Call for Papers: Intelligent Search Engines (Machine Learning with Applications)

Revolutionising Search Experience: Intelligent Search Engines Powered by Artificial Intellgence and Machine Learning

Special issue on: Revolutionising Search Experience: Intelligent Search Engines Powered by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning

Journal: Machine Learning with Applications  

Guest Editors:
Professor Ali Emrouznejad, Director of Centre for Business Analytics in Practice, Surrey Business School, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, UK, a.emrouznejad@surrey.ac.uk

Professor Vincent Charles, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK, c.vincent3@bradford.ac.uk

Details: https://bit.ly/MLWA-SearchEngine

Intelligent Search Engines

In recent years, intelligent search engines have transformed the way we search, discover, and consume information online by utilising Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) technologies to deliver search results that are more precise, relevant, and personalised. While traditional search engines rely on predefined algorithms based on keyword matching and ranking factors that can often result in irrelevant or incomplete search results, intelligent search engines use AI and ML algorithms to comprehend the intention behind a user’s search query and offer more accurate, relevant, and personalised results, leading to more efficient and effective information retrieval, and consequently, increased user adoption. Natural Language Processing (NLP), Natural Language Understanding (NLU), and analysis of various signals such as search history, location, device type, preferences, and user behaviour are used by intelligent search algorithms to better understand what users are looking for. Moreover, existing AI- and ML-based search engines often exhibit biases, which are a result of the training data, the algorithms and sample used, and the user behaviour, among others. Hence, developing new AI- and ML-based search engines that are unbiased, transparent, inclusive, and ethical is crucial for ensuring fair and equitable access to information, and require a multi-faceted approach that involves careful attention to the design, development, and evaluation of such intelligent search engines. As the complexity of intelligent search engines increases, it is also important to consider issues related to the privacy and security of users’ sensitive personal data collected by the engines, along with transparency and accountability issues. Thus, developing intelligent search engines with enhanced transparency, privacy, and security systems is imperative.

The aim of this special issue on “Revolutionising Search Experience: Intelligent Search Engines Powered by Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning” is to bring together cutting-edge research on the latest advancements in intelligent search engines and their potential to revolutionise the search experience for users. We welcome researchers and practitioners to submit their contributions and share their innovative research on the latest advancements in intelligent search engines.

Scope of the Special Issue: Topics include, but are not limited to:

  • AI and ML algorithms for search relevance and personalisation
  • AI and ML algorithms for search engine optimisation
  • AI and ML algorithms for more inclusive and equitable search engines
  • AI and ML algorithms for enhancing the transparency, privacy, and security of search engines
  • Recommender systems for search engines
  • NLP and NLU techniques for intelligent search
  • Semantic web and knowledge graphs for intelligent search
  • User behaviour analysis for personalised search
  • Search intent and context analysis
  • Conversational search and chatbots
  • Integration of intelligent search engines with other technologies, such as voice search and virtual assistants
  • Use cases and real-world applications of intelligent search engines in various domains, such as e-commerce, finance, marketing and advertising, healthcare, education, travel and hospitality, and government and public services, among others
  • Evaluation metrics for intelligent search, including new evaluation metrics for assessing the fairness and inclusivity of search engines

We welcome both theoretical and practical contributions from academia and industry. All submitted papers will be peer-reviewed and selected based on their originality, significance, and technical quality.

About MLWA journal and Publication fee:

Although the journal Machine Learning with Applications is an Open Access journal, publication fees will be waived for the articles published in this Special Issue. More on the MLWA journal can be found at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/machine-learning-with-applications.

Important Dates:

  • Submission deadline: August 31, 2023
  • Notification of first round of review results: October 31, 2023
  • Submission of revised papers: November 20, 2023
  • Final acceptance decisions notifications: December 21, 2023

Submission Guidelines:

All papers must be submitted through the journal’s online submission system. Please follow the journal’s author guidelines for formatting and other details at: https://www.editorialmanager.com/mlwa/.

When submitting your manuscript please select the name of the special issue: “VSI: Intelligent Search Engines

Details: http://DEAzone.com/MLWA-SearchEngine

Why publish in this Special Issue?

  • Special Issue articles are published together on ScienceDirect, making it incredibly easy for other researchers to discover your work.
  • Special content articles are downloaded on ScienceDirect twice as often within the first 24 months than articles published in regular issues.
  • Special content articles attract 20% more citations in the first 24 months than articles published in regular issues.
  • All articles in this special issue will be reviewed by no fewer than two independent experts to ensure the quality, originality and novelty of the work published.
  • Learn more about the benefits of publishing in a special issue:
     https://www.elsevier.com/authors/submit-your-paper/special-issues 
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cbap/

Professor Rajiv Banker

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

It is with profound sadness that we share the news of Professor Rajiv Banker’s passing. As an exceptional scholar in the field of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), Professor Banker made unparalleled contributions to the field and the wider academic community. His outstanding research, expertise, and unwavering dedication to advancing the field of DEA will be remembered for generations to come.

Professor Banker’s legacy will undoubtedly live on through his published works and the countless students and colleagues he mentored and inspired. We offer our deepest sympathies to his family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time.

We will greatly miss Professor Banker’s presence, insightful contributions, and commitment to advancing the field. Let us take comfort in the knowledge that his contributions will continue to benefit the academic community and society at large.

Ali Emrouznejad and Subhash Ray

International Conference on Data Envelopment Analysis, Surrey Business School, University of Surrey, UK, September 4-6, 2023

Celebrating the 45th Anniversary of DEA,
https://DataEnvelopment.com/DEA45

CALL FOR PAPERS
Dear Colleagues,

We have the great pleasure of inviting you to participate in the DEA45: International Conference on Data Envelopment Analysis to be held September 4-6, 2023 at Surrey Business School, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK. The University of Surrey is located on a landscaped campus on the outskirts of Guildford. London is only 35 minutes away by train and its major airports of Heathrow and Gatwick are both within easy reach, giving ready access from all over the world. Please see call for papers at https://dataenvelopment.com/dea45/.  

DEA: 45 years on
In the seminal paper, Charnes, Cooper, and Rhodes (European Journal of Operational Research 2, 429-444, 1978) introduced DEA as a linear programming based method for measuring the comparative efficiency of decision making units (DMUs). Since then DEA has seen exponential growth in both theoretical development and applications. Thousands of papers have been published extending the methodology to address numerous aspects of real life problems. Applications though lagging behind theory are nevertheless well established, ranging from the regulation of utilities to the delivery of financial, health, education and other public and private sector services. Following the DEA40 conference at Aston University in 2018, which celebrated the 40th anniversary of the seminal paper on DEA,  we are now organizing the DEA45 conference in 2023 on the 45th Anniversary of that, the most frequently cited paper in Operational Research journals.

Outline of the Conference
The conference will feature: Papers on the latest research in the field;Applications focused tracks including on Regulation, Agriculture, Education, Financial and Health Services;Round table discussions aimed at early career researchers where former or  current Editors of Journals in the field, including the European Journal of Operational Research and the Journal of Productivity Analysis will offer advice on getting published;

Conference program:
September 4, 2023: Opening Ceremony + Full Day Conference + Welcome Reception
September 5, 2023: Full Day Conference + Gala Dinner
September 6, 2023: Half Day Conference + Closing Ceremony Submissions: More information about the scientific and social program of the conference as well as paper submission can be found at https://DataEnvelopment.com/DEA45.

Submission deadline is March 31, 2023.

We look forward to seeing you at the DEA Conference in Guildford, UK!!

Ali Emrouznejad, Professor and Director, Centre for Business Analytics in Practice, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK

Emmanuel Thanassoulis, Emeritus Professor, Aston Business School, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
 

4th IMA and OR Society Conference on Mathematics of Operational Research, BIRMINGHAM 27-28 APRIL 2023

Call for Papers: Papers will be considered for the conference based on a 300 word abstract for oral presentation. Abstracts should be submitted by Monday 19 December 2022

Submission Info:
https://ima.org.uk/20140/4thmathsofor/

You can submit your paper to the IMA Journal of Management Mathematics (IMAMAN). https://academic.oup.com/imaman

Call for papers: Environmental Science and Policy; Special issue on “DEA-based index systems for addressing the United Nations’ SDGs”

Guest editors:

Vincent Charles, School of Management, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK,

Ali Emrouznejad, Centre for Business Analytics in Practice, Surrey Business School, The University of Surrey, Guildford, UK,

Details: https://deazone.com/en/envsci

Submission:https://www.editorialmanager.com/envsci/

The global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015, as extensions of the UN Millennium Development Goals. These SDGs contain 17 goals and 169 targets aimed at “ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity for all” (UN, 2018). Governments, private companies, organisations, and civil societies have been challenged to work together until 2030 to accelerate the progress towards achieving sustainable development.

Special issue information:

Achieving sustainable development is, therefore, a massive, complex, and ongoing task and one of the first steps in the assessment of whether goals can be met by 2030 involves the development of methods and tools to monitor the SDGs’ progress (Cristóbal et al., 2021; Nhamo et al., 2020). However, quantifying the level of sustainability attained by a system (be it a nation, region, sector, or business) is a challenging task due to the need to consider a wide range of economic, environmental, and social aspects simultaneously (Galán-Martín et al., 2016).

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) has been shown to be a well-established promising tool for such purposes, especially because it considers each sustainability dimension separately and can handle a large number of indicators. DEA is an optimisation-based management science technique for identifying the best practices of a group of decision-making units (DMUs) whose performance is categorised by multiple performance metrics that are classified as inputs and outputs. The construction of composite indicators, in particular, is a stream of research in the DEA literature for assessing sustainable development that has been gaining traction in recent times (Zakari et al., 2022). This is because indices are easy to communicate and can measure multi-dimensional concepts that may not share common units of measurement.

Studies aimed at examining sustainability using DEA have started to emerge (Chuai et al., 2021; Xu & Yao, 2022), although they are still scarce. However, when it comes to building (composite) indices using DEA, most of the existing studies have only looked at a specific dimension of the SDGs, for example, food supply/SDG2 (Lucas et al., 2021), health/SDG3 (Habib & Shahwan, 2020), energy/SDG7 (Zakari et al., 2022), or CO2 emissions/SDG13 (De Castro Camioto et al., 2014).

Therefore, the topic of this Special Issue is very timely, and it is expected that contributed articles will be of interest to a wide audience, from academics to practitioners, NGOs, and governmental bodies. It is expected that the research papers will assist relevant decision and policymakers in their attempt to measure sustainability and design policies aimed at raising the level of efficiency of current SDG policies, identifying and engaging in best practices, and allocating governmental resources – ultimately, with the overarching aim of achieving sustainable development.

This Special Issue welcomes original research articles of high quality that focus on building robust DEA-based index systems to measure and benchmark the SDGs across a variety of empirical contexts. The papers can use different theoretical lenses in the way they approach the conceptualisation and measurement of sustainability. For example, the papers can build upon literature on institutional theory, participation and community development, and global value chains, among others. Theoretical, conceptual, methodological, and empirical research studies are encouraged. The development of new or enhanced solutions are of considerable interest. Contributions from both the academic and the practitioner communities are supported.

Manuscript submission information:

Submission Deadline: July 31, 2023

You are invited to submit your manuscript at any time before the submission deadline. For any inquiries about the appropriateness of contribution topics, please contact Managing Guest Editor: Prof. Vincent Charles.

The journal’s submission platform (Editorial Manager®) is now available for receiving submissions to this Special Issue. Please refer to the Guide for Authors to prepare your manuscript and select the article type of “VSI:DEA for SDGs” when submitting your manuscript online.

References:

Cristóbal, J., et al. (2021). Unraveling the links between public spending and Sustainable Development Goals: Insights from data envelopment analysis. Science of The Total Environment, 786, 147459. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.147459

Chaudhry, I. S., Ali, S., Bhatti, S. H., Answer, M. K., Khan, A. I., & Nazar, R. (2021). Dynamic common correlated effects of technological innovations and institutional performance on environmental quality: Evidence from East-Asia and Pacific countries. Environmental Science & Policy, 124, 313-323. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2021.07.007

Chuai, X., Gao, R., Li, J., Guo, X., Lu, Q., Zhang, M., Zhang, X., & Liu, Y. (2021). A new meta-coupling framework to diagnose the inequity hidden in China’s cultivated land use. Environmental Science & Policy, 124, 635-644. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2021.08.001

De Castro Camioto, F., Barberio Mariano, E., & do Nascimento Rebelatto, D. A. (2014). Efficiency in Brazil’s industrial sectors in terms of energy and sustainable development. Environmental Science & Policy, 37, 50-60. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2013.08.007

Galán-Martín, A., Guillén-Gosálbez, G., Stamford, L., & Azapagic, A. (2016). Enhanced data envelopment analysis for sustainability assessment: A novel methodology and application to electricity technologies. Computers & Chemical Engineering, 90, 188-200. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compchemeng.2016.04.022

Habib, A. M., & Shahwan, T. M. (2020). Measuring the operational and financial efficiency using a Malmquist data envelopment analysis: a case of Egyptian hospitals. Benchmarking: An International Journal, 27(9), 2521-2536. https://doi.org/10.1108/BIJ-01-2020-0041

Lucas, E., Galán-Martín, A., Pozo, C., Guo, M., & Guillén-Gosálbez, G. (2021). Science of The Total Environment. 755, Part 1, 142826. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.142826

Nhamo, L., Mabhaudhi, T., Mpandeli, S., Dickens, C., Nhemachena, C., Senzanje, A., Naidoo, D., Liphadzi, S., & Modi, A. T. (2020). An integrative analytical model for the water-energy-food nexus: South Africa case study. Environmental Science & Policy, 109, 15-24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2020.04.010

Sarra, A., Mazzocchitti, M., & Nissi, E. (2020). Optimal regulatory choices in the organization of solid waste management systems: Empirical evidence and policy implications. Environmental Science & Policy, 114, 636-444. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2020.09.004

Retrieved from https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/indicators/Global%20Indicator%20Framework%20after%20refinement_Eng.pdf

Xu, Z., & Yao, L. (2022). Opening the black box of water-energy-food nexus system in China: Prospects for sustainable consumption and security. Environmental Science and Policy. Environmental Science & Policy, 127, 66-76. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2021.10.017

Keywords:

Sustainable development goals, economic dimension, social dimension, environmental dimension, best practice, policy, optimisation, benchmarking, composite indicators, data envelopment analysis

Learn more about the benefits of publishing in a special issue: https://www.elsevier.com/authors/submit-your-paper/special-issues

Submission deadline: July 31, 2023

Special Issue Editors:

 Professor V. Charles
c.vincent3@bradford.ac.uk
School of Management,
University of Bradford,
Bradford,
UK 
Professor A. Emrouznejad
Centre for Business Analytics in Practice
a.emrouznejad@surrey.ac.uk  Surrey Business School,
The University of Surrey,
Guildford,
UK

Surrey Business School: Management and Business (PhD Studentships – October 2023)

Studentships are available for full-time and part-time study on the Management and Business PhD at Surrey Business School.

Our PhD in Management and Business will train you in critical and analytical skills, research methods, and in discipline-specific knowledge that will give you the knowledge, skills and abilities needed for a career in academia, or as a researcher in a wide variety of settings. You could also benefit from our choice of writing a traditional dissertation monograph or by following a PhD by publication format, so your work suits your interests. The programme will give you the intellectual foundation to ask cutting-edge questions and then conduct high-quality research to address those questions.
Surrey Business School is internationally recognised for interdisciplinary, international and applied research. Our researchers work closely with industry and pursue a variety of approaches with staff across the School, often leading to innovative new thinking. 

The Research Excellence Framework 2021 (REF2021) saw the University of Surrey moving up 12 places to 33rd in the UK rankings for overall research quality. The University is now also ranked in the top 20 in the UK for the overall quality of research outputs. 41 per cent of Surrey’s submitted research rated as world-leading, the highest possible rating, up from 22 per cent when REF last took place in 2014.
As part of REF2021, Surrey was ranked in the top 10 for the outputs and top 20 for the real-world impact of our business research.

Find out more about the Surrey Business School and its facilities.

Application deadline: 09 December 2022

Apply to the Management and Business PhD programme.

The funding application form (docx) should be completed electronically and returned to Wai-Si El-Hassan (sbs@surrey.ac.uk). Please note that this form should be signed by your nominated supervisor before submission.

The deadline for applications is 9 December 2022. Late applications will not be accepted. Applicants will also need to apply to the University of Surrey through the PhD programme page, clearly stating that you are applying for the Surrey Business School doctoral studentships 2023.

Topic of research: Any area in Business and Management, specially Data Envelopment Analysis, Big Data, Energy Efficiency  and NetZero.

Start date: 1 October 2023
Duration: 3 years full-time (pro rata part-time)
Funding source: University of Surrey (FASS studentships)
Funding information: The funding package is for 3 years full-time (pro rata part-time) and is:

  • Stipend at the standard UKRI rate  – £16,000 for 2022-23 (pro-rata for part time)
  • Full UK or Overseas fees waiver

Online DEA & SFA course – 3 days – July 2023

Online Courses on:

Performance Measurement Using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) & Stochastic Frontier Analysis (SFA)

Details: https://dataenvelopment.com/course/

DATA ENVELOPMENT ANALYSIS COURSE:
July, 2023

STOCHASTIC FRONTIER ANALYSIS COURSE:
July 2023

For registration and further details please visit: https://dataenvelopment.com/course/

Early registration fee
31st May 2023

Details: https://dataenvelopment.com/course/

Two-day workshop on “System Approach to Efficiency and Productivity Measurement: Multi-Level Network Production Models”

The Centre for Efficiency and Productivity Analysis (CEPA) at the School of Economics, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia is organizing two events this coming November (21-24 November 2022).

On November 21-22 CEPA will run a two-day workshop on “System Approach to Efficiency and Productivity Measurement: Multi-Level Network Production Models”. The workshop will be delivered over eight lectures by Prof. Chris O’Donnell and Dr. Antonio Peyrache in hybrid mode (both online and face-to-face) to facilitate participation. 

For more detailed information and the link to the registration page see: https://economics.uq.edu.au/cepa/events/efficiency-productivity-workshop

On November 23-24 CEPA will host a two-day conference on “Productivity, Regulation and Economic Policy”. The conference theme will showcase cutting edge research relevant for policy making on topics such as regulation of energy markets, natural resources allocation, land and housing affordability, and selected topics in health inequality and health sector productivity. 

The conference will be held in hybrid mode (both online and face-to-face) to facilitate participation. Attendance of the conference is free; however, registration is required. 

For more detailed information and the link to the registration page see: https://economics.uq.edu.au/cepa/events/productivity-regulation-economic-policy-conference

Call for papers: OR Spectrum; Special issue on “Advancements in Stochastic DEA and Environmental Efficiency Applications”

Guest editors:

Ali Emrouznejad, Surrey Business School, The University of Surrey, Guildford, UK,
Vincent Charles, School of Management, University of Bradford, Bradford, UK,

Submission deadline: July 31, 2022

The twenty-first century demands an urgent balance of economic and social development, as well as environmental protection and stewardship. Higher energy consumption is required to support the continued growth of the human population and rising living standards. However, this primarily leads to increased pollution and waste from industrial, agricultural, and construction activities alike, to name a few. Moreover, the public‘s attention is increasingly focused on addressing environmental problems caused by pollution, such as GHG emissions, which in turn has increased the focus on environmental efficiency evaluation in recent years.

Stochastic Data Envelopment Analysis (SDEA) can assist in determining how to achieve this balance. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is a popular tool for analysing and measuring efficiency in both the public and private sectors. DEA considers multiple-input and multiple-output situations and compares the relative efficiency of factor input and output of multiple similar entities, also known as decision-making units (DMUs). In its original configuration, DEA is a non-stochastic tool that assumes all input and output data are quantitative, with specified numerical values; in other words, they are both deterministic and noise-free. In real-world applications, however, inputs and outputs are frequently of a stochastic nature, fluctuating over time, making it difficult to establish precise numbers for them based on the limited historical data. The introduction of SDEA, in which the possibility of noise in the data and the consideration of measurement errors and specification errors are explicitly taken into account, has been found to be efficient in dealing with and measuring the uncertainties in one or more DMUs.

The purpose of an SDEA approach under these circumstances is straightforward. Achieving environmental sustainability is fraught with uncertainty, which can manifest itself in a variety of ways, including process activities, resource consumption, and emissions across the value chain, among other things. The outstanding feature of most existing studies dealing with environmental efficiency analysis is that they model variables such as wasting water, GHG emissions, the production of useless solid materials, etc. as deterministic variables. As mentioned, DEA models with stochastic settings have been developed to accommodate both inefficiency and the presence of noise, measurement errors, and specification errors. But then again, despite substantial progress with SDEA approaches, research focusing on the use of SDEA to address environmental efficiency across domains is rather scarce.

Against this background, this Special Issue aims to compile original research articles of high quality that focus on recent advancements in SDEA and environmental efficiency applications. Theoretical, conceptual, methodological, and empirical research studies are all of interest. Contributions from both the academic and the practitioner communities are encouraged. In order to not only bring together the most recent knowledge but also to close the gap between scientific research and practical impact, we especially encourage contributions that are implementation-focused, i.e., with real-world data experiments, pilots, and industry collaborations.

Specific topics/applications of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Environmental efficiency of countries and regions
  • Environmental efficiency of energy and carbon dioxide emissions  
  • Environmental efficiency of regional or national energy production
  • Environmental efficiency in the context of the green economy or circular economy and the sustainability of supply chains
  • Environmental efficiency of manufacturing firms
  • Environmental efficiency of construction companies
  • Environmental efficiency of maritime companies
  • Environmental efficiency of container ports
  • Environmental efficiency of (electric) fossil fuels
  • Environmental efficiency of oil and gas companies
  • Environmental efficiency of chemical and pharmaceutical companies
  • Environmental efficiency of regional or national transportation systems
  • Environmental efficiency in agriculture (at farm-level, crop-level, etc.)
  • Environmental efficiency in aviation

Specific methods of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Stochastic DEA (with a consideration of stochastic inputs and outputs, desirable and undesirable stochastic inputs and outputs, etc.)
  • Stochastic cross-efficiency DEA
  • Stochastic network DEA
  • Chance-constrained DEA
  • Satisficing DEA
  • Stochastic frontier analysis
  • Stochastic programming
  • StoNED DEA
  • State-contingent approaches

Submission Guidelines and Review Process

Papers must be submitted at http://www.editorialmanager.com/orsp/  by July  31st, 2023. Authors should select “S.I.: Stochastic DEA & Environmental Efficiency” during the submission step ‘Additional Information.’ All papers submitted to this special issue should report original work and contribute to the journal OR Spectrum by using a quantitative research paradigm and OR methods. According to the aims of OR Spectrum, high quality papers are sought that match the scope of the journal, demonstrate rigor in the application of state-of-the-art OR techniques, and promise to impact the future work of the OR community.

Papers will be screened by the Editor-in-Chief and one Special Issue Editor. If the paper is deemed to be of sufficient quality, it will be peer-reviewed according to the standards of OR Spectrum by at least two experienced reviewers. We will adopt a rapid and fair review process, striving to provide reviews within three months of submission. Accepted papers will be available online prior to publication of the special issue.

Special Issue Editors:

 Professor A. Emrouznejad a.emrouznejad@surrey.ac.uk  Surrey Business School,
The University of Surrey,
Guildford,
UK  
Professor V. Charles
c.vincent3@bradford.ac.uk
School of Management,
University of Bradford,
Bradford,
UK

Call for Exclusive Book Chapters: Decision Making Optimization Models for Business Partnerships: Data Envelopment Analysis and Parametric Approaches”

Editors:

Gholam R. Amin and Mustapha Ibn Boamah, Faculty of Business, University of New Brunswick, Saint John, Canada

Submission deadline: 30 April 2023

Decision making optimization models for business partnerships are essential, as businesses seldom have all of the resources they need, and thus they require alliances and partnerships with others to enable them to meet their goals. A book on optimal business partnership models, with foundations in management science and economic theory, would therefore be an important resource in understanding and quantifying business partnership gains. Many studies emphasize the importance of business partnerships. However, literature on partnership optimization is quite limited. The proposed new book will cover recent developments in decision making as it relates to business partnerships using data envelopment analysis (DEA), inverse DEA, and other decision-making methods, including parametric approaches. As introduced in Charnes et al. (1978), DEA can be safely viewed as one of the success stories of operations research and management science for evaluating relative efficiency of decision-making units (DMUs) in the presence of multiple inputs and multiple outputs. Research in recent years and outputs required for business partnerships to achieve given efficiency targets.
The objective of this edited book is to develop new DEA and other decision-making optimization models to answer key questions related to business partnerships that would be of interest to business firms, policy makers, and practitioners in areas such as firms’ restructuring, resource allocation, environment and climate change, pollution minimization, and gain maximization from mergers and acquisitions. The book:

  1. will introduce DEA models to estimate the potential gains from mergers and acquisitions for various DMUs and guide them on how to combine their resources to get the maximum benefits out of the resulting synergies.
  2. will introduce advances in DEA optimization and other techniques through the development of models that will define various types of business partnerships between DMUs.
  3. will develop the literature of business partnerships that would guide partners on how redistributing their resources could improve their efficiency score.
  4. will help partners to use each other’s resources in order to reach target efficiency.
  5. will extend the well-known non-parametric performance measurement approach of DEA that would help business firms to collaborate and improve their efficiency.
  6. will guide business firms on how to choose partners to reduce negative externalities such as environmental pollution.
    Submissions may be sent directly to the editors at gamin@unb.ca (Gholam R. Amin) or mboamah@unb.ca (Mustapha Ibn Boamah).

Important Dates
30 April 2023 Chapter submission deadline
30 July 2023 Notification of status and comments for revisions
30 October 2023 Chapter resubmission
31 December 2023 Additional comments if any
30 March 2024 Final chapter submission due
31 August 2024 Book submission to Taylor and Francis CRC Press

Editors Selected References:

  1. Amin, G.R., and Ibn Boamah, M. (2022). Modeling business partnerships: a data envelopment analysis approach, European Journal of Operational Research, Doi: 10.1016/j.ejor.2022.05.036, article in press.
  2. Amin, G.R., and Ibn Boamah, M. (2021). A two-stage inverse data envelopment analysis approach for estimating potential merger gains in the US banking sector, Managerial and Decision Economics, 42(6), 1454-1465.
  3. Amin, G.R., and Ibn Boamah, M. (2020). A new inverse DEA cost efficiency model for estimating potential merger gains: A case of Canadian banks, Annals of Operations Research, 195(1), 21-36.
  4. Amin, G.R., Al-Muharrami, S., and Toloo, M. (2019). A combined goal programming and inverse DEA method for target setting in mergers, Expert Systems with Applications, 115, 412-417.
  5. Amin, G.R., and Al-Muharrami, S. (2018). A new inverse DEA model for mergers with negative data, IMA Journal of Management Mathematics, 29(2), 137-149.
  6. Amin, G.R., and Oukil, A. (2019). Flexible target setting in mergers using inverse data envelopment analysis, International Journal of Operational Research, 35(3), 301-317.
  7. Amin, G.R., Emrouznejad, A., and Gattoufi, S. (2017). Modelling Generalized Firms’ Restructuring using Inverse DEA, Journal of Productivity Analysis, 48(1), 51-61.
  8. Amin, G.R., Emrouznejad, A., and Gattoufi, S. (2017). Minor and Major Consolidations in Inverse DEA: Definition and Determination, Computers and Industrial Engineering, 103(1), 193-200.
  9. Emrouznejad, A., Yang, G., and Amin, G.R. (2019). A novel inverse DEA model with application to allocate the CO2 emissions quota to different regions in Chinese manufacturing industries. Journal of the Operational Research Society, 70(7), 1079-1090.
  10. Gattoufi, S., Amin, G.R., and Emrouznejad, A. (2014). A new inverse DEA method for merging banks, IMA Journal of Management Mathematics, 25(1): 73-87.
  11. Wegener, M., and Amin, G.R. (2019). Minimizing Greenhouse Gas Emissions using Inverse DEA with an Application in Oil and Gas, Expert Systems with Applications, 122, 369–375.

About the editors

Gholam R. Amin is an Associate Professor of Operations Research and Management Science in the Faculty of Business at the University of New Brunswick, Saint John, Canada. He is an Associate Editor of the IMA Journal of Management Mathematics at Oxford University Press. Dr. Amin’s research interests include performance measurement, productivity and efficiency analysis through data envelopment analysis (DEA) and optimization models. Dr. Amin has published over 70 articles in the leading journals such as Operations Research (FT-50), European Journal of Operational Research, Journal of Productivity Analysis, Annals of Operations Research, International Journal of Production Research, Journal of the Operational Research Society, Computers and Operations Research, Computers & Industrial Engineering, Applied Mathematical Modeling, International Journal of Approximate Reasoning, International Journal of Intelligent Systems, ABACUS, and IMA Journal of Management Mathematics among others. Mustapha Ibn Boamah is a Professor of Economics in the Faculty of Business at the University of New Brunswick, Saint John, Canada.

Dr. Ibn Boamah’s research interests include open-economy macroeconomics, monetary economics, international finance, and the economics of financial institutions. He has published in various peer reviewed journals – including publications in the Review of Financial Economics, Atlantic Economic Journal, Strategic Change, Social Responsibility Journal, International Journal of Organizational Analysis, International Journal of Social Economics, Managerial and Decision Economics, Annals of Operations Research, and the European Journal of Operational Research.