Introduction to linear and nonlinear programming

Given the importance the concept of productive efficiency has on analyzing the human development process, which is complex and multidimensional, this study conducts a literature review on the research works that have used the data envelopment analysis (DEA) to measure and analyze the development process. Therefore, we researched the databases of Scopus and Web of Science, and considered the following analysis dimensions: bibliometrics, scope, DEA models and extensions used, interfaces with other techniques, units analyzed and depth of analysis. In addition to a brief summary, the main gaps in each analysis dimension were assessed, which may serve to guide future researches.

Human development and data envelopment analysis: A structured literature review ☆ ☆☆

Although the measurement of efficiency and productivity in the tourism industry at the micro level has been the subject of considerable research in recent years, there has been little research at the macro level. Using data envelopment analysis, this paper analyses the efficiency of the tourism sector in 105 countries, including 34 developed and 71 developing countries. It finds that globalization and accessibility are critical for the efficiency of the tourism sector in developing countries and that labour productivity may be a good proxy for the efficiency of the aggregate tourism industry.

The Economic Efficiency of the Tourism Industry: A Global Comparison

The aim of this study is to analyze the environmental performance of countries and the variables that can influence it. At the same time, we performed a multivariate analysis using the HJ-biplot, an exploratory method that looks for hidden patterns in the data, obtained from the usual singular value decomposition (SVD) of the data matrix, to contextualize the countries grouped by geographical areas and the variables relating to environmental indicators included in the environmental performance index. The sample used comprises 149 countries of different geographic areas. The findings obtained from the empirical analysis emphasize that socioeconomic factors, such as economic wealth and education, as well as institutional factors represented by the style of public administration, in particular control of corruption, are determinant factors of environmental performance in the countries analyzed. In contrast, no effect on environmental performance was found for factors relating to the internal characteristics of a country or political factors.

https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/6/11/7807/pdf

Environmental Performance in Countries Worldwide: Determinant Factors and Multivariate Analysis

The paper discusses the problem of selecting construction process safety solutions which secure employee health and safety on construction sites. To achieve this, the causes of severe accidents on construction sites have been analyzed, factors which cause accidents at work in construction companies have been studied; a comprehensive literature review has been made, assesing all statistical data and employee health and safety improvement perspectives as well as their application in construction practice. The selection problem is stated as a mathematical multi-purpose solution making task. It expresses the management solution making problem mathematically.Investigation of severe accidents on construction sites shows that over two thirds of accidents are caused by poor work organization, lack of supervision and control as well as underestimation of professional risks. This high level of injuries is brought about not only by noncompliance with employees’ health and safety requirements, but also by factors and violations having to do with traffic, noncompliance with fire and electricity safety requirements, lack of work discipline, which is mainly displayed by usage of alcohol at work, as well as other causes. Other important factors that directly impact the number of accidents in the construction sector are the lack of training and knowledge as well as the lack of awareness of safe execution of assigned work.Studies of the dependencies between workplace accidents and their causes show that the prevailing accidents are the following: high falls, collisions with vehicles, stumbling and falling as well as falling objects. They usually result in severe and lethal outcomes.The paper emphasizes that work safety in various building construction activities can be achieved not only by collective and individual means, evaluation of professional risk, employee briefing on safety measures, but also by efficient work organization and appropriate working environment. To implement the above mentioned, the most effective solution must be found. One of the methods used to determine the priorities of safe operation in a construction company is the TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method.The effectiveness level of safety solutions for a construction process depends on numerous quantitative and qualitative indices affecting the process; their impact is evaluated in terms of their value and significance. Since the significance of quantitative and qualitative indices depends on their values, the latter should be taken into consideration. Furthermore, it is necessary to coordinate the significances of quantitative and qualitative indices in terms of their value and significance. To achieve the above-mentioned goals, the authors developed an integrated index significance determination method, in view of their quantitative and qualitative characteristics.The paper discusses the selection of objects and indicators that are under consideration. An anonymous survey was carried out with the help of questionnaires designed for the purpose. Six average-size construction companies engaged in constructing individual dwelling-houses participated in the survey. A single-storey house with an attic and no basement was selected as a study object.

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Evaluation of Construction Process Safety Solutions Using the TOPSIS Method

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to measure and rank nation‐states' governance effectiveness and quality on a quantifying scientific basis, by means of data envelopment analysis.Design/methodology/approach – The principles are first analyzed from a theoretical and normative standpoint, linking to earlier literature. One dimension of the approach is adding the equality in income distribution as an output. Another dimension boils down to environmental performance.Findings – The addition of the Gini index affects the ranking of the developing countries in a more significant manner. Similar results are obtained when the authors add the environmental performance as an input. Another interesting result suggests that conventional ranking methods (i.e gross domestic product per capita or human development index) could be used for representing the country's efficiency only for developed countries.Research limitations/implications – Future research may be aimed at applying the developed methodology to more co...

Measuring and ranking of economic, environmental and social efficiency of countries

In this paper we suggest the hazardous combinations method to facilitate safety improvements in technical and technological systems by eliminating combinations of major risk factors. The method is capable to significantly improve the safety level in systems as compared to a common situation when only the root causes of accidents were analysed (usually with unsatisfactory results), or where the usual procedures proved to be ineffective due to organisational, technological or financial constraints. In many cases the management decides to implement costly safety measures which have eventually only a minor effect, if at all, on preventing severe accidents. By focusing on prevention of not all recognised primary risk factors but only their hazardous combinations, both human lives and significant financial resources may be saved.

/pdf/safety-improvements-by-eliminating-hazardous-combinations-39ii46r4s7.pdf

Safety improvements by eliminating hazardous combinations

The aim of this paper is to consider a company engaged in designing and creating a new product and, later on, delivering the latter in large quantities to the market. The product is composed of several sub‐products, each of them, in turn, being a subject of several possible versions. The product's utility comprises both the utility of designing and creating the product's pattern example as well as the competitive utility to gain the future commercial success. The problem is to determine the income versions of designing sub‐products in order to maximize the product's competitive utility subject to restrictions related to the design process. A two‐level search algorithm for the problem's solution is suggested. The internal level is faced with optimizing the product's competitive utility by means of experts’ information, while the external level centers on obtaining a routine feasible solution from the point of designing process.

Multi‐parametrical harmonization models in strategic management

The problems of optimal budget allocation among project's activities are considered. The formulated optimization models and their solution can be used in planning, as well as in control and monitoring of individual projects in modern design offices. Models of budget allocation for PERT‐COST type networks, are considered as well. The problem is to schedule a realization of all project's activities in order to accomplish the project on time, i.e., not later than the given due date, with minimal expenses, taking into account limitations on dynamics of resources consumption during the scheduled period. The solution is based on decomposition principle, i.e., decomposing a network project into network fragments, replacing them by a small number of aggregated activities, solving the problem for aggregated network project, and disaggregating the network diagram in order to schedule each project's activity.

Optimizing budget allocation among project activities

In this paper we will demonstrate how productivity and improvement rate of urban organizational units (called also Decision Making Units DMU's) may be assessed when measured along several time periods. The assessment and subsequent ranking of cities is achieved by means of the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) methodology to determine DMU's efficiency for each period, the Cross Efficiency ranking method to rank DMU's and the Malmquist Index approach which measures changes in productivity relative to a base period. The above combined methodology will be applied to a case study of 70 Israeli cities in years 2006, 2007 and 2008.

/pdf/productivity-assessment-and-improvement-measurement-of-1swavel5hu.pdf

Avner Ben‐Yair

Papers

Measuring and ranking of economic, environmental and social efficiency of countries

Safety improvements by eliminating hazardous combinations

Multi‐parametrical harmonization models in strategic management

Optimizing budget allocation among project activities

Productivity Assessment and Improvement Measurement of Decision Making Units--An Application for Ranking Cities in Israel.