A Multiagent Evolutionary Algorithm for the Resource-Constrained Project Portfolio Selection and Scheduling Problem

A multiagent evolutionary algorithm is proposed to solve the resource-constrained project portfolio selection and scheduling problem. The proposed algorithm has a dual level structure. In the upper level a set of agents make decisions to select appropriate project portfolios. Each agent selects its project portfolio independently. The neighborhood competition operator and self-learning operator are designed to improve the agent’s energy, that is, the portfolio profit. In the lower level the selected projects are scheduled simultaneously and completion times are computed to estimate the expected portfolio profit. A priority rule-based heuristic is used by each agent to solve the multiproject scheduling problem. A set of instances were generated systematically from the widely used Patterson set. Computational experiments confirmed that the proposed evolutionary algorithm is effective for the resource-constrained project portfolio selection and scheduling problem

Government-linked intermediaries and their roles in Chinese industrial clusters : a case from Haining city

In China, government-linked intermediaries can bridge between governments and business, promoting the development of local industrial clusters and regional economies. As one of the most developed industrial clusters in China, a case study was conducted in Haining city which is well known for its leather industry. Nine divisions work together and integrate all the resources to improve the leather industry

Aspirations and environmental performance feedback: a behavioral perspective for green supply chain management

Purpose – This study investigates the relationships between environmental performance feedback and green supply chain management (GSCM). It explores how environmental performance above or below aspirations affects the implementation of GSCM practices (specifically sustainable production [SP] and sustainable sourcing [SS]) through the lens of the behavioral theory of the firm (BTOF), which has received scant attention in the operations management literature. Design/methodology/approach – The study used data from the sixth round of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey (IMSS). It employed hierarchical linear regression to test the proposed hypotheses. Moreover, the study tested an alternate model to rule out the possible role of financial performance aspirations in explaining the implementation of SP and SS. Findings – The results indicate that organizations determine their efforts put into the two GSCM practices according to environmental performance feedback: the greater the aspiration–environmental performance discrepancy, the stronger the efforts put into implementing GSCM practices. Originality/value – This study contributes to the GSCM literature by revealing the impact of environmental performance aspirations on the implementation of GSCM practices through the lens of the BTOF. It also extends the BTOF by applying it in the GSCM context and indicating that performance feedback is based on environmental performance instead of financial performance in this specific context

Relational resources and performance of Chinese third-party logistics providers: The mediating role of innovation capability

Purpose Drawing upon the theory of the resource-based view, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships among relational resources, innovation capability and firm performance in the third-party logistics (3PL) industry. Design/methodology/approach Based on data collected from 203 3PL providers in China, this study adopts the approach of structural equation modeling to examine the hypothesized relationships among relational resources, innovation capability and firm performance. Findings The results of this research confirm that relational resources have a positive effect on firm performance. However, the effect is not direct, but realized through the mediation of innovation capability. This study indicates that relational resources are important for 3PL providers to achieve superior performance, and innovation capability plays a mediating role between relational resources and firm performance. Originality/value The main contributions of this paper to the literature are twofold. First, it extends the extant research by highlighting the mediating mechanism of innovation capability in relational resources’ influence on firm performance. Second, it advances the existing perspectives on 3PL firms in the Chinese context and this sheds light on logistics research on emerging markets

Entrepreneurial growth in digital business ecosystems: an integrated framework blending the knowledge-based view of the firm and business ecosystems

Digitalisation is shaping the contemporary technological context of entrepreneurial activities, where firms grow through interacting with digital ecosystem stakeholders. This study investigates how incumbent firms seek entrepreneurial growth by re-configurating their knowledge bases in digital business ecosystems. We propose and develop a conceptual framework that blends the digital business ecosystem perspective and the knowledge-based view of the firm. Through a longitudinal case study of a Chinese textile manufacturing firm, we identify three pathways for entrepreneurial growth. The results contribute to the entrepreneurship literature by demonstrating how digital technologies foster corporate entrepreneurship in incumbent firms. The proposed framework extends the analytical power of the knowledge-based view by incorporating ecosystem elements into the firm’s internal and external knowledge management. The findings also generate relevant and actionable managerial implications for entrepreneurs, managers, and policymakers that are applicable in the context of digital business ecosystems

Auction-theories critical chain approach for resource-constrained multi-project planning and scheduling

The purpose of this research is to develop an effective technique for resource-constrained multi-project planning and scheduling. Though project management has developed for decades, most traditional network analysis techniques focus on time-only analysis and neglect resource constraints. Recently, a large volume of research has been conducted on resource-constrained project scheduling in the single project environment. However, there is relatively few research being conducted on the resource-constrained multi-project scheduling problems, though most projects are executed in a multi-project environment.Doctor of Philosophy (MPE

Simulation study of inter-firm network knowledge transfer moderated by the proximity [Chinese language]

In order to explore the influence of inter-firm network attributes on knowledge transfer performance, a multi-agent simulation model was established. Results of the computerized simulation were analyzed statistically. Data analysis confirmed that network scale, network stability, and the initial network density have positive impact on inter-firm knowledge transfer performance, and the existent differences of proximity between firms may affect the influence of network attributes on knowledge transfer

Industrial clusters and regional inclusive development : experience from China

Development of rural industrial clusters does not necessarily result in regional inclusive development. This paper investigates the interrelationship between industrial clusters and regional inclusive development. Our findings suggest there are pre-conditions for inclusive development such as: localization of the production system, entrepreneurship, government support at the local level, and institution building. Many rural industrial clusters in China are gradually transforming and upgrading from labor intensive to capital intensive ones. The replacement of labor with capital imposes pressure on employment in those rural areas in the long run