Experts often add domain knowledge to model-based forecasts while aiming to reduce forecast errors. Indeed, there is some empirical evidence that expert-adjusted forecasts improve forecast quality. However, surprisingly little is known about what experts actually do. Based on a large and...

This paper conjectures that the behaviour of experts who adjust statistical-model-based forecasts obeys the Law of Small Numbers [LSN]. To put this hypothesis to an empirical test, I propose a simple but effective methodology. It is applied to a database containing information on many experts...

The brand choice problem in marketing has recently been addressed with methods from computational intelligence such as neural networks. Another class of methods from computational intelligence, the so-called ensemble methods such as boosting and stacking have never been applied to the brand...

In this paper we give a short novel proof of the well-known Lagrange multiplier rule, discuss the sources of the power of this rule and consider several applications of this rule. The new proof does not use the implicit function theorem and combines the advantages of two of the most well-known...

This paper builds on De Groot and Franses (2005) (Econometric Institute Report 2005-01). It modifies the EICIE, the Econometric Institute Current Indicator of the Economy, by allowing for two regimes. These regimes are marked by positive or negative annual growth in the staffing services data....

In this paper we will give an overview of the use of operations research models and methods in the design and operation of container terminals. We will describe the activities that take place at a container terminal and give an overview of the relevant decision problems, both at a strategic,...

Tests of causality in variance in multiple time series have been proposed recently, based on residuals of estimated univariate models. Although such tests are applied frequently little is known about their power properties. In this paper we show that a convenient alternative to residual based...

Classical multivariate analysis techniques such as principal components analysis and correspondence analysis use inner products to estimate data values. The results of these techniques may be visualized by representing the row and column points jointly in a biplot where the projection of a row...

We develop a method which measures the effect of the major international conventions in the area of safety, pollution, search and rescue and work related measures. We further distinguish between the effect of entry into force and the status of ratification of a convention by its parties. We use...

The issue of lifelong learning is high on the political agenda. However, despite this political interest and the large economic literature on human capital, the impact of work-related training on the discrepancy between function requirements and the skills of the employee has been ignored. In...