Testing the Strategic Model of Terrorism

2018 ◽  
pp. 26-41
Author(s):  
Max Abrahms
Keyword(s):  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Group Leaders ◽  
Strategic Model ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Statistical Approaches

This chapter tests the Strategic Model of Terrorism. The Strategic Model posits that groups engage in terrorism because doing so increases the likelihood of achieving their political demands. Testing the efficacy of a tactic is challenging and there are trade-offs to every methodological approach. For this reason, the author presents several statistical approaches showing that groups lower the odds of government compliance when they engage in terrorism by attacking civilians. Terrorism negatively affects the odds of concessions even after taking into account the capability of the perpetrators, the nature of their demands, and the strength of government opposition. This information is invaluable for militant group leaders, forming the basis of Rule #1 to refrain from terrorism.

scholarly journals Agriculture and Supporting Ecosystem Services: A Trade-off Analysis Using Open Data in Brazil

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Ana Paula Dias Turetta ◽  
Bruno Pedrosa ◽  
Luca Eufemia ◽  
Michelle Bonatti ◽  
Stefan Sieber
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Service Provision ◽  
Agricultural Production ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Sustainable Land Use ◽  
Production Region ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Agricultural Areas

Open data are important for adding legitimacy and transparency to public sciences. These data have also a potential to be used as a first approach for scientific investigation, such as spatial evaluation of ecosystem services. This paper presents a methodological approach to evaluate the trade-offs between agriculture and supporting ecosystem services based on spatial analysis and open data. The study area is an important agricultural production region in Bahia State, Brazil. The framework was able to establish the spatial interactions between agriculture and ecosystem service provision, while the regional scale was useful in supporting guidelines regarding sustainable land use for agricultural areas.

Putting the Methodological Cart Before the Theoretical Horse? Examining the Application of SEM to Connect Theory and Method in Public Administration Research

2017 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 202-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randall S. Davis ◽  
Edmund C. Stazyk
Keyword(s):  
Public Administration ◽  
Public Service ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Statistical Techniques ◽  
The Past ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
Red Tape ◽  
Statistical Approaches

The application of psychometric statistical techniques, such as confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling, has grown significantly in public administration research over the past three decades. Given the growth in the application of these techniques, we take stock of the ability of these statistical approaches to advance public administration theory by examining their use in two areas of research: public service motivation and red tape. We further argue that theoretical and methodological diversity in public administration is desirable, so long as scholars recognize that the application of new and multiple methods in a single study do not inherently lead to better tests of theory. Instead, scholarship should focus on emphasizing that each theoretical and methodological approach adds significant, yet partial, contribution to public administration scholarship.

scholarly journals Various Statistical Approaches to Assess and Predict Carcass and Meat Quality Traits

Foods ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 525 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Pierre Ellies-Oury ◽  
Jean-François Hocquette ◽  
Sghaier Chriki ◽  
Alexandre Conanec ◽  
Linda Farmer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Meat Quality ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Pareto Front ◽  
Beef Industry ◽  
Variable Clustering ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Interesting Approach ◽  
Simultaneous Selection ◽  
Statistical Approaches ◽  
Selection Of

The beef industry is organized around different stakeholders, each with their own expectations, sometimes antagonistic. This article first outlines these differing perspectives. Then, various optimization models that might integrate all these expectations are described. The final goal is to define practices that could increase value for animal production, carcasses and meat whilst simultaneously meeting the main expectations of the beef industry. Different models previously developed worldwide are proposed here. Two new computational methodologies that allow the simultaneous selection of the best regression models and the most interesting covariates to predict carcass and/or meat quality are developed. Then, a method of variable clustering is explained that is accurate in evaluating the interrelationships between different parameters of interest. Finally, some principles for the management of quality trade-offs are presented and the Meat Standards Australia model is discussed. The “Pareto front” is an interesting approach to deal jointly with the different sets of expectations and to propose a method that could optimize all expectations together.

scholarly journals The Alhambra master plan (2007-2020) as a strategic model of preventive conservation of cultural heritage

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mª Mar Villafranca Jiménez ◽  
M. Lourdes Gutiérrez-Carrillo
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Master Plan ◽  
Preventive Conservation ◽  
Mass Tourism ◽  
Strategic Model ◽  
Reform Plan ◽  
And Control ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Special Protection

<p>The preventive conservation of cultural assets involves a strategy to analyse and control the factors which cause their deterioration. The main aim is to guarantee their stability and the sustainable maintenance. The Alhambra and Generalife Site has been exposed to numerous risk factors over time which have left their mark on its fabric. On some occasions these have had serious effects which now present significant challenges for the comprehensive conservation of assets at the Site. During the twentieth century the Alhambra became a preserve for which a set of conservation and maintenance plans were developed, the first of which was the Special Protection and Interior Reform Plan for the Alhambra and Alijares (1987). Subsequently, the current Alhambra Master Plan (2007-2020) was instigated.</p><p>This paper examines the plan´s innovative methodological approach and its proposals regarding preventive conservation in circumstances under which its location precipitates natural and anthropic risks, and which are specific to its history and physical condition, its fragile materials and increased pressures on it from mass tourism.</p>

Why are some Flemish municipal party group leaders more familiar with NPM principles than others? Assessing the influence of individual factors.

2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benedicte Buylen ◽  
Johan Christiaens
Keyword(s):  
Public Management ◽  
New Public Management ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Group Leaders ◽  
New Public ◽  
Management Concepts ◽  
Political Expertise ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Party Group

This study addresses the controversy in the literature regarding the effects of individual factors on party group leaders’ familiarity with a selection of New Public Management concepts. In doing so, it contributes to the scarce literature regarding this group of non-executive politicians. Furthermore, this study has an innovative methodological approach, introducing an NPM “familiarity coefficient” in order to make a quantitative assessment. Data was gathered from a survey of 363 party group leaders in Flemish municipalities and the results reveal moderate familiarity. Factors that had a positive effect on the NPM familiarity coefficient were being a majority leader, dual mandate holding and financial as well as political expertise.

scholarly journals Pareto Evolutionary Optimization of Joint Network Design and Pricing Strategies Related to Emissions in Urban Networks

2016 ◽  
pp. 504-534
Author(s):  
Loukas Dimitriou ◽  
Antonios Kaltsounis ◽  
Antony Stathopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Pareto Frontier ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Multiple Objectives ◽  
Equilibrium Constraints ◽  
Unified Framework ◽  
Urban Network ◽  
Urban Networks ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Comprehensive Framework

In the current social, physical, economical and environmental circumstances of scarcity, the design and management of vital lifelines like transportation systems, especially within the metropolitan context, are subject to the implementation of multiple objectives in a unified framework. Thus, one of the most important issues is the identification of optimal trade-offs among crucial objectives both from the designer's as well as from the users' perspective. In the current study a comprehensive framework for estimating optimal interrelations and dilemmas among emissions-related carbon footprint and other (social- and economic-related) features of urban road networks design and operation are presented and analyzed, based on techniques of multi-objective and hierarchical mathematical programming with equilibrium constraints, solved by suitable hybridization of evolutionary algorithms. The results of the proposed optimization methodological approach provide the Pareto Frontier of solutions, which corresponds to optimal trade-offs amongst multiple objectives. The computational experience from the application of the proposed methodological approach on a part of a realistic urban network is presented, providing evidence on the applicability as well as on the computational burden of such transportation design paradigms, but most importantly, on the dilemmas emerging in sustainable design and planning of transportation systems.

Pareto Evolutionary Optimization of Joint Network Design and Pricing Strategies Related to Emissions in Urban Networks

2014 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 56-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Loukas Dimitriou ◽  
Antonios Kaltsounis ◽  
Antony Stathopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Pareto Frontier ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Multiple Objectives ◽  
Equilibrium Constraints ◽  
Unified Framework ◽  
Urban Network ◽  
Urban Networks ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Comprehensive Framework

In the current social, physical, economical and environmental circumstances of scarcity, the design and management of vital lifelines like transportation systems, especially within the metropolitan context, are subject to the implementation of multiple objectives in a unified framework. Thus, one of the most important issues is the identification of optimal trade-offs among crucial objectives both from the designer's as well as from the users' perspective. In the current study a comprehensive framework for estimating optimal interrelations and dilemmas among emissions-related carbon footprint and other (social- and economic-related) features of urban road networks design and operation are presented and analyzed, based on techniques of multi-objective and hierarchical mathematical programming with equilibrium constraints, solved by suitable hybridization of evolutionary algorithms. The results of the proposed optimization methodological approach provide the Pareto Frontier of solutions, which corresponds to optimal trade-offs amongst multiple objectives. The computational experience from the application of the proposed methodological approach on a part of a realistic urban network is presented, providing evidence on the applicability as well as on the computational burden of such transportation design paradigms, but most importantly, on the dilemmas emerging in sustainable design and planning of transportation systems.

Pareto Evolutionary Optimization of Joint Network Design and Pricing Strategies Related to Emissions in Urban Networks

2015 ◽  
pp. 221-249
Author(s):  
Loukas Dimitriou ◽  
Antonios Kaltsounis ◽  
Antony Stathopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Pareto Frontier ◽  
Transportation Systems ◽  
Multiple Objectives ◽  
Equilibrium Constraints ◽  
Unified Framework ◽  
Urban Network ◽  
Urban Networks ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Comprehensive Framework

In the current social, physical, economical and environmental circumstances of scarcity, the design and management of vital lifelines like transportation systems, especially within the metropolitan context, are subject to the implementation of multiple objectives in a unified framework. Thus, one of the most important issues is the identification of optimal trade-offs among crucial objectives both from the designer's as well as from the users' perspective. In the current study a comprehensive framework for estimating optimal interrelations and dilemmas among emissions-related carbon footprint and other (social- and economic-related) features of urban road networks design and operation are presented and analyzed, based on techniques of multi-objective and hierarchical mathematical programming with equilibrium constraints, solved by suitable hybridization of evolutionary algorithms. The results of the proposed optimization methodological approach provide the Pareto Frontier of solutions, which corresponds to optimal trade-offs amongst multiple objectives. The computational experience from the application of the proposed methodological approach on a part of a realistic urban network is presented, providing evidence on the applicability as well as on the computational burden of such transportation design paradigms, but most importantly, on the dilemmas emerging in sustainable design and planning of transportation systems.

scholarly journals Making Trade-Offs Visible: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations about the Relationship between Dimensions and Institutions of Democracy and Empirical Findings

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans-Joachim Lauth ◽  
Oliver Schlenkrich
Keyword(s):  
Focal Point ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Measurement Tool ◽  
Conceptual Approach ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Reinforcing Effects ◽  
Methodological Considerations ◽  
In The Beginning ◽  
And Control

Whereas the measurement of the quality of democracy focused on the rough differentiation of democracies and autocracies in the beginning (e.g. Vanhanen, Polity, Freedom House), the focal point of newer instruments is the assessment of the quality of established democracies. In this context, tensions resp. trade-offs between dimensions of democracy are discussed as well (e.g. Democracy Barometer, Varieties of Democracy). However, these approaches lack a systematic discussion of trade-offs and they are not able to show trade-offs empirically. We address this research desideratum in a three-step process: Firstly, we propose a new conceptual approach, which distinguishes between two different modes of relationships between dimensions: mutual reinforcing effects and a give-and-take relationship (trade-offs) between dimensions. By introducing our measurement tool, Democracy Matrix, we finally locate mutually reinforcing effects as well as trade-offs. Secondly, we provide a new methodological approach to measure trade-offs. While one measuring strategy captures the mutual reinforcing effects, the other strategy employs indicators, which serve to gauge trade-offs. Thirdly, we demonstrate empirical findings of our measurement drawing on the Varieties of Democracy dataset. Incorporating trade-offs into the measurement enables us to identify various profiles of democracy (libertarian, egalitarian and control-focused democracy) via the quality of its dimensions.

scholarly journals Why and how informatics and applied computing can still create structural changes and competitive advantage

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarandis Mitropoulos ◽  
Christos Douligeris
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Business Strategy ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Integrated Approach ◽  
Business Value ◽  
It Strategy ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Trade Offs

PurposeIn the new digital age, enterprises are facing an increasing global competition. In this paper, we first examine how Information Technology (IT) can play an important role in giving significant competitive advantage in the modern enterprises. The business value of IT is examined, as well as the limitations and the trade-offs that its applicability faces. Next, we present the basic principles for a successful IT strategy, considering the development of a long-term IT renovation plan, the strategic alignment of IT with the business strategy, and the adoption of an integrated, distributed, and interoperable IT platform. Finally, we examine how a highly functional and efficient IT organization can be developed.Design/methodology/approachOur methodological approach was based to the answers of the following questions: 1. Does IT still matter? 2. What is the business value created by IT along with the corresponding limitations and trade-offs? 3. How could a successful IT Strategy be build up? 4. How could an effective? T planning aligned with the business strategy be build up? 5. How could a homogenized and distributed corporate IT platform be developed? and finally, 6. How could a high-performance IT-enabled enterprise be build up?FindingsThe enterprises in order to succeed in the new digital area need to: 1. synchronize their IT strategy with their business strategy, 2. formulate a long-term IT strategy, 3. adopt IT systems and solutions that are implemented with elasticity, interoperability, distribution, and service-orientation. 4. keep a strategic direction towards the creation of an exceptional organization based on IT.Originality/valueThis paper is original with respect to the integrated approach the overall problem is examined. There is a prototype combined investigation of all perspectives for an effective enforcement of IT in a way that causes acceleration in competitive advantage when conducting business.

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