Base and surge strategies for controlling environmental and economic costs in logistics triads

The aim of this paper is to determine the extent to which it is possible to establish a ‘base’ and ‘surge’ strategy for logistics provision with a particular emphasis on minimising environmental and economic costs. Our method is the combination of empirical research outputs on the impact of uncertainty on economic and environmental costs, and a synthesis of the literature on resilience and the role of flexibility therein. We find that logistics planners either build contingents into their schedules (a priori) or that they respond with contingencies (a posteriori). The former is associated with a ‘base‘ approach; an example of which may be the incorporation of ‘slack time‘ into a schedule to accommodate expected delays due to road congestion. The latter is equivalent to a ‘surge‘ approach where as an example the logistics provider may have capacity flexibility, in the form of spare vehicles, to accommodate post-plan changes in shipper volume requirements. This paper explicitly rationalises the links between uncertainty, ‘base’ and ‘surge’ supply chain strategies, and the strategic use of logistics flexibility, in minimising environmental and economic costs in a logistics triad. The output is in the form of a conceptual managerial feedback control system

Synergies and misalignments in lean and green practices: a logistics industry perspective

This paper conducts an exploratory case study-based research in three companies to identify the main synergies and misalignments between Lean and Green in the context of a range of distribution networks operating globally, regionally and domestically. The research strategy applied by this study is exploratory multiple case studies in three companies, particularly in the road transport and logistics sector. Semi-structured interviews with fifteen executives from three companies were conducted to identify activities within logistics operations leading to synergies and misalignment between Lean and Green practices. The outcome of the three cases shows that several improvements can be achieved by the simultaneous adoption of Lean and Green. The study contributes to the literature by extending the research in the logistics sector and providing examples from a wide variety of logistics operations on synergies and misalignments between Lean and Green practices. The findings and outcome of this study are a starting point for further research in the logistics sector

Aspectos gerais do diagnóstico de tuberculose ativa em PVHA [videoaula]

Unidade 2, atividade 2 do curso Manejo da Coinfecção TB-HIV: videoaula em que a médica infectologista Denise Arakaki-Sanchez mostra como entender o diagnóstico de tuberculose nas pessoas vivendo com HIV/AIDS.Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde, Ministério da Saúd

Managing your supply chain pantry: food waste mitigation through inventory control

In this paper, we report through case study findings that the food supply chain can be improved by implementing a proper inventory control policy. The case study involves an online retailer who sells predominantly food products. The improvement of the case company is shown via simulation in economic, social and environmental aspects. The findings indicate the role of supply chain risk as an obstacle in achieving supply chain sustainability, and the benefit of effective inventory control as a cost-advantageous and easy-to-implement waste reduction method

Lateral Casimir force beyond the Proximity Force Approximation

We argue that the appropriate variable to study a non trivial geometry dependence of the Casimir force is the lateral component of the Casimir force, which we evaluate between two corrugated metallic plates outside the validity of the Proximity Force Approximation (PFA). The metallic plates are described by the plasma model, with arbitrary values for the plasma wavelength, the plate separation and the corrugation period, the corrugation amplitude remaining the smallest length scale. Our analysis shows that in realistic experimental situations the Proximity Force Approximation overestimates the force by up to 30%.Comment: 4 pages. Identical to v1, which was accidentally replaced by a different paper (quant-ph/0610026

Information and communication technology (ICT) skills and job satisfaction of primary education teachers in the context of Covid-19. Theoretical model

The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that educational systems must have an online component or even a substitute. However, the efforts for this necessary transition fall largely on the teaching staff, who have been forced to quickly adapt their activities to a virtual environment. In this study, a theoretical model for analyzing how teachers’ information and communications technology (ICT) skills and the integration of these technologies influence the improvement of teaching and teacher job satisfaction is introduced. The model also pays special attention to the gender gap related to the use of ICT in teaching. At the empirical level, the model is validated on a sample of 257 Spanish primary school teachers, using the partial least squares (PLS) structural equation method. The results of the analysis show that, although the teachers’ ICT skills help them improve their teaching activities, such skills do not have a direct impact on teachers’ job satisfaction. However, teachers who integrate ICTs into their teaching activities not only improve their results and lighten their workload but also enjoy higher job satisfaction, which translates into more motivated and committed teachers. In addition, teachers’ ICT skills influence job satisfaction in different ways depending on gender. Although, for female teachers, the integration of ICT increases their job satisfaction, the results show that, for male teachers, this integration should generate improvements in teaching to yield enhanced job satisfaction. As the main implication, it is recommended to invest in teachers’ ICT skills, as these lead to enhanced efficiency and motivation and enable the change toward an ICT-based teaching model.

Abundância de divisas no subdesenvolvimento

O trabalho apresenta a discussão teórica sobre o subdesenvolvimento em países que possuem abundância em divisas. O tema foi estudado por Celso Furtado que analisou a economia venezuelana no período de 1957 a 1974. Anos mais tarde, Corden e Neary desenvolveram o modelo clássico para analisar os efeitos do boom do setor exportador na economia, teoria que ficou conhecida na literatura como doença holandesa. A teoria defendida pela CEPAL, escola de Celso Furtado, não atende as peculiaridades da Venezuela, sendo assim, o autor inova ao apresentar suas análises sobre o comportamento da economia venezuelana. Entretanto, somente em 1982, o tema ganha destaque na literatura através da abordagem do mainstream

The role of the hub-firm in developing innovation capabilities:considering the French wine industry cluster from a resource orchestration lens

Abstract Purpose This paper explores how hub-firms in a regional industrial cluster orchestrate resources to enhance the innovation capabilities of member firms and how this role changes as innovation projects develop. The work advances our understanding of how innovation-oriented clusters can drive the collaboration process, support the development of member capabilities and achieve desired outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The research utilises exploratory case studies within an innovation cluster, where a hub-firm brings together different players for specific innovation projects. Using resource orchestration theory, the paper analyses six project cases to reveal the shifting roles and activities related to structuring, bundling and leveraging different resources for innovation capabilities particularly associated with improved quality and reputation for the firms and region. Findings The study reveals the important role played by the cluster hub-firm in structuring, bundling and leveraging resources to create and fund project teams. After project formation, a team member takes the role of an orchestrator to bundle further and then leverage the resources to achieve desired outcomes for the team and the region. Research limitations/implications This work focuses on a wine industry but has implications for the success orchestration of other regional industrial clusters. Also, the lack of hub-firm interaction during the project process provides an opportunity to consider mechanisms for better guidance of the project team. Practical implications There are implications for practitioners for participating in and further improving the collaborative innovative process. Social implications Policymakers can benefit from the study as the required practices for stimulating innovation capabilities and economic development in a region are discussed. Originality/value This research enhances understanding of the hub-firm's role in a regional cluster not only in orchestrating resources to create collaborative innovation projects but how the role shifts over time