An Investigation into Factors Affecting the Chilled Food Industry

With the advent of Industry 4.0, many new approaches towards process monitoring, benchmarking and traceability are becoming available, and these techniques have the potential to radically transform the agri-food sector. In particular, the chilled food supply chain (CFSC) contains a number of unique challenges by virtue of it being thought of as a temperature controlled supply chain. Therefore, once the key issues affecting the CFSC have been identified, algorithms can be proposed, which would allow realistic thresholds to be established for managing these problems on the micro, meso and macro scales. Hence, a study is required into factors affecting the CFSC within the scope of Industry 4.0. The study itself has been broken down into four main topics: identifying the key issues within the CFSC; implementing a philosophy of continuous improvement within the CFSC; identifying uncertainty within the CFSC; improving and measuring the performance of the supply chain. However, as a consequence of this study two further topics were added: a discussion of some of the issues surrounding information sharing between retailers and suppliers; some of the wider issues affecting food losses and wastage (FLW) on the micro, meso and macro scales. A hybrid algorithm is developed, which incorporates the analytic hierarchical process (AHP) for qualitative issues and data envelopment analysis (DEA) for quantitative issues. The hybrid algorithm itself is a development of the internal auditing algorithm proposed by Sueyoshi et al (2009), which in turn was developed following corporate scandals such as Tyco, Enron, and WorldCom, which have led to a decline in public trust. However, the advantage of the proposed solution is that all of the key issues within the CFSC identified can be managed from a single computer terminal, whilst the risk of food contamination such as the 2013 horsemeat scandal can be avoided via improved traceability

Demand Effects in Productivity and Efficiency Analysis

Demand fluctuations will bias the measurement of productivity and efficiency. This dissertation described three ways to characterize the effect of demand fluctuations. First, a two-dimensional efficiency decomposition (2DED) of profitability is proposed for manufacturing, service, or hybrid production systems to account for the demand effect. The first dimension identifies four components of efficiency: capacity design, demand generation, operations, and demand consumption, using Network Data Envelopment Analysis (Network DEA). The second dimension decomposes the efficiency measures and integrates them into a profitability efficiency framework. Thus, each component's profitability change can be analyzed based on technical efficiency change, scale efficiency change and allocative efficiency change. Second, this study proposes a proactive DEA model to account for demand fluctuations and proposes input or output adjustments to maximize effective production. Demand fluctuations lead to variations in the output levels affecting measures of technical efficiency. In the short-run, firms can adjust their variable resources to address the demand fluctuates and perform more efficiently. Proactive DEA is a short-run capacity planning method, proposed to provide decision support to a firm interested in improving the effectiveness of a production system under demand uncertainty using a stochastic programming DEA (SPDEA) approach. This method improves the decision making related to short-run capacity expansion and estimates the expected value of effectiveness given demand. In the third part of the dissertation, a Nash-Cournot equilibrium is identified for an oligopolistic market. The standard assumption in the efficiency literature that firms desire to produce on the production frontier may not hold in an oligopolistic market where the production decisions of all firms will determine the market price, i.e. an increase in a firm's output level leads to a lower market clearing price and potentially-lower profits. Models for both the production possibility set and the inverse demand function are used to identify a Nash-Cournot equilibrium and improvement targets which may not be on the strongly efficient production frontier. This behavior is referred to as rational inefficiency because the firm reduces its productivity levels in order to increase profits

Integrating multiple criteria decision analysis and production theory for performance evaluation: framework and review

Accounting, life cycle assessment (LCA) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) are examples of various research areas that independently develop and apply diverse methodologies to evaluate performance. Though, many methods have in common that the results to be assessed are mainly determined by the inputs and outputs of the activities which are to be evaluated. Based on both production and decision theory, our comprehensive framework integrates and systematically distinguishes specific types of production-based performance assessment. It allows to examine and categorise the existing literature on such approaches. Our review focuses on sources which explicitly apply concepts or methods of multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA). We did not find any elaborated methodology that fully integrates MCDA with production theory. At least, a basic approach to multicriteria performance analysis, which generalises the methodology of data envelopment analysis, appears to be well-grounded on production theory. It was already presented in this journal in 2001 and has rarely been noticed in the literature until now. A short overview outlines its recent insights and main findings. A key finding is that a category mistake prevails among well-known methodologies of efficiency measurement like DEA. It may imply invalid empirical results because the inputs and outputs of production processes are confused with resulting impacts destroying or creating values (to be minimised or maximised, respectively). We conclude by defining open problems and by indicating prospective research directions

Airport Benchmarking and Spatial Competition: a Critical Review

During the last two decades the European airport industry is liberalised and turned to competitive market environment. This fact attracts an increasing scientific and practical interest to analysis of airport efficiency and its determinants, as well as different aspects of airport competition. This paper contains a critical review of existing researches in these two areas – airport efficiency and spatial competition among airports. We analysed modern approaches to airport benchmarking, their advantages and shortcomings, and systematised a wide range of related academic studies. We paid special attention to empirical researches of spatial competition as a factor affecting airport efficiency. Despite the fact of a well-developed theory of spatial competition and signs of its growing effects in the airport industry, we discovered a lack of studies devoted to the relationship between airport efficiency and spatial competition

The Service Science of Climate Change Policy Analysis: applying the Spatial Climate Economic Policy Tool for Regional Equilibria

The use of Computable General Equilibrium modelling in evidence-based policy requires an advanced policy making frame of reference, advanced understanding of neoclassical economics and advanced operations research capabilities. This paper examines developments in neoclassical economic models for the analysis of strategy and policy. Regions and industries have the ever-present challenge of building a future where production is competitive and employment is durable. The Spatial Climate Economic Policy Tool for Regional Equilibria (Sceptre) is an intertemporal, multiregional general equilibrium model for investigating regional and industry strategies in the presence of global policies such as carbon emission constraints. In a novel intertemporal innovation, Sceptre draws together disciplines of economics and finance by substituting resource constraints with Dupont sales to asset ratios in order to dynamically link and mediate the stocks and flows of each commodity. This avoids the issue in Ramsey models that investment is merely an uncontrolled residual of production and consumption, and the issue in the Leontief B-matrix approach that final industry assets are cannibalised. Regionally aggregated Make and Use matrices drawn from GTAP's Social Accounting Matrices are used in the underling economic model as regional-commodity production function tableaux. Outputs for policy consideration include global geophysical climate effects, regional and industry activity levels, bilateral trade flows, potential resource expansiveness, investment, labour and regional and industry rates of transition from carbon trading to carbon amelioration and abatement

Modeling of Optimal Concession Contract between Port Authority and Terminal Operators using Channel Coordination Model

세계 해운 시장의 급격한 변화는 항만 산업에 큰 영향을 미친다. PA (항만공사)와 TOC (터미널 운영 회사)는 경쟁 우위를 확보하기 위하여 지금까지 항만 시설과 장비에 많은 투자를 해왔다. TOC는 경쟁사 및 해운 회사로부터의 요구 사항에 따라 수익성을 제고하기 위해 노력한다. 같은 상황에서 PA도 경쟁력을 찾고 있다. 시장의 불확실성과 기술적 변화는 PA와 TOC가 협력하여 더 나은 재정 상태를 요구하고 있다. PA와 TOC간에는계약을 통해 여러 방식으로 운영된다. 세계의 60-70%가 운영중인 임대 기능 모델에 따르면, PA는 항만의 토지 및 인프라를 소유∙관리하며, TOC는 터미널 운영을 담당한다. PA와 TOC는 계약을 통해 고정 요금제 내지 단가 요금제 등의 여부를 결정한다. 세계 항만 임대 시스템을 비교해 볼 때, 절대적인 고정된 계약 방식이 없다고 한다. 아시아의 대부분 지역에서는 고정 요금제를 이용하고, 유럽 지역에서는 고정 요금제와 단가 요금제가 혼합된 계약을 이용한다. 그동안 세계 항만 임대 시스템에 간한 연구는 많지 않았다. 특히 구체적 수치를 제공하지 않거나 비실용적 연구가 많았다. 한편, 이전 연구에서는TOC보다 PA 관점에서의 이익 극대화를 도모하는 데 중점을 두었다. 만약 PA가 처리량을 늘림으로써 이익을 극대화하고자 할 때, 고정 임대 계약이 더 유리한 선택이다. 이 연구는 공공기관과 민간 단체 상호간의 이익 극대화의 방식으로 연결하는 방법에 중점을 두고 있다. PA가 TOC에게 제안하는 4 가지 유형의 계약 방식은 비조정, 조정, Cournot 및 Collusion 모델로 비교하고, 동시에 각 계약 방식에 대해 모듈 수행과 수치 분석을 통해 모델을 비교한다. 연구 결과는 향후 항만 임대 계약을 수립하는 데 중요한 영향을 미칠 것이다. 비교 수치 분석을 관찰하면 다음과 같은 주요 결과를 얻을 수 있다. 결과에 따르면, 고정 계약과 단가 계약을 합친 조건이 각각의 고정 및 단가 계약제 보다 더 높다는 것을 알 수 있다. PA가 TOC의 이익과 위험을 다루는 만큼 TOC가 처리량을 증가시킬 수 있으며, 이것은 PA와 TOC 간의 총이익을 극대화 할 수 있다. 따라서PA가 조정 없는 계약을 제공하는 것보다 조정된 계약을 제공 할 때 더 많은 이익을 낼 수 있다. 그리고 PA와 TOC의 통합 이익은 각각의 이익보다 더 높다. PA와TOC의 통합 이익을 통해서 PA는 TOC에게 적절한 계약 방식을 제공하고 상호간의 이익 극대화를 도모할 수 있다. PA가 이익을 늘리려고 시도 할 때마다 수익과 수요 위험을 공유함으로써 TOC와의 관계를 유지해야한다. PA는TOC와의 협조로 어떤 계약방식을 선택하더라도 이익을 창출할 수 있다.|Rapid changes in the global maritime market have a major impact on the port industry. PA (Port Authority) and TOC (Terminal Operating Company) have invested heavily in port facilities and equipment so far to secure competitive advantage. TOC strives to improve profitability in accordance with requirements from competitors and shipping companies. In the same situation, PA is also looking for its own profitability. Market uncertainty and technological changes require PA and TOC to achieve better financial conditions in cooperation. The ports are operated in different contracts. According to the landlord function model which is operated by 60-70% of the world, the PA owns and manages the land and infrastructure of the port, and the TOC is responsible for terminal operations. The PA and TOC will decide whether to use a fixed fee or a unit fee through the contract. There is no absolute contract method in the port leasing system. Most regions in Asia prefer to use the fixed fee, while European countries prefer to use a mix of fixed fee and unit fee. There have been few studies on the port leasing system. In particular, most of them did not provide specific calculations or were impractical. On the other hand, previous studies have focused on maximizing profits from the perspective of PA rather than TOC. This research focuses on how to connect to the method of maximizing profit between public and private entities. The four types of contracts proposed by the PA to the TOC are compared with the uncoordination, coordination, Cournot and Collusion models, and at the same time, model comparisons and numerical analysis are performed for each contract method. The results of the study will have a significant impact on establishing future port lease contracts. Observing the comparative numerical analysis, the following main results are obtained. According to the results, it can be seen that the two-part tariff is higher than the each of fixed and unit contracts. As the PA shares with the profits and risks in cooperation with the TOC, the TOC can increase throughput, which can maximize the total benefit between PA and TOC. Thus, the PA can make more profits when it comes to providing a contract that is coordination contract provide more than uncoordination contract. And the joint profit of PA and TOC is higher than the respective total profits. Through the joint profit of PA and TOC, the PA can provide the TOC with the appropriate contractual condition and maximize their joint profits. The PA, in cooperation with the TOC, is able to generate profits no matter what contract type it chooses.Table of Contents LIST OF TABLES III LIST OF FIGURES III ABSTRACT IV 초록 VI CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION 1 1. BACKGROUND 1 2. AIM AND OBJECTIVES 6 3. SIGNIFICANCE 9 4. STRUCTURE OF THE THESIS 10 CHAPTER 2. LITERATURE REVIEW 11 1. PORT ECONOMICS 11 1. PORT GOVERNANCE 11 2. CONTRACTS: LEASEHOLD AND CONCESSION 16 3. PRICING MECHANISM 18 2. CONCESSION CONTRACT SCHEMES 21 1. FIXED-FEE CONTRACT 21 2. UNIT-FEE CONTRACT 22 3. TWO-PART TARIFF CONTRACT 22 4. FOREIGN AND KOREAN PORT CONTRACT SCHEMES 22 3. RISK SHARING CHARACTERISTICS 26 1. RISKS TYPES IN CONCESSION CONTRACTS 27 2. RISK ALLOCATION BETWEEN PA AND TOC 28 CHAPTER 3. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND AND MODEL DEVELOPMENT 30 1. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND 30 1. BERTRAND MODEL 31 2. COURNOT MODEL 32 3. STACKELBERG MODEL 33 4. COLLUSION MODEL 34 2. MODEL DEVELOPMENT 38 1. TERMINAL OPERATORS’ OPTIMAL BEHAVIORS UNDER THREE SCHEMES 41 2. PORT AUTHORITY’S OPTIMAL BEHAVIORS UNDER FOUR SCHEMES 45 3. COURNOT COORDINATION 55 4. COLLUSION COORDINATION 59 5. COMPARING THE ASSUMPTION MODELS 64 3. COORDINATION THROUGH SHARING THE RISK AND REVENUE 72 1. ASSUMPTION 72 2. SHARING THE JOINT PROFIT 73 3. SHARING THE MARKET UNCERTAINTY 73 4. SHARING THE MARKET RISK 74 CHAPTER 4. NUMERICAL ANALYSIS AND RESULTS 75 CHAPTER 5. CONCLUSION 81 1. SUMMARY 81 2. IMPLICATIONS 83 3. LIMITATION 84 4. FURTHER STUDIES 85 REFERENCE 86Docto

Determining bank performance in emerging markets: the case of Jordan: competition, portfolio, and effeciciency

This study attempts to explain the banking performance in Jordan to draw out the implications of related theories and evidence for policy makers. Accordingly, they can influence the banking industry, which, in turn, impacts the economy overall. First, we investigate bank performance and the likely impact of market structures on such performance. The way in which market structure has an emotional impact on banks’ performance is vital for the reason that one objective of bank regulation is to ensure market competitiveness. Chapter three seek to examine two competing hypotheses, the SCP and the Efficient Market, for the Jordanian banking market using an unbalanced panel data set over the period 1991 to 2009. The results obtained support the SCP hypothesis as an explanation for market performance in Jordan. In chapter four we investigate the portfolio behaviour of Jordanian banks during 2002 to 2009 using monthly data. The model used is based on the portfolio choice theory, originated by Hicks (1935) and developed by Markowitz (1952) and Tobin (1958). Several nested models are developed to test the theoretical restrictions, including symmetry and homogeneity of the interest rate matrix. The empirical results, in general, clearly do not provide any support for interest rates which are important in determining the general composition of the portfolio holdings of Jordanian banks. The results show, however, that availability of funds is more important in determining the structure of these portfolios. In chapter five, the last empirical study, we examine the influence of efficiency estimates, which are derived from the Data Envelopment Analysis, on stock prices of listed banks in the Amman Stock Exchange (ASE). We test whether changes in banks’ efficiency scores have helped to explain the change in banks’ stock prices. The overall findings suggest that the share prices of Jordanian banks move according to the representative changes under the technical efficiency variables in the three presented panels

Efficiency and competition in English and Welsh universities

There is a paucity of efficiency studies on the higher education sector in Britain. Only a small subset of those utilise stochastic frontier analysis (Izadi et al., 2002; Stevens, 2005). This paper bolsters the existing UK higher education stochastic frontier analysis literature through application of the conditional heteroscedasticity approaches to modelling environmental variables suggested by Coelli et al. (1999). Our database consists of 142 higher education institutions within England and Wales from 2004 to 2009. Application of the net and gross efficiency concepts allows the paper to distinguish between factors which affect the level of frontier cost faced by an institution, from those which only impact on efficiency. The analysis shows that institutions with higher proportions of female students, non-EU students, and STEM students suffer from lower efficiency. Conversely higher levels of female staff, membership to the Russell Group, and offering a Law programme are associated with greater efficiency of institution. Additionally, we provide evidence against the efficiency impact of geographical location and changing fee regime before reporting overall efficiency scores. The disparity in efficiency between all institutions will enable Institutional managers to identify key examples of best practice within the Sector, allow managers to separate increased levels of cost from increased inefficiency, and will suggest potential future areas of regulation and legislation to policy makers. Furthermore, this paper contributes a newly derived measure for research output. This extends measures of research output currently used and improves the precision of the estimated frontier enabling future benchmarking analysis to be more robust. The efficiency measures generated suggest that there may be benefits to mergers within the higher education sector. Following the Bogetoft and Wang (2005) model we evaluate the potential gains in efficiency to be realised through merging various institutions. We find that in several instances there are indeed benefits to be achieved through merger, particularly through joining institutions with specific, narrow curricula to those with broader curricula. Additionally there is also benefit to scale efficiency through merging institutions which occupy similar geography such as Birmingham which hosts five institutions. This thesis finally considers the competitive nature of the higher education sector and how intense that competition is. Through a novel application of the Boone (2008) model we evaluate the change in efficiency over the period of the sample find that there was an increase in competition across the full sample immediately following the fee increase in 2006-2007, though interesting the effects of competition are different between Russell Group and non-Russell Group subsamples. The effects of merger and competition within the higher education sector could inform policy decisions with further fee increases looking ever more certain. Encouraging mergers amongst smaller, focused institutions may provide additional resilience within the system, however the effect on competitiveness within the system must also be considered to ensure ever increasing standards

Applications of Negotiation Theory to Water Issues

The purpose of the paper is to review the applications of non-cooperative bargaining theory to water related issues – which fall in the category of formal models of negotiation. The ultimate aim is that to, on the one hand, identify the conditions under which agreements are likely to emerge, and their characteristics; and, on the other hand, to support policy makers in devising the “rules of the game” that could help obtain a desired result. Despite the fact that allocation of natural resources, especially of trans-boundary nature, has all the characteristics of a negotiation problem, there are not many applications of formal negotiation theory to the issue. Therefore, this paper first discusses the non-cooperative bargaining models applied to water allocation problems found in the literature. Particular attention will be given to those directly modelling the process of negotiation, although some attempts at finding strategies to maintain the efficient allocation solution will also be illustrated. In addition, this paper will focus on Negotiation Support Systems (NSS), developed to support the process of negotiation. This field of research is still relatively new, however, and NSS have not yet found much use in real life negotiation. The paper will conclude by highlighting the key remaining gaps in the literature.Negotiation theory, Water, Agreeements, Stochasticity, Stakeholders