One-Dimensional Cutting Stock Optimisation by Suborders

This paper introduces a method for solving a one-dimensional cutting stock problem by suborders. The method is used for large orders that for technological and logistical reasons cannot be filled in a single order, but only in several successive suborders. The method has two stages. In the first stage, the suborders are generated and in the second the trim-loss is minimised. All leftovers longer than D are returned to stock and reused. Shorter leftovers are treated as trim-loss and discarded. A detailed description of the method is provided by using a practical case. The method is tested by solving 108 randomly generated problem instances

Daily Deals in the Mediterranean Region: A Data Analytics Approach

Daily Deal (DD) websites have established themselves as an inventory distribution channel for hotels, yet they remain a largely underexplored topic in tourism. This paper seeks to provide insights into the nature of high-end DD websites through data analysis of individual offers’ attributes, obtained by direct observation of three main hotel-focused DD websites and one review website. The preliminary analysis of the data reveals that specialised DDs are a marketplace for quality hotels that can be considered as a semi-permanent form of a distribution channel. The outcomes challenge the currently established literature by offering a novel perspective and a more in-depth understanding of DDs and their use by the hoteliers as a marketing tool and inventory distribution channel

A business model approach towards the understanding of daily deals within Internet distribution systems

The business model approach is making a slow, but steady footprint in tourism research, and can offer a fresh perspective and a viable level-of-analysis for broader networks of internet distribution systems. Among those, the researchers have devoted limited attention to studying the daily deal providers and their position next to the online travel agencies. More importantly, the daily deal providers developed a unique business model whose characteristics, contrary to early predictions, enabled them to proliferate post-recession and maintain their position. The current study uses the business model approach to observe the original dimensions and business model elements, to identify distinct characteristics of generic and niche daily deal providers, and to benchmark them against the established online travel agencies. The business model approach enhances the understanding of the overlooked niche daily-deal providers in internet distribution systems. Further, the paper provides a comparison of the distinct business model characteristics in internet distribution systems to help facilitate the formulation of a unique value proposition for each of them. Ultimately, the authors acknowledge limited possibilities for cooperation between the providers and discuss substantive directions of daily deal and internet distribution systems business model transformations of the future

Personality in information systems professions

Purpose: The importance of information systems (IS) professions is increasing. As personality-job fit theory claims, employees must have suitable personality traits for particular IS professions. However, candidates can try to fake-good on personality tests towards the desired personality type. Thus, the purpose of this study is to identify archetypal IS professions, their associated personality types and examine the reliability of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality test in IS recruitment decisions. Design/methodology/approach: The authors reviewed academic literature related to IS professions to identify job archetypes and personality traits for IS professions. Then, the authors conducted an experiment with 452 participants to investigate whether candidates can fake-good on personality tests when being tested for a particular IS profession. Findings: The identified job archetypes were IS project manager, IS marketing specialist, IS consultant, IS security specialist, data scientist and business process analyst. The experimental results show that the participants were not able to fake-good considerably regarding their personality traits for a particular archetype. Research limitations/implications: The taxonomy of IS professions should be validated further. The experiment was executed in an educational organisation and not in a real-life environment. Actual work performance was not measured. Practical implications: This study enables a better identification of suitable candidates for a particular IS profession. Personality tests are good indicators of the candidate\u27s true personality type but must be properly interpreted. Originality/value: This study enhances the existing body of knowledge on IS professions\u27 archetypes, proposes suitable MBTI personality types for each profession and provides experimental support for the appropriateness of using personality tests to identify potentially suitable candidates

SMART CITIES DEVELOPMENT AND TRENDS: CASES AND RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

The content of this book is intended to contribute to the challenges of managing a smart city, technology acceptance issues, and new, underlying business models. The book provides theoretical and empirical underpinnings regarding the development and current trends of the Smart City concept alongside proposing future research opportunities. Researchers agree that 5G technology and digital transformation are crucial for the development of smart cities and smart public administration. The concept of smart cities derives from the global trend of urbanisation. According to the United Nations Population Fund, the latest figures show that the population share in cities has doubled in the last few years and is expected to reach over 70% of the total population by the end of 2050. Consequently, cities need to cope with related and upcoming changes/challenges, while cities branded as “smart” need to keep or reach a high standard of quality of life for their citizens. With the popularisation of the Smart City concept and through the implementation of digital transformation projects in public administration, information services have radically changed, thus heavily impacting systems in an urban environment. In an effort to identify and explore the challenges as well as the potential and priorities for the implementation of smart city applications, cities often encounter complex problems, assuming considerable uncertainty. Managing digitalisation is becoming increasingly demanding due to rapidly evolving innovations and the difficulty of managing the complexity of related technologies. However, these issues are not challenging only for organizations and individuals but for cities and local communities as well. Cities in particular are faced with major challenges arising from global shifts in the environment, rapid urbanisation and older infrastructure. As a result, several smart-cityrelated initiatives are emerging. Yet not all are successful. The book is thus focused on the analysis of new business models, technological innovations and their use related to the development of smart cities. After all, the spread of technology and the availability of automatically collected data create new opportunities for managing public services and creating new services. The primary audience of this book will be students, academics interested in the Smart City concept, government organizations, managers, policymakers and strategic planners who intend to understand emerging digital technologies as well as their impact and applicability for cities. The book includes strategies for implementing and managing digital technologies together with a discussion on new business models. The chapters in this book are grouped into two parts: part one includes general theoretical and technical discussions of technologies and their benefits for modern cities, and part two includes use cases of different digital technologies and business models