The influence of ethical practice on sustainable supplier selection in the furniture industry

This study was carried out with an objective to investigate the sustainable supplier selection and ethics influence within the furniture industry. Literature has shown that corporates have increasingly adopted the ethical standards provided they also achieve economic sustainability. The current study carried out in the furniture industry aimed to achieve four objectives: (1) to appreciate the role of ethics in selection of a sustainable supplier; (2) to evaluate and assess different methods used in the selection of suppliers; (3) to appreciate the role of ethical practices in supply chain management; and (4) to explore the important ethical practices within the furniture industry. In the furniture industry, organizations are keen to involve top management in pushing for ethical practices that enhance sustainability within supply chain management. This includes the presence of environmental policies for sustainability and carrying out corporate social responsibility activities in order to boost it. Despite the cost still being a major factor for corporates, understanding the importance of ethical practice in such an industry is becoming appreciated as more rules and standards become standard in these corporate sectors. Thirty-one participants were interviewed in four groups. The major conclusions supported the appreciation of the role of ethics in influencing sustainable supplier selection and cite the significance of adopting ethical practices in the furniture industry. The study found out that the process of selecting suppliers is flexible, and that supplier selection is integrated with ethical practices. It boosts the organization’s image, reputation and competitiveness

Hair Growth Promotant Activity of Petroleum Ether Root Extract of Glycyrrhiza Glabra L (Fabaceae) in Female Rats

Purpose: To investigate the effect of Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract on hair growth in female Wistar rats.Methods: Female Wistar rats were used for the hair growth promotion studies. They were divided into three groups(n = 6) and their dorsal skin was completely denuded to completely remove hair. Paraffin oil (control), 2 % minoxidil solution (reference) or petroleum ether (60 – 80 0C) root extract of G. glabra (2 %), was applied to the denuded skin once daily for 30 days. During this period, they were observed visually for hair growth and thereafter skin biopsy was taken for evaluation of follicular density and cyclic phases of hair growth.Results: Animals treated with petroleum ether extract of G. glabra roots showed longer hair than those treated with either minoxidil or control. Furthermore, the time (5 – 13 days) for commencement of hair growth and to reach complete hair growth was least in extract-treated animals, followed by those treated with minoxidil (6 - 19 days). A maximum of 76 % of hair follicles were in anagenic stage (active growth phase of hair) in extract-treated animals, compared to 66 and 45 % in minoxidil-treated and control groups, respectively.Conclusion: This study indicates that the petroleum ether extract of G. glabra roots has potentials as a hair growth promoting agent for females.Keywords: Hair growth promotant, G. glabra, Minoxidi

A review of lean and agile management in humanitarian supply chains: analysing the pre-disaster and post-disaster phases and future directions

Disasters have quadrupled over the last two decades leading to unprecedented loss of life. The objective of disaster-focussed humanitarian supply chains (HSCs) is to ensure saving maximum lives with limited resources; despite severe uncertainties. Therefore, significant research has investigated lean and agile in HSCs; to effectively source and speedily deploy resources, with minimum wastage; in each disaster life-cycle phase. However, the literature and research findings are currently highly disjointed regarding how lean and agile principles may be aligned with different HSC activities in the disaster management lifecycle; and do not provide a collective understanding for practitioners and researchers. This paper reviews and organises the literature on HSCs in relation to lean and agile paradigms, focussing on the pre-disaster (mitigation and preparedness) and post-disaster (response and recovery) phases. Findings reveal, all phases benefit from both lean and agile, with agile benefitting the response phase most. The phases are inter-dependent and identifying optimum decoupling points for lean and agile principles are crucial. Majority research has focussed on individual or a couple of phases. Therefore, authors recommend research on integrating the functions of the different phases by employing lean and agile principles, to generate rapid response, economies of scale and cost minimisation

Supply chain network design models for a circular economy: a review and a case study assessment

Global supply chains are getting increasingly dispersed, and hence, more complex. This has also made them more vulnerable to disruptions and risks. As a result, there is a constant need to reconfigure/redesign them to ensure competitiveness. However, the relevant aspects/facets for doing so are fragmented and scattered across the literature. This study reviews the literature to develop a holistic understanding of the key considerations (environment, cost, efficiency, and risks) in designing/redesigning global supply chains. This understanding is then applied to assess the global supply chain network of a leading multinational tire manufacturing firm; also to provide recommendations on redesigning it. The study has significant practical and research implications for global supply chain management

Dynamical complexities in a tri-trophic hybrid food chain model with Holling type II and Crowley–Martin functional responses

We study how predator behavior influences community dynamics of predatorprey systems. It turns out that predator behavior plays a dominant role in community dynamics. The hybrid model studied in this paper reveals that period-doubling and period-doubling reversals can generate short-term recurrent chaos (STRC), which mimics chaotic dynamics observed in natural populations. STRC manifests itself when deterministic changes in a system parameter interrupt chaotic behavior at unpredictable intervals. Numerical results reinforce an earlier suggestion that period-doubling reversals could control chaotic dynamics in ecological models. In ecological terms, the prey and intermediate predator populations may go to extinction in the event of a catastrophe. The top predator is always a survivor. In contrast to this, this is not the case when the constituent populations are interacting through Holling type II functional response. Even this top predator can go to extinction in the event of such catastrophes

Foraging Behaviour of Heifers, Sheep and Goats in Grass-Legume Cafeteria

The paper reports findings of a grazing trial with heifers, sheep and goats in a grass–legume cafeteria involving 45x10 m alternate strips of 18 grasses and 18 legumes. In the first year heifers were grazed. Sheep were introduced in the second year and goats in the third year. The stocking rate was 1.5 ACU/ha. Foraging behaviour of three kinds of animals differed in many respects with grazing and rest durations, choice of species in the forenoon and afternoon and in different seasons. Heifers, by and large, preferred grasses over legumes and browse. Sheep, on the contrary, preferred legumes over grasses and browse. Goats preferred browse and legumes over grasses. These findings serve as base line information in designing a silvopastoral system for mixed herd grazing which low and medium level farmers practice

Growth of Heifers and Changes in Vegetation in a Natural Grassland Oversown with Caribbean Stylo

The paper reports a three year study on the growth of heifers and vegetational changes in a natural grassland oversown with caribbean stylo and grazed in a deferred- rotational grazing system. There were two feeding treatments. One set of grazing heifers was given common salt only. The other set of heifers were given supplemental feeding of leucaena green @4 per cent or Leucaena hay @ 1 per cent body weight. The supplemental feeding of leucaena was beneficial in terms of body weight gain particularly during the dry summer months. Population of the caribbean stylo oversown in natural Sehima- Heteropogon grassland gradually declined over the years. While the causes of decline in the population of oversown caribbean stylo are yet to be understood well, the practical implication of this study leads to suggesting resowing of the stylo after every three years in order to maintain its substantial population in the natural grassland used for rotational grazing

Exponential corrected thermodynamics of Born-Infeld BTZ black holes in massive gravity

It is known that entropy of black hole gets correction at quantum level. Universally, these corrections are logarithmic and exponential in nature. We analyze the impacts of these quantum corrections on thermodynamics of Born-Infeld BTZ black hole in massive gravity by considering both such kinds of correction. We do comparative analysis of corrected thermodynamics with their equilibrium values. Here, we find that the exponential correction yields to the second point of the first order phase transition. Also, quantum correction effects significantly on the Helmholtz free energy of larger black holes. We study the equation of state for the exponential corrected black hole to obtain a leading order virial expansion.Comment: 16 pages, 4 figure