità di stato del processo nascite-morti cumulativo per ricorrenza. Si dà un suggerimento per il calcolo e si confrontano i risultati con quanto già ricavato da D. G. Kendall.     

Una successione di approssimanti per difetto della probabilita' di rovina

In[1] abbiamo stabilito un confine inferiore della probabilità di rovina ψ (u) cioè, psstoR=1-ψ si è mostrato che (*) $$R(u) \leqslant \frac{{1 - \tfrac{a}{c}}}{{1 - \tfrac{{a\mu }}{c}\int_0^u {(1 - F(x)) d x} }} = R(0)k_1 (u), u \geqslant 0$$ dovele costantia, c e μ e la funzioneF hanno il significato che è precisato nel seguito. Noi mostreremo l'esistenza, nella classeC _b delle funzioni continue e limitate, della soluzione dell'equazione integrale (2), cui soddisfa la funzioneR, prescindendo dalla continuità dell'operatore associato all'equazione, ma facendo ricorso soltanto a condizioni di monotonia e alla scelta diR(0)k ₁ quale funzione da cui fare partire il processo iterativo; processo che, ad ogni stadio, porge un confine superiore diR migliore del precedente, e che converge uniformemente sui limitati di [0,+∞) verso la soluzione di (2).     

On indirect taxation and weakly basic commodities

I am most grateful to Christian Bidard, Wilfried Parys, Jean Cartelier, Gianni Vaggi and the anonymous referees of this Journal for their comments on previous drafts of the paper. All remaining errors are mine.     

The southward enlargement of the EC

On January 1, 1981 the southward extension of the EC starts with the accession of Greece. Spain and Portugal are to follow suit in the near future. The consequences in the industrial sphere will be less spectacular than those in agriculture but still of considerable importance for the process of integration in a Community of Twelve.     

Exploring Growth Trajectories

In this article we try an exploration, by means of afew simple exercises, of the consequences of introducing intoa standard endogenous-growth model with expanding product varietythe possibility that the invention process of the new blueprintsmay follow more than one single predetermined trajectory. Themain motivations are a slightly more realistic formalizationof entrepreneurial creativity with spillovers and the greaterflexibility of the economic results.