Critical factors affecting information sharing in supply chains

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to empirically examine a comprehensive list of factors that are anticipated to affect information sharing (IS) in supply chains (SC) in the context of a landlocked developing country Nepal. A survey questionnaire was developed and data were collected from 131 supply chain participants in Nepal. Exploratory factor analysis and path analysis were conducted to examine the fitness of the proposed model and the relationships between the identified factors and information sharing. The results suggest that interaction routines and personal connection influenced both operational and strategic information sharing while organisational compatibility, incentives, project payoffs, commitment (inter-organisational), top management commitment and supply network configuration affected operational IS and government support and monitoring were associated with strategic IS. The paper provides empirical evidence on how information sharing is affected in the context of a landlocked developing country. The paper also identifies and discusses the similarities and differences in the importance of these factors on information sharing between developed and developing countries. The main limitation is the moderate sample size as compared to the large number of variables contained in the study which may have limited the use of analytical tools. The study provides a better understanding of information sharing behaviours of supply chain participants in Nepal which will help firms to develop strategies accordingly to enhance information sharing.     

巴基斯坦政治危机及走向分析

持续数月的巴基斯坦政治危机是巴基斯坦社会经济发展过程中产生的一种原生性的事件。反政府势力以大选舞弊和木德镇惨案为由只是表面现象,实际上混杂着政党利益冲突、民主政府和军人整体的权利博弈等,是巴基斯坦国内外力量相互作用的结果。巴基斯坦在经历这场政治危机之后,各党派势力的重新洗牌不可避免,政府如何挽回自身形象以及反思相关政策的得失,是无法回避的问题。     

Optimistic but Confused: Perceptions about the Mission and Core Values of Social Work in Vietnam by Vietnamese Policy‐makers,Social Work Faculty and Practitioners

In 2010, the Vietnamese government officially recognized social work as a profession. This study explores whether key stakeholders in the development of social work in Vietnam (i.e. policy‐makers, pioneering educators, and practitioners) had reached a shared understanding about the mission and core values of Vietnamese social work by the end of 2015. An exploratory survey was conducted with 65 participants representing key stakeholders of social work in Vietnam. Participants had a shared but rather generic, at times vague, and overly optimistic view of the mission of Vietnamese social work as a “helping profession” that would be able to solve every social problem and present in all areas. There was a strong, unanimous desire for Vietnamese social work to focus on human dignity, social justice, and individuals’ rights, mixed with the preservation of Vietnam's collective, community‐based culture under the central guiding role of the state.     

Discrimination and Chronic Kidney Disease among Caribbean Blacks: The Effects of Immigration and Social Status

This study examined the association between discrimination and chronic kidney disease (CKD) among Caribbean blacks and how this association varies by marital status, educational attainment, and length of U.S. residency within the frameworks for the stress buffering hypothesis and stress process model. The analysis was based on the Caribbean black subsample of the National Survey of American Life (N?=?1551). Logistic regression models were conducted to test the aims of this study. The findings indicate that the association between discrimination and CKD varied by length of U.S. residency, marital status, and education. Overall, the findings demonstrate the importance of considering immigration and sociodemographic context when investigating the relation between discrimination and CKD in immigrant populations.     

Earthquake Beliefs and Adoption of Seismic Hazard Adjustments

This study investigated the prevalence of both accurate and erroneous earthquake-related beliefs among a sample of Southern California college students and the relationship between their endorsement of earthquake beliefs and adoption of seismic hazard adjustments. In addition, the study examined the effects of an experimental earthquake education program and the impact of need for cognition on this program. The data revealed a significant degree of agreement with earthquake myths, a generally low level of correlation between earthquake beliefs and the level of hazard adjustments, and a significant effect of hazard information on the endorsement of accurate earthquake beliefs and increases in hazard adjustment. Compared with the "Earthquake Facts (Only)" format, an "Earthquake Myths versus Facts" format was slightly more useful for dispelling erroneous beliefs. Further, there was a tendency for those who were high in need for cognition to have higher levels of hazard adjustment. Finally, there was weak support for the hypothesis that those who were low in need for cognition would develop more accurate earthquake beliefs and higher levels of hazard adjustment in the "Earthquake Myths versus Facts" information condition.     

浅析WTO木材贸易争端及其借鉴意义

该文首先分析了WTO木材贸易争端变化的趋势及其特点 ,认为木材贸易争端集中于 2 0 0 2年 ,并有上升的趋势 ,而且争端所涉及的成员方、商品和协议都相当集中。在此基础上 ,指出目前木材贸易争端虽然没有对中国产生明显的影响 ,但是中国有可能面临人造板和家具贸易争端 ,因此应该关注争端的发展势态 ,积极采取应对措施     

Health Status of Temporary Migrants in Urban Areas in Vietnam1

The rapid economic growth after economic reform, known in Viet Nam as “Doi Moi”, and the growing scope of urban migration raise specific questions for social policy, including migration and health policies. This paper compares issues of health status and its determinants as they affect temporary urban migrants versus permanent urban migrants and non‐migrants. The analyses utilize multivariate logistic regression and data from the 1997 Vietnam Migration and Health Survey. The results show that temporary migrants staying in guest houses are most vulnerable to health problems. Though most of them are initially healthier, their reported health deteriorates faster than other groups of urban residents. The findings also present important implications for the current migration and health policies in Vietnam: 1) A special attention should be given to temporary migrants in guest houses; 2) Different priorities in health policy should be applied to different groups of migrants and non‐migrants; 3) The current population management policy by registration system needs to be reviewed; 4) Providing clean water is one of the most important ways to improve health of temporary migrants; 5) Targeting educational investments and reducing unemployment would likely to improve overall health; 6) A higher priority on health policies targeting women would likely pay dividends, and; 7) Improving management and collaboration between government offices and interested partners is important to improving health status and reducing inequity.     

A Probabilistic Arsenic Exposure Assessment for Children Who Contact Chromated Copper Arsenate (CCA)-Treated Playsets and Decks, Part 2: Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analyses

A probabilistic model (SHEDS-Wood) was developed to examine children's exposure and dose to chromated copper arsenate (CCA)-treated wood, as described in Part 1 of this two-part article. This Part 2 article discusses sensitivity and uncertainty analyses conducted to assess the key model inputs and areas of needed research for children's exposure to CCA-treated playsets and decks. The following types of analyses were conducted: (1) sensitivity analyses using a percentile scaling approach and multiple stepwise regression; and (2) uncertainty analyses using the bootstrap and two-stage Monte Carlo techniques. The five most important variables, based on both sensitivity and uncertainty analyses, were: wood surface residue-to-skin transfer efficiency; wood surface residue levels; fraction of hand surface area mouthed per mouthing event; average fraction of nonresidential outdoor time a child plays on/around CCA-treated public playsets; and frequency of hand washing. In general, there was a factor of 8 for the 5th and 95th percentiles and a factor of 4 for the 50th percentile in the uncertainty of predicted population dose estimates due to parameter uncertainty. Data were available for most of the key model inputs identified with sensitivity and uncertainty analyses; however, there were few or no data for some key inputs. To evaluate and improve the accuracy of model results, future measurement studies should obtain longitudinal time-activity diary information on children, spatial and temporal measurements of residue and soil concentrations on or near CCA-treated playsets and decks, and key exposure factors. Future studies should also address other sources of uncertainty in addition to parameter uncertainty, such as scenario and model uncertainty.     

Board size and firm value: evidence from Australia

We study the effect of board size on firm value in Australia. Using a large sample of Australian firms over the period 2001–2011, we find strong evidence of a negative relationship. We show that firms with a large board are associated with CEO compensation that is sensitive to firm size, but not to firm performance. This incentive to accumulate assets is congruent with the fact that firms with a large board also exhibit lower operating performance and higher operating costs. Furthermore, we find that the effect of board size is stronger in small firms. This result might explain why earlier studies, which focused on large Australian firms, found board size to have little impact on firm value.     

我国网络游戏政府监管的归口问题

近30年来我国网络游戏政府监管可分为4个时段:1990年代,监管主体初步形成;2000-2004年,多部门监管权之争;2005-2008年,文化部和新闻出版总署两部门监管地位凸显;2009年至今,文化部和新闻出版总署两部门监管范围厘清。网络游戏政府监管的归口问题具有复杂性,政府监管政策应在尊重实践的基础上,有更多科学的顶层设计。