航空票务公司免费接送服务中的车次调度模型及算法

本文从顾客满意度和成本出发,对航空票务公司免费接送顾客的车次分配和调度问题进行研究,首先分析了票务公司免费接送服务的业务流程;然后给出了基于时间的顾客满意度函数,并建立了在一定顾客满意度下成本最小的车次调度模型;最后利用集划分方法求解该模型。集划分包括以下两步：第一步采用广度优先搜索生成全部车次集;第二步提出了一种启发式算法。通过仿真分析比较,验证了启发式算法的有效性。     

基于模糊时间窗的车辆调度问题研究

基于现实生活中配送企业车辆资源有限和顾客对服务时间要求并非完全刚性的特征,通过时间窗模糊化处理将顾客服务的满意度量化为配送服务开始时间的模糊隶属度函数。在一定满意度下,构建了基于模糊时间窗的车辆调度模型,根据模型的特点,改进了基于客户的染色体编码方式,设定了一种新的约束处理方法,避免了惩罚策略中选取惩罚因子的困难。在算法中用模糊优化程序处理问题的模糊特征,通过对顾客服务时间的局部调整来确定最佳服务时间。最终通过实例验证与原结果比较发现,引用模糊时间窗函数不仅可以降低配送成本,而且有利于节省运力资源。     

顾客累积满意度的测量——基于动态顾客期望的解析模型

顾客的累积满意度是反映持续型服务产品绩效的重要指标.由于累积顾客满意是顾客各期感知的叠加,会涉及不同时段的顾客期望,因此,充分考虑期望的动态性是对它进行有效测量的关键.本研究以动态的顾客期望为基础,建立了一个测量累积满意度的解析模型.该模型将“期望差距范式”和“后悔/得意结构”相结合,并充分考虑了“适应性”和“社会比较”对顾客期望的动态性所造成的影响.本研究还将该模型运用于企业促销资源的优化分配.优化结果表明,整体符合脉冲式递增分布,并增大首期投入的资源配置方案可以使顾客在一定时期内的累积满意度达到最大.该结论与行为经济理论的一致性证明了本模型的良好效度.     

服务设计中确定服务要素组合方案的方法

服务设计通常是指通过确定服务要素组合方案以尽可能满足顾客服务需求的过程,在这一过程中不仅要考虑尽可能地满足顾客的服务需求,而且还要考虑顾客满意度和成本预算.针对服务设计中如何确定服务要素组合方案的问题,提出一种决策分析方法;采用问卷调查方式获取顾客的评价信息,即服务要素对服务需求的满足程度和服务需求满意度的分值信息;依据Kano模型的思想,通过对评价信息进行处理和拟合来确定每个服务需求的满意度函数;基于确定的满意度函数并考虑成本预算,建立以顾客满意度最大化为目标的确定服务要素组合方案的优化模型,通过求解优化模型确定服务要素组合方案.最后,以某航空公司头等舱服务设计为例,说明所提出方法的可行性和有效性.     

在线B2C顾客物流服务感知及相关因素的实证研究

物流服务已成为B2C电子商务的重要组成部分,关注顾客的物流服务感知也日渐成为网络零售企业管理面临的新问题.本文分析了B2C电子商务环境下顾客物流服务感知以及与之相关的产品价值感知、商流过程感知和企业形象感知等因素及其这些因素与顾客满意度,顾客忠诚之间的相互关系,并在理论与文献研究的基础上建立了在线B2C顾客物流服务感知相关因素的假设模型.通过某中国大型在线零售商顾客的实际调研并结合结构方程模型的分析,实际数据验证了"在线B2C顾客企业形象感知对其物流服务感知具有显著的正面影响","在线B2C顾客物流服务感知对其网购满意度具有显著的正面影响"等假设.据此,本文分析认为网络零售商可选择两种实施路径以提升顾客满意度:其一,凭借其良好的企业形象将渠道控制能力自然延伸到物流服务领域,其二,参与供应商的产品质量管理甚至产品研发与上游供应商协作.     

基于技术的自助服务顾客满意影响因素研究

借鉴前人研究成果和通过深度访谈,构建了一个基于技术的自助服务顾客满意度测评模型.然后,通过实际测评发现,基于技术的自助服务顾客满意影响因素有8个:过程可靠、信任、服务补救、时间自由、易用、顾客学习、服务设计合理和效率.这对基于技术的自助服务企业提升顾客满意度有借鉴价值.     

考虑自取服务和门到门服务的电动汽车物流网络优化策略研究

在环境意识增长与政府政策支持的有利条件下,电动汽车在物流领域得以快速发展。为提高物流服务的效率,降低企业运营成本,文中研究了考虑顾客服务策略的电动物流汽车服务设施选址与配送路径问题。采取顾客自行取货与配送人员送货上门相结合的多样化服务策略,使得服务站点的建设成本、顾客点配送路径成本以及服务站点补货路径成本之和最小。建立了整数规划数学模型,允许配送车辆在服务过程中前往服务站点接受充电服务。其次,提出了基于改进节约算法和禁忌算法的混合启发式算法MCWSA-TS。随后,在小规模算例将CPLEX运算结果与MCWSA-TS进行对比,证明了算法的有效性。最后,采用多组算例探讨了顾客取货半径对运营成本的影响,并对分离配送策略与联合配送策略进行对比分析。实验结果表明,多样化服务策略有助于企业满足顾客取货时间和取货方式的个性化需求。同时,兼顾运营成本与顾客满意度,促进电动汽车参与的物流服务快速发展。     

网络购物顾客满意度影响因素的实证研究

基于预期不确认理论和服务质量衡量理论,建立了一个购物网站服务质量、顾客期望与网络顾客满意度之间关系的结构模型.将购物网站服务质量分为8个维度,分别是网站设计特色、网络安全性、网络互动性、顾客化服务、产品质量保证、便利性、价格优势和操作难易度,并以当前网络购物主体之一的在校大学生为调查样本对模型进行实证检验.实证研究结果支持这一理论模型和大多数假设,并表明消费者感知的购物网站服务质量和顾客自身对网站的期望共同决定其对购物网站的满意度,网站设计特色对网络顾客满意度并没有显著的正向影响,网络安全性、价格优势和产品质量保证是影响网络顾客满意度最为重要的因素.     

顾客个人价值嵌入的顾客满意度指数扩展模型

本文尝试将反映消费终极目的的顾客个人价值概念引入顾客满意度指数模型,提出了嵌入顾客个人价值的顾客满意度指数扩展模型。基于餐饮业和移动通讯业样本进行实证研究,结果表明所提出的扩展模型得到验证,顾客个人价值对顾客满意具有显著的影响,感知服务质量和感知顾客价值是顾客个人价值的决定因素。本研究深化了对顾客满意形成机理的认识,为服务企业评价满足消费者需求能力和经济产出质量的指标提供了理论根据。     

基于服务效率的自助服务设施选址模型与算法

研究了服务行业中基于服务效率的自助服务设施选址及选址点服务台数量分配的问题.通过确定选址数量,将排队理论与选址理论结合,以减少顾客访问的旅行成本和排队拥塞成本来提高设施的服务效率,对选址点的服务台进行合理分配,建立了非线性整数规划模型.运用下降算法和遗传算法对设施选址与服务台分配进行设计,并通过大量随机算例验证了算法的有效性.     

Educational Landscapes and Urban Development. Contextual and Spatial Interfaces and Linkages

In the broad sociopolitical discussion on education quality within the last decade, it has become apparent that education is gaining importance for urban development, as well as space and the urban context are important dimensions of education. This becomes particularly evident in concepts for local educational landscapes (Ger. Bildungslandschaften). The young field of research on educational landscapes is currently lacking empirical research from spatial and planning sciences. In the paper, the current state of scientific research on educational landscapes in Germany and Europe and first insights to contextual and spatial interfaces and linkages between education and urban development in general are presented.     

Inventory Models with Continuous and Poisson Demands and Discounted and Average Costs

We develop a new, unified approach to treating continuous‐time stochastic inventory problems with both the average and discounted cost criteria. The approach involves the development of an adjusted discounted cycle cost formula, which has an appealing intuitive interpretation. We show for the first time that an (s, S) policy is optimal in the case of demand having a compound Poisson component as well as a constant rate component. Our demand structure simultaneously generalizes the classical EOQ model and the inventory models with Poisson demand, and we indicate the reasons why this task has been a difficult one. We do not require the surplus cost function to be convex or quasi‐convex as has been assumed in the literature. Finally, we show that the optimal s is unique, but we do not know if optimal S is unique.     

E-governance and Corruption-developments and Issues in Ethiopia

This paper reports the results of a survey of 400 respondents in Ethiopia about factors generating corruption and the potential of e-Governance to mitigate corruption. It is suggested that e-Governance can help not only in weeding out corruption but also in the establishment of sounder government citizen relationships in Ethiopia. While e-Governance cannot cure all the structural factors that breed corruption in the society, strategic implementation of e-Governance can help improve the critical variable in combating corruption-government citizen relationships. It is argued that while e-Governance initiatives can make important contributions to improving public services they can best do so by helping improve overall relationships between governments and citizens.

CEO and Chairperson characteristics and firm performance

This paper focuses on the relationship between Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairperson characteristics and firm performance. Specifically, the study examines the association between the characteristics of the CEO and the Chairperson of the board and firm performance. Using a sample of S&P 500 firms, the evidence found suggests that demographic and experience-related characteristics may be associated with the market valuation and financial performance of the firm. In particular, the reported results indicate a positive relationship between the presence of female CEOs or Chairs and firm performance, thus suggesting that gender-based differences may affect the CEO’s/Chairperson’s success. Moreover, the findings concerning the age of the CEO or Chair are mixed, while their experience and quality appear positively related to firm performance. Interestingly, a CEO or Chairperson holding multiple board seats is negatively associated with firm performance, whereas CEO duality has a positive relationship with Tobin’s Q and the return on assets (ROA) of the firm.     

David and Goliath: causes and effects of coopetition between start-ups and corporates

Coopetition (collaboration between competitors) among young firms (i.e. start-ups) and larger, more established firms (i.e. corporates) may be beneficial for both partners as each party typically has something to offer that is missing in the other. Start-ups often develop innovative ideas, are flexible and agile, willing to take risks, and aspire to achieve high growth, but they tend to lack the required resources, capabilities, and knowledge due to their newness and smallness. Corporates have resources, routines, and experience that enable them to work efficiently but lack a certain innovation capability. Research has suggested that coopetition represents an opportunity for start-ups facing restrictions in resources, while corporates benefit from start-ups’ innovative ideas. However, it is yet unknown whether start-ups and corporates engage in coopetition with each other and, if so, how and why they do this. This study seeks to fill this void by exploring the motives of coopeting start-ups and corporates, how they manage their coopetitive relationship, and what implications occur including potential benefits and risks. We present a multiple case study based on qualitative data collected through 70 interviews with Austrian-based start-ups and corporates representing 35 coopetitive partnerships. Discussing the findings based on our data, we propose relationships concerning coopetition and its role to enlarge resource- and technology-bases as well as its role in the development of dynamic capabilities.     

Career orientations and career success among research,and development and engineering professionals

Managing the careers of research, development and engineering (RD&E) professionals is important to the strategic use of RD&E in the economy. Appropriate mechanisms for motivating RD&E professionals will probably emerge as a critical success factor for organizations that want to compete in world markets. This study examines dimensions and levels of career orientation and their correlations with individual and work-related outcome variables among 78 RD&E professionals. The findings reveal a rich diversity of career orientation in RD&E professionals. The data strongly suggest that RD&E professionals are service, lifestyle and security oriented. However, they scored low on technical orientation and entrepreneurship. This paper suggests that the dual career ladder is not an effective device for managing RD&E professionals. Organizations must be careful to provide career paths that retain and motivate workers and, more importantly, find matches between organizational needs and individuals' needs, and restructure jobs accordingly. The authors offer suggestions for future research and identify implications for management.     

Modeling Pathology Workload and Complexity to Manage Risks and Improve Patient Quality and Safety

Anatomic pathology (AP) laboratories provide critical diagnostic information that help determine patient treatments and outcomes, but the risks of AP operations and their impact on patient safety and quality of care remain poorly recognized and undermanaged. Hospital-based laboratories face an operational and risk management challenge because clinical work of unknown quantity and complexity arrives with little advance notice, which results in fluctuations in workload that can push operations beyond planned capacity, leading to diagnostic delays and potential errors. Modeling the dynamics of workload and complexity in AP offers the opportunity to better use available information to manage risks. We developed a stock-and-flow model of a typical AP laboratory operation and identified key exogenous inputs that drive AP work. To test the model, we generated training and validations data sets by combining data from the electronic medical records and laboratory information systems over multiple years. We demonstrate the implementation of 10-day AP work forecast generated on a daily basis, and show its performance in comparison with actual work. Although the model somewhat underpredicts work as currently implemented, it provides a framework for prospective management of resources to ensure quality during workload surges. Although full implementation requires additional model development, we show that AP workload largely depends on few and accessible clinical inputs. Recognizing that level loading of work in a hospital is not practical, predictive modeling of work can empower laboratories to triage, schedule, or mobilize resources more effectively and better manage risks that reduce the quality or timeliness of diagnostic information.     

Work and shopping overflow — Consequences and differentiation among selected psychological and demographic characteristics

Contemporary individuals are forced to deal with excessive stimulation, which causes an overload in the cognitive and emotional areas. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possible factors differentiating the perceived level of work and shopping overflow experienced by individuals and consequences of these states. Two psychological variables: cognitive control and sensation seeking, are chosen as potential factors differentiating the perceived levels of overflow. We assume that individuals with high cognitive control and sensation seeking will report lower levels of both types of examined overflows. Experiencing low overflow levels may manifest in the search for additional stimuli, rather than in the desire to limit them. Two indexes of behavior connected to seeking extra stimulation are selected: one belonging to the area of consumer behavior (readiness to participate in the experience economy) and one belonging to vocational behavior (choosing a boundaryless career). The quantitative study is conducted on a sample of 297 management students who are currently employed. The research results support the relation between cognitive control and perceived level of work and shopping overflow. Individuals who can cognitively control the situation and the incoming stimuli report lower levels of overflow. No significant relationship between sensation seeking and the level of overflow is found. The demographic variables that influence the perceived overflow are age and salary for work overflow and age for shopping overflow. As far as consequences of overflow are concerned, a low level of shopping overflow is related to readiness to participate in the experience economy. However, there is no link between work overflow and preferred career pattern. The managerial implications for human resource management and marketing strategy design are discussed.     

Review and reappraisal of modelling and predicting mental workload in single- and multi-task environments

The concept of mental workload has long been recognized as an important factor in individual performance within complex systems. It is documented that either overload or underload may degrade performance, and further affect the efficiency of the whole system. Therefore, systems designers need some explicit models to predict the mental workload imposed on individuals by the system at an early design phase so that alternative system designs can be evaluated. In examining mental-workload literature, it is found that few predictive mental-workload models have considered factors specific to individuals. This research aims to develop a practical framework for predicting mental workload in both single- and multi-task environments considering such individual factors. In order to describe mental workload more precisely and more completely, a framework for mentalworkload definitions, which contains instantaneous workload, average workload, accumulated workload, peak workload and overall workload, is proposed. In order to model individual factors, two new variables, i.e. effective workload and ineffective workload, are introduced to model the taskgenerated workload and individual-generated workload. The extension of the model to multi-task environments is also discussed. The proposed conceptual models are domain-independent and could be used to guide the development of operational models for different specific tasks.