Covers both multicriteria decision and multiobjective optimization and helps readers understanding the mathematics behind the methods Includes several levels of exercises and solutions aiming the developing of readers' problem-solving skills and to promote concepts retention Designed for a 12 weeks course in multiple attribute decision modelling taken by advanced undergraduate and beginning graduate students in the mathematical sciences, engineering, and economics and management Includes supplementary teaching materials as slides presentations and self-evaluation exercises Provides models built in GAMS that can be solved and analysed with the software free version

For decades business management teams have learned lessons and absorbed wisdom from an array of disciplines - psychology, sociology, biology and more - but philosophy, and the wisdom it embodies, has long been overlooked. World-renowned business philosopher Anders Indset wants to correct this oversight through his mission to introduce practical philosophy into every organisation. Intended as a source of inspiration, Philosophy@Work explores the integration of philosophical tenets into the business landscape, and how they can be applied to personal development, the art of leadership and coping with the forces of change. Within its pages are reflections from twenty-seven of the world's leading business thinkers, including Dorie Clark, Erica Dhawan, Mark Esposito, Stew Friedman, Marshall Goldsmith, Anil K. Gupta, Gianpiero Petriglieri, Haiyan Wang and many more. Through articles, interviews, and essays, they share their insights into the profound impact philosophy can have on business. This is a starting point to a world of practical applied philosophy, a first glimpse into the beginning of a new era.

Decisions in businesses and organizations are too often based on fads, fashions and the success stories of famous CEOs. At the same time, traditional models and new cutting-edge solutions often fail to deliver on what they promise. This situation leaves managers, business leaders, consultants and policymakers with a profound challenge: how can we stay away from trends and quick fixes, and instead use valid and reliable evidence to support the organization? In response to this problem, evidence-based management has evolved with the goal of improving the quality of decision-making by using critically evaluated evidence from multiple sources - organizational data, professional expertise, stakeholder values and scientific literature. This book sets out and explains the specific skills needed to gather, understand and use evidence to make better-informed organizational decisions. Evidence-Based Management is a comprehensive guide that provides current and future managers, consultants and organizational leaders with the knowledge and practical skills to improve the quality and outcome of their decision-making. Online resources include case studies, exercises, lecture slides and further reading.

This book aims to assess what the changes of the Treaty of Lisbon envisaged and whether these ambitions have materialised since the Treaty entered into force. It offers analyses of the past, as well as what might be the future (because some provisions will only enter into effect in the years to come). To what extent has the current decision-making process been able to address the shortcomings and challenges of the past? What has been the impact of aspects of the Lisbon Treaty that clarified pre-existing norms and structures, in some cases formalizing them, rather than introducing new changes? The authors of this book look at the interaction between formal rules and informal practices, seeking to point to the interaction between the two. They find that informal practices to date typically still dominate formal rules. This book was published as a special issue of West European Politics.

Each year, thousands of businesses file for bankruptcy protection because managers fail to efficiently organize the company's operations, misread market trends, pay inadequate attention to product quality, or misinterpret the activities and intentions of rival companies. Perhaps they fail to formulate optimal advertising or financing strategies, procure raw materials and components at least cost, or provide adequate incentives to motivate workers to put forth their best efforts. Managerial economics is the application of economic principles to topics of concern to managers. This textbook develops a framework for predicting managerial responses to changes in the business environment. It combines the various business disciplines with quantitative methods to identify optimal solutions to more efficiently achieve a firm's organizational objectives. The topics discussed in this textbook are readily accessible to students with a background in the principles of microeconomics and business mathematics. The selection and organizations of topics makes the textbook appropriate for use in a wide range of curricula by students with different backgrounds.

Global Information Technology Outsourcing In Search of Business Advantage Mary C. Lacity & Leslie P. Willcocks ‘Lacity, and Willcocks have shown us again why they are the world’s leading IT outsourcing gurus… the most comprehensive work on IT outsourcing to date.’ Sara Cullen, National Partner, Australia Business Process Management, Deloitte Touche, Tohmatsu ‘a valuable collection… readers will find here advice that premier consultants would deliver for a very large multiple of the price of this book.’ Paul A. Strassmann, former CIO of General Foods, Kraft, Xerox and the US Department of Defense ‘(a). "must read" for anyone in search of a clear understanding of what information technology outsourcing is all about… absolutely no one should jump into outsourcing prior to taking advantage of the outstanding case studies outlined in this book.’ Emmett Paige, President, OAO Corporation ‘an excellent guide to successful outsourcing, the best I have read on the topic. It should be mandatory reading for any senior executive.’ Gail Burke, Executive Director & CIO, Macquarie Bank, Australia ‘crisp and concise. The studies selected for detailed presentation are excellent and the analysis… rings with credibility.’ Rob Westcott, Vice President and CIO, General Motors Acceptance Corporation International Operations, UK ‘Lacity and Willcocks have… unrivalled access to outsourcing deals across the globe… their new book… is a powerful synthesis of their learning (and) their chapter on risk management is a groundbreaking contribution. A vitally important business guide.’ Richard Sykes, Chairman Morgan Chambers plc. - Europe’s largest independent consultancy in IT services & business process sourcing ‘Lacity and Willcocks tell it like it is and pull no punches… A must read for any organization contemplating outsourcing or trying to fix a broken outsourcing relationship… Planning for outsourcing, negotiating the deal, making the relationship work — it’s all here.’ Bob Young, Executive Director, South Australian Government Account, EDS (Electronic Data Systems) ‘For those of us with a deep knowledge and experience of outsourcing, this book is required reading. For those who are just starting out on the journey, it is essential reading.’ Robert White, CEO, Lucidus Management Technologies

Here is a comprehensive guide to the incorporation of computer simulation in all levels of the planning function of an organization. Writing for managers of planning, planners, and programmers, the author enables readers to gain an overall understanding of the potential role of simulation in planning, to apply simulation to their own particular needs, and to translate planning concepts into computer instructions. Nersesian demonstrates that for manager, planner, and programmer alike, simulation is not difficult in concept nor complicated to put into practice. The author argues that simulation is a necessary activity in a planning environment characterized by uncertain futures and rapidly changing conditions.

The book is organized into separate chapters, each of which acts as a case study of an aspect in the use of simulation. The synopsis that begins every chapter provides the manager of a planning operation with an appreciation of the general application of simulation to one facet of planning. The chapters themselves focus on particular situations which might befall a planner within the general application of simulation to the planning process. Special appendices--designed to aid programmers who have not had much previous experience in setting up simulation programs--follow each chapter and provide descriptive material and the applicable simulation program. As a comprehensive yet easily understood guide to the benefits of utilizing simulation in the planning process, this book will be an invaluable resource for planners, corporate executives, and programmers.

Drawing on the innovative concept of Organizational IQ and a study of companies in seventeen countries, Survival of the Smartest charts a course for managers to follow into the twenty-first century.

At the heart of the book is the authors' tool for assessing an organization's future health, which they call Organizational IQ. It measures a company's ability to quickly process information and make effective decisions. As industry clock speeds accelerate everywhere, a high IQ has become a prerequisite for survival. Low IQ companies that the authors studied, on the other hand, have already vanished.

Case studies from Hewlett-Packard, British Petroleum, Sun Microsystems, and Chrysler, among others, illustrate how companies can improve their Organizational IQs. How did Hewlett-Packard become the dominant player in printing? How did British Petroleum transform itself from a stodgy behemoth into the most agile and competitive player in the oil industry? How did Chrysler rise from the brink of bankruptcy to become the auto industry's prized asset?

In these companies, technology by itself played only a secondary role: to be successful, the entire organization had to become smarter. The authors show how key strategic decisions turned around these companies' Organizational IQs—and with it, their fortunes. A detailed company case study takes you in slow motion through the different steps you can take to improve the IQ of your own organization.

Survival of the Smartest offers a rare blend of a coherent framework, in-depth company case studies, a sound research base, and a detailed, step-by-step implementation example. Based on a landmark study of 164 organizations worldwide, conducted as part of a partnership between Stanford University, McKinsey & Company, and the University of Augsburg, Organizational IQ is proving to be the acid test for the success or failure of companies around the world.

"Survival of the Smartest is a practical and action-oriented road map for managing in the Information Age. It can save you much pain by tapping into the experience of managers who have done it before."—Eric Benhamou, CEO, 3Com

"Most executives acknowledge that they need to prepare their organizations for the challenges of the 21st century. But how do you know where you stand and what are the most important levers for improvement? Survival of the Smartest is a must read for any manager who is looking for answers to these questions."—Guenter Mooshammer, Senior Vice President, Vishay Semiconductor

"Mendelson and Ziegler brilliantly capture the character of organizations smart enough to function successfully in a turbulent world. Loaded with powerful concepts and how companies have successfully applied them, Survival of the Smartest will teach you how to create a "High-IQ" company and avoid the traps that make good companies mediocre."—Jerry Porras, Lane Professor of Organizational Behavior, Stanford Business School, and coauthor, Built to Last.

"Professor Mendelson and Dr. Ziegler make it abundantly clear that if your organization is not on the path to becoming a high-IQ company, then it is probably on the road to extinction. This book packs a lot of wisdom that is eminently useful to companies large and small, hi-tech and low-tech. With a solid research base at Stanford Business School and loads of real-world experience, Survival of the Smartest captures essential truths for management in the Information Age."—Charles Fine, Professor, Sloan School of Management, MIT, and author of Clockspeed: Winning Industry Control in the Age of Temporary Advantage.

"This book shows how winning information-age firms can turn speed from a potential problem into a weapon and turn a flood of information into a competitive advantage."—Scott Cook, cofounder, Intuit, Inc.

"Survival of the Smartest is a comprehensive set of tools for measuring the IQ of your organization and systematically improving an organization's ability to learn. I found the book to be both a pragmatic and practical way to hone the competitiveness of any company."—John McHugh, General Manager, Hewlett-Packard ProCurve Networking Business

Large western companies are accelerating their expansion into emerging economies, while relying on oversimplified frameworks to make decisions and complex matrix organizations to make things happen. When critical events do happen (such as terrorist attacks or civil wars), senior executives and the companies they lead are often taken by surprise. As the world shifts to a less stable geopolitical structure, only firms that can acquire a better capability to foresee and prepare for change will prevail over the long term. Strategy and Geopolitics provides a strategic framework that can help senior business executives address the challenges of globalization in this evolving geopolitical landscape. This book underlines the need to go beyond a simplistic understanding of different countries and territories: it discusses the geopolitical issues that can be the cause of success or failure in different markets; and it explores strategies for dealing with global and local complexity, as well as introducing innovative ideas on recruitment and organization.

In recent years, there has been a growing debate, particularly in the UK and Europe, over the merits of using discrete-event simulation (DES) and system dynamics (SD); there are now instances where both methodologies were employed on the same problem. This book details each method, comparing each in terms of both theory and their application to various problem situations. It also provides a seamless treatment of various topics--theory, philosophy, detailed mechanics, practical implementation--providing a systematic treatment of the methodologies of DES and SD, which previously have been treated separately.

Multiple Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) is the study of methods and procedures by which concerns about multiple conflicting criteria can be formally incorporated into the management planning process. A key area of research in OR/MS, MCDM is now being applied in many new areas, including GIS systems, AI, and group decision making. Additionally, there has been very rapid growth in recent years in evolutionary Multiobjective optimization, stochastic analysis, robustness, and regression-based methods, and thus, the need for a look at the newest trends in the field.

This volume is in effect the third book in the Springer ISOR series by these editors, bringing the latest developments in MCDM into focus. It presents research from leaders in the field on such topics as Problem Structuring Methodologies; Measurement Theory and MCDA; Recent Developments in Evolutionary Multiobjective Optimization; Habitual Domains and Dynamic MCDM in Changeable Spaces; Stochastic Multicriteria Acceptability Analysis; and more.

Providing a comprehensive framework for building an effective fraud prevention model, "Fraud Risk Assessment: Building a Fraud Audit Program" presents a readable overview for developing fraud audit procedures and building controls that successfully minimize fraud. An invaluable reference for auditors, fraud examiners, investigators, CFOs, controllers, corporate attorneys, and accountants, this book helps business leaders respond to the risk of asset misappropriation fraud and uncover fraud in core business systems.

The book discusses a new approach to the classification problem following the decision support orientation of multicriteria decision aid. The book reviews the existing research on the development of classification methods, investigating the corresponding model development procedures, and providing a thorough analysis of their performance both in experimental situations and real-world problems from the field of finance.
Audience: Researchers and professionals working in management science, decision analysis, operations research, financial/banking analysis, economics, statistics, computer science, as well as graduate students in management science and operations research.

We need a new approach for solving tough problems in a complex world-we need to collaborate smarter. Market volatility. Sustainability demands. Hybrid working. Opportunities and hazards of fast-changing technology and regulations. Companies and nonprofits face more daunting challenges than ever. How can we collaborate in our organizations-and with outside partners-to solve problems, innovate, and succeed? Smarter Collaboration offers groundbreaking solutions. This indispensable new book lays out a pragmatic action plan blending rich stories, new empirical research, and loads of practical advice to help companies thrive by collaborating more effectively. As Harvard professor Heidi K. Gardner and senior executive Ivan A. Matviak show, firms that collaborate smarter consistently generate higher revenues and profits, boost innovation, strengthen client relationships, and attract and retain better talent. In this successor to Gardner's bestselling first book, Smart Collaboration, the authors expand their mandate, illustrating the fundamental dynamics of collaborating well across industries like financial services, health care, biotech/pharma, consumer products, automotive, and technology. Based on their research with thousands of executives from around the world, they share deep insights on how to implement smarter collaboration and avoid the potential pitfalls. They also help leaders troubleshoot thorny challenges like misaligned incentives, collaboration overload, and unintended consequences on diversity and inclusion. Complete with how-tos and cases, the book concludes with inspiring examples of groups harnessing smarter collaboration to tackle society's biggest challenges such as saving the oceans, eradicating diseases, and tackling global warming. Smarter Collaboration is the essential guide for forward-thinking leaders to transform their organizations, reshape the way they work, and increase impact and success.

The study of management and organization has transitioned from approaches to deal with steady state management, to approaches that can cope with unknown or unknowable futures. The strategy field has has moved from business policy, through strategic planning, onto strategic management and now grapples with dynamic contexts as the new normal. In that trend the field has seen a broad movement in research interests in corporate and competitive strategies towards an emphasis on the manager's strategic role. Through this shift, strategy has moved from a concept of something organizations have towards something that managers do. This has happened while traditional boundaries of industries have become permeable and even melted away. Managers tasked with doing strategy have lost not just the certainty of a goal-oriented future, but also the certainty of understanding their current position. Decision-making tools have now moved from answer generators to scenario builders. When decisions can rely less on evidence and certainty, it is managers that take up the slack and fill the void. This book focuses on the challenge of making strategic decisions in conditions of uncertainty.

Decision-makers at all levels are being confronted with novel complexities and uncertainties and face long-term challenges which require foresight about long-term future prospects, assumptions, and strategies. This book explores how foresight studies can be systematically undertaken and used in this context. It explicates why and how methods like horizon scanning, scenario planning, and roadmapping should be applied when dealing with high levels of uncertainty. The scope of the book moves beyond "narrow" technology foresight, towards addressing systemic interrelations between social, technological, economic, environmental, and political systems. Applications of foresight tools to such fields as energy, cities, health, transportation, education, and sustainability are considered as well as enabling technologies including nano-, bio-, and information technologies and cognitive sciences. The approaches will be illustrated with specific actual cases.

Gary Gastineau and Mark Kritzman team up once again for the third edition of this classic reference tool designed for financial analysts and managers. Anyone involved in financial risk management must have a proper understanding of the words, terms, and phrases used in this fast paced field-and Dictionary of Financial Risk Management clearly provides that understanding. Risk management terminology is a part of almost any financial operation, including cash, forwards/futures, swaps, options-and is found in many disciplines: probability and statistics, tax and financial accounting, and law. The vocabulary of the risk manager continues to expand with the creation of new products and new concepts. This volume carefully defines and illustrates all the words and phrases that financial professionals need to know and understand. The Dictionary of Financial Risk Management includes listings of common acronyms, profit/loss diagrams of new financial instruments, and extensive coverage of derivatives and quantitative techniques. This invaluable reference guide provides comprehensive definitions of the key terms and concepts that many financial professionals need to know on a day-to-day basis.

This book presents the construction and resolution of 50 practical optimization problems and covers an exceptionally wide range, including games-associated problems (Unblock Me, Sudokus), logistical problems, and problems concerning plant distribution, production, operations scheduling, management and resource allocation. The problems are divided into 5 difficulty levels. Problems in the first few levels are focused on learning the model construction methodology, while those in the last level include complex optimization environments. For each problem solution, the specific steps are illustrated, promoting reader comprehension. In addition, all the models are implemented in an optimization library, LINGO, their solutions have been analyzed and their correct construction has been verified. The book also includes a simple guide to implementing models in LINGO in a straightforward manner and in any input data format (text files, spreadsheets or databases). As an ideal companion to the author's previously published work Modelling in Mathematical Programming, the book is intended as a basic tool for students of operations research, and for researchers in any advanced area involving mathematical programming.

This open access book focuses on both the theory and practice associated with the tools and approaches for decisionmaking in the face of deep uncertainty. It explores approaches and tools supporting the design of strategic plans under deep uncertainty, and their testing in the real world, including barriers and enablers for their use in practice. The book broadens traditional approaches and tools to include the analysis of actors and networks related to the problem at hand. It also shows how lessons learned in the application process can be used to improve the approaches and tools used in the design process. The book offers guidance in identifying and applying appropriate approaches and tools to design plans, as well as advice on implementing these plans in the real world. For decisionmakers and practitioners, the book includes realistic examples and practical guidelines that should help them understand what decisionmaking under deep uncertainty is and how it may be of assistance to them. Decision Making under Deep Uncertainty: From Theory to Practice is divided into four parts. Part I presents five approaches for designing strategic plans under deep uncertainty: Robust Decision Making, Dynamic Adaptive Planning, Dynamic Adaptive Policy Pathways, Info-Gap Decision Theory, and Engineering Options Analysis. Each approach is worked out in terms of its theoretical foundations, methodological steps to follow when using the approach, latest methodological insights, and challenges for improvement. In Part II, applications of each of these approaches are presented. Based on recent case studies, the practical implications of applying each approach are discussed in depth. Part III focuses on using the approaches and tools in real-world contexts, based on insights from real-world cases. Part IV contains conclusions and a synthesis of the lessons that can be drawn for designing, applying, and implementing strategic plans under deep uncertainty, as well as recommendations for future work. The publication of this book has been funded by the Radboud University, the RAND Corporation, Delft University of Technology, and Deltares.

This book provides an overview of the nascent field of "information pooling and group judgmental accuracy." The contributors to this volume include mathematical psychologists, economists, social psychologists, political scientists, and statisticians. The book is organised around five review essays: one on information pooling from the perspective of models of individual judgment (Batchelder), one on information pooling and group judgment (Grofman and Owen), one on group judgment in applied settings (Hastie), and one on organisational design (Radner). Along with the review essays discussant comments are also provided which elaborate on points not covered in the essays. While the focus of these papers is largely theoretical and abstract, the subject of information pooling and optimal group judgment is clearly one of great practical importance and is directly relevant to issues of policy choice and organisational structure.

This book presents a range of qualitative and quantitative analyses in areas such as cybersecurity, sustainability, multivariate analysis, customer satisfaction, parametric programming, software reliability growth modeling, and blockchain technology, to name but a few. It also highlights integrated methods and practices in the areas of machine learning and genetic algorithms. After discussing applications in supply chains and logistics, cloud computing, six sigma, production management, big data analysis, satellite imaging, game theory, biometric systems, quality, and system performance, the book examines the latest developments and breakthroughs in the field of science and technology, and provides novel problem-solving methods. The themes discussed in the book link contributions by researchers and practitioners from different branches of engineering and management, and hailing from around the globe. These contributions provide scholars with a platform to derive maximum utility in the area of analytics by subscribing to the idea of managing business through system sciences, operations, and management. Managers and decision-makers can learn a great deal from the respective chapters, which will help them devise their own business strategies and find real-world solutions to complex industrial problems.

"Energy Budgets at Risk" "(EBar)"(R) provides everyone from facility energy managers and financial managers to government policy-makers and electric utilities program planners with the background information required to understand energy cost, price, efficiency, and related issues important in developing a balanced approach to facility energy risk management. Throughout the book, respected energy economist Dr. Jerry Jackson clearly shows how to reduce energy costs and increase cash flows by using risk management concepts developed in the financial industry.

Personnel Management is a business function and business is a value-adding activity. A business, be it agriculture, manufacturing, mining, trading, or any other activity, is a process of conversion for the purpose of satisfying human needs and thereby adding value. Such conversion takes various forms. It may be in terms of quantity, quality, time, or space. All such conversions are done primarily through human effort. Therefore, the need for personnel management arose since the time business activities required organized application of human effort. The history of personnel management is thus very old. Incidentally, persons are generally averse to physical and repetitive work. It had, therefore, been a challenge for those managing other people to get the work done by them when it was not inspiring in terms of work content or remuneration. This book, in a historical perspective, explains how the personnel managers handled the challenge in different ages, and how the evolving socio-economic environment influenced their approaches and actions. A lot has changed in terms of personnel management over the years. With economic liberalization, personnel management is no longer a job of managing persons. This book also covers the larger activities of organizational management and beyond. In the days to come, personnel managers will have to be messengers of social harmony and growth, and an embodiment of trust. And then they will be able to serve the organizations and their employees the best.