有限耐烦期随机库存系统的最优控制

对供应链内部库存系统进行优化控制是提高供应链协调性的一种重要手段。本文针对实际库存活动中普遍存在的有限耐烦期这种现象,综合考虑顾客退货、库存损失等随机因素对最优库存策略的影响,构造出一种更加贴近实际的随机库存系统最优控制模型,并借助于动态规划原理给出了最优控制律的表达式,然后给出了算例及说明。其结果可为随机库存系统的管理决策提供了理论依据,也可为进一步提高供应链的协调性提供了借鉴。     

随机需求直接发运的运输与库存整合优化研究

分销系统的运输与库存整合优化是供应链管理的重要研究课题.本文分析了随机需求两级分销系统的三种配送策略,并具体给出了基于整车直接发运策略的运输决策与库存控制整合优化数学模型,可得到最优的两级最优库存水平和最优的运输频率.最后对给出的算例,利用MATLAB7的规划求解功能容易获得了问题的最优解.     

服务多类需求串行供应链的最优控制策略

研究由一系列生产环节采用串行方式组成多级供应链的最优控制策略.在此供应链中,原材料经过各级生产环节顺序加工形成最终产品.各级生产环节的加工时间服从随机分布.对最终产品存在多类随机需求.在每个时刻,管理者需要决定:1)是否该启动某个生产环节的生产;2)当有需求到达时,是否该满足此需求.管理者期望系统运行的总期望折扣成本最小.构造了该系统的马尔可夫决策模型并深入研究了其最优控制策略及其动态协同特性.在生产策略方面,证明系统的最优生产策略就是对各级生产环节采用动态的基本库存策略.该策略的动态协同特性主要体现在各级生产环节的最优基本库存水平受其他生产环节的库存水平影响.在产品分配方面,证明系统的最优分配策略是动态配给策略.该策略的动态协同特性主要体现在每类随机需求最优配给水平受各级生产环节的库存水平影响.     

原材料价格波动下的库存与生产联合决策

价格波动的情况下如何进行原材料采购,并在产品的生产决策中如何权衡市场需求、产品价格以及采购与库存成本等问题是当前很多企业面临的普遍难题.对此类问题,假定原材料的价格波动服从马尔可夫过程,成品的市场需求为与价格相关的随机变量,进而建立了多周期库存采购与生产联合决策模型,并分析了系统的动态最优策略.模型同时考虑了原材料买进或者卖出决策和成品生产决策.研究结果表明,模型的最优策略,即原材料库存决策与成品生产决策均满足动态基库存策略.同时证明了一系列性质,这些性质展示了原材料价格波动下最优库存策略的特征.数值实验进一步验证了模型的最优策略,并研究了参数变化时最优策略的变化.     

确定需求下VMI-TPL分销供应链集成库存策略研究

针对VMI在实施中存在的问题,本文将TPL引入VMI,构建了确定需求下,由制造商、TPL和多零售商构成,考虑原材料、产成品的VMI-TPL供应链集成库存模型,并给出了最优生产策略和库存策略.在此基础上,文章进一步讨论了产需比等变量对供应链成本的影响,并比较分析了引入TPL前后VMI的最优策略.研究表明:引入TPL能有效降低供应链平均总成本,避免制造商高库存成本和高运营风险;制造商的产需比(p/d)对TPL引入后的效果影响很大,产需比越大,引入TPL的效果越好.     

信用交易条件下的供应链库存协调策略研究

对供应链库存进行有效控制是提高核心企业乃至整个供应链绩效的一条主要途径,也是在与其他供应链竞争中赢得优势的重要保证.本文研究了在供应商提供定时信用支付条件下的库存协作控制模型,并由启发式逼近算法得到了最优订购策略,这突破了以往始终用数量折扣作为激励机制来研究供应链成员企业间合作的研究框架,为进一步研究供应链的整合问题提供了新的思路.     

随机需求和生产成本同时扰动下的供应链波及效应

研究数量折扣契约实现协调的两级供应链.研究发现,当突发事件造成零售商面临的市场需求发生变化和供应商的生产成本产生波动时,如果不采取任何应对措施或仅是调整批发价格,那么供应链的协调性将会被打破.为此提出了针对随机需求和生产成本扰动下的波及效应的最优应对策略,并改进数量折扣契约使其能重新协调供应链.     

多分销中心供应链模型及其牛鞭效应的H∞控制

本文在文^[1]具有一个分销中心供应链模型的基础上,建立了具有多个分销中心的供应链结构模型,采用供应链上游库存与订货偏差波动之和与下游顾客需求偏差波动之比描述牛鞭效应。提出顾客末端需求波动最差条件下H_∞控制方法,以抑制牛鞭效应。这一方法本质就是供应链末端需求波动最差情况下,制定供应链管理的最优决策。并且以一个石油分销系统为对象进行了供应链牛鞭效应的H_∞控制仿真实验。     

多个MRP系统在供应链环境下的协调策略研究

物料需求计划系统的目的是准时生产,减少库存,以实现单个企业内部的最优化生产.供应链管理则是从系统观点出发,纵观全局,力求使供应链整体的效益达到最大化.供应链管理是当前市场环境里最有效的管理方式,但是当采用了物料需求计划系统的多个企业组成供应链时,物料需求计划系统追求企业内部最优的特性和供应链致力于全体最优的特性就会产生冲突,因此必须进行协调合作.在分析了各种可能产生冲突的原因的基础上,提出了一些协调策略.     

线性库存管理策略下供应链中需求传播过程

将库存管理策略划分为线性和非线性两大类,研究了在线性库存管理策略(简称 LIMP策略)下,需求在供应链中的传播过程.提出了 LIMP 策略的概念,给出了其可行性条件,列举了3种常用的 LIMP 策略.假设市场需求服从自回归滑动平均(ARMA)时间序列,供应链在LIMP 策略下运作,证明了各级企业的需求将也是 ARMA 序列,但结构不同.然后分析了 LIMP策略与牛鞭效应的关系,为设计供应链环境下的最优库存管理策略提供了指导。最后用数值实验模拟了3种 LIMP 策略下 AR(2)需求的传播过程,并进行了比较.     

Inventory Models with Continuous and Poisson Demands and Discounted and Average Costs

We develop a new, unified approach to treating continuous‐time stochastic inventory problems with both the average and discounted cost criteria. The approach involves the development of an adjusted discounted cycle cost formula, which has an appealing intuitive interpretation. We show for the first time that an (s, S) policy is optimal in the case of demand having a compound Poisson component as well as a constant rate component. Our demand structure simultaneously generalizes the classical EOQ model and the inventory models with Poisson demand, and we indicate the reasons why this task has been a difficult one. We do not require the surplus cost function to be convex or quasi‐convex as has been assumed in the literature. Finally, we show that the optimal s is unique, but we do not know if optimal S is unique.     

Educational Landscapes and Urban Development. Contextual and Spatial Interfaces and Linkages

In the broad sociopolitical discussion on education quality within the last decade, it has become apparent that education is gaining importance for urban development, as well as space and the urban context are important dimensions of education. This becomes particularly evident in concepts for local educational landscapes (Ger. Bildungslandschaften). The young field of research on educational landscapes is currently lacking empirical research from spatial and planning sciences. In the paper, the current state of scientific research on educational landscapes in Germany and Europe and first insights to contextual and spatial interfaces and linkages between education and urban development in general are presented.     

E-governance and Corruption-developments and Issues in Ethiopia

This paper reports the results of a survey of 400 respondents in Ethiopia about factors generating corruption and the potential of e-Governance to mitigate corruption. It is suggested that e-Governance can help not only in weeding out corruption but also in the establishment of sounder government citizen relationships in Ethiopia. While e-Governance cannot cure all the structural factors that breed corruption in the society, strategic implementation of e-Governance can help improve the critical variable in combating corruption-government citizen relationships. It is argued that while e-Governance initiatives can make important contributions to improving public services they can best do so by helping improve overall relationships between governments and citizens.

CEO and Chairperson characteristics and firm performance

This paper focuses on the relationship between Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairperson characteristics and firm performance. Specifically, the study examines the association between the characteristics of the CEO and the Chairperson of the board and firm performance. Using a sample of S&P 500 firms, the evidence found suggests that demographic and experience-related characteristics may be associated with the market valuation and financial performance of the firm. In particular, the reported results indicate a positive relationship between the presence of female CEOs or Chairs and firm performance, thus suggesting that gender-based differences may affect the CEO’s/Chairperson’s success. Moreover, the findings concerning the age of the CEO or Chair are mixed, while their experience and quality appear positively related to firm performance. Interestingly, a CEO or Chairperson holding multiple board seats is negatively associated with firm performance, whereas CEO duality has a positive relationship with Tobin’s Q and the return on assets (ROA) of the firm.     

David and Goliath: causes and effects of coopetition between start-ups and corporates

Coopetition (collaboration between competitors) among young firms (i.e. start-ups) and larger, more established firms (i.e. corporates) may be beneficial for both partners as each party typically has something to offer that is missing in the other. Start-ups often develop innovative ideas, are flexible and agile, willing to take risks, and aspire to achieve high growth, but they tend to lack the required resources, capabilities, and knowledge due to their newness and smallness. Corporates have resources, routines, and experience that enable them to work efficiently but lack a certain innovation capability. Research has suggested that coopetition represents an opportunity for start-ups facing restrictions in resources, while corporates benefit from start-ups’ innovative ideas. However, it is yet unknown whether start-ups and corporates engage in coopetition with each other and, if so, how and why they do this. This study seeks to fill this void by exploring the motives of coopeting start-ups and corporates, how they manage their coopetitive relationship, and what implications occur including potential benefits and risks. We present a multiple case study based on qualitative data collected through 70 interviews with Austrian-based start-ups and corporates representing 35 coopetitive partnerships. Discussing the findings based on our data, we propose relationships concerning coopetition and its role to enlarge resource- and technology-bases as well as its role in the development of dynamic capabilities.     

Career orientations and career success among research,and development and engineering professionals

Managing the careers of research, development and engineering (RD&E) professionals is important to the strategic use of RD&E in the economy. Appropriate mechanisms for motivating RD&E professionals will probably emerge as a critical success factor for organizations that want to compete in world markets. This study examines dimensions and levels of career orientation and their correlations with individual and work-related outcome variables among 78 RD&E professionals. The findings reveal a rich diversity of career orientation in RD&E professionals. The data strongly suggest that RD&E professionals are service, lifestyle and security oriented. However, they scored low on technical orientation and entrepreneurship. This paper suggests that the dual career ladder is not an effective device for managing RD&E professionals. Organizations must be careful to provide career paths that retain and motivate workers and, more importantly, find matches between organizational needs and individuals' needs, and restructure jobs accordingly. The authors offer suggestions for future research and identify implications for management.     

Chronic stress and chronic disease in life and work: Conceptual and methodological issues

This paper argues that the lack of strong prospective evidence linking occupational and social stress to chronic disease stems from the failure of research designs to attend sufficiently to the aetiological chronicity of such diseases. Studies of both supposedly acute stress (life events) and chronic stress in life or work must increasingly be designed to distinguish between stress which is sustained or chronic over a period of yean or even decades, and hence capable of causing a serious chronic disease, and brief or transient stress, which may produce transient or brief psychological or physiological disturbances but cannot generate major chronic disease. Prospective studies are needed which collect measures of both stress and health or disease at multiple points over an extended period of time. Measures of stress should focus more on affect (for example, feelings of pressure and tension) than on cognition (for example feelings of satisfaction). Limited existing evidence is consistent with these ideals.