In this paper we detail a methodology and some of its variations with respect to evaluating the validity of a teaching and course evaluation tool. The methodology applies a mathematical programming based multifactor productivity approach called data envelopment analysis (DEA). The paper shows how DEA can be effectively applied to check the validity of the evaluation instrument using actual accounting students’ responses for an accounting instructor and course. The results show that DEA can be used as supplements to existing course evaluation systems by making the interpretation of the course evaluation instrument more meaningful.
Purpose In the buyer-supplier relationship of a high-technology enterprise, the concepts of trust and risk are closely intertwined. Entering into a buyer-supplier relationship inherently involves a degree of risk, since there is always an opportunity for one of the parties to act opportunistically. Purchasing and supply managers play an important role in reducing the firm's risk profile, and must make decisions about whether or not to enter into, or remain in, a relationship with a supplier based on a subjective assessment of trust and risk. Design/methodology/approach In this paper, the authors seek to explore how trust in the buyer-supplier relationship can be quantitatively modeled in the presence of risk. The authors develop a model of trust between a buyer and supplier as a risk-based decision, in which a buyer decides to place trust in a supplier, who may either act cooperatively or opportunistically. The authors use a case study of intellectual property (IP) piracy in the electronics industry to illustrate the conceptual discussion and model development. Findings The authors produce a generalizable model that can be used to aid in decision-making and risk analysis for potential supply-chain partnerships, and is both a theoretical and practical innovation. However, the model can benefit a variety of high-technology enterprises. Originality/value While the topic of trust is widely discussed, few studies have attempted to derive a quantitative model to support trust-based decision making. This paper advanced the field of supply chain management by developing a model which relates risk and trust in the buyer-supplier relationship.
Organisations are having difficulty in determining and integrating Industry 4.0 technologies (I4.0T) to improve social dimensions of sustainable performance. We address this issue by showing how to identify the impact degree and path of I4.0T using the United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs). First, we identify the SDGs associated with I4.0 and establish an evaluation framework. Second, we introduce an evaluation method that integrates hesitant fuzzy sets, rough sets, decision-making, trial evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and interpretative structural modelling methods to identify the impact degree and path of I4.0T on SDGs. Third, we confirm the effectiveness of our framework and method using secondary case data from World Economic Forum reports. The case results show that I4.0T have varying direct and indirect influences on SDGs. Policy makers should consider that ‘Big Data and Analytics’ and ‘Cloud Computing’ are central I4.0T that link other technologies and SDGs. The prioritisation of I4.0T can lead to contributions to addressing ‘Responsible consumption and production’ and indirectly improve SDGs. The findings set an initial stage to help sequence investment in various technologies depending on SDGs. We identify sequential paths that can aid in planning for and investing in adopting I4.0T to better achieve SDGs.
Managing service operations is gaining significant attention in both academic and practitioner circles. In this broad area, performance evaluation and process improvement of airlines and air carriers has been the focus of several studies. Although efficient airport operations are critical for improved performance of airlines and air carriers, few studies have focused on airport performance measurement. This study evaluates the operational efficiencies of 44 major US airports across 5 years using multi-criteria non-parametric models. These efficiency scores are treated by a clustering method in identifying benchmarks for improving poorly performing airports. Efficiency measures are based on four resource input measures including airport operational costs, number of airport employees, gates and runways, and five output measures including operational revenue, passenger flow, commercial and general aviation movement, and total cargo transportation. The methodology presented here can be generalized to other industries and institutions.
Making an evaluation and selection of alternative building designs is a critical issue facing many organizations. The selection of greener building designs is an important aspect of this process. Making the wrong choice can prove to be very costly as organizations try to uncover a design's potential for success from an economic and sustainable perspective. Recently, the issue of green construction and building design has grown in interest. However, the topic of sustainable building design selection remains an area of lesser investigation that has not seen much progress in the field of sustainable building design. The purpose of this article is to help organizations more effectively select and evaluate the relative sustainability of building designs using a multi-criteria decision model, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) that has been applied to many areas of managerial decision making. More specifically, we structure a decision hierarchy for alternative sustainable building design selection based on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System(tm) requirements and making a business case for selection of a specific design. We provide an illustrative application that can be implemented as part of a larger research and design decision support system.We will now present some background on the discussion of organizational decision making and making business cases.
Supply chain management environmental and social criteria are practical and research concerns due to regulatory, stakeholder, and economic pressures. Effective holistic sustainable supply management schemes require the evaluation and selection of suppliers. Supplier evaluation requires the balancing of multiple criteria. Multiple criteria tools, each with advantages and limitations, are necessary for the supplier evaluation and selection problem. This paper introduces a new methodological approach including complementary, analytic hierarchy process (AHP), decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) techniques and Bayesian networks (BN). The combination of DEMATEL, AHP and Bayesian approaches, although they are supportive and complementary methods, has seen limited investigation. The Bayesian network approach can complement DEMATEL and AHP to help improve the accuracy of AHP input data. Alternatively, DEMATEL and AHP can provide expert and more objective inputs for intangible factors, used in the Bayesian network approach. The validity and efficacy of this approach is demonstrated through a real industrial case using decision-makers’ inputs and outputs. The study shows the advantages and disadvantages of each method. Finally, we present results with managerial and research implications and future research directions.
Emergy analysis has been gaining attention in its use as an environmental accounting tool. Its relationships and implications to sustainable supply chains and the circular economy are still not well understood, even with initial investigations into the relationship. Emergy analysis can potentially provide additional profound opportunities to advancing these sustainability-oriented fields. Emergy analysis—as a basis for economic, social and environmental performance measurements—uses donor side valuation approaches. We discuss how sustainable supply chain management and circular economy performance measurement methods can be expanded and effectively utilize emergy analysis using a donor-side evaluation. We provide insights into more effective environmentally sustainable supply chain and circularity performance evaluation, accounting, and appraisal using emergy based performance measurements. Our findings show that there is ample room for further application and theoretical development at the nexus of these topics. Practically, the measures and approaches for emergy analysis can help decision makers in organizations and across supply chains in managing material sourcing, supplier selection, and network and circular economy flow designs. A theoretical synthesis and research gaps are introduced to help guide future theoretical developments and practical investigations. This work is valuable for those seeking to advance research on sustainability and performance analysis for organizational and supply chain levels of analysis.
The paper presents some issues relevant to the strategic justification of computer-integrated enterprise technologies for small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises. To address the issue of making a strategic justification or ‘business case’ for these technologies, an organizational decision-making methodology that incorporates the strategies of the firm is needed, among other requirements. A research and development approach that integrates Quality Function Deployment and idef0 functional modeling to determine the requirements and processes for the justification methodology is presented. This approach has implications for future research and development for similar organizational decision-support processes and business-process reengineering.
Ecological and environmental issues are playing a larger role in corporate and manufacturing strategies. Global and domestic environmental regulations and laws are forcing many organizations to consider environmental impacts of all functions and business processes and products. In this paper the environmental consciousness issues pertaining to manufacturing and operations management are presented. A general strategic framework on how to manage environmentally conscious programs and projects in a manufacturing enterprise is also developed and discussed. A number of research initiatives that need to be pursued are identified. The pursuit of these research initiatives will alleviate many of the barriers to adoption of environmentally conscious manufacturing strategies.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has undeniably influenced the global economy and environment. Major victims of the COVID-19 outbreak are Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs), especially in developing countries, mainly because of limited use of digital technologies. This paper employs a literature review and personal insights to provide COVID-19 pandemic digitization lessons for sustainable development of MSEs from a technology for social good perspective. We develop a framework to support post COVID-19 digital transformation for sustainable development of MSEs. We find that digital payments, especially mobile money, should be a critical digital transformation priority for MSEs. Also, institutions must support MSE resources and capabilities to adopt digital transformation for business continuity, and sustainable production and consumption. Our study suggests that MSE managers and other stakeholders rethink their business strategies, incorporating crisis scenarios and business continuity plans to sustain customers virtually to enhance sustainable development. We also propose further research areas to improve the successful digital transformation of MSEs post COVID-19.
Product management activities have typically focused on the innovation, acquisition, expansion and management of product lines and products. However, product deletion or discontinuation is also critical. Despite its strategic importance, product deletion has received relatively less attention in both academia and practice. Researchers have conceptually investigated product deletion, its influence on firm's resources, the factors influencing product deletion decisions, and the product deletion process. However, very few papers have related product deletion decisions to supply chain management, especially when leanness and sustainability are major objectives. This paper aims to integrate lean and sustainable supply chain dimensions with product deletion by proposing a multilevel decision model that can facilitate a product deletion decision with an objective of developing a leaner and more sustainable supply chain. The model has three major decision dimensions with 8 factors with 29 influencing determinants. The model uses an integrated analytical hierarchy/network process (AHP/ANP) and a benefits, opportunities, cost and risks (BOCR) analysis. An illustrative company scenario is provided for the model application. The paper contributes by filling an important gap by integrating lean and sustainable supply chain management and product deletion literature to formulate a product deletion decision making model which aids in enhancing the leanness and sustainability of supply chains. The model also allows for cross-functional participation involving marketing, operations, finance, and environmental sustainability fields.
The Strategic Goals Program sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency which focuses on the Metal Finishing Industry is used to investi
Multi-tier sustainable supply chain relationships (MSSCR) are complex with involvement of multiple organisations, practices, objectives, and interconnectivities. These complexities make it difficult to effectively study MSSCR using traditional empirical statistical correlative research. In MSSCR the relationship between the focal firm and sub-supplier may be affected by the relationship between the focal firm and direct-supplier, and the relationship between the direct-supplier and the sub-supplier. This paper introduces a research methodology, based on K-Means clustering, rough set theory, and cluster membership to investigate complex relationships across multi-tier sustainable supply chain triads. Collaborative advantage variables including knowledge-sharing routines, relation-specific investments, complementary capabilities, effective governance mechanisms, and long-term commitment are conceptually presented to evaluate relationships among MSSCR practices and sustainability performance. Insights for practitioners and researchers are provided. Research insights can be gained by analytically providing alternative explanatory and equifinality relationships amongst variables and multi-pair organisations. The methodology can mitigate the endogeneity problem, such as omitted factors (variables), measurement error, even in small sample data situations. Directions for future research are discussed.KEYWORDS: Multi-tier supply chainssuppliersustainabilitycomplexityequifinalityrough set AcknowledgmentThis study was partially supported by the TEC-LOGd Chaire sponsored by the Hauts-de-France region and the Cambrai Agglomeration Community.Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Data availability statementThe data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, [Bai, C.], upon reasonable request.Additional informationFundingThis work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Project (72072021 and 71772032). This work was also partially supported by U.S. National Science Foundation Grant 2021871.Notes on contributorsChunguang BaiChunguang Bai is a Professor in the School of Management and Economics, at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China. Her research interests include sustainable supply chain management, smart technology, and the carbon neutralisation. She has dozens of publications with over 60 papers in journals such as Production and Operations Management, Decision Science, European Journal of Operational Research. She has over 6000 citations based on Google Scholar. She has been recognised as one of the most cited researchers in China across disciplines And World's Top 2% Scientists 2020 (by Stanford University).Joseph SarkisJoseph Sarkis is a Professor in the Business School at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. His research and teaching are in the areas of operations, supply chain, technology, and sustainability management. He has been a highly cited scholar for many years with over 500 publications. He is also an international scholar at the Hanken School of Economics and the TEC-LOGd Chaire d'excellence at the Université Polytechnique Hauts-de-France focusing on Circular Economy, Transportation, Logistics, Sustainable Supply Chains and Technology. He does his best to live sustainably.Sherwat IbrahimSherwat Elwan Ibrahim is an Associate Professor of Operations Management at The American University in Cairo (AUC). Her research and teaching are in the areas of operations, supply chain, technology, and Africa sustainable development and she has several publications in prestigious journals. She is also a Visiting Associate Professor at the School of Public Policy and International Affairs (SPIA) at Princeton University, and she serves as founding Chair of the UN Principals of Responsible Management Education (PRME) for Africa Chapter.
Investors in the circular economy can consider mutual funds, exchange-traded funds (ETFs), and private equity or venture capital funds. There are private financing in the circular economy that should be jointly investigated by researchers in environmental sustainability, ecological economics, and finance communities. We provide a practical overview and research directions for circular economy funding. We find that investments in the circular economy remain relatively small compared to other sustainable finance sectors. Research and investigation can determine whether and how circular economy funding can advance sustainability goals.
The authors develop and test a comprehensive model for media selection utilising the Analytic Network Process (ANP). ANP is a flexible and powerful multi-attribute decision aid developed by Saaty (1996) for solving complex decision-making problems. It is aimed at integrating different measures (both qualitative/intangible and quantitative/tangible) into a single overall score for ranking decision alternatives. In applying the ANP method, the authors specifically incorporate web/internet media advertising into their list of media alternatives, using many of the same standard media attributes that have typically been employed in comparing more traditional media. The result is a model that may be utilised by expert and/or novice media planners with equal effectiveness.
Using a manually collected sample of 331 corporate social responsibility (CSR) reports issued by US public companies, we examine the relationship between the CSR performance and the readability of CSR reports. We adopt three indices – Fog, Kincaid, and Flesch – to measure the readability of CSR reports and draw upon two databases – ESG and KLD – to measure CSR performance from both environmental and social perspectives. The results show a significant positive relationship between CSR performance and the readability of CSR reports, indicating that companies with stronger CSR performance are more likely to have CSR reports with higher readability. Further, the association of the readability of CSR reports with social performance is stronger than with environmental performance. This study helps investors more comprehensively evaluate the CSR information disclosed on CSR reports. Our results also point to the importance of regulating the narrative disclosure of CSR information, especially social performance. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
