Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 32-09, Section: A, page: 4785. / Thesis (D.B.A.)--The Florida State University, 1971.

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<p>We present two game theoretic models on resource allocation in epidemic control and waiting time competition in service management.</p><p>The first model considers the drug allocation problem when facing the outbreak of an international influenza pandemic. The drugs are for prophylactic use. Since drug stockpiles are presently scattered in different countries, the outbreak of an epidemic gives rise to a game in which each country must make decisions about how best to allocate its own stockpile in order to protect its population. We develop a two-period multivariate Reed-Frost model to represent the spread of the epidemic within and across countries at its onset. We show that for small probability of between-country infections, the underlying game is supermodular and that a unique Pareto optimal Nash equilibrium exists. Further, we identify sufficient conditions under which the optimal solution of a central planner constitutes a Pareto improvement over the decentralized equilibrium.</p><p>The second model investigates the impact of reference effect on firms' waiting</p><p>time competition. We consider two firms (modeled as M/M/1 queueing facilities)</p><p>announcing the expected waiting times to attract customers. Customers' joining</p><p>decisions depend not only on the announced waiting times, but also on the reference effect, as demonstrated by the psychology literature. Reference effect, modeled in the spirit of prospect theory, is a "kinked" function of the gap between customers' expectation and perception of the waiting time, where the expectation is formed by both firms'announcements. We prove the existence of a unique (Pareto optimal) Nash equilibrium in the presence of reference effect. We show that comparing to the no reference effect case, the equilibrium waiting times are shorter and firms tend to announce a same waiting time.</p> / Dissertation

Information system professionals need methods to systematically obtain data about interactive computer systems from the users' perspective. This research was concerned with business modeling systems and measuring the performance of subjects learning fundamental operations of the system through training and actual "hands-on" use. The objective was to develop a methodology to measure and evaluate two specific systems: IFPS and VISICALC; to compare subjects' performance in building simple financial projection models and in using the models to answer questions; and to identify learning difficulties associated with the systems. Subjects were business school students with no previous business modeling system experience. Formal measurement was made of the time taken to complete three planning tasks through use of the system. The model user was also the model builder. Performance in decision making was not investigated. Informal observations were made about difficulties the subjects encountered when learning the system. Subjects received two hours of classroom instruction and approximately one hour of "hands-on" training with a specific system. Then under controlled laboratory conditions, they individually demonstrated their ability to use the system. The type and frequency of errors made was also recorded. Subjects were required to use the system until they had completed all tasks correctly. Subjects using IFPS completed tasks in a shorter time than those using the positional system VISICALC. The research methodology was successful in providing feedback for training and design modifications, and also provided for a successful comparison of differences in learning performance when analyzing the effects of previous experience and type of system. Results showed a wide range of performance by subjects, even though they had similar backgrounds. Results suggest that a keyword system is easier to learn for novice users who are learning the fundamental operations of a business modeling system.

This dissertation consists of three essays. The first essay examines whether investors' optimism about the future economic growth affects their future investment decisions. Drawing from the insights of the theoretical literature on investment behavior, we argue that investors base their future investment decisions not only on asset-specific information and existing macroeconomic environment, but also on their beliefs about future economic growth. Consistent with this premise, we find that investors' investment decisions, measured by mutual fund flows, are positively influenced by their economic optimism, even after controlling for various fund characteristics and macroeconomic conditions. Moreover, this effect is more pronounced for funds with greater fund-specific information uncertainty, i.e. funds that are small, belong to smaller fund families, or have highly volatile past performance. Our results suggest that investors not only consider forward-looking economic optimism in their investment decisions, but also put greater weight on it when fund-specific information seems uninformative and less valuable. The second essay examines the impact of group decision making on fund performance, their risk-taking behavior and other fund characteristics using a large U.S. equity mutual fund database. The literature has conflicting reports regarding the impact of team based managerial structure on fund performance. We first observe that in mutual fund studies this results from large discrepancies in reported managerial structures between CRSP and Morningstar databases reaching on average 20% per year. Then we show that with more superior Morningstar data team-managed funds exhibit higher risk-adjusted returns than single-managed funds. The performance spread is present across all fund categories, except aggressive funds, and is robust to the inclusion of fund- and manager-level controls. Across various managerial structures, the largest team-induced gains are reached among funds managed by three individuals. Furthermore, teams significantly improve fund performance when funds are located in financial centers, reflecting larger networking potential and/or better skills of people who reside in larger cities. This improvement is achieved in teams more homogeneous in age and education. In spite of higher returns however, team-managed funds are not riskier than single-managed funds in terms of market exposure or idiosyncratic volatility. Finally, team-managed funds trade less aggressively and are able to generate extra inflows for their funds. Thus, collective decision making is beneficial, but its scale depends on team size and diversity as well as its geographic location. The third essay examines the relation between managerial structure and the likelihood of deception. Using U.S. equity mutual fund data, we find that team-managed funds deceive significantly less than single-managed funds. In particular, we show that two trading activities – portfolio pumping and window dressing, – which are considered illegal or quasi-illegal, are more profound or exists at all only among single-managed funds. We also document a negative relation between the extent of those two activities and team size. Subsequent tests indicate that these results are not driven by various fund characteristics that differ between single- and team-managed funds, such as fund returns, size, and turnover. In addition, we observe that portfolio pumping is present most strongly among the worst performing single-managed funds, while window dressing occurs primarily again among single-managed funds but in the middle performance group for which it has the largest potential benefits. Overall, our findings support the notion that team is a desirable form of organization as it helps weaken incentives to deceive. / Cette thèse se compose de trois essais. Le premier essai examine si l'optimisme des investisseurs concernant la croissance économique future affecte leurs décisions d'investissement futures. En s'appuyant sur les connaissances de la littérature théorique sur le comportement des investisseurs, nous pensons que les investisseurs fondent leurs décisions d'investissement futures non seulement sur l'information spécifique aux actifs et l'environnement macro-économique, mais aussi sur leurs croyances au sujet de la croissance économique future. En accord avec cette hypothèse, nous trouvons que les décisions d'investissement sont positivement influencées par l'optimisme économique des investisseurs, même après avoir contrôlé pour les caractéristiques diverses des fonds et les conditions macroéconomiques. Cet effet est plus prononcé pour les fonds avec une incertitude plus grande de l'information propre au fonds, c'est-à-dire les fonds qui sont petites, qui appartiennent à des familles de fonds plus petits, ou qui ont des performances passées très volatiles. Nos résultats suggèrent non seulement que les investisseurs tiennent compte des énoncés économiques prospectifs de caractère optimiste dans leurs décisions d'investissement, mais qu'ils mettent aussi plus de poids sur ces énoncés quand l'information spécifique au fonds semble peu informative et moins valable. Le deuxième essai examine l'impact de la prise de décision collective sur le rendement du fonds, leur comportement en termes de prise de risque et autres caractéristiques de fonds, en utilisant un grand base de données traitant des fonds communs de placement américains. La littérature démontre des rapports contradictoires concernant l'impact de la structure de gestion d'équipe sur le rendement des fonds. Nous observons tout d'abord que dans les études de fonds communs de placement ce résultat découle des grandes différences dans les structures de gestion rapportés entre les bases de données CRSP et Morningstar, qui atteignant en moyenne 20 pourcent par an. Ensuite, nous montrons qu'avec les données supérieures de Morningstar les fonds gérés par des équipes présentent des rendements ajustés au risque plus élevés que celles des fonds gérés par les individus. L'écart de performance est présent à travers toutes les catégories de fonds, à l'exception des fonds agressifs, et est robuste à l'inclusion des contrôles au niveau du fonds et du gestionnaire. Par ailleurs, les équipes améliorent considérablement le rendement du fonds lorsque les fonds sont situés dans des centres financiers, reflétant le plus grand potentiel de réseautage et / ou les meilleures compétences des personnes qui habitent dans les grandes villes. Cette amélioration est obtenue au sein d'équipes plus homogènes en termes d'âge et de l'éducation. Ainsi, la prise de décision collective est bénéfique, mais son ampleur dépend de la taille de l'équipe et de la diversité ainsi que de sa situation géographique. Le troisième essai examine la relation entre la structure de gestion et le risque de tromperie. En utilisant les données sur les actifs de fonds communs de placement américains, nous constatons que les fonds gérés par des équipes trompent beaucoup moins que ceux gérés par les individus. Nous montrons que deux activités – 'portfolio pumping' et 'window dressing' – qui sont considérées comme illégales ou quasi-clandestines, sont plus profondes ou existent seulement parmi les fonds gérés par les individus. Nous avons également documenté une relation négative entre l'ampleur de ces deux activités et la taille de l'équipe. Des tests ultérieurs indiquent que ces résultats ne sont pas motivés par diverses caractéristiques des fonds qui diffèrent entre les fonds gérés par individus et équipes, tels que le rendement des fonds, la taille, et le chiffre d'affaires. Dans l'ensemble, nos résultats soutiennent l'idée que l'équipe est une forme d'organisation souhaitable car elle contribue à affaiblir les incitations à tromper.

This thesis was an attempt at resolving the controversy regarding the incidence of the corporation income tax (CIT) in the United States. Three alternative hypotheses reflecting opposing points of view were constructed. The first hypothesis was the neoclassical hypothesis, which states that when the CIT is imposed, or its rate steeply increased, the net (after tax) share of capital declines in the short run, whereas in the long run it remains close to this lower level. Thus, the corporations cannot shift the tax either in the short run or in the long run. The second hypothesis was the Krzyzaniak-Musgrave (K-M) hypothesis, which states that the net share of capital remains constant (it may increase slightly) after the imposition of the CIT. Furthermore, through time it continues to remain constant until long run equilibrium is attained. Hence, the corporations shift the tax in full. The third hypothesis was the Krzyzaniak-Musgrave-Stein (K-M-S) hypothesis, which states that the short run outcome corresponds to the K-M case, while in the long run the neoclassical outcome is obtained. Econometric models were constructed in order to test these three hypotheses. In the long run it is not possible to identify systems of equations (due to the scarcity of near exogenous variables). Therefore, it was necessary to use reduced form models. Two reduced form models were constructed: (1) the 'crude' model which was used to make a choice between the three alternative hypotheses; (2) the distributed lag model which was used to determine the length of time required for long run adjustments to take place, and to throw some light on the role of expectations. Using data for the case of the United States economy for the years 1929 through 1978, in the models, the following results were obtained: (1) among the three rival hypotheses, the data supported the K-M-S hypothesis; (2) long run adjustments occur rapidly (in three time periods); and (3) expectations (based on past tax rate changes) do not play a major role. The results of the crude model are highly reliable due to the powerful nature of our tests. On the other hand, the distributed lag models turned out to be unsatisfactory because their solution is weak and they do not take into consideration the changes in the slopes and the intercepts. Thus, from the results of this thesis and those of Krzyzaniak's papers the theory of the incidence of the CIT needs to be reconstructed while keeping in mind the impossibility theorems.

This thesis studies the process of extracting business value from Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) through integration. The main premise is that performance differences across firms investing in similar ERP systems can be attributed to differences in the way the technology (ERP) is integrated with the actual IT infrastructure and business processes of the firm. Drawing on the entrepreneurship and integration literature, this thesis focuses on the antecedents of integration and its impact on business process performance. To better understand this phenomenon, this thesis adopts a multi-method and multi-essay approach. The first essay looks at how different degrees of integration are achieved by looking at the effect of managers' alertness and search activity on integration. It also demonstrates the influence of perceived gap as a trigger of search. The second essay develops and proposes a measure of integration in an ERP context at the module level. Finally, the last essay applies the notion of integration to better understand its effect on business process performance by looking at its antecedents and how different degrees of integration influence the performance of the business processes. All essays are empirical; case studies for the first one and survey for the last two essays. These essays can be seen as components of an integrative investigation of the issue of ERP value creation through integration, which is likely to help us understand how and under which circumstances ERP systems can produce value for the firms implementing them. / La présente thèse étudie le processus d'extraction de valeur des systèmes de gestion intégrée (ERP). La prémisse principale de cette thèse est que la différence de performance entre les organisations qui investissent dans des systèmes ERP similaires puisse être attribuée à la façon dont le système est intégré avec l'infrastructure technologique actuelle et les processus d'affaires de l'organisation. Basé sur la littérature en entrepreneuriat et en intégration, cette thèse fait le point sur les antécédents et les impacts de l'intégration d'un module ERP. Pour mieux comprendre ce phénomène, cette thèse adopte une approche multi-méthode repartie sur trois articles. Le premier article examine comment l'intégration est accomplie à travers le niveau d'alerte et de recherche des gestionnaires, ce dernier dépendant du gap perçu entre le système et les processus d'affaires actuels. Le deuxième article développe et propose une mesure d'intégration dans un contexte ERP au niveau du module. Finalement, le dernier article applique la notion d'intégration pour mieux comprendre ses antécédents et son effet sur la performance des processus d'affaires. Tous les articles sont empiriques : études de cas pour le premier et enquête pour les deux autres articles. Ces articles peuvent être vus comme les composantes formant une vision complémentaire de l'investigation de la création de valeur des systèmes de gestion intégrée à travers le processus d'intégration.

This research project analyses the employment status of disabled persons as well as the existing measures to enhance their integration in the work place. This analysis demonstrates that this group is confronted with patterns of systemic discrimination and that the actual integration measures bear numerous gaps. Different strategies are proposed in order to fill these gaps. A comparative study with foreign integration models contributes to the elaboration of these strategies. The proposed solutions reside in legislative reforms and modifications to employment rules and practices.

Whether in common law jurisdictions or in German civil law, the issue of pre-incorporation transactions has always been the subject of considerable controversy. Concerned with the promoters, third parties, the company and its shareholders, the law has found it difficult to balance these frequently conflicting interests without neglecting the need for clear and simple rules. Common law courts, sometimes excessively committed to legal principles, have even come up with absurd results. / This survey looks at the various attempts made in order to reconcile legal principles and business requirements--legislative in most common law jurisdictions, juridical in Germany. It will critically examine the approaches taken in Anglo-Saxon jurisdictions and compare their results and reasoning with the solution found in German law. It will be seen that even among closely related legal systems, results differ considerably. The survey will illustrate how established rules of law have turned out to be largely incapable of meeting the challenge of pre-incorporation transactions. From a comparative point of view, some suggestions will be made in order to achieve a solution that is more satisfactory in result and reasoning.

Whereas EEC merger law has always been influenced by a tradition of hospitality to industrial concentrations combined with receptivity to government regulations, US merger law evolved originally from a tradition of inhospitality to concentrations and a strong preference for competition over government regulation of performance to a sensitive approach to consumer's interests and a more tolerant stance towards mergers. Therefore, although influenced by different history and focus both sets of merger law have certain common features and objectives and seem to head towards a better coordination of their respective antitrust authorities and a lessening of U.S./E.E.C. jurisdictional conflicts over merger enforcement.