Search results

1 – 10 of 54
Per page
102050
Citations:
Loading...
Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 1 May 2007

N.F. Matsatsinis, E. Grigoroudis and A.P. Samaras

This paper attempts to determine effective push‐pull marketing strategies concerning olive oil in Greece, based on the analysis of consumers' and distributors' values and the…

2152

Abstract

Purpose

This paper attempts to determine effective push‐pull marketing strategies concerning olive oil in Greece, based on the analysis of consumers' and distributors' values and the comparison of importance that each group gives to different product characteristics.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, multicriteria analysis is used in order to identify olive oil market segments and the factors that affect the purchase behaviour of olive oil consumers. Consumers' preferences, attitudes and perceptions with regard to special characteristics of olive oil such as quality, packaging, image, odour, colour, etc. are explored. In addition, description and analysis of the marketing channels of olive oil in Greece is presented. Finally, consumers' preferences are compared to the judgments of distributors in order to identify useful similarities‐dissimilarities in their perceptions and attitudes, concerning the attributes of the product.

Findings

The study of the olive oil market in Greece shows the importance of the product for the Greek market. Findings also suggest that the olive oil market in Greece is very complex. The qualitative analysis shows that perceived quality is the only attribute of the product that is considered very important for both consumers and distributors. In addition, perceptual maps can be a useful tool for the comparative analysis of preferences between consumers and distributors.

Originality/value

The paper identifies key factors that influence the behaviour of Greek consumers and distributors regarding olive oil purchases. These factors and the comparison between the two groups have a great influence on the marketing decisions of agricultural products and food industry in general.

Details

International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, vol. 35 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-0552

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 28 February 2023

Bengie Omar Vazquez Reyes, Tatiane Teixeira, João Carlos Colmenero and Claudia Tania Picinin

Effective educational methods are critical for successfully training future supply chain talent. The paper proposes a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making model to evaluate and…

366

Abstract

Purpose

Effective educational methods are critical for successfully training future supply chain talent. The paper proposes a fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making model to evaluate and select the best educational method for tomorrow's supply chain leaders integrating skill development priorities in an uncertain environment.

Design/methodology/approach

The Grounded theory scheme is used to identify SC leaders' skillsets criteria and educational method alternatives. Fuzzy step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis sets the priority and determines the weight of 17 criteria. Eight decision-makers evaluate 13 alternatives using fuzzy linguistic terms. Fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution ranks and shows the most effective educational method. Sensitivity analysis presents the applicability of this study.

Findings

Its implementation in a university-industry collaboration case in Brazil, Mentored learning from industry experts is the best educational method. The skill development priorities are data analytics ability, end-to-end supply chain vision and problem-solving. Technical skills are the most important criteria that influence the selection of the optimal option and educational methods related to learning from others rank in the top teaching pool, including multidisciplinary cross-cultural training.

Originality/value

This paper is among the first to evaluate educational methods with skill development priorities integration for supply chain students using fuzzy SWARA–fuzzy TOPSIS. It provides actionable insights: a decision-making procedure for educational method selection, a broad skills profile for supply chain professional success and educational methods that professors can bring to in classroom/virtual environment.

Details

Journal of Enterprise Information Management, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0398

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Book part
Publication date: 10 December 2024

Dominik Rozkrut, Malgorzata Tarczynska-Luniewska, Guru Asish Singh and Mateusz Piwowarski

Purpose: Sustainable and responsible business is strongly associated with activities that minimise negative environmental or social impacts. As a result, the utility of big data…

Abstract

Purpose: Sustainable and responsible business is strongly associated with activities that minimise negative environmental or social impacts. As a result, the utility of big data is becoming a reality, opening up exciting possibilities for ESG monitoring and assessment. This study systematises existing knowledge and provides recommendations for big data in ESG monitoring and assessment.

Methodology/approach: Theoretical and exploratory focusing on a literature review.

Conclusions: Results indicate different levels of progress and challenges related to ESG and big data. Awareness and adoption of ESG and big data practices is growing, accompanied by regulatory pressure.

Significance: Understanding the relationship between big data and ESG is critical to properly conducting sustainable and responsible business practices. The urgency and necessity of developing standards for constructing big data cannot be overstated for ensuring consistency between existing policies and the SDGs and for the effective use of big data in ESG monitoring and assessment.

Limitations: A lack of data quality and standardisation in reporting for ESG assessments. Standardisation efforts are growing as data challenges, especially data availability, are major constraints. Large data sets offer exciting opportunities, analysed mainly from the perspective of existing applications for measuring sustainability goals.

Future research: An in-depth analysis of case studies that combine ESG issues with big data infrastructure. Fundamental is knowledge and understanding of companies’ ESG practices and understanding big data issues. We can standardise approaches to using new data sources and move towards deepening our measurable dimension of sustainability assessment.

Details

Exploring ESG Challenges and Opportunities: Navigating Towards a Better Future
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83549-910-8

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 30 November 2010

Aristeidis Meletiou

Libraries constitute a highly developing area as they always enrich their offered services in order to satisfy users' expectations. One of the most important factors in…

733

Abstract

Purpose

Libraries constitute a highly developing area as they always enrich their offered services in order to satisfy users' expectations. One of the most important factors in customization strategies and improvement of individual services must be user preferences. However, customization requires an in‐depth analysis of user preferences and an evaluation of future behavior. The main objective of this paper is to present a framework for analyzing changes of user preferences in a library.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents detailed results of two independent user satisfaction surveys conducted in an interval of five years in the Library of the Technical University of Crete and analyzes them using a proposed framework. However, the framework can be applied in every modern library. The analyses are based on non‐parametric statistical techniques and a multicriteria satisfaction analysis method, which is a multicriteria preference disaggregation approach.

Findings

Overall, user judgments for both surveys show that 50‐70 percent of users are “very satisfied” or “satisfied”. The percentage of “satisfied” users increased from 2005 to 2010 (almost 18 percent) and “very satisfied” remained almost the same.

Practical implications

Results are mainly focused on the evaluation of potential trends of user preferences. Furthermore, results of a benchmarking analysis are also presented, based on the evolution of satisfaction levels for the quality characteristics of the offered services.

Originality/value

The goal of the presented study and proposed framework and methodology is to help library decision makers track changes to user preferences and improve the provided services according to those preferences.

Details

Performance Measurement and Metrics, vol. 11 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-8047

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 16 May 2019

Michael Anson, Kai-Chi Thomas Ying and Ming-Fung Francis Siu

For parts of the time on a typical construction site concrete pour, the site placing crew is idle waiting for the arrival of the next truckmixer delivery, whereas for other…

231

Abstract

Purpose

For parts of the time on a typical construction site concrete pour, the site placing crew is idle waiting for the arrival of the next truckmixer delivery, whereas for other periods, truckmixers are idle on site waiting to be unloaded. Ideally, the work of the crew should be continuous, with successive truckmixers arriving on site just as the preceding truckmixer has been emptied, to provide perfect matching between site and concrete plant resources. However, in reality, sample benchmark data, representing 118 concrete pours of 69 m3 average volume, illustrate that significant wastage occurs of both crew and truckmixer time. The purpose of this paper is to present and explain the characteristics of the wastage pattern observed and provide further understanding of the effects of the factors affecting the productivity of this everyday routine site concreting system.

Design/methodology/approach

Analytical algebraic models have been developed applicable to both serial and circulating truckmixer dispatch policies. The models connect crew idle time, truckmixer waiting time, truckmixer round trip time, truckmixer unloading time and truckmixer numbers. The truckmixer dispatch interval is another parameter included in the serial dispatch model. The models illustrate that perfect resource matching cannot be expected in general, such is the sensitivity of the system to the values applying to those parameters. The models are directly derived from theoretical truckmixer and crew placing time-based flow charts, which graphically depict crew and truckmixer idle times as affected by truckmixer emptying times and other relevant parameters.

Findings

The models successfully represent the magnitudes of the resource wastage seen in real life but fail to mirror the wastage distribution of crew and truckmixer time for the 118 pour benchmark. When augmented to include the simulation of stochastic activity durations, however, the models produce pour combinations of crew and truckmixer wastage that do mirror those of the benchmark.

Originality/value

The basic contribution of the paper consists of the proposed analytical models themselves, and their augmented versions, which describe the site and truckmixer resource wastage characteristics actually observed in practice. A further contribution is the step this makes towards understanding why such an everyday construction process is so apparently wasteful of resources.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 26 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 1 March 1996

Steven M. Roberta

Cork stoppers may taint as many as one in 33 bottles of all domestic US wines. Yet, because tradition is thought to play such an important role in shaping expectations regarding…

138

Abstract

Cork stoppers may taint as many as one in 33 bottles of all domestic US wines. Yet, because tradition is thought to play such an important role in shaping expectations regarding acceptable premium wine packaging, marketers have felt little need to test whether cork closures are indeed a critical consumer expectation. This paper serves as a guide toward understanding the obstacles which must first be overcome by those producers who wish to adopt cork substitutes for fine wines. This paper also offers insight into grappling with the implementation of problem solutions; shows why desirable solutions may not always be practical; and provides insight into why conflicting intrafirm departmental viewpoints, consumer expectations, and the competitive environment in which the firm or industry operates, can combine to lead the marketer to reject money‐saving superior product innovations. Preliminary work indicates that consumers reject label message conditions as a means of achieving acceptance of cork alternatives. The main objective of future research should therefore be to provide specific findings on how much positive and negative impact is likely to occur by changing the product design.

Details

International Journal of Wine Marketing, vol. 8 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0954-7541

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 21 September 2015

Mojtaba Maghrebi, Claude Sammut and S. Travis Waller

The purpose of this paper is to study the implementation of machine learning (ML) techniques in order to automatically measure the feasibility of performing ready mixed concrete…

741

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the implementation of machine learning (ML) techniques in order to automatically measure the feasibility of performing ready mixed concrete (RMC) dispatching jobs.

Design/methodology/approach

Six ML techniques were selected and tested on data that was extracted from a developed simulation model and answered by a human expert.

Findings

The results show that the performance of most of selected algorithms were the same and achieved an accuracy of around 80 per cent in terms of accuracy for the examined cases.

Practical implications

This approach can be applied in practice to match experts’ decisions.

Originality/value

In this paper the feasibility of handling complex concrete delivery problems by ML techniques is studied. Currently, most of the concrete mixing process is done by machines. However, RMC dispatching still relies on human resources to complete many tasks. In this paper the authors are addressing to reconstruct experts’ decisions as only practical solution.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 22 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Book part
Publication date: 7 October 2010

N.C.P. Edirisinghe and Xin Zhang

This chapter presents a data envelopment analysis (DEA) based relative financial strength (RFS) indicator using accounting data that is predictive of stock market performance of…

Abstract

This chapter presents a data envelopment analysis (DEA) based relative financial strength (RFS) indicator using accounting data that is predictive of stock market performance of public firms. Such an indicator is indispensable in the fundamental analysis of firms for stock portfolio selections. This methodology requires optimally configuring inputs and outputs for the DEA model such that the strength indicator is maximally correlated with observed stock returns. This optimized RFS indicator providing the maximum predictive strength of stock returns is determined by factors such as asset utilization, leverage, profitability, and growth rates, in addition to the well-known factor, book-to-market ratio. Computational evidence is provided using more than 800 firms covering all major sectors of the U.S. stock market. Using quarterly financial data, we employ the RFS indicator to devise portfolios that yield superior financial performance relative to using portfolios of sector-based funds.

Details

Applications in Multicriteria Decision Making, Data Envelopment Analysis, and Finance
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-85724-470-3

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 21 May 2020

Charilaos Lavranos, Panagiotis Manolitzas, Petros Kostagiolas and Evangelos Grigoroudis

The purpose of this paper is to study and quantify musicians' creativity in order to tune music library services and pinpoint potential musical creative activities.

427

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study and quantify musicians' creativity in order to tune music library services and pinpoint potential musical creative activities.

Design/methodology/approach/methodology/approach

Webster's conceptual framework for the creative thinking process in music is informing our survey while the analysis adopts a multiple criteria method for quantifying musical creativity. strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) analysis is also adopted developing strategic decisions based on musicians' creativity behaviours.

Findings

Mental representations of the music heard (listening) is the most important dimension for creative thinking in music while dimensions such as recorded improvisations (improvisation), written analysis (analysis) and composed music scores (composition) follow. SWOT analysis provides further indications for music library services development based on musicians' creativity behaviours.

Originality/value

This study proposes a novel research vein based on multicriteria analysis within the contexts of musical creativity for managing music library services.

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 1 October 2004

G.M. Giaglis, I. Minis, A. Tatarakis and V. Zeimpekis

Vehicle routing (VR) is critical in successful logistics execution. The emergence of technologies and information systems allowing for seamless mobile and wireless connectivity…

6692

Abstract

Vehicle routing (VR) is critical in successful logistics execution. The emergence of technologies and information systems allowing for seamless mobile and wireless connectivity between delivery vehicles and distribution facilities is paving the way for innovative approaches to real‐time VR and distribution management. This paper investigates avenues for building upon recent trends in VR‐related research towards an integrated approach to real‐time distribution management. A review of the advances to‐date in both fields, i.e. the relevant research in the VR problem and the advances in mobile technologies, forms the basis of this investigation. Further to setting requirements, we propose a system architecture for urban distribution and real‐time event‐driven vehicle management.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 34 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-0035

Keywords

1 – 10 of 54
Per page
102050