The surprising benefits of a parallel universe

Suppose that the successful completion of a project requires performing n tasks, each of which has a probability of success p. The paper establishes under what conditions it may be profitable to engage in parallel multi-tasking, i.e. tackling each task by following two independent routes. It is foun...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Managerial and decision economics 2009-03, Vol.30 (2), p.109-117
Main Author: La Manna, Manfredi M.A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Cost analysis
Cost efficiency
Cost-benefit analysis
Costs
Economic benefits
Economic costs
Economic research
Economic theory
Manna
Multi-tasking
Multitasking
Net profits
Parallel worlds
Probabilities
Probability
Profitability
Project evaluation
Project management
Studies
Total costs
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Suppose that the successful completion of a project requires performing n tasks, each of which has a probability of success p. The paper establishes under what conditions it may be profitable to engage in parallel multi-tasking, i.e. tackling each task by following two independent routes. It is found that for ∀n > 1 parallel multi-tasking is profitable for a wide range of parameters when costs are linear and is always profitable for convex costs.
ISSN:0143-6570
1099-1468
DOI:10.1002/mde.1441