A unique book that specifically addresses equitable resource allocation problems with applications in communication networks, manufacturing, emergency services, and more Resource allocation problems focus on assigning limited resources in an economically beneficial way among competing activities. Solutions to such problems affect people and everyday activities with significant impact on the private and public sectors and on society at large. Using diverse application areas as examples, Equitable Resource Allocation: Models, Algorithms, and Applications provides readers with great insight into a topic that is not widely known in the field. Starting with an overview of the topics covered, the book presents a large variety of resource allocation models with special mathematical structures and provides elegant, efficient algorithms that compute optimal solutions to these models. Authored by one of the leading researchers in the field, Equitable Resource Allocation: Is the only book that provides a comprehensive exposition of equitable resource allocation problems Presents a collection of resource allocation models with applications in communication networks, transportation, content distribution, manufacturing, emergency services, and more Exhibits practical algorithms for solving a variety of resource allocation models Uses real-world applications and examples to explain important concepts Includes end-of-chapter exercises Bringing together much of the equitable resource allocation research from the past thirty years, this book is a valuable reference for anyone interested in solving diverse optimization problems.

Joseph L. Bower and Clark G. Gilbert have collected together some of the leading experts on strategy to examine how strategy is actually made by company managers across the several levels of an organization. Is strategy a coherent plan conceived at the top by a visionary leader, or is it formed by a series of smaller decisions, not always reflecting what top management has in mind? Often it is by examining how options for using resources are developed and selected, that we can see how a company's competitive position gets shaped. On the basis of this understanding, we can see better how these processes can be managed. The book's five sections examine how the resource allocation process works, how the way it works can lead a company into serious problems, how top management can intervene to fix these problem, and where the most recent thinking on these problems is headed. A fifth section contains assessments of this work by thought leaders in the fields of economics, competitive strategy, organizational behavior, and strategic management. The implications for those who study firms are considerable. Activity that is normally thought about in terms of substantive outcomes such as market share and revenue growth, or present value and internal rate of return, is seen to be inextricably related to organizational and administrative questions. The findings presented here should inform the research of economists, strategists, and behavioral scientists. Thoughtful executives and those who consult with them will also find the book provocative. The processes described are complex, but clear enough so that the way toward effective management is apparent. The models developed provide a basis for building the systems and organization necessary for today's competitive world.

Offers guidance for implementing reforms in the allocation of resources in colleges and universities