Avoiding unfairness of Owen allocations in linear production processes

This paper deals with cooperation situations in linear production problems in which a set of goods are to be produced from a set of resources so that a certain benefit function is maximized, assuming that resources not used in the production plan have no value by themselves. The Owen set is a well-known solution rule for the class of linear production processes. Despite their stability properties, Owen allocations might give null payoff to players that are necessary for optimal production plans. This paper shows that, in general, the aforementioned drawback cannot be avoided allowing only allocations within the core of the cooperative game associated to the original linear production process, and therefore a new solution set named EOwen is introduced. For any player whose resources are needed in at least one optimal production plan, the EOwen set contains at least one allocation that assigns a strictly positive payoff to such player. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.The authors want to thank the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology for providing financial support under Grants MTM200767433 and MTM201019576, and the Junta de Andalucia/Feder (Spain) under Grant FQM5849. Special thanks are due to two anonymous referees for their valuable comments and suggestions.Perea Rojas Marcos, F.; Puerto Albandoz, J.; Fernández García, FR. (2012). Avoiding unfairness of Owen allocations in linear production processes. European Journal of Operational Research. 220(1):125-131. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejor.2012.01.013S125131220

Finding the nucleolus of any n-person cooperative game by a single linear program

In this paper we show a new method for calculating the nucleolus by solving a unique minimization linear program with Oð4n Þ constraints whose coefficients belong to f−1; 0; 1g. We discuss the need of having all these constraints and empirically prove that they can be reduced to Oðkmax2n Þ, where kmax is a positive integer comparable with the number of players. A computational experience shows the applicability of our method over (pseudo)random transferable utility cooperative games with up to 18 playersThe authors want to thank Javier Arin, Safae El Haj Ben Ali, Guillermo Owen and Johannes H. Reijnierse for their useful and valuable help. The research of the authors has been partially supported by the projects FQM-5849 (Junta de Andalucia \ FEDER), and by the project MTM2010-19576-C02-01 (MICINN, Spain). This paper was written while the second author was enjoying a grant for a short postdoctoral research visit at the Instituto Universitario de Investigacion de Matematicas de la Universidad de Sevilla (IMUS). Special thanks are due to one anonymous referee for his/her valuable comments.Puerto Albandoz, J.; Perea Rojas Marcos, F. (2013). Finding the nucleolus of any n-person cooperative game by a single linear program. Computers and Operations Research. 40(10):2308-2313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cor.2013.03.01123082313401

Unitary Owen Points in Cooperative Lot-Sizing Models with Backlogging

This paper analyzes cost sharing in uncapacitated lot-sizing models with backlogging and heterogeneous costs. It is assumed that several firms participate in a consortium aiming at satisfying their demand over the planning horizon with minimal operating cost. Each individual firm has its own ordering channel and holding technology, but cooperation with other firms consists in sharing that information. Therefore, the firms that cooperate can use the best ordering channels and holding technology among members of the consortium. This mode of cooperation is stable. in that allocations of the overall operating cost exist, so that no group of agents benefit from leaving the consortium. Our contribution in the current paper is to present a new family of cost sharing allocations with good properties for enforcing cooperation: the unitary Owen points. Necessary and sufficient conditions are provided for the unitary Owen points to belong to the core of the cooperative game. In addition, we provide empirical evidence, through simulation, showing that, in randomly-generated situations, the above condition is fulfilled in 99% of the cases. Additionally, a relationship between lot-sizing games and a certain family of production-inventory games, through Owen’s points of the latter, is described. This interesting relationship enables easily constructing a variety of coalitionally stable allocations for cooperative lot-sizing models.The research authors is supported from Spain’s Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCIU), from the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and from the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) under the projects MTM2016-74983-C02-01 and PGC2018-097965-B-I00. The research of the third author is also partially supported from projects FEDER-US-1256951, CEI-3-FQM331 and NetmeetData: Ayudas Fundación BBVA a equipos de investigación científica 2019

The role of cognitive control in prosocial behavior – Investigating the neural foundations of retribution and forgiveness

Forgiveness is a highly relevant ability for a satisfied life with long-lasting relationships. It is hypothesized that cognitive control enables forgiveness through the inhibition of baser revenge seeking feelings. For investigating the exact underlying mechanisms, a set of four studies was run. In order to study the ability to forgive, the participants first played an ultimatum game, in which they learned that some opponents are fair and some are unfair. Following this implicit learning experience the roles were changed and in a subsequent dictator game the participants had to split up money between themselves and the opponents of the previous game. Regarding the previously unfair opponents they had to decide if they wanted to forgive (with allocating a fair amount of money) or to take revenge (with allocating an unfair amount of money). This paradigm sequence was combined in a first study with inhibitory theta-burst stimulation of the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), resulting in the causal conclusion that cognitive control is needed for forgiveness processes as after the stimulation the participants were significantly more revenge seeking. In another study, participants with high and low cognitive control were compared. Participants with low cognitive control were significantly more revenge seeking, whereas, participants with high cognitive control were less revenge seeking. Concluding from the results of a regression analysis this difference was (partly) caused by different emotional foundations of the behavior, with sympathy as a relevant factor in the high cognitive control group and revenge in the low cognitive control group. In a third study the gaming paradigms (ultimatum game and dictator game) were used in combination with activating theta-burst stimulation of the right DLPFC in a highly impulsive group which is known to be more revenge seeking than the average. With higher activation in the right DLPFC it was not possible to increase the forgiveness behavior towards the unfair opponents. Surprisingly, the activating neuromodulation increased the generosity towards fair opponents. In an additional study with a different paradigm the ability of emotion regulation (which is assumed to be a key player in forgiveness processes) in participants with low vs. high cognitive control was measured. It was shown that participants with low cognitive control failed, especially in implicit emotion regulation which is essential for daily life forgiveness processes. Based on these results a forgiveness model is proposed. According to this model the probability to forgive a wrongdoer is influenced by cultural/cognitive response tendencies and state/trait emotional tendencies. Cognitive control especially, but also the experienced emotions play a crucial role in forgiveness processes according to this model

Applications of Repeated Games in Wireless Networks: A Survey

A repeated game is an effective tool to model interactions and conflicts for players aiming to achieve their objectives in a long-term basis. Contrary to static noncooperative games that model an interaction among players in only one period, in repeated games, interactions of players repeat for multiple periods; and thus the players become aware of other players' past behaviors and their future benefits, and will adapt their behavior accordingly. In wireless networks, conflicts among wireless nodes can lead to selfish behaviors, resulting in poor network performances and detrimental individual payoffs. In this paper, we survey the applications of repeated games in different wireless networks. The main goal is to demonstrate the use of repeated games to encourage wireless nodes to cooperate, thereby improving network performances and avoiding network disruption due to selfish behaviors. Furthermore, various problems in wireless networks and variations of repeated game models together with the corresponding solutions are discussed in this survey. Finally, we outline some open issues and future research directions.Comment: 32 pages, 15 figures, 5 tables, 168 reference

Rapid Review of National Qualifications Experience 2020

Summary of findings - This report draws upon a range of evidence, including stakeholder testimony (generated in panel and individual interviews) and analysis of relevant documentation (including government and SQA emails). - SQA, the government, local authorities and schools faced an extremely difficult set of circumstances, within which there were no easy solutions. In this context, a workable system for qualifications, the Alternative Certification Model (ACM), was developed. This was based on three core principles and four stages. - All parties involved in the process were found to have acted with integrity, with the best interests of students in mind. - Respondents (teachers, lecturers, head teachers and local authority officials) generally found that SQA guidance was clear and useful. - The generation of estimated grades, while clearly undertaken with integrity in the majority of centres, has been subject to variation (in the types of evidence available, the processes followed for internal moderation and the support given by local authorities), which has impacted on reliability and consistency of assessment at this stage. - The statistical approach to moderation could have been more transparent earlier in the process, and moreover it has led to anomalies in grade adjustment, especially at the level of subject cohorts within centres and individuals. - There is widespread criticism by respondents of SQA for a perceived lack of transparency and a failure to engage in participative development of solutions with stakeholders. - While the application of the appeals process offered an in-principle technical solution to address these anomalies, it paid insufficient attention to the severe impact on those students obliged to undergo it (in terms of mental health and wellbeing, missed opportunities to transition into Higher Education, etc.). - Principles relating to what data is appropriate to be held by certain organisations at certain points in time.(i.e. SQA, the Scottish Government), which make perfect sense in normal times (e.g. arrangements around data sharing), appear to have impeded the development of actions that might have led to an earlier anticipation and mitigation of subsequent problems. - The equalities implications of an over-reliance on a statistical approach, premised on comparison with historical cohort data, had been raised repeatedly from April onwards, but seem to have been under-emphasised by both the government and SQA until late in the process. - Many stakeholders believe that, subsequently, opportunities were missed (or dismissed) to engage in qualitative moderation of the statistical process (e.g. sense-checking of anomalous cohort patterns by local authorities). - There has been an erosion of trust/confidence in SQA amongst teachers and young people, and damaged relations in some cases between young people and their teachers. - Communications (with professionals and with young people and their families) has been a constant source of criticism. - Our overall assessment is that, despite the extremely difficult environment for decision making, there are points in the process where different decisions may have led to better outcomes and at least partially avoided the controversy that ensued in August 2020. Of course, we are making this observation with the benefit of hindsight, thus our primary intention is to illustrate how the system can benefit from lessons learned in 2020 to avoid a similar predicament in 2021

Rapid Review of National Qualifications Experience 2020

Summary of findings - This report draws upon a range of evidence, including stakeholder testimony (generated in panel and individual interviews) and analysis of relevant documentation (including government and SQA emails). - SQA, the government, local authorities and schools faced an extremely difficult set of circumstances, within which there were no easy solutions. In this context, a workable system for qualifications, the Alternative Certification Model (ACM), was developed. This was based on three core principles and four stages. - All parties involved in the process were found to have acted with integrity, with the best interests of students in mind. - Respondents (teachers, lecturers, head teachers and local authority officials) generally found that SQA guidance was clear and useful. - The generation of estimated grades, while clearly undertaken with integrity in the majority of centres, has been subject to variation (in the types of evidence available, the processes followed for internal moderation and the support given by local authorities), which has impacted on reliability and consistency of assessment at this stage. - The statistical approach to moderation could have been more transparent earlier in the process, and moreover it has led to anomalies in grade adjustment, especially at the level of subject cohorts within centres and individuals. - There is widespread criticism by respondents of SQA for a perceived lack of transparency and a failure to engage in participative development of solutions with stakeholders. - While the application of the appeals process offered an in-principle technical solution to address these anomalies, it paid insufficient attention to the severe impact on those students obliged to undergo it (in terms of mental health and wellbeing, missed opportunities to transition into Higher Education, etc.). - Principles relating to what data is appropriate to be held by certain organisations at certain points in time.(i.e. SQA, the Scottish Government), which make perfect sense in normal times (e.g. arrangements around data sharing), appear to have impeded the development of actions that might have led to an earlier anticipation and mitigation of subsequent problems. - The equalities implications of an over-reliance on a statistical approach, premised on comparison with historical cohort data, had been raised repeatedly from April onwards, but seem to have been under-emphasised by both the government and SQA until late in the process. - Many stakeholders believe that, subsequently, opportunities were missed (or dismissed) to engage in qualitative moderation of the statistical process (e.g. sense-checking of anomalous cohort patterns by local authorities). - There has been an erosion of trust/confidence in SQA amongst teachers and young people, and damaged relations in some cases between young people and their teachers. - Communications (with professionals and with young people and their families) has been a constant source of criticism. - Our overall assessment is that, despite the extremely difficult environment for decision making, there are points in the process where different decisions may have led to better outcomes and at least partially avoided the controversy that ensued in August 2020. Of course, we are making this observation with the benefit of hindsight, thus our primary intention is to illustrate how the system can benefit from lessons learned in 2020 to avoid a similar predicament in 2021

The Interaction of western budgeting and Solomon Islands culture: A case of the budgeting process of the Church of Melanesia

Accounting is said to be a product of its environment, with culture being one of the powerful factors shaping the accounting system within each context. An accounting system is therefore a reflection of the society in which it is being practised. In addition, given the differences in the social, political, economic, and cultural characteristics that exist amongst different countries of the world, an accounting system that is effective in one country may not necessarily be so in another. This study explores the application of a western style budgeting process in a non-western society. It uses the Anglican Church of Melanesia (CoM), a non-profit organisation in a developing country, Solomon Islands, as the case study. Its primary objective is to theorise on the process concepts explaining the influence of culture on the budgeting process, with specific reference to the impact of Solomon Islands culture on the western system adopted by the CoM. The research adopts the interpretivist approach and employs stakeholder theory and grounded theory frameworks as the theoretical insights for data collection, analysis and theory formation. The significant results of the study include confirmation of suggestions by some previous research that culture does shape the accounting and budgeting systems practised in different environments. The nature of such influence depends on the degree of compatibility between the interacting cultures. This study discovers that the CoM’s budgeting process reflects attributes of both the western and Solomon Islands cultures. The adopted western budgeting system interacts and is being filtered and moulded by the local social-cultural and organisational environment. The impact of the various cultural attributes is explained in terms of whether these are more or less shared by the western and local societies. The more shared or common features when applied harmoniously within the appropriate budgeting functions tend to reinforce one another to produce anticipated outcomes. For instance, both cultures stress the importance of achievements as a basis for assigning powers. Hence within the organisation, it is expected that power and responsibilities be delegated based on qualifications and expertise. Anything to the contrary is considered an unanticipated result. The less shared attributes are unique to the local society and hence generally dissimilar from the norms and values of western societies. When these less shared or even conflicting values and norms are integrated within the same budgeting roles, unexpected or even dysfunctional consequences may ensue. For instance, the emphasis on monetary and economic values in a predominantly semi-subsistence society results in many church followers being excluded from its budget process. It also creates a dependency and materialistic mentality in a society where sharing and modesty are important norms. The study recognises that significant potential exists for appropriate integration of both western and local cultural attributes within the local budgeting process. This requires thorough understanding of both the more shared and less shared features of the interacting cultures and their impact on the budget process. Organisations need to identify the appropriate context, time and situations for the application of these cultural attributes within the budget process