We consider a single server queueing system in which service shuts down when no customers are present, and is resumed when the queue length reaches a given critical length. We assume customers are heterogeneous on delay sensitivity and analyze customers’ strategic response to this mechanism...

A person engaged in search may be uncertain whether the good or job he seeks is still available. Some people may therefore search when the job or good is unavailable; others may stop searching too early. A seller or employer who wants individuals to search should therefore periodically announce...

Queueing systems with scheduled arrivals, i.e., appointment systems, are typical for frontal service systems, e.g., health clinics. An aspect of customer behavior that influences the overall efficiency of such systems is the phenomenon of no-shows. The consequences of no-shows cannot be...

We consider a deterministic pricing and replenishment model in which the retailer advertises a fixed price and the selling schedule, and customers can advance or delay their time of purchase incurring holding or shortage costs. We investigate the impact of heterogeneity in the customers'...

The following example illustrates the problem treated in this paper: Two gas stations are located one after the other on a main road. A driver who needs to fill his rank sees the queue situation at the first station but not at the second one. The driver estimates the expected waiting time at the...

We consider a politician's choice of whether to be evaluated, either by subjecting himself to a detailed interview or by asking for the appointment of a special prosecutor. If politicians are risk-neutral, then in equilibrium all choose to be evaluated. If politicians are risk-averse, then...

Consider a government that adopts a program, sees a noisy signal about its success, and decides whether to continue the program. Suppose further that the success of a program is greater if people think it will be continued. This paper considers the optimal decision rule for continuing the...