In the presence of spillovers, decentralized provision of local public goods may lead to a higher surplus than centralized provision even though localities have identical preferences. Indeed, free-riding costs associated to decentralization can be lower than the costs of rent-seeking and influence activities under centralization. Actually, centralization yields a higher level of regional surplu...

In this paper, we build a theoretical framework for quantitatively measuring and graphically representing the degrees of closeness centralization among performers assigned to enact a workflow procedure. The degree of closeness centralization of a workflow-performer reflects how near the performer is to the other performers in enacting a corresponding workflow model designed for workflow-support...

Fully decentralized algorithms for distributed constraint optimization often require excessive amounts of communication when applied to complex problems. The OptAPO algorithm of [Mailler and Lesser, 2004] uses a strategy of partial centralization to mitigate this problem. We introduce PC-DPOP, a new partial centralization technique, based on the DPOP algorithm of [Petcu and Faltings, 2005]. PCD...

This study explores the relationship between Perception of organizational structure and human resources development for the employees of Mobarakeh Esfahan Steel Company .For this study a descriptive method of a correlational nature was employed. The statistical population comprised all the Mobarakeh Esfahan Steel Company employees, from whom, using a systematic sampling technique and Cochran's ...

OBJECTIVES To describe the impact of cleft service centralization on parental perceptions of child outcomes and satisfaction with care from the Cleft Care UK (CCUK) study and compare them to the Clinical Standards Advisory Group (CSAG) study that took place 15 years earlier. SETTING AND SAMPLE POPULATION A subgroup of respondents from a UK multicentre cross-sectional study (CCUK) of 5-year-ol...

Law enforcement is decentralized. It is so despite documented interjurisdictional externalities which would justify its centralization. To explain this fact, we construct a political economy model of law enforcement. Under decentralization, law enforcement in each region is in accord with the preferences of regional citizens, but interjurisdictional externalities are neglected. Under centraliza...