Showing papers on "Database transaction published in 2003"

The Role of Trustworthiness in Reducing Transaction Costs and Improving Performance: Empirical Evidence from the United States, Japan, and Korea

Abstract: In this paper we investigate the relationship between supplier trust in the buyer and transaction costs and information sharing in a sample of 344 supplier-automaker exchange relationships in the United States, Japan, and Korea. Our findings indicate that perceived trustworthiness reduces transaction costs and is correlated with greater information sharing in supplier-buyer relationships. Moreover, the findings suggest that the value created for transactors, in terms of lower transaction costs, may be substantial. In particular, we found that the least-trusted automaker spent significantly more of its face-to-face interaction time with suppliers on contracting and haggling when compared to the most trusted automaker. This translated into procurement (transaction) costs that were five times higher for the least trusted automaker. Finally, we argue that trust is unique as a governance mechanism because it not only minimizes transaction costs, but also has a mutually causal relationship with information sharing, which also creates value in the exchange relationship. Other governance mechanisms (e.g., contracts, financial hostages) are necessary costs incurred to prevent opportunistic behavior, but do not create value beyond transaction cost minimization. Our findings provide empirical evidence that trustworthiness lowers transaction costs and may be an important source of competitive advantage.

An empirical examination of transaction- and firm-level influences on the vertical boundaries of the firm

Abstract: A large literature has successfully employed transaction cost economic theory to describe how exchange conditions affect the optimal form of organization. However, this approach has historically not accounted for the influence of firm-specific attributes on the governance decision. This paper develops a model based on insights from transaction cost economics, the resource-based view, and real options theory to examine how transaction-level characteristics, firm-specific capabilities, and product-market scope influence the governance of production. Empirical evidence derived from analysis of 469 make-or-buy decisions involving 117 semiconductor firms indicates that decisions regarding the governance of production activities are strongly influenced by both transaction- and firm-level effects. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Method and system for tracking and providing incentives for tasks and activities and other behavioral influences related to money, individuals, technology and other assets

Abstract: Methods and systems for altering behavior in a variety of applications include recording information associated with an event related to a particular activity or field, determining a status of the event in connection with a rewards algorithm, calculating reward information in accordance with the rewards algorithm, and storing the calculated reward information A recipient is notified in accordance with a notification algorithm of the calculated reward information Incentives may be provided for participation in services plans, including professional services plans such as legal plans, adoption and use of types of funds, accounts and funds transfers, use of online services, and numerous other services Rewards include the receipt of professional services and membership in services plans Incentives for entering into transactions include offering of related services, including identity theft related services for events related to the transaction Methods and systems for entering transactions include receiving first transaction request information from a transaction party in a first mode, prompting the transaction party for second transaction request information to be provided in a second mode, if the second transaction information is received in a suitable manner, then entering into the transaction, and otherwise terminating the transaction

Safeguarding Interorganizational Performance and Continuity Under Ex Post Opportunism

Abstract: Opportunism is a central construct in exchange theory. Economists contend that despite the firm's best efforts to erect governance structures that reduce opportunism and preserve outcomes, there is always some opportunism that remains once the transaction is in place. Despite this, there are few studies that systematically investigate thesafeguarding efficacy of relationship attributes in the presence of such ex post opportunism. In this research, we develop a theoretical framework and provide a longitudinal test of the ability of various relationship safeguards to preserve performance outcomes and future expectations given varying levels of ex post opportunism in the relationship. Our survey results from over 300 buyers and suppliers indicates that given lower levels of opportunism, bilateral idiosyncratic investments and interpersonal trust enhance performance outcomes and future expectations, while goal congruence has no discernable effect. However, at higher levels of opportunism, goal congruence becomes a more powerful safeguard, while interpersonal trust becomes less effective. Bilateral idiosyncratic investments continue to preserve performance outcomes and future expectations even at higher levels of opportunism. Implications for the long-term management of interorganizational alliances are discussed.

Transaction accelerator for client-server communication systems

Abstract: In a network having transaction acceleration, for an accelerated transaction, a client directs a request to a client-side transaction handler that forwards the request to a server-side transaction handler, which in turn provides the request, or a representation thereof, to a server for responding to the request. The server sends the response to the server-side transaction handler, which forwards the response to the client-side transaction handler, which in turn provides the response to the client. Transactions are accelerated by the transaction handlers by storing segments of data used in the transactions in persistent segment storage accessible to the server-side transaction handler and in persistent segment storage accessible to the client-side transaction handler. When data is to be sent between the transaction handlers, the sending transaction handler compares the segments of the data to be sent with segments stored in its persistent segment storage and replaces segments of data with references to entries in its persistent segment storage that match or closely match the segments of data to be replaced. The receiving transaction store reconstructs the data sent by replacing segment references with corresponding segment data from its persistent segment storage, requesting missing segments from the sender as needed. The transaction accelerators could handle multiple clients and/or multiple servers and the segments stored in the persistent segment stores can relate to different transactions, different clients and/or different servers. Persistent segment stores can be prepopulated with segment data from other transaction accelerators.

Privacy preserving association rule mining in vertically partitioned data

Abstract: Privacy considerations often constrain data mining projects. This paper addresses the problem of association rule mining where transactions are distributed across sources. Each site holds some attributes of each transaction, and the sites wish to collaborate to identify globally valid association rules. However, the sites must not reveal individual transaction data. We present a two-party algorithm for efficiently discovering frequent itemsets with minimum support levels, without either site revealing individual transaction values.

Method of buying or selling items and a user interface to facilitate the same

Abstract: A method of buying or selling items having at least one market and its associated processes are disclosed. The method includes the steps of, under control of a client system, displaying information identifying at least one item and a bid and/or ask price for the item in the market; and specifying transaction conditions based on a user directed position of a moveable icon, where the transaction conditions are related to the buying or selling of the identified item in the active market. Then, in response to an action of the user sending a user transaction request at the transaction conditions displayed at the time of said action, facilitating financial transactions for the user in accordance with the transaction conditions to complete the transaction. In this manner, the item may be bought or sold by the user at the transaction conditions specified. A user interface to facilitate this method is also disclosed. A quantity recommendation system to facilitate the quantity decision of a financial transaction is further disclosed.

Transaction cost-enhanced entry mode choices and firm performance.

Abstract: According to transaction cost theory, firms select the international mode of entry that provides the most efficient form of governance. However, previous scholarship largely neglects the impact of transaction cost variables on entry mode choice and firm performance. In this study, we add transaction cost variables to a set of variables previously used to predict firm mode choice and performance. We theorize and find that firms selecting these ‘transaction cost-enhanced international entry modes’ perform better than firms using other modes of entry. Based on our results, we conclude that ‘enhanced’ transaction cost theory appears to be normative as well as descriptive with respect to international entry mode decisions. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

System and method for accessing geographic-based data

Abstract: A system and method for creating a unified commercial real estate data model through collection, distribution and use of information in connection with commercial real estate and for creating a web-based marketplace that facilitates the efficient and secure buying, selling, and leasing of commercial properties. The invention provides a digital marketplace in which the members of the commercial real estate and related business community can continuously interact and facilitate transactions by efficiently exchanging accurate and standardized information. An embodiment provides a system and method for providing communication and analytical tools that interface with a commercial real estate database and support commercial real estate transactions between parties. These communication and analytical tools can include: 1) a survey tool; 2) a commercial real estate transaction tool; 3) a tour scheduling tool; 4) an activity summary tool; 5) a tool for analyzing commercial real estate data; and 6) a map search tool.

System and method for processing financial transactions using multi-payment preferences

Abstract: The invention relates generally to retail transactions (Fig. 1) and, more particularly, to retail transaction systems and methods employing consumer preferences applicable to the transaction for goods and services (12). Methods, systems and processes are provided in which a customer is identified and associated with a customer profile and/or a method of payment corresponding to the customer (16). The customer profile may comprise customer preferences with regard to at least one method of payment (16). Based on the customer profile and/or other preference or transaction criteria, a preferred method of payment may be determined for a specific transaction (14). The provided methods, systems and processes may be used merely to identify a customer or in combination with transaction payment (e.g., payment for goods, services, or other financial transaction). The methods, systems and processes may also be used in combination with a loyalty program with a specific merchant or an association of merchants participating in a combined customer loyalty program (15).

Web Services and Business Transactions

Abstract: Process oriented workflow systems and e-business applications require transactional support in order to orchestrate loosely coupled services into cohesive units of work and guarantee consistent and reliable execution. In this paper we introduce a multi-level transaction model that provides the necessary independence for the participating resource managers, e.g., local database and workflow servers, of organisations engaging in business transactions that are composed of interacting web services. We also present a taxonomy of e-business transaction features such as unconventional atomicity criteria, the need for support for business conversations and the need for distinguishing between three basic business transaction phases. In addition, we review current research and standard activities and outline the main ingredients of a business transaction framework necessary for building flexible e-business applications.

Why Firms Want to Organize Efficiently and What Keeps Them from Doing So: Inappropriate Governance, Performance,and Adaptation in a Deregulated Industry

Abstract: This paper integrates content-based predictions of transaction cost economics with process-based predictions of organizational change to understand adaptation to deregulation in the for-hire trucking industry. We predict and find that firms whose governance of a core transaction is poor (according to transaction cost reasoning) will realize lower profits than their better-aligned counterparts and that these firms will attempt to adapt so as to better align their transactions. Results show that several organizational features affect the rate of adaptation: (1) firms with large investments in specialized assets adapt less readily than firms that rely on generic assets, (2) firms with unions adapt less readily than firms without unions, (3) firms that must replace employee drivers with owner-operators adapt less readily than firms that must replace owner-operators with employee drivers, and (4) entrants adapt more quickly than incumbent carriers. There is evidence of institutional isomorphism in that althoug...

The Database State Machine Approach

Abstract: Database replication protocols have historically been built on top of distributed database systems, and have consequently been designed and implemented using distributed transactional mechanisms, such as atomic commitment. We present the Database State Machine approach, a new way to deal with database replication in a cluster of servers. This approach relies on a powerful atomic broadcast primitive to propagate transactions between database servers, and alleviates the need for atomic commitment. Transaction commit is based on a certification test, and abort rate is reduced by the reordering certification test. The approach is evaluated using a detailed simulation model that shows the scalability of the system and the benefits of the reordering certification test.

Transparent client-server transaction accelerator

Abstract: In a network that conveys requests from clients to servers and responses from servers to clients, a network transaction accelerator for accelerating transactions involving data transfer between at least one client and at least one server over a network comprising a client-side engine, a server-side engine and a transaction predictor configured to predict, based on past transactions, which transactions are likely to occur in the future between the client and server. The transaction predictor might be in the server-side engine, the client-side engine, or both. The client-side engine receives indications of requests from the client, a transaction buffer for storing results of predicted transactions received from the server or the server-side engine ahead of receipt of a corresponding request, and a collator for collating the requests from the client with the stored results or received results, wherein a request and a response that are matched by the collator are identified and the matched response is provided to the client in response to the matched request. The server-side engine receives indications of transactions including requests and responses and conveys requests to the server in response to actual transactions or predicted transactions.

Methods and apparatus for facilitating a transaction

Abstract: A system, method, apparatus, means, and computer program code for conducting a transaction include identifying information defining a transaction including at least a transaction amount, identifying an account identifier to associate with the transaction, and establishing a pre-authorization record associated with the account identifier, the pre-authorization record including an authorization restriction based on the transaction amount.

System and method for secure credit and debit card transactions

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and system for conducting secure credit and debit card transactions between a customer and a merchant. The customer is issued with a pseudorandom security string by a host computer, the security string being sent to the customer's mobile telephone. A cryptographic algorithm running in a SIM card of the mobile telephone performs a hash on the security string or the One Time Code extracted from the security string, a customer PIN and a transaction amount, these last two items being entered by way of a keypad of the mobile telephone. A three-digit response code is generated by the algorithm and then passed to the merchant. The merchant then transmits the response code, transaction amount and a customer account number (card number) to the host computer, where the pseudorandom security string and PIN are retrieved from memory. The host computer then applies the same algorithm to the security string, PIN and transaction amount so as to generate a check code, and if the check code matches the response code transmitted by the merchant, the transaction is authorised. Embodiments of the present invention make use of existing CVV2 security infrastructure, but provide a significantly greater degree of security. Embodiments of the present invention may be used with ordinary face-to-face or telephone transactions, and also in e-commerce (web-based) and m-commerce (mobile telephone-based) transactions.

Automated soft limit control of electronic transaction accounts

Abstract: A system and method of providing one or more user selectable transaction limits (soft limit) for an associated account, generally within the constraints of fixed transaction limits for the account. The soft limit may be adjusted by the user in response to anticipated transaction volume to reduce fraudulent charge risk. By way of example, the soft limit remains at a low default transaction limit that is generally sufficient for covering daily expenditures when utilizing the account, and may be temporarily set to a higher limit by the user contemplating making a purchases which may exceed the soft limit. After a time period has elapsed or a given number of transactions have occurred after user selection of the soft limit it drops back to the default value. The inventive system and method may be practiced within or interfaced to “card processing centers” of transactions cards or other account tokens.

Consistency modeling of healthcare claims to detect fraud and abuse

Abstract: Transaction-based behavioral profiling, whereby the entity to be profiled is represented by a stream of transactions, is required in a variety of data mining and predictive modeling applications. An approach is described for assessing inconsistency in the activity of an entity, as a way of detecting fraud and abuse, using service-code information available on each transaction. Inconsistency is based on the concept that certain service-codes naturally co-occur more than do others. An assessment is made of activity consistency looking at the overall activity of an individual entity, as well as looking at the interaction of entities. Several approaches for measuring consistency are provided, including one inspired by latent semantic analysis as used in text analysis. While the description is in the context of fraud detection in healthcare, the techniques are relevant to application in other industries and for purposes other than fraud detection.

Secure online commerce transactions

Abstract: A method of enabling electronic commerce transactions is provided by a service, the service giving to users a disposable credit card or other indicia of credit for a particular transaction or amount. The service receives registration information from the user and authorizes the user. The service establishes an account for the user and issues a disposable (one use) credit card number to the user which has the same format as a permanent credit card number, is acceptable to the user and the institution with whom the user is transacting business. The system incorporates various security features.

Remote banking during fueling

Abstract: The present invention provides a system and method allowing customers to conduct a remote banking transaction at a fuel dispenser, including obtaining cash in association with the transaction at the dispenser or a common terminal in the dispenser forecourt. The system may include a cash dispenser at the dispenser, fueling position, or the central terminal, or, alternatively, a delivery system configured to deliver cash from a central location to the customer at the dispenser, fueling position, or central terminal. During a transaction for purchasing fuel or other products associated with the service station, a customer is provided an opportunity to conduct a remote banking transaction. Providing a customer the opportunity to conduct such a transaction in association with a dispenser transaction will attract more customers to the station because of convenience as well as provide customers with more disposable cash to spend at the associated quick-serve restaurants and convenience store.

Response time and resource consumption management in a distributed network environment

Abstract: Software, systems and methods for managing a distributed network. For a given distributed device, the software includes a transaction monitor configured to identify transaction start times and stop times, and a resource consumption monitor configured to determine how much bandwidth is consumed by the distributed device during performance of a network transaction initiated by the device.

Peer-to-peer active content sharing

Abstract: A system and method to allow chat modules in a peer network to share active content. A sender peer includes an application module to activate a media content file from a content repository. The sender peer also includes a chat module to detect active content on the common peer and send information about the active content for display at a recipient peer. The recipient peer includes a chat module to receive active content information and an application module to active the media in substantially synchronous to active media at the sender peer. A content enhancement server provides supplemental active content information for display at the recipient peer and previews of the active content. The content enhancement server also enables a transaction related to the active media content file such as a purchase of an MP3 copy of the active content.

What is the Price of Hubris? Using Takeover Battles to Infer Overpayments and Synergies

Abstract: We present a framework for determining the information that can be extracted from stock prices around takeover contests. In only two types of cases is it theoretically possible to use stock price movements to infer bidder overpayment and relative synergies. Even in these two cases, we argue that it is practically difficult to extract this information. We illustrate one of these generic cases using the takeover contest for Paramount in 1994 in which Viacom overpaid by more than $2 billion. Our findings are consistent with managerial overconfidence and/or large private benefits, but not with the traditional agency-based incentive problem. When a merger is announced, three different pieces of information affect the stock prices of the target and bidder. The announcement contains information about the potential synergies arising from the combination, the stand-alone value of the firms involved in the merger, and how the value will be split between the target and the bidder(s). It is seldom possible to distinguish among these three effects in a particular takeover contest. For example, if the announcement reveals favorable (unfavorable) information about the target and bidder, the combined change in bidder and target stock values will exceed (not exceed) the synergies arising from the merger. Similarly, if the bid reveals favorable (unfavorable) news about the stand-alone value of the bidder, the change in bidder stock value will overstate (understate) the benefit of the transaction to the bidder. In this article, we develop and apply a classification scheme that identifies those situations in which it may be possible to disentangle the sources of price changes. In the first part of the paper, we identify two generic cases in which synergy, overpayment, and information effects can be disentangled to solve for the estimated overpayment by the bidder. One case occurs when the acquisition is not consummated; the other occurs when the acquisition is a takeover contest that comprises only two bidders. We also discuss the additional (information) conditions that must be satisfied in practice to enable bidders to disentangle the different effects. Even for these two generic cases, we point out that most such takeovers will not satisfy the necessary information conditions. In the second part of the article, we analyze the takeover contest for Paramount. This contest is representative of one of the generic cases and comes close to satisfying the required information conditions. The Paramount contest involved exactly two bidders: QVC, led by Barry Diller, and Viacom, led by Sumner Redstone. The unusual structure of the contest allows us to estimate

Device with GPS to manage risk for financial transactions

Abstract: The present teachings describe a system for processing financial transactions. In one embodiment, the system includes a remote terminal adapted to identify the location of financial transactions via global positioning system (GPS) information such that the remote terminal acquires transaction information from a user and transmits a first signal indicative of transaction information and GPS information. In addition, the system includes an authorizing host adapted to receive the first signal transmitted by the remote terminal such that the authorizing host evaluates the risk associated with financial transactions based, at least in part, on the GPS information so as to determine whether to accept or decline the financial transaction. The present teachings further describe devices and methods of acquiring GPS information for the purpose of managing risk for financial transactions.

Database system providing improved methods for data replication

Abstract: A system providing improved methods for data replication is described. A method for replicating a transaction from a primary database to a replicate database while the replicate database remains available for use comprises: recording information about a transaction being performed at a primary database in a transaction log; synchronously copying the information about the transaction in the transaction log to a mirrored transaction log; generating a reconstructed transaction based on the information about the transaction copied to the mirrored transaction log; and applying the reconstructed transaction at the replicate database while the replicate database remains available for use.

Using interceptors and out-of-band data to monitor the performance of Java 2 enterprise edition (J2EE) applications

Abstract: A method for monitoring performance of a plurality of transactions in a J2EE application server is disclosed. The transactions include a top level transaction and plurality of transactions relating to the top level transaction in a child parent hierarchy. For each of selected ones of said transactions, the method comprises instrumenting the transaction at run-time without modifying its source code to obtain a performance metric corresponding thereto. Further, for each of said instrumented transactions, a correlator is generated for identifying the top level transaction and a parent, if any, of the transaction. The method further calls for utilizing the correlators to cross-correlate a performance metric corresponding to a parent transaction with one or more performance metrics corresponding to one or more child transactions of said parent transaction.

XML parsing: a threat to database performance

Abstract: XML parsing is generally known to have poor performance characteristics relative to transactional database processing. Yet, its potentially fatal impact on overall database performance is being underestimated. We report real-word database applications where XML parsing performance is a key obstacle to a successful XML deployment. There is a considerable share of XML database applications which are prone to fail at an early and simple road block: XML parsing. We analyze XML parsing performance and quantify the extra overhead of DTD and schema validation. Comparison with relational database performance shows that the desired response times and transaction rates over XML data can not be achieved without major improvements in XML parsing technology. Thus, we identify research topics which are most promising for XML parser performance in database systems.