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This paper aims to propose a method for forecasting product returns based on reason codes. The methodology uses two approaches, namely central tendency approach and extreme point approach, and is developed for the consumer electronics industry.

The methodology presented here is based on the return reason codes (RC). The incoming returns are split into different categories using reason codes. These reason codes are further analyzed to forecast returns. The computation part of this model uses a combination of two approaches, namely extreme point approach and central tendency approach. Both the approaches are used separately for separate types of reason codes and then results are added together. The extreme point approach is based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) as a first step combined with a linear regression while central tendency approach uses a moving average. For certain type of returns, DEA evaluates relative ranks of products using single input and multiple outputs. Once this is completed, linear regression defines a correlation between relative rank (predictor variable) and return quantity (response variable). For the remaining type of returns the authors use a moving average of percent returns to estimate the central tendency.

Reason codes and consumer behavior in combination with statistical methods can be used to forecast product returns.

Consumer electronics retailers and manufacturers can effectively use this methodology to forecast product returns. This methodology effectively addresses and covers different product return scenarios.

This research paper shows the new way of forecasting product returns i.e. reason codes based forecasting by combining two approaches, namely extreme point approach and central tendency approach. Also, it shows a new way of translating the consumer behavior into meaningful data; that data can be fed to a model to forecast product returns.

This paper aims to propose a framework for building a flexible supply chain business model using an object‐oriented approach.

The proposed modeling framework has used the de facto object‐oriented modeling standard, Unified Modeling Language (UML), for building a supply chain model. To compensate for the potential weakness of the pure object‐oriented model and UML, the framework integrates business rules with its model.

This paper provides information about several sources, which are the bases of modeling a supply chain. The paper regards a supply chain as five view models with four business domains and each domain consists of functions, resources, processes, interactions and business rules.

A typical manufacturing supply chain is considered as a target system to apply this design methodology. The paper does not handle a real case study as an application example.

This paper newly added the category of “Business Process Reengineering (BPR)‐driven” models to the traditional taxonomy of supply chain models and proposed an object‐oriented business model (OOBM) for a supply chain as one of the BPR‐driven models. It is hoped that this modeling approach is highly usable and adds value to an analyst, practitioner, and designer in the field of supply chain.

In today’s’ highly competitive market, outsourcing logistic activities have become a global trend as it offers wide range of services including transportation, distribution, packaging, labeling, warehousing, freight forwarding and order fulfillment. The demand of third-party logistics (3PL) provider becomes an increasingly important issue for corporate seeking improved customer service, operational efficiency, logistics costs as well as capital expenditure reduction. However, choosing a proper 3PL provider is a kind of multi-criteria decision making problem under consideration of complicated criteria hierarchy. Therefore, it seems necessary to develop an efficient appraisement module towards performance evaluation as well as selecting the best 3PL provider. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The present paper proposes a fuzzy based appraisement platform for evaluation and selection of 3PL providers. The theory behind interval-valued fuzzy numbers (IVFNs) has been utilized to aid the said decision-modeling. Based on two appraisement modules for 3PL evaluation; empirical data have been analyzed to validate case application.

The proposed method has been found efficient for solving the group decision-making problem under uncertain environment due to vagueness, ambiguity associated with decision-makers’ subjective judgment. The proposed appraisement platform has been explored by an Indian automobile part manufacturing company at eastern part of India. 3PL providers have been evaluated individually to check their performance level with respect to various evaluation attributes. Apart from estimating overall performance metric, the model presented here can identify ill-performing areas which necessitate future attention.

The major contributions of this work have been summarized as follows: First, development and implementation of an efficient decision-making procedural hierarchy to support 3PL evaluation and selection. Second, an overall performance metric has been introduced. Third, concept of IVFNs has been efficiently explored to facilitate such a appraisement cum selection decision making. Final, the appraisement index system has been extended with the capability to search ill-performing areas which require future progress.

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the literature on the many dimensions of the principal's positionality by using a unique research approach to link the experiences of the policy implementing principal to embodiment.

The researchers employed a form of critical policy analysis that utilized photovoice to examine the experience of two principals in South Carolina, USA.

The findings suggest that these two principals do feel, beyond a cognitive emotional level, the experiences of being the policy implementing principal, where the multiple physically imprinted identities typified one principal's experiences and the highly entropic world of her high school causes another principal to physically and metaphorically integrate situations into her physiology.

In this paper, the authors are able to expand discussions of the principals’ engagement with policy by using a unique theoretical and methodological approach.

This case is a role-play exercise intended to give participants an opportunity to experience board meeting dynamics and logistics, determine how to scale a nonprofit for maximum impact, learn about governance best practices, and become generally familiar with nonprofit financial statements, dashboards, and new board member recruitment strategies. There is no right answer or correct outcome to the exercise; the value lies in participants' analysis of the situation, dialogue with one another, and post-meeting self-reflection.

Blockchains, also known as “distributed ledger technologies” (DLT) are perhaps the emerging innovation that, in the years leading up to and including 2019, is raising the highest expectations for HRM in the 4.0 business environment. In essence, a blockchain is a very specific type of database, with characteristics that made it the ideal application for cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Within the context of digital- or e-HRM, there is potential to improve human resource management (HRM) processes using blockchains for employment screening, credential and educational verification, worker contracts and payments, among others, notwithstanding questions about its efficiency vis-à-vis conventional alternatives (Maurer, 2018; Zielinski, 2018). The research questions examined in this chapter include the following: What are the main characteristics of blockchains? Will they be adopted in a widespread form, specifically by HRM departments? Constructs from Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory (Rogers, 2003) are used to inform the Human Resources scholarly and practitioner communities; this robust theory may help companies allocate resources (e.g., budgets, personnel, managerial time, etc.) in an evidence-informed manner. As of this writing, very few blockchain applications, such as credential verification and incident reporting, seem to hold a strong potential for adoption.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a two-phase analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) approach that is a multi-criteria decision-making methodology (MCDM) in the evaluation of third-party logistics (3PL) providers.

After the description of the selection criteria of 3PL providers that are determined by company management, the weights of criteria are calculated by applying the AHP method. The TOPSIS method is then employed to achieve the final ranking results. A sensitivity analysis is developed for a deeper comprehension of results reliability.

The paper shows the complexity of a real 3PL provider change. At the same time, a simple MCDM methodology is provided to assure the success of this activity in which many other companies have failed.

The proposed MCDM methodology represents a very good compromise between a reliable solution and reasonable computational and human effort. 3PL provider selection or change is an extremely complex decision that could be investigated in greater detail with other more complex methodology, with a consequently higher investment, that is not so affordable for all budgets.

It is the first time that a two-phase AHP and TOPSIS methodology is applied to an Italian biscuit company for a 3PL provider change together with the analysis of logistics performance after two years. The paper shows a detailed methodology application that could be very useful for managers for their specific application.

This research replicates and extends Frey et al. (2003), using a typical e‐mail query to investigate e‐mail customer service by 260 Tunisian hotels. Based on the hotel responses, this study found that guests had one chance in ten of receiving a reply within a day and even less chance that hotels answered the inquiry professionally, promptly, politely and personally. Diffusion of innovations failed to explain differences in responsiveness by Tunisian hoteliers but did help explain the quality of e‐mail replies. The results suggest that reply quality differs across hotel size and hotel affiliation. Hotel affiliation as well as hotel category and website presence showed no significant differences in responsiveness. Differences aside, the results highlight that Tunisian hotels can gain an immediate competitive advantage by analysing common e‐mail queries and implementing basic e‐mail procedures.

The increasing need for sustainability-literate construction professionals has prompted higher education institutions to incorporate a sustainability agenda education into their construction courses. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the sustainability knowledge embedded into a quantity surveying (QS) undergraduate course.

Using the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) as a case study, analysis of sustainability knowledge embedded into the QS course is conducted by examining the content of QS course structure, unit aims, learning outcomes, assessment framework and weekly lecture and tutorial materials.

The results show that the “incorporation approach”, i.e. the practice of incorporating the sustainability themes into existing relevant subjects, is mainly used in delivering the sustainability knowledge to the QS students. Additionally, it is found that in its QS course, QUT has covered all aspects of sustainability comprehensively from an environmental viewpoint and with regard, to economic, social and governance aspects.

This research also proposes recommendations for further improvement of the sustainability education in the QUT QS course and beyond.

This study revealed the current practices and approaches of incorporating sustainability knowledge into QS education programme and addressed the knowledge requirements of future sustainability literate QS professionals.