Effects of Remanufacturable Product Design on Market Segmentation and the Environment

Despite documented benefits of remanufacturing, many manufacturers have yet to embrace the idea of tapping into remanufactured‐goods markets. In this article, we explore this dichotomy and analyze the effect of remanufacturable product design on market segmentation and product and trade‐in prices by studying a two‐stage profit‐maximization problem in which a price‐setting manufacturer can choose whether or not to open a remanufactured‐goods market for its product. Our results suggest that it is optimal for a manufacturer to design a remanufacturable product when the value‐added from remanufacturing is relatively high but product durability is relatively low and innovation is nominal. In addition, we find that entering a remanufactured‐goods market in and of itself does not necessarily translate into environmental friendliness. On the one hand, the optimal trade‐in program could result in low return and/or remanufacturing rates. On the other hand, a low price for remanufactured products could attract higher demand and thereby potentially result in more damage to the environment. Meanwhile, external restrictions imposed on total greenhouse gas emissions draw criticism in their own right because they risk stifling growth or reducing overall consumer welfare. Given these trade‐offs, we therefore develop and compare several measures of environmental efficiency and conclude that emissions per revenue can serve as the best proxy for emissions as a metric for measuring overall environmental stewardship.     

生态设计艺术研究的风向标——读刘文良《后现代语境下的生态设计艺术》

刘文良教授《后现代语境下的生态设计艺术》一书,聚焦于当前生态设计面临的诸多困惑,问题意识与对策探求有机统一,宏观把握与微观研究相得益彰,学术性与可读性完美契合,为其健康发展献上了系列应对之策,堪为当前生态设计艺术研究之“风向标”。     

Combinatorial Equivalence of Fractional Factorial Designs

Two symmetrical fractional factorial designs are said to be combinatorially equivalent if one design can be obtained from another by reordering the runs, relabeling the factors and relabeling the levels of one or more factors. This article presents concepts of ordered distance frequency matrix, distance frequency vector, and reduced distance frequency vector for a design. Necessary conditions for two designs to be combinatorial equivalent based on these concepts are presented. A new algorithm based on the results obtained is proposed to check combinatorial non-equivalence of two factorial designs and several illustrating examples are provided.     

The Impact of Competitive Strategy and Supply Chain Strategy on Business Performance: The Role of Environmental Uncertainty*

This article investigates the relationships among competitive strategy, supply chain strategy, and business performance while examining the moderating effect of environmental uncertainty. A total of 604 questionnaires were collected from three cities in China, and the statistical results show significant moderating effects of external environment on the relationships among competitive strategy, supply chain strategy, and business performance. Firms that primarily focus on a differentiation strategy emphasize an agile supply chain strategy. Cost leaders are inclined to implement both lean and agile supply chain strategies, but their emphasis on agile strategy is significantly greater in a volatile environment than in a stable environment. The choice of supply chain strategy does not appear to be an “either‐or” decision and firms could adopt either a lean or an agile strategy, or both, depending on the environment. This article provides significant managerial implications for supply chain practitioners to co‐align supply chain strategy and competitive strategy with the environment to improve performance.     

The Difficult History of Ancillary Units: The Obstacles and Potential Opportunities to Increase the Heterogeneity of Neighborhoods and the Flexibility of Households in the United States

ABSTRACT

Most aging Americans express the desire to stay in their current home for the rest of their lives. However, as literature and practice indicate, aging in place cannot be successfully achieved in all places, especially in those places where zoning regulations and building codes act as barriers to the flexible adaptation of environments. One possible solution could come from the legalization of what is commonly known as granny flats, or more technically as Ancillary Dwelling Units. This article is divided into three parts. The first part is a brief history of Ancillary Dwelling Units. The second part focuses on the critical role played by local and state urban planning policies in the future of Ancillary Dwelling Units. California is used as a noteworthy example. The third part discusses how positive outcomes for senior residents who have Ancillary Dwelling Units legally present in their neighborhoods are linked to the appropriateness of their design.     

《蒙古语谚语数据库》的建立与实现

谚语是人们对自然现象,社会现象长期观察的艺术总结;是用有节奏的语言,完整地表达广大劳动人民的斗争经验和思想感情,富有教育意义的民间语言。目前在谚语数据库中收录了1800个蒙古语谚语,并设计了一套管理系统。谚语供人们学习母语中的丰富词语和典范的表达形式。本文主要介绍了该系统所涉及的工作及意义,设计宗旨及其具体实践的过程。     

Dimensions and design criteria for developing training reaction evaluations

Although there is research on training program evaluation, there is little systematic research on the design, development and use of training reaction evaluations. In order to obtain meaningful information from a program evaluation, evaluation professionals must be rigorous in the design and development of all aspects of an evaluation study, including instrumentation. The purposes of the study were to classify the dimensions of information sought using reaction evaluations and to establish design criteria for developing training reaction instruments. There were three major phases of the study: (1) classification of the dimensions and questionnaire design criteria used in reaction evaluations; (2) validation of the classified dimensions and the questionnaire design criteria by subject matter experts; and (3) assessment of a sample of training reaction instruments currently used in training programs in US corporations. The research findings were: eleven dimensions for reaction evaluation were identified and classified by purpose. Five overall design criteria, each consisting of several sub-criteria, were judged important in the design of reactionnaires. These include: introduction and directions; question format; question construction; questionnaire layout; and data analysis. It was concluded that a well-designed training reaction instrument integrates the proper application of design criteria with appropriate reaction dimensions. Most training reaction instruments used by US corporations consisted of questions representing only a few dimensions. The instruments varied in form and length. Few of them properly utilized the established questionnaire design criteria.     

高职毕业设计环节存在的问题及对策

毕业设计(论文)是高职教育最后一个教学环节,也是一个十分重要的教学环节,但在目前大多数的高职院校中这一环节的教学还存在一些问题,要想彻底解决这些问题不是一朝一夕的事,但思想重视,措施得当必然可以使突出的矛盾得到缓解。     

民营中小企业信用担保体系研究

民营中小企业信用担保体系可归纳出四大设计原理：功能原理、经营原理、正选原理和博弈原理。针对信用担保体系的问题，提出其健全与发展的建议是：清晰定位担保对象；科学择优担保运作方式：完善资金补偿机制；健全风险分散机制；正确发挥政府作用；促进社会信用体系建设；加强监管体系；建立社会化中介服务体系；加强金保合作，形成共生机制。     

A Mixed Model-assisted Regression Estimator that Uses Variables Employed at the Design Stage

The Generalized regression estimator (GREG) of a finite population mean or total has been shown to be asymptotically optimal when the working linear regression model upon which it is based includes variables related to the sampling design. In this paper a regression estimator assisted by a linear mixed superpopulation model is proposed. It accounts for the extra information coming from the design in the random component of the model and saves degrees of freedom in finite sample estimation. This procedure combines the larger asymptotic efficiency of the optimal estimator and the greater finite sample stability of the GREG. Design based properties of the proposed estimator are discussed and a small simulation study is conducted to explore its finite sample performance.