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Showing papers by "University of Mannheim published in 1986"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a positive theory of international organization is proposed, which can be used to emphasize the advantages of decentralized policy making and to warn against a naive internationalism which welcomes international agreements for their own sake regardless of what is being agreed upon.
Abstract: The purpose of this paper has been to develop a positive theory of international organization which can supplement the conventional normative theory used as a positive theory. The conventional approach draws much of its plausibility from the fact that it relies on the reasons given by the decision-makers and reported in the media, and on the lofty objections stated in the charters of international agencies. The public-choice approach, by its very nature, is precluded from accepting such evidence. In some respects, it must appear dismal and perhaps cynical. It is a positive theory which tries to explain. But just as the conventional normative theory tends also to be used as a positive theory, our positive theory is likely to have normative implications as well. It does not imply that international organization is generally undesirable. But it can be used to emphasize the advantages of decentralized policy making and to warn against a naive internationalism which welcomes international agreements for their own sake — regardless of what is being agreed upon. International organization can be and is abused, and the cause is not an occasional lack of virtue among politicians but a systematic built-in tendency toward collusion at the expense of the citizens. Such collusion is not only undesirable in itself. There is also the danger that it discredits and crowds out unambiguously desirable forms of international cooperation: agreements to remove non-market obstacles to market interdependence in the field of international trade and capital movements.

259 citations




Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Diester-Haass et al. as mentioned in this paper found that the color variations appear to result largely from cyclical fluctuations in carbonate dissolution, which was greater during glacial periods.

43 citations


Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 1986
TL;DR: In this paper the multi-stage lot-sizing problem for general production structures is considered and a simple heuristic procedure is presented consisting of two phases which derives reorder times under the assumption of demand being constant.
Abstract: In this paper the multi-stage lot-sizing problem for general production structures is considered. General production structures are characterized by the fact that each stage may have several predecessor or successor stages. The objective is to minimize total costs which consist of a fixed charge per lot at each stage and linear holding costs. Time varying demand for final products is assumed to be known and has to be satisfied. A simple heuristic procedure is presented consisting of two phases. In the first phase a “basic policy” is determined which derives reorder times under the assumption of demand being constant. These reorder intervals are then in a second phase used to solve the time varying problem. In doing so a first possibility is to realize a cyclic policy simply according to the “basic policy”. A second possibility of taking into account non-stationarity is to take adjusted cost parameters and apply single-stage inventory models. A simulation study shows that considerable cost improvements can be realized using this heuristic.

41 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the economic natural selection argument claims superior survival performance for profit-maximizing firms, which is investigated in a factorial simulation study assuming imperfect information, and three alternative models of firms' behavior are tested with respect to their ability to adapt to the observed realizations of non-stationary demand processes.
Abstract: The economic natural selection argument claims superior survival performance for profit-maximizing firms This assertion is investigated in a factorial simulation study assuming imperfect information Three alternative models of firms' behavior are tested with respect to their ability to adapt to the observed realizations of non-stationary demand processes Findings show that, in such a scenario, it is the difference in implicit learning and adaption capabilities rather than that in motivation or goals which affects survivability Consequently, differential bankruptcy and disengagement rates vary with the peculiarities of the market environment The tested assertion cannot generally be confirmed

27 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, extensions of Radstrom's embedding theorem are proven which provide additional information on the embedding space, and a brief discussion of some actual or potential applications of embedding theorems for classes of convex sets in probability theory, mathematical economics, interval mathematics, and related areas.
Abstract: Radstrom's embedding theorem states that the nonempty compact convex subsets of a normed vector space can be identified with points of another normed vector space such that the embedding map is additive, positively homogeneous, and isometric. In the present paper, extensions of Radstrom's embedding theorem are proven which provide additional information on the embedding space. These results include those of Hormander who proved a similar embedding theorem for the nonempty closed bounded convex subsets of a Hausdorff locally convex vector space. In contrast to Hormander's approach via support functionals, all embedding theorems of the present paper are proven by a refinement of Radstrom's original method which is constructive and does not rely on Zorn's lemma. This paper also includes a brief discussion of some actual or potential applications of embedding theorems for classes of convex sets in probability theory, mathematical economics, interval mathematics, and related areas.

26 citations


Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 1986
TL;DR: In this paper, the design of an hierarchical model for production planning and scheduling is discussed in a real-life case study and heuristic solution procedures are developed for all sub-problems.
Abstract: In this paper, the design of an hierarchical model for production planning and scheduling is discussed in a real-life case study. The overall decision problem is partitioned into four levels: (1) aggregate production planning for product families, (2) detailed scheduling and sequencing, (3) determination of production orders for items, and (4) distribution and dispatching. Heuristic solution procedures are developed for all sub-problems. To respond to changes in input data, a rolling horizon procedure at the aggregate level and interactive replanning at all lower levels are suggested.

25 citations



Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, an extension of applied general equilibrium models of the Leontief input-output type, first implemented by Hudson and Jorgenson (1974), is proposed to estimate the unknown parameters of the price functions and input demand functions.

23 citations


Book ChapterDOI
01 Jan 1986
TL;DR: In this article, a discussion of uncertainty and probability consists of three main parts: the first part gives an outline of the "common sense" of uncertainty, the second part consists of direct and indirect methods used for quantifying personal probabilities, and the third part reports a short case study.
Abstract: Our discussion of uncertainty and probability consists of three main parts. The first part gives an outline of the “common sense” of uncertainty and probability. To clarify the words “uncertainty” and “probability” one has to look at ordinary language. The second part consists of direct and indirect methods used for quantifying personal probabilities. It is a critical overview of the state of the art of the quantification of personal probability. The third part reports a short case study.

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Feb 1986
TL;DR: In this article, the Yosida-Hewitt and Lebesgue decomposition theorem for vector measures of bounded variation in a Banach lattice having property (P) was studied.
Abstract: The present paper is mainly concerned with decomposition theorems of the Jordan, Yosida-Hewitt, and Lebesgue type for vector measures of bounded variation in a Banach lattice having property (P). The central result is the Jordan decomposition theorem due to which these vector measures may alternately be regarded as order bounded vector measures in an order complete Riesz space or as vector measures of bounded variation in a Banach space. For both classes of vector measures, properties like countable additivity, purely finite additivity, absolute continuity, and singularity can be defined in a natural way and lead to decomposition theorems of the Yosida-Hewitt and Lebesgue type. In the Banach lattice case, these lattice theoretical and topological decomposition theorems can be compared and combined. This paper is organized as follows: In Section 2 we consider order bounded vector measures in an order complete Riesz space. We first note that the class of all order bounded vector measures is an order complete Riesz space itself. From this fact, the Jordan decomposition theorem of Faires and Morrison [5] is immediate, and further decomposition theorems can be deduced by pure Riesz space techniques. We thus obtain the Yosida-Hewitt band decomposition theorem of Congost Iglesias [2] and a new Lebesgue band decomposition theorem. We also generalize the Lebesgue null-set decomposition theorem of Pavlakos [8] and Congost Iglesias [2] for vector measures in a super Dedekind complete Riesz space. These two Lebesgue decompositions usually differ from each other; for order countably additive vector measures they coincide if and only if the dimension of the Riesz space is equal to one. In Section 3 we recall some known results on bounded vector measures and vector measures of bounded variation in a Banach space. In particular, we state the YosidaHewitt decomposition theorem of Uhl [14] and the Lebesgue decomposition theorem of Rickart [9] and Uhl [14] for vector measures of bounded variation. These results are included for reference and in the form they will be needed in Section 4. In Section 4 we study vector measures of bounded variation in a Banach lattice having property (P). As remarked before, the key result of this section is the Jordan decomposition theorem of [11], which generalizes results of Diestel and Faires [3] and Faires and Morrison [5]. The Jordan decomposition theorem is used to prove that the Yosida-Hewitt and Lebesgue decompositions are band decompositions. Furthermore, it is shown that the decomposition theorems of the Yosida-Hewitt type and those of the Lebesgue type differ considerably in the coincidence of their lattice theoretical and

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used qualitative monthly survey responses by a large number of individual manufacturing firms to questions concerning their own expected and current business conditions to test the implications of rationality by use of survey data.
Abstract: Rationality of expectations of individual agents have been shown to play a crucial role for macroeconomic model building and economic policy. Many applied studies therefore tried to test the implications of rationality by use of survey data. This paper differs from previous studies in that the data used are qualitative monthly survey responses by a large number of individual manufacturing firms to questions concerning their own expected and current business conditions. Results tend to reject the validity of the hypothesis of unbiasedness and efficiency. Due to the qualitative nature of the data, use is made of the log-linear probability model.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the problem of the initially ignorant monopolist is chosen as one who has to adapt in pricing, capacity, and output to the observed realization of a stochastic demand process.
Abstract: The theory of economic decision-making behavior at the level of the organization is reexamined and developed, while allowing for more complex conditions than usually assumed. As an example, the problem of the initially ignorant monopolist is chosen as one who has to adapt in pricing, capacity, and output to the observed realization of a stochastic demand process. In the tradition of computer-based simulation approaches to the theory of the firm's behavior, an extended modeling procedure is proposed. The intricacies involved in the attempt to test hypotheses empirically on complex economic behavior are discussed, as well as test records obtained in laboratory experimentation with the ignorant monopolist's problem.


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors deal with some of these difficulties on the basis of concrete experiences gathered in the European-wide organized "European Political Parties' Middle Level Elites Project" (EPLE).
Abstract: . Cross-national empirical research is confronted with several theoretical, methodological and practical problems. Concentrating on theoretical conceptualization, operationalization, design and fieldwork, the research note deals with some of these difficulties on the basis of concrete experiences gathered in the European-wide organized ‘European Political Parties' Middle Level Elites Project’.


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the stable reduction theorem for the Fermat curve of degree p over a number field K/ℚ has been proved, and it is shown that stable reduction can be obtained at the primes lying above p. Although the curve F has bad reduction at the prime (p), it has stable reduction at other primes.
Abstract: Let p be an odd prime and F the Fermat curve of degree p, defined by xp+yp=1 over ℚ. Although the curve F has bad reduction at the prime (p), the stable reduction theorem assures that over some number field K/ℚ we can get stable reduction of the curve F at the primes lying above p. We have determined it in this paper. See Abb.1.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This paper investigated verbal forms of reward claims in an experiment with 193 pupils aged 12 to 14 and found that in ambiguous "non-standard" situations, more polite and complex request forms were manifested which were composed of justification and appeal clauses (e.g. 'We made an agreement that each of us gets something too').
Abstract: Social psychological research on distributive justice is confined to the'how much' of reward allocation situations. This paradigm was elaborated byinvestigating verbal forms of reward claims in an experiment with 193 pupils aged 12 to 14. In so-called 'standard situations', speakers used simple 'E-requests' and speech ellipses (referred to the speaker's primary goal e.g. 'I'd like my 15 chips' or '15 chips please') to state their claims. In ambiguous 'non-standard' situations, more polite and complex request forms were manifested which were composed of justification and appeal clauses (e.g. 'We made an agreement that each of us gets something. I would like to have 15 chips too'). The findings are viewed as an initial contribution toward greater ecological validity in the social psychological area of distributive justice because real allocations take place in 'face-to-face' situations in which speech plays an important role.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is shown that there is an approximation for the number of faults per line of code which is easier to develop, more accurate, and simpler to use.
Abstract: In a recent paper (see ibid., vol.SE-8, p.437-9, July 1982) an approximate formula for the number of faults per line of code was developed. It is shown that there is an approximation which is easier to develop, more accurate, and simpler to use.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, an empirical insight into the adjustment behaviour of individual firms that experience a change in demand is presented. But the authors focus on the adjustment behavior of individual companies and do not consider the impact of demand variations on firms' price and output decisions.
Abstract: This paper presents some empirical insight into the adjustment behaviour of individual firms that experience a change in demand. Section I briefly outlines recent theoretical approaches to explain the impact of demand variations on firms' price and output decisions. The next section gives a short description of the data used for the subsequent empirical analysis. In section III we explain our methodical procedure. Section IV presents a set of “response functions” that explicitly described the intensity and time pattern of firms' responses with prices, output, and order backlogs to variations of demand. Finally we comment on the limits of the study and summarize the main conclusions we derive from the empirical results.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compare feed-forward and feedback-based approaches to calculate the reorderpoint for inventory problems with stochastic Lieferfristschwankungs.
Abstract: In Lagerhaltungsproblemen mit stochastischen Lieferfristschwankungen kann der Bestellpunkt grundsatzlich nach zwei unterschiedlichen Verfahren berechnet werden; entweder durch explizites Bilden von Lieferfristprognosen oder durch die Erfassung nicht befriedigter Nachfrage. Diese grundsatzlich unterschiedlichen Vorgehensweisen stellen Feedforeward- bzw. Feedbackverfahren dar. Gegenstand der Arbeit ist ein Vergleich beider Verfahren in unterschiedlichen Problem-situationen hinsichtlich verschiedener Kriterien. There exist different approaches to calculate the reorderpoint for inventory problems having stochastic lead times. On the one hand lead times can explicitly be forecasted whereas on the other hand one can measure fullfilled demand without any reference to lead times. These approaches can be considered as feedforeward and feedback procedures respectively. The main object of the paper is a comparison of both methods for different scenarios and criteria.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the validity of the fundamental derivation of Brown/Schneider is investigated analytically and numerically, particularly with respect to regular and sporadic demand, thus giving clear limits as to the validity.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The four granting strategies of the German Science Foundation (DFG) are introduced in order to demonstrate the place special granting (Sonderforderung) has within the general funding policy of the DFG as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: The four granting strategies of the German Science Foundation (DFG) are introduced in order to demonstrate the place special granting (‘Sonderforderung’) has within the general funding policy of the DFG. A look back to the beginning and the development of the Sonderforschungsbereich 24 (SFB 24): ‘Social scientific decision research’, exhibits reasons for problems concerning cooperation beiween projects and research strategies.

Journal ArticleDOI
W. Fritz1
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present findings of an empirical investigation of the goals of industrial firms, showing that the profit goal is not the dominant corporate goal, and that the significance of the corporate goals varies with different situations to a high degree.
Abstract: Die Entwicklung realitatsbezogener Modelle von Unternehmensentscheidungen impliziert u. a. die Notwendigkeit einer moglichst realitatsnahen Bestimmung unternehmerischer Zielsetzungen. Aus diesem Grunde sind Ergebnisse der empirischen Zielforschung fur das Operations Research prinzipiell von hoher Bedeutung. In diesem Beitrag werden Resultate einer empirischen Untersuchung der Ziele von Industrieunternehmen prasentiert, denen bei der Entwicklung von OR-Modellen unternehmerischer Entscheidungen Rechnung getragen werden sollte. Die Untersuchung belegt u.a., daβ das Gewinnziel nur ein relevantes Unternehmensziel neben anderen ist und daβ die Wichtigkeit der Unternehmensziele je nach eintretender Situation von den Unternehmen teilweise sehr unterschiedlich beurteilt wird. Daruber hinaus zeigt sich, daβ Produktinnovationsaktivitaten der Unternehmen von den Unternehmenszielen in nur sehr begrenztem Maβe beeinfluβt werden. Die Konsequenzen dieser Untersuchungsergebnisse fur die Formulierung von OR-Modellen werden detailliert erlautert. The development of realistic models of corporate decisions implies among other things the necessity of a realistic determination of corporate goals. Thus, the results of empirical goal research are of high importance for Operations Research. This article presents findings of an empirical investigation of the goals of industrial firms. These findings have to be taken into account when developing models of corporate decisions. The results show for example, that the profit goal is not the dominant corporate goal, and that the significance of the corporate goals varies with different situations to a high degree. According to other results, corporate goals have little impact on the product innovation activities of the firms. The consequences of these empirical findings for the development of OR-models are discussed in detail.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: For example, this article found that support for the two major parties in Britain is lowest among the young educated, using survey data for the period 1964-1983, and that differences in major-party support which are related to age and to educational achievement have all but disappeared by the 1980s.
Abstract: . The decline in support for traditional political parties in a number of Western democracies is often attributed to the effects of recent educational expansion and a consequent rise in cognitive mobilisation in the electorate. The thesis that support for the two major parties in Britain is lowest among the young educated is tested here, using survey data for the period 1964–1983. The analysis indicates that for only a short time in the early 1970s was there evidence of such a relationship, and that differences in major-party support which are related to age and to educational achievement have all but disappeared by the 1980s. Moreover, the findings cast serious doubt upon the validity of current operationalisations of ‘cognitive mobilisation’.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, an objective self-report questionnaire is proposed as an alternative to existing projective measures of power motive, and the first steps in the construction of the test and evaluation are taken.
Abstract: Existing projective measures of power motive have often been criticized, so an objective self-report questionnaire is proposed as an alternative. The first steps in the construction of the test and...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors assess the social background and policy stance of SDP activists through a cross-nationally organized survey of party conference delegates in some 60 parties throughout Western Europe.
Abstract: The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has in recent years captured the attention of many observers. Previous studies have analysed the social background and policy stance of the new party by focusing either upon the local membership, the basis of electoral support or the programmatic posturing of the national leadership. The present study, by contrast, attempts to determine the identity of its middle-ranking activists-to borrow Marvick’s expression, of the ‘middlemen’ of the party.’ These are, as Doring argued in a previous publication,2 sufficiently represented at the Council for Social Democracy, the elected body of the Party deciding on policies, to warrant inferences about the middle level of the party elite-the level between its national leadership and ordinary members. Owing to the notorious difficulties facing research in the field, party activists have long constituted ‘unexplored terrain’, compared to the broad electorate. As these politically important, but scientifically elusive, actors do not readily lend themselves to sampling on a national basis, it has been necessary to employ various methods to identify and to study them. As in research previously reported by Whiteley and Gordon,3 the present study seeks to assess the social background and policy stance of SDP activists through a cross-nationally organized survey of party conference delegates in some 60 parties throughout Western Europe. These delegates were asked to complete a written questionnaire consisting of a common component as well as national-specific and partyspecific component^.^ In Britain the survey was administered by Ian Gordon

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, an attempt to evaluate the proposed Multilateral investment guarantee agency (MIGA) from the point of view of allocation theory was made, based on the allocation theory.
Abstract: The world Bank’s proposal to establish a new international organization whose purpose would be insuring foreign direct investment (FDI) against political risk was launched at its annual meeting in Seoul in October 1985. This paper is an attempt to evaluate the proposed Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) from the point of view of allocation theory.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The famous thesis of the underdetermination of our theories about the world through the available observational data is the basis of Quine's skepsis which forces him to commit himself to the theses of the inscrutability of reference and the indetermination of translation.
Abstract: The famous thesis of the underdetermination of our theories about the world through the available observational data is the basis of Quine's skepsis which forces him to commit himself to the theses of the inscrutability of reference and the indetermination of translation.