Decision-makers

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Business, Economics, Finance and Accounting


Selected Abstracts


A Model of Inequality and Interest Group Politics

ECONOMICS & POLITICS, Issue 2 2001
Inderjit Kohli
In this paper we examine inequality of process and inequality of outcomes in interest group politics. The model has interest groups that compete for rents in a non-cooperative game. It allows for a self-interested rent-setting political decision-maker, and democratic or popular pressure as a check on that self-interest. We consider differences in the effectiveness and pre-commitment abilities of interest groups. We show that: (i) the costs of influence activities may be highest when groups are relatively equal in their effectiveness; (ii) if social welfare incorporates enough concern for equity of outcomes, that ranking is reversed; (iii) depending on voter responsiveness to rent-setting, the political decision-maker may set rents to be higher or lower, when increases in inequality of effectiveness lower the unit costs of rent-seeking. [source]


The extent of dissent: The effect of group composition and size on Israeli decisions to confront low intensity conflict

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2002
Ranan D. Kuperman
This article tests a number of hypotheses about foreign policy decision making within parliamentary democracies. First it explores the origins of debates among decision-makers. Are deliberations provoked by alternative organizational perspectives or by conflicting ideological orientations? Second, it asks how debates are resolved. On the one hand, it has been suggested that, because each minister has an equal vote, a compromise between decision-makers must be reached. On the other hand, it has been argued that the Prime Minister exerts considerable control and power in foreign policy matters in relation to other decision-makers. These questions were studied with the aid of data collected from a sample of 97 decision episodes between 1949 and 1982, where the Israeli government discussed how to respond to low-intensity aggression against Israeli citizens and soldiers. The results of this research demonstrate that internal debates are poorly associated with organizational or political diversity. Instead group size seems to be more important, although the relationship is not linear. In any case, the discussions usually concluded in a consensus around the Prime Minister's policy of choice, thus indicating that he or she is the paramount decision-maker. [source]


A genetic algorithm approach to solving the anti-covering location problem

EXPERT SYSTEMS, Issue 5 2006
Sohail S. Chaudhry
Abstract: In this paper we address the problem of locating a maximum weighted number of facilities such that no two are within a specified distance from each other. A natural process of evolution approach, more specifically a genetic algorithm, is proposed to solve this problem. It is shown that through the use of a commercially available spreadsheet-based genetic algorithm software package, the decision-maker with a fundamental knowledge of spreadsheets can easily set up and solve this optimization problem. Also, we report on our extensive computational experience using three different data sets. [source]


Non-inferior Nash strategies for routing control in parallel-link communication networks

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, Issue 4 2005
Yong Liu
Abstract We consider a routing control problem of two-node parallel-link communication network shared by competitive teams of users. Each team has various types of entities (traffics or jobs) to be routed on the network. The users in each team cooperate for the benefit of their team so as to achieve optimal routing over network links. The teams, on the other hand, compete among themselves for the network resources and each has an objective function that relates to the overall performance of the network. For each team, there is a centralized decision-maker, called the team leader or manager, who coordinates the routing strategies among all entities in his team. A game theoretic approach to deal with both cooperation within each team and competition among the teams, called the Non-inferior Nash strategy, is introduced. Considering the roles of a group manager in this context, the concept of a Non-inferior Nash strategy with a team leader is introduced. This multi-team solution provides a new framework for analysing hierarchically controlled systems so as to address complicated coordination problems among the various users. This strategy is applied to derive the optimal routing policies for all users in the network. It is shown that Non-inferior Nash strategies with a team leader is effective in improving the overall network performance. Various types of other strategies such as team optimization and Nash strategies are also discussed for the purpose of comparison. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Stochastic rationality and Möbius inverse

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC THEORY, Issue 3 2005
Antoine Billot
C71; D46; D63 Discrete choice theory is very much dominated by the paradigm of the maximization of a random utility, thus implying that the probability of choosing an alternative in a given set is equal to the sum of the probabilities of all the rankings for which this alternative comes first. This property is called stochastic rationality. In turn, the choice probability system is said to be stochastically rationalizable if and only if the Block,Marschak polynomials are all nonnegative. In the present paper, we show that each particular Block,Marschak polynomial can be defined as the probability that the decision-maker faces the loss in flexibility generated by the fact that a particular alternative has been deleted from the choice set. [source]


Weighting methodologies in multi-criteria evaluations of combined heat and power systems

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESEARCH, Issue 12 2009
Jiang-Jiang Wang
Abstract Several combined heat and power (CHP) system options are presented to assess and compare with respect to the end users' requirements. According to the obtained data from literature, 16 kinds of CHP systems are evaluated using gray relational method in multi-criteria, such as technology, economy, environment, and society. The results depend greatly on the criteria weights in multi-criteria evaluations. Aiming to obtain rational result, this paper reviews the weighting method briefly and proposes an optimal combined weighting method to consider the subjectivity of decision-maker and the objectivity of measurement data. The singular value decomposition aggregation method is employed to verify the rationality of evaluation result. Through multi-criteria evaluation and discussions, the combination weighting method is recommended to be used in the selection of CHP schemes. Finally, the best CHP system is selected and the most conspicuous factors having great impact on CHP system with respect to the users' requirements are given out. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


An Interactive Reference Direction Algorithm For Solving Multi-Objective Convex Nonlinear Integer Programming Problems

INTERNATIONAL TRANSACTIONS IN OPERATIONAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2001
Vassil S. Vassilev
We present a learning-oriented interactive reference direction algorithm for solving multi-objective convex nonlinear integer programming problems. At each iteration the decision-maker (DM) sets his/her preferences as aspiration levels of the objective functions. The modified aspiration point and the solution found at the previous iteration define the reference direction. Based on the reference direction, we formulate a mixed-integer scalarizing problem with specific properties. By solving this problem approximately, we find one or more integer solutions located close to the efficient surface. At some iteration (usually at the last iteration), the DM may want to solve the scalarizing problem to obtain an exact (weak) efficient solution. Based on the proposed algorithm, we have developed a research-decision support system that includes one exact and one heuristic algorithm. Using this system, we illustrate the proposed algorithm with an example, and report some computational results. [source]


No decision-maker is an Island: integrating expert advice with information acquisition

JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING, Issue 1 2006
Gunnar E. Schrah
Abstract The present research examined the social context of information acquisition. The main purpose was to examine how decision-makers' information acquisition processes changed when they were provided access to expert advice. Results indicated that all decision-makers opted to acquire advice; however, they typically did so only after completing over 75% of their own information search. Decision-makers agreed more with the advice as task complexity increased, but, in general, searched information in two stages,i.e., a pre-advice "hypothesis generation" stage and a post-advice "hypothesis testing" stage. To behave in an adaptive manner, decision-makers could have used expert advice either to increase their decision accuracy or to reduce their effort expenditure (or both); they chose the former. Implications and further extensions are discussed. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Bed articles for nursing care , state of the art in two German hospitals

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 3 2004
Thomas Boggatz MA
Background., Bed articles are basic instruments for positioning. Research about this topic has concentrated on evidence for better practice. However, little is known about what practitioners really do. Aims and objectives., This study intended to identify the most common bed articles used for positioning in two German hospitals, and to determine the decision-maker for their application and the purposes and criteria for their choice. Methods., Nursing experts from 100 wards were interviewed with the help of a structured questionnaire and based on these data a list of the 10 most frequent devices was compiled. Results., Supporting the body position was the most frequent intervention performed by German nurses, mainly with the help of hydraulic beds, pillows and blankets. Nurses were the main decision-makers for the use of these bed articles. Their choice was mainly based on work experience and patients' desires. Guidelines and literature played a minor role in this process. Relevance to clinical practice., If nurses, despite the medical doctors' role as the main decision-maker in German hospitals, exert significant influence on this aspect of care, they can support their position by evidence-based practice. [source]


Fuzzy goal programming model: an overview of the current state-of-the art

JOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 5-6 2009
Belaïd Aouni
Abstract The standard Goal Programming (GP) model considers the aspiration levels (goals) as precise and deterministic. However, in practice, there are many decision-making situations where the decision-maker is not able to establish the goal values precisely. The goals fuzziness is more related to the nature of the objectives involved in the decision-making situation. The Fuzzy Goal Programming (FGP) Model has been developed in the earliest of the 80s to deal with such situations. The concept of membership functions, based on fuzzy sets theory, has been used for modelling the goals fuzziness in the GP. The aim of this paper is to give an overview of the current state-of-the art regarding the FGP model. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


A new method for scoring additive multi-attribute value models using pairwise rankings of alternatives

JOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 3-4 2008
Paul Hansen
Abstract We present a new method for determining the point values for additive multi-attribute value models with performance categories. The method, which we refer to as PAPRIKA (Potentially All Pairwise RanKings of all possible Alternatives), involves the decision-maker pairwise ranking potentially all undominated pairs of all possible alternatives represented by the value model. The number of pairs to be explicitly ranked is minimized by the method identifying all pairs implicitly ranked as corollaries of the explicitly ranked pairs. We report on simulations of the method's use and show that if the decision-maker explicitly ranks pairs defined on just two criteria at-a-time, the overall ranking of alternatives produced by the value model is very highly correlated with the true ranking. Therefore, for most practical purposes decision-makers are unlikely to need to rank pairs defined on more than two criteria, thereby reducing the elicitation burden. We also describe a successful real-world application involving the scoring of a value model for prioritizing patients for cardiac surgery in New Zealand. We conclude that although the new method entails more judgments than traditional scoring methods, the type of judgment (pairwise rankings of undominated pairs) is arguably simpler and might reasonably be expected to reflect the preferences of decision-makers more accurately. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Simulation and multi-attribute utility modelling of life cycle profit

JOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 4 2001
Tony RosqvistArticle first published online: 16 NOV 200
Abstract Investments on capital goods are assessed with respect to the life cycle profit as well as the economic lifetime of the investment. The outcome of an investment with respect to these economic criteria is generally non-deterministic. An assessment of different investment options thus requires probabilistic modelling to explicitly account for the uncertainties. A process for the assessment of life cycle profit and the evaluation of the adequacy of the assessment is developed. The primary goal of the assessment process is to aid the decision-maker in structuring and quantifying investment decision problems characterized by multiple criteria and uncertainty. The adequacy of the assessment process can be evaluated by probabilistic criteria indicating the degree of uncertainty in the assessment. Bayesian inference is used to re-evaluate the initial assessment, as evidence of the system performance becomes available. Thus authentication of contracts of guarantee is supported. Numerical examples are given to demonstrate features of the described life cycle profit assessment process. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Dynamic decision problem structuring

JOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 3 2001
James Corner
Abstract This paper develops a conceptualization of decision problem structuring which synthesizes a number of models and approaches cited in the decision-making literature in general and the multi-criteria literature in particular. The approach advocates a dynamic interaction between criteria and alternatives as a decision-maker understands his preferences and expands the set of alternatives. This approach endeavours to bridge the gap between prescriptive and descriptive decision problem structuring. It is prescriptive in its orientation, recommending an approach based on earlier prescriptive work. However, the approach is also validated empirically, based on the descriptive decision-making literature and reported case studies of actual decision-making. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Reflections on ethics and MCA in environmental decisions

JOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 2 2001
Felix Rauschmayer
Abstract The aim of decision analysis is normative. Consequently, at least in public spheres, one has to reflect on its normative foundation. Multi-criteria analysis (MCA) uses aggregated evaluations on several criteria to recommend a decision. The claim for the adequacy of the recommended solution is usually based on the assumption that the interests of the decision-maker(s) are adequately assessed by the MC model (see, for example, Munda G. 1996. Cost,benefit analysis in integrated environmental assessment: some methodological issues. Ecological Economics19: 157,168). I argue that as a prerequisite to a normative foundation, the criteria have to reflect not only the interests but possibly all values stemming from normative arguments of the decision-maker(s). These arguments might differ substantially from each other. This is especially true for environmental decisions. The integration of values will result in changes of the MCA understanding, criteria building, and aggregation method, and will not be possible without analytical capacities of the decision analyst in ethics. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


The Salient Issue of Issue Salience

JOURNAL OF PUBLIC ECONOMIC THEORY, Issue 2 2009
ARNAUD DELLIS
This paper proposes a model where the set of issues that are decisive in an election (i.e., the set of salient issues) is endogenous. The model takes into account a key feature of the policy-making process, namely, that the decision-maker faces time and budget constraints that prevent him from addressing all of the issues that are on the agenda. We show that this feature creates a rationale for a policy-motivated decision-maker to manipulate his policy choice in order to influence which issues will be salient in the next election. We identify three motivations for the decision-maker to manipulate his policy choice for salience purposes. One is to make salient an issue on which he has an electoral advantage. A second motivation is to defuse the salience of an issue on which he is electorally weak, which is accomplished by either implicitly committing to a policy outcome or triggering a change of salient issue for the challenger. A third motivation is to induce the opposition party to nominate a candidate who, if elected, will implement a policy that the incumbent decision maker finds more palatable. [source]


Partnerships in food safety: how the interface between decision-maker and scientist affects policy,

JOURNAL OF THE SCIENCE OF FOOD AND AGRICULTURE, Issue 5 2004
Marc Le Maguer
First page of article [source]


Time-to-market, window of opportunity, and salvageability of a new product development

MANAGERIAL AND DECISION ECONOMICS, Issue 6 2002
A. Messica
The time-to-market in the presence of a window of opportunity is analyzed using ;a probabilistic model, i.e. a model where the completion time of new product development is a random variable characterized by a gamma distribution. Two cases are considered: the first, a case where the discounted return-on-investment exceeds the return expected from a conservative investment,e.g. investment in bonds,termed ,the profitable case'; and the second, a case where the discounted return-on-investment just balances the cost of new product development, termed ,the salvageable case'. The model constructed is focused on the financial aspects of new product development. It allows a decision-maker to monitor, as well as terminate, a project based on its expected value (at any time prior to completion) by computing the mean time-to-market that provides profit, investment salvage, or loss. The mean time-to-market computed by the model may be compared with that estimated by the technology development team for decision-making purposes. Finally, in the presence of a window of opportunity and for the specific cases analyzed, we recommend to always keep the expenditure rate lower than the expected return rate. This will provide the decision-maker a salvageable exit opportunity if project termination is decided. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Knowledge Warfare in the 21ST Century: An Extension in Performance

NAVAL ENGINEERS JOURNAL, Issue 2 2003
Dr. Yvonne R. Masakowski
ABSTRACT As we move into the 21st century, we are faced with a critical need to address the ways in which knowledge is generated and used to optimize system and human performance. Today, we are inundated with a plethora of information, emails, and ever-changing software. There is a dynamic relationship among humans, computers, expert systems and intelligent agent software that shapes the way we live, conduct business and participate in war. It is imperative that we master the critical components of knowledge management that will enhance their decision-making capacities and empower the warfighter. In the 21st century, knowledge management tools, intelligent agent architectures, robotics, and automated systems will facilitate expert performance necessary to fortify net-centric warfare. One of the principal metrics of performance will be our ability to reduce uncertainty and provide the most accurate information to the decision-maker at the right time. The importance of these goals becomes clear when considered within the context of images of the World Trade Center (WTC) crumbling to the ground. Now, we understand the cost of poor information in terms of life and freedom. This paper will provide an introduction to the importance of knowledge management and implications for future ship design. [source]


Who Will Consent to Emergency Treatment Trials for Subarachnoid Hemorrhage?

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 4 2009
Angela Del Giudice MD
Abstract Objectives:, Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a devastating disorder that still requires much clinical study. However, the decision to participate in a randomized clinical trial, particularly a neuroemergency trial, is a complex one. The purposes of this survey were to determine who would participate in a randomized clinical trial that intended to examine transfusion practices after SAH, to identify who could serve as potential proxy decision-makers, and to find which patient characteristics were associated with the decision to participate. Methods:, This was a cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire, composed of a brief description of the proposed trial followed by questions about participation using a 5-point Likert scale. Information sought included potential decision-maker, demographic data, setting and reason for current health care access, and personal or family history of neurologic injury. Results:, Nine-hundred five subjects were enrolled during emergency department (ED) visits, office visits, hospital admissions, or online, during a 1-month period: 63% were women and 46% were white. Nonneurologic problems were the leading reason (90%) for health care access, but 45% had a personal or family history of neurologic injury. Overall, 54% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 51% to 57%) of subjects stated they would definitely or probably consent to participate. No subject characteristics were associated with this decision: age (p = 0.28), sex (p = 0.16), race/ethnicity (p = 0.07), education (p = 0.44), religion (p = 0.42), clinical setting (p = 0.14), reason for visit (p = 0.58), and/or history of neurologic injury (p = 0.33). The vast majority (88%) identified a family member as the proxy decision-maker, again without differences among groups. Conclusions:, Greater than half of respondents stated they would participate in a proposed emergency treatment trial for SAH. Our survey suggests that the decision to participate is highly individualized, because no demographic, pathologic, historical, or access-related predictors of choice were found. Educational materials designed for this type of trial would need to be broad-based. Family members should be considered as proxy decision-makers where permitted by federal and local regulations. [source]


The role of existentialism in ethical business decision-making

BUSINESS ETHICS: A EUROPEAN REVIEW, Issue 3 2000
James Agarwal
This paper presents an integrated model of ethical decision-making in business that incorporates teleological, deontological and existential theory. Existentialism has been curiously overlooked by many scholars in the field despite the fact that it is so fundamentally a theory of choice. We argue that it is possible to seek good organisational ends (teleology), through the use of right means (deontology), and enable the decision-maker to do so authentically (existentialism). More specifically, we provide a framework that will enable the decision-maker to integrate the various ethical schools of thought available to them and to apply this framework in the ethical decision-making process. The model presented makes explicit the existential position of choice and takes into account other contextual moderating factors. Negative Option Marketing is used as a running application to illustrate the role of existentialism in the decision-making process. [source]


The Appreciative System of Urban ICT Policies: An Analysis of Perceptions of Urban Policy Makers

GROWTH AND CHANGE, Issue 2 2004
GALIT COHEN-BLANKSHTAIN
ABSTRACT Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become an important tool to promote a variety of public goals and policies. In the past years much attention has been given to the expected social benefits from deploying ICTs in different urban fields (transportation, education, public participation in planning, etc.) and to its potential to mitigate various current or emerging urban problems. The growing importance of ICTs in daily life, business activities, and governance prompts the need to consider ICTs more explicitly in urban policies. Alongside the expectation that the private sector will play a major role in the ICT field, the expected benefits from ICTs also encourage urban authorities to formulate proper public ICT policies. Against this background, various intriguing research questions arise. What are the urban policy-makers' expectations about ICTs? And how do they assess the future implications of ICTs for their city? A thorough analysis of these questions will provide a better understanding of the extent to which urban authorities are willing to invest in and to adopt a dedicated ICT policy. This study is focusing on the way urban decision-makers perceive the opportunities of ICT policy. After a sketch of recent development and policy issues, a conceptual model is developed to map out the driving forces of urban ICT policies in cities in Europe. Next, by highlighting the importance of understanding the decision-maker's "black box," three crucial variables are identified within this box. In the remaining part of the paper these three variables will be operationalized by using a large survey comprising more than 200 European cities. By means of statistical multivariate methods (i.e., factor and cluster analysis), the decision-makers were able to be characterized according to the way they perceive their city (the concept of "imaginable city"), their opinion about ICT, and the way they assess the relevance of ICT policies to their city. Next, a solid explanatory framework will be offered by using a log-linear logit analysis to test the relationships between these three aspects. [source]


Decision-maker's preferences modelling within the goal-programming model: a new typology

JOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 5-6 2009
Belaid Aouni
Abstract Several classifications of the Multiple Objectives Programming (MOP) models have been proposed in the literature. In general, these classifications are based on the timing of introducing the decision-maker's (DM) preferences and the type of the required information about the parameters of the decision-making situation. The DM's preference information can take different forms such as: weights, priority levels, thresholds or trade-offs among the objectives. The Goal Programming (GP) is one of the well-known MOP models. The different GP formulations deal differently with the DM's preferences. The aim of this paper is to propose a new typology of the GP variants based on the way that the DM's preferences are considered. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Using assignment examples to infer category limits for the ELECTRE TRI method

JOURNAL OF MULTI CRITERIA DECISION ANALYSIS, Issue 1 2002
An Ngo The
Abstract Given a finite set of alternatives, the sorting (or assignment) problem consists in the assignment of each alternative to one of the predefined categories. In this paper, we are interested in multiple criteria sorting problems and, more precisely, in the existing method ELECTRE TRI. This method requires the elicitation of preferential parameters (importance coefficients, thresholds, profiles, etc.) in order to construct the decision-maker's (DM) preference model. A direct elicitation of these parameters being sometimes difficult, Mousseau and Slowinski proposed an interactive aggregation,disaggregation approach that infer ELECTRE TRI parameters indirectly from holistic information, i.e. assignment examples. In this approach, the determination of ELECTRE TRI parameters that best restore the assignment examples is formulated through a non-linear optimization program. Also in this direction, Mousseau et al. considered the subproblem of the determination of the importance coefficients only (the thresholds and category limits being fixed). This subproblem leads to solve a linear program (rather that non-linear in the global inference model). We pursue the idea of partial inference model by considering the complementary subproblem which determines the category limits (the importance coefficients being fixed). With some simplification, it also leads to solve a linear program. Together with the result of Mousseau et al., we have a couple of complementary models which can be combined in an interactive approach inferring the parameters of an ELECTRE TRI model from assignment examples. In each interaction, the DM can revise his/her assignment examples, to give additional information and to choose which parameters to fix before the optimization phase restarts. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Getting the Scale Right: A Comparison of Analytical Methods for Vulnerability Assessment and Household-level Targeting

DISASTERS, Issue 2 2001
Linda Stephen
This paper introduces broad concepts of vulnerability, food security and famine. It argues that the concepts and theories driving development and implementation of vulnerability assessment tools are related to their utility. The review concludes that socio-geographic scale is a key issue, and challenge. It analyses three vulnerability assessment (VA) methods, using Ethiopia as a case study. Facing the challenges of vulnerability assessment and early warning requires providing accurate information at the required scale, useful for multiple decision-makers within realistic institutional capacities. [source]


Using framing parameters to improve handling of uncertainties in water management practice

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 2 2010
Nicola Isendahl
Abstract Management of water resources is afflicted with uncertainties. Nowadays it is facing more and new uncertainties since the pace and dimension of changes (e.g. climatic, demographic) are accelerating and are likely to increase even more in the future. Hence it is crucial to find pragmatic ways to deal with these uncertainties in water management. We argue for an analytical yet pragmatic approach to enable decision-makers to deal with uncertainties in a more explicit and systematic way and allow for better informed decisions. Our approach is based on the concept of framing, referring to the different ways in which people make sense of the world and of the uncertainties. We apply recently developed parameters of the framing of uncertainty in two sub-basins of the Rhine, the Dutch Kromme Rijn and the German Wupper. We present and discuss the results of a series of stakeholder interactions in the two basins aimed at developing strategies for improving dealing with uncertainties. The strategies are amended and synthesized in a check-list based on the uncertainty framing parameters as a hands-on tool for systematically identifying improvement options when dealing with uncertainty in water management practice. We conclude with suggestions for testing the developed check-list as a tool for decision aid in water management practice. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source]


Trust, public participation and environmental governance in Hong Kong

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 2 2009
Stephen Tsang
Abstract This paper explores the role of trust in environmental governance and its role in facilitating collective action through public participation in making decisions on environmental policies in Hong Kong. Opinions from key stakeholders with regard to the environmental performance of the Hong Kong government and public participation in Hong Kong were collected. Their opinions help to explain the hypothesized ,trust deficit' in Hong Kong. A trust-based framework was used to identify the appropriate stakeholder participation strategy for environmental governance in Hong Kong. Given that the level of trust in experts, trust between stakeholders and trust in government decision-makers are all low, a deliberation strategy using professional facilitation is recommended in implementing public participation in Hong Kong to rebuild trust. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source]


The role of indicators in improving timeliness of international environmental reports

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 1 2006
Ulla Rosenström
Abstract Environmental indicators were developed mainly to improve information flows from scientists to policy-makers. This article discusses the importance of timely environmental data and investigates the influence of indicator-based reporting on the data timeliness of environmental reports by international organizations. Timeliness of information contributes to the quality and appeal of the reports, and to their role as early warning tools, and increases their usability by decision-makers in short-term decision cycles. The results of an analysis of 11 international reports by the European Environmental Agency (EEA) and the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) show a considerable time lag of three years on average, with only minor development towards more timely reporting. The results suggest that the introduction of environmental indicators has not improved the timeliness of reporting. In order to overcome these problems, the article recommends some methods for improving timeliness. These include better choice of indicators in smaller sets, use of preliminary data and outlooks, development of new indicators, publishing on the internet and more effective use of internet databases to avoid intermediate levels in data collection. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source]


Combining policy instruments to curb greenhouse gas emissions

ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 3 2001
Olivier Bahn
The Kyoto Protocol has set greenhouse gas emission reduction targets for selected countries. To comply with these reduction requirements, decision-makers may use market-based instruments on a national or international basis. This paper advocates the combining of national emission taxes with international trade of emission permits. As a numerical application, this paper analyses macro-economic impacts of such a strategy for Switzerland. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment [source]


Cooperative forms of governance: Problems of democratic accountability in complex environments

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2003
YANNIS PAPADOPOULOS
Various schools of research in public policy (the literature on ,governance' and its continental counterparts) are converging to focus on the growth of policy styles based on cooperation and partnership in networks, instead of on vertical control by the state. This article focuses on issues of democratic accountability and responsiveness with these governance arrangements. It argues that until recently the legitimacy of governance networks was not at the forefront of theoretical developments, even though the ,democratic deficit' of governance is problematic both for normative and for pragmatic reasons. There is now increased sensitivity to this problem, but the remedies presented in the literature are unsatisfactory, and critiques of governance presuppose a somewhat idealised image of representative democracy in terms of accountability or responsiveness of decision-makers. They also fail to offer adequate solutions to some of the central legitimacy problems of policy-making in complex societies. [source]


The extent of dissent: The effect of group composition and size on Israeli decisions to confront low intensity conflict

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL RESEARCH, Issue 4 2002
Ranan D. Kuperman
This article tests a number of hypotheses about foreign policy decision making within parliamentary democracies. First it explores the origins of debates among decision-makers. Are deliberations provoked by alternative organizational perspectives or by conflicting ideological orientations? Second, it asks how debates are resolved. On the one hand, it has been suggested that, because each minister has an equal vote, a compromise between decision-makers must be reached. On the other hand, it has been argued that the Prime Minister exerts considerable control and power in foreign policy matters in relation to other decision-makers. These questions were studied with the aid of data collected from a sample of 97 decision episodes between 1949 and 1982, where the Israeli government discussed how to respond to low-intensity aggression against Israeli citizens and soldiers. The results of this research demonstrate that internal debates are poorly associated with organizational or political diversity. Instead group size seems to be more important, although the relationship is not linear. In any case, the discussions usually concluded in a consensus around the Prime Minister's policy of choice, thus indicating that he or she is the paramount decision-maker. [source]