scholarly journals A Real Case Application of Game Theoretical Concepts in a Complex Decision-Making Process: Case Study ERTMS

Author(s):  
Femke Bekius ◽  
Sebastiaan Meijer ◽  
Hugo Thomassen

AbstractEngineering systems are complex, amongst others due to the interdependencies between actor and technical aspects. This complexity has consequences for the way of designing such systems and, in particular, for the decision-making process. Recognizing the impossibility of having an optimal system design in such complex systems, this article explores how a game theoretical characterization of a decision-making process assists in the organization and design of the process itself. In contrast to a game theoretical analysis, which results in optimal outcomes, the characterization is fed back to the designers of the decision-making process during the course of the process. The study analyses how the game concept characterization was used, i.e., which strategies were defined during the game theory interventions, and what the consequences of these strategies were for the design of the decision-making process. The design of a new safety system ERTMS for the Dutch railway sector is the context in which the study was performed. The contribution is a successful approach to complex decision-making in multi-actor systems by identification of multiple game concepts over time, with periodic feedback into the designing system, and not the actual decision-making itself. In short, it supported adapting to an actor focus on the process, it affected the role and responsibilities of the program management, it contributed to (de)coupling of issues, and it influenced the capability of creating awareness amongst actors of the urgency of the decision window. The paper ends with reflections on the experience of intervening in a decision-making process with game theoretical concepts.

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 213-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soumava Boral ◽  
Sanjay Kumar Chaturvedi ◽  
V.N.A. Naikan

Purpose Usually, the machinery in process plants is exposed to harsh and uncontrolled environmental conditions. Even after taking different types of preventive measures to detect and isolate the faults at the earliest possible opportunity becomes a complex decision-making process that often requires experts’ opinions and judicious decisions. The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework to detect, isolate and to suggest appropriate maintenance tasks for large-scale complex machinery (i.e. gearboxes of steel processing plant) in a simplified and structured manner by utilizing the prior fault histories available with the organization in conjunction with case-based reasoning (CBR) approach. It is also demonstrated that the proposed framework can easily be implemented by using today’s graphical user interface enabled tools such as Microsoft Visual Basic and similar. Design/methodology/approach CBR, an amalgamated domain of artificial intelligence and human cognitive process, has been applied to carry out the task of fault detection and isolation (FDI). Findings The equipment failure history and actions taken along with the pertinent health indicators are sufficient to detect and isolate the existing fault(s) and to suggest proper maintenance actions to minimize associated losses. The complex decision-making process of maintaining such equipment can exploit the principle of CBR and overcome the limitations of the techniques such as artificial neural networks and expert systems. The proposed CBR-based framework is able to provide inference with minimum or even with some missing information to take appropriate actions. This proposed framework would alleviate from the frequent requirement of expert’s interventions and in-depth knowledge of various analysis techniques expected to be known to process engineers. Originality/value The CBR approach has demonstrated its usefulness in many areas of practical applications. The authors perceive its application potentiality to FDI with suggested maintenance actions to alleviate an end-user from the frequent requirement of an expert for diagnosis or inference. The proposed framework can serve as a useful tool/aid to the process engineers to detect and isolate the fault of large-scale complex machinery with suggested actions in a simplified way.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 35
Author(s):  
Zdenek Dytrt ◽  
Radomir Serek

The management theory did not develop equally with the changes in technologies. The consequence of this shortcoming is a prevalence of quantitative management which puts an emphasis on the quantitative values. This represents a risk for the sustainable growth. Therefore, the managerial ethics, which biases qualitative values and attitudes, is important for the managers' decision-making. The effective decision-making process is further based not only on the manager's experience, which may lead to a certain routine, but also on the cooperation among the other departments and educational institutions. Furthermore, the successful innovations, which are often an outcome of the systemic and complex decision-making, require to follow certain rules during their implementation. A person may become an initiator, leader, subject or a consumer of the innovation and should be adequately prepared for all these roles. Despite the abrupt development in the technical areas there is not such progress in the humanities. Education is still more focused on the content and form (thus quantity) rather than on the applications and relations (quality).


The Last Card ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 277-295
Author(s):  
Richard K. Betts

This chapter places the surge decision in the context of the broader history of the Iraq War and offers a modestly positive appraisal. Indeed, the surge is only important in how it affected the overall project of the American war in Iraq. The significant question is whether the history of the surge offers lessons beyond itself, or at least whether the surge was decisive for achieving US objectives. The chapter then examines various dilemmas and challenges that the war occasioned—of relating strategy to both operations and politics; of promoting democratization in Iraq while also seeking some control over Iraqi decision making; and of seeking to exert presidential command over a complex decision-making process. It argues that the surge decision reflected a “delicate and skillful exercise in leadership” given civil-military tensions, but questions how well the surge answered the broader strategic questions surrounding American involvement.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (02) ◽  
pp. 069-074 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyle Sanniec ◽  
Jourdan Carboy ◽  
James Thornton

AbstractThe authors provide an overview of lip reconstruction after Mohs surgery based on the senior author's practice. Lip reconstruction offers unique challenges to preserve not only lip function but also aesthetics. Lip reconstruction must take into consideration the three anatomical layers that comprise the lip and defects that involve the mucosa, the muscle, the skin or more than one layer will help determine the modality of repair. The authors offer an algorithm based on defect location, tissue involvement, and severity of defect to simplify an often complex decision-making process.


2008 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik-Hans Klijn ◽  
Jurian Edelenbos ◽  
Michiel Kort ◽  
Mark van Twist

This article looks at how managers in large infrastructure projects in The Netherlands deal with difficult choices, which are labelled dilemmas in this article, in their managerial activities. It presents the results of a survey of 32 managers in 18 complex decision-making projects in which public—private partnerships (PPPs) play an important role. The managers were presented with a number of choices and asked to rate the amount of attention they paid to each of the choices. The article focuses on four (groups of) dilemmas managers face in the inter-organizational context of these processes: (1) interaction with parties, (2) strategic orientation, (3) management style and (4) process dynamics.After a brief elaboration of the role of (network) managers in complex PPP projects and the nature of the dilemmas they face, the four groups of dilemmas are explored by looking at how managers scored on the dilemmas within each group. Conclusions are drawn about managers' perceptions of these dilemmas and the differences between projects. The different choices of dilemmas are then compared with the differences between the scores of the outputs of the projects as perceived by the managers. Finally, general conclusions are drawn about the dilemmas chosen by managers and the consequences of these choices. Points for practioners Pay attention to commitment, goal searching, communication and vertical relations if you want good outcomes in complex environmental projects. Do managers of complex spatial and environmental projects in general choose to open up the decision-making process for stakeholders to enhance support and use the knowledge of stakeholders or do they choose a more closed decision-making process that reduces the number of actors and might speed up the decision-making process? In general, one can see many of these managerial choices between a more project oriented style, that focuses on control, specifying goals, keeping the budget, etc., and a more process oriented style that focuses on activating actors, creating support, or exploring possible content. If we look at the 32 managerial strategies that were researched, there are a few strategies that are positively and strongly correlated to positive perceived outcomes of projects: commitment, goals searching, vertical relationships and communication.


2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Tupenaite ◽  
Edmundas Kazimieras Zavadskas ◽  
Arturas Kaklauskas ◽  
Zenonas Turskis ◽  
Mark Seniut

The built environment is not constructed in empty space. It refers to human ‐ made spaces they live and work in and which are affected by various micro, meso and macro level factors. For this purpose, renovation decisions must be considered avoiding a narrow approach to the single projects of building renovation. Renovation of the built and human environment must be considered instead and the holistic approach used. From this perspective, decision‐making problems of renovation often involve a complex decision making process in which multiple requirements and conditions have to be taken into consideration simultaneously. This paper describes the concept of the integrated analysis of built and human environment renovation as a whole as well as presents the multiple criteria assessment of alternatives of the Bulgarian cultural heritage renovation projects. The widely known multiple criteria assessment methods SAW, TOPSIS and COPRAS and the newly developed method ARAS were used for this purpose. As a result the best project for granting was selected. Santrauka Gyvenamoji aplinka sukurta žmoniu ir skirta ju poreikiams tenkinti, ja veikia daugybe makro‐, mezo‐ ir mikroaplinkos veiksniu. Kadangi gyvenamoji aplinka yra kompleksiška, jos atnaujinimo sprendimai turi būti priimami vengiant pernelyg siauro požiūrio, nagrinejant tik pavieniu pastatu atnaujinimo projektus. Atnaujinimo sprendimai turetu būti priimami ir projektai igyvendinami taikant holistini požiūri. Šiuo požiūriu atnaujinimo sprendimai yra sudetingi, juos priimant būtina atsižvelgti i daugeli salygu ir reikalavimu. Šiame straipsnyje gyvenamosios aplinkos atnaujinimas nagrinejamas kaip visuma, pateikiamas autoriu sukurtas integruotas gyvenamosios aplinkos atnaujinimo analizes modelis, atliekama Bulgarijos kultūros paveldo atnaujinimo projektu daugiakriterine analize taikant gerai žinomus daugiakriterinio vertinimo metodus SAW, TOPSIS ir COPRAS bei naujai sukurta metoda ARAS. Atlikus tyrima išrenkamas geriausias atnaujinimo projektas, kuriam gali būti suteiktas finansavimas.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (02) ◽  
pp. 369-398
Author(s):  
Shernaz Bodhanwala

The Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Government of India, had ordered the mandatory merger of 63 Moons Technologies Limited (63 Moons) with its crisis struck subsidiary company, National Spot Exchange Limited (NSEL), the electronic commodity spot exchange of India. However, 63 Moons’ board and promoters did not agree with the forced merger order as they believed that they were not at major fault behind the NSEL payment crisis. The case provides an opportunity to participate in the real-world complex decision-making process which involves the forced merger of two entities that may affect the interest of various stakeholders. The case allows examination of the issues such as related party transactions, internal monitoring and control processes, organizational structure and the regulatory framework which led to the payment crisis.


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