Department of Decision Sciences

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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14078/22

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The Swedish property crisis in retrospect: a new look at appraisal bias
(2005) Enstroem, Rickard
In the early 1990s, Sweden suffered from a severe property crisis. This study aims to analyze the market for income properties in Sweden over a 20‐year period, 1980‐2000, taking a fresh look at describing the depth of the property crisis. The study specifically attempts to examine if appraisal bias was present when the state‐owned Nordbanken bank foreclosed on a large number of properties.
The Swedish property index and its usefulness for research
(2005) Enstroem, Rickard; Gustafsson, Christina; Söderberg, Bo
This study presents the extensive dataset that has been created by the Swedish Property Index, SFI/IPD. The paper focuses on the general usefulness and availability of the SFI/IPD dataset for research purposes within property performance, management, operation and appraisal. Important dataset variables are discussed, possible research topics are outlined and some illustrative empirical analyses are presented. Furthermore, a brief review of property indices and related literature is presented.
Locally finite-indicable groups
(2007) Lemieux, Stephane
A group is locally ℜ-indicable if every finitely generated subgroup has a nontrivial homomorphism onto a nontrivial ℜ-group. If ℜ is a quasi-variety, then the class L(ℜ) of locally ℜ-indicable groups coincides with the class N(ℜ) of groups which have normal systems with factors in ℜ. It is not known if ℜ must be a quasi-variety in order for the equality L(ℜ) = N(ℜ) to hold. We show here that if ℑ is the class of all finite groups, which is the union of an ascending sequence of quasi-varieties, then L(ℑ) ≠ N(ℑ). Examples of finitely generated groups in L(ℑ)\ N(ℑ) are also constructed.
Voluntary carbon trading: potential for community forestry projects in India
(2007) Jindal, Rohit; Kerr, John; Nagar, Shailesh
Voluntary carbon markets, such as the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX), were worth $90 million in 2006. This paper finds that community forestry interventions of three organizations in India are eligible to sell carbon sequestration credits on CCX. Their combined annual sequestration potential is 104,427 tons of carbon dioxide (tCO2), worth $417,708 at 2007 prices. Although this value will be difficult to realize immediately, it indicates the potential for carbon sequestration to raise rural incomes in India. These benefits can be actualized by first linking small pilot projects with CCX and then scaling up operations. Projects will also need to reduce transaction costs to raise the shares of carbon revenue that farmers receive. The diversion of land to raise tree crops needs to be balanced with food security concerns. A potentially viable approach would be to take up carbon plantations on common lands with concerned agencies acting as a liaison between farmer groups and the market.
Exploring the legal discovery and enterprise tracks at the University of Iowa
(2007) Almquist, Brian; Ha-Thuc, Viet; Sehgal, Aditya K.; Arens, Robert; Srinivasan, Padmini
In designing our own toolset for the TREC Legal Track, we opted to use the Lucene library of indexing and search tools. Lucene, developed in Java, is highly scalable and extendable. Indexing and searching the TREC-Legal collection proved well within Lucene’s capabilities. We indexed the entire TREC collection, opting to merge the document content and the title into a single field, using the Lucene StandardAnalyzer, which strips punctuation, but recognizes and retains elements such as e-mail addresses. The StandardAnalyzer stoplist was used for indexing. For our explorations, we converted topic fields into term vectors for querying the collection. For each topic, our system returned a ranked set of results with enough documents to match in quantity either those retrieved by a reference Boolean query executed on behalf of the TREC 2006 evaluators, or enough to reach a set cap on the number of documents returned, whichever was greater.
Finite exceptional p-groups of small order
(2007) Lemieux, Stephane
A finite group is said to be exceptional if its minimal degree of a faithful permutation representation is strictly less than that of one of its factor groups, called a distinguished quotient. It was previously unknown if exceptional p-groups of order less than p 6 existed for p an odd prime. The author proved in his M.Sc thesis that there are none of order ≤p 4 and gave restrictions on the possible existence of distinguished quotients of exceptional groups of order p 5. In this article, an exceptional p-group of order p 5 is exhibited for p any odd prime.
Clone resistant mutual authentication for low-cost RFID and contactless credit cards
(2007) Lemieux, Stephane; Tang, Adrian
With Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags being used to secure contactless credit cards, great benefits but also serious security and information privacy issues have arisen. Recently many attempts have been made to resolve these issues. In particular, attempts have been made to provide a means for authentication between tag and reader. However, none have yet have been able to provide resistance to cloning attacks. Furthermore, authentication on lowest range of low-cost RFID tags, also remains a challenge. We propose a clone resistant, mutual authentication scheme that requires only 32 bits of read write memory, 90 bits of read only memory and can be deployed using as few as 300 logic gates. We also propose a stream cipher with the same memory constraints and magnitude of logic gates. These systems may also be scaled to provide a high level of security, using relatively little computational resources, on larger hardware platforms.
Can space syntax help us in understanding the intraurban office rent pattern? Accessibility and rents in downtown Stockholm
(2008) Enstroem, Rickard; Netzell, Olof
The effect of accessibility upon rent is investigated for office properties located in Downtown Stockholm. Starting from the firm’s cost minimization problem, a translog hedonic model is derived. The results suggest the model has good predictive power in explaining the variation in the log of the rent. A negative rent gradient is obtained with a base approximately 90 m from the postulated focal point. It appears as if Space Syntax adds important information to the understanding of the intraurban office rent pattern.
Consumer acceptance of RFID technology: an exploratory study
(2008) Prybutok, Victor; Hossain, Muhammad Muazzem
Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is used in numerous applications and offers a plethora of interesting potential new applications. However, this potential raises issues that require addressing to achieve its widespread acceptance by consumers. This paper investigates the factors that affect consumer acceptance of RFID technology. The purpose of this effort is to develop and test a theoretical model that contextualizes the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) within the context of RFID technology. The research model proposes that convenience, culture, privacy, regulation, and security are the principal factors influencing the consumers’ acceptance of RFID. However, the results show that convenience, culture, and security are significant predictors. This study is the first in the RFID literature to use the technology acceptance model for explaining consumer acceptance of RFID technology. The findings suggest that (1) higher perceived convenience of RFID technology leads to greater acceptance of this technology, (2) societal beliefs, value systems, norms, and/or behaviors influence the extent of consumer acceptance of RFID technology, and (3) higher perceived importance of and less willingness to sacrifice personal information security lead to lower intention to use RFID technology. Contextualization of TAM to RFID technology makes this study relevant to practitioners because the results can provide insight to organizations using or exploring the use of RFID technology.
Integration of the BPM framework and the MBNQA framework to address enhanced competitiveness
(2008) Hossain, Muhammad Muazzem; Prybutok, Victor
This work examines and compares the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award (MBNQA) model and the Business Performance Management (BPM) Framework. We use the literature in both areas to posit about the relationships among the two models and to propose a single integrated model. The intent is to provide insight that will allow maintaining organizational MBNQA initiatives while helping to create an agile organization that is capable of developing and increasing competitive advantage.
The University of Iowa at TREC 2008 legal and relevance feedback tracks
(2008) Almquist, Brian; Mejova, Yelena; Ha-Thuc, Viet; Srinivasan, Padmini
This is the second year that our research group has participated in the TREC Legal Track. Our ad hoc retrieval system has been modified to extract the additional Boolean query fields added to the 2008 topics, and to privilege documents found by the Boolean reference run when conducting our queries. We have also submitted runs that fuse the results from existing runs. For the relevance feedback task, our system uses ranking information of relevant and non-relevant documents from previously submitted runs to the TREC Legal Track to train a classifier. The classifier is applied to the remaining unjudged documents to create a new ranked list. This approach is applied to sets of input runs, including a hybrid run where a classifier trained on one set of runs is applied to the unjudged documents from another set of runs.
Theoretical development of a business performance management (BPM)
(2009) Hossain, Muhammad Muazzem; Prybutok, Victor
The Business Performance Management (BPM) framework helps an organization continuously adjust and successfully execute its strategies. BPM helps increase flexibility by providing managers with a sense of uncertain changes earlier and allows faster response to such changes. It thus helps organizations address market opportunities. The purpose of this study is to develop a common general framework for the business performance management model by integrating the practitioner literature. Examination of the practitioner BPM models suggests that they have common constructs. All BPM models use integrated data and data analysis to (1) develop strategies, (2) devise action plans (e.g., definition of targets, models, projects, and initiatives) in terms of metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs)) to deploy these strategies, (3) define, measure, and manage performance against metrics and KPIs, and (4) adjust strategy and/or performance. Based on the literature review, a BPM model was proposed and presented at the 2007 Monfort Summit. The 2007 Monfort Summit was a gathering of Baldrige Award Recipient (BAR) members and a small group of selected researchers from across the United States. We present the revised BPM model based on the feedback provided by the 2007 Monfort Summit participants.
Improved estimation of site occupancy using penalized likelihood
(2010) Moreno, Monica; Lele, Subhash R.
When detection or occupancy probability is small or when the number of sites and number of visits per site is small, maximum likelihood estimators (MLE) of site occupancy parameters have large biases, are numerically unstable, and the corresponding confidence intervals have smaller than nominal coverage. We propose an alternative method of estimation, based on penalized likelihood. This method is numerically stable, the estimators have smaller mean square error than the MLE, and associated confidence intervals have close to nominal coverage.
Causal latent semantic analysis (cLSA): an illustration
(2011) Hossain, Muhammad Muazzem; Prybutok, Victor; Evangelopoulos, Nicholas
Latent semantic analysis (LSA), a mathematical and statistical technique, is used to uncover latent semantic structure within a text corpus. It is a methodology that can extract the contextual-usage meaning of words and obtain approximate estimates of meaning similarities among words and text passages. While LSA has a plethora of applications such as natural language processing and library indexing, it lacks the ability to validate models that possess interrelations and/or causal relationships between constructs. The objective of this study is to develop a modified latent semantic analysis called the causal latent semantic analysis (cLSA) that can be used both to uncover the latent semantic factors and to establish causal relationships among these factors. The cLSA methodology illustrated in this study will provide academicians with a new approach to test causal models based on quantitative analysis of the textual data. The managerial implication of this study is that managers can get an aggregated understanding of their business models because the cLSA methodology provides a validation of them based on anecdotal evidence.
The adoption of mobile commerce service among employed mobile phone users in Bangladesh: self-efficacy as a moderator
(2011) Hossain, Muhammad Muazzem; Islam, Md. Aminul; Khan, Mohammad Aktaruzzaman; Ramayah, T.
Mobile commerce or better known as M-commerce is a fairly new phenomenon in the wake of the second technology wave from the famous E-commerce (electronic commerce) in the 21st century. As the Internet started to proliferate in many parts of the world, the mobile phone penetration in terms of voice communication started to grow rapidly. This simultaneous rapid growth has caused a new phenomenon of convergence of Internet computing and mobile communication where M-commerce has its root. M-commerce has the potential to enhance the work-life within the employed mobile phone users in Bangladesh. The purpose of this study is to examine whether awareness and knowledge, convenience of Mobile devices and WAP/GPRS enabled handsets, pricing and cost, security and privacy, rich and fast information, and perceived usefulness have any influence on the adoption of M-commerce among employed Mobile phone users in two major cities in Bangladesh – Dhaka and Chittagong. A survey method was used to collect data. The findings suggest that pricing and cost, rich and fast information, and security and privacy are significant predictors of the adoption of M-commerce. Self-efficacy is found to be a moderating factor for the adoption of M-commerce services.
Modeling the impact of college's website on the individual's impression of the college
(2011) Ramakrishnan, Thiagarajan; Hossain, Muhammad Muazzem; Prybutok, Victor
This research looks into the relationship between the impact of college website and the impression formed about the college by the students. Previous literatures have shown that websites play an important role on forming an impression about an organization, and presentation, structure of navigation, quality of information, trust and perceived risk, and internet self-efficacy to be the important dimensions of an organizational website. This research extends that study to the educational sector. A survey methodology is used to conduct this research. The results reveal that college website do have an impact on the impression formed about the college, and presentation, structure of navigation, and quality of information posted on the website are the important factors that influences the impression of prospective students about the college.
A consumer perspective of service quality in the airline industry
(2011) Hossain, Muhammad Muazzem; Ouedraogo, Noufou; Rezania, Davar
The airline Service quality has received much attention from both academicians and practitioners. Various studies have used SERVQUAL, AIRQUAL, the Kano Model, etc. for measuring the customer service quality in the airline industry. However, a review of the airline service quality literature shows a lack of research about the use of latent semantic analysis (LSA) in uncovering the underlying factors affecting the quality of service provided by the airline companies. The purpose of this study is to explore the generic service quality characteristics pertaining to the airline industry by mining the comments provided by the passengers of various airline companies across the globe. Passengers are under no pressure to express their concerns, opinions, or suggestions for improvement of service quality. Therefore, we posit that the customers’ comments are reflections of their perception of quality of service that they have already experienced. This study will help the stakeholders better understand the characteristics of service quality in the airline industry. The findings will provide managers in the airline industry with insights for managing and improving the quality of service rendered to their customers. We collected 1,069 customer comments on eleven airline companies and conducted an LSA on them to identify five factors affecting the service quality in the industry. The findings suggest that caring and friendly crews, luggage handling, in-flight meals, in-flight entertainment, and service expectation are the five critical factors of the airline service quality in the eyes of the customers.
International market for forest carbon offsets: how these offsets are created and traded. ASB lecture note 14
(2012) Jindal, Rohit; Namirembe, Sara
This lecture note explains how carbon credits or offsets are generated from the forestry sector - both in terms of growing new trees as well as protecting existing ones, and how they are traded in international markets. It is important to note that these projects and the resultant offsets are only a part of a long set of solutions that the international community is considering to address climate change. We also explain why in spite of the surge in international carbon markets, actual trading in forestry carbon offsets remains low. The lecture note is primarily meant to share information among ICRAF’s (World Agroforestry Centre) local partners in South East Asia and Africa on how to engage in international markets for forestry carbon offsets. However, the note will also be useful for government officials, NGO functionaries, private sector operators, and community representatives in other developing countries who wish to access international carbon market to sell locally produced carbon offsets from forestry and other conservation oriented activities, or even to just understand how the market operates.
Dealing with detection error in site occupancy surveys: what can we do with a single survey?
(2012) Lele, Subhash R.; Moreno, Monica; Bayne, Erin
AIM: Site occupancy probabilities of target species are commonly used in various ecological studies, e.g. to monitor current status and trends in biodiversity. Detection error introduces bias in the estimators of site occupancy. Existing methods for estimating occupancy probability in the presence of detection error use replicate surveys. These methods assume population closure, i.e. the site occupancy status remains constant across surveys, and independence between surveys. We present an approach for estimating site occupancy probability in the presence of detection error that requires only a single survey and does not require assumption of population closure or independence. In place of the closure assumption, this method requires covariates that affect detection and occupancy. METHODS: Penalized maximum-likelihood method was used to estimate the parameters. Estimability of the parameters was checked using data cloning. Parametric boostrapping method was used for computing confidence intervals. IMPORTANT FINDINGS: The single-survey approach facilitates analysis of historical datasets where replicate surveys are unavailable, situations where replicate surveys are expensive to conduct and when the assumptions of closure or independence are not met. This method saves significant amounts of time, energy and money in ecological surveys without sacrificing statistical validity. Further, we show that occupancy and habitat suitability are not synonymous and suggest a method to estimate habitat suitability using single-survey data.
Refining ranked retrieval results for legal discovery search through supervised rank aggregation
(2013) Almquist, Brian; Srinivasan, Padmini
We propose and evaluate a data mining system that uses a set of document features describing each document in the context of partially evaluated ranked results. We find our system to be competitive with existing metasearch ranking strategies for prioritizing the review of evidence for legal relevance.

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