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     

Price and capacity decisions of service systems with boundedly rational customers

We consider price and capacity decisions for a profit‐maximizing service provider in a single server queueing system, in which customers are boundedly rational and decide whether to join the service according to a multinomial logit model. We find two potential price‐capacity pair solutions for the first‐order condition of the profit‐maximizing problem. Profit is maximized at the solution with a larger capacity, but minimized at the smaller one. We then consider a dynamically adjusting capacity system to mimic a real‐life situation and find that the maximum can be reached only when the initial service rate is larger than a certain threshold; otherwise, the system capacity and demand shrink to zero. We also find that a higher level of customers’ bounded rationality does not necessarily benefit a firm, nor does it necessarily allow service to be sustained. We extend our analysis to a setting in which customers’ bounded rationality level is related to historical demand and find that such a setting makes service easier to sustain. Finally we find that bounded rationality always harms social welfare.     

Global strategic studies: a manifesto

This contribution reflects on the state of strategic studies today and the criticism it has received in recent years, as being outdated and irrelevant. The authors formulate some premises for reinvigorating this field of inquiry by widening its scope and research agenda to do more justice to the wide variety of actors, perspectives and practices observable in the enterprise of strategy in our contemporary globalised world.     

Enhancing Political Cohesion in NATO during the 1950s or: How it Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the (Tactical) Bomb

This article argues that the perceived need by NATO to nurture political cohesion within the Alliance during the 1950s resulted in the adoption of strategic concepts that were out-of-step with the military environment in which it was operating. It maintains that the Alliance acquiesced to American leadership on nuclear issues which led to the development of tactical nuclear capabilities at the expense of conventional war-fighting capabilities for the defence of the European Central Front. This resulted in a strategic concept that enhanced political cohesion but was militarily unviable.     

考虑逃逸复飞队列饱和度的舰载机回收策略

从舰载机回收问题的应用实际出发,考虑待回收舰载机战损、飞行员受伤等有别于民机的独特性因素,基于舰载机典型回收模式提出一种考虑逃逸复飞队列饱和度的回收策略。在减轻着舰指挥官和通信系统工作负担、降低舰载机飞行员操作强度、提升舰载机飞行安全性的基础上,考虑到舰载机回收是一个概率事件,通过概率分析动态设计专用回收点,解决了逃逸复飞队列与正常待机队列中舰载机抢夺回收点资源的问题,为舰载机回收提供了一个新的解决方案。     

舰载反潜直升机吊放声纳区域反潜策略建模

为提高舰载反潜直升机吊放声纳区域反潜搜索作战效能,对舰载反潜直升机吊放声纳区域反潜搜索策略问题进行了建模。根据潜艇目标位置信息的不确定性,研究了潜艇目标位置信息的概率分布函数,采用Markov状态转移概率矩阵描述了潜艇目标位置信息变化的方法。其次,给出了基于贝叶斯理论的潜艇目标信息概率分布函数更新公式。再次,推导了舰载反潜直升机吊放声纳区域反潜最优策略,给出了舰载直升机吊放声纳区域反潜搜索算法。最后给出了典型案例,验证了反潜搜索策略的有效性。研究成果可为舰载反潜直升机吊放声纳区域反潜提供决策依据。     

热力设备可靠性分析的问题与对策

以热力设备为研究对象 ,从可靠性分析特点出发 ,对应用故障统计方法所遇到的典型问题作了探讨 ,就分析方法、建模技术等方面论述了作者的观点     

面向柔性加工环境的过程状态振动监测

本文运用提出的通用状态监测模型及策略,以振动信号监测为例,提取设备运行状态的振动信号方差和振动信号建立AR模型的参数估计的变化率参数作为两类通用特征参数,对柔性加工系统进行归一化监测,取得了良好的效果。建立的监测系统简洁、快速、可靠,满足柔性制造环境下设备运行状态监测的要求。     

关于二人零和对策混合鞍点的一个新的理论和算法

本文提出了向量优超的概念,给出了二人零和对策等价的定义,得到了二人零和对策等价的两个充要条件及三个充分条件并应用本文的理论,给出了二人零和对策混合鞍点的一个新算法。     

邓小平东西部均衡发展思想与西部大开发战略

邓小平针对我国经济发展不平衡的国情 ,提出了东西部均衡发展构想。这一构想随着改革开放和社会主义现代化建设的进行不断完善。我国目前正在实施的西部大开发战略是对邓小平东西部均衡发展思想的继承与发展 ,邓小平东西部均衡发展思想具有重大的理论和现实意义。