报告题目：A Joint Optimization Approach to Robust Inventory and Moral Hazard Problems
报 告 人：悉尼大学（The University of Sydney）商学院 Zhaolin Li教授
主 持 人： 秦绪伟 教授
主办单位：工业工程系
报告时间：2026年4月10日（周五）9:30--11:30
报告地点：文管楼 B306
报告摘要：
This presentation synthesizes two distinct yet methodologically connected research programs in operations and economics: one on robust optimization for inventory management and another on incentive design for moral hazard. In the first part, we develop a joint optimization framework that circumvents numerous intermediate steps in the standard two-stage analysis. By imposing a unifying set of first-order conditions, we derive closed-form solutions for a broad class of inventory models, including the single-product-multi-sourcing problem and the W-shaped assemble-to-order system, revealing elegant symmetries and useful managerial insights. The second part addresses a moral hazard problem in which an agent may fail to truthfully implement a stated action, instead taking a hidden and unproductive action that undermines the principal's payoff. This phenomenon is illustrated through poorly executed adaptations in the media publishing industry. Departing from the support line approach popular in theoretical economics, we reframe the problem using a primal-dual method, transforming it as a zero-sum game between the principal and nature, where nature selects an incentive-compatible hidden action that minimizes the principal's surplus. The tools of semi-infinite program not only predict the structure of the optimal contract but also extend naturally to a range of practical settings, including risk aversion, common agency, and team-based moral hazard.
报告人简介：
Prof. Zhaolin (Erick) Li is an associate professor at the University of Sydney Business School. He received his Ph.D. in Business Administration from The Pennsylvania State University, a Master of Commerce in Accounting from The University of New South Wales, and a Bachelor of Engineering in Materials Science and Industrial Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University. He has been a faculty member at The University of Sydney since January 2009. Prior to his academic career in Sydney, Dr. Li worked at Ernst & Young LLP and City University of Hong Kong.
Prof. Li has established a strong international research profile with 11 publications in UTD Premier 24 journals. The impact of his applied research is demonstrated by winning the third place in the prestigious Practice Competition of the Chinese Scholar Association of Management Science and Engineering (CSAMSE). This event attracted a record-breaking number of submissions from leading international institutions. The award-winning case generated tangible industry benefits, delivering 5–10% cost savings per SKU for Mars Food. The paper associated with this award has been accepted by Operations Research in January 2026. Prof. Li was recognized twice (2017, 2018) as one of the Asian Top 25 Scholars in his field, based on publications in International Journal of Production Economics. Dr. Li is currently an Associate Editor for OMEGA in its Department of Innovative Applications and an Associate Editor for Decision Science in its Department of Sourcing, Procurement/Purchasing and Logistics.
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