Developing economies such as those in sub-Saharan Africa are searching for realistic economic policy prescriptions. Despite economic growth in countries like Nigeria, poverty and unemployment blight the lives of many, in the midst of plenty. Simultaneously, much neo-classical economic thought is being questioned against the backdrop of global economic meltdown, giving rise to inquiry about more integral approaches to sustainable development. In An Integral Approach to Development Economics, Basheer Oshodi examines modernization theories, dependency theories, world system theories and emerging 21st century economic theories and links a neo-modern mix of economic thought with the practicalities of finance in parts of the World where poverty is rife. In a specifically African setting, over half of the population are Muslims, Oshodi considers Islamic finance in the context of the triple heritage of indigenous culture, Westernized Christianity, and Islam. He argues that the principles of Islamic banking and finance can be integrated with other elements of that heritage, focusing on meeting the challenges of poverty and unemployment. Islamic finance is not just a religiously-oriented, Sharia-compliant, alternative financial model. It can contribute to overall socio-economic transformation and a wider, people-centred approach to economic development. International organizations, financial institutions, reserve banks, policy makers, donor agencies and students will find resonance in this valuable addition to Gower's Transformation and Innovation Series.

Andy Garlick's book explores the role of quantitative techniques in modern risk management. Risk management has grown in importance in most organisations in the last 20 years, but in many remains simply a matter of processing lists of risks and actions. The author argues that this fails to make the most of the techniques available and that organisations can improve their risk decision making by using risk models. His book describes a broad range of modelling techniques, all illustrated by business-relevant examples. The role of the models in decision making is also discussed, with particular emphasis on what the risk premium - the price people charge for accepting risk - is and should be. In order to provide a self contained account the underpinning material from probability and decision theory is also included, so that the book will provide a handy reference guide for all practitioners. The discussion is consistently informal, and the book provides a critical view of the accepted wisdom in risk management. This book will enable managers and their specialist advisors to improve their approach to risk whilst removing the mystique.

Increasingly in the public discourse there are references to the knowledge economy, knowledge society, knowledge workers and knowledge organisations. The argument is that knowledge is becoming the main economic resource, replacing the natural resources that drove the industrial revolution. The new knowledge economy is driven by knowledge development, innovation and highly skilled employees. Increasing investment in higher education and in universities is in line with this strategy and understanding. In an earlier book, Creating Collaborative Advantage edited with Richard Ennals, Professor Hans Christian Garmann Johnsen argued that it is knowledge that links social and economic processes. He believes that what is missing in the current discussion on innovation is a conceptualisation of exactly what knowledge is. In The New Natural Resource, he digs deeper into what it is and how it develops and subsequently leads to widespread change. The author argues that knowledge is inherently a social phenomenon. That is why social processes are closely linked to economic development, and why this relationship becomes even more apparent in the new knowledge economy. Knowledge is not an objective entity, established once and for all. Knowledge development is interrelated with values, norms, perceptions and interpretations. We need to know what the mechanisms are by which knowledge becomes legitimate, true and relevant.

We need strategy. The world is changing, the future uncertain. What is required is vision: What might the future bring? Where is our business going? What are our fundamental business values? This book is a manual for all those who want to apply strategy in organisations. It is intended for everyone who wants to put the future on the agenda, to look beyond the short term and beyond mere profit. It describes in practical terms the eight questions we must continually discuss in order to pursue a future-proof strategy in a dynamic and uncertain world: mission, trends, scenarios, options, vision, roadmap, action and monitoring. If you are dissatisfied with an approach to strategy based on simple backward looking analysis, management controls and problems solving after the fact, but would like to make a positive contribution to thinking about the future, Scenario-based Strategy offers the instruments to turn your intention into practice. The text provides examples from commercial to government and trade organizations; showing how others have undertaken future explorations and how they used these explorations to create a dynamic strategy. Paul de Ruijter has a deep insight into the theory, alongside practical experience working with some of the most highly regarded and resilient organizations. The result is a rich combination of methodology and practical, engaging examples that shows you how to go about creating an agenda for the future.

This book summarizes a series of research work on integrated process planning and scheduling (IPPS) done by the authors, focusing on discussing the properties, novel solution methods and applications of process planning, scheduling and IPPS problems under different machining environments. It is a valuable reference resource for teachers, students and researchers working in the fields of engineering, management science and other related disciplines.

Spatial planning is about dealing with our 'everyday' environment. In A Planner's Encounter with Complexity we present various understandings of complexity and how the environment is considered accordingly. One of these considerations is the environment as subject to processes of continuous change, being either progressive or destructive, evolving non-linearly and alternating between stable and dynamic periods. If the environment that is subject to change is adaptive, self-organizing, robust and flexible in relation to this change, a process of evolution and co-evolution can be expected. This understanding of an evolving environment is not mainstream to every planner. However, in A Planner's Encounter with Complexity, we argue that environments confronted with discontinuous, non-linear evolving processes might be more real than the idea that an environment is simply a planner's creation. Above all, we argue that recognizing the 'complexity' of our environment offers an entirely new perspective on our world and our environment, on planning theory and practice, and on the raison d'Atre of the planners that we are. A Planner's Encounter with Complexity is organized into 17 chapters. It begins with the interplay of planning and complexity from the perspective of contemporary planning theory. It continues by critically assessing planning theory and practice in the light of the interdisciplinary debate regarding complexity thinking. As the book progresses, it positions itself ever closer to the perspective of complexity thinking, looking at the planning discipline 'from the outside in', clarifying the facets of complexity and its importance in planning. Finally, conceptual and theoretical developments towards more applied examples are identified in order to see the interplay of planning and complexity in practice. This book emphasizes the importance of complexity in planning, clarifies many of the concepts and theories, presents examples on planning and complexity, and proposes new ideas and methods for planning.

This book provides a guide to the elements of simulation in statistics, which will include developments and which may be used either as a teaching text or as a source of reference. It is widely used for teaching statistics in schools.

This book is the productof my research at the EndowedChair of Corporate Finance and Capital Markets at the European Business School. Many people devoted their inspiration, time, and knowledge in order to support me with my interdisciplinary research. Thank you all for your support. Especially, I thank my academic supervisor Prof. Ulrich Hommel, Ph.D., who provided me with the freedom to pursue my research interests and who always s- ported me generously. In addition, I am very grateful to my co-supervisor Prof. Dr. Susanne Strahringer (TU Dresden), who graciously accepted the task of refer- ing my book. Also, I thank Prof. Dr. Matthias Krause of the Chair for Theoretical Computer Science in Mannheim for the technical and computer scienti?c support. During my research visits I received generous support from Prof. Yaneer Bar- Yam (NECSI and Harvard) and Prof. John D. Sterman (MIT), who introduced me to the ?eld of System Dynamics and Complex Systems, as well as from Prof. Victor Mossotti (U.S. Geological Survey), Prof. Hiroki Sayama (NECSI and Bingh- ton), Prof. Markus de Aguiar (Universidade Estadual de Campinas), Prof. Michel Baranger (MIT), Prof. Jay W. Forrester (MIT), and Prof. Brian D. Josephson (Cambridge). Thank you very much for numerous inspiring discussions.

Discover recent powerful advances in the theory, methods, and applications of decision and risk analysis Focusing on modern advances and innovations in the field of decision analysis (DA), Breakthroughs in Decision Science and Risk Analysis presents theories and methods for making, improving, and learning from significant practical decisions. The book explains these new methods and important applications in an accessible and stimulating style for readers from multiple backgrounds, including psychology, economics, statistics, engineering, risk analysis, operations research, and management science. Highlighting topics not conventionally found in DA textbooks, the book illustrates genuine advances in practical decision science, including developments and trends that depart from, or break with, the standard axiomatic DA paradigm in fundamental and useful ways. The book features methods for coping with realistic decision-making challenges such as online adaptive learning algorithms, innovations in robust decision-making, and the use of a variety of models to explain available data and recommend actions. In addition, the book illustrates how these techniques can be applied to dramatically improve risk management decisions. Breakthroughs in Decision Science and Risk Analysis also includes: * An emphasis on new approaches rather than only classical and traditional ideas * Discussions of how decision and risk analysis can be applied to improve high-stakes policy and management decisions * Coverage of the potential value and realism of decision science within applications in financial, health, safety, environmental, business, engineering, and security risk management * Innovative methods for deciding what actions to take when decision problems are not completely known or described or when useful probabilities cannot be specified * Recent breakthroughs in the psychology and brain science of risky decisions, mathematical foundations and techniques, and integration with learning and pattern recognition methods from computational intelligence Breakthroughs in Decision Science and Risk Analysis is an ideal reference for researchers, consultants, and practitioners in the fields of decision science, operations research, business, management science, engineering, statistics, and mathematics. The book is also an appropriate guide for managers, analysts, and decision and policy makers in the areas of finance, health and safety, environment, business, engineering, and security risk management.

Uncertainty affects us in our everyday lives, and in a wide range of situations but how do individuals and indeed organisations respond to uncertainty and how does it impact their decision-making and actions? Based on the latest developments in academic research, the author offers solid advice on how to manage uncertainty in every-day life, bringing a new perspective to these issues and extrapolating this to offer implications for an organisational and managerial context. The author brings this emerging area of research to a wider audience by: Tying together insights from various fields including psychology, engineering, business and management. Creating a framework for usefully applying the research concepts in every-day life. Extrapolating insights from the psychology of individual decision makers to the organisational context and managerial decision-making. Creating highly applicable and impactful recommendations for how managers, organisations, and every day people can understand and manage uncertainty in their life. The book is divided into two main parts. Part I deals with the behaviour of individuals facing uncertainty and includes accessible explanations and examples of every-day applications, while Part II deals with behaviour in organisations facing uncertainty, where insights from Part I are combined and related to the organisational and work context to explore how, for example, (mis)-perceptions and decision-making biases impact managerial life. This is a must read for both managers and those who are seeking to better understand their own behaviour and management approach.

First published in 1993. This book is intended for managers and occupational psychologists involved in the selection and assessment of the workforce. It details the history and development of the use of biographical data for both recruitment and promotion of employees. Grounded in relevant research literature, it offers a comprehensive analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of biodata in different contexts. It also includes examples of applications and recommendations for use, as well as examples of questionnaires. Written by experts, it represents a wide-ranging review of the contemporary research in the field. This work will be of interest to students of business and psychology.

The University of Arizona Artificial Intelligence Lab (AI Lab) Dark Web project is a long-term scientific research program that aims to study and understand the international terrorism (Jihadist) phenomena via a computational, data-centric approach. We aim to collect "ALL" web content generated by international terrorist groups, including web sites, forums, chat rooms, blogs, social networking sites, videos, virtual world, etc. We have developed various multilingual data mining, text mining, and web mining techniques to perform link analysis, content analysis, web metrics (technical sophistication) analysis, sentiment analysis, authorship analysis, and video analysis in our research. The approaches and methods developed in this project contribute to advancing the field of Intelligence and Security Informatics (ISI). Such advances will help related stakeholders to perform terrorism research and facilitate international security and peace. This monograph aims to provide an overview of the Dark Web landscape, suggest a systematic, computational approach to understanding the problems, and illustrate with selected techniques, methods, and case studies developed by the University of Arizona AI Lab Dark Web team members. This work aims to provide an interdisciplinary and understandable monograph about Dark Web research along three dimensions: methodological issues in Dark Web research; database and computational techniques to support information collection and data mining; and legal, social, privacy, and data confidentiality challenges and approaches. It will bring useful knowledge to scientists, security professionals, counterterrorism experts, and policy makers. The monograph can also serve as a reference material or textbook in graduate level courses related to information security, information policy, information assurance, information systems, terrorism, and public policy.

Nature-Inspired Algorithms have been gaining much popularity in recent years due to the fact that many real-world optimisation problems have become increasingly large, complex and dynamic. The size and complexity of the problems nowadays require the development of methods and solutions whose efficiency is measured by their ability to find acceptable results within a reasonable amount of time, rather than an ability to guarantee the optimal solution. This volume 'Nature-Inspired Algorithms for Optimisation' is a collection of the latest state-of-the-art algorithms and important studies for tackling various kinds of optimisation problems. It comprises 18 chapters, including two introductory chapters which address the fundamental issues that have made optimisation problems difficult to solve and explain the rationale for seeking inspiration from nature. The contributions stand out through their novelty and clarity of the algorithmic descriptions and analyses, and lead the way to interesting and varied new applications.

This fully updated third edition is devoted to the analysis of various Stochastic Dominance (SD) decision rules. It discusses the pros and cons of each of the alternate SD rules, the application of these rules to various research areas like statistics, agriculture, medicine, measuring income inequality and the poverty level in various countries, and of course, to investment decision-making under uncertainty. The book features changes and additions to the various chapters, and also includes two completely new chapters. One deals with asymptotic SD and the relation between FSD and the maximum geometric mean (MGM) rule (or the maximum growth portfolio). The other new chapter discusses bivariate SD rules where the individual's utility is determined not only by his own wealth, but also by his standing relative to his peer group. Stochastic Dominance: Investment Decision Making under Uncertainty, 3rd Ed. covers the following basic issues: the SD approach, asymptotic SD rules, the mean-variance (MV) approach, as well as the non-expected utility approach. The non-expected utility approach focuses on Regret Theory (RT) and mainly on prospect theory (PT) and its modified version, cumulative prospect theory (CPT) which assumes S-shape preferences. In addition to these issues the book suggests a new stochastic dominance rule called the Markowitz stochastic dominance (MSD) rule corresponding to all reverse-S-shape preferences. It also discusses the concept of the multivariate expected utility and analyzed in more detail the bivariate expected utility case. From the reviews of the second edition: "This book is an economics book about stochastic dominance. ... is certainly a valuable reference for graduate students interested in decision making under uncertainty. It investigates and compares different approaches and presents many examples. Moreover, empirical studies and experimental results play an important role in this book, which makes it interesting to read." (Nicole Bauerle, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2007 d)

Winner of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society's (HIMSS) 2015 Book of the Year Award Given the on-going changes and challenges faced by today's health care organizations, Organizational and Process Reengineering Approaches for Health Care Transformation provides a practical, leader-led and team-based approach for reengineering organizations and transforming leaders and teams while creating new processes in the health care industry. It supplies a framework for organizational change to enable senior leaders to reengineer and transform their health care organizations. The book presents proven and effective approaches and methodologies for leadership teams to help their organizations transform, thrive and grow. It goes beyond process improvement and other organizational change approaches, as it offers an integrated holistic approach that provides sustainable results. The approach described in this book has already helped many large health care organizations dramatically improve their effectiveness by creating new service lines, lines of business, population health initiatives, new care management models as well as implementing game changing solutions and technology. Well-grounded in organizational change and project management principles, this approach will help to ensure that the resulting work is implemented, accepted, and sustained by process owners and senior leaders. Descriptive case studies illustrate the practical application of the tools and techniques discussed. The approach and mind-set outlined in the book allow, and even require, that all stakeholders come to the table. They do not require an engineering degree, expensive certifications, or the use of complicated processes or tools. They will not replace current improvement methods, but instead provide an organization-based framework to help you leverage and enhance your improvement efforts.

This book is designed to assist industrial engineers and production managers in developing procedural and methodological engineering tools to meet industrial standards and mitigate engineering and production challenges. It offers practitioners expert guidance on how to implement adequate statistical process control (SPC), which takes account of the capability to ensure a stable process and then regulate if variations take place due to variables other than a random variation. Powerful engineering models of new product introduction (NPI), continuous improvement (CI), and the eight disciplines (8D) model of problem solving techniques are explained. The final three chapters introduce new methodological models in operations research (OR) and their applications in engineering, including the hyper-hybrid coordination for process effectiveness and production efficiency, and the Kraljic-Tesfay portfolio matrix of industrial buying.

Every global crisis highlights the strategic importance of industrial and non-profit supply chains for society. In terms of coping with unforeseen and unpredictable events, supply chain resilience enables the parties and networks involved to stay successful during and after the disruption. Furthermore, a resilient supply chain contributes to the sustainable competitive advantage of the entire value chain. Written by scholars and practitioners alike, this book not only puts forward a new framework for resilience in supply chain management, but also presents best practice cases from various areas and industries. As a particular highlight, it includes a Delphi study that gathers state-of-the-art insights from supply chain leaders. In addition to practical approaches, methods and tools, the book also offers food for thought on the future of supply chain resilience. As such, it offers a valuable resource for current and future managers in the public and private sector, as well as researchers and students engaged in this field.

Why Customers Would Rather Have a Smartphone than a Car explores some of the fundamental changes in consumer behaviour: Why do we buy less in shops and more on the internet? Why do we spend more on gadgets, smartphones and apps and not more on food, holidays or clothing? Why do most business people only look at symptoms and not the causes of changing customer behaviour? The new generation buys differently from the baby boomers; they have different priorities and preferences. The internet has changed us in the way we think, act and communicate. Whilst many retailers now understand the need for change, few of them have established convincing or sustainable models for the future. Cor Molenaar argues that by understanding the drivers behind these new consumer behaviours, retailers can identify the opportunities this represents and adapt their offering accordingly. The kind of relationship retailing he advocates involves the way the retailer interacts with their customer; the new environment that they need to sustain along with their ability to relate customer data, technology and new services. The author interweaves examples from traditional and virtual retailing with his research on consumer psychology and buying behaviour to offer a sophisticated and at times challenging guide for all those involved in retailing, as well as those responsible for planning and designing social and retail space.

This textbook offers graduate students a concise introduction to the classic notions of convex optimization. Written in a highly accessible style and including numerous examples and illustrations, it presents everything readers need to know about convexity and convex optimization. The book introduces a systematic three-step method for doing everything, which can be summarized as "conify, work, deconify". It starts with the concept of convex sets, their primal description, constructions, topological properties and dual description, and then moves on to convex functions and the fundamental principles of convex optimization and their use in the complete analysis of convex optimization problems by means of a systematic four-step method. Lastly, it includes chapters on alternative formulations of optimality conditions and on illustrations of their use. "The author deals with the delicate subjects in a precise yet light-minded spirit... For experts in the field, this book not only offers a unifying view, but also opens a door to new discoveries in convexity and optimization...perfectly suited for classroom teaching." Shuzhong Zhang, Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Minnesota

Exercising Agency is a book about decision making. In particular, it looks in detail at how a very important type of organizational decision gets made: whether or not to initiate a project. Making strategic decisions of this kind can never be a wholly rational and scientific process. And Exercising Agency lifts the lid on many of the important behavioural factors that inform project decisions: power and politics, personality, the 'rules' of an organization. Mark Mullaly draws on his research to provide practical guidance for decision makers; project shapers, approving executives and those responsible for how initiation decisions are made. By explaining the influence, value and risks associated with the elements that inform the way we make strategic decisions he will help you identify how individuals and organizations can best support the process to ensure project initiation decisions are effective and most closely underpin the priorities of the organization. If you are involved in framing or making decisions about the future of your organization; the projects that you do or don't decide to initiate, then read this book. It won't make the decisions any easier but it will help you improve the quality of the decisions you make and over time, the effectiveness of your organizational decision making.

Due to its societal and economic relevance, Project Management (PM) has become an important discipline and a concept critical to modern organizations, public and private. PM as an academic discipline is discussed both in Management Science and in Operations Research. Management Science tends to focus on quantitative tools and the soft skills necessary to manage projects successfully. Operations Research gives the essential scientific contribution to the success of project management through the development of models and algorithms. In Management Science, Operations Research and Project Management, Jose RamA(3)n San CristA(3)bal Mateo fills the gap between scientific research and the practical application of that research. Project managers need formal training in decision-making but sometimes, they do not have an in-depth knowledge of Operations Research or they lack the necessary theoretical background. This book, with its focus on the quantitative models of Operations Research and Management Science applied to Project Management, provides project managers with the tools and methods necessary to manage projects successfully. Project managers operate in a complex global environment, in which numerous factors need to be considered, such as minimizing total project costs, meeting contracted dates, and ensuring that activities achieve certain quality levels. The focus here on the application of quantitative models of Operations Research and Management Science applied to Project Management provides them with the tools and methods necessary to make sound decisions.

Traditional mathematical programming has concentrated on problems that can be solved by achieving a single objective. In reality, many multi-objective situations exist; concentrating on a single goal limits the applicability of math programming models. Accordingly, multiobjective optimization has emerged as a rapdily growing area. In this monograph the author draws from the more mature body of literature on multicriterion decision theory to enhance understanding of multiobjective optimization. There are obvious commonalities between the two areas, but to date no one has presented a book which unifies the two. That is the aim of "Multiobjective Optimization: Behavioural and Computational Considerations". There are many behavioural and computational issues which are relevant to multiobjective optimization. These issues cross the disciplines of behavioural decision theory, information and decision support systems, and computational analysis.

The Emerald Handbook of Group and Team Communication Research considers the current research of group communication scholars, provides an overview of major foci in the discipline, and points toward possible trajectories for future scholarship. It establishes group communication's central role within research on human behaviour and fosters an identity for group communication researchers. This book establishes communication scholarship as essential to group research by exploring the various dimensions of communicating in groups and teams. Communication is fundamental to group research, and the deeper, more nuanced treatment of the subject in this handbook consolidates and expands theory and research in the area.

As the era of ever expanding markets and ample resources ends, governments and business will have to behave differently. The world is facing weak economic growth, limits to affordable resources and increasing concerns about environmental consequences. During the boom times, governments championed de-regulation and business responded by adopting an anything-goes attitude. In these straitened times, strategic analysis has to engage with the challenges that society faces to create resilient corporations fit for the 21st century. In Corporate Strategy in the Age of Responsibility, Peter McManners, who has for nine years run strategy workshops on the Henley MBA focusing on the global business environment, sets about providing a strategic framework for navigating the new economic environment. Chief Sustainability Officers (CSOs) now exist, but they struggle to find the strategic rationale for the improvements they champion. The author argues that their good intentions often lack traction, partly because others in management don't get it, but also because they are not ambitious enough. The book is not about preaching semi-charitable behaviour or how to enhance the reputation of the corporation instead it is about surviving and thriving in a challenging and changing environment. A corporate audience familiar with strategy books will relate to this book, but will find it steers them towards radically new strategic thinking suitable for a turbulent period of transition.

Over the past thirty-five years, a tremendous body of both theoretical and empirical research has been established on the science of transportation'. The Handbook of Transportation Science has collected and synthesized this research into a systematic treatment of this field covering its fundamental concepts, methods, and principles. The purpose of this handbook is to define transportation as a scientific discipline that transcends transportation technology and methods. Whether by car, truck, airplane - or by a mode of transportation that has not yet been conceived - transportation obeys fundamental properties. The science of transportation defines these properties, and demonstrates how our knowledge of one mode of transportation can be used to explain the behavior of another. Transportation scientists are motivated by the desire to explain spatial interactions that result in movement of people or objects from place to place. Its methodologies draw from physics, operations research, probability and control theory. It is fundamentally a quantitative discipline, relying on mathematical models and optimization algorithms to explain the phenomena of transportation. The fourteen chapters in the handbook are written by the leading researchers in transportation science in an effort to define and categorize for the first time the scientific nature and state of the art of the field. As such, it is directed to the broader research community, transportation practitioners, and future transportation scientists.