Strategies for sustainable socio-economic development and mechanisms their implementation in the global dimension

The authors of the book have come to the conclusion that it is necessary to effectively use modern approaches to developing and implementation strategies of sustainable socio-economic development in order to increase efficiency and competitiveness of economic entities. Basic research focuses on economic diagnostics of socio-economic potential and financial results of economic entities, transition period in the economy of individual countries and ensuring their competitiveness, assessment of educational processes and knowledge management. The research results have been implemented in the different models and strategies of supply and logistics management, development of non-profit organizations, competitiveness of tourism and transport, financing strategies for small and medium-sized enterprises, cross-border cooperation. The results of the study can be used in decision-making at the level the economic entities in different areas of activity and organizational-legal forms of ownership, ministries and departments that promote of development the economic entities on the basis of models and strategies for sustainable socio-economic development. The results can also be used by students and young scientists in modern concepts and mechanisms for management of sustainable socio-economic development of economic entities in the condition of global economic transformations and challenges

The evaluation of E-business related technologies in the Railway Industry

For the purposes of this paper, e-business is defined as: "the performance, automisation and organisation of transactions, or chains of them, and the gathering and publishing of data, electronically over a communication protocol" Little research has been conducted either into how e-business technology can be successfully evaluated, or into the associated costs and benefits specifically related to the transportation and railway industries. Based upon a review of the current literature and a series of interviews held with railway operators, track managers and transportation customers from the Australian Fortune 100, the paper puts forward a framework for the evaluation of e-business investments within the railway industry. The research reported here is aimed at developing a flexible interface that enables the decision maker to assess and evaluate a wide variety of complex interacting variables. The proposed approach uses a variety of evaluation methods, as opposed to searching for a single "best" approach. Additionally, an attempt is being made to include the complex interaction between the implementation of the new technology and the changing organisational setting. A model is proposed using fuzzy logic to handle incomplete and uncertain knowledge; as well as to combine criteria within a conceptual model from which "real-worth" evaluations can be performed. This model provides a systematic approach to guide the decision maker in the deployment of e-business and emerging technologies in the industry. After discussing the main findings from a literature review on the use of evaluation frameworks in IT related projects, the paper deals with the proposed framework in detail. The use of empirical data, which was obtained transportation customers to help define the main framework factors, is also discussed. Finally, the paper summarises the main implications for rail freight of customers’s perceptions and stated needs in the e-business domain

Internal report cluster 1: Urban freight innovations and solutions for sustainable deliveries (3/4)

Technical report about sustainable urban freight solutions, part 3 of

Information technology for competitive advantage within logistics and supply chains: a review

This paper offers a systematic review of the literature on the use of information technology (IT) in logistics and supply chain management to achieve competitive advantage. While IT has revolutionized traditional logistics and supply chains to achieve numerous benefits such as increased efficiency and responsiveness, it is not still clear to what extend IT has contributed to competitive advantage within logistics and supply chains. This paper contributes to this debate by: (i) reporting the literature on the role of IT in achieving competitive advantage within logistics and supply chains based on the linkages between ‘adaptation’, ‘alignment’, and ‘agility’, (triple A’s) (Lee, 2004), and (ii) discussing managerial implications and identifying future research directions

Strategic analysis and knowledge support systems for rural development strategies in Sub-Saharan Africa

"While greater growth in agriculture and the broader rural sector is crucial for ameliorating Africa's high levels of poverty and malnutrition, developing strategies to achieve these objectives is hindered by a number of factors, including the broad array of interventions needed, the lack of accurate data, and dearth of trained local policy analysts. As such, this paper proposes a Strategic Analysis Knowledge Support System (SAKSS) in which data, tools, and knowledge are compiled, analyzed, and disseminated for the purposes of identifying a set of priority investment and policy options to promote agricultural growth and rural development. These analyses can in turn help inform the broader process of designing, implementing, and monitoring and evaluating a country's rural development strategy. In order to be an influential and sustainable part of this process and become a genuine "knowledge system," SAKSS will need to be established with an awareness of each country s development priorities and unique political, social, and economic context. By institutionalizing SAKSS through a network structure that includes government ministries, research institutions, universities, regional organizations, non-governmental organizations, and donors, SAKSS can become not only more relevant and legitimate for its intended end-users but also help strengthen local analytical capacity to inform the policy debate on future development strategies and outcomes." Authors' AbstractAgricultural growth ,Strategic analysis ,Development policies Africa, Sub-Saharan ,

Economic Evaluation of Agricultural Research in Australia and New Zealand - A workshop held in conjunction with the 40th annual conference of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society 11-16 February 1996, Melbourne, Australia

Research and Development/Tech Change/Emerging Technologies,

Adapting Corporate Social Responsibility Programs to Risk Management: A Model for Multinational Organizations in Nigeria

This paper advocates that by integrating the business sense, learning and innovations garnered from CSR programmes, multinational companies in Nigeria can better manage risks and subsequently ameliorate the impacts of their economic, social and environmental activities successfully. The paper recommends that organizational leaders to proactively manage risks and take advantage of opportunities inherent in the environment to enhance stakeholders engagement and corporate reputation

Lean-Green contributions for companies’ sustainability

Tese de doutoramento em Engenharia Industrial e de SistemasIn our changing world, the companies must undertake hard decisions on how to position themselves for the long run. They have to innovate their processes and products to thrive against competitors and reduce their own wastes, by improving their way of designing, producing and managing the processes. Therefore, they need to compare each other by using standards and key indicators. The aim of the thesis was to develop a model so as to assess the synergies of lean production and of ecoefficiency (lean-green). The model includes a performance indicator that jointly addresses the lean-green paradigm. This paradigm has been making a positive contribution towards the companies’ sustainability. The research study began with a critical literature review, which provided the foundation on which this research was developed. The literature enclosed the most relevant and up to date literature: knowledge in lean production, eco-efficiency and sustainability, their synergies, performance improvements and indicators. A survey was conducted to the companies in northern Portugal. The survey was intended to understand the knowledge, the lean production implementation level and how such implementation benefited these companies. This survey included questions related to companies’ sustainability knowledge and concerns. The survey results improved the understanding of the companies’ awareness about lean production, green production and sustainability level. Grounded on the survey results and on the lean-green models reviewed, it was decided to develop a new model based on widely known performance indicator, i.e. the Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and the three pillars of sustainable development: economic, social and environmental. Therefore, this model was operationalized through an indicator that aggregates and combines lean and green production strategies. It was called Business Overall Performance and Sustainability Effectiveness (BOPSE). This indicator aims to measure the operational performance and sustainability level of a lean company. To validate the BOPSE model, three case studies from the automotive sector were used. The higher BOPSE value attained was 65% and the worst 46%. The higher BOPSE value comes from a company with a higher leanness maturity level, denoting that a lean company could be more sustainable.No nosso mundo em constante mudança, as empresas devem tomar decisões estratégicas sobre como se posicionar a longo prazo. Para isso, precisam de inovar os processos e produtos para prosperar relativamente aos concorrentes e reduzir os seus próprios desperdícios, melhorando a maneira de conceber, produzir e gerir os processos. Desta forma, são necessárias normas e indicadores-chave para conhecerem o seu posicionamento e se compararem. A objetivo desta tese consistiu em desenvolver um modelo que avaliasse as sinergias da produção lean e da eco-eficiência (lean-green). O modelo inclui um indicador de desempenho que integra o paradigma lean-green, que tem contribuído para uma melhoria da sustentabilidade das empresas. Esta investigação iniciou-se com uma revisão crítica da literatura, que forneceu a base teórica sobre a qual foi desenvolvida. A revisão incluiu a literatura relevante e atual sobre: conhecimento em produção lean, ecoeficiência e sustentabilidade, suas sinergias, melhorias de desempenho e indicadores. Foi realizado um inquérito às empresas do norte de Portugal. Pretendeu-se entender o nível de conhecimento e implementação da produção lean e os benefícios desta. Este inquérito incluía perguntas relacionadas com o conhecimento das empresas sobre a sustentabilidade. Os resultados permitiram melhorar o entendimento das empresas inquiridas sobre produção lean e green e nível de sustentabilidade. Com base nos resultados do inquérito e na revisão dos modelos lean-green, desenvolveu-se um modelo baseado num indicador de desempenho, amplamente conhecido nas empresas, i.e. o “Overall Equipment Effectiveness” (OEE) e os três pilares do desenvolvimento sustentável: económico, social e ambiental. O modelo foi operacionalizado por meio de um indicador que agrega e combina estratégias de produção lean e green. Este modelo foi designado de “Business Overall Performance and Sustainability Effectiveness” (BOPSE). Este indicador visa medir o desempenho operacional e o nível de sustentabilidade de uma empresa lean. Para validar o modelo, foram utilizados três estudos de caso provenientes do setor automóvel. O maior valor do BOPSE obtido foi 65% e o pior 46%. O maior valor do BOPSE vem de uma empresa com um maior nível de maturidade de lean, denotando que uma empresa lean pode ser mais sustentável