37,397 research outputs found
A fuzzy set preference model for market share analysis
Consumer preference models are widely used in new product design, marketing management, pricing, and market segmentation. The success of new products depends on accurate market share prediction and design decisions based on consumer preferences. The vague linguistic nature of consumer preferences and product attributes, combined with the substantial differences between individuals, creates a formidable challenge to marketing models. The most widely used methodology is conjoint analysis. Conjoint models, as currently implemented, represent linguistic preferences as ratio or interval-scaled numbers, use only numeric product attributes, and require aggregation of individuals for estimation purposes. It is not surprising that these models are costly to implement, are inflexible, and have a predictive validity that is not substantially better than chance. This affects the accuracy of market share estimates. A fuzzy set preference model can easily represent linguistic variables either in consumer preferences or product attributes with minimal measurement requirements (ordinal scales), while still estimating overall preferences suitable for market share prediction. This approach results in flexible individual-level conjoint models which can provide more accurate market share estimates from a smaller number of more meaningful consumer ratings. Fuzzy sets can be incorporated within existing preference model structures, such as a linear combination, using the techniques developed for conjoint analysis and market share estimation. The purpose of this article is to develop and fully test a fuzzy set preference model which can represent linguistic variables in individual-level models implemented in parallel with existing conjoint models. The potential improvements in market share prediction and predictive validity can substantially improve management decisions about what to make (product design), for whom to make it (market segmentation), and how much to make (market share prediction)
When FDI Flows from Rich to Poor Countries: Do democracy and economic reform matter? CEPS Working Document, No. 251, 12 October 2006
Foreign direct investment (FDI) is an instrument of international capital flow and it also shares some features of international trade flows as it is often associated with intra-firm trade by multinational corporations. Combining features from both âgrowth-typeâ and âgravity-typeâ models, we argue that democracy and economic reform in emerging economies have a joint positive impact on FDI inflows from advanced countries. This effect of democracy and economic reform is robust even when the EU membership negotiations are taken into account. We conclude that the role of democracy and market-oriented reform is robust and widespread beyond European borders. On the other hand, our results can be interpreted as evidence that prospects of joining the EU acts as an anchor for the host country
Gray Image extraction using Fuzzy Logic
Fuzzy systems concern fundamental methodology to represent and process
uncertainty and imprecision in the linguistic information. The fuzzy systems
that use fuzzy rules to represent the domain knowledge of the problem are known
as Fuzzy Rule Base Systems (FRBS). On the other hand image segmentation and
subsequent extraction from a noise-affected background, with the help of
various soft computing methods, are relatively new and quite popular due to
various reasons. These methods include various Artificial Neural Network (ANN)
models (primarily supervised in nature), Genetic Algorithm (GA) based
techniques, intensity histogram based methods etc. providing an extraction
solution working in unsupervised mode happens to be even more interesting
problem. Literature suggests that effort in this respect appears to be quite
rudimentary. In the present article, we propose a fuzzy rule guided novel
technique that is functional devoid of any external intervention during
execution. Experimental results suggest that this approach is an efficient one
in comparison to different other techniques extensively addressed in
literature. In order to justify the supremacy of performance of our proposed
technique in respect of its competitors, we take recourse to effective metrics
like Mean Squared Error (MSE), Mean Absolute Error (MAE), Peak Signal to Noise
Ratio (PSNR).Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures, Fuzzy Rule Base, Image Extraction, Fuzzy
Inference System (FIS), Membership Functions, Membership values,Image coding
and Processing, Soft Computing, Computer Vision Accepted and published in
IEEE. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1206.363
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Astigmatism and Pseudoaccommodation in Pseudophakic Eyes
noAdvanced IOLs with circumferential zones of different power provide pseudoaccommodation. We investigated the potential for power variation with meridian, namely astigmatism, to provide pseudo-accommodation. With appropriate power and axis orientations, acceptable pseudo-accommodation can be achieved
And I Will Try to Fix You: A Study of Heterogeneity in Job Satisfaction with Implications for Flexible Employment Contracts
This paper is an empirical study of slope heterogeneity in job satisfaction. It provides evidence from the generalized ordered probit models that different job characteristics tend to have different distributional impacts on the overall job satisfaction. For instance, standard models tend to significantly underestimate the effects of monthly salary and hours worked at generating the "highly" satisfied workers, whilst lowering the incidence of the "very dissatisfied" workers. Although our results should be viewed as illustrative, we provide discussions of their potential implications for employers and they could help with the design of employment contracts.generalized ordered probit, employment contract, heterogeneity, job satisfaction, salary, work-life balance
Women's Autonomy and Subjective Well-Being in India: How Village Norms Shape the Impact of Self-Help Groups
This paper presents quasi-experimental impact estimates of women self-help groups on subjective well-being in Orissa, India. We find that, on average, self-help group membership does not affect subjective well-being. However, our results at the same time reveal that subjective well-being sharply declines for those members whose newly gained autonomy meets with relatively conservative social gender norms among non-members. We interpret this finding as evidence for heterogeneous losses of feelings of identity for self-help group members. Identity losses loom larger when womenâs enhanced autonomy implies a stronger violation of social gender norms at the community level. Social sanctioning mechanisms play an important role in the heterogeneous negative impact on subjective well-being, as evidenced by qualitative accounts of womenâs empowerment trajectories in the research area.Autonomy; Subjective Well-Being; Impact Evaluation; Identity; Sanctioning; India
Exploring the Trust Gap: Dimensions and Predictors of Trust Among Labor and Management Representatives
Existing literature on interpersonal trust in work relationships has largely focused on trust as an independent variable. This study examined trust as a dependent variable by investigating its dimensions and predictors. Four dimensions of trust were hypothesized: open communication, informal agreement, task reliance, and surveillance. A survey measure of willingness to trust was developed. Confirmatory factor analysis using data from 305 management representatives and 293 labor representatives showed the convergent and discriminant validity of the measure. Fishbein and Ajzen\u27s theory of reasoned action served as the theoretical basis for a model of the predictors of trust. Regression analyses found that the past trustworthiness of the focal person and the attitude toward trusting the focal person were the most important predictors. Implications for research and practice are discussed
An Analysis of the Determinants of Job Satisfaction when Individualsâ Baseline Satisfaction Levels May Differ
A growing literature seeks to explain differences in individualsâ self-reported satisfaction with their jobs. Most of the accumulated evidence so far has, however, been based on cross-sectional data and when panel data have been used, individual unobserved heterogeneity has been modelled following the random effects approach, namely using the ordered probit model with random effects. This paper makes use of longitudinal data for Denmark, taken from the waves 1995-1999 of the European Community Household Panel, and estimates fixed effects ordered logit models using the estimation methods proposed by Ferrer-i-Carbonel and Frijters (2004) and Das and Van Soest (1999). For comparison and testing purposes a random effects ordered probit is also estimated. Estimations are carried out separately on the samples of men and women for individualsâ overall satisfaction with the jobs they hold. We find that using the fixed effects approach (that clearly rejects the random effects specification), considerably reduces the number of key explanatory variables. In addition to wages, good health and being a public sector employee are particularly important in explaining individual differences in job satisfaction. Moreover, the impact of being employed on a temporary contracts or working in the public sector differs between the genders.job satisfaction; fixed effects ordered logit model; random effects
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