An internet of things and blockchain based smart campus architecture

Rapid development in science and information technologies, such as the Internet of things, has led to a growth in the number of studies and research papers on smart cities in recent years and more specifically on the construction of smart campus technologies. This paper will review the concept of a smart campus, discuss the main technologies deployed, and then propose a new novel framework for a smart campus. The architecture of this new smart campus approach will be discussed with particular consideration of security and privacy systems, the Internet of things, and blockchain technologies

The Performance of Green Supply Chain Management Governance Mechanisms: A Supply Network and Complexity Perspective

Global supply networks are becoming increasingly fragmented and complex. At the same time, societal pressures surrounding the environmental accountability of firms are growing, with an increasing number of environmental scandals related to supply networks. Traditional governance frameworks of green supply chain management (GSCM) may be insufficient to deal with this new reality, because they do not consider supply network structure/complexity, and how these factors interact with different governance mechanisms. Our study takes into account the complex interplay between GSCM governance mechanisms, supply network structure/complexity, and environmental performance. We introduce a series of theoretical propositions grounded in an extensive review of the GSCM, supply networks, network complexity, and organizational design literatures. In particular we argue that supply network structure and complexity directly affect GSCM effectiveness, but that these effects will be contingent upon the type of governance mechanism applied (formal or informal)

Towards a theory of multi-tier sustainable supply chains: A systematic literature review.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive framework that synthesizes approaches and contingency variables to manage the sustainability of multi-tier supply chains and sub-suppliers. Design/methodology/approach - Using a systematic literature review, the authors analyse 39 studies and relevant theories to develop a comprehensive framework that integrates research efforts so far. Findings - The authors build a conceptual framework that incorporates four approaches to manage the sustainability of multi-tier supply chains. They also identify several contingency variables (e.g. power, dependency, distance, industry, knowledge resources) and their effect on the proposed approaches. Research limitations/implications - Based on the framework, six research propositions that advance the theories on multi-tier supply chain management, allow lead firms to develop comprehensive sustainable supply chain strategies and set the ground for future research in the area were developed. Originality/value - This study provides a novel framework for studying sustainability in multi-tier supply chains that goes beyond the single-tier perspective and incorporates the extended supply chain

Integral Operators, Pseudodifferential Operators, and Gabor Frames

This chapter illustrates the use of Gabor frame analysis to derive results on the spectral properties of integral and pseudodifferential operators. In particular, we obtain a sufficient condition on the kernel of an integral operator or the symbol of a pseudodifferential operator which implies that the operator is trace-class. This result significantly improves a sufficient condition due to Daubechies and Hörmander

Vogue or Vague: Sustainability Performance Appraisal in Luxury Fashion Supply Chains

Pressure over sustainability is constantly growing. Luxury goods companies are thus required to prioritize their corporate goals and to integrate sustainability into upstream supply chains (SCs). Nevertheless, it is getting difficult to find sustainable partners as a consequence of globally dispersed fashion SCs (FSCs). In order to commit to business sustainability, a luxury goods company must address and appraise not only its own but also its suppliers’ social and environmental performance. While there have been efforts in assessing environmental sustainability, to date, there are still gaps in the current literature in terms of social sustainability assessment and to what extent social sustainability could be integrated into contemporary decision-making processes. Prior research stress that having an integrated approach to investigate interactions among social, economic, and environmental dimensions is more practical than applying deep yet disconnected investigation in only one dimension. Nonetheless, it is important to underline that sustainability indicators do not ensure the same impact on all industries; henceforth sector-specific assessment frameworks need a further investigation. This study therefore attempts to synthesise both current and novel components in a comprehensive framework to appraise sustainability performance. The main contribution of this study is the proposition of a 360 Degrees Performance Appraisal model to evaluate the impact of SC operations on sustainability. Hence, this chapter provides an understanding of (i) how SC of a luxury goods company must be configured toward sustainability, (ii) how sustainability performance must be assessed through incorporation of a wide range of stakeholders, and (iii) how sustainability could be further advanced in luxury FSCs. Not only could this tool provide an integrated approach to value sustainability by encompassing all related stakeholders associated, but it could also help luxury fashion companies monitor, interpret and further improve their suppliers’ and sub-contractors’ sustainability performance