Fang Li, Lei Deng, Longxiao Li, Zizhen Cheng and Han Yu
The purpose of this paper is to monitor the environmental efficiency of suppliers in the presence of undesirable output and dual-role factors with static and dynamic aspects…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to monitor the environmental efficiency of suppliers in the presence of undesirable output and dual-role factors with static and dynamic aspects. Meanwhile, it also aims to explain the main reason for the low efficiency of suppliers.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors propose a modified data model considering undesirable output and dual-role factors. The study integrates the modified data envelopment analysis model into the distance function of the Malmquist–Luenberger index. Moreover, this study uses the global benchmark technology to formulate a two-stage model. To verify the validity of this model, a model application is conducted on an automotive spare components company in China.
Findings
The results identify the unique status of dual-role factors based on the global optimality of the model and then categorize inefficient suppliers in an individual evaluation cycle. In addition, each supplier is projected on a frontier curve after obtaining the improved data. Furthermore, through the status plot of M-L and its components, this paper concludes that efficiency scale change is the main reason for the gap in ecological performance between different suppliers.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed model considers both undesirable output and dual-role factors; however, variables with different features, such as imprecise, fuzzy and qualitative characteristics, can be embedded into the presented two-stage model.
Originality/value
Evaluating green suppliers through multiple consecutive evaluation cycles will aid a company in effectively managing its key suppliers. Furthermore, the evaluation provides policy guidance for further improvement of suppliers.
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THERE has quite recently occurred among professional and other periodicals a sort of epidemic of comparisons between the work of European and American libraries, some of which are…
Abstract
THERE has quite recently occurred among professional and other periodicals a sort of epidemic of comparisons between the work of European and American libraries, some of which are more or less misleading and calculated to stir up national annoyance. The Transatlantic journals are particularly condescending in tone, and arrogant in their claims, and some statements in the New York Nation and Chicago Dial are not only written with a most lofty sense of American superiority, but are manifestly based on ignorance of library conditions in Europe. They are indeed typical of the attitude of the average American librarian towards library work outside the borders of the United States. With a few notable exceptions, American librarians are a somewhat narrow‐minded, self‐sufficient and wilfully‐ignorant class of public officials; but more especially the younger generation. They are eternally shutting their eyes to the accomplishments of other nations, and assuming that the last word on all library matters has been spoken in America. They are, for the most part, ignorant of European library literature, as none save the largest libraries ever purchase anything but American professional books. This is further proved by the absence of such works from their catalogues and from among the text‐books prescribed for the various library schools; while in all their select bibliographies or lists of “best” books the most notice‐able feature is this studied omission of European books. In the proceedings of British professional associations the work of American libraries is frequently referred to in the most appreciative and broad‐minded manner; but at similar meetings in America, European library work, if not entirely ignored, is most often casually mentioned as something quite obsolete, and a legitimate target for oblique criticism. It is difficult to understand why American librarians will not study library questions from both the historical and international standpoints, because it is such an obvious and interesting manner of freeing the mind from the fetters of a cock‐sure provincialism. That it is true no such attempt is made by the average American librarian to attain knowledge of foreign conditions, is proved by the universally accepted opinion in the United States, that there is no European library work worth attention, in comparison to the immensity of the American achievement in the same field.
Robert Straka and Tadeusz Telejko
The model of a shaft furnace operation is presented in this paper. Aim of this model is to predict concentrations of carbon monoxide and dioxide, the temperature of the lava and…
Abstract
Purpose
The model of a shaft furnace operation is presented in this paper. Aim of this model is to predict concentrations of carbon monoxide and dioxide, the temperature of the lava and the heat losses.
Design/methodology/approach
The mathematical model is based on 1D mass and heat balance laws for flue gas, coke and four materials used in a mineral wool production. Process parameters should be optimized for the minimal heat loss and the carbon monoxide concentration while keeping the prescribed lava temperature. The model consists of heterogeneous and homogeneous reactions for coke combustion, dolomite decomposition, rock and coke heating and a rock-melting model. The resulting system of partial differential equations is discretized by the finite volume method and solved with the explicit Euler scheme together with the point-implicit preconditioning of sources in species balance equations.
Findings
Numerical results are compared with the measured data on the pilot-scale device and show good agreement. It is found that in the lower region of the furnace, the large amount of carbon monoxide is present despite high oxygen levels.
Practical/implications
Based on the numerical model, the parameters of the secondary air stream could be studied (position, volume flux, oxygen enrichment and temperature) to decrease levels of carbon monoxide emissions while keeping lava temperature at needed levels.
Originality/value
The paper includes mathematical and numerical model needed for simulation of shaft furnaces in mineral wool industry. It can be used as a valuable tool for design engineers and furnace operators during research or redesign of existing devices.
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Anand Jaiswal, Cherian Samuel and G. Abhishek Ganesh
The purpose of this paper is to provide a solution for greening the supply chain of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by minimising the vehicular pollutant emission in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a solution for greening the supply chain of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) by minimising the vehicular pollutant emission in the logistics network.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper proposes an optimisation model to reduce the pollution emission in the logistics of supply chain network in SMEs. The work considers vehicle routing and selection of suppliers, manufacturers and assemblers according to the availability of various Bharat Stage Emission Standards type vehicles. Introsort sorting based selection algorithm is used to solve the problem. The proposed solution is implemented using C++ on an experimental data set for analysing the model.
Findings
The outcome of the study is a pollution optimisation model for logistics of SMEs. The finding shows an approach to reduce total vehicular pollution emission in the logistics network in meeting the demand. The model is tested over an experimental study, and the result findings show which supply chain entities, type of environmental standard vehicles and vehicle routes are selected for the specific demand.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed model is confined to pollution optimisation with limited parameters only and does not consider cost and other factors that can be included in future work.
Practical implications
The work can be used for limiting pollution in logistics system as the corporate social responsibility of enterprises.
Originality/value
Proposed work presents a sustainable and green solution for pollution control in logistics activities of the SMEs.
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Given current global environmental concerns, traditional marketing and entrepreneurial practices of small businesses are considered ineffective. This is because sustainability…
Abstract
Purpose
Given current global environmental concerns, traditional marketing and entrepreneurial practices of small businesses are considered ineffective. This is because sustainability requires the involvement of social, economic, and environmental dimensions. This study, therefore, aims at analyzing the moderating effect of technological absorptive capacity (TEOC) in the relationship between green marketing mix (GMX), enviropreneurial orientation (ENVO) and the sustainability of small businesses (SUST).
Design/methodology/approach
This study is cross-sectional. This study used data from 243 fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industries, such as food and beverages, cleaning products, office supplies, cosmetics, and toiletries. Structural equation mdeling (SEM) and the PROCESS macro test were employed during data analysis.
Findings
The findings suggest that GMX and ENVO are significant determinants of SUST. Also, TEOC is a significant moderator of GMX, ENVO, and SUST.
Research limitations/implications
This study used owner-managers as the respondents; future studies can use employees and customers to find out how small businesses involve other stakeholders in designing GMX and ENVO and adopting technologies for business sustainability and adopting technologies for business sustainability.
Practical implications
The study has practical implications for policymakers and owner-managers, especially on the significant contributions of GMX, ENVO, and TEOC to business sustainability.
Originality/value
Depending only on traditional marketing and entrepreneurial practices is no longer a reliable technique for business sustainability. By bringing environmental aspects into business management through a green marketing mix and enviropreneurial orientation, the study provides a unique and new way of thinking about sustainability. Also, the study adds knowledge to the body of literature through a moderating effect of TEOC in the relationship between GMX, ENVO, and SUST.
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Amir Shabani and Reza Farzipoor Saen
The purpose of this paper is to develop a model based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) and program evaluation and review technique/critical path method (PERT/CPM) for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a model based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) and program evaluation and review technique/critical path method (PERT/CPM) for determining prospective benchmarks.
Design/methodology/approach
The idea of determining prospective benchmark is needed for developing a model for future planning where inputs and outputs of systems are influenced by external factors such as economic conditions, demographic changes, and other socio-economic factors. In this paper, the PERT/CPM method estimates prospective inputs and outputs. On the other hand, in particular systems some measures play the role of both input and output. Such factors in DEA literature are called dual-role factors. This paper integrates PERT/CPM technique and the DEA.
Findings
The results of the proposed model depict that a present benchmark may not be a benchmark in future. A numerical example validates the proposed model.
Originality/value
This paper, for the first time, applies the PERT/CPM technique to incorporate the ideas for identifying prospective benchmarks. Moreover, the proposed model is an alternative solution for classifying inputs and outputs in DEA. Also, the proposed model is utilized in benchmarking green supply chain management.
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Environmental audit, although a widely used term, can cover amultitude of different activities. In any of its guises, though, it isstill a prerequisite to taking a serious…
Abstract
Environmental audit, although a widely used term, can cover a multitude of different activities. In any of its guises, though, it is still a prerequisite to taking a serious position on environmental issues. The different definitions of, and approaches to, environmental audit are outlined and the pressures which encourage their use are discussed. However, UK companies are not yet adopting a substantial response to the environmental crisis when perhaps as many as 80 per cent of the UK′s largest companies have yet to undertake an initial environmental audit.
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Khlood S. Abdel Zaher, R.H. Swellem, Galal A.M. Nawwar, Fathy M. Abdelrazek and Salwa H. El-Sabbagh
The purpose of this paper is to study the efficiency of lignin/silica and calcium lignate/calcium silicate as natural antioxidants in styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) vulcanizates…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the efficiency of lignin/silica and calcium lignate/calcium silicate as natural antioxidants in styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) vulcanizates.
Design/methodology/approach
It has been found that thermal aging data of the aged sample revealed that SBR vulcanizate undergoes crosslink reactions that lead to embrittlement and ultimately failure. Incorporation of lignin/silica or calcium lignate/calcium silicate, however, resulted in significant improvement of the degradation profile of the vulcanizates at 90±1°C. Loss of tensile strength and flexibility during aging of the SBR compounds with 8 phr lignin/silica or calcium lignate/calcium silicate was mild relative to unfilled polymer, indicating a restricted degradation due to the presence of the investigated compounds. The results obtained revealed that the investigated compounds are good antioxidant, and the evaluation was confirmed by physico-mechanical properties of the vulcanizates, FT-IR spectroscopy, transmission (TEM) and scanning (SEM) electron microscope.
Findings
It was noticed that SBR vulcanizates having 8 phr of lignin/silica or calcium lignate/calcium silicate exhibited the best mechanical properties in comparison with other concentrations (1, 2, 4, 6 and 10 phr). Also, results revealed that the lignin/silica derivatives are efficient antioxidants in SBR vulcanizates compared to vulcanizates containing conventional antioxidants used in rubber industry, namely polymerized 2,2,4-trimethyl-1, 2-dihydroquinoline (TMQ), and N-isopropyl-N'-phenyl-P-phenylenediamine (IPPD).
Research limitations/implications
All these results indicated that lignin/silica and calcium lignate/calcium silicate in SBR had good heat resistance and aging resistance, calcium lignate/calcium silicate has an application limitation as not all vulcanizates need to use CaCO3/calcium salts.
Practical implications
Lignin is usually seen as a waste product of pulp and paper industry and is often used as fuel for the energy balance of the pulping process. It is simple isolation along with silica from rice straw and using it as an antioxidant added further practical utility for this waste.
Originality/value
The importance of lignin/silica derivatives is arisen from their biodegradability and their ease availability from rice straw black liquor.
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Ehsan Mohebban-Azad, Amir-Reza Abtahi and Reza Yousefi-Zenouz
This study aims to design a reliable multi-level, multi-product and multi-period location-inventory-routing three-echelon supply chain network, which considers disruption risks…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to design a reliable multi-level, multi-product and multi-period location-inventory-routing three-echelon supply chain network, which considers disruption risks and uncertainty in the inventory system.
Design/methodology/approach
A robust optimization approach is used to deal with the effects of uncertainty, and a mixed-integer nonlinear programming multi-objective model is proposed. The first objective function seeks to minimize inventory costs, such as ordering costs, holding costs and carrying costs. It also helps to choose one of the two modes of bearing the expenses of shortage or using the excess capacity to produce at the expense of each. The second objective function seeks to minimize the risk of disruption in distribution centers and suppliers, thereby increasing supply chain reliability. As the proposed model is an non-deterministic polynomial-time-hard model, the Lagrangian relaxation algorithm is used to solve it.
Findings
The proposed model is applied to a real supply chain in the aftermarket automotive service industry. The results of the model and the current status of the company under study are compared, and suggestions are made to improve the supply chain performance. Using the proposed model, companies are expected to manage the risk of supply chain disruptions and pay the lowest possible costs in the event of a shortage. They can also use reverse logistics to minimize environmental damage and use recycled goods.
Originality/value
In this paper, the problem definition is based on a real case; it is about the deficiencies in the after-sale services in the automobile industry. It considers the disruption risk at the first level of the supply chain, selects the supplier considering the parameters of price and disruption risk and examines surplus capacity over distributors’ nominal capacity.
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Yong Zha, Xixiang Ding, Liang Liang and Zhimin Huang
With rapid social development and deepening division of labor, more and more complex projects are required to be carried out in a team form. When evaluating team performance…
Abstract
With rapid social development and deepening division of labor, more and more complex projects are required to be carried out in a team form. When evaluating team performance, previous research has usually treated team as a united entity. However, the operating environment of the team has a significant impact on its members and the interaction between them greatly influences the team's efficiency. To better evaluate team performance, we propose a circle loop to illustrate the relationship between the operating environment of the team and its members. A two-stage DEA model with feedback is developed to evaluate the team performance, together with the efficiencies of the operating environment and team members as well as their impacts on overall efficiency. Various conditions of the team are discussed to illustrate that team performance depends on the assumption of the conditions.