Effective Implementation of WEEE Take-back Directive: What Types of Take-back Network Patterns in China

AbstractThis paper further explains the context of this new legislation and describes, compares and then analyzes the four alternative strategies to reducing end-of-life waste, i.e., repairing, reconditioning, remanufacturing or recycling. It also presents a more robust definition of remanufacturing, which differentiates if from repair and reconditioning engineering. By using a two-stage sequential decision game model, the economic behavior of the main stakeholders under three different types of take-back modes are presented; based on the objective of social welfare maximization, the issues of take-back network, recycling targets setting, recovery catalogs sorting and, supervision and stimulation of take-back models are discussed. Our conclusions demonstrate that: manufacturers, recyclers and consumers do not always share the same preference over three patterns, but the mode of manufacture-leading take-back can reach maximum social welfare; the most efficient network system should be around the manufacturer individual take-back responsibility to build; the take-back level and the recovery catalogs must synthesize the factors involve environmental impact of product, take-back cost/benefit, and recycling and manufacturing industries’ market structure etc.; the supervision and stimulation decision matrix associated with the Producer Responsibility Organization is as an effective tool to balance the environmental benefits and social welfare

Cooperative Innovation Behavior Based on Big Data

With the rapid change of technology, cooperative innovation based on data sharing has become an imminent tactic for enterprises to gain competitive advantages. This paper adopted a mixed method approach (case study-modelling-case study) to study firms’ co-opetition behaviour based on their data analytics capabilities for innovation. We show that firms favour cooperative among peers with same capabilities, i.e. when each firm’s data level is comparable to their partners. We further establish that data transferability and incentive have high impact on cooperation decisions. Finally, we explain the evolution path of firms’ cooperation decisions and discuss the best options for them to sustain long-term growth and competitiveness. The results provide a basis for firms to decide how best to utilise big data for collaborative innovation, so as to improve customers’ product adoption and reduce costs

Impact of artificial intelligence adoption on online returns policies

The shift to e-commerce has led to an astonishing increase in online sales for retailers. However, the number of returns made on online purchases is also increasing and have a profound impact on retailers’ operations and profit. Hence, retailers need to balance between minimizing and allowing product returns. This study examines an offline showroom versus an artificial intelligence (AI) online virtual-reality webroom and how the settings affect customers’ purchase and retailers’ return decisions. A case study is used to illustrate the AI application. Our results show that adopting artificial intelligence helps sellers to make better returns policies, maximize reselling returns, and reduce the risks of leftovers and shortages. Our findings unlock the potential of artificial intelligence applications in retail operations and should interest practitioners and researchers in online retailing, especially those concerned with online returns policies and the consumer personalized service experience

Service Value Delivery System Based on Time-Based Competition

In this paper, the necessary conditions and the components of the operation of service value delivery system are analyzed; the every node enterprise to make clear that the function of each of them in service value creation and addition is discussed. The processes and model of market-driven value delivery system are discussed in this paper, and the processes content and model are presented, we firstly discuss the operational flowchart and classification of the service value delivery under the time-based competition environment. Secondly, we analyze the tactics of time-based competition in supply chain system and the marketing system, both of which compose the whole service value delivery system

Study on 4PL as Coordinating and Constructing Agent for Supply Chain System - A Transaction Cost Theory Approach

This paper introduces a new mathematical model for analyzing the economic benefits of incorporating 4PL, which is a contractor (i.e. agent) for the supply chain coordination and construction based on the division of community and the outsourcing development. The mathematical model enriches the connotation of 4PL and it broadens the thought for 4PL development. Secondly, the proposed mathematical model predicated on transaction costs, is supported by Transaction Cost Theory (TCT) and acts as the theoretical analysis tool of 4PL for coordinating 3-party generic supply chain. Through the model, some trendy conclusions can be drawn to provide theoretical support for 4PL's practices

Closed-loop Supply Chains Based on By-Product Exchange

This paper emphasized on the by-products of closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) system. The cooperation processing based on by-products exchange in CLSC is discussed with the decision-making criterion of eco-efficiency maximization. Accordingly, a pricing model is given. The sustainability of the CLSC system is discussed under the circumstances of exergoeconomics. The metric of "system negative environment effect" is introduced to measure CLSC system performance. A case study of Guangxi Guitang Group in China is analyzed at last, which shows the multi-win brought by closed-loop supply chain management (CLSCM)

Collaborative Rebate Strategy of Business-to-Customer Platforms Considering Recycling and Trade-Ins Simultaneously

B2C (business to customer) platforms like JD.com and Suning.com often cooperate with professional recycling companies, and implement recycling programs and trade-in programs simultaneously, especially for electronic products. The former means that platforms recycle old products from customers with cash, whereas the latter means that platforms allow customers to trade in old products for new ones. Under this background, we discuss how to develop the optimal rebate strategy for B2C platforms based on the market recovery price of old products, and give the optimal rebate prices and feasible conditions of single-rebate, dual-rebate, and none-rebate strategies. The results show that the single-recycling rebate strategy is dominant when the residual value of old products is low, and when the residual value of old products is high, platforms should choose in turn the single-trade-in rebate strategy, dual-rebate strategy, single-recycling rebate strategy, and non-rebate strategy with the increase in the cost of new products. In order to obtain higher profits, B2C platforms should provide appropriate rebates to better coordinate the recycling program and the trade-in program on the basis of the market recovery price, the residual value, and the durability of old products as well as the cost, the selling price, and the upgrade range of new products

Low-Temperature Synthesis of Anatase TiO2 Nanoparticles with Tunable Surface Charges for Enhancing Photocatalytic Activity

In this work, the positively or negatively charged anatase TiO[subscript 2] nanoparticles were synthesized via a low temperature precipitation-peptization process (LTPPP) in the presence of poly(ethyleneimine) (PEI) and poly(sodium4- styrenesulfonate) (PSS). X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) confirmed the anatase crystalline phase. The charges of the prepared TiO[subscript 2], PEI-TiO[subscript 2] and PSS-TiO[subscript 2] nanoparticles were investigated by zeta potentials. The results showed that the zeta potentials of PEI-TiO[subscript 2] nanoparticles can be tuned from +39.47 mV to +95.46 mV, and that of PSS-TiO[subscript 2] nanoparticles can be adjusted from −56.63 mV to −119.32 mV. In comparison with TiO[subscript 2], PSS-TiO[subscript 2] exhibited dramatic adsorption and degradation of dye molecules, while the PEI modified TiO[subscript 2] nanoparticles showed lower photocatalytic activity. The photocatalytic performances of these charged nanoparticles were elucidated by the results of UV-vis diffuse reflectance spectra (DRS) and the photoluminescence (PL) spectra, which indicated that the PSS-TiO[subscript 2] nanoparticles showed a lower recombination rate of electron-hole pairs than TiO[subscript 2] and PEI-TiO[subscript 2].National Natural Science Foundation (China) (21176005

The Governance of Distributor in Different Supply Chains

The importance of governance is discussed in this paper at first, and the phenomenon of distributors in different supply chains is analyzed. Some frangible factors are found in supply chain, and then we discuss how to improve the robustness of the distribution channel. The relationship between the factors of distributors and the robustness of distribution channel is analyzed. The aim is to improve the robustness of supply chain and make the distribution channels operate efficiently

Advance selling and service cancelation when consumers are overconfident

Purpose: This paper aims to study the joint decision making of advance selling and service cancelation for service provides with limited capacity when consumers are overconfident. Design/methodology/approach: For the case in which consumers encounter uncertainties about product valuation and consumption states in the advance period and are overconfident about the probability of a good state, we study how the service provider chooses the optimal sales strategy among the non-advance selling strategy, the advance selling and disallowing cancelation strategy, and the advance selling and allowing cancelation strategy. We also discuss how overconfidence influences the service provider’s decision making. Findings: The results show that when service capacity is sufficient, the service provider should adopt advance selling and disallow cancelation; when service capacity is insufficient, the service provider should still implement advance selling but allow cancelation; and when service capacity is extremely insufficient, the service provider should offer spot sales. Moreover, overconfidence weakens the necessity to allow cancelation under sufficient service capacity and enhances it under insufficient service capacity but is always advantageous to advance selling. Practical implications: The obtained results provide managerial insights for service providers to make advance selling decisions. Originality/value: This paper is among the first to explore the effect of consumers’ overconfidence on the joint decision of advance selling and service cancelation under capacity constraints