Management Science is often confronted with optimization problems characterised by weak underlying theoretical models and complex constraints. Among them, one finds data analysis, pattern recognition (classification, multidimensional analysis, discriminant analysis) as well as modelling (forecasting, confirmatory analysis, expert system design). In recent years, biomimetic approaches have received growing attention from Marketing, Finance and Human Resource researchers and executives as effective tools for practically handling such problems. Biomimetic approaches include a variety of heuristic methods - such as neural networks, genetic algorithms, immunitary nets, cellular automata - that simulate nature's way of solving complex problems and, thus, can be considered as numerical transpositions of true life problem solving. Bio-Mimetic Approaches in Management Science presents a selection of recent papers on biomimetic approaches and their application to Management Science. Most of these papers were presented at the last ACSEG/CAEMS International Congresses (Approches Connexionnistes en Sciences Economiques et de Gestion/Connectionnist Approaches in Economics and Management Science). All papers combine the discussion of conceptual issues with illustrative empirical applications, and contain detailed information on the way heuristics are practically implemented. The advantages and limits of the biomimetic approaches are discussed in several of the papers, either by comparing these approaches with more classical methods (logit models, clustering), or by investigating specific issues like overfitting and robustness. Synthesizing overviews are provided, as well as new tools for coping with some of the limitations of biomimetic methods.

Management Science is often confronted with optimization problems characterised by weak underlying theoretical models and complex constraints. Among them, one finds data analysis, pattern recognition (classification, multidimensional analysis, discriminant analysis) as well as modelling (forecasting, confirmatory analysis, expert system design). In recent years, biomimetic approaches have received growing attention from Marketing, Finance and Human Resource researchers and executives as effective tools for practically handling such problems. Biomimetic approaches include a variety of heuristic methods - such as neural networks, genetic algorithms, immunitary nets, cellular automata - that simulate nature's way of solving complex problems and, thus, can be considered as numerical transpositions of true life problem solving. Bio-Mimetic Approaches in Management Science presents a selection of recent papers on biomimetic approaches and their application to Management Science. Most of these papers were presented at the last ACSEG/CAEMS International Congresses (Approches Connexionnistes en Sciences Economiques et de Gestion/Connectionnist Approaches in Economics and Management Science). All papers combine the discussion of conceptual issues with illustrative empirical applications, and contain detailed information on the way heuristics are practically implemented. The advantages and limits of the biomimetic approaches are discussed in several of the papers, either by comparing these approaches with more classical methods (logit models, clustering), or by investigating specific issues like overfitting and robustness. Synthesizing overviews are provided, as well as new tools for coping with some of the limitations of biomimetic methods.

The globalisation of commerce and science means that new structures of governance are required to handle new and novel situations, such as across state and institutional boundaries. Sound governance, including elements that encourage foresight, is an important ingredient of managing global and local crisis situations. These crises are ever more apparent as a result of interdependence between consumer, firms and states across the world, especially with the ever increasing advent of instantaneous and low cost communication. This book examines the role of governance in local and multi-national businesses and in local, national and international political forums and organisations.

The globalisation of commerce and science means that new structures of governance are required to handle new and novel situations, such as across state and institutional boundaries. Sound governance, including elements that encourage foresight, is an important ingredient of managing global and local crisis situations. These crises are ever more apparent as a result of interdependence between consumer, firms and states across the world, especially with the ever increasing advent of instantaneous and low cost communication. This book examines the role of governance in local and multi-national businesses and in local, national and international political forums and organisations.

Growing economic globalisation has increased international business competition and international economic interdependence. From this perspective, many firms have formed business partnerships and most nations have had to re-evaluate their economic interdependence. This book explores changes that have occurred or have been proposed in this regard. It provides new insights into business partnerships and international economic interdependence, given growing economic globalisation, and explores the managerial and socio-economic consequences of those ideas. The contributions in this book have been divided into four parts. Those in Part II concentrate on the specification of partnerships and reasons for business partnerships in the context of a globalisation. The idea of global networks in which some "hard" and "soft" forms of partnerships would appear and mix is introduced and discussed according to the partners involved (nations, unions, firms and consumers) and the economic activities (whether tangible or abstract). Globalisation also has a number of consequences for business co-ordination, in particular when they are based on outsourcing strategies in which cost reduction is balanced with knowledge transfers. These are amongst the issues explored in Part III. The difficulty to monitor and predict the effects of global partnerships tends to increase the importance of cultural and psychological variables such as trust and commitment. Therefore the role of attitudes and perceptions is very important. Whatever the agreement and the conjoined management among partner firms, the attitude of the other agents can produce asymmetric affects on these firms and considerably bias their partnership strategy. Such biases are particularly likely from consumers. Their attitude towards globalisation is not the only bias that may occur. Their loyalty is also an important issue in a globalising world, particularly in the service sector where lots of partnerships have been made on a global scale (eg banks, airlines, leisure). These are amongst the relationship marketing issues explored in Part IV. In Part V, the factors introduced in the previous chapters are considered from a regional and cultural perspective, where nations and regions themselves are engaged in global partnership. In this context, discrepancy often develops between the domestic and the international globalisation strategies, as well as between the capital and labour markets. The resulting complexity is particularly problematic for the developing and peripheral economies. Novel insights about partnership emerge, as studied in this concluding part of the book.

The turbulence in world markets follows from changes in expectations based on variations in trust between many stakeholders. In a time of global crisis and turbulence, without equivalent since the great 1929 depression, it is important to revisit and analyse the role of trust in the world economic system. Trust is central to economic exchange and plays an important facilitation role in the global economy, enhancing inter-firm interaction and also exchanges between firms and consumers. Globalisation of markets relies on trust as a key ingredient to mediate exchange. Trust is also as an essential element of the network of firms and institutions that are involved in organising exchange. This book provides a collection of conceptual and empirical research papers which extend the understanding of the role of trust in a globalising world. The empirical studies present a range of current and different analytical methods to provide new insights into the processes of developing and managing trust between firms and consumers. The studies are grouped into sociological/network outcomes of trust and the psychological results of trust.