By exploiting the Projection Lemma, this thesis provides less conservative LMI-like conditions for mixed H2 and H_inf control of continuous-time systems than those appeared in the current literature. The same technique has been extended to problems with time-invariant polytopic uncertainties. Numerical examples are illustrated to show improvement of the proposed results. Finally, an attempt is made to apply the Projection Lemma to stability analysis and design of systems with time-varying polytopic uncertainties.

Supply chain management involves inter-organizational interactions and integration as a whole, sharing operational resources and information among supply chain members, and an objective to optimize the supply chain performance. Among the management processes exists uncertainty that disrupts operational performance. The uncertainty occurs when supply chain members have insufficient information for decision making. The lack of information transparency leads to a rise in each member¡¦s cost and inventory level, inefficiency in capacity utilization, reduction of business values, etc. For these reasons, this study holds that information sharing can effectively deal with uncertainty and improve the performance of the whole supply chain. This research mainly studies information sharing in a supply chain and proposes a theoretical framework of information sharing. It investigates by a case study the uncertainty that the focal company faces in demand, supply, and manufacturing process, explores the company¡¦s current status of information sharing, and researches the factors that may influence information sharing. The results show that PCB (Printed Circuit Board), a highly customized product with a short life cycle and a simple combination of raw materials, has a supply chain of divergent differentiation. PCB has a higher demand uncertainty, but that uncertainty can be effectively reduced by information sharing and process coordination with demand side customers. Besides, the order fulfillment process may be improved as a result. Based on inter-organizational coordination, information sharing through vendor managed inventory mechanism will facilitate supply chain collaboration, and ease the significant influence of bullwhip effect on upstream PCB manufacturers. In this way, PCB manufacturers can share risks and profits with customers. Furthermore, the extent of trust and risk may influence the process of information sharing. A greater extent of trust helps members to share information with each other. Nevertheless, it is considered risky to share sensitive information, which is regarded as a bargaining power.

Due to limitation of economics and legislation, the power system is not allowed serious accident on modern social. In order to enhance system reliability, many types of special protection systems (SPS) have been implemented by utilities around the world. One of the main concerns in the design of an SPS is whether the designed system can achieve the reliability requirement. Currently, the literature that discusses the SPS reliability issue is scarce. In this thesis, a comparison of several techniques suitable for performing reliability assessment of SPS is presented. Discussed reliability models include using reliability block diagram, fault tree analysis, Markov modeling and Monte Carlo simulations. In order to understand the uncertainty effects of input data on the calculated system reliability, Monte Carlo Sampling method is utilized in this study to take the input parameters uncertainty into account in the system modeling. To deal with the problem of not being able to reach the reliability requirement after uncertainty analysis, a sensitivity analysis is proposed to analyze the importance of the components involved in the system. Sensitivity analysis can be used to identity the most effective component in the enhancement the SPS reliability. A Taipower SPS is used in this thesis to explain the proposed reliability assessment methods.

Risk-based corrective action (RBCA) is rapidly becoming an accepted approach for the remediation of contaminated sites. Under a RBCA approach, the risks to human health and the environment associated with a contaminated site are evaluated and appropriate corrective measures are taken as needed to reduce risk to acceptable levels. A series of standard guides of RBCA have been developed by American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM). The major tasks of this study were to (1) perform the sensitiveness analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of each input parameter on the calculated risks, (2) application of Monte Carlo simulation using a statistic software (@RISK) to analyze the distribution probability of inhalation risk, (3) conduct a risk evaluation and risk calculation at a chlorinated-compound contaminated site. Results from the sensitiveness analysis show that the major factors, which play important roles in the risk evaluation including sources of air pollution, vapor transportation rate, pollutant volatilization rate, length and direction of wind, distance of pollutant transport, width of pollution source, and groundwater flow velocity. Results from the Monte Carlo simulation show that the carcinogenic risk is about 15¡Ñ10-6 when the accumulation rate is 95% via inhalation. Moreover, the carcinogenic risk is about 31¡Ñ10-6 when the accumulation rate is 95% via ingestion. The calculated risk levels are higher than the requirement for minimum target risk level (cancer risk of 1x10-6) described in Taiwan¡¦s ¡§Soil and Groundwater Remediation Act¡¨. Results also show that the hazard index of non-carcinogenic risk is about 0.5 via the route of inhalation, which is higher than the minimum target risk level of 1. Moreover, the hazard index of non-carcinogenic risk is about 1.3 via the route of ingestion, which is lower than the acceptable level of 1. Results from the case study show that the major pollutant exposure routes at this chlorinated-compound contaminant site include inhalation of contaminant vapor and groundwater ingestion. Therefore, the input parameters affect the calculated risks include daily intake of drinking water, groundwater infiltration, groundwater flow velocity, aquifer depth, and distance of pollutant transport. Based on the results of risk assessment, it is very important for the decision makers to incorporate remedial activities including institutional controls, engineering controls, and remediation programs from RBCA results. This study provides a streamlined process and guidelines of developing the risk-based decision-making strategy for contaminated sites in Taiwan.

The Design-Build delivery method has gained popularity in the construction industry in the 21st century among clients seeking singular responsibility, shorter delivery time frame and management of complex works. In this exploratory study, a model that considers the effects of project technical system on the project organisation structure has been proposed. Project technical system comprises of two dimensions: technical uncertainty and technical complexity, while integration, organisational differentiation, information processing and project size were considered as dimensions of the project organisation structure. Several hypotheses linking the relationship between technical uncertainty, technical complexity and project structure has been developed. A self-administered questionnaire was developed as the data collection instrument. Field data were collected from design-build projects in the civil and architectural construction industry in Taiwan, and analysed at the project level. The technical system-structure relationships were tested statistically mainly by multiple regression. Results indicate that various scholarly perspectives of uncertainty have a common underlying construct. Several inter-correlations among components of the technical system were identified, and interactively they affect the project organisation structure. Technical uncertainty was found to be a better predictor of information processing and internal integrative efforts than technical complexity. Less structured and flexible information processes and coordinative mechanisms were favoured under high levels of technical uncertainty and complexity. Technical complexity was found to partially predict organisational differentiation, particularly by the interacting effects of project scope and concurrency. The level of technical staffing could be explained by project scope and technical differentiation of the complexity dimension. Lastly, the results were mixed for technical complexity as a predictor of the extent to which project work is subcontracted. The findings of this study contributed to the understanding of the relationships between technical system and organisation structure in complex Design-Build projects. Various managerial implications were outlined. The model proposed in this study can be extended to include project effectiveness, which may lead to the identification of key structural arrangements that contribute to improved project performance.

Edward Albee is influenced by the Absurd Drama of Samuel Beckett whose works involve existential concerns. Albee follows Beckett&rsquo / s traces in the dramatization of uncertainty, alienation and the question of freedom. Albee&rsquo / s characters do not have fixed identities, and they suffer from their identity problems. The notion of Other enhances this uncertainty. The ambiguity of existence, whether they really are or not, presents another problem for these characters. Their lives are based on illusions, and the line between the reality and fantasy is absent. Alienation of the human being from the self and the others is another existential theme that Albee deals with. Alienation is partly caused by lack of communication, and as a result, the isolated self is entrapped in his own condition. Freedom becomes a confusing question in his works as it makes the characters anxious while choosing one option among various others on his own, and as it renders the characters responsible for their free choices. So, the characters tend to be passive agents in life, which is in fact another choice. Albee extends Beckett&rsquo / s absurdist ideas and adopts the Absurd Drama to highlight his social concerns as he is also a social critic. The targets of his criticism are materialism, loss of values and broken human relationships. The playwright challenges the audience for a reform on these points.

This study examines the effect of strategy and task uncertainty on management accounting system (MAS) design. Mas design was defined in terms of the perceived usefulness of several information characteristics which may be associated with an MAS. We collected 87 respondents by surveying 500 middle managers of public owned companies in Taiwan, and used path analysis to test our hypotheses. The findings indicated that¡G1. There is a significant positive relation between strategy and task uncertainty. Furthermore, task difficulty and task variability also have significant positive relations with strategy respectively. 2. Strategy and the perceived usefulness of broad scope MAS information have both positive direct and indirect relations through task uncertainty. Besides, through task variability, there is an indirect relation between strategy and the perceived usefulness of broad scope MAS information, but there isn¡¦t an indirect relation between strategy and the perceived usefulness of broad scope MAS information via task difficulty. 3. A direct relationship between strategy and the perceived usefulness of aggregated MAS information was not found.

Abstract By following changeful environment and global competition trends, business strategy has an enormous influence toward enterprises. The most significant resource in an enterprise is manpower. Therefore, this research attempts to fit the relationship through environment uncertainty, the enterprise business strategy and human resources flexibility strategy. Besides, the research will discuss the human resources strategy how to make human resources flexibility fit and adjust business strategy practically, then promote to create enterprise competitive superiority, to follow external environment to reach enduring competitive capabilities, and to have double win. This research method adopts depth interviews and discussions with four individual cases. These four companies in this research are high-tech multinational stock companies. Their main products are different¡G crystal, IC¡]Integrated Circuit¡^seal and test, electric capacity, electric photography and scanner, etc. Totally there are 19 companies (including branches and subsidiaries) in investment cases. To build this method construction in this research by literary studies has found out the management connection among these case studies which all get involved with environment uncertainty, business strategy and human resources flexibility strategy. Four key findings are: (1) When the enterprise is aware of the low general environment uncertainty, characteristic business environment uncertainty and industrial environment uncertainty, business strategy should take it in terms of prospector and human resources flexibility strategy should select temporal working day and flexible wages. (2) When the enterprise is aware of the high general environment uncertainty, and low characteristic business environment uncertainty and industrial environment uncertainty, business strategy should take it in terms of prospector and human resources flexibility strategy should select temporal working day and flexible wages. (3) When the enterprise is aware of the low general environment uncertainty and characteristic business environment, and high industrial environment uncertainty, business strategy should take it in terms of defender and human resources flexibility strategy should select functional and numerical flexibility (4) When the enterprise is aware of the low general environment uncertainty and characteristic business environment uncertainty, and middle industrial environment uncertainty, business strategy should take it in terms of analyzer and human resources flexibility strategy should select functional and temporal flexibility. The conclusion is an enterprise must have different business strategies to fit environment uncertainty. If the enterprise can execute the human resources flexibility strategy at all times, they can build up effective management systems, and promote competitive conditions

This dissertation analyzes the basis for and magnitudes of discount factors based on the characteristics of greenhouse gas emission (GHGE) offsets that are applied to the GHGE reduction projects, concentrating on agricultural projects. Theoretical approaches to discount factors, estimation and incorporation of discount factors procedures are developed. Discount factors would be imposed by credit purchasers due to noncompliance with regulatory program of the credits with GHG program including consideration of shortfall penalties and limited durations. Discount factors are proposed for (i) additionality, (ii) leakage, (iii) permanence, and (iv) uncertainty. Additionality arise when the region where an AO project is being proposed would have substantial adoption of the AO practice in the absence of GHG programs (business as usual GHGE offset). Leakage arises when the effect of a program is offset by an induced increase in economic activity and accompanying emissions elsewhere. The leakage effect depends on demand and supply elasticities. Permanence reflects the saturation and volatility characteristics of carbon sequestration. Carbon is stored in a volatile form and can be released quickly to the atmosphere when an AO practice is discontinued. The permanence discount depends on the project design including practice continuation after the program and the dynamic rate of offset. Also, consideration of multiple offsets is important. Uncertainty arises due to the stochastic nature of project quantity. The uncertainty discount tends to be smaller the larger the size of the offset contract due to aggregation over space and time. The magnitude of these discounts is investigated in Southeast Texas rice discontinuation study. The additionality and the leakage discounts are found to play an important role in case of rice lands conversion to other crops but less so for pasture conversions and yet less for forest conversions. The permanence discount is important when converting to other crops and short rotation forestry. When all discounts are considered, rice lands conversion to forest yields claimable credits amounting to 52.8% ~ 77.5% of the total offset. When converting rice lands to pasture, the claimable credits 45.1% ~ 64.2%, while a conversion of rice lands to other crops yields claimable credits 38.9% ~ 40.4%.

Statistical process control (SPC) procedures suitable for autocorrelated processes have been extensively investigated in recent years. The most popular method is the residual-based control chart. To implement this method, a time series model, which is usually an autoregressive moving average (ARMA) model, of the process is required. However, the model must be estimated from data in practice and the resulting ARMA modeling errors are unavoidable. Residual-based control charts are known to be sensitive to ARMA modeling errors and often suffer from inflated false alarm rates. As an alternative, control charts can be applied directly to the autocorrelated data with widened control limits. The widened amount is determined by the autocorrelation function of the process. The alternative method, however, can not be also free from the effects of modeling errors because it relies on an accurate process model to be effective. To compare robustness to the ARMA modeling errors between the preceding two kinds of methods for control charting autocorrelated data, this dissertation investigates the sensitivity analytically. Then, two robust design procedures for residual-based control charts are developed from the result of the sensitivity analysis. The first approach for robust design uses the worst-case (maximum) variance of a chart statistic to guarantee the initial specification of control charts. The second robust design method uses the expected variance of the chart statistic. The resulting control limits are widened by an amount that depends on the variance of chart statistic - maximum or expected - as a function of (among other things) the parameter estimation error covariances.