Browsing by Author "Durbach, I"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Community structure and centrality effects in the South African company network
    (2013) Durbach, I; Katshunga, D; Parker, H
    This paper conducts a search for community structure in the South African company network, a social network whose elements are South African companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. Companies are connected in this network if they share one or more directors on their respective boards. Discovered clusters, called communities, can be considered to be compartments of the network working relatively independently of one another, making their distribution and composition of some interest. We test whether the discovered communities of companies are (a) statistically significant, and (b) related to other attributes such as sector membership or market capitalization. We also investigate the relationship between the centrality of a company’s position in the network and its market capitalization.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Decision support for selecting a shortlist of electricity-saving options: A modified SMAA approach
    (2013) Durbach, I; Davis, S
    This paper describes an application providing decision support for generating a shortlist of promising electricity-saving options for households in South Africa. The decision problem is characterised by constraints on time and other resources, and by substantial uncertainty around the preferences for energy-related attributes and the performance of alternatives on those attributes. We use a stochastic multi-criteria acceptability analysis model to incorporate preferential uncertainties, and adapt this for use with quantiles and other "simplified" formats for representing uncertain attribute evaluations
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Decision support for selecting a shortlist of electricity-saving options: a modified SMAA approach
    (Stellenbosch University Library and Information Service, 2012) Durbach, I; Davis, S
    This paper describes an application providing decision support for generating a shortlist of promising electricity-saving options for households in South Africa. The decision problem is characterised by constraints on time and other resources, and by substantial uncertainty around the preferences for energy-related attributes and the performance of alternatives on those attributes. We use a stochastic multi-criteria acceptability analysis model to incorporate preferential uncertainties, and adapt this for use with quantiles and other "simplified" formats for representing uncertain attribute evaluations.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Open Access
    Operational research (ers) in development: Growing a new generation of operational researchers
    (2013) Durbach, I; Scott, L; Nyirenda, J; Silal, S
    This paper explores the theme of training operational research (OR) practitioners in South Africa by critically evaluating a Masters program in Operational Research in Development (ORD), launched in 2005 at the University of Cape Town. This program was specifically focused on applying OR to the problems of the developing world in general and Africa in particular. We describe the program and review the practical work undertaken by students participating in the program. Topics range widely across domains including health (anti-malarial drug resistance); poverty (food banking); governance (NGO management structures and monitoring of local government performance) and sustainable livelihoods (spaza shop operations). We use the review to highlight strengths and weaknesses of the program, as well as challenges faced in the OR education in South Africa at a postgraduate level.