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Articles 61 - 69 of 69

Full-Text Articles in Industrial Organization

The Optimal Design Of Fallible Organizations: Invariance Of Optimal Decision Criterion And Uniqueness Of Hierarchy And Polyarchy Structures, Winston T. H. Koh Oct 2005

The Optimal Design Of Fallible Organizations: Invariance Of Optimal Decision Criterion And Uniqueness Of Hierarchy And Polyarchy Structures, Winston T. H. Koh

Research Collection School Of Economics

We present a general framework to study the project selection problem in an organization of fallible decision-makers. We show that when the organizational size and the majority rule for project acceptance are optimized simultaneously, the optimal quality of decision-making, as determined by the decision criterion, is invariant, and depends only on the expertise of decision-makers. This result clarifies that the circumstances under which the decision-making quality varies with the organizational structure are situations where the organizational size or majority rule is restricted from reaching the optimal level. Moreover, in contrast to earlier findings in the literature that the hierarchy and …


Optimal Sequential Decision Architectures And The Robustness Of Hierarchies And Polyarchies, Winston T. H. Koh Jun 2005

Optimal Sequential Decision Architectures And The Robustness Of Hierarchies And Polyarchies, Winston T. H. Koh

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper studies collective decision making in the context of a project selection model. We derive the optimal decision architecture in the presence of marginal decision costs, and investigate the circumstances under which the hierarchy and polyarchy emerge as optimal sequential architectures. Our analysis extends previous results on optimal organizational decision-making to a sequential setting, and further demonstrates the fragility of the hierarchy and polyarchy as optimal architectures.


Modular Production Networks In Electronics: The Nexus Between Management And Economics Research, Byron Gangnes, Ari Van Assche Sep 2004

Modular Production Networks In Electronics: The Nexus Between Management And Economics Research, Byron Gangnes, Ari Van Assche

Research Collection School Of Economics

In the last two decades, the electronics industry has evolved from a vertically integrated industry to a vertically segmented one. This transformation has often been attributed to the modularization of electronic products. In this paper, we argue that the degree of modularity is an active choice variable for a firm. As a result, it is necessary to focus on the underlying factors that drive both modularity and the organization of production. This provides insights into the transformation taking place in global electronics production, with vertical fragmentation, horizontal consolidation, and the growth of Asian electronics production.


The Optimal Design Of Fallible Organizations: Invariance Of Optimal Decision Criterion And Uniqueness Of Hierarchy And Polyarchy Structures, Winston T. H. Koh Aug 2004

The Optimal Design Of Fallible Organizations: Invariance Of Optimal Decision Criterion And Uniqueness Of Hierarchy And Polyarchy Structures, Winston T. H. Koh

Research Collection School Of Economics

We present a general framework to study the project selection problem in an organization of fallible decision-makers. We show that when the organizational size and the majority rule for project acceptance are optimized simultaneously, the optimal quality of decision-making, as determined by the decision criterion, is invariant, and depends only on the expertise of decision-makers. This result clarifies that the circumstances under which the decision-making quality varies with the organizational structure are situations where the organizational size or majority rule is restricted from reaching the optimal level. Moreover, in contrast to earlier findings in the literature that the hierarchy and …


Forecasting The Global Electronics Cycle With Leading Indicators: A Var Approach, Hwee Kwan Chow Jul 2004

Forecasting The Global Electronics Cycle With Leading Indicators: A Var Approach, Hwee Kwan Chow

Research Collection School Of Economics

Developments in the global electronics industry are typically monitored by tracking indicators that span a whole spectrum of activities in the sector. However, these indicators invariably give mixed signals at each point in time, thereby hampering efforts at prediction. In this paper, we propose a unified framework for forecasting the global electronics cycle by constructing a VAR model that captures the economic interactions between leading indicators representing expectations, orders, inventories and prices. The ability of the indicators to presage world semiconductor sales is first demonstrated by Granger causality tests. The VAR model is then used to derive the dynamic paths …


Optimal Sequential Decision Architectures And The Robustness Of Hierarchies And Polyarchies, Winston T. H. Koh Feb 2003

Optimal Sequential Decision Architectures And The Robustness Of Hierarchies And Polyarchies, Winston T. H. Koh

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper studies collective decision making in the context of a project selection model. We derive the optimal decision architecture when marginal decision costs are present, and investigate the circumstances under which the hierarchy and polyarchy exist as optimal sequential architectures. Our analysis extends previous results on optimal committee decision-making to a sequential setting, and further demonstrates the fragility of the hierarchy and polyarchy as optimal architectures.


Competitiveness And Price Convergence On The Internet: Evidence From The Online Dvd Market, Xiaolin Xing, Fang Fang Tang, Zhenlin Yang Jan 2003

Competitiveness And Price Convergence On The Internet: Evidence From The Online Dvd Market, Xiaolin Xing, Fang Fang Tang, Zhenlin Yang

Research Collection School Of Economics

We compare the pricing behavior between online branches of traditional retailers (MCR) and pure Internet retailers (Dotcom) in the DVD market. Based on a set of panel data from July 5, 2000 to June 11, 2001, we find that the average price of the MCRs is about 11.2% higher than that of the Dotcoms. Further statistical analyses on the market dynamics of price trends show that the prices of the Dotcoms went up with time much faster than the prices of the MCRs, which points to a possibility that eventually both types of retailers may charge similar prices on average. …


Comparative Advantage And The Equilibrium Rate Of Unemployment, Hian Teck Hoon Nov 1991

Comparative Advantage And The Equilibrium Rate Of Unemployment, Hian Teck Hoon

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper develops a two-country Heckscher-Ohlin model with endogenous equilibrium involuntary unemployment to examine the question: What is the effect of free trade on the equilibrium rates of unemployment in the labor abundant and labor-scarce countries? It is shown that free trade leads to a decline in the equilibrium rate of unemployment in the labor-abundant country but to a rise in unemployment in the labor-scarce country.


Value-Added Per Worker, Capital Accumulation And Technical Progress In A Small, Open Economy: An Explanation, Hian Teck Hoon Jan 1988

Value-Added Per Worker, Capital Accumulation And Technical Progress In A Small, Open Economy: An Explanation, Hian Teck Hoon

Research Collection School Of Economics

Within the context of industrial restructuring, it is not uncommon to use terms, such as 'higher value-added per worker', or 'low or high value added activities', and 'high technology' industries. The present note attempts to use the theoretical work in the field of international trade to sharpen our understanding of the relationships among the concepts of value added per worker, capital accumulation, and technical progress. We show that for a large country, capital accumulation raises the real value added per worker in both industries. With neutral technical progress occurring in the L-intensive industry, it is possible for the terms of …