Pushing the SUSY Higgs mass towards 125 GeV with a color adjoint

We show that inclusion of a TeV scale chiral superfield transforming in the adjoint representation of the color SU(3) to the MSSM particle content modifies the renormalization group running of some parameters in such a way that a 125 GeV mass of the light Higgs boson is accommodated more comfortably than in cMSSM / mSUGRA. Put differently, the introduction of a color adjoint TeV scale superfield helps resurrecting lighter choices for the stop and gluino which are otherwise disfavored in cMSSM / mSUGRA.Comment: v2: 6 pages, 4 figures, estimate of fine-tuning and some more clarifying remarks added, published in PR

Theory of non-stationary activated rate processes : nonexponential relaxation kinetics

We have explored a simple microscopic model to simulate a thermally activated rate process where the associated bath which comprises a set of relaxing modes is not in an equilibrium state. The model captures some of the essential features of non-Markovian Langevin dynamics with a fluctuating barrier. Making use of the Fokker-Planck description we calculate the barrier dynamics in the steady state and non-stationary regimes. The Kramers-Grote-Hynes reactive frequency has been computed in closed form in the steady state to illustrate the strong dependence of the dynamic coupling of the system with the relaxing modes. The influence of nonequilibrium excitation of the bath modes and its relaxation on the kinetics of activation of the system mode is demonstrated. We derive the dressed time-dependent Kramers rate in the nonstationary regime in closed analytical form which exhibits strong non-exponential relaxation kinetics of the reaction co-ordinate. The feature can be identified as a typical non-Markovian dynamical effect.Comment: Plain Latex, no figure, 31 pages, to appear in J. Chem. Phy

Exact Persistence Exponent for One-dimensional Potts Models with Parallel Dynamics

We obtain \theta_p(q) = 2\theta_s(q) for one-dimensional q-state ferromagnetic Potts models evolving under parallel dynamics at zero temperature from an initially disordered state, where \theta_p(q) is the persistence exponent for parallel dynamics and \theta_s(q) = -{1/8}+ \frac{2}{\pi^2}[cos^{-1}{(2-q)/q\sqrt{2}}]^2 [PRL, {\bf 75}, 751, (1995)], the persistence exponent under serial dynamics. This result is a consequence of an exact, albeit non-trivial, mapping of the evolution of configurations of Potts spins under parallel dynamics to the dynamics of two decoupled reaction diffusion systems.Comment: 13 pages Latex file, 5 postscript figure

The Impact of an Internet Shopping Infomediary on Channel Competition with Multiple Brands

This paper builds a game-theoretic model to examine the impact of the Internet shopping infomediary on the competition between the product or service supplier’s direct online channel and the independent online multi- brand retailer. It is found that by facilitating cross-channel competition, the infomediary may even help the supplier to place its brand on the retailer’s shelf. The main insight is that when competing with the supplier’s direct channel, the independent retailer may prefer to engage in inter-brand competition (i.e., to promote the competitive substitute brand). In this case, the retailer may decline to carry the supplier’s brand to avoid direct competition with the direct channel over the same brand. However, by joining an infomediary, the supplier can make its direct channel more competitive and limit the retailer’s strategic benefit from the inter-brand competition. This may increase the possibility that the retailer gives up the inter-brand competition and agrees to carry the supplier’s brand

Dynamic Voice Clones Elicit Consumer Trust

Platforms today are experimenting with many novel personalization technologies. We explore one such technology here, voice-based conversational agents, with a focus on consumer trust. We consider the joint role of two key design / implementation choices, namely i) disclosing an agent’s autonomous nature to the user, and ii) aesthetic personalization, in the form of user voice cloning. We report on a set of controlled experiments based on the investment game, evaluating how these design choices affect subjects’ willingness to participate in the game against an autonomous, AI-enabled partner. We find no evidence that disclosure affects trust. However, we find that the greatest level of trust is elicited when a voice-based agent employs a clone of the subject’s voice. Mechanism explorations based on post-experiment survey responses indicate that voice-cloning induces trust by eliciting a perception of homophily; the voice-clone induces subjects to personify the agent and picture it as demographically similar

Executive Compensation and Strategic Risk-Taking in IT

This study examines how the risk-taking incentive of top executives drives the strategic risk-taking in corporate IT implementation. We use the risk incentive provided in executive compensation to capture top executives’ risk-taking incentive, and develop measures of aggressive IT implementation to capture strategic risk-taking in IT implementation. Our analysis provides empirical evidence that the risk incentive of executive compensation drives aggressive IT implementation. We also consider how firm diversification may influence the relationship between the risk incentive of top executives and aggressive IT implementation. Our finding indicates that the relationship between the risk incentive of top executives and aggressive IT implementation is stronger in focal firms’ primary industries than in their secondary industries, which suggests that diversification supports IT risk taking by providing risk-seeking executives more opportunities in the areas that are less familiar to them