Green supply chain performance assessment: exploration fuzzy logic to tackle linguistic evaluation information

Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) has appeared as an environmental innovation integrating environmental concerns into the supply chain management. Due to recent modification in environmental requirements, Govt. rules and regulations that affect manufacturing operations and services; growing attention is being given towards inclusion of environmental management strategies into traditional concept of supply chains. A Green Supply Chain (GSC) aims at confining the wastes within the industrial system so as to conserve energy and prevent the dissipation of harmful materials into the environment. In order to assess GSC performance extent, ‘green attributes’ must be considered along with traditional SC performance indices. The present work aims to discuss a methodology to deal with linguistic evaluation information through fuzzy logic for evaluating green supply chain performance and also attempts in identifying and prioritizing the key factors towards increasing ‘green competitiveness’. Here, the performance criteria/attributes have been evaluated by the expert group through linguistic variables which have further been transformed into Generalized Trapezoidal Fuzzy Numbers (GTFNs). Linguistic assessment of GSCM has been carried out based on different attributes, such as customer value, quality evaluation, performance measurement, appropriate price and environmental effect. Each attribute is followed by several criterions. Because of the vague and inconsistent nature of decision-makers’ linguistic evaluation information associated with GSCM; a fuzzy-based approach is indeed required to convert linguistic data into appropriate fuzzy numbers, for the analysis purpose. Apart from computing overall green performance extent, this research has been extended to identify ill-performing areas of an organizational GSC. Moreover, a case study has been reported in support of application feasibility of the proposed module

The politics of anti-poverty artefacts: lessons from the computerisation of the food security system in Karnataka

The last few years have seen a rapid increase in the discussion of the role of new technologies in strengthening social safety nets. However, the hypothesis that technology design is intertwined with political agendas - aiming at instilling specific visions and policy objectives in anti-poverty programmes - has remained to a large extent unexplored, being either taken as implicit or neglected by technical discourse. In this paper, we look at computerization of a large food security programme - the Public Distribution System in Karnataka, India - to argue that technology, far from simply affecting the functioning of existing processes, can be built to advance specific political agendas, which carry clear stances on the ways in which social welfare targets are to be reached. However, recipients' perception of these programmes depends highly on how technology affects access to their entitlements, which need therefore to be set at the core of anti-poverty technology design. The case study is used to draw lessons for policy, specifically aimed at countries embarking into computerization of their social safety nets

Enactment of Technology Structures in ICT4D Projects : A Study of Computerization of Land Records in India

In this paper, we argue that technology use depends on the action of human agents and is influenced by the context in which this use takes place. We draw upon the literature on social shaping of technology, particularly that which looks at its usage, to base our claims. We have used a practice-oriented approach to studying technology, derived largely from Giddens’ structuration theory, to understand the use patterns of a widely acclaimed ICT4D (Information and Communication Technology for Development) project in India. We find that the technology structures enacted by users reflects differences in their existing social contexts and, therefore, technology, and particularly ICT designs need to be sensitive to these variations if they intend to serve any significant development purpose

The Potential of Re-exports: A Probability for Fiji’s Trade Growth

This study investigates the significance of re-exports in Fiji. The dominance of the re-export of domestic exports is indisputable in Fiji; however, there is lack of literature concerning the performance of re-exports to total exports transiting the Fijian economy. This study aspires to fill that gap offering suggestions to strengthen the total exports of Fiji by diversifying the trade policies. Time series data is used for total exports, re-exports and domestic exports from 1985 to 2018 to establish an ARDL model. The model was subjected to diagnostic testing with a favorable outcome regarding the stability of the model for hypothesis testing. The findings re-affirm that re-exports are a significant predictor of Fiji’s total exports and trade growth. This research signifies the need for national policies to include the promotion of re-exports. Conclusively, the finding of this study is instrumental in updating or reshaping development policies for inclusive growth