Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 1986. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 261-272). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 107-109).

Warren B. Powell, Pierre Humblet. / "June 1985." "EES-83-5" "Revised May, 1985" / Bibliography: p. 22. / "Research supported by NSF under grant No.CEE-8203476." "... partial support provided lby NSF under grant No. NSF-ECS-8310698."

Thesis (MScEng (Industrial Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / This thesis introduces an adaptation of the Population-Based Incremental Learning (PBIL) meta-heuristic implemented on a variant of the General Pickup and Delivery Problem. The mapping of the customers in the problem and the vehicle routes on a time grid enables the utilization of the powerful genetic search that the PBIL algorithm provides in liaison with competitive learning. The problem consists of a number of customers who may at any time of the day place an order on another customer for some package. The fleet of vehicles travelling between the customers must then combine powers to pickup and deliver the package as fast as possible without ever leaving their assigned routes. The solution to this problem then, is a set of routes for the fleet that will minimize some percentile of the delivery times between customers. The PBIL meta-heuristic provides the blueprint of the final algorithm, where the final algorithm is actually just a normal PBIL algorithm with some external solution generation and evaluation techniques employed. The final algorithm can easily solve an instance of the problem in polynomial time, given that the resolution of the time grid used is not too small.

Study project (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Liner shipping supplies a frequent scheduled transport service between designated ports to meet the needs of importers and exporters. Those needs are becoming more specific as a result of increasing competition attributable to globalisation of trade while importers and exporters are requiring more exacting services from the liner operators. The elements of service which most concern the importers and exporters are obviously the costs they must bear for the conveyance of the cargo and the time taken for its delivery. In order to meet the requirements of importers and exporters and at the same time enable the operators of the services to remain in business in the face of increasing competition within the industry, liner shipping worldwide is undergoing major changes. These changes are intended to increase the economies of scale and to extend control of the liner operators over the landside transport services. A discussion on liner shipping and current developments is contained in Chapter 3. Liner shipping plays an indispensable role in the economy of South Africa because almost 50% by value of South African imports are containerised. That equates to 8% of South African imports by volume (Moving South Africa: 1998), although it must be borne in mind that some of the cargo moving through South African ports is ultimately destined for countries in SADC (Southern African Development Community). According to Drewry Shipping Consultants, containerised cargo worldwide has been growing at the rate of about 8% per annum since 1980 and the South African trade has experienced a similarly high growth. The actual transport of containers, by sea is only one of the elements in the transport logistics supply chain (TLSC) between exporters in one country and importers in another with which liner operators must concern themselves. A conceptual background explaining the entire TLSC is provided in Chapter 2. In that chapter, the TLSe is defined and two models are used to identify key elements of the TLSC as well as interaction between them. Inefficiencies existing in individual elements of the TLSC as well as suggested solutions to the underlying problems are discussed in Chapter 4. Emphasis is placed on the need to use information technology as a vehicle to integrate the individual elements of the TLSe and as a means of saving costs and time. A discussion of the economic benefits of an efficient TLSe is contained in Chapter 5, while Chapter 6 includes a discussion on local and regional developments that have a bearing on the efficiency of the TLSe. The conclusions of the study together with recommended action are contained in Chapter 7. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Lynvaart bied 'n gereeld geskeduleerde vervoerdiens tussen bepaalde hawens om in die behoeftes van in- en uitvoerders te voorsien. Weens toenemende mededinging voortspruitend uit die globalisering van handel, raak hierdie behoeftes egter al hoe veeleisender, terwyl in- en uitvoerders ook al hoe meer eise begin stel aan die gehalte van die diens wat deur lynvaartoperateurs gelewer word. Die elemente van hierdie diens waarby in- en uitvoerders die grootste belang het, is uiteraard die koste en die tyd verbonde aan vragverskeping. Om aan die vereistes van in- en uitvoerders te voldoen en dit terselfdertyd vir operateurs moontlik te maak om hul besighede te midde van toenemende mededinging in die industrie te bly bedryf, is die lynvaartbedryf wereldwyd besig om groot veranderinge te ondergaan. Hierdie veranderinge is bedoel om skaalvoordele te verbeter en lynvaartoperateurs se beheer oor vervoerdienste aan land uit te brei. Lynvaart en huidige ontwikkelinge in die bedryf word in Hoofstuk 3 bepreek. Lynvaart speel 'n onontbeerlike rol in Suid-Afrika se ekonomie omdat ongeveer 50% van die waarde van Suid-Afrika se invoere in houers vervoer word. Dit is gelyk aan 8% van Suid-Afrika se invoere per volume (Moving South Africa: 1998), alhoewel daar ook in gedagte gehou moet word dat 'n gedeelte van die vrag wat deur Suid-Afrikaanse hawens beweeg, uiteindelik bestem is vir lande in die SAOG (Suider-Afrikaanse Onwikkelingsgemeenskap). Volgense Drewry Skeepskonsultante, groei die vervoer van houerverskeping sedert 1980 teen 'n tempo van ongeveer 8% per jaar, en het die Suid-Afrikaanse handel 'n soortgelyke hoe groeikoers ondervind. Die werklike verskeping van houers is net een van die elemente in die vervoerlogistiekvoorsieningsketting (VL VK) tussen uitvoerders in een land en invoerders in 'n ander land waarmee lynvaartoperateurs rekening moet hou. 'n Konseptuele raamwerk wat die VLVK in die geheel verduidelik, verskyn in Hoofstuk 2. Die VLVK word ook in hierdie hoofstuk gedefinieer en twee modelle word gebruik om elemente daarvan asook die interaksie tussen daardie elemente te identifiseer. Die ontoereikendheid van individuele elemente van die VLVK asook moontlike oplossings vir die onderliggende probleme word in Hoofstuk 4 bespreek. Klem word geplaas op die noodsaaklikheid om informasietegnologie te gebruik om die individuele elemente van die VLVK te integreer ten einde tyd en koste te bespaar. Die ekonomiese voordele van 'n doeltreffende VLVK word in Hoofstuk 5 bespreek, terwyl Hoofstuk 6 handel oor plaaslike en streeksonwikkelinge wat die VLVK se doeltreffendheid beinvloed. Die gevolgtrek

Punishment is the act of penalizing an individual as a response to a transgression. This thesis will deal with punishment in experimental game scenarios and in experimental criminal punishment scenarios, along with their different adaptations. The aim will be to provide an overview of both psychological and neurological underpinnings of punishment by reviewing existing literature. While punishment ought to deter transgressions and promote cooperative behavior, internal neural reward-related systems seem to be a driving factor of the desire to punish wrongdoings. Decisions on whether a transgressor is guilty and deserves punishment is mediated by the medial prefrontal cortex with an emphasis on the ventromedial parts. External influences affect the behavioral output and its underlying neural signatures of punishment. Social context such as peer pressure and in-group bias emphasize the importance of theory of mind related areas when conducting punishment.

This study is designed to examine comparative advertising as a viable advertising strategy in today's competitive business environment. Frequency and use of comparisons by the selected key industries and advertising agencies are investigated. Analysis is conducted to determine similarities and differences between firms who elect or avoid comparative advertising. Based on an analysis of the findings, certain conclusions are presented. The industry leader is not likely to use comparative advertising in most industries. Firms that are fourth or smaller in market share are most likely to use comparisons. However, the smallest firms, in terms of dollar sales volume, are least likely to use comparative advertising.

Do maximizers maximize across decision domains? An assumption underlying the literature on maximizing is that the tendency to strive to make the best choice spans domains. The current research provides a direct test of this assumption by examining the association between trait maximizing and domain-specific maximizing, consisting of maximizing measures in a wide range of decisions (consumer goods, services and experiences, and life decisions). Study 1 tested this association at two different time points in order to minimize common method bias. Study 2 was a highpowered pre-registered cross-sectional replication. Results of both studies showed that trait maximizing was associated with higher maximizing tendencies across all three decision domains. However, in line with prior research suggesting that people generally maximize less in experiential than in material domains, trait maximizing was associated with maximizing in services and experiences significantly less than with maximizing in consumer goods or in life decisions. These results provide empirical support for a central tenet of maximizing theory and suggest useful directions for future research.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:24:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2004Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T18:51:51Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 silvajunior_rf_me_prud.pdf: 4551272 bytes, checksum: 2f71a4e07f01b3add79b7c1b7befa632 (MD5) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / A competitividade atinente ao capitalismo, torna-se mais imperativa com o aumento, nas últimas décadas, da fluidez obtida principalmente depois da Segunda Guerra Mundial. Atualmente, além de todo aparato tecnológico, concretizado no intenso uso das tecnologias da informação e das comunicações, a consecução da fluidez é possível através da logística industrial, e conseqüentemente, da formação de redes cada vez mais complexas e dinâmicas, em arranjos paradoxais de competitividade e cooperação. Em relação à logística industrial, sua atividade principal é o transporte, que no Brasil se corporifica, na sua maior parte, no transporte rodoviário de cargas. A melhor interpretação de toda essa dinâmica foi possível através da sistematização do estudo sobre o transporte rodoviário de cargas, sua logística e suas redes, em três cidades médias do interior paulista, que neste caso foram Presidente Prudente, São José do Rio Preto e Bauru. / The competitiveness intrinsical to the capitalism becomes more imperative with the increase, in the last decades, of the fluidity gotten mainly after the Second World War. Currently, beyond all technological apparatus, materialize in the intense use of the technologies of the information and the communications, the achievement of the fluidity is possible through the logistic industrial, and consequently, of the formation of more complexes and dynamics networks each time, in paradoxical arrangements of competitiveness and cooperation. Regarding the logistic industrial, its main activity is the transport, that is materialized in Brazil, in its biggest part, in the roadway transportation of goods. The best interpretation of all this dynamics was possible through the systematization of the study about the roadway transportation of goods, its logistic one and its networks, in three average cities of State of São Paulo (Presidente Prudente, São José do Rio Preto e Bauru).

abstract: Convergent products are products that offer multiple capabilities from different product categories. For example, a smartphone acts as an internet browser, personal assistant, and telephone. Marketers are constantly considering the value of adding new functionalities to these convergent products. This work examines convergent products in terms of the hedonic and utilitarian value they provide along with whether the addition is related to the base product, revealing complex and nuanced interactions. This work contributes to marketing theory by advancing knowledge in the convergent products and product design literatures, specifically by showing how hedonic and utilitarian value and addition relatedness interact to impact the evaluation of convergent goods and services. Looking at a greater complexity of convergent product types also helps to resolve prior conflicting findings in the convergent products and hedonic and utilitarian value literatures. Additionally, this work examines the role of justification in convergent products, showing how different additions can help consumers to justify the evaluation of a convergent product. A three-item measure for justification was developed for this research, and can be used by future researchers to better understand the effects of justification in consumption. This work is also the first to explicitly compare effects between convergent goods and convergent services. Across two experiments, it is found that these two products types (convergent goods versus convergent services) are evaluated differently. For convergent goods, consumers evaluate additions based on anticipated practicality/productivity and on how easily they are justified. For convergent services, consumers evaluate additions based on perceptions of performance risk associated with the convergent service, which stems from the intangibility of these services. The insights gleaned from the research allow specific recommendations to be made to managers regarding convergent offerings. This research also examines the applicability of hedonic and utilitarian value to a special type of advertising appeal: reward appeals. Reward appeals are appeals that focus on peripheral benefits from purchasing or using a product, such as time or money savings, and make suggestions on how to use these savings. This work examines potential interactions between reward appeals and other common advertising elements: social norms information and role clarity messaging. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Business Administration 2012