Application of control charts in analytic hierarchy process

Vendor rating can be done using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) by a single decision maker or a group of decision makers. This approach may suffer from some drawbacks including bias in estimation process. The proposed methodology in this paper involves estimation by a group on an individual basis following the principle of anonymity. A control chart is constructed with an upper control limit and a lower control limit. Implementation ofthiscontrol chart will take into account the dynamic nature of vendor performance and also can be used for continuous monitoring of the vendor performance. This procedure can be used for a single vendor as well as for multiple vendor rating.     

Object-oriented design of a distributed agent-based framework for e-Procurement

Procurement is an important function in any manufacturing organization and it also has strategic business value attached to it. Hence, any improvements in the process would result in tremendous benefits. E-Procurement exploits the Internet and agent technologies to conduct procurement-related processes. In this paper, we design and develop a software agent-based framework for a typical e-Procurement process by decomposing it into three business processes: e-Negotiations, reverse auctions and e-Settlement. The artefacts of the system for each of the three business processes have been designed and developed using Unified Modeling Language (UML). A prototype of one of the processes, viz. reverse auction, has also been implemented.     

Subjective experiences of stress workload, and bodily discomfort as a function of age and type of computer work

An increasingly older workforce and a growing emphasis on jobs involving interaction with computers have resulted in a need to more carefully examine the relationship between ageing and computer-based work. In this study, a sample of 394 subjects ranging in age from 20-75 years performed a computer task across a 3-day period. Three different types of computer-based jobs (data entry, information retrieval, and accounts balancing) performed at three large US companies were simulated. Age differences in the subjective experience of stress, workload, and bodily discomfort were evaluated. The results indicated that age effects for these measures varied according to task. The older subjects perceived greater workload for the more mentally challenging problem-solving oriented accounts balancing task (Which involved a graphical user interface) than the younger participants, even with increased exposure to the task. However, the older subjects generally experienced less stress than the younger subjects on an information retrieval task that involved a more socially interactive telephone component. A positive relationship between the frustration component of workload and the measure of stress was also found, suggesting an important link between the constructs of stress and workload. Overall, the outcomes of this study provide important insights into design interventions intended to accommodate older as well as younger persons in the workforce.     

A Probabilistic Approach for Deriving Acceptable Human Intake Limits and Human Health Risks from Toxicological Studies: General Framework

The use of uncertainty factors in the standard method for deriving acceptable intake or exposure limits for humans, such as the Reference Dose (RfD), may be viewed as a conservative method of taking various uncertainties into account. As an obvious alternative, the use of uncertainty distributions instead of uncertainty factors is gaining attention. This paper presents a comprehensive discussion of a general framework that quantifies both the uncertainties in the no-adverse-effect level in the animal (using a benchmark-like approach) and the uncertainties in the various extrapolation steps involved (using uncertainty distributions). This approach results in an uncertainty distribution for the no-adverse-effect level in the sensitive human subpopulation, reflecting the overall scientific uncertainty associated with that level. A lower percentile of this distribution may be regarded as an acceptable exposure limit (e.g., RfD) that takes account of the various uncertainties in a nonconservative fashion. The same methodology may also be used as a tool to derive a distribution for possible human health effects at a given exposure level. We argue that in a probabilistic approach the uncertainty in the estimated no-adverse-effect-level in the animal should be explicitly taken into account. Not only is this source of uncertainty too large to be ignored, it also has repercussions for the quantification of the other uncertainty distributions.     

佃农理论与南京大学

有关土地使用的合约问题一直是有争议的。以往学者们从传统理论上分析,总是认为租佃制是无效率的。可是他们不能解释为什么类似于租佃制的合约方式在近现代还很有生命力。从南京大学获得的各种土地合约的原始资料可以发现相反的结论,说明租佃制是有效率的。这些合约资料帮助我完成了博士论文,并使得我的论文更加精彩。经济学是解释现象的,我们应该解释那些现实的东西,而不应该只解释并不存在的东西。     

The susceptible circle: A taxonomy of followers associated with destructive leadership

While leadership scholars increasingly acknowledge the influence of followers in the leadership process, less attention has been paid to their role in the destructive leadership process. Specifically, the current debate lacks a broad-based understanding of different susceptible follower types that synthesizes related research across academic domains. Expanding on Padilla, Hogan, and Kaiser's (2007) toxic triangle model of destructive leadership, we integrate research and theory across various academic literatures to derive a cohesive taxonomy of vulnerable followers that we call the susceptible circle. We describe the core characteristics of each follower type, drawing on Barbuto's (2000) theory of follower compliance to highlight the psychological processes that motivate each follower to comply with destructive leaders. We then conclude by discussing theoretical and practical implications, as well as avenues for future research.     

情境理论化:基于中国企业战略管理实践的探讨

中国企业管理学科的发展经历了情境钝感、情境敏感和情境效应3个阶段,情境理论化成为基于管理实践实现理论创新的突破口。为了有效推进情境理论化的研究,应该从环境、组织与人的交互作用和动态演化来理解企业所处的情境特点。在此基础上,以中国企业战略管理研究为例,分析了情境理论化的2个途径和4个方面的能力要求;提出以市场分割性为对象,研究市场分割性的情境效应,应该是实现中国情境理论化的一种有益的尝试。