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Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences


Marketing analytics ups Fortune 1000 return on assets 8 percent, says operations research study

A recent study finds that Fortune 1000 companies using marketing analytics see an average 8% increase in return on assets, with potential gains of $70-180 million in net income. The research highlights the key role of management support and analytics skills in successful marketing analytics deployments.

SourceInstitute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences·JournalInternational Journal of Research in Marketing·DateNov 29, 2012

US Coast Guard, USC win INFORMS Wagner Prize for protecting american ports from terrorists

The US Coast Guard and USC's Viterbi School of Engineering developed the PROTECT system, which uses quantal response theory to model unpredictable adversary behavior. The system has been successfully deployed in Boston and is undergoing testing at New York, showing improved results over human-generated patrolling strategies.

Military analytics expert says billions in supply chain efficiency reduce Pentagon cuts

A former Army colonel argues that improving supply chain alignment can help the Defense Department reduce costs by tens of billions of dollars. The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) conference highlights the use of advanced analytics and operations research to address pressing military challenges.

INFORMS: CARE positions disaster relief with promising discipline of humanitarian logistics

A team at Georgia Tech developed an operations research model that helped CARE International pick three locations worldwide to supply relief quickly to victims of earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters. The model considered capacity constraints and recommended a gradual roll-out plan, enabling CARE to reduce response time, pr...

Online consumers willing to pay premium for Net privacy, says study in INFORMS Journal

A new study published in INFORMS Journal found that online consumers are willing to pay a premium for purchases from vendors with clear and protective privacy policies. In an experimental study, participants were more likely to buy from high-privacy sites than low-privacy sites, with an average additional payment of $0.59 for batteries.

SourceInstitute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences·JournalInformation Systems Research·DateJul 11, 2011

Experiments find bias in way analysts view firms led by black grads of prestigious universities

A study in Organization Science found that analysts discount African American managers' qualifications if they graduated from prestigious universities, while accepting the same qualifications for white managers. The effect is significant even when controlling for financial performance and accomplishments.

High testosterone levels linked to self-destructive CEO behavior, says Management Science

A study by Maurice Levi, Kai Li, and Feng Zhang finds that high testosterone levels in CEOs negotiating mergers and acquisitions are associated with a higher rate of dropped deals and increased hostile takeover attempts. Younger CEOs with high testosterone levels tend to reject low offers, even if it's against their interest.

Airline passengers in developing countries face 13 times crash risk as US: INFORMS study

Passengers in developing countries face a 13 times higher risk of being killed in an air accident than those in First World countries. The study also reveals that even the most economically advanced developing-world countries have seven times the death risk per flight as First World countries.

Speed electronic medical record adoption via key medical centers, says Management Science

A new study by INFORMS suggests that persuading influential medical centers to adopt electronic medical records can accelerate the adoption of these systems among neighboring hospitals. The research found that targeting well-known, larger, and older hospitals in densely populated regions can significantly increase the rate of adoption.

Firms pay more to high-skill foreign IT pros than to US colleagues, shows INFORMS study

A new study by Professors Sunil Mithas and Henry C. Lucas, Jr., published in Management Science, found that firms paying higher wages to foreign IT professionals do not depress the salaries of American colleagues. Instead, this practice may actually benefit US companies by leveraging a culturally diverse workforce.

Securities analysts' reports new technology slow adoption, warns study in INFORMS journal

A new study in Organization Science journal suggests that securities analysts' reluctance to recommend investment in new technologies can harm veteran companies. The researchers found that analysts prefer strategies that extend existing technologies over those that directly respond to new technology, with negative implications for mana...

Brainstorming works best in less specialized efforts, says Management Insights study

Research by Stylianos Kavadias and Svenja C. Sommer suggests that brainstorming techniques are more effective when participants from different specialties collaborate to develop simpler products. The study found that in highly technical products, specialists work individually before collaborating through 'nominal' groups.

Silver lining effect study, 'I have some good news and some bad news,' in INFORMS journal

A study published in Management Science found that presenting small gains alongside large losses can improve decision-making by reducing mental pain. The 'Silver Lining Effect' suggests that people prefer separating positive and negative information to mitigate the impact of loss, with more pronounced effects for larger losses.

Iraq troops' PTSD rate as high as 35 percent, says Management Insights study

A new study by Management Insights suggests that Iraq veterans may be experiencing a PTSD rate of up to 35%, doubling the expected rate due to delayed onset and subsequent deployments. The Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences calls for increased mental health resources to care for returning troops.

Military model shows why defeating insurgent groups like Taliban is so difficult

A new study in Operations Research journal highlights the difficulty of defeating insurgent groups like the Taliban, citing the crucial role of timely and accurate military intelligence. The model shows that even good intelligence may only contain the insurgency, not defeat it, and that the government's best option is to achieve a cont...