Flexible capacity strategy in an asymmetric oligopoly market with competition and demand uncertainty

This article studies flexible capacity strategy (FCS) under oligopoly competition with uncertain demand. Each firm utilizes either the FCS or inflexible capacity strategy (IFCS). Flexible firms can postpone their productions until observing the actual demand, whereas inflexible firms cannot. We formulate a new asymmetrical oligopoly model for the problem, and obtain capacity and production decisions of the firms at Nash equilibrium. It is interesting to verify that cross‐group competition determines the capacity allocation between the two groups of firms, while intergroup competition determines the market share within each group. Moreover, we show that the two strategies coexist among firms only when cost differentiation is medium. Counterintuitively, flexible firms benefit from increasing production cost when the inflexible competition intensity is sufficiently high. This is because of retreat of inflexible firms, flexibility effect, and the corresponding high price. We identify conditions under which FCS is superior than IFCS. We also demonstrate that flexible firms benefit from increasing demand uncertainty. However, when demand variance is not very large, flexible firms may be disadvantaged. We further investigate the effects of cross‐group and intergroup competition on individual performance of the firms. We show that as flexible competition intensity increases, inflexible firms are mainly affected by the cross‐group competition first and then by the intergroup competition, whereas flexible firms are mainly affected by the intergroup competition. Finally, we examine endogenous flexibility and identify its three drivers: cost parameters, cross‐group competition, and intergroup competition. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 64: 117–138, 2017     

Cost allocation of capacity investment games

Consider a manufacturer serving a set of retail stores each of which faces deterministic demands in a finite planning horizon. At the beginning of the planning horizon, the production capacity of the manufacturer is built, followed by production, outsourcing to third party manufacturers if necessary and distribution to the retail stores. Because the retail stores are usually managed by different managers who act as independent profit centers, it is desirable that the total cost is divided among the retail stores so that their incentives can be appropriately captured and thus efficient operations can be achieved. Under various conditions, we prove that there is a fair allocation of costs among the retail stores in the sense that no subset of retail stores subsidizes others, or equivalently, the resulting capacity investment game has a nonempty core, that is, the capacity investment game is a balanced game. In addition, our proof provides a mechanism to compute a fair cost allocation. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 60: 512–523, 2013     

一种基于节点资源利用率的无标度网络路由策略

本文研究了节点负载处理能力异质条件下的无标度网络交通动力学过程,提出了一种基于节点资源利用率的全局动态路由策略。该策略利用网络中节点资源利用率构建了一种全局代价函数,选择使该代价函数最小的路径来传输负载。实验结果表明该路由策略在略微增加平均路径长度的情况下成倍地提高了网络负载传输能力,与有效路由策略的比较进一步验证了该策略的有效性。     

Collaboration in contingent capacities with information asymmetry

We study the optimal contracting problem between two firms collaborating on capacity investment with information asymmetry. Without a contract, system efficiency is lost due to the profit‐margin differentials among the firms, demand uncertainty, and information asymmetry. With information asymmetry, we demonstrate that the optimal capacity level is characterized by a newsvendor formula with an upward‐adjusted capacity investment cost, and no first‐best solution can be achieved. Our analysis shows that system efficiency can always be improved by the optimal contract and the improvement in system efficience is due to two factors. While the optimal contract may bring the system's capacity level closer to the first‐best capacity level, it prevents the higher‐margin firm from overinvesting and aligns the capacity‐investment decisions of the two firms. Our analysis of a special case demonstrates that, under some circumstances, both firms can benefit from the principal having better information about the agent's costs. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 54:, 2007     

Strategic obfuscation of production capacities

Recent supply‐chain models that study competition among capacity‐constrained producers omit the possibility of producers strategically setting wholesale prices to create uncertainty with regards to (i.e., to obfuscate) their production capacities. To shed some light on this possibility, we study strategic obfuscation in a supply‐chain model comprised of two competing producers and a retailer, where one of the producers faces a privately‐known capacity constraint. We show that capacity obfuscation can strictly increase the obfuscating producer's profit, therefore, presenting a clear incentive for such practices. Moreover, we identify conditions under which both producers' profits increase. In effect, obfuscation enables producers to tacitly collude and charge higher wholesale prices by moderating competition between producers. The retailer, in contrast, suffers a loss in profit, raises retail prices, while overall channel profits decrease. We show that the extent of capacity obfuscation is limited by its cost and by a strategic retailer's incentive to facilitate a deterrence. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 61: 244–267, 2014     

刍议以消防维护保养专业力量促进控制室值班人员能力提升

分析了消防控制室值班人员岗位能力不足的主要原因,结合《火灾自动报警系统设计规范》和《社会消防技术服务管理规定》的相关规定,提出了充分发挥消防维护保养机构作为第三方社会力量的专业队作用,利用市场化方法和经济杠杆,通过加强操作能力培训、建立健全职责制度、强化责任落实和严格监督执法等措施,进一步加强对消防控制室值班人员的实际操作培训,有效提升消防控制室值班人员的岗位能力。     

基于LVQ网络的高校科研能力评估

作为高校核心能力的科研能力,其高低已成为衡量一所高校综合实力的重要指标。如何准确高效的评价高校科研能力成为政府、企业和高校面临的一个十分重要的问题。影响高校科研能力的因素众多,本文选取11个典型指标,建立了基于LVQ的高校科研能力评估模型及算法。首先,介绍了LVQ网络;其次,建立了一种新的基于LVQ的高校科研能力评估模型及算法;最后,利用MATLAB R2009a编程实现了LVQ高校科研能力评估模型及算法。选取25所高校的科研能力数据用于仿真实验,其中20所高校数据作为训练集,其它5所作为测试集,该算法分类正确率为80%,达到了预期目标。仿真结果表明,该模型提高了高校科研能力评价的准确率,评价结果更加客观、公正,对高校科研能力评价具有一定的参考意义。     

多彩光谱教育理论与音乐、绘画融通的教学实践

音乐与绘画的融通问题长期以来一直缺乏充分、深入的研究,在教育领域也是如此。本文援引多个教学案例,借鉴多彩光谱教育理论,从教学目标、教学设计、教学步骤、实施方法诸方面来阐释和解决音乐与绘画的融通在教学实践中出现的问题。     

建筑消防供水系统稳压增压方式探析

建筑消防供水系统中,当消防水箱不能满足静压要求时,应设增压设施。给出了稳压增压装置气压罐调节容积及气压罐容积的计算方法,分析了水枪和喷头实际出水量大于规范中的额定值、工况点的选择和增压水泵的出水量等规范中存在的问题。     

战损装备维修保障仿真及能力评估

阐述了利用仿真方法进行维修能力评估的重要性和必要性,分析了战场装备维修保障活动的主要内容,建立了基于计算机的装备维修保障过程仿真模型,提出了评估装备维修保障能力的几个指标,同时还给出了某次战斗装备损坏与维修保障能力评估的示例。