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Artikel MS in China
Artikel MS in China
www.elsevier.com/locate/omega
Abstract
The development of management science (MS) in China has been a long and dynamic journey involving many unexpected
events. Beginning in 1955 and continuing through the present, the revolution roughly consisted of four stages. The rst stage
(19551965) was characterized by large-scale campaigns. Critical path method (CPM) and optimum seeking method swept the
country resulting in astonishing economic efciencies. The Cultural Revolution halted MS during the second stage (19661976).
The third stage (19771992), began when the door to the outside world was ofcially opened, but half-closed due to Tiananmen
Incident later, and re-opened again owing to spirit of Deng Xiaopings speech in Southern China. The fourth stage (1992present)
has pushed MS into almost every eld, accelerating national modernization. The impact of research by many scholars is evidenced
through history by examples that include conducting war, building dams, and developing postal service routes.
2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: Management science (MS); Optimum seeking method; Chinese postman problem; Gray system theory; DEA/preference structure
model
1. History
The early systematic formulation of operation research (OR) began in Great Britain as an independent
discipline about 60 years ago. In the days that eventually
led to World War II, the British Air Ministry was facing the pressing challenge of the formidable Air Force
of Nazi Germany. Figuring out how to best deploy the
Royal Air Force to protect the homeland of Britain had
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system and research on decision-making for food production in Henai Province. This book demonstrated
gray LP, gray 0-1 programming, gray NLP, etc. with
computer programs.
There are four cases regarding incomplete system
information: incomplete element (parameter) information; incomplete structure information; incomplete
boundary information; and incomplete operation behavior information. The gray number, of which we
only know a rough range but not the exact number, is
the basic element of the gray system. A gray number is
an internal set or a number set. Gray system analysis,
modeling, forecasting, programming, and controlling
are the main subjects of research for GST. Regarding
reasoning logic and problem solving, GST is entirely
different from probability theory.
The main targets of research are: gray number, gray
unit, and gray relationship. Gray number and its operations, gray matrix, and gray equation are the basics of
GST. All probabilistic numbers are treated as gray numbers within a certain range. No matter how complicated
the system or how scattered the data are interior rules
still exist. GST determines the rules among the data, but
does not look for a probability distribution. The method
of data generation, which includes generation through
accumulated addition or subtraction, makes seemingly
disordered data showing a certain degree of regularity.
Generation through accumulated addition:
Let
X (0) = {X (0) (1)},
i = 1, n.
X(0)
1 < k N .
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up with a series of LP models for evaluating the performance of homogeneous entities (schools, hospitals,
business rms, etc.) that convert inputs into outputs.
In 1996, Joe Zhu proposed the DEA/preference structure model [19]. In his paper, Zhu noted the importance
of considering the DMUs or decision makers preference over the potential adjustments of various inputs
and outputs when DEA is employed. Zhu developed
some weighted, non-radial CCR models by specifying
a proper set of preference weights. These weights
reect the relative degree of desirability of the potential adjustments of current input or output levels. It
is shown that the preference structure prescribes xed
weights (virtual multiplier bounds) or regions that invalidate some virtual multipliers, hence generating preferred (efcient) input and output targets for each DMU.
In addition to providing the preferred target, the approach gives a scalar efciency score for each DMU
to secure comparability. It is also shown how specic
cases of his approach handle non-controllable factors in
DEA and measure allocative and technical efciency. In
addition, Zhu has intensied his model and developed
the related software [2022].
3. Some original practical applications
A variety of practical models and principles have
been applied in different industries and services in
China. The following are some works carried out inside the mainland by Chinese researchers. It should be
noted that there is very little information available regarding actual implementation of these models making
it is hard to tell whether they had an actual effect in
changing the underlying operations.
3.1. CPM/PERT
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method on degree of possibility-satisfaction. The optimum population was analyzed in respect to land, water,
air pollution, energy resources, food, sh, and economic
development. Twenty factors were evaluated based on
the analysis of the degree of possibility-satisfaction, including the need of food per capita, the need of energy resources per capita, and the need of living space
per capita. The six scenarios and the related indicators
of degree of possibility-satisfaction by the year 2080
had also been explored. The concepts and methods of
this book can also be conveyed into other elds. System
dynamics (SD) has been employed to formulate the aggregate quantitative model of national society and economy, which consists of 18 sub-systems with more than
550 equations.
Applications of MS are everywhere: from scheduling bulk-pickup-delivery vehicles in Shanghai [31] to
analytical models of strategic structure for development
of sciences and technology and their applications [32];
to the PC aided network technique [33]; and to green
supply chain management (GSCM) in China [34].
Modeling methods have been widely adopted in the
past 30 years, especially in socioeconomic and managerial areas. In 1990, the State Councils Institute of
Development sponsored the research project of China
in the year 2000. The results were published, in an
800,000 word report, concerning the complicated topics and questions about the economic development in
China. The project posed many great questions such as:
How to achieve the strategic goal of triple GNP? How
to deal with the proportional relationship of accumulation and consumption? What are the effects of technical
progress on the national economy?
The following are some completed national models:
the econometric model,
multi-divisional expanded reproduction,
population and economy coordination development,
the quantitative analysis model of economic structure,
long-term development trends,
the middle to long-term macroeconomic model,
the national education planning model,
energy resources supply systems and decisionmaking,
energy resource supply and demand,
environmental prediction, and
production structure of national agriculture.
Many MS tools have been used in the development and solution of these models; methods include:
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considerable attention. Computer scientists and engineers are developing neural network representations of
existing problems for which new or alternative solutions can be generated. Li and Li [37] and Li and Xu
[38] demonstrate the exibility of neural networks for
modeling and solving diverse mathematical problems
including Taylor series expansion, Weierstrasss rst approximation theorem, LP with single and multiple objectives, and fuzzy mathematical programming. Neural
network representations of these problems may help to
overcome current limitations in nding their solutions.
Li [39] also discusses neural network representation of
linear fuzzy LP problems.
Novel solutions to variations of the general DEA
model have also been sought. Chen [40] examines
the non-linear imprecise DEA (IDEA) model which
occurs when multiple inputs and outputs consist of
imprecise data such as bounded data, ordinal data or
ratio bound data. Chen addresses the non-linearity of
the resulting problem by either using scale transformations or variable alternations to convert it into a linear
program or by solving it by using standard DEA by
converting imprecise data into a set of exact data. In
later work, Chen [41,42] proposes a modied superefciency DEA model which addresses infeasibility
issues in the super-efciency DEA model to correctly
capture super-efciency represented by the input saving
or the output surplus.
Wang et al. [43] propose a projection method for
solving a system of non-linear monotone equations with
convex constraints. Under standard assumptions, the authors show the global convergence and the linear convergence rate of the proposed algorithm. Preliminary
numerical experiments show that this method is efcient
and promising.
To address issues in unimodal optimization, Pan [44]
develops an alternative search plan to the golden ratio
search with a platinum ratio of around 0.55. In a simulation study Pan shows that the golden ratio search is
the best only in the sense of zero variation, but not for
minimizing cost.
Li et al. [45] advocate the application of the equateto-differentiate rule, an alternative to the family of expected utility theory, to the prisoners dilemma. Also,
the authors have successfully tested the theoretical prescriptions derived from theoretical developments in six
experiments.
4.2. Applications in policy-making
Regional economic issues in China have been modeled by Zheng et al. [46]. Their work applies the basic
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5. Trends
Clearly one of the most obvious trends in the short
MS/OR history has been its dramatic increase in its
popularity in China. MS/OR has been either an odd
obsession of Ivory Tower mavericks or high stake
decision-making that affects the lives of millions [76].
Today, with the widespread software availability and
endless supply of college educated workers, MS/OR has
become an overnight success. Private enterprise is increasingly feeling the squeeze of erce competition and
the ever-increasing cost of labor and raw material and
is turning to MS/OR in search of higher operations efcacy and competitive advantages. Most of these private
enterprises willingly accept the fact that change, sometimes rather difcult ones, have to be made to survive
in the present Chinese economic system. State-owned
strategic manufacturing and service industries (such as
steel, petrochemical, banking, and railroad), have also
witnessed widespread adoption of MS/OR principles in
production scheduling, supply chain management, delivery, and inventory management.
The Chinese economic life has been dominated by
state owned enterprises and as a result most MS research and practical applications have been conducted
within these enterprises. It was not until very recently
that purely private enterprises were also involved in
MS research and most importantly in its practical applications. Most MS research has been conducted with
fairly well-dened mathematical models and optimization objectives, which have resulted in measurable performance improvements. The explosive growth in the
information technology industry and information networks has made it possible to make near real-time optimization and increase MS/OR exibility [77]. We can
see this in examples all over the world.
The rigid social structure and the Chinese tendency of categorical formalism have also hindered the
MS/OR development. This rigidness occurs both in
the academic and practical realms. From the the Four
Modernizations to Ten Dos and Do Nots to Four
Thoughts, the Chinese fondness of such paradigms is
endless. The traditional division between academic research and labor has encouraged researchers to perform
mainly pure mathematical studies. Until a short time
ago, papers on practical implementation on MS/OR
have been deemed unt to be published in major
academic journals. Maybe this was back in the book
burning days! This was considered due to the lacking of theoretical study. How unfortunate! Luckily,
Chinese society has gone through transformational
changes recently. It is pleasing and wonderful to see
practical application in the academic world in the mid1980s. There are many application areas which include
energy, population, agriculture, environment, ecology,
national economic planning, defense, business administration, large-scale scientic projects, education, and
traditional Chinese medical science.
Chinas history is spectacular and they have made
great contributions to the world. From the origins of
civilization to the present day, 4000 years of Chinas
history is amazing. There are about 20,000 researchers
in the Fuzzy Set Theory arena around the world, half of
them are Chinese! The potential contribution of Chinese
scholars to the area is very optimistic. MS/OR has been
and will be playing a signicant role in Chinas four
modernizations and harmony society!
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