scholarly journals Altruism in behavioural, motivational and evolutionary sense

2019 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 122-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bojana Radovanovic
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Social Norm ◽  
Moral Principle ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Altruistic Motivation ◽  
Evolutionary Theories ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Material Benefits ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Sacrifice

This paper discusses the relations between three forms of altruism: behavioural, evolutionary and motivational. Altruism in a behavioural sense is an act that benefits another person. It can range from volunteering to a charity and helping a neighbour, to giving money to a non-profit organisation or donating blood. People often dedicate their material and nonmaterial resources for the benefit of others to gain psychological, social and material benefits for themselves. Thus, their altruistic acts are driven by egoistic motivation. Also, the final goal of an altruistic act may be the increase in the welfare of a group or adherence to a certain moral principle or a social norm. However, at least sometimes, the welfare of others is the ultimate goal of our actions, when our altruistic acts are performed from altruistic motivation. In evolutionary sense, altruism means the sacrifice of reproductive success for the benefit of other organisms. According to evolutionary theories, behaviour which promotes the reproductive success of the receiver at the cost of the actor is favoured by natural selection, because it is either beneficial for the altruist in the long run, or for his genes, or for the group he belongs to. However, altruism among people emerges as a distinctly human combination of innate and learned behaviours. Not only do we benefit the members of our own group, but we are capable of transcending our tribalistic instincts and putting the benefit of strangers at our own personal expense as our ultimate goal.

scholarly journals Application of the theory of decision making under risk and uncertainty at modelling of costs

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (No. 5) ◽  
pp. 201-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Beranová ◽  
D. Martinovičová
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Financial Accounting ◽  
Cost Functions ◽  
Risk And Uncertainty ◽  
Managerial Decision ◽  
Managerial Decision Making ◽  
Bayesian Theorem ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Short Run ◽  
The Cost

The costs functions are mentioned mostly in the relation to the Break-even Analysis where they are presented in the linear form. But there exist several different types and forms of cost functions. Fist of all, it is necessary to distinguish between the short-run and long-run cost function that are both very important tools of the managerial decision making even if each one is used on a different level of management. Also several methods of estimation of the cost function's parameters are elaborated in the literature. But all these methods are based on the past data taken from the financial accounting while the financial accounting is not able to separate the fixed and variable costs and it is also strongly adjusted to taxation in the many companies. As a tool of the managerial decision making support, the cost functions should provide a vision to the future where many factors of risk and uncertainty influence economic results. Consequently, these random factors should be considered in the construction of cost functions, especially in the long-run. In order to quantify the influences of these risks and uncertainties, the authors submit the application of the Bayesian Theorem.

scholarly journals Competing Conventions with Costly Information Acquisition

Games ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Roberto Rozzi
Keyword(s):  
Information Acquisition ◽  
Evolutionary Model ◽  
Equilibrium Selection ◽  
The Other ◽  
Group Interactions ◽  
Social Coordination ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Stochastic Stability Analysis ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Cost

We consider an evolutionary model of social coordination in a 2 × 2 game where two groups of players prefer to coordinate on different actions. Players can pay a cost to learn their opponent’s group: if they pay it, they can condition their actions concerning the groups. We assess the stability of outcomes in the long run using stochastic stability analysis. We find that three elements matter for the equilibrium selection: the group size, the strength of preferences, and the information’s cost. If the cost is too high, players never learn the group of their opponents in the long run. If one group is stronger in preferences for its favorite action than the other, or its size is sufficiently large compared to the other group, every player plays that group’s favorite action. If both groups are strong enough in preferences, or if none of the groups’ sizes is large enough, players play their favorite actions and miscoordinate in inter-group interactions. Lower levels of the cost favor coordination. Indeed, when the cost is low, in inside-group interactions, players always coordinate on their favorite action, while in inter-group interactions, they coordinate on the favorite action of the group that is stronger in preferences or large enough.

scholarly journals ESTIMATING PROFIT , COST FUNCTION AND TECHNICAL EFFICIENCIES OF RICE PRODUCTION IN NEJAF FOR SEASON 2016*

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Al-Mashhdani & Mahmood
Keyword(s):  
Cost Function ◽  
Output Level ◽  
Average Output ◽  
Optimal Output ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Actual Output ◽  
Short Run ◽  
Profit Maximizing ◽  
Economic Price ◽  
The Cost

The aim of this study was to estimate the profit and cost functions as well as economic, price, cost, and technical efficiencies beside the other economic indices at actual, optimal and profit-maximizing output of rice. A random sample of 240 rice  farms in Nejaf province was used during the agricultural season 2016. From efficiency scales of profit function, it was shown that the output quantity had the greatest impact on the profit compared to other variables (average output costs and price). According to the cost function, the optimum output level and the profit- maximizing output  level for the short run were 64.84 tons and 117.4 tons respectively. The lowest price that the farmer can accept was 194.83 thousand dinars / ton. At this price, the producer loss all fixed costs in the short run, hoping that the price of rice will improve in the long run. Net profit was estimated on the basis of actual output, cost minimizing output (optimal) and profit-maximizing output, which amounted to 8084.32, 30852.65 and 45547.5 thousand dinars, respectively. The of technical efficiency were 34%. and the cost efficiency was 0.52. We conclude from the study that economic resources have not been exploited optimally, indicating that actual output is far from optimal output. The study recommends a output policy aimed at increasing economic efficiency and optimizing the use of available resources.

scholarly journals Cheater-altruist synergy in immunopathogenic ecological public goods games

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryce Morsky ◽  
Dervis Can Vural
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Public Goods ◽  
Free Riding ◽  
Average Growth ◽  
Public Goods Games ◽  
Cheating Behavior ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Population Dynamics Models ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Dynamics Models

AbstractMuch research has focused on the deleterious effects of free-riding in public goods games, and a variety of mechanisms that suppresses cheating behavior. Here we argue that under certain conditions cheating behavior can be beneficial to the population. In a public goods game, cheaters do not pay for the cost of the public goods, yet they receive the benefit. Although this free-riding harms the entire population in the long run, the success of cheaters may aid the population when there is a common enemy that antagonizes both cooperators and cheaters. Here we study models in which an immune system antagonizes a cooperating pathogen. We investigate three population dynamics models, and determine under what conditions the presence of cheaters help defeat the immune system. The mechanism of action is that a polymorphism of cheaters and altruists optimizes the average growth rate. Our results give support for a possible synergy between cooperators and cheaters in ecological public goods games.

Association of Ownership and System Affiliation with the Financial Performance of Rehabilitation Hospitals

1997 ◽  
Vol 10 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 13-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. J. McCue ◽  
J. M. Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Regression Models ◽  
Ancillary Services ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
For Profit ◽  
Cross Sectional Design ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Rehabilitation Hospitals ◽  
Inpatient Basis

This study used a cross-sectional design in which regression models were used to test the association of ownership and system affiliation of private rehabilitation hospitals with profit, revenue and expense measures. The study also examined the association of ownership and system affiliation with other choice variables. The study found that new for-profit rehabilitation hospitals had higher revenues and expenses than older non-profit rehabilitation hospitals. In addition, new for-profit hospitals charged more for their ancillary services and treated more of their patients on an inpatient basis. Study findings show higher revenues and expenses per adjusted discharge for new for-profit facilities. Given the cost-based system of reimbursement for Medicare, there appears to be a strong incentive for new for-profits to maximize costs.

Internship impact on career consideration among business students

2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (9) ◽  
pp. 1003-1013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Rothman ◽  
Ruth Sisman
Keyword(s):  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Job Search ◽  
Business Students ◽  
Career Path ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Job Functions ◽  
Analysis Methodology ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on the impact of the internship experience on business students’ career intentions in regard to pursuing a career path in the same job function or industry as their internship. Design/methodology/approach After completing and reflecting on an internship, 198 undergraduate students responded to the prompt: “discuss the impact of the internship on your career consideration.” Responses were analyzed using a content analysis methodology in order to determine whether or not interns would pursue the same job functions (e.g. sales) or industry (e.g. non-profit) as their internship in their post-graduation job search. Findings Across the job functions and industries identified within the internships, 54 and 45 percent of interns confirmed their expectations of career fit, respectively. The implications of confirming and disconfirming these expectations for students are discussed. Originality/value Given the value of internships to business students, surprisingly few studies have examined their influence on undergraduates’ career considerations. Students select internships with the intention of learning about job functions or industries for possible career fit, yet the authors know little about whether the experience confirms or disconfirms their expectations. This study seeks to address this gap. The authors suggest that internships, as experiential activities, merit greater attention as they provide students opportunities to learn what they do or do not want to do, where they do or do not want to work and whether their self-concept fits a possible career path – saving themselves and potential employers the cost of job dissatisfaction and turnover.

Kheyti: Product and Business Development at an AgTech Social Enterprise

2017 ◽  
pp. 1-24
Author(s):  
Mohanbir Sawhney ◽  
Saumya
Keyword(s):  
Social Enterprise ◽  
Smallholder Farmers ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Pilot Project ◽  
Agricultural Technology ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Early Adopters ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Income Variability ◽  
Cash Reserves

In early 2017, after launching its successful “Greenhouse-in-a-Box” pilot project in India with fifteen smallholder farmers, Kheyti, a non-profit agricultural technology (AgTech) social enterprise, was struggling with several decisions in developing and growing its business. Kheyti was launched in 2015 to help smallholder farmers battle poverty and income variability by providing affordable technologies bundled with services. Over eighteen months, the team had developed a low-cost and modular greenhouse product to which it added financing, inputs, training, and market linkages to create a comprehensive “full-stack” solution for small farmers. The pilot project was a success in many ways, but Saumya, Kheyti's co-founder and head of product, was concerned that it revealed shortcomings that could severely affect the viability and scalability of Kheyti's solution. Saumya had some important decisions to make. Should Kheyti redesign the product from scratch, or find other ways to reduce the cost for early adopters? Should it rely on upfront revenues from sales of the greenhouse, or consider developing an innovative financing or contract farming model? Kheyti's dwindling cash reserves meant that these decisions were urgent and critical. The path chosen now would determine whether the startup would move beyond the pilot stage and achieve its vision of serving 1 million farmers by 2025.

Howard Hawks’s Red River

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Day
Keyword(s):  
Golden Age ◽  
Nation Building ◽  
Red River ◽  
Epic Tradition ◽  
Greco Roman ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Sacrifice

As the film that introduced a new psychological complexity to the genre while establishing John Wayne as a serious actor rather than merely a star, Howard Hawks’s 1948 Red River is often considered the first Golden Age Western. After brief discussion of its literary roots and the circumstances surrounding its production, release, and reception, this chapter connects this film to the broader epic tradition before turning to specific parallels with the three canonical Greco-Roman epics, first, arguing that much like Homer’s Iliad, Red River positions Wayne’s Tom Dunson as an Achilles figure – a man consumed by deadly rage provoked by a slight to his honor. Next, expanding on Gerald Mast’s identification of the film as an Odyssey, this chapter shows that in both works, a morally ambiguous hero embarks upon a quest to preserve his home, and in both, the father-son relationship is central, along with related issues of succession, status, authority, and identity. Finally, Red River’s kinship with Virgil’s Aeneid is discussed: both highlight the painful sacrifices inherent in the heroic work of nation-building – difficulties symbolized in both cases by the sacrifice of women and the hero’s compromised humanity – emphasizing the cost of empire even while promoting its glories.

scholarly journals Environmental heterogeneity decreases reproductive success via effects on foraging behaviour

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1904) ◽  
pp. 20190795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice M. Trevail ◽  
Jonathan A. Green ◽  
Jonathan Sharples ◽  
Jeff A. Polton ◽  
Peter I. Miller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Environmental Heterogeneity ◽  
Optimal Foraging Theory ◽  
Gps Tracking ◽  
Heterogeneous Environments ◽  
Rissa Tridactyla ◽  
Distribution Of Resources ◽  
Resource Patches ◽  
Patch Density ◽  
The Cost

Environmental heterogeneity shapes the uneven distribution of resources available to foragers, and is ubiquitous in nature. Optimal foraging theory predicts that an animal's ability to exploit resource patches is key to foraging success. However, the potential fitness costs and benefits of foraging in a heterogeneous environment are difficult to measure empirically. Heterogeneity may provide higher-quality foraging opportunities, or alternatively could increase the cost of resource acquisition because of reduced patch density or increased competition. Here, we study the influence of physical environmental heterogeneity on behaviour and reproductive success of black-legged kittiwakes, Rissa tridactyla . From GPS tracking data at 15 colonies throughout their British and Irish range, we found that environments that were physically more heterogeneous were associated with longer trip duration, more time spent foraging while away from the colony, increased overlap of foraging areas between individuals and lower breeding success. These results suggest that there is greater competition between individuals for finite resources in more heterogeneous environments, which comes at a cost to reproduction. Resource hotspots are often considered beneficial, as individuals can learn to exploit them if sufficiently predictable. However, we demonstrate here that such fitness gains can be countered by greater competition in more heterogeneous environments.

Randomized Observational Studies on the Economics of Therapies – Biometrical Experience of Two Trials

1998 ◽  
Vol 37 (01) ◽  
pp. 53-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Högel ◽  
A. C. Rodloff ◽  
G. Büchele ◽  
W. Gaus
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Innovative Therapy ◽  
Treatment Regimens ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Low Costs ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Economic Studies

Abstract:Economic studies in medicine are intended to investigate costs, associated with a particular problem dealing with the indication, diagnosis or therapy, for instance, whether the high costs involved in a highly intensive or innovative therapy could be balanced by the eventual savings made, due to the shorter periods of treatment. In such situations a randomized controlled trial is necessary to find out which therapy or which therapeutical strategy is least expensive in the long run. Economic studies do, however, present some specific problems. Making a list of all the cost-relevant treatment items can be very laborious, but the use of flat rates and lump sums alone cannot lead to a complete cost analysis. Often, costs between hospitals vary more than between treatment regimens.Early and sudden deaths incur low costs and may bias the results. Furthermore, costs are distributed with a long and heavy upper tail incltJding extreme outliers. This does, in fact, complicate the estimation of the sample size. In this article, these problems are outlined and, with the help ofthe data obtained from two randomized economic trials in health care, solutions are proposed and discussed.

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