On-line spectrum auctions in TV white spaces for supporting mobile services—A practical manual

This paper considers an approach for dynamic short-term spectrum leasing in TV white spaces (TVWS) using an on-line auction. The secondary spectrum market discussed here is organized by a central entity called the spectrum broker. The auctioned spectrum appears in blocks of available DVB-T channels with some transmit power constraints set-up to protect the primary users (DVB-T receivers). The bidders are institutional spectrum operators (telecommunication companies or service providers), operating in a given area. These players are characterized by heterogeneous demands concerning the spectrum bandwidth, the operation period with temporarily-exclusive rights for using the spectrum and the transmit power needed for successful transmission. Thus, the auctioned objects are non-identical and present different value for different players. Two auction models are proposed. The first one is the simultaneous auction in time domain and combinatorial in frequency and power dimension. The second proposed auction is fully combinatorial. Simulations results are also provided showing effectiveness of the analyzed auctions (high spectrum utilization ratio) and relation between the players’ satisfaction, their spectrum valuation and varying competition. Finally the guidelines concerning the spectrum auctions in TVWS for the policy makers are proposed.     

Sustainable Branding — mehr als ein neues Schlagwort?!

In der Markenführung l?sst sich derzeitig ein bemerkenswerter Trend zur Nachhaltigkeit beobachten. Im Mittelpunkt der Diskussion stehen Fragen, inwiefern Nachhaltigkeitsaspekte in der Marke verankert werden sollten und ob Sustainable Branding mehr als ein neues Schlagwort darstellt. Nachhaltigkeit war Prof. Dr. Dr. Helmut Sihler als ehemaligem Vorstandsvorsitzenden von Henkel immer ein besonderes Anliegen. Dieser Beitrag sei ihm daher aus Anlass seines 80. Geburtstages gewidmet.     

Who Is the Loser When I Lose the Game? Does Losing an Advergame Have a Negative Impact on the Perception of the Brand?

Many computer games are based on the principle of competition, making the outcome of the game, namely, the prospect of victory and the threat of defeat, a key element. A lab experiment was conducted to study the effects of a game's outcome on the player's mood, brand attitude, and game attitude as well as the experience of flow (N = 95; between-subject design: game lost versus game won versus no induction of the game outcome). The results show that although winners are not in a better mood after the game, they rate the game as better and assess the brands advertised more positively than before they played the game. They have an increased likelihood of experiencing flow, whereas no significant effects of losing the game could be detected due to the total mediation of the flow experience in the case of the losing condition.     

Horse riding posing challenges to the Swedish Right of Public Access

Increasing numbers of horses are being kept for sports and leisure purposes in peri-urban areas throughout the Western world. This expansion of the equestrian sector represents a multifunctional transition, with new production of rural goods and services and increasing influence on land use.In Sweden, the number of horses has increased from 70,000 to approximately 300,000 over the last 30 years. This increase is putting pressure on the traditional Right of Public Access, an old custom allowing the public to walk, cycle or ride on private or state-owned property.This paper analyses multifunctional land use in peri-urban areas in order to provide a deeper understanding of the potential conflicts arising due to the expanding equine sector and to assess how these can affect the Swedish right of public access and spatial planning.A survey of horse riders and landowners in three peri-urban regions of Sweden revealed that these groups differ in their attitudes towards the Right of Public Access. The data also showed that the expanding equine sector is generating new demands on rural areas and there are questions regarding how the current system of open accessibility can meet the increasing market for equestrian leisure activities. The main conclusion is that there seems to be a strong need for intervention and deliberate creation of new ways of handling the accessibility question, where both a bottom-up and top-down approach may be useful.     

An integration of the livelihoods and asset-based community development approaches: A South African case study

This study provides an integrated framework and practice model of the sustainable livelihoods (SL) and the asset-based community development (ABCD) approaches. A household survey of a rural village in South Africa is used as a basis of analysis to demonstrate the application of the integrated approach. The results elucidate the vulnerability of the people and a range of inter-locking and multi-dimensional factors contributing to poverty in the community. The results also show people's assets, capabilities and activities which enable them to cope and survive despite constraints and shortcomings. It was found that the integrated SL/ABCD framework is a useful framework to understand the strengths of a vulnerable community in order to plan and implement sustainable community development strategies.     

A deep learning model for gas storage optimization

Decisions in Economics and Finance - To the best of our knowledge, the application of deep learning in the field of quantitative risk management is still a relatively recent phenomenon. In this...     

Investigation of the relationship between service values and loyalty behaviors under high commitment

The aim of this study is to investigate to relationship between service values, commitment, and customer loyalty. Based on self-administrated survey from 440 mobile service users in South Korea, the proposed model was estimated by a hierarchical regression. First, the price and the quality values have a positive effect on repurchase intention under high calculative commitment. Second, price value also has a positive effect on positive word of mouth under high calculative commitment. Finally, and social value has a positive effect on positive word of mouth under high affective commitment. We discuss the implications of these findings for commitment management strategies on the relationship between service values and customer-loyalty link. Limitations and recommendations for future research are also presented.