Richard H. McClure

Using Student Disconfirmation as a Measure of Classroom Effectiveness

Abstract Student satisfaction can be measured through the concept of disconfirmation. Disconfirmation is the difference between expectations concerning a service and the perceived value of the service. Using regression analysis and the concept of disconfirmation, easily interpreted graphical displays can be produced to identify areas that are important to student satisfaction. This article illustrates this technique, using data collected in undergraduate decision sciences courses.

A Model of MBA Student Performance.

A number of regression studies have attempted to predict success in an MBA program. The current study extends the work of previous investigations by proposing a model that incorporates a number of terms which represent interaction of undergraduate grade point average with undergraduate institution and undergraduate major. The resulting model has a significantly largerR2 value then previously reported studies. The largeR2 value is attributed to a more complete model and a careful scrutinizing of the data employed in model construction.

Quantitative Literacy for Undergraduate Business Students in the 21st Century.

The current business environment is awash in vast amounts of data that ongoing transactions continually generate. Leading-edge corporations are using business analytics to achieve competitive advantage. However, educators are not adequately preparing business school students in quantitative methods to meet this challenge. For more than half a century, business schools have relied mostly on a course in calculus and a course in statistics to meet the needs of their students despite an information-based business climate that has changed significantly. The authors propose that educators prepare students in the areas of mathematical modeling and risk management and quantitative skills, teaching them in the context of meaningful business problems.

Modeling multiple criteria in the faculty assignment problem

Abstract This paper describes two multiple criteria models for generating teaching assignments for faculty members. The first model requires faculty members to input utility values for possible teaching schedules while the second model requires that each faculty member only rank order possible teaching schedules. Unlike previously proposed models for this problem, the models described in this paper allow the user to evaluate the impacts and tradeoffs between goals that are associated with each individual faculty member and goals that are associated with the organization as a whole during the faculty assignment process.

Assessing an Academic Major Using a Service Quality Model

Abstract Assessing the quality of academic programs is important if they are to be improved. Assessment is also important for accreditation and justification of resources. In this study, a service quality model is used to assess the quality of a decision sciences major and to identify areas for improvement. Multiple regression and the concept of disconfirmation were used to aid the analysis.

Will the Revised Business Statistics Course Meet the Needs of the Business Faculty

Abstract Currently there is a strong movement to revise the introductory business statistics course to make the course more relevant and appealing to business students. A number of major changes in the traditional course have been recommended. Our concern is that we do not ignore the needs of the instructor who teaches the functional area courses and expects the students to have specific statistical skills. We designed and conducted a survey at Miami University to determine which statistical methods are currently being used in upper level business courses. Our survey results indicate that certain areas of statistical instruction that have been recommended for less emphasis, such as formal theory of probability and statistics, including the testing of hypotheses, are currently being used in a large percentage of the business courses. In addition, at least one proposed addition to the course may be of little interest to the instructor in the functional areas.

A Simulation of the Future Economic Impact of Pension Rate Reductions

Pension rate estimates are important because they provide information to the market, and because they are useful in estimating future cash flows or for other analytical purposes. This is especially true now, because the economic environment has deteriorated to a point that many investors perceive increased uncertainty with respect to pension plans and the effect they have on future income. In fact, several authors in the popular financial press have speculated on the impact of such fundamental changes in pension assets, liabilities, and estimates. Often, however, these articles are sensational, and do not appear to appreciate fully the complexities of pension accounting. In order to model the economic impact of pension rate declines, we develop a two‐period analytical model of pension cost, which allows us to simulate future pension expense and its associated earnings impact using a triangular distribution of rate estimates. In addition, we model the incremental cash contributions required under these estimates in order to maintain the ratio of pension assets to liabilities at 100 percent. Our results indicate that while the pension expense effect is large in both periods across firms with small, mid‐sized and large pension plans, firms with large plans show the greatest increase in pension expense. Interestingly, however, the earnings impact is the smallest for firms with large plans in both periods. In addition, all firms face significantly increased cash funding requirements in order to prevent funding ratios (plan assets scaled by pension liabilities) from deteriorating. These results suggest not only future earnings reductions from pension rate declines, but also a potentially significant cash flow impact as well.

A combined‐methodologies approach to problem solving in management science courses

In this paper it is suggested that an effective way to teach the introductory management science/operations research course is to tie together techniques in solving some fairly complex, realistic problems. A multistage process of analysis called the combined‐methodologies approach (CMA) is proposed. A queueing design problem is given as an example. Its solution requires the use of simulation, regression analysis, and goal programming. The particular techniques applied under CMA are specific to the situation under study. The authors believe the approach will increase student interest and address some criticisms of MS/OR instruction in universities.

Decentralized decision‐making involving multiple criteria: a multiple knapsack formulation

There is a class of multiple criteria problems involving multiple decision‐makers which we call the multiple knapsack problem. Although difficult to solve in its original form, the problem may be readily solved by a different model structure whose elements are obtained from the original problem after decomposition via Lagrangean relaxation. The sub‐problems resulting from the decomposition involve multiple criteria utility functions of unknown form for single decision‐makers. The structure of the resulting sub‐problems is such that the set of feasible alternatives generated for each sub‐problem can, with little effort, be ranked by the decision‐maker and a utility value assigned to a suitable subset of the best alternatives. The subset of best alternatives for each decision‐maker is incorporated into the new model (a master problem) which can supply either optimal or very good solutions to the original problem.