Gompertz: A Scilab Program for Estimating Gompertz Curve Using Gauss-Newton Method of Least Squares

A computer program for estimating Gompertz curve using Gauss-Newton method of least squares is described in detail. It is based on the estimation technique proposed in Reddy (1985). The program is developed using Scilab (version 3.1.1), a freely available scientific software package that can be downloaded from http://www.scilab.org/. Data is to be fed into the program from an external disk file which should be in Microsoft Excel format. The output will contain sample size, tolerance limit, a list of initial as well as the final estimate of the parameters, standard errors, value of Gauss-Normal equations namely GN_1 GN_2 and GN_3, No. of iterations, variance(sigma^2), Durbin-Watson statistic, goodness of fit measures such as R^2, D value, covariance matrix and residuals. It also displays a graphical output of the estimated curve vis a vis the observed curve. It is an improved version of the program proposed in Dastidar (2005).

Creating resilient community in disaster prone geographies: Should AAGAAS turn for-profit or remain not-for-profit?

This case discusses Alaknanda Ghaati Shilpi Federation (AAGAAS), a non-profit organization in a small town in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, a state in northern India.It discusses how AAGAAS aimed at development in the region through the promotion of sustainable livelihoods aimed at creating a resilient community.The organization also set up a bio-diversity park with the stated objective of promoting bio tourism as a livelihood alternative for the local communities. However, the tragedy that took place at Uttarakhand in June 2013 challenged AAGAAS. This tragedy challenged Maithani to sustain the organization which was already engaged in local craft promotion and many other initiatives for community development including sustainable livelihoods.Maithani was facing a shortage of funds along with lack of skilled manpower.He wondered whether it was feasible to transform his organization into a for-profit organisation but was skeptical about the transformation in light of the recent tragedy. However, he wondered what would be a viable business model that could generate sustainable livelihood options for the poor while at the same time helping to conserve the fragile ecosystem of the region

An investigation of consumers' exploratory tendencies as motivators of their responsive behaviour to deals

AbstractAn understanding of the motivators of consumer deal redemption behaviour is expected to enable marketers to use deals more effectively. In this study, consumers' exploratory tendencies (CET) have been assessed as potential motivators of proneness to eight types of deals, during the purchase of shampoo and refrigerator—two product categories. Consumers showed varying proneness to different types of deals depending on the type of exploratory tendency that they needed to satisfy and the type of good that was on sale. These findings can enable marketers to choose the most appropriate type of deal to achieve their sales target

Gompertz: A Scilab Program for Estimating Gompertz Curve Using Gauss-Newton Method of Least Squares

A computer program for estimating Gompertz curve using Gauss-Newton method of least squares is described in detail. It is based on the estimation technique proposed in Reddy (1985). The program is developed using Scilab (version 3.1.1), a freely available scientific software package that can be downloaded from http://www.scilab.org/. Data is to be fed into the program from an external disk file which should be in Microsoft Excel format. The output will contain sample size, tolerance limit, a list of initial as well as the final estimate of the parameters, standard errors, value of Gauss-Normal equations namely GN1 GN2 and GN3, No. of iterations, variance(σ2), Durbin-Watson statistic, goodness of fit measures such as R2, D value, covariance matrix and residuals. It also displays a graphical output of the estimated curve vis a vis the observed curve. It is an improved version of the program proposed in Dastidar (2005)