29,502 research outputs found
Train schedule coordination at an interchange station through agent negotiation
In open railway markets, coordinating train schedules at an interchange station requires negotiation between two independent train operating companies to resolve their operational conflicts. This paper models the stakeholders as software agents and proposes an agent negotiation model to study their interaction. Three negotiation strategies have been devised to represent the possible objectives of the stakeholders, and they determine the behavior in proposing offers to the proponent. Empirical simulation results confirm that the use of the proposed negotiation strategies lead to outcomes that are consistent with the objectives of the stakeholders
Mating games: cultural evolution and sexual selection.
In this paper, we argue that mating games, a concept that denotes cultural practices characterized by a competitive element and an ornamental character, are essential drivers behind the emergence and maintenance of human cultural practices. In order to substantiate this claim, we sketch out the essential role of the game's players and audience, as well as the ways in which games can mature and turn into relatively stable cultural practices. After outlining the life phase of mating games - their emergence, rise, maturation, and possible eventual decline - we go on to argue that participation in these games (in each phase) does make sense from an adaptationist point of view. The strong version of our theory which proposes that all cultural practices are, or once were, mating games, allows us to derive a set of testable predictions for the fields of archaeology, economics, and psychology.competition; cultural evolution; evolutionary psychology; play; sexual selection; strategies; handicap; mates; play;
Sustainable supply chain management needs sustainable logistics services. The strategic role played by logistics service providers
Purpose – The purpose of this research is to examine the concept of sustainable service co-creation
in triadic business relationships in logistics and supply chain management. More companies seek to
develop sustainable solutions that would not be sustainable exclusively for themselves but for the
supply chain they belong to. In doing that – especially when dealing with services – they may need
the external support from logistics service providers (LSPs). This paper aims to explore the
innovative initiatives undertaken by LSPs in triadic relationship management with their customers
and suppliers while co-creating sustainable services along the supply chain.
Design/methodology/approach – To investigate the research question, a systematic literature
review and empirical exploratory investigation through case study will be conducted adopting the
qualitative methodology, to explore trends and evolving paradigms.
Findings – A literature review conducted in this paper enriches existing literature through an
integration of sustainability in a viable system approach and logistics service provision, in
particular, it investigates the ways in which sustainability is achieved. It is assumed that
the triadic relationship among an LSP and its customers and suppliers requires significant
modifications in collaboration and an innovative approach in operating procedures.
Research limitations/implications – This paper is an exploratory study and limited in its scope to
an example of a relationship that focuses mainly on three actors: the supplier, the LSP and the
customer. However, it could be extended in terms of numbers of case studies investigated.
Practical implications – The implications arising from the literature and the empirical research
offer a range of current sustainable practices in the services sector. This could be a starting point for
other research and company activities.
Originality/value – There is little research that addresses the issue of sustainability and logistics
service providers simultaneously, hence the present paper is meant to fill the gap by providing a
foundation which actors of different supply chains could use as a benchmark. This study gives
evidence of how logistics services may contribute to sustainable development.
Key words – sustainable supply chain management, logistics service providers, viable system
approach, co-creation, business relationship managemen
Manipulating Tournaments in Cup and Round Robin Competitions
In sports competitions, teams can manipulate the result by, for instance,
throwing games. We show that we can decide how to manipulate round robin and
cup competitions, two of the most popular types of sporting competitions in
polynomial time. In addition, we show that finding the minimal number of games
that need to be thrown to manipulate the result can also be determined in
polynomial time. Finally, we show that there are several different variations
of standard cup competitions where manipulation remains polynomial.Comment: Proceedings of Algorithmic Decision Theory, First International
Conference, ADT 2009, Venice, Italy, October 20-23, 200
CAHRS hrSpectrum (July - August 2004)
HRSpec04_08.pdf: 59 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020
Entry in liberalized railway markets: The German experience
In Germany, competitive franchising is increasingly being used to procure passenger railway services that were previously provided by a state monopolist. This paper analyzes the 77 tenders that have taken place since the railway reform in 1994. The tenders differ with respect to the size of the franchise network, the required frequency of service, the duration of the contract and the proximity to other lines that are already run by competitors of DB Regio, a subsidiary of the successor of the former state monopolist. Our analysis shows that larger networks are less likely to be won by the competitors. Also, more recent auctions have been won by competitors more frequently than earlier auctions. Other control variables such as the duration of the contract and the adjacency to other lines run by entrants are insignificant.Competition for the market, liberalization, passenger railways, procurement auctions
Digital Platforms and Antitrust Law
This Article is about “big data” and antitrust law. Big data, for my purposes, refers to digital platforms that enable the discovery and sharing of information by consumers, and the harvesting and analysis of consumer data by the platform. The obvious example of such a platform is Google. The big platforms owe their market dominance not to anticompetitive conduct but to economies of scale. This Article discusses three types of anticompetitive conduct associated with digital platforms: kill zone expropriation, acquisition of nascent rivals, and denial of access to data. There is nothing so unusual about digital platforms that would require a reform of the antitrust laws. Some are described as two-sided markets, but this designation, even after Ohio v. American Express Co., should not present an obstacle to the application of antitrust law.
I. Introduction
II. Platforms
III. Competition Issues ... A. Kill Zone Expropriation ... B. Acquisition of Nascent Rivals ... C. Denial of Access to Data
IV. Antitrust Law
V. Conclusio
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