Many of the grid compute resources (CPU cycles, network bandwidths, computing power, processor times, and software) exist as non-storable commodities, which we call grid compute commodities (gcc) and are distributed geographically across organizations. These organizations have dissimilar resource compositions and usage policies, which makes pricing grid resources and guaranteeing their availability a challenge. Several initiatives (Globus, Legion, Nimrod/G) have developed various frameworks for grid resource management. However, there has been a very little effort in pricing the resources. In this thesis, we propose financial option based model for pricing grid resources by devising three research threads: pricing the gcc as a problem of real option, modeling gcc spot price using a discrete time approach, and addressing uncertainty constraints in the provision of Quality of Service (QoS) using fuzzy logic. We used GridSim, a simulation tool for resource usage in a Grid to experiment and test our model. To further consolidate our model and validate our results, we analyzed usage traces from six real grids from across the world for which we priced a set of resources. We designed a Price Variant Function (PVF) in our model, which is a fuzzy value and its application attracts more patronage to a grid that has more resources to offer and also redirect patronage from a grid that is very busy to another grid. Our experimental results show that the application of the PVF has helped achieve equilibrium between users satisfaction measured as QoS and recovery of the infrastructure investment made by the providers. In the absence of pricing benchmarks, we setup Commodity Base Prices (CBP) and then integrated our PVF and CBP with GridSim to price grid compute resources. In summary, this thesis provides the design of a model to price grid compute resources using financial options theory. The model achieves mutual benefit for users and providers in the grid environment. The mutual benefit is expressed in terms of QoS to the users and recovery of investments on the grid infrastructure for the providers. This thesis has opened up many different opportunities for further research especially in the era of enterprise computing with clouds.

Although IS studies have begun to recognize the role of emotion in decision making, the research in this area is still in its infancy. The exploration of IS decision making phenomena through the lens of regret can offer rich implications to both research and practice. The presence of regret, for instance, can explain how and why IS decision makers choose a certain option. Motivated by the gap in the literature, the three papers in this dissertation investigate the role of regret in decision making in IS contexts. Specifically, the three projects investigate the following: IT real options decision in the context of RFID investment in libraries, whistle-blowing decision in the context of violations of heath information privacy, and process documentation decision in the context of investment in process improvement initiatives in an IT project. The contributions and implications of the three studies are presented further.

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Many of the grid compute resources (CPU cycles, network bandwidths, computing power, processor times, and software) exist as non-storable commodities, which we call grid compute commodities (gcc) and are distributed geographically across organizations. These organizations have dissimilar resource compositions and usage policies, which makes pricing grid resources and guaranteeing their availability a challenge. Several initiatives (Globus, Legion, Nimrod/G) have developed various frameworks for grid resource management. However, there has been a very little effort in pricing the resources. In this thesis, we propose financial option based model for pricing grid resources by devising three research threads: pricing the gcc as a problem of real option, modeling gcc spot price using a discrete time approach, and addressing uncertainty constraints in the provision of Quality of Service (QoS) using fuzzy logic. We used GridSim, a simulation tool for resource usage in a Grid to experiment and test our model. To further consolidate our model and validate our results, we analyzed usage traces from six real grids from across the world for which we priced a set of resources. We designed a Price Variant Function (PVF) in our model, which is a fuzzy value and its application attracts more patronage to a grid that has more resources to offer and also redirect patronage from a grid that is very busy to another grid. Our experimental results show that the application of the PVF has helped achieve equilibrium between users satisfaction measured as QoS and recovery of the infrastructure investment made by the providers. In the absence of pricing benchmarks, we setup Commodity Base Prices (CBP) and then integrated our PVF and CBP with GridSim to price grid compute resources. In summary, this thesis provides the design of a model to price grid compute resources using financial options theory. The model achieves mutual benefit for users and providers in the grid environment. The mutual benefit is expressed in terms of QoS to the users and recovery of investments on the grid infrastructure for the providers. This thesis has opened up many different opportunities for further research especially in the era of enterprise computing with clouds.

This thesis examines the relationship between equity valuation and four value drivers: revenue growth, volatility, profit margin and competitive advantage. It is motivated by evidence that the predominant valuation techniques of equity analysts are not associated with improved portfolio performance. Prior research suggests that equity analysts devote considerable resources into forecasting near-term earnings, but derive target prices from those earnings in an almost arbitrary fashion. In contrast, the valuation techniques in the commercial world are increasing in sophistication. Around 30 percent of large corporations in the United States and Australia use real options analysis for project evaluation, according to recent surveys. Thus, the research question is whether sophisticated equity valuation, based on rigorous economic assumptions, is useful for investment decision-making.

Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2003.

Sunk costs play a central role in antitrust economics, but are often misunderstood and mismeasured. I will try to clarify some of the conceptual and empirical issues related to sunk costs, and explain their implications for antitrust analysis. I will be particularly concerned with the role of uncertainty. When market conditions evolve unpredictably (as they almost always do), firms incur an opportunity cost when they invest in new capital, because they give up the option to wait for the arrival of new information about the likely returns from the investment. This option value is a sunk cost, and is just as relevant for antitrust analysis as the direct cost of a machine or a factory.

This paper addresses the tension between benefits of centralized data control against the benefits of decentralized control at the level of the business unit. Centralized data control provides the benefit of uniform standards whereas business unit data control grants flexibility to react to rapidly changing environments. Many data standardization efforts fail because they do not fully take into account the value of flexibility and ownership incentives. We use a real options based framework and the theory of incomplete contracts to derive propositions about the optimal level of data standardization across the enterprise. Applications of the propositions are illustrated with case vignettes. The paper makes two main contributions. First, the approach defines formally how incentive structures influence ownership of the option value or value of flexibility, which is an intangible information asset. Second the derived propositions would help senior management to more precisely consider aligning incentives in data standardization exercises.

Thesis (MScEng)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study explores the implementation of an integrated capital budgeting visual mapping framework comprised of both Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) and Real Options Analysis (ROA) techniques. Physical asset investment decisions are based largely on rigid discounted cash flow tools which provide untimely and incomplete decisional criteria. While literature outlines the wide spread use of traditional DCF techniques, it very openly reveals large limitations, including its static inflexibility and slow to evolve framework. ROA is a more recent valuation tool based on stock option theory. It brings into account added value found in the flexibility of managerial decision making and uncertain conditions. This study implements a combined DCF and ROA capital budgeting tool within a Physical Asset Management (PAM) environment. The validity of the framework is realised through an industry relevant case study presented by a South African mining company. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis ondersoek die toepassing van ’n geïntegreerde visuele kapitaalbegrotingafbeeldingsraamwerk wat uit verdiskonteerde kontantvloei en reële opsie–analise bestaan. Fisiese batebeleggingsbesluite is dikwels gebaseer op rigiede kapitaalbegrotingstegnieke wat onvolledige besluitnemingsmaatstawwe aanbied. Terwyl literatuur die wydverspreide uiteensetting van verdiskonteerde kontantvloei openbaar, is daar nog steeds baie beperkings, soos die onbuigsaamheid en die stadige ontwikkelingstempo van verdiskonteerde kontantvloei– analise. Reële opsie–analise is ’n meer onlangse waardasiemetode wat op aandelemarkfinansies gebaseer is. Reële opsies word addisionele waarde bygevoeg deur die onsekerheid en buigsaamheid van fisiese batebeleggings. Hierde tesis implimenteer ’n gekombineerde verdiskonteerde kontantvloei en reële–opsie kapitaalbegrotingmetode binne ’n fisiese batebestuur omgewing. Die geldigheid van die gekombineerde metode is getoets met behulp van ’n gevallstudie beskikbaar gestel deur ’n Suid Afrikaanse myn.

[pt] Esta pesquisa tem três objetivos. Como primeiro objetivo, pretendemos ilustrar uma aplicação prática de avaliação de uma empresa empregando a teoria de opções reais baseada no tratamento dado por Dixit & Pindyck [1994]. Nossa idéia é empregar a técnica de opções reais para avaliar uma empresa que detenha uma opção de adiar um projeto de investimento na presença de competidores, que entram no mercado aleatoriamente. A incerteza do mercado é modelada através de processo estocástico de Movimento Geométrico Browniano, enquanto que a entrada dos competidores é modelada através de uma componente de Poisson. A Companhia Siderúrgica de Tubarão foi escolhida para ilustrar a aplicação devido ao fato da mesma possuir três grandes projetos em fase de estudo/execução. Como segundo objetivo, pretendemos adaptar uma aplicação da teoria de opções reais para avaliação de empresas de alta tecnologia desenvolvida por Schwartz [2000]. Em seu trabalho, Schwartz faz uma avaliação da Amazon.com levando em consideração o fato de que seus acionistas tem perdas de capital limitadas em caso de falência da empresa. Desta forma, empregando técnicas de simulação, Schwartz propõe um corte na distribuição de probabilidades dos fluxos de caixa da empresa nos casos em que ocorrem falências. Nossa idéia é adaptar o processo para avaliar a Globo Cabo, empresa de TV a Cabo, Internet e Telecomunicações das Organizações Globo. Como nosso terceiro objetivo, pretendemos verificar qualitativamente, dentro de nosso universo de exemplos limitado, o quanto a teoria de opções reais pode agregar ao processo de avaliação de empresas. / [en] This research has three objectives. Our first objective is to apply real options theory, based on Dixit & Pindyck [1994] development to value a listed company. In particular, our intention is to value a company that has investment projects with delay options, in markets subjected to competitors random entry. We adopted the Geometric Brownian Motion to model the market uncertainty. The uncertainty concerning the competitors entry is assumed to be described by a Poisson Process. The company we have chosen is the Companhia Siderúrgica de Tubarão. The main reason behind our choice is the fact that the company has publicly announced that it is studying three big projects for investment.As a second objective, we intend to apply real option theory to value a high technology company using the methodology developed by Schwartz [2000]. In his work, Schwartz valued Amazon.com taking into account of the fact that Amazon`s shareholders have limited liability in case of Amazon`s bankruptcy. Our idea is to adapt Schwartz`s framework to value Globo Cabo, the Organizações Globo subsidiary in the business of cable TV, internet and telecommunications. Our third objective is to study qualitatively how much real options theory can contribute to the business valuation process. Our conclusion will take into account our very limited sample. / [es] Las opciones reales basadas en el tratamiento dado por Dixit&Pindyck [1994]. Nuestra idea es emplear la técnica de opciones reales para evaluar una empresa que considere el atraso de un proyecto de inversión en presencia de competidores, que entran en el mercado aleatoriamente. La incerteza del mercado es modelada a través de proceso estocástico de Movimiento Geométrico Browniano, mientras que la entrada de los competidores se modela a través de una componente de Poison. La Compañía Siderúrgica de Tubarão fue elegida para ilustrar la aplicación ya que posee tres grandes proyectos en fase de estudio/ejecución. Como segundo objetivo, se pretende adaptar una aplicación de la teoría de opciones reales para la evaluación de empresas de alta tecnologia desarrollada por Schwartz [2000]. En su trabajo, Schwartz faz una evaluación de la Amazon.com considerando el hecho de que sus acionistas tienen pérdidas de capital limitadas en caso de quiebra de la empresa. De esta forma, utilizando técnicas de simulación, Schwartz propone un corte en la distribución de probabilidades de los flujos de caja de la empresa en los casos de quiebra. Nuestra idea es adaptar el proceso para evaluar la Globo Cabo, empresa de TV a Cabo, Internet y Telecomunicaciones de las Organizaciones Globo. Nuestro tercer objetivo es verificar cualitativamente, dentro de nuestro universo de ejemplos limitado, cuanto la teoría de opciones reales puede agregar al proceso de evaluación de empresas.