Xiatong Li wins IEEE research award (9/29/2006) | | |
 Phil Gentry, (256)824-6420 | Dr. Xiaotong Li, an assistant professor of information systems at UAH, has won the 2006 "best paper" award from the IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management. Li shared the award with co-author Robert Kauffman from the University of Minnesota. Their paper was, "Technology Competition and Optimal Investment Timing: A Real Options Perspective." The award was presented at the 2006 International Engineering Management Conference in Brazil. The abstract of their winning paper says, "For some technology-intensive projects, technology uncertainty plays a dominant role in affecting investment timing. This article analyzes the investment timing strategy for a firm that is deciding about whether to adopt one or the other of two incompatible and competing technologies. The results of this paper suggest that a technology adopter should defer its investment until one technology's probability to win out in the marketplace and achieve critical mass reaches a critical threshold. The optimal timing strategy for adoption that we propose can also be used in markets that are subject to positive network feedback. Although network effects usually tend to make the market equilibrium less stable and shorten the process of technology competition, we show why technology adopters may require more technology uncertainties to be resolved before widespread adoption can occur." The IEEE-Engineering Management Society presents only one research award each year. Dr. Dan Sherman, associate dean of the UAH business school and a professor of marketing and management, won the award in 2005.
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