This paper investigates the adoption level of a network service where the net utility perceived by each user incorporates three key features, namely, user service affinity heterogeneity, a network externality, and a subscription cost. Services with network externality face a “chicken and egg” adoption problem in that the service requires customers in order to attract customers. In this paper we...

A characterization theorem of the core of two-sided matching problems is proved. The theorem characterizes the core by means of four axioms, the Pareto optimality, consistency, converse consistency, and anonymity. It is shown that all of them are logically independent.

This paper considers a manufacturer-retailer supply chain for a seasonal product whose demand is weather-sensitive. The retailer orders from the manufacturer (supplier) prior to the selling season and then sells to the market. We examine how a manufacturer can structure a weather-linked rebate to improve his expected profit. The proposed class of rebate contracts offers several advantages over ...

Different methods have been proposed for merging multiple and potentially conflicting informations. Sum-based operators offer a natural method for merging commensurable prioritized belief bases. Their popularity is due to the fact that they satisfy the majority property and they adopt a non cautious attitude in deriving plausible conclusions. This paper analyses the sum-based merging operator w...

This paper presents evidence on the impact of managers on cost efficiency in banking. Stochastic frontier analysis is applied to a unique Finnish data set. The paper finds that manager age and education have strong yet complicated effects. University education enhances efficiency if the manager is running a large bank. Managing director changes are systematically followed by efficiency changes....

We consider the notion of Pareto optimality under the assumption that only the pairwise majority relation is known and show that the set of necessarily Pareto optimal alternatives coincides with the McKelvey uncovered set. As a consequence, the McKelvey uncovered set constitutes the coarsest Pareto optimal majoritarian social choice function. Moreover, every majority relation is induced by a pr...

Suppose that we are given the payoff matrix for a game G of perfect information but with no side-payments. We seek to study the likely results if rational players negotiate a settlement involving only pure strategies. Axioms are presented for the set X(G) of payoff vectors that might actually occur under these idealized circumstances. We also present a formal negotiation process analogous to th...

heat recuperation is often used to improve the overall cycle efficiency of gas turbines. however, generally in small- scale gas turbines, it has a negative effect on turbine inlet temperature, pressure ratio and pressure drops, and thus decreases the overall cycle efficiency. in this paper, a thermodynamic model is performed to evaluate recovered heat as a function of heat exchanger effectivene...

background: optimal allocation of resources commensurate with performance improvement is the concerns of all countries including iran. estimation hospitals production function is important in the economic management of hospitals. objective: the aim of this study was to estimate the production function of iranian selected public hospitals as well as analyze the economic behavior in use of hospit...