Publication:
Join, balk, or jettison? the effect of flexibility and ranking knowledge in systems with batch arrivals

dc.contributor.coauthorBountali, Olga
dc.contributor.coauthorBurnetas, Apostolos
dc.contributor.departmentDepartment of Industrial Engineering
dc.contributor.kuauthorÖrmeci, Lerzan
dc.contributor.schoolcollegeinstituteCollege of Engineering
dc.date.accessioned2024-11-10T00:02:12Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.description.abstractFamilies that visit theme parks like Disneyland are debating on two aspects when they try to determine whether they prefer to join an activity of interest or would rather balk: (1) Is it better to join or balk as a group or allow the flexibility to get separated and jettison some members? and (2) Will it make any difference if they set a ranking among themselves beforehand as to who will be served first, second, etc.? We tackle the effect of flexibility and ranking knowledge and answer the above questions considering a single server Markovian queue with a generic batch size distribution. We consider two levels of flexibility: an inflexible setting, under which a family makes a common decision, and a flexible setting, under which each member makes her own decision. We pair each level with two sublevels with respect to the ranking knowledge: the case where the members set their ranking beforehand, and the case where they do not and assume they will be served according to a random order. We provide a full analytical characterization of the equilibrium and socially optimal strategies, and a comprehensive analysis of the intricate interplay among flexibility, ranking knowledge, and batch size variability, notions that do not exist in single-ins arrival systems. We offer insights as to under which circumstances entity jettison is preferable. We investigate the corresponding implications of the above on system throughput and social welfare and determine which setting is preferable for the customers and which for the society, depending on the objective and the system dynamics. Further, we highlight key differences between single versus batch-arrival models and provide high-level guidelines for managers and policymakers as to how they can influence customer decisions so that they move toward the preferable setting (e.g., by revealing/concealing the ranking, encouraging flexibility, pricing, etc.).
dc.description.indexedbyWOS
dc.description.indexedbyScopus
dc.description.issue9
dc.description.openaccessNO
dc.description.sponsoredbyTubitakEuN/A
dc.description.sponsorshipTechnological Research Council of Turkey (TuBTAK, 2216 - Research Fellowship Program for International Researchers) The authors express their sincere thanks to the department editor, assistant editor, and the two anonymous referees for their constructive feedback throughout the review process. The authors also express their sincere thanks to Ron Dupuis, operations research engineering manager at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, Orlando Florida, for his valuable feedback on the real-life Disneyland operation and the corresponding challenges. This research was funded by the Technological Research Council of Turkey (TuBTAK, 2216 - Research Fellowship Program for International Researchers).
dc.description.volume31
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/poms.13779
dc.identifier.eissn1937-5956
dc.identifier.issn1059-1478
dc.identifier.scopus2-s2.0-85133964130
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1111/poms.13779
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14288/16093
dc.identifier.wos823551100001
dc.keywordsBatch-arrivals
dc.keywordsBatch size variability
dc.keywordsEntity jettison
dc.keywordsForced entries
dc.keywordsBalks
dc.keywordsFlexibility
dc.keywordsIndividual
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherWiley
dc.relation.ispartofProduction And Operations Management
dc.subjectEngineering
dc.subjectManufacturing engineering
dc.subjectOperations research
dc.subjectManagement science
dc.titleJoin, balk, or jettison? the effect of flexibility and ranking knowledge in systems with batch arrivals
dc.typeJournal Article
dspace.entity.typePublication
local.contributor.kuauthorÖrmeci, Lerzan
local.publication.orgunit1College of Engineering
local.publication.orgunit2Department of Industrial Engineering
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relation.isOrgUnitOfPublication.latestForDiscoveryd6d00f52-d22d-4653-99e7-863efcd47b4a
relation.isParentOrgUnitOfPublication8e756b23-2d4a-4ce8-b1b3-62c794a8c164
relation.isParentOrgUnitOfPublication.latestForDiscovery8e756b23-2d4a-4ce8-b1b3-62c794a8c164

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