Business Administration, Management, and Operations Commons^™

More Than Fun And Games: Reconsidering The Virtues Of Strategic Management Simulations, Ken E. Zantow, Dave S. Knowlton, David C. Sharp

Faculty Publications

We look at the relationship between business simulations and the educational theory of generative learning using the framework developed by Wittrock (1974, 1990, 1992). Our findings reveal opportunities for generative learning that occur at all phases of the simulation process. Awareness of these opportunities prepares faculty to get the most from the strategic decision-making simulations. and may assist them in defining the contribution associated with their use. We suggest areas for additional research.

Assessing The Usefulness Of The Decision Framework For Identifying And Selecting Knowledge Management Projects, Kevin G. Budai

Theses and Dissertations

Knowledge management (KM) is becoming recognized as a valuable tool for the Department of Defense (DoD) in its effort to maintain a competitive, strategic advantage against its enemies in a new threat environment. Decision superiority is the ultimate end result and is only possible through the effective and efficient use of its chief key resource--knowledge. As the Air Force seeks to transform the way it does business the concept of knowledge management has made its way to the forefront of both the Air Force's Information Strategy and Information Resource Flight Plan. This research assesses the usefulness of a knowledge management …

Third Extrusion Project: Project Analysis, Ingrid Suarez

Engineering and Technology Management Student Projects

This paper uses a case study approach to analyze the Third Extrusion Project (TEP) in Cerro Matoso S.A (CMSA). The TEP was chosen to be analyzed because of the importance to the company, the quality of the project management, and the impact in CMSA’s business. The analysis was focused on the managerial and organizational aspects, rather than on technical topics. It was based on the Strategic Project Leadership framework proposed by Dr. Aaron Shedar.

BHP Billiton, the parent organization of CMSA, is one of the world’s premier mining companies. Its project management office aims to ensure that the project management …

Analysis And Evaluation Of The Macroscopic Organizational Structure Of Red Horse, Lance D. Clark

Theses and Dissertations

The primary contingency engineering capability within the United States Air Force is provided by Rapid Engineer Deployable, Heavy Operations Readiness Squadron, Engineer (RED HORSE). This thesis examines the macroscopic organizational structure of RED HORSE; that is, the manner in which RED HORSE resources (personnel and equipment) are organized collectively, above the unit (squadron or flight) level. It builds on the findings of the Air Combat Command - sponsored RED HORSE 2010 Strategic Study, and focuses on issues of geographic location and chain of command above the unit level, as the study found these two topics were found to be vital …

Impact Of Facilitator Co-Location And Alignment On The Efficacy Of Group Support Systems Employed In A Distributed Setting, Jeffrey A. Lea

Theses and Dissertations

Group Support Systems (GSSs) are a combination of hardware, software, and human facilitation designed and employed to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of decision making groups. Engineers at the Sustainment Logistics Branch of the Air Force Research Laboratory have recently proposed employing the technology in a distributed setting to conjoin geographically separated members of decision making groups in order to facilitate the reengineering of logistics processes in an any place/any time environment To date GSSs have been studied and employed primarily in the same time/same place setting. Consequently, little is known or understood of the effects that use of these …

The Effects Of Individual, Contextual, And Moral Intensity Factors On Environmental Ethical Decision Making, Brenda L. Flannery

Management and Entrepreneurship Department Publications

Most extant studies of organizational ethical decision making have been remiss in doing one or more of the following: (a) building theoretical foundations; (b) encompassing the individual, contextual, and issue-specific determinants impacting ethical judgments; (c) offering testable hypotheses; and/or (d) establishing methodological rigor. This study confronted those challenges aiming to understand the decision intentions of top managers in the metal finishing industry concerning the treatment of hazardous wastewater. This study employed an extended version of Ajzen's (1988) theory of planned behavior. The theory accommodatingly modeled the individual (i.e., attitudes, self-efficacy, personal moral obligation), contextual (subjective norms, organizational climate, and financial …

Managing Change Without Changing Managers: An Investigation Of Influences On Decision Making Performance Of Public Sector Managers Within Novel And Complex Environments, David Clark-Murphy

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

This study examines relationships between the cognitive and decision making styles of individual managers, and their decision making performance , within public sector environments during structural and cultural reform. The main purpose is to develop a more effective means of matching managers to their novel and complex working environments, to minimise staff turnover and improve productivity.

How To Make Better Decisions, H V Ravinder

IIMB Management Review

No abstract provided.

Successful Operating Strategies In The Performance Of U.S.-China Joint Ventures, Gregory E. Osland

Scholarship and Professional Work - Business

Evaluations of the performance of international joint ventures (IJVs) in China have produced mixed conclusions. This study sought to uncover performance criteria used by various groups of managers and to identify critical factors in IJV performance in China. Using in-depth case studies, matched data were collected from personal interviews with managers from Chinese and U.S. parent companies, joint venture operating managers from both partners, and government officials from both countries. The performance criteria used by joint venture participants appear to be converging, with profitability emerging as the dominant element. This exploratory study uncovered four important strategic factors in the performance …

Graphic Representation In Managerial Decision Making: The Effect Of Scale Break On The Dependent Axis, Clark R. Carvalho, Michael D. Mcmillan

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis investigated whether a scale break on the dependent axis a affects a decision maker's interpretation of the data presented in the graph. A literature search revealed criteria for constructing high integrity graphs and formatting scale breaks. An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of a scale break on the dependent axis. Graphs following the criteria for high integrity graphs were presented to the control group, while graphs following the criteria for high integrity graphs, with the exception of the scale break, were presented to the experimental group. Using a parametric two-sample t test and a non-parametric Rank …

A Value-Based Hierarchy Of Objectives For Military Decision-Making, Lowell A. Nelson

Theses and Dissertations

This study develops a rational model for the incorporation of ethical values into military decision-making. The values considered include obedience to superiors, professional competence, and elements of just war theory such as proportionality and discrimination. A review of the relevant literature on just war theory and professional military ethics points to the science of multi-attribute utility analysis as a means of representing the complex value tradeoffs essential to military decisions. The values and tradeoffs identified are interpreted in a hierarchy of objectives model which is used to evaluate value preferences between decision alternatives. With the hierarchy constructed, tradeoffs between values …

An Empirical Investigation Of The Evaluative Criteria Of Industrial Buyers, Daniel H. Mcquiston, Rockney G. Walters

Scholarship and Professional Work - Business

A factor analytic methodology is used to measure and interpret the evaluative criteria used by the functional roles represented in an industrial decision making unit during their consideration to purchase a piece of capital equipment. The results of the study indicate that the criteria employed by each decision maker during the evaluation of this equipment varied by functional role. The attributes contained in each evaluative dimension were directly related to each functional role primary job responsibility.

A Proactive, Systematic Approach To Finding Research Topics In The Management And Social Sciences, Arnold Reisman

Research Reports from the Department of Operations

This paper offers a step by step methodology by which most if not all researchable topics within a given field of knowledge can be systematically identified. The method is based on transforming a descriptive taxonomy into a prescriptive one. Two disparate literature surveys, one for Combining Probability Distributions in Rational Group Decision Making and the other for Perishable Inventory Theory are used to demonstrate the efficacy of the procedure.

Management Information Systems: A New Venture Perspective, S.G. H.P. Panlilio, Arnold Reisman

Research Reports from the Department of Operations

This case study highlights critical considerations for small businesses in setting up and automating information systems. Early adoption of integrated information system automation is emphasized for businesses with typical functions such as Marketing, Production, Accounting/Finance, Human Resources, and Management. Benefits and considerations in automation are explored. [Likely published circa 1987.]

Contingent Claims Contracting For Purchasing Decisions In Inventory Management, Peter H. Ritchken, Charles S. Tapiero

Research Reports from the Department of Operations

The purpose of this paper is to provide a risk management approach which uses negotiated option contracts for hedging against price and quantity uncertainty in inventory procurement. Conditions for the inclusion of options in inventory control are derived as a function of managerial attitudes towards risk.

A Network Method In The Management Of Innovative Start-Ups, Burton V. Dean

Research Reports from the Department of Operations

This study develops, tests, and evaluates a generic network-based method for use in the management of innovative start-ups. The major tasks accomplished in each start-up, including organizational, legal and accounting, financial, R&D, market research, manufacturing, and marketing were identified. For each major task, the significant activities, precedence relations, decisions nodes, alternative choices of action, and feedback loops were identified. The Q-GERT approach is used to model the innovative management process, involving probabilistic elements and decision processes. A computer program for Q-GERT simulation has been developed and applied to analyze different scenarios. In addition, computer outputs are obtained of such parameters …

Interpretive Structural Modeling And Its Applications, M. Venkatesan

Research Reports from the Department of Operations

The purpose of this paper is to introduce managers and management scientists to a recently developed tool for modeling complex systems. Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) is a technique for aiding people think and communicate effectively about complex systems. The elements or variables of a complex system can usually be identified with sufficient clarity, but the relationships among the elements can seldom be clearly stated. The ISM technique assumes transitivity of the inter-relationships and uses a group-consensus process for developing subjective pair-wise relations and uses a computer for storing and processing the subjective information using simple logical operations. A binary matrix …

Versions Of The Bible: A Classification And A Selection Procedure, John J. Rasmussen

Research Reports from the Department of Operations

This paper outlines a four-step procedure to help individuals select a Bible for personal use amidst the influence of advertising, peer opinions, and expert recommendations. The process begins by identifying the intended purpose of the Bible. Next, desired characteristics are selected from a list of ten objective elements. These characteristics are then matched to a version on a taxonomy chart. Finally, a list of 37 distinct English versions is provided to refine the selection. The procedure demonstrates principles of taxonomy and rational decision-making, offering a systematic approach to choosing the most suitable version.

Opportunity, Value Theory And The Measurement Of Depreciation, Income, Goodwill And Worth, Miles Hartley Kennedy

Research Reports from the Department of Operations

This study begins by developing axiomatically (in Chapter I) the opportunity value method of depreciation within a larger theory addressed simultaneously to valuing assets and to determining income for profit-seeking organizations. Though rather general in scope, there are a number of applications whose idiosyncrasies preclude the use of this method; the reader is forewarned of these in Chapter II. Chapter III then begins the investigation of the properties of this method by reviewing the depreciation requirements of the performance appraisal process and showing that the measurements produced by this method are--from this standpoint--superior to those of several of its well-known …

A General Model For Investment Decisions; A Stochastic Extension, Arnold Reisman, Arza K. Rao

Research Reports from the Department of Operations

In the general situation in which investments and/or equipment replacements have to be made at several points of time, Reisman and Buffa have developed a model which will reduce to their present worth all disbursements and receipts involved in the possession and operation of a succession of equipments. This paper deals with a stochastic variation of the above model. General expressions are derived for the expected values of the Purchase Prices, Salvage Values, Operating Expenses and Revenues. The model assumes that the lives of equipment are also stochastic in nature. The case when the rate of return is a function …

On A Basic Research Cost Effectiveness - Resource Allocation Model, Burton V. Dean, Samuel J. Mantel Jr.

Research Reports from the Department of Operations

This paper develops a preliminary model for use in allocating funds for mission oriented basic research in a government agency. Three submodels are developed - (1) a cost model for estimating the costs of basic research tasks, (2) a linkage model for relating the performance of basic research and subsequent utilization of basic research results in systems and component development, and (3) a value model for estimating the effectiveness of basic research tasks. A cost-effectiveness relationship is developed for use in relating the cost and benefits of basic research programs and tasks. Research allocation models are developed for use under …

Contract Research Proposal Preparation Strategies, Burton V. Dean, Robert H. Culhan

Research Reports from the Department of Operations

A bidding model is developed and used to examine alternative contract research proposal preparation strategies. Expected profits due to sales from initial and follow-on production orders are related to proposal preparation cost, contract value, and the probability of contract award. Limited engineering resources may be allocated to proposal preparation effort so as to maximize total expected profits. The model is tested and applied in the proposal preparation activity of a company in the aerospace industry.

Contract Award And Bidding Strategies, Burton V. Dean

Research Reports from the Department of Operations

The R and D contract award and bidding decision process is studied from the points of view of bidders and customers. Competitive bidding models are developed which incorporate such factors as probability of contract award, level of resource utilization, and expected return. Conditions and methods for estimating the probability of contract award are presented. Competitive bidding strategies for the cases of known and unknown numbers of bidders and single and multi-proposal situations are investigated. [Likely published circa 1964.]

Towards A Behavioral Theory Of Communication, Russell L. Ackoff

Research Reports from the Department of Operations

This Research Memorandum develops a formal framework for understanding information as it relates to decision-making. It introduces the concept of an individual's "purposeful state," defined by objectives, valuation of those objectives, possible courses of action, their efficiencies, and the probabilities of their selection. The study defines the amount of information in a purposeful state using the probabilities of choosing among available actions and evaluates information conveyed in a message as the change in information before and after the message. Additionally, the amount of instruction and motivation in a purposeful state is quantified, based on the efficiencies and values of actions …