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Real-Time Hierarchical Resource Allocation with Quadratic Costs

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  • Van Zandt, Timothy

Abstract

This Paper presents a model in which boundedly rational members of an administrative staff calculate resource allocations in real time. We consider a class of hierarchical procedures in which information about payoff functions flows up and is aggregated by a hierarchy, while allocations flow down and are disaggregated by the hierarchy with decentralized decision making. We assume that the payoff functions are quadratic and that the payoff parameters follow first-order autoregressive processes. We define a team statistical optimality condition that formalizes the notion of decentralized decision making. We derive a reduced form that can be used to address specific questions about organizational structure and returns to scale.

Suggested Citation

  • Van Zandt, Timothy, 2003. "Real-Time Hierarchical Resource Allocation with Quadratic Costs," CEPR Discussion Papers 4022, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    • Handle: RePEc:cpr:ceprdp:4022
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Patrick Bolton & Mathias Dewatripont, 1994. "The Firm as a Communication Network," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 109(4), pages 809-839.
    2. Friedman, Eric J & Oren, Shmuel S, 1995. "The Complexity of Resource Allocation and Price Mechanisms under Bounded Rationality," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 6(2), pages 225-250, July.
    3. Kenneth R. Mount & Stanley Reiter, 1996. "A lower bound on computational complexity given by revelation mechanisms (*)," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 7(2), pages 237-266.
    4. Timothy Van Zandt, 1997. "Real-Time Hierarchical Resource Allocation," Discussion Papers 1231, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
    5. Van Zandt, Timothy, 2004. "Balancedness of Real-Time Hierarchical Resource Allocation," CEPR Discussion Papers 4276, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    6. Kenneth R. Mount & Stanley Reiter, 1990. "A Model of Computing with Human Agents," Discussion Papers 890, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
    7. Stanley Reiter, 1995. "Coordination and the Structure of Firms," Discussion Papers 1121, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
    8. Timothy van Zandt, 1999. "Real-Time Decentralized Information Processing as a Model of Organizations with Boundedly Rational Agents," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 66(3), pages 633-658.
    9. Timothy Van Zandt & Roy Radner, 1998. "Real-Time Decentralized Information Processing and Returns to Scale," Discussion Papers 1233, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
    10. Kieron Meagher & Timothy Van Zandt, 1998. "Managerial costs for one-shot decentralized information processing," Review of Economic Design, Springer;Society for Economic Design, vol. 3(4), pages 329-345.
    11. repec:adr:anecst:y:1992:i:25-26:p:13 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Timothy Van Zandt, 1998. "The scheduling and organization of periodic associative computation: Efficient networks," Review of Economic Design, Springer;Society for Economic Design, vol. 3(2), pages 93-127.
    13. Kenneth R. Mount & Stanley Reiter, 1994. "On Modeling Computing with Human Agents," Discussion Papers 1080, Northwestern University, Center for Mathematical Studies in Economics and Management Science.
    14. Radner, Roy, 1993. "The Organization of Decentralized Information Processing," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 61(5), pages 1109-1146, September.
    15. Michael Keren & David Levhari, 1983. "The Internal Organization of the Firm and the Shape of Average Costs," Bell Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 14(2), pages 474-486, Autumn.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jean-Marc Bourgeon & Marie-Laure Breuillé, 2023. "Citizen preferences and the architecture of government," Social Choice and Welfare, Springer;The Society for Social Choice and Welfare, vol. 61(3), pages 537-585, October.
    2. Dimitri Vayanos, 2003. "The Decentralization of Information Processing in the Presence of Interactions," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 70(3), pages 667-695.
    3. Vogel, Sebastian & Meyr, Herbert, 2015. "Decentral allocation planning in multi-stage customer hierarchies," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 246(2), pages 462-470.
    4. Fleischmann, Moritz & Kloos, Konstantin & Nouri, Maryam & Pibernik, Richard, 2020. "Single-period stochastic demand fulfillment in customer hierarchies," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 286(1), pages 250-266.
    5. Yue Maggie Zhou, 2013. "Designing for Complexity: Using Divisions and Hierarchy to Manage Complex Tasks," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(2), pages 339-355, April.
    6. Marschak, Thomas, 2006. "Organization Structure," MPRA Paper 81518, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Decentralization; Hierarchies; Bounded rationality; Resource allocation; Real-time computation;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D23 - Microeconomics - - Production and Organizations - - - Organizational Behavior; Transaction Costs; Property Rights
    • D83 - Microeconomics - - Information, Knowledge, and Uncertainty - - - Search; Learning; Information and Knowledge; Communication; Belief; Unawareness

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