International financial networks and global supply chains: A unified framework for decision -making, optimization, and risk management

In this dissertation, I developed a unified framework for the modeling, analysis, and computation of solutions to both international financial problems with intermediation as well as to global supply chains through the medium of networks. The framework that I developed can handle as many decision-makers within each country as needed (be they sources of funds, financial intermediaries, or, as in the case of global supply chains: manufacturers, retailers, and/or distributors, as well as consumers), and enables the prediction of the flows (financial and product) between tiers of the networks as well as the prices at the tiers. In addition, I considered not only physical transactions between decision-makers but also virtual ones in the form of electronic transactions. I utilized tools from both management science and finance to identify the commonality in the structures of international financial networks and global supply chains. I modeled the behavior of the various decision-makers, which allows for multiple criteria such as profit maximization as well as risk minimization, and study the dynamics of the various interactions. The analysis was both qualitative in nature as well as computational. The effectiveness of the proposed methodologies was demonstrated through numerous examples. The research in this dissertation was motivated not only by the practical importance of the topic but also by the need to develop rigorous theoretical frameworks for complex decision-making on networks with an international focus. To-date, there have been many innovative models developed for multi-tiered networks. For example, Nagurney and Ke (2001, 2003) focused on financial multitiered networks with intermediation (with and without electronic transactions). Moreover, Nagurney, Dong, and Zhang (2002), Nagurney, Loo, Dong, and Zhang (2002), and Nagurney, Ke, Cruz, Hancock, and Southworth (2002) developed models for multitiered supply chains. All the above research has been centered on a single country. In this thesis, I captured such decisionmaking but in a multiple country, multiple currency context with enhanced risk management