Zhang Han‐jiang and Luo Duan‐hong
The purpose of this paper is to describe how the performance of a system is determined.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe how the performance of a system is determined.
Design/methodology/approach
Systems with the same structure or function often have different performances. What makes the difference? Within a system, the various actors make their decisions by their own and their actions depend on the mechanism of the system. The actors' strategy selection under different mechanisms and the mechanism design are precisely in the range of Game Theory. This paper compares two different pricing mechanisms, the Stackelberg Game and Cournot Game, in a linear supply chain. And the obtained result of the different behavior (Pm*, Pr*) and different performance (Um*, Ur*) of the supply chain obviously approves our proposition that the operational mechanism is of great importance to the performance of the system, the same as structure.
Findings
It is the structure of the system and operational mechanism which determines the performance of the system.
Research limitations/implications
The paper's limitations lie in the fact that it is not yet based on experimental evidence from real‐world systems.
Practical implications
Game Theory is one of the most effective methods to study the systematic mechanism, especially the mechanism designs, because it reveals the inherent nature of the systematic mechanism.
Originality/value
This paper points out that the mechanism which restricts each behavioral subject determines the performance of these systems. It puts forward a new region for the research of general system theory.
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Wentao Zhan, Minghui Jiang, Xueping Wang, Da Huo and Han Jiang
Omnichannel has become increasingly important with the development of e-commerce. In omnichannel, merchants expect customers to get the products and services at anytime, anywhere…
Abstract
Purpose
Omnichannel has become increasingly important with the development of e-commerce. In omnichannel, merchants expect customers to get the products and services at anytime, anywhere and in any way, and the same is true for customers. This drives multihoming in online platforms for both merchants and customers. Thus, once both customers and merchants are multihomed, what price and subsidy decisions should be made between platforms to compete to obtain optimal profits? The main purpose of this paper is to solve these problems and provide decision-making for two-sided platforms in omnichannel.
Design/methodology/approach
This study builds a dual Hotelling model to capture the utility and network effects of customers and merchants on two-sided platforms. This study introduces the exposure effect and convenience effect of multihomed customers and merchants in the model and analyzes the impact of these effects in the market with multihoming on one side. Then, this study extends the model to the market with multihoming on both sides and makes the pricing decision for two-sided platform when considering the exposure effect and convenience effect through an equilibrium solution. Finally, this study also uses numerical analysis to simulate the decision and profit of the platform.
Findings
This paper finds that the convenience effect will only increase social welfare when customers are single-homed and merchants are multihomed. In addition, when both users are multihomed, the platform will subsidize to attract merchants and customers if the convenience effect and exposure effect are relatively high. This study also finds that network effects come not only from the same platform but also from another platform in the case with multihoming on both sides. And network effects in the heterogeneous platform will be reduced by the convenience effect and exposure effect.
Originality/value
According to the behavioral characteristics of merchants and customers in omnichannel, this paper first adopts the dual Hotelling model to study the pricing of two-sided platforms with multihoming on both sides. This paper shows that network effects originate not only from the same platform but also from another platform and that the exposure effect and the convenience effect can exist as cross-platform network effects, which provides a new explanation for network effects in markets with multihoming on both sides. This research extends the theory of network effects and plays an important role in the development of two-sided platforms in omnichannel.
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Yankun Qi, Xiaoyu Li, Jinghui Liu, Hanqiu Li and Chen Yang
To systematically characterize and objectively evaluate basic railway safety management capability, creating a closed-loop management approach which allows continuous improvement…
Abstract
Purpose
To systematically characterize and objectively evaluate basic railway safety management capability, creating a closed-loop management approach which allows continuous improvement and optimization.
Design/methodology/approach
A basic railway safety management capability evaluation index system based on a comprehensive analysis of national safety management standards, railway safety rules and regulations and existing safety data from railway transport enterprises is presented. The system comprises a guideline layer including safety committee formation, work safety responsibility, safety management organization and safety rules and regulations as its components, along with an index layer consisting of 12 quantifiable indexes. Game theory combination weighting is utilized to integrate subjective and objective weight values derived using AHP and CRITIC methods and further combined using the TOPSIS method in order to construct a comprehensive basic railway safety management capability evaluation model.
Findings
The case study presented demonstrates that this evaluation index system and comprehensive evaluation model are capable of effectively characterizing and evaluating basic railway safety management capability and providing directional guidance for its sustained improvement.
Originality/value
Construction of an evaluation index system that is quantifiable, generalizable and accessible, accurately reflects the main aspects of railway transportation enterprises’ basic safety management capability and provides interoperability across various railway transportation enterprises. The application of the game theoretic combination weighting method to derive composite weights which combine experts’ subjective evaluations with the objectivity of data.
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Jess Browning and Seung-Hee Lee
The Incheon Region has numerous assets that fall within a Pentaport model.' These include the Incheon International Airport, the Port of Incheon, a coastal industrial park, free…
Abstract
The Incheon Region has numerous assets that fall within a Pentaport model.' These include the Incheon International Airport, the Port of Incheon, a coastal industrial park, free economic zones, a leisure port, and Songdo new town designed to be the future Silicon Valley of Korea. This paper looks at how Northeast Asia trade flows between China and Korea might be enhanced by application of the Pentaport model in making the Incheon region a North East Asian Hub. It looks also at their trade and logistics systems as well as their water borne commerce. It proposes an integrated transportation system for the Yellow Sea Region being beneficial to the economies of the Northeast Asia. It also stresses that innovative technologies for ships, terminals and cargo handling systems should be introduced to develop a competitive short sea shipping system in the region and cooperation among the regional countries will be essential to achieve the final goal. The potential of methods of container shipping is discussed as it might apply to short sea shipping in the Yellow Sea Region that could greatly facilitate Incheon's situation with respect to the broader region in application of the Pentaport model.
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In the 21st Century, a region 's growth and prosperity will depend upon its intermodal transportation infrastructure and its ability to efficiently move goods, materials, and…
Abstract
In the 21st Century, a region 's growth and prosperity will depend upon its intermodal transportation infrastructure and its ability to efficiently move goods, materials, and people within the system whether it be from origin to destination; from supplier to customer through the various levels of the supply-chain; or from point to point within the system. Planning for the future focuses on improving a region 's intermodal transportation system efficiencies and infrastructure, its connection to other economies, and on the development of logistics institutions and facilities.
With China 's rapidly developing economy and society, record numbers of new modern facilities such as airports, ports, highways, logistics parks and warehouses are being built. Along with this, companies have made extensive investments in information technologies and software to support the tremendous growth that has taken place in the logistics industry. The development and improvement of China's historic inland water transport system is essential to their continued future growth and prosperity. In Korea, past and present National Governments have emphasized the importance of developing a North East Asian Logistics and Business Hub in their region and have worked on strategies, which include water transport, as part of an important national agenda to that end.
This article looks at how trade flows in the Yangtze and Yellow Sea Regions and between China and South Korea might be enhanced by application of improved shipping methods in marine commerce that will promote economic growth in the region. The application of logistics practices and use of barges is explored for the movement of containers on inland and coastal waterways as well as in short sea shipping which could greatly facilitate the region 's situation with respect to future economic growth.
The different dimensions and contexts within which value is co-created has generated varied views of how value is understood or formed. This study aims to examine employee-guest…
Abstract
Purpose
The different dimensions and contexts within which value is co-created has generated varied views of how value is understood or formed. This study aims to examine employee-guest perceived value as important factors for the successful implementation of value co-creation (VCC).
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs an interpretive paradigm, using in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation in a qualitative design to increase understanding of employee-guest perceived value to aid the implementation of VCC at the dyadic level.
Findings
Findings highlight eight value perceptions including value for money, hotel location, physical evidence, mutual respect, appreciation, safety & security, quality & varieties of food and technological characteristics of service as important factors for the successful implementation of VCC at the dyadic level.
Research limitations/implications
Generalisability of the findings is a limitation not only due to the smaller sample size but also due to industry-specific context. The study follows rigorous procedures to minimise biases, yet research limitation is acknowledged from the researcher’s participation in the research process.
Practical implications
The notion that actor’s assess value differently from the same service suggests that diverse service elements might be experienced differently. This study provides insights for hotel managers to recognise not only individuals’ value preferences but also service types that reflect employee-guest collective service preferences for sustainability.
Originality/value
This study integrates and extends extant literature by examining employees’ and guests’ individual and collective views at distinct hotel contexts to gain useful insights into value and VCC. The study proposes a framework that hospitality firms can use to address service failure and competition-related issues.
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Zhang Yong, Lu Yingjin and Jiang Xianglan
The purpose of this paper is to study the pricing problem of product transfer price under the channel advantages; determine the structure models of optimal transfer price…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the pricing problem of product transfer price under the channel advantages; determine the structure models of optimal transfer price expectation; and compare the differences in pricing of different pricing dominant parties.
Design/methodology/approach
Uncertain factors are introduced into dynamic pricing mathematics models; production and storage models are combined; the method of functional analysis is used to solve transfer pricing question under different advantage conditions; and price matching models in supply chain integration are put forth.
Findings
There is a proportional relationship between the optimal transfer price expectation and price fluctuation. The party which has channel advantages will gain relatively more profit, but the maximum revenue can be obtained only in the supply chain integration.
Research limitations/implications
There is no appropriate empirical data to verify the models.
Practical implications
The paper provides pricing reference method to monopoly competitive enterprises on different stages. The matching pricing models based on E‐commerce can deal with the price deviation caused by goal difference and random factors automatically.
Originality/value
The paper considers production and inventory pricing, reflects the influence of the whole pricing factors under different channel advantages, and puts forth dynamic matching pricing models and algorithm under the E‐commerce circumstances.
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Kun Sang, Pei Ying Woon and Poh Ling Tan
Against the background of the popularity of social media and heritage tourism, this study aims to focus on world heritage sites, proposing a method to examine and compare the…
Abstract
Purpose
Against the background of the popularity of social media and heritage tourism, this study aims to focus on world heritage sites, proposing a method to examine and compare the digital spatial footprints left by tourists using geographic information systems.
Methodology
By analyzing user-generated content from social media, this research explores how digital data shapes the destination image of WHS and the spatial relationships between the components of this destination image. Drawing on the cognitive-affective model (CAM), it investigates through an analysis of integrated data with more than 20,000 reviews and 2,000 photos.
Innovation
The creativity of this research lies in the creation of a comprehensive method that combines text and image analytics with machine learning and GIS to examine spatial relationships within the CAM framework in a visual manner.
Results
The results reveal tourists' perceptions, emotions, and attitudes towards George Town and Malacca in Malaysia, highlighting several key cognitive impressions, such as history, museums, churches, sea, and food, as well as the primary emotions expressed. Their distributions and relationships are also illustrated on maps.
Implications
Tourism practitioners, government officials, and residents can gain valuable insights from this study. The proposed methodology provides a valuable reference for future tourism studies and help to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage for other heritage destinations.
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Ashkan Hafezalkotob, Reza Mahmoudi, Elham Hajisami and Hui Ming Wee
Nowadays, uncertainty in market demand poses considerable risk to the retailers that supply the market. On the other hand, the risk-averse behaviors of retailers toward risk may…
Abstract
Purpose
Nowadays, uncertainty in market demand poses considerable risk to the retailers that supply the market. On the other hand, the risk-averse behaviors of retailers toward risk may have evolved over time. Considering a supply chain including a manufacturer and a population of retailers, the authors intend to investigate how the population of retailers tends to evolve toward risk-averse behavior. Moreover, this study aims to evaluate the effects of wholesale-retail price of manufacturer on evolutionary stable strategy (ESS) of the retailers.
Design/methodology/approach
Due to market uncertainty, a supply chain with a population of risk-averse and risk-neutral retailers was investigated. The wholesale pricing strategy is determined by a manufacturer acting as a leader, while retailers who make order quantity decisions act as followers. An integrated Cournot duopoly equilibrium and evolutionary game theory (EGT) approach has been used to model this situation.
Findings
A numerical real-world case study using Iran Khodro Company is analyzed by applying the proposed EGT approach. The study provides managerial insights to the manufacturer as well as retailers in developing their strategies. Results showed that risk behavior of retailers significantly affects optimal wholesale/retail price, profits and ESS. In the long term, the retailers tend to have a risk-neutral behavior to gain more profit. In the short term, if a retailer choses risk-averse strategy, in the long term, it will change its strategy to obtain more profit and remain in the competitive market.
Originality/value
The contributions in this research are fourfold. First, ESS concept to investigate the risk-averse or risk-neutral attitudes of the retailers was used. Second, the uncertain risk behavior of the competing retailers was considered. Third, the effect of varying wholesale pricing was investigated. Fourth, the equilibrium wholesale and retail prices have been obtained by considering uncertainty demand and risk.