...Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect Transportation Research Procedia 5 (2015) 186 – 200 SIDT Scientific Seminar 2013 Measuring transport systems efficiency under uncertainty by fuzzy sets theory based Data Envelopment Analysis: theoretical and practical comparison with traditional DEA model Sara Braya, Leonardo Caggiania and Michele Ottomanellia* a DICATECh – Politecnico di Bari, via E. Orabona 4, Bari 70125, Italy Abstract In transportation management the measure of systems efficiency is a key issue in order to verify the performances and propose the best countermeasure to achieve the prefixed goals. Many efforts have been made in this field to provide satisfactory answer to this problem. One of the most used methodologies is the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) that has been in many fields. The DEA technique is a useful is non-parametric method that allow to handle many output and input at the same time. In many real world applications, input and output data cannot be precisely measured. Imprecision (or approximation) and vagueness may be originated from indirect measurements, model estimation, subjective interpretation, and expert judgment or available information from different sources. Therefore, methodologies that allow the analyst to explicitly deal with imprecise or approximate data are of great interest, especially in freight transport where available data as well as stakeholders’ behavior often suffer from vagueness or...
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...Wiltz October 15th, 2012 Drug Trafficking Methamphetamine in the United States I decided to do my research paper on drug trafficking methamphetamine in the United States. I chose this topic for two reasons, one because I have had a history of drug trafficking methamphetamines myself and another reason is because I am currently working on my BA in applied behavioral science to further my career in substance abuse counseling. A little bit about methamphetamines being transported from Mexico to the United States is DEA (drug enforcement administration) is trying to put a stop to Americans transporting drugs from Mexico to the United States. And with the DEA doing this Americans think that it would be safer to make methamphetamines in their own homes instead of taking the chance transporting the drugs from one state to another. So I plan on doing my research paper along the lines of the DEA cracking down on Americans transporting methamphetamines and Americans making or “cooking” methamphetamines in their homes, otherwise known as “meth labs”. My hypothesis is that Mexico is the major supplier to the United States for methamphetamines and many Americans are going to Mexico to get methamphetamines and transporting the drugs back to their city to distribute the drug to make money. After doing some research on the topic I found that “DEA has concluded that Mexico has become this country’s primary source of a category of drugs now flooding it”. (Interiano, 2008)...
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...A Stochastic Approach to Indian Banking Sector : Technical Analysis of Private Sector Banks Dr. Rahul Rajan Abhilasha Srivastava Abstract The objective of this paper is to present a method for estimating the cost efficiency of Indian banks in order to study the degree of technical and cost performance of the Indian banking sector and to analyze how the banking sector has been affected by technical efficiency and cost efficiency. Initially, the evolution in the technical front in the banks between 2005 to 2012 is measured. For this analysis purpose a sample of 101 Indian banks including 28 public ,29 private and 44 foreign banks operating in India is taken for the period 2005-2012. For analysis purpose both the parametric method of productive efficiency frontier (Stochastic Frontier Analysis ) and nonparametric method (Data Envelopment Analysis) are taken. Introduction The financial system is the lifeline of the economy. The changes in the economy get mirrored in the performance of the financial system, more so of the banking industry. The banking system in India is significantly different from that of other Asian nations because of the country’s unique geographic, social, and economic characteristics. India has a large population and land size, a diverse culture, and extreme disparities in income, which are marked among its regions. There are high levels of illiteracy among a large percentage of its population but, at the same time, the country has a large reservoir...
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...Performance Evaluation of Commercial Bank Branches Using Data Envelopment Analysis Considerable research has been devoted to using multiple criteria to measure the performance of business units such as bank branches. However, bank managers continue to use traditional methods to evaluate their branch offices. In general, subjective weights for various criteria are used to arrive at a weighted average score to measure the performance of a bank branch. Potential deficiencies in an existing set of weights include bias and inconsistency with organizational objectives. This paper employs Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to evaluate the operational performance of a bank branch relative to the performance of its peer branches. Utilizing data from 31 branches of a major bank located in Southern California, the use of DEA yields the following: 1) rankings of bank branches using efficiency scores, 2) identification of areas of deficiency and 3) establishment of the reference group against which a branch is evaluated. Twenty-two of the 31 branches were found to be in need of improvements in various areas. In addition to identifying best-practice branches and those that are out-of-line with the best practice branches, DEA also points to the specific changes that must be made in the less productive branches in order for them to catch up with their best-practice peer group. The findings of this study should help management in identifying the strengths and weaknesses of their bank branches. ...
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...| Marijuana Legalization: Why Marijuana Should be Legalized in All Fifty States English 102 Final Paper Table of Contents I. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………… 1 II. Is Marijuana a “Gateway Drug?” ……………………………………………………... 2 III. Arguments against Legalization ………………………………………………………. 3 VI. Recent Legalization Efforts …………………………………………………………… 4 V. Medicinal Uses of Marijuana …………………………………………………………. 5 VI. Economic Arguments Against Criminalization ………………………………………. 7 VII. Marijuana Cultivation and DTO ……………………………………………………... 8 VIII. From Decriminalization to Legalization …………………………………………… 8 IX. Conclusion …………………………………………………………………………… 10 Marijuana Legalization: Why Marijuana Should be Legalized in All Fifty States I. Introduction The issue of marijuana legalization in the United States is a charged one that brings forth supporters and opponents arguments alike. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Uniform Crime Reports, one marijuana-related arrest occurs every forty-two seconds in the United States. The government conducted over 1.53 million drug-related arrests in 2011, 90% for possession alone, and nearly 50% due to marijuana (FBI Uniform Crime Report). State governments are currently responding to shifts in public opinion, especially given the recent legalizations that passed in Colorado and Washington. According to Gallup Polls, more Americans supported the legalization of marijuana than not in 2011 (50% vs. 46%)...
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...Faculty of Management Technology Working Paper Series Supply Chain Management in the Home Appliance Industry Evaluating Alternative Strategies by Ehab A. Yaseen Sameh N. Mohamed Working Paper No. 32 September 2012 Supply Chain Management in the Home Appliance Industry: Evaluating Alternative Strategies by Ehab A. Yaseen Sameh N. Mohamed September 2012 Abstract The increasing dynamics and complexity of today’s supply chains resulted in the need to select from a wide variety of the developed supply chain approaches. In this paper, a business case study is conducted to answer the research question: “How can the agility best fit within the supply chain strategies?” This research contributes to the literature by developing the DESC (differentiated enlightened supply chain) framework that consolidates necessary analysis in order to discover the scope and priorities of the supply chain from multiple perspectives. It is a guideline for the enlightened differentiated supply chain management. Through this, every different supply chain is managed differently to serve for different order winning criteria that are considered from multiple perspectives. It was concluded that in such significant and rapid changes in the requirements of different products and markets, differentiation is the clue to satisfy customer requirements and firms’ competitive position. Different priorities are to be managed differently. Also, the research concluded that postponement strategies are...
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...indirect channels in Taiwan insurance marketing Chiang Ku Fan and Shu Wen Cheng Graduate Institute of Finance and Insurance, Shih Chien University, Taipei, Taiwan, Republic of China Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to compare the efficiency of bancassurance, an indirect marketing channel formed through the creation of subsidiaries, with an insurer’s own team, a direct marketing channel, in the Taiwan insurance sector. Design/methodology/approach – This paper uses the Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes (CCR) model to measure the decision-making units’ (DMU) operating efficiency. Findings – The three major findings are: the efficiency score of a direct marketing channel is significantly higher than that of a comparable indirect marketing channel. The efficiency relationship between the indirect marketing channel and the direct marketing channel is independent. A marketing efficiency evaluation, when divided into different marketing channels for evaluation, provides meaningful results for marketing decision-makers. Originality/value – By comparing the efficiency between two different insurance marketing channels, managers in life insurance companies can make a more informed choice. Keywords Direct marketing, Marketing, Insurance, Taiwan Paper type Research paper Comparison of direct and indirect channels 343 Introduction Bancassurance, a method of distributing insurance products, has become a global trend that is gradually breaking down traditional barriers in how businesses...
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...July 22, 2014 Abstract The purpose of this research paper is to inform the reader about the fraud and abuse of controlled substances being committed by physicians and pharmacies. Academic sources are the main reference point in this paper and they are used to give insight of the various ways that this crime can be committed. In addition, participant-observation research is included from the DEA diversion group who regulates controlled substance fraud. Lastly, this paper explains how this crime affects America and what is being done by the government to manage this problem. White Collar Crime: Abuse of Controlled Substances The abuse of controlled substances is so underrated in our community that a lot of people do not realize how they are being affected by it. I chose to write this topic because I am doing an internship with the Drug Enforcement Administration and I got a first hand look at the magnitude of this problem. This issue is important because we as citizens are all being affected by this issue and most people don’t realize it because it is not in the media as much as street drugs. After reading this paper, the reader will have more insight on what controlled substances are, the type of fraud that is being committed involving controlled substances, and the consequences of committing these fraudulent acts. Literature Review What is A Controlled Substance? Controlled substances are any drug...
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...Office of National Drug Control Policy, “marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug in the United States. In 2011, 18.1 million Americans aged 12 and older (7.0 percent) reported using the drug.” (Office of the National Drug Control Policy). Compare this statistic, “to the 10.4 million young people between the ages of 12 and 20 who drank more than just a few sips of alcohol.” (National Institute on Alochol Abuse and Alcohlism). While the question of this paper is not the underage usage of alcohol or marijuana, in all the research that topic keeps being brought up. This focus of this paper is on the adult use (over the age of consent) of marijuana used to treatment medical necessity, not recreational use. Marijuana is considered a Schedule I drug as defined by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). According to the DEA website; drugs, substances, and chemicals are classified into five categories, or schedules. A drug classified as a schedule I drug has no accepted medical use and has a high potential for abuse. (DEA/Drug Scheduling). Along with marijuana, heroin, LSD, ecstasy and peyote are also listed as schedule I drugs. It is also interesting to note, that Ritalin given to children under 18 to treat ADD, & ADHD is classified as a schedule II drug as is...
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...Journal of Information Systems Vol. 16, No. 2 Fall 2002 pp. 209–222 Impact of Information Technology on Public Accounting Firm Productivity Rajiv D. Banker Hsihui Chang The University of Texas at Dallas Yi-ching Kao University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee ABSTRACT: In recent years, information technology (IT) has played a critical role in the services provided by the public accounting industry. However, no empirical research has evaluated the impact of IT on public accounting firms. This study focuses on five offices of an international public accounting firm that recently made large IT investments, primarily in audit software and knowledge-sharing applications. Both qualitative and quantitative information from the research site are analyzed to estimate the change in productivity following the implementation of IT. The results from both regression analysis and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) indicate significant productivity gains following IT implementation, documenting the value impact of IT in a public accounting firm. Keywords: public accounting; information technology (IT); IT productivity; IT adoption; data envelopment analysis. Data Availability: The confidentiality agreement with the firm that provided the data for this study precludes revealing its identity and disseminating detailed data without its written consent. I. INTRODUCTION dvances in information technology (IT) have transformed many firms in professional services industries, but perhaps none as much as those in...
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...This article was downloaded by: [University of Glasgow] On: 06 August 2013, At: 08:28 Publisher: Routledge Informa Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registered office: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK Journal of Transnational Management Publication details, including instructions for authors and subscription information: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wtnm20 Diversification, Strategy, and Stability of Lebanese Banks: A Non-Parametric DEA Approach Rock-Antoine Mehanna & Youssef Yazbeck a b a b Sagesse University, Furn el Shebak, Lebanon Saint Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon Published online: 14 Jun 2012. To cite this article: Rock-Antoine Mehanna & Youssef Yazbeck (2012) Diversification, Strategy, and Stability of Lebanese Banks: A Non-Parametric DEA Approach, Journal of Transnational Management, 17:2, 155-166, DOI: 10.1080/15475778.2012.676939 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15475778.2012.676939 PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the “Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed...
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...www.ccsenet.org/ijbm International Journal of Business and Management Vol. 6, No. 7; July 2011 Financial Reform, Ownership and Performance in Banking Industry: The Case of Bangladesh S. M. Sohrab Uddin PhD Student, Graduate School of Asia Pacific Studies Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan & Assistant Professor, Department of Finance and Banking, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh E-mail: smsohrabcu@yahoo.com Yasushi Suzuki Professor, Graduate School of Management Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japan E-mail: szkya@apu.ac.jp Received: December 17, 2010 Accepted: January 20, 2011 doi:10.5539/ijbm.v6n7p28 Abstract Bangladesh entered into the era of financial reform during the early 1980s. Most of the reforms initiated by the government have concentrated predominantly on the banking sector. Consequently, many changes relating to ownership, market concentration, regulatory measures and policies have taken place primarily to enhancing bank performance. In this regard, this study is undertaken to investigate the performance of commercial banks after the implementation of significant financial reform. Data Envelopment Analysis based frontier measures income and cost efficiency and traditional non-frontier measures non-performing loans and return on assets have been used for assessing bank performance. The findings indicate that income and cost efficiency of sample banks have increased by 37.84 percent and 15.28 percent respectively in 2008 compared to 2001...
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...DEA Tutorial Abstract Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a linear programming based technique for measuring the relative performance of organisational units where the presence of multiple inputs and outputs makes comparisons difficult. This tutorial paper introduces the technique and uses an example to show how relative efficiencies can be determined and targets for inefficient units set. The paper also considers a number of practical issues of concern in applying the technique. Introduction There is an increasing concern with measuring and comparing the efficiency of organisational units such as local authority departments, schools, hospitals, shops, bank branches and similar instances where there is a relatively homogeneous set of units. The usual measure of efficiency, i.e.: [pic] is often inadequate due to the existence of multiple inputs and outputs related to different resources, activities and environmental factors. This problem can be illustrated for depots of a large retailing organisation which distributes goods to supermarkets. In this case the inputs for an efficiency measure are taken to be the value of the stock and the recurrent costs mainly in the form of wages, as those are resources supporting the operation of the depots. Stock is reasonably an input to an efficiency measure as an efficient depot will attempt to give a good service at lower stock levels, saving on capital and space. The outputs correspond to activities of the depots and are measured by...
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...Journal of Information Systems Vol. 16, No. 2 Fall 2002 pp. 209–222 Impact of Information Technology on Public Accounting Firm Productivity Rajiv D. Banker Hsihui Chang The University of Texas at Dallas Yi-ching Kao University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee ABSTRACT: In recent years, information technology (IT) has played a critical role in the services provided by the public accounting industry. However, no empirical research has evaluated the impact of IT on public accounting firms. This study focuses on five offices of an international public accounting firm that recently made large IT investments, primarily in audit software and knowledge-sharing applications. Both qualitative and quantitative information from the research site are analyzed to estimate the change in productivity following the implementation of IT. The results from both regression analysis and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) indicate significant productivity gains following IT implementation, documenting the value impact of IT in a public accounting firm. Keywords: public accounting; information technology (IT); IT productivity; IT adoption; data envelopment analysis. Data Availability: The confidentiality agreement with the firm that provided the data for this study precludes revealing its identity and disseminating detailed data without its written consent. I. INTRODUCTION dvances in information technology (IT) have transformed many firms in professional services industries, but perhaps...
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...T ackling Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in the M edicare and Medicaid Programs: R esponse to the May 2 Open Letter to the Healthcare Community Dan Olson, CFE June 2012 Tackling Fraud, Waste, and Abuse in the Medicare and Medicaid Programs White Paper C ontents I. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 1 II. Recommendations................................................................................................... 3 Recommendation 1 – Expand the Medicare Fraud Strike Force Model....................................... 3 Potential Savings .......................................................................................................................... 4 Recommendation 2 – Expand Integrated Data Repository .......................................................... 4 Potential Savings .......................................................................................................................... 5 Recommendation 3 – Expand “Do Not Pay List” .......................................................................... 5 Potential Savings .......................................................................................................................... 6 Recommendation 4 – Publicize Drug Expiration Dates ................................................................ 6 Potential Savings ....................................................................
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