The effect of the Rana Plaza disaster on shareholder wealth of retailers: Implications for sourcing strategies and supply chain governance

Supply chain and reputational risks are often assumed to motivate firms to source production in developed, high-cost countries rather than developing, low-cost countries. To examine this assumption, we provide evidence from the collapse of the Rana Plaza building on April 24, 2013, which with its 1133 fatalities and 2438 injuries is seen as one of the worst industrial accidents in history. Do markets reactive negatively enough to such events to motivate firms to shift their sourcing strategy? We analyze the stock market reaction to the Rana Plaza disaster in the Bangladeshi ready-made garment industry to address this question. Our analysis is based on a sample of 39 publicly traded global apparel retailers with significant garment sourcing in Bangladesh. Stock market reaction to retailers on the day of the Rana Plaza disaster is negative, but its magnitude and significance dissipate by the following day. We find no evidence of significant stock market reaction during the 11 trading days (approximately two weeks in calendar time) following the disaster. Retailers responded to the disaster by developing two different agreements to improve factory and worker safety in Bangladesh – the Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh (AFBSB), and the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety (ABWS). We find no evidence of significant stock market reaction to the announcements of the AFBSB and the ABWS. The insignificant negative economic impact from the Rana Plaza disaster suggests that retailers have little economic incentive to move sourcing out of Bangladesh or other low-cost countries so as to reduce the risk of being involved in such events. We discuss the implications of our results for retailers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), garment factory owners in Bangladesh, the Bangladeshi government, and academic researchers.     

绥芬河市新华街隧道围岩稳定分析

绥芬河市新华街隧道是目前黑龙江省最长的公路隧道,该隧道东起新华街,西至301国道,其最大埋深为101.1m,由于隧道穿越区域地质条件复杂,地应力较高,因此在前期施工过程中,已经出现了局部掉块现象。为了避免隧道在施工与运营期内出现大面积垮塌情况,本文对隧道的稳定性进行了分析评价,该隧道出现岩爆的可能极小,但是洞室围岩有塑性破坏的可能,为了防止由于塑性破坏诱发的塌落现象,建议采用4~5m的系统锚杆进行支护。     

基于可靠度理论的现役框架结构的维修设计

现役建筑结构经过一段时间的使用，其抗力和荷载效应都与设计时的不同。本文根据实际情况，采用串联分析模型，计算结构体系的失效概率。并通过对结构体系的失效概率直接进行调整，实现对现役结构可靠度的维修设计。以此对结构的安全性进行评估，为框架结构的维修决策提供了依据。     

论企业内部控制制度实施策略

内部控制制度是为实现企业内部控制目的而制定的一系列规章制度,是社会经济发展到一定阶段的产物,是现代企业治理的重要手段。有关企业经营失败、会计信息失真、违法经营的发生在很大程度上都可以归结为企业内部控制制度的缺失或失效。为此,本文从制度建设和制度实施两个层面系统地分析了内部控制在实施过程中存在的问题,并提出了若干对策和建议。     

论电力电缆的安全运行与防火技术

现代城市电网中,电缆应用十分广泛。如果没有针对性的安全运行措施,一旦发生故障,危害极大。文章阐述了电缆着火的原因和特点,防止电缆延燃的措施和扑救方法及日常采取的措施和检查内容。     

基于关系风险的物流外包风险实证研究

通过结构模型假设和样本调查,研究了关系风险如何影响物流供应商受托的资产和胜任能力,在统计分析的基础上,找出了导致物流外包关系破裂的潜在风险因素以及其结构关系,并利用信度、效度检测方法和测量模型测试了研究结果。研究发现,物流外包中关系风险对资产风险、胜任能力风险以及资产风险对胜任能力风险有积极显著的影响,且能力风险的影响比资产风险稍微显著。研究还发现,物流服务供应商缺乏维持较好的运输经营和损失控制能力是批发商最直接相关的风险;资产风险与能力风险显著正相关,与内部治理成本相比,批发商更关心不可估量的专用资产。     

城市广场人文规划设计述评——以成都天府广场为例

广场是城市政治、经济和文化活动的中心,也是城市重要的象征。广场规划设计是否合理直接影响着城市的形象和城市历史文化的展示。从城市广场人文规划设计利弊两个方面出发,对成都天府广场的闪光点与瑕疵进行评析,进而揭示出当前广场建设中值得借鉴的经验和亟待完善的不足之处,最终提出城市广场规划设计科学之策,以期实现广场建设凸显和谐文化特色。     

Innovate or perish: A cautionary tale

Post war business has seen the emergence of a number of conglomerates that showed impressive growth in their early days. Recently, however, several of these conglomerates have entered into serious difficulties, sometimes resulting in complete company collapse. Of course many factors will have featured in these dramatic events, but it is felt that the neglect of innovation and a preoccupation with financial data may have been predominant in certain cases.In this paper a hypothetical conglomerate is constructed and the (fictitious) history is described which brought this conglomerate to the verge of collapse. The question posed is whether a sound rescue operation for the conglomerate in question is possible, and this question is answered in the affirmative. The strategy for this operation (apart from obvious short term measures) centres around a long term product innovation program. It is shown that if such a program is stringently adhered to a healthy company may emerge in the end, but the operation takes quite a long time (from 5 to 10 years) and the first 4 years of the program will be very difficult indeed. The necessary change in strategy is a very fundamental one and amongst the major problems in its execution will be finding an able top executive capable of managing such a long-term innovative program. The financing of such a program will require the utmost restraint on the part of the company with regard to its other expenditures and a suggestion is made to help solve this facet of the problem. The difficulties to be overcome will be tremendous, but success does seem possible. After all, there is hardly any alternative for the conglomerate that has to make an ultimate decision: innovate or perish.     

建筑施工企业材料采购内部控制研究

建筑施工企业在开展施工作业时,如果想要在规定的工期内顺利竣工,就必须保障前期工作中物资材料采购的充足。现阶段,针对我国建筑施工企业的经营发展状况来说,很多企业已经意识到材料采购内部控制的重要性,并积极地研究与企业自身发展状况相符的材料采购内部控制方式,不断加大对材料采购内部控制的力度,进而促使企业稳健发展。论文首先介绍了建筑施工企业材料采购的特点和重要性,然后对目前建筑施工企业材料采购工作中出现的问题进行了分析,最后提出了行之有效的解决措施,旨在促进建筑行业的长远发展。     

浅谈如何加强公路工程施工事前控制

近年来,在我国多次出现单位工程劣质、坍塌等严重质量事故。分析其原因,关键在于要建立一套完善有效的质量控制保障体系,以确保工程达到其合同规定的标准。因而,工程质量控制是决定工程建设成败的关键之一。而工程质量很大程度上又决定于施工阶段的质量控制。根据工程质量形成的时间,施工的质量控制又可分为质量的事前控制、事中控制和事后控制。其中,又以质量的事前控制为重中之重。下面,笔者就从几个方面对公路工程施工质量事前控制进行浅述。     

试论企业内控失效的原因及对策

企业的任何工作都是具有目的性的,企业的内控制度也是一样。为了保证整个企业的信息可靠、资产安全,企业会制定一系列的内控制度。内控制度的效果会直接影响到企业的生存和发展。为了使企业的发展更加具有持续性,就必须保证其内控制度的有效性。论文着重讨论了企业内控失效的原因以及其相应的对策,希望对保证我国市场的稳定运行以及增加企业的发展活力有所助益。     

硬岩滚刀的失效统计分析及研制关键技术

为了研究盾构施工中滚刀最常见的破坏方式及内在原因,并为高性能滚刀的研制提供突破方向,依托广佛东环线龙洞站～大源站区间施工项目,阐述滚刀的破岩机理和组成结构,统计并分析滚刀不同形式的失效概率,得出滚刀主要的三种破坏形式,根据概率由高到低依次为刀圈正常过度磨损、刀圈偏磨、刀圈断裂或崩刃,结合刀圈硬度和韧性的检测结果,分析了...     

陕西凤县县城周边农村农房抗震效果研究及优化

2008年5月12日汶川特大地震的造成的影响波及陕西省宝鸡市凤县,该地区农村中相当数量的房屋出现墙体开裂,坍塌等严重后果。本课题研究小组对凤县县城周围农村农房进行建房场地,用材,结构等方面进行实地调查,通过运用工程力学、抗震结构设计等方法对该地区农房做出相应的抗震优化方案。此抗震优化方案能有效地减少地震造成的重大损失,同时科研小组进行实地调研时当地政府也给予了很大的支持,这也表明社会正逐步加强对农房抗震的关注程度。本科研小组提供的有效抗震优化方案能改进农房建造过程中存在的抗震不足之处,进而减少广大农民因地震而引起的生命财产损失,具有重要的理论和现实意义。     

关于搜救飞行队建立运行控制中心的一点思考

本文以救助飞行队进行专业化建设为背景,站在救助飞行队未来发展进程的角度,简单阐述了建立运行控制中心的设想。通过建立运行控制中心,可以实现救助飞行队专业人才对救助基地、救助航空器的科学管控,提升综合执行力,让飞行队的领导从繁杂的日常运行工作中解放出来,使他们有更多的精力管理日益增多人员和不断开辟的救助基地。     

试述建筑物外观工程质量的控制措施

一般来说,建筑结构内在质量好坏与否,直接反映在主体结构外观上,因此,可通过检查外观效果来发现结构隐患,提高结构安全性和耐久性。建设工程的质量安全是工程建设的"底线"。建筑结构内在质的好坏,直接地反映在建筑物的主体结构外观上。现在运用较多的钢筋混凝土结构和砌体结构分别从露筋、麻面、蜂窝、空洞、裂缝等方面表现出来。要真对建筑物易出现的这些问题采取相应的措施来保证建筑结构的外观质量,提高结构的安全性和耐久性。     

对构建以消防部队为主体的应急救援队伍建设的思考

近年来,我国面临自然灾害增多、恐怖威胁增大的严峻形势,加快应急救援力量建设,打造国家应急救援精锐之师,是形势所迫、任务所需、职责所系。通过分析当前应急救救工作,提出构建以消防部队为主的应急救援队伍的思路。     

星辰急便倒闭危机对民营快递的启示

以星辰急便为例,结合时事资料分析其深陷倒闭危机的五大原因：市场定位不准、转型失误、强行并购、缺乏专业人才等。总结出企业投资决策需良好的市场调查,慎重采用加盟模式、加强内部管理等经验,希望国内民营快递企业有所借鉴,减少失败风险。     

浅谈经济危机下中小企业的内部风险控制

当前金融危机仍在蔓延,并且已经导致了国内大批中小企业的倒闭,中小企业只有加快建立内部风险控制机制,才能不断提高自身的抗击金融危机冲击的能力,不断提升自身的竞争力。企业风险的形成主要有外部环境和内部风险因素构成。内部风险控制系统主要包括:市场风险控制,投资风险控制,存货风险控制,融资风险控制,资金回收风险控制和技术风险控制。这些系统的建立对中小企业尤其重要。市场风险控制包括市场营运能力,生产控制能力,技术创新能力。投资风险控制主要是指选好项目,做好评估和储备财力。不良存货风险预控,存货价格风险预控,存货规模风险预控则是构成存货风险控制的主要部分。融资风险控制包括完善自身治理能力,增强银行融资能力;创造条件争取从社会募资;处理好中长期贷款的结构;多利用商业信用和折扣等。资金回收风险控制主要关注客户档案的建立管理和信用的管理。技术风险的控制主要通过一是参与科技保险或项目保险,二是在技术创新项目中吸收技术风险投资,使技术风险的损失得到合理分摊。中小企业只有通过不断完善对自己内部风险的管理控制,全面提升风险应对能力,就能呈现出更强的活力。     

Robust building evacuation planning in a dynamic network flow model under collapsible nodes and arcs

Rapid urbanization has caused various social problems. One typical example is the high population density of a building, particularly in a commercial building or a mega-mall. When an emergency, such as a natural or human-made disaster, occurs in a building with a high population, establishing a proper evacuation plan is required to minimize casualties. Accordingly, the evacuation planning problem, which determines optimal routes for evacuees from disaster-prone areas to safe areas, has been actively studied in various fields. However, research considering the possibility of further collapse of a specific area or intermediate route in the building has been overlooked. We propose a robust evacuation planning problem based on a dynamic network flow model that determines the optimal routes for evacuees from a building that has the potential to collapse. Computational results show that routes passing through areas with the potential to collapse may or may not be optimal for evacuees, depending on the given timeframe. If the timeframe is sufficient, detouring around the collapsible areas could be the optimal plan; however, if the timeframe is insufficient, passing through collapsible areas, with taking the risk, could be the optimal plan.     

Breaking the cycle of marketing disinvestment: using market research to build organisational alliances

Many marketers find their programmes fall victim to disinvestment, both financial and psychological. While most marketers are avid students of consumer psychology, they tend to overlook the dynamics of organisational psychology, just as the literature on market orientation often fails to emphasise the organisational identity politics and power struggles that frustrate marketing. Discussions of market orientation focus on leadership and team‐building issues, favouring highly visible cases of organisational success at the expense of analysing common factors in marketing failure, many of them grounded in organisational psychology. Allied with knowledge of organisational epistemology, market research can be used as a critical resource in marketers' internal marketing programmes to strengthen market orientation. Ongoing collaborative market research can build positive organisational alliances that contribute to the internal support needed to sustain a successful marketing programme. Copyright © 2001 Henry Stewart Publications