Omega-international Journal of Management Science最新文献

{"title":"Subsidy policy design for low-carbon products considering production and pricing competition","authors":"Ting Zhang ,&nbsp;Yunzhi Cao ,&nbsp;Jing Cui","doi":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103391","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103391","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Government subsidy plays a crucial role in addressing the funding shortfall of low-carbon technology. This paper establishes a three-stage dynamic game model to investigate the interplay between the design of government subsidy policies and the low-carbon technology selection of two competing manufacturers. The government acts as a leader, strategically allocating subsidies for low-carbon product manufacturers and consumers. The two manufacturers, positioned as followers, make independent decisions regarding the technology they adopt for production and sales. We analytically deduce the equilibrium solutions and conduct numerical experiments to investigate the impact of crucial factors on the economy and environment. The results indicate that an increase in the investment cost for low-carbon technology induces the government to enhance not only the total subsidy amount but also the proportion directly allocated to consumers. Moreover, the manufacturers’ technology selection exhibits a dynamic response to government subsidies. As the subsidy amount increases, the two manufacturers change from both choosing conventional technology to low-carbon technology, which is independent of the recipients of the government subsidy. Interestingly, we find that the two manufacturers may fall into a prisoner’s dilemma regardless of the technology they choose. Adopting low-carbon technology is not always beneficial to the environment, especially when the output of low-carbon products is relatively high.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19529,"journal":{"name":"Omega-international Journal of Management Science","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103391"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144519158","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Free extended warranty service strategies with unequal consumers’ preference on retailing channels","authors":"Lin Li ,&nbsp;Guo Li","doi":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103388","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103388","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The intense competition in product homogeneity has induced a growing number of firms to offer free extended warranty service without additional charge for consumers. This practice can significantly enhance consumer loyalty towards products, which in turn has important implications for firm performance and distribution strategies. We develop a stylized model to investigate whether the manufacturer or the retailer should provide free extended warranty services, considering unequal consumer channel preference where consumers prefer the traditional retail channel over the online channel. Our findings indicate that when the manufacturer offers a free extended warranty service, it may achieve higher profitability by introducing an online channel compared to not offering such a service, even if the online channel preference coefficient is relatively low. Interestingly, when the preference coefficient for the online channel is high, the retailer can strategically deter the manufacturer from opening an online channel by offering a free extended warranty service, provided that the marginal cost of providing this service is negligible. When the manufacturer introduces an online channel, the manufacturer benefits the most from providing a free extended warranty service, while the retailer benefits the most from offering its own free extended warranty service. However, for the entire supply chain, the strategy of the manufacturer providing a free extended warranty service dominates, irrespective of whether the manufacturer introduces an online channel or not.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19529,"journal":{"name":"Omega-international Journal of Management Science","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103388"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144523156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Should a retailer opt for an advance selling strategy? Perspectives from a capital-constrained supply chain","authors":"Yajing Wang ,&nbsp;Jian Li ,&nbsp;Shichao Zhu ,&nbsp;Shouyang Wang ,&nbsp;T.C.E. Cheng","doi":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103380","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103380","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><strong>Problem Definition and Methodology:</strong> The practice of some enterprises using Internet platforms/e-commerce platforms to raise funds for purchasing/producing products through the implementation of advance selling has received widespread attention. Consumer-oriented advance selling financing has emerged as a new financing tool. However, it is evident that not all capital-constrained retailers adopt advance selling financing because of possible influences from upstream producers. Accordingly, we apply a game-theoretic approach to discern how advance selling impacts all stakeholders and the overall performance. The producer first charges the purchasing price, and subsequent inventory financing decisions lie with the retailer, who may opt for trade credit alone (TC), advance selling alone (AS), or a combination of both (AT), assuming the producer offers delayed payments to its downstream.</div></div><div><h3>Results:</h3><div>We find that when adopting the advance selling financing strategy, the retailer should offer consumers an early purchase price discount. When a capital-constrained retailer adopts the advance selling financing strategy, it needs to consider the number of informed consumers. When there are relatively few informed consumers and the product cost is low to moderate, the producer tends to set a lower wholesale price to encourage the retailer to adopt AT to optimize the cash flow. On the contrary, the producer raises the price, prompting the retailer to rely on TC. However, when there are more informed consumers, the retailer is more inclined to adopt AS. At this time, the producer’s pricing strategy cannot influence the retailer’s choice, leaving the producer in a passive position. This indicates that the advance selling strategy is not always beneficial to the producer in a capital-constrained decentralized supply chain, which is inconsistent with the situation in a well-funded supply chain. The model is then extended to a stochastic demand scenario, where, in the context of a large scale of informed consumers, the randomness of market demand significantly alters the revenue structure between the retailer and the producer.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19529,"journal":{"name":"Omega-international Journal of Management Science","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103380"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144471862","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Product bundling strategy and pricing for co-livestreaming rooms considering consumer subscription","authors":"Shoujie Cai ,&nbsp;Sijie Li ,&nbsp;Jingjing Xue ,&nbsp;Xiaohua Han","doi":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103379","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103379","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Livestreaming e-commerce has recently emerged as a highly effective channel for manufacturers and retailers. In co-livestreaming, two streamers from different rooms collaborate to host an event and individually promote products in their respective rooms. Considering consumer subscription type and valuation discount, we explore three co-livestreaming sales strategies: pure component (PC), mixed bundling (MB), and pure bundling (PB), focusing on pricing decisions and sales strategy choices for independent products. Our findings indicate that co-livestreaming does not offer significant advantages over solo-livestreaming when there is sufficient traffic; however, co-livestreaming becomes beneficial when streamers have similar or identical audience types. Regarding consumer loyalty, the room with more loyal subscribers should promote high-value products. When two products have comparable values, PB strategy is preferable with a low proportion of co-subscribers and not too small valuation discount; otherwise, MB is preferred. In addition, both valuation discounts and product value difference significantly influence the choice of co-livestreaming sales strategies. Furthermore, we extend our models to examine co-livestreaming cases involving substitute and complementary products and compare the optimal bundling strategies with those for independent products. Finally, we propose a product assignment and a profit distribution method within co-livestreaming scenarios.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19529,"journal":{"name":"Omega-international Journal of Management Science","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103379"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144490036","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A novel hybrid optimization approach for cost-efficient pump scheduling in water supply systems","authors":"Marlene Brás ,&nbsp;Ana Moura ,&nbsp;António Andrade-Campos","doi":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103378","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103378","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Optimizing pump scheduling in water supply systems (WSS) is crucial for reducing energy costs and improving operational efficiency. This paper presents a detailed analysis of the duty-cycles formulation, a mathematical model of the Pump Scheduling Problem (PSP) that enables a flexible pump operation over the total time horizon. Combined with the Sequential Least Squares Quadratic Programming (SLSQP) gradient-based method, this approach has shown superior computational efficiency and cost savings in previous studies. However, problems, such as a multiplicity of optimal solutions, local minima, and size scalability, were encountered. In addition, this paper introduces a new hybrid method, the Smart Dynamic Local Search (Smart-DLS), designed to overcome the identified challenges. This new approach integrates a deterministic local search with an intelligent shaking process to explore the solution space and avoid local optima efficiently. The framework’s performance is demonstrated through three case studies, including a real-world WSS, achieving significant cost reductions and showing strong generalizability across diverse scenarios. For the AnyTown network, it reaches more than 5%, and for the real network, 3% of cost reduction.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19529,"journal":{"name":"Omega-international Journal of Management Science","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103378"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144337923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Managing life-cycle capacity of cloud computing: Integrating data-driven optimization and inventory theory for capacity investment and retirement","authors":"Rongjinzi Wang ,&nbsp;Jie Song ,&nbsp;Yunzhe Qiu ,&nbsp;Li Su ,&nbsp;Lei Zhu ,&nbsp;Wenli Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103377","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103377","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The burgeoning cloud computing market prompts cloud service providers (CSPs) to offer efficient and potent services, contingent upon the judicious allocation of service resources. The pitfalls of overprovisioning and underprovisioning—wasting cloud resources and diminishing service performance, respectively—result in avoidable economic disparities. This paper delves into the cloud service management conundrum, seeking to uncover the most efficient dynamic investment and retirement strategies throughout the entire life cycle of a cloud service product, encompassing the growth and the decline stages. We formulate three progressive scenarios based on different levels of demand knowledge: deterministic demand, stochastic demand, and a distribution-free demand data. We demonstrate the preserved optimality of time-dependent <span><math><mrow><mo>(</mo><msub><mrow><mi>s</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>t</mi></mrow></msub><mo>,</mo><msub><mrow><mi>S</mi></mrow><mrow><mi>t</mi></mrow></msub><mo>)</mo></mrow></math></span> policies with stochastic demand, and introduce a high-quality Adaptive-Approximation-Algorithm-Based policy that assures a performance guarantee of 3. We also construct a data-driven framework by employing predictive prescriptive methods to execute online investment and retirement strategies with distribution-free demand data. Empirical evidence from Huawei Cloud corroborates that these predictive prescriptive approaches markedly enhance the efficacy of cloud service management, achieving cost reductions and optimized distribution rates.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19529,"journal":{"name":"Omega-international Journal of Management Science","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103377"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144313963","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An outranking relation built on an additive value function preference model: Creating synergy between both paradigms","authors":"Eduardo Fernández ,&nbsp;Jorge Navarro ,&nbsp;Efrain Solares ,&nbsp;Raymundo Díaz ,&nbsp;Victor Manuel Molina Morejón","doi":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103384","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103384","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In multiple criteria decision making, the additive value function model is useful for modeling weak-order preferences, quantitative information about criterion performance, and tradeoffs where disadvantages in some attributes can be compensated by improvements in others. However, major difficulties arise when the value function model must deal with ordinal information in some criteria, highly heterogeneous scales, unacceptably poor criterion performances, and threshold effects leading to intransitive preferences, issues that can be addressed by outranking methods. This paper aims to create synergy between these perspectives. Under certain conditions, the preference relation “at least as good as” can be represented by an additive multi-attribute value function on a subset of the decision set. The value function model can then be extrapolated out of this subset while retaining some information about the “worth” of alternatives which do not belong to it. By extrapolating the value function model and using some additional information, a transitive outranking relation (“the DM has sufficient reasons to justify that “<em>x</em> is at least as good as <em>y</em> and no strong reasons against”) can be defined on a wider subset of the decision set. Using the transitive outranking relation, methods for ranking and ordinal classification (recently called rating) problems are discussed, in which the transitivity of the relation is a valuable feature. Ordinal and measurable value functions are distinguished. In the latter case, the outranking relation is richer, so the cardinality of the incomparability relation could be greatly reduced.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19529,"journal":{"name":"Omega-international Journal of Management Science","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103384"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144330227","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Online joint optimization of order picking process in robotic mobile fulfillment systems","authors":"Guoshuai Jiao ,&nbsp;Min Huang ,&nbsp;Yang Song ,&nbsp;Haobin Li ,&nbsp;Xingwei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103374","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103374","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>A robotic mobile fulfillment system (RMFS) constitutes a highly intricate and interdependent decision-making system, encompassing numerous closely related and interacting decision challenges. Meanwhile, RMFS is a prime example of a dynamic system in which various types of information, such as inventory levels, order backlogs, robot statuses, and pod locations, continuously change throughout operation. This study focuses on the online decision-making process for joint optimization of order assignment, pod selection, and task allocation within RMFS during the order-picking process. Additionally, it considers the influence of current decisions on future decisions to improve online decision-making efficiency. Initially, a dynamic system model for RMFS is developed. Subsequently, a novel mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model is formulated to address this critical order-picking challenge effectively. Furthermore, a customized heuristic approach, employing alternating decision-making and greedy selection techniques, is proposed to overcome computational challenges associated with larger-scale RMFS scenarios. In different scales, the proposed approach outperforms a sequential approach commonly used in practice and a MILP model in existing literature for online joint optimization of order assignment and pod selection. The findings highlight the efficacy of the proposed approach in optimizing the RMFS order-picking process, particularly for larger instances, delivering significant benefits in terms of increased throughput and reduced robot travel distances.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19529,"journal":{"name":"Omega-international Journal of Management Science","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103374"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144291119","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficiency with consent: Permutable queueing in on-demand services","authors":"Tianyu Wang ,&nbsp;Desheng Wu ,&nbsp;Jiaxian Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103361","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103361","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In the context of ride-hailing, efficiency and fairness are at times competing objectives. Ride-hailing service providers use batch matching during non-rush hours and switch to queueing mode during rush hours. Batch matching achieves higher efficiency regardless of when orders are submitted, while in the queueing mode, orders are fulfilled on a first-come, first-served basis at a given pick-up location. This study proposes a permutable queueing mode to improve efficiency under fairness in ride-hailing services during rush hour. In the proposed mode, the sequence of serving orders can be permuted based on customers’ behavior. The mechanism is modeled using a Markov Decision Process and solved by Deep Q-Network with space reduction techniques. Moreover, as a sub-problem of the proposed mode, the study examines the Dial-A-Ride problem in the conventional queueing mode by proposing a polynomial exact algorithm, an asymptotic algorithm, and a heuristic algorithm. Through simulation experiments using real-world data, we observed that queue permutation outperformed the conventional mode in terms of both profitability and customer experience. Managerial insights are derived that virtual queueing does more harm than good, as it does not enhance profits while misleading users during extended waiting periods.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19529,"journal":{"name":"Omega-international Journal of Management Science","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103361"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144313964","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strategic responses to the carbon border adjustment mechanism: When and how to implement a carbon tax","authors":"Xiangyun Chang ,&nbsp;Yongkang Lu ,&nbsp;Ou Tang","doi":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103383","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.omega.2025.103383","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigates when and how a low-carbon-regulated country (LCRC) implements a carbon tax in response to the enforcement of a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) by a high-carbon regulation country (HCRC). In particular, we analyze the roles of carbon cost deductions and free allowances in such policies. Using free allowances as indicators of CBAM policy intensity, we develop a model representing a manufacturer in an LCRC that serves both export (HCRC) and domestic markets. Our results reveal a CBAM intensity threshold that significantly alters the manufacturer’s CBAM costs and decision-making, yielding two distinct scenarios: Scenario PA (costs incurred above the threshold) and Scenario FA (costs not incurred below the threshold). In Scenario PA, introducing a carbon tax leads to higher emission reduction levels, increased export production, and lower total carbon emissions, despite a decline in domestic sales and profits. Conversely, in Scenario FA, the carbon tax reduces emission reduction levels and export production, increasing total carbon emissions. Importantly, we reveal the dynamic relationship between CBAM policy intensity and optimal carbon tax rates, providing a clear map for how the LCRC government should adjust tax rates as CBAM intensity increases. Specifically, we recommend that the LCRC government adopt a carbon tax only when the CBAM policy intensity exceeds the threshold and progressively increase the tax rate in response to a stronger CBAM. Furthermore, carbon tax revenues should be strategically reinvested in emission reduction technologies to foster sustainable growth for domestic manufacturers.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19529,"journal":{"name":"Omega-international Journal of Management Science","volume":"138 ","pages":"Article 103383"},"PeriodicalIF":6.7,"publicationDate":"2025-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144270637","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"管理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}