Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-x5gtn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-03T12:10:15.473Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The limiting properties of population distributions with particular application to manpower planning

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2016

Mark Woodward*
Affiliation:
University of Reading
*
Present address: Central Statistical Office, P.O. Box 8063, Causeway, Harare, Zimbabwe.

Abstract

A model for predicting expected-value population distributions is developed, assuming that all movements are Markovian and time-homogeneous. Each individual is classified by the amount of time he has spent in the population and by which of a number of classes, of an unspecified nature, he inhabits. The limiting properties of the population distribution are derived, and, in particular, conditions for convergence to a stable distribution are given.

Some discussion of the relevance of the theory to practical applications is given, primarily to manpower planning when recruitment occurs purely to maintain a specified overall population size.

Type
Research Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Applied Probability Trust 1983 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Bartholomew, D. J. (1971) The statistical approach to manpower planning. The Statistician 20, 326.Google Scholar
Bartholomew, D. J. (1973) Stochastic Models for Social Processes, 2nd edn. Wiley, London.Google Scholar
Bartholomew, D. J. and Forbes, A. F. (1979) Statistical Techniques for Manpower Planning. Wiley, Chichester.Google Scholar
Brauer, A. (1957) A new proof of theorems of Perron and Frobenius on non-negative matrices. Duke Math. J. 24, 367378.Google Scholar
Cox, D. R. and Miller, H. D. (1965) The Theory of Stochastic Processes. Chapman and Hall, London.Google Scholar
Feichtinger, G. (1976) On the generalization of stable age distributions to Gani-type person-flow models. Adv. Appl. Prob. 8, 433445.Google Scholar
Forbes, A. F. (1970) Promotion and recruitment policies for the control of quasi-stationary hierarchical systems. In Models for Manpower Systems, ed. Smith, A. R., English Universities Press, London, 401414.Google Scholar
Franklin, J. N. (1968) Matrix Theory. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ.Google Scholar
Keenay, G. A., Morgan, R. W. and Ray, K. H. (1975) Convergence properties of age distributions. J. Appl. Prob. 12, 684691.Google Scholar
Keenay, G. A., Morgan, R. W. and Ray, K. H. (1977) The camel model: a model for career planning in a hierarchy. Personnel Rev. 6, 4350.Google Scholar
Leslie, P. H. (1945) On the use of matrices in certain population mathematics. Biometrika 33, 183212.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pollard, J. H. (1973) Mathematical Models for the Growth of Human Populations. Cambridge University Press, London.Google Scholar
Smith, A. R., (Ed.) (1976) Manpower Planning in the Civil Service. Civil Service Studies No. 3. H.M.S.O., London.Google Scholar
Sykes, Z. M. (1969) On discrete stable population theory. Biometrics 25, 285293.Google Scholar
Vajda, S. (1978) Mathematics of Manpower Planning. Wiley, Chichester.Google Scholar
Vassiliou, P.-C. G. (1981) On the asymptotic behaviour of age distributions in manpower systems. J. Operat. Res. Soc. 32, 503506.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Woodward, M. (1983) On forecasting grade, age and length of service distributions in manpower systems.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Young, A. (1971) Demographic and Ecological Models for Manpower Planning. In Aspects of Manpower Planning, ed. Bartholomew, D. J. and Morris, B. R., English Universities Press, London, 7597.Google Scholar
Young, A. and Almond, G. (1961) Predicting distributions of staff. Comput. J. 3, 246250.Google Scholar