政府补贴下考虑CSR投入的闭环供应链回收及定价决策

在考虑政府回收补贴及零售商CSR投入的情形下,研究零售商主导型闭环供应链的逆向回收渠道选择及定价决策问题。在三种不同回收模式下,分析了政府的回收补贴机制及零售商的CSR投入行为对废旧产品回收及闭环供应链绩效的影响。研究表明无论在何种回收模式下,政府回收补贴不仅能有效降低新产品的批发及零售价格、增强各回收方的废旧产品回收积极性,也能增加闭环供应链成员及系统整体利润。零售商的CSR投入总是有利于扩大新产品市场需求、提高废旧产品回收率。从提高零售商的CSR投入水平及改善闭环供应链整体绩效的角度,在制造商负责废旧产品回收时,政府实施回收补贴机制效果最佳。     

Robust investment–reinsurance optimization with multiscale stochastic volatility

This paper investigates the investment and reinsurance problem in the presence of stochastic volatility for an ambiguity-averse insurer (AAI) with a general concave utility function. The AAI concerns about model uncertainty and seeks for an optimal robust decision. We consider a Brownian motion with drift for the surplus of the AAI who invests in a risky asset following a multiscale stochastic volatility (SV) model. We formulate the robust optimal investment and reinsurance problem for a general class of utility functions under a general SV model. Applying perturbation techniques to the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman–Isaacs (HJBI) equation associated with our problem, we derive an investment–reinsurance strategy that well approximates the optimal strategy of the robust optimization problem under a multiscale SV model. We also provide a practical strategy that requires no tracking of volatility factors. Numerical study is conducted to demonstrate the practical use of theoretical results and to draw economic interpretations from the robust decision rules.     

Upper bounds for ruin probabilities under stochastic interest rate and optimal investment strategies

In this paper, we study the upper bounds for ruin probabilities of an insurance company which invests its wealth in a stock and a bond. We assume that the interest rate of the bond is stochastic and it is described by a Cox-Ingersoll-Ross (CIR) model. For the stock price process, we consider both the case of constant volatility (driven by an O-U process) and the case of stochastic volatility (driven by a CIR model). In each case, under certain conditions, we obtain the minimal upper bound for ruin probability as well as the corresponding optimal investment strategy by a pure probabilistic method.     

On reinsurance and investment for large insurance portfolios

We consider a problem of optimal reinsurance and investment for an insurance company whose surplus is governed by a linear diffusion. The company’s risk (and simultaneously its potential profit) is reduced through reinsurance, while in addition the company invests its surplus in a financial market. Our main goal is to find an optimal reinsurance-investment policy which minimizes the probability of ruin. More specifically, in this paper we consider the case of proportional reinsurance, and investment in a Black-Scholes market with one risk-free asset (bond, or bank account) and one risky asset (stock). We apply stochastic control theory to solve this problem. It transpires that the qualitative nature of the solution depends significantly on the interplay between the exogenous parameters and the constraints that we impose on the investment, such as the presence or absence of shortselling and/or borrowing. In each case we solve the corresponding Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman equation and find a closed-form expression for the minimal ruin probability as well as the optimal reinsurance-investment policy.     

Robust optimal reinsurance–investment strategy with price jumps and correlated claims

This paper considers the robust optimal reinsurance–investment strategy selection problem with price jumps and correlated claims for an ambiguity-averse insurer (AAI). The correlated claims mean that future claims are correlated with historical claims, which is measured by an extrapolative bias. In our model, the AAI transfers part of the risk due to insurance claims via reinsurance and invests the surplus in a financial market consisting of a risk-free asset and a risky asset whose price is described by a jump–diffusion model. Under the criterion of maximizing the expected utility of terminal wealth, we obtain closed-form solutions for the robust optimal reinsurance–investment strategy and the corresponding value function by using the stochastic dynamic programming approach. In order to examine the influence of investment risk on the insurer’s investment behavior, we further study the time-consistent reinsurance–investment strategy under the mean–variance framework and also obtain the explicit solution. Furthermore, we examine the relationship among the optimal reinsurance–investment strategies of the AAI under three typical cases. A series of numerical experiments are carried out to illustrate how the robust optimal reinsurance–investment strategy varies with model parameters, and result analyses reveal some interesting phenomena and provide useful guidances for reinsurance and investment in reality.     

Minimizing the probability of lifetime ruin under stochastic volatility

We assume that an individual invests in a financial market with one riskless and one risky asset, with the latter’s price following a diffusion with stochastic volatility. Given the rate of consumption, we find the optimal investment strategy for the individual who wishes to minimize the probability of going bankrupt. To solve this minimization problem, we use techniques from stochastic optimal control.     

Optimal investment strategy to minimize occupation time

We find the optimal investment strategy to minimize the expected time that an individual’s wealth stays below zero, the so-called occupation time. The individual consumes at a constant rate and invests in a Black-Scholes financial market consisting of one riskless and one risky asset, with the risky asset’s price process following a geometric Brownian motion. We also consider an extension of this problem by penalizing the occupation time for the degree to which wealth is negative.     

Optimal proportional reinsurance and investment with transaction costs, I: Maximizing the terminal wealth

We consider a problem of optimal reinsurance and investment with multiple risky assets for an insurance company whose surplus is governed by a linear diffusion. The insurance company’s risk can be reduced through reinsurance, while in addition the company invests its surplus in a financial market with one risk-free asset and n risky assets. In this paper, we consider the transaction costs when investing in the risky assets. Also, we use Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR) to control the whole risk. We consider the optimization problem of maximizing the expected exponential utility of terminal wealth and solve it by using the corresponding Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation. Explicit expression for the optimal value function and the corresponding optimal strategies are obtained.     

Optimal production strategy under demand fluctuations: Technology versus capacity

This paper provides a comparative analysis of five possible production strategies for two kinds of flexibility investment, namely flexible technology and flexible capacity, under demand fluctuations. Each strategy is underpinned by a set of operations decisions on technology level, capacity amount, production quantity, and pricing. By evaluating each strategy, we show how market uncertainty, production cost structure, operations timing, and investment costing environment affect a firm’s strategic decisions. The results show that there is no sequential effect of the two flexibility investments. We also illustrate the different ways in which flexible technology and flexible capacity affect a firm’s profit under demand fluctuations. The results reveal that compared to no flexibility investment, flexible technology investment earns the same or a higher profit for a firm, whereas flexible capacity investment can be beneficial or harmful to a firm’s profit. Moreover, we prove that higher flexibility does not guarantee more profit. Depending on the situation, the optimal strategy can be any one of the five possible strategies. We also provide the optimality conditions for each strategy.     

Impact of product pricing and timing of investment decisions on supply chain co-opetition

In supply chain co-opetition, firms simultaneously compete and co-operate in order to maximize their profits. We consider the nature of co-opetition between two firms: The product supplier invests in the technology to improve quality, and the purchasing firm (buyer) invests in selling effort to develop the market for the product before uncertainty in demand is resolved. We consider three different decision making structures and discuss the optimal configuration from each firm’s perspective. In case 1, the supplier invests in product quality and sets the wholesale price for the product. The buyer then exerts selling effort to develop the market and following demand potential realization, sets the resale price. In case 2, the supplier invests in product quality followed by the buyer’s investment in selling effort. Then, after demand potential is observed, the supplier sets the wholesale price and the buyer sets the resale price. Finally, in case 3, both firms simultaneously invest in product quality and selling effort, respectively. Subsequently, observing the demand potential, the supplier sets the wholesale price and the buyer sets the resale price. We compare all configuration options from both the perspective of the supplier and the buyer, and show that the level of investment by the firms depends on the nature of competition between them and the level of uncertainty in demand. Our analysis reveals that although configuration 1 results in the highest profits for the integrated channel, there is no clear dominating preference on system configuration from the perspective of both parties. The incentives of the co-opetition partners and the investment levels are mainly governed by the cost structure and the level of uncertainty in demand. We examine and discuss the relation between system parameters and the incentives in desiging the supply contract structure.     

Entropic risk measures and their comparative statics in portfolio selection: Coherence vs. convexity

We conduct a decision-theoretic analysis of optimal portfolio choices and, in particular, their comparative statics under two types of entropic risk measures, the coherent entropic risk measure (CERM) and the convex entropic risk measure (ERM). Starting with the portfolio selection between a risky and a risk free asset (framework of Arrow (1965) and Pratt (1964)), we find a restrictive all-or-nothing investment decision under the CERM, while the ERM yields diversification. We then address a portfolio problem with two risky assets, and provide comparative statics with respect to the investor’s risk aversion (framework of Ross (1981)). Here, both the CERM and the ERM exhibit closely interrelated inconsistencies with respect to the interpretation of their risk parameters as a measure of risk aversion: for any two investors with different risk parameters, it may happen that the investor with the higher risk parameter invests more in the riskier one of the two assets. Finally, we analyze the portfolio problem “risky vs. risk free” in the presence of an independent background risk, and analyze the effect of changes in this background risk (framework of Gollier and Pratt (1996)). Again, we find questionable predictions: under the CERM, the optimal risky investment is always increasing instead of decreasing when a background risk is introduced, while under the ERM it remains unaffected.     

Cooperative and Non-Cooperative Differential Game Solutions to an Investment and Pricing Problem

A monopoly possesses a finite stock of a resource and wishes to determine an optimal pricing policy. The competitive fringe invests in production capacity and wishes to select an optimal investment rate. Demand towards the monopoly depends on price as well as on the sales rate of the competition. Modelling the situation as a differential game, non-cooperative (Nash and Stackelberg) and cooperative (Pareto) equilibria are determined. Owing to the special structure of the game, these solutions can be found in closed form.     

基于投资投入的销售商对供应商激励研究

降低成本的投资是为了改善单位成本的效率. 它保证了单位成本在以后的每个生产过程中均处于较低的水平. 然而,投资的套牢和补偿问题的存在往往会降低供应链投资的积极性. 为解决这个问题,采用Stackelberg博弈的分析思路,分别研究投资能够被观察时和投资不能够被观察时的激励契约,得到如下结论：若销售商进行生产投资,则投资是不足的;若供应商进行生产投资,供应商对生产投资的水平甚至有可能高于链最优的投资水平.     

消费-投资增长模型

本文考虑代表性个体既是消费者,又是投资者,假设收益是不确定的,服从一个随机过程,利用随机优化理论和动力系统,给出消费一投资增长模型．分析均衡点的稳定性,并讨论利率、消费税、收入所得税、市场收益的波动率等参数对它们的影响。     

电商平台主导的E-闭环供应链定价、服务决策与回收模式

E-闭环供应链(E-CLSC)管理须有科学的定价与服务决策支撑。针对集中和分散回收模式,构建电商平台主导的Stackelberg博弈模型,研究E-CLSC定价与平台服务决策。通过对产品销售价格、平台服务水平等均衡策略分析,揭示回收主体投资有效性、回收转移价格等对E-CLSC均衡策略影响。研究表明:集中回收模式优于分散回收模式;在分散回收模式下,若回收主体投资有效性相同,制造商、平台均偏好制造商回收模式;平台回收与第三方回收模式相比,产品销售价格、平台服务水平相同,前者回收渠道效率较高;平台回收模式下,单位佣金与回收转移价格负相关,产品销售价格、平台服务水平、废旧产品回收率均与回收转移价格无关;若回收主体投资有效性差异程度较大,制造商回收模式并非总是最优的,回收主体投资有效性差异显著影响产品销售价格、回收渠道效率、平台服务水平和E-CLSC各成员利润。上述结论通过数值仿真进行了验证。     

A Planning Model for the Development of Waste Material Recycling Programmes

Material recycling is quickly becoming the most visible component of municipal solid waste management systems, and optimization models could play a prominent role in the long-term cost-effective planning of these systems. In this paper, we develop a mixed integer programming model for the recycling of various by-product materials within the overall waste system. This model is solvable on a microcomputer for reasonable problem dimensions, and the planning methodology is applied to a hypothetical municipality to illustrate the potential utility of the developed modelling approach.     

Integrated insurance risk models with exponential Lévy investment

We consider an insurance risk model for the cashflow of an insurance company, which invests its reserve into a portfolio consisting of risky and riskless assets. The price of the risky asset is modeled by an exponential Lévy process. We derive the integrated risk process and the corresponding discounted net loss process. We calculate certain quantities as characteristic functions and moments. We also show under weak conditions stationarity of the discounted net loss process and derive the left and right tail behavior of the model. Our results show that the model carries a high risk, which may originate either from large insurance claims or from the risky investment.     

Portfolio selection with divisible and indivisible assets: Mathematical algorithm and economic analysis

We extend the classic mean-variance framework to a broad class of investment decisions under risk where investors select optimal portfolios of risky assets that include perfectly divisible as well as perfectly indivisible assets. We develop an algorithm for solving the associated mixed-integer nonlinear program and report on the results of a computational study. We then study the mean-variance structure of the investment frontier facing an individual investor in the presence of investment opportunities in both risky divisible and indivisible assets. Finally, we analyze the economic implications of the presence of investment opportunities in risky indivisible assets on the investor’s investment strategy and on his risk evaluation.     

Flexible capacity strategy with multiple market periods under demand uncertainty and investment constraint

We establish a flexible capacity strategy model with multiple market periods under demand uncertainty and investment constraints. In the model, a firm makes its capacity decision under a financial budget constraint at the beginning of the planning horizon which embraces n market periods. In each market period, the firm goes through three decision-making stages: the safety production stage, the additional production stage and the optimal sales stage. We formulate the problem and obtain the optimal capacity, the optimal safety production, the optimal additional production and the optimal sales of each market period under different situations. We find that there are two thresholds for the unit capacity cost. When the capacity cost is very low, the optimal capacity is determined by its financial budget; when the capacity cost is very high, the firm keeps its optimal capacity at its safety production level; and when the cost is in between of the two thresholds, the optimal capacity is determined by the capacity cost, the number of market periods and the unit cost of additional production. Further, we explore the endogenous safety production level. We verify the conditions under which the firm has different optimal safety production levels. Finally, we prove that the firm can benefit from the investment only when the designed planning horizon is longer than a threshold. Moreover, we also derive the formulae for the above three thresholds.     

IMPACTS OF WATER SUPPLY UNCERTAINTY AND STORAGE ON EFFICIENT IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION

In the framework of a stochastic dynamic programming model, the paper investigates the impact of water supply uncertainty and storage at farm level on adoption of efficient irrigation technologies under a flexible water price regime. We find that even a flexible water pricing cannot guarantee higher adoption of efficient irrigation technology in all cases. Results of the paper indicate that if a farmer invests in water storage capacity, then the value of efficient usage of water increases, and the rate of adoption of efficient irrigation technology will be higher. It establishes a complementarity relationship between investments in storage capacity and adoption of efficient irrigation technology. The relationship becomes stronger with increasing variance in water supply. In a situation without any option to store water at the farm level, we find a negative relationship between investment in efficient irrigation technology and water variability. However, numerical analysis results suggest that a risk averse farmer may invest more in efficient irrigation only if the variance in water supply is very high.