Reviewing the Drivers and Challenges in RFID Implementation in the Pharmaceutical Supply Chain

Counterfeiting is a global phenomenon that poses a serious financial threat to the pharmaceutical industry and more importantly jeopardizes public safety and security. Different measures, including new laws and regulations, have been put in place to mitigate the threat and tighten control in the pharmaceuticals supply chain. However, it appears that the most promising countermeasure is track-and-trace technology such as electronic-pedigree (E-pedigree) with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. In this study we present a framework exploring the antecedents and consequences of RFID applications in the pharmaceutical supply chain. The framework proposes that counterfeiting and E-pedigree regulation will drive the implementation of RFID in the pharmaceutical supply chain, which in turn provides strategic and operational benefits that enable competitive advantage. Meanwhile, the implementation of RFID requires overcoming many operational, technical and financial challenges. The framework provides a springboard that future study can explore using empirical data

An evolutionary stage model of outsourcing and competence destruction : a Triad comparison of the consumer electronics industry

Outsourcing has gained much prominence in managerial practice and academic discussions in the last two decades or so. Yet, we still do not understand the full implications of outsourcing strategy for corporate performance. Traditionally outsourcing across borders is explained as a cost-cutting exercise, but more recently the core competency argument states that outsourcing also leads to an increased focus, thereby improving effectiveness. However, no general explanation has so far been provided for how outsourcing could lead to deterioration in a firm‟s competence base. We longitudinally analyze three cases of major consumer electronics manufacturers, Emerson Radio from the U.S., Japan‟s Sony and Philips from the Netherlands to understand the dynamic process related to their sourcing strategies. We develop an evolutionary stage model that relates outsourcing to competence development inside the firm and shows that a vicious cycle may emerge. Thus it is appropriate to look not only at how outsourcing is influenced by an organization‟s current set of competences, but also how it alters that set over time. The four stages of the model are offshore sourcing, phasing out, increasing dependence on foreign suppliers, and finally industry exit or outsourcing reduction. The evolutionary stage model helps managers understand for which activities and under which conditions outsourcing across borders is not a viable option. Results suggest that each of these firms had faced a loss of manufacturing competitiveness in its home country, to which it responded by offshoring and then outsourcing production. When a loss of competences occurred, some outsourcing decisions were reversed

Critical Management Issues for Implementing RFID in Supply Chain Management

The benefits of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in the supply chain are fairly compelling. It has the potential to revolutionise the efficiency, accuracy and security of the supply chain with significant impact on overall profitability. A number of companies are actively involved in testing and adopting this technology. It is estimated that the market for RFID products and services will increase significantly in the next few years. Despite this trend, there are major impediments to RFID adoption in supply chain. While RFID systems have been around for several decades, the technology for supply chain management is still emerging. We describe many of the challenges, setbacks and barriers facing RFID implementations in supply chains, discuss the critical issues for management and offer some suggestions. In the process, we take an in-depth look at cost, technology, standards, privacy and security and business process reengineering related issues surrounding RFID technology in supply chains

AQD highlights 2006

The SEAFDEC Aquaculture Department is mandated to: 1) promote and undertake aquaculture research that is relevant and appropriate for the region; 2) develop human resources for the region; and, 3) disseminate and exchange information in aquaculture. The Aquaculture Department in the Philippines maintains 4 stations: in Iloilo Province, the Tigbauan Main Station and Dumangas Brackishwater Station; in Guimaras, the Igang Marine Station; and, in Rizal, the Binangonan Freshwater Substation. Highlights are provided of the research programmes and activities conducted by the department during the year 2006

The role of acculturation and ethnic identity in understanding Asians\u27 sport consumption behavior in the United States.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2011), ethnic minority populations in the U.S. constituted over one-third (approximately 126 million) of the total U.S. population in 2010 (approximately 300.8 million) (U.S. Census Bureau, 2011). With such rapidly increasing diversity of the U.S. population, sport marketers and researchers have become interested in targeting ethnic minority groups as niche markets to expand their fan bases. While the literature on sport consumption behaviors have solely focused on sociodemographic, individual, and psychographic factors, very limited attention was paid to cultural-related factors, such as acculturation and ethnic identity. Thus, the need to investigate the role of the two cultural factors in attracting various ethnic minorities to a sport consumption setting was identified. The primary purpose of the current study was to develop sport consumption models for the Asian population living in the U.S., based on (a) ethnic identity, (b) acculturation, (c) identifications (points of attachment), and (d) consumption for the respective identification. Specifically, three different models were developed and tested according to types of identification [identification with an ethnic player (IEP), identification with a popular sport in a native country (IPSNC), and identification with a popular sport in a host country (IPSHC)] and types of consumption [consumption for a team with ethnic player (CTEP), consumption for a popular sport in a native country (CPSNC), and consumption for a popular sport in a host country (CPSHC). The current study also examined the impact of four acculturation strategies (integration, assimilation, separation, and marginalization) on identifications and consumption behaviors, based on Berry\u27s (1990) bi-dimensional model of acculturation. Survey data (N = 291) were collected from four Asian subgroups: (a) Chinese, (b) Japanese, (c) Korean, and (d) Taiwanese. The sport consumption models were then tested by structural equation modeling (SEM). Within all the three sport consumption models, ethnic identity and acculturation were negatively correlated. Ethnic identity significantly influenced identification in the Ethnic Player (IEP) and Native Sport (IPSNC) Models. However, ethnic identity did not directly influence consumption in all the three structural models. Acculturation significantly influenced only identification in the Host Sport Model (IPSHC). Regarding the relationship with consumption, acculturation only significantly influenced consumption in the Ethnic Player Model (CTEP). Lastly, within all the three structural models, identification significantly influenced consumption. With respect to the acculturation strategies, the results revealed significant differences in the three identification and consumption factors among the four acculturation strategies. More specifically, Asians using integration and separation strategies were more likely to identify with and consume sport products reflecting attributes of their native countries (ethnic player and popular sports in a native country) than those using assimilation and marginalization strategies. For sport products reflecting attributes of the U.S. (popular sports in a host country), Asians using integration and assimilation strategies were more inclined to identify and consume the host popular sports than those using separation and marginalization strategies. The current study extends the literature on ethnic minorities\u27 sport consumption behavior, by incorporating the two cultural factors, ethnic identity and acculturation. Sport researchers and practitioners should further examine the two cultural factors to better understand sport consumption behaviors of ethnic minority groups

Charting multidisciplinary research and action priorities towards the conservation and sustainable management of sea turtles in the Pacific ocean : a focus on Malaysia

Conservation, Turtle culture, Malaysia,

APFIC/FAO Regional Consultative Workshop: Securing sustainable small-scale fisheries: Bringing together responsible fisheries and social development, Windsor Suites Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand 68 October 2010

In the Global Overview, we attempt to view reefs in terms of the poor who are dependent on reefs for their livelihoods, how the reefs benefit the poor, how changes in the reef have impacted the lives of the poor and how the poor have responded and coped with these changes. It also considers wider responses to reef issues and how these interventions have impacted on the lives of the poor

Intellectual Property Rights, Strategic Technology Agreements and Market Structure, The Case of GSM

This paper investigates the role of intellectual property rights (IPRs) in shaping the GSM industry. Thisindustry is an example of a high-tech industry in which standards play a large role. In the process ofdesigning the GSM standard, a lot of attention has been given to IPRs, mainly to avoid a situation inwhich a single IPR holder could hamper or even totally block the development of the standard.Nevertheless, the ultimate GSM standard contains a large amount of so-called ‘essential IPRs’, i.e., IPRswithout which the implementation of GSM products is impossible.The paper starts with a general discussion of the development of GSM, and the role of firm strategy andIPRs in this process. Next, we present a database on the essential IPRs in the GSM standard. This databasehas been compiled on the basis of international patent statistics, and the data that manufacturers havesupplied to ETSI, the European standardization body responsible for defining the GSM standard. We usethis database to assess the dynamic IPR position of firms in the original GSM standard and its subsequentdevelopment.economics of technology ;

Dangerous calling, the life-and-death matter of safety at sea: a collection of articles from SAMUDRA Report

Fishing is arguably the world's most dangerous vocation, reporting the highest rate of occupational fatalities among industries, made only worse by declining fish prices, overfished waters and shortened fishing seasons. As fishermen are forced to move farther away from shore in search of scarce resources, the dangers they face are many: bad weather, rough seas, flooding, fire, poor vessel design, mechanical problems navigational error, missing safety equipment. For the small-scale and artisanal fishers of developing countries, these problems are compounded several times over, as this series of articles from SAMUDRA Report reveals. (44pp.