Measurable triples and cardinal measurement

An axiom system is presented for a measurement structure incorporating homothetic and “Gorman polar form” weak orders as special cases. Representation theorems establish: (1) an operational method of constructing a numerical representation of such structures, and (2) that cardinal, rather than ordinal, measurement is obtained in that: (a) a class of elements is identified in the domain of the weak order which can play the same role as a yardstick in the measurement of length, and (b) the representation obtained is generally a ratio scale. Some simple special cases are also developed as are some implications for the theory of demand.     

A MEASURE OF STRUCTURAL CHANGE IN OUTPUT

This article proposes a method of characterizing the growth process using two parameters, a production index measuring growth, and a structural change index measuring the changes in the composition of output. It discusses the properties of the structural change index that is developed, including its relation to the bias in growth rates measured by conventional index numbers. It then applies the measure to an examination of Yugoslav industry for the period 1952–71.     

Predictive power of joint space models constructed with composition techniques

A comparison of different methods of building joint spaces indicates significant differences across both product classes and modeling techniques in the ability to predict preferences for validation brands. Perceptual spaces constructed with discriminant analysis combined with vector representations of preference gave the best predictions across the product clases analyzed. Also, segment-specific perceptual spaces did not, in general, improve the predictive ability of the models studied.     

AN ANALYSIS OF THE FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES CURRENTLY EMPLOYED BY LARGE U.S. CORPORATIONS

Economic conditions have placed increased importance upon rigorous financial analysis. In order to determine which analytical techniques are currently emp loyed by management, a questionnaire was sent to each fm on the May 1980, FORTUNE 500 list. The researchsought to establish a profile of the respondents' organizational structure and to identify the primary procedures used in risk assessment, working capital management, capital budgeting, and operations research modeling. The results do suggest a basic profile of the more active employers of analytical techniques. Relatively sophisticated capital budgeting procedures appear to be accepted across most industries, and many firms support their decision making with a "package" of formal tools.