A hybrid approach to configure eco-efficient supply chains under consideration of performance and risk aspects

Formal models that support multi-criteria decision making represent a strongly growing area in sustainable supply chain management research. However, uncertainties and risks are seldom considered in quantitative models for green supply chain (SC) design. The paper at hand suggests a hybrid approach to configure an eco-efficient SC for a new product under consideration of economic and environmental risks. Discrete-event simulation is applied to assess the financial, operational and environmental performance of different SC configuration options while the value-at-risk concept is adapted to evaluate related SC risks. The analytic hierarchy process is employed to solve the resulting multi-criteria decision problem of choosing the best option. The approach is illustrated at a case example of a fast moving consumer goods manufacturer.     

Concept mapping as an approach for expert-guided model building: The example of health literacy

Concept mapping served as the starting point for the aim of capturing the comprehensive structure of the construct of ‘health literacy.’ Ideas about health literacy were generated by 99 experts and resulted in 105 statements that were subsequently organized by 27 experts in an unstructured card sorting. Multidimensional scaling was applied to the sorting data and a two and three-dimensional solution was computed. The three dimensional solution was used in subsequent cluster analysis and resulted in a concept map of nine “clusters”: (1) self-regulation, (2) self-perception, (3) proactive approach to health, (4) basic literacy and numeracy skills, (5) information appraisal, (6) information search, (7) health care system knowledge and acting, (8) communication and cooperation, and (9) beneficial personality traits. Subsequently, this concept map served as a starting point for developing a “qualitative” structural model of health literacy and a questionnaire for the measurement of health literacy. On the basis of questionnaire data, a “quantitative” structural model was created by first applying exploratory factor analyses (EFA) and then cross-validating the model with confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Concept mapping proved to be a highly valuable tool for the process of model building up to translational research in the “real world”.     

Universal versus contextual effects on TQM: a triangulation study using neural networks

The objective of this study is to extend previous research on total quality management (TQM)-context-performance relationships and ‘fit’ using multiple methods. We combine artificial neural networks (ANNs) with structural equation modelling (SEM) to analyse several hypotheses and propositions. This is the first study in this area of research that utilises ANNs and a triangulation technique in the presence of several contextual factors. The SEM analyses suggest that company size and industry type may have contingency effects on some of the TQM practices and/or TQM-performance relationships. However, the ANN models have shown that these two contingency factors do not moderate TQM outcomes, implying that all organisations can benefit from TQM regardless of size and type. As well, these models show that formal TQM implementation and/or ISO certifications do not add any predictive power to the ANN models except in one case: TQM implementation and/or ISO certification added to organisational effectiveness and customer results to predict financial and market (F&M) results. The results further indicate that even though implementing TQM alone has a bigger impact on F&M results than obtaining ISO certification alone, combining the two will have an even greater impact on these results. Joint implementation leads to greater improvements in organisational effectiveness, which, in turn, has a positive effect on customer results and consequently F&M results. This is a unique finding within the context of moderator effects on TQM-performance relationships.     

运动式执法与中国治理的困境

从决策议程对环境的回应、动员社会中的稀缺资源和实现政府间合作三个角度来分析运动式执法的必然性，运动式执法作为一种政策工具和治理模式并非总是消极的。一味地否定运动式执法，既不符合中国公共治理的现实需要，也不符合严肃的学术研究的要求。     

传统官僚制现代流弊与行政管理体制改革的路向选择

中国传统官僚制,是家国同构、高度集权的家产官僚制。它不具备现代官僚制的科学精神、理性精神和法制精神,其浓重的人治传统对当代中国人的观念影响十分深刻。由于中国的市场经济基础、法治环境、非政府组织和公民社会的发展现状与现代官僚制的产生条件有一定距离,因此,当务之急不是模仿新公共管理模式,而是立足中国实际情况,坚决摈弃传统官僚制,学习和借鉴现代官僚制的合理成分。     

心理契约：提升公共危机管理效能的支点

进入21世纪各种公共危机频繁发生,一个个痛苦的案例促使人们积极探索公共危机管理及其有效性问题。文章将心理学的专业术语——心理契约移植到公共危机管理领域,提出了危机心理契约的理论假设,阐明了危机心理契约在公共危机管理中的作用机制及其功能表现,从实践操作的层面提出了促进民众危机心理契约满足、避免危机心理契约破裂与违背,以提升政府危机管理效能的途径与方法。     

高职院校考试管理体制及其运行机制的构建与实践

本文分析了目前高职院校考试管理中存在的主要问题；结合我校考试管理的实际情况，构建了包含管理机构、命题制度、考核模式、考风考纪、试卷分析、管理手段等环节的考试管理体制及其运行机制；指出了考试管理体制及其运行机制在树立工作理念、规范管理程序、促进校风建设等实践中起到的重要作用。     

大学生科研平台建设与创新能力研究——以福建省部分地方高校为例

大学生科研平台建设与大学生创新能力培养具有紧密的内在关系,只有加强大学生科研平台建设,才能有效促进大学生创新能力不断提高。     

基于个性发展的高职校园电视台人才培养探索

以国家示范性高职院校广州番禺职业技术学院校园电视台为案例,探索基于个性发展的高技能人才培养理念。启迪学生的非智力因素,促进其人格完善。开创职业道德与综合素质的教育平台。构建文化育人与个性发展的多维平台,自我教育的兴趣生长天地,多专业优势的有效互渗,三大课堂的有机整合。     

Bisphenol A: How the Most Relevant Exposure Sources Contribute to Total Consumer Exposure

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an endocrine disrupting chemical that is found in human urine throughout industrial societies around the globe. Consumer exposure pathways to BPA include packaged food, household dust, air, and dental fillings. To date, information on the relative contribution of the different pathways to total consumer exposure is lacking, but is key for managing substance‐associated risks. We investigated the relative contributions of the pathways known to be most relevant for nine different consumer groups. Our results suggest that the most important pathways for infants and children are the use of polycarbonate (PC) baby bottles and for adults and teenagers the consumption of canned food. Dental surgery can also considerably contribute over a short time directly after the surgery. For infants fed with PC baby bottles with mean dose rates of 0.8 μg/kg_bw/d the highest exposure dose rate was calculated. This dose rate is far below the tolerable daily intake of 50 μg/kg_bw/d. However, it is of the same order of magnitude as recently reported concentrations that caused low‐dose health effects in rodents. We find a pattern of falling exposure levels with rising age that is supported by urinary concentrations of BPA available for selected consumer groups. Similarly, the exposure levels we predict are confirmed by the levels reported in these studies.