GOALI: Retail and Direct Internet Channels: Incentives, Contracts and Behaviors

这笔赠款提供资金，通过制定结构化协议（合同）和规定有效的管理做法，优化实体零售商和互联网网络商店的分散式供应商-零售商系统的组织。基于博弈论的建模将用于理解管理此类系统所需的原则。基于人类受试者的经济学实验，受试者根据他们扮演制造商和零售商角色的程度获得报酬，将用于确定理论建模揭示的原则与真实的人类决策者的关系。此外，将通过经济学实验来检验理论认为有效的合同，以验证其有效性。该研究将允许设计实践，以协调决策并调整分散的供应链中的激励措施。为供应链实验开发的软件将被改编为教学工具。该项目旨在在商业、科学和教育三个领域创造效益。主要目标是发现更好的销售管理实践，例如帮助协调决策以消除效率低下的合同。一旦实施，零售商系统将通过更好地协调激励措施、更有效地利用信息和减少库存，以更低的成本向更广泛的消费者群体分销商品。基于博弈论的分析模型和经济学实验相结合的方法也将为分析供应链合同问题提供一种新的方法。特别是，该理论和人类的战略行为将通过这种混合方法连接起来。为实验开发的软件将被重新用于研究相关的后续研究。最后，通过经济学实验为学生和管理人员提供实践和角色扮演经验，将加强供应和渠道管理的教学。

This grant provides funding to optimize the organization of a decentralized manufacturer-retailer system with physical retailers and Internet web-based stores by developing structured agreements (contracts) and prescribing effective management practices. Game theory based modeling will be used to understand the principles required to managing such systems. Human subjects based economics experiments, in which subjects are paid according to how well they play the roles of manufacturers and retailers, will be used to determine how well the principles uncovered by theoretical modeling hold with real human decision makers. In addition, contracts suggested by theory as efficient will be tested with economics experiments to verify their validity. The research will allow for the design of practices that will coordinate decisions and align incentives in fragmented supply chains. Software developed for supply chain experimentation will be adapted as a teaching tool.This project aims to create benefits in three areas: business, science and education. The primary goal is to discover better sales management practices, such as contracts that help coordinate decisions to eliminate inefficiencies. When and if implemented, the manufacturer-retail systems will distribute goods to a wider consumer base with lower costs through better alignment of incentives, more efficient use of information and reduction in inventory. The methodology, a combination of game theory based analytical modeling and economics experiments will also provide a new approach to analyze supply chain contracting issues. In particular, the theory and human strategic behavior will be bridged by this hybrid approach. The software developed for experiments will be re-used to study related follow-on research. Finally, providing students and managers with hands-on, role-play experience through economics experiments will enhance teaching of supply and channel management.