Operations Research in passenger railway transportation

In this paper we give an overview of state-of-the-art Operations Research models and techniques used in passenger railway transportation. For each planning phase (strategic, tactical and operational), we describe the planning problems arising there and discuss some models and algorithms to solve them. We do not only consider classical, well-known topics such as timetabling, rolling stock scheduling and crew scheduling, but we also discuss some recently developed topics such as shunting and reliability of timetables.
Finally, we focus on several practical aspects for each of these problems at the largest Dutch railway operator, NS Reizigers.     

The Downside of Harmonisation Haste: The Equity Accounting Experience

While the main harmonisation objective of legalising the use of equity accounting in the consolidated financial statements has been achieved to the relief of Australian business, the Australian standard-setting boards have had less success in harmonising the detailed application and implementation rules. With no clear conceptual direction, they appear to have arbitrarily adhered to, and deviated from, international precedents on ancillary issues of significance to the users and preparers of financial statements.     

Boekbespreking

Rotterdam, Maart 1957     

Contrasting Two Models of Wealth Redistribution

Philanthropy tries to improve the condition of people. Yet there are different models of philanthropy. American philanthropy tries to improve conditions for different people, without reference to race or language; this evolved from the notion of equality. In contrast, Chinese clans arose in Singapore, as a response to a society segmented along racial and linguistic lines; in a culture that emphasized face, rich entrepreneurs could "buy" prestige and leadership positions, by assisting their poor. This article examines philanthropy as practiced by entrepreneurs in America, and compares this to the Chinese model of wealth redistribution. The latter is centered on clan associations. In the new economy, however, these have been losing importance, as governments take on some roles previously taken care of by such associations; this includes, for instance, education and assistance to start-up entrepreneurs. We conclude that there appears to be a relationship between philanthropy, government and entrepreneurship.     

SMEs’ Financing and Banks’ Profitability: A “Good Date” for Banks in Ghana?

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the core of most economies and are a major source of economic growth. In recent times, banks have been actively involved in the financing of SMEs through the provision of loans to this sector. This paper investigates the impact of SMEs financing on banks’ profitability in Ghana. The study employed the fixed effect model as the main regression tool. The study result reveals that SMEs significantly contribute to banks’ profitability in Ghana. Interestingly, transaction cost in administering SME loans was insignificant in all the models. Higher inflation reduces the real value of the loan and erodes the interest returns on the total credit to the SMEs. Conversely, growth of GDP enhances the growth of the bank profit.     

Moody:Weakening Steel Demand in China

Moody’s Investors Service says that Asian steel companies face increasing operating challenges in2015,as Chinese steel demand slows.Moody’s could change its outlook on the Asian steel sector to negative from stable if this weakness persists.According to Moody,China’s Purchasing Managers’Index(PMI)fell to 49.8 in January,which indicates a contraction in manufacturing activities.In another sign that manufacturing is slowing,steel prices fell more than     

Sport participation and the social and physical environment: explaining differences between urban and rural areas in the Netherlands

In this study, we investigated the intensity of sport participation in the Netherlands comparing urban and rural areas. Using a socio-ecological theoretical model, we focussed on the extent to which the rural–urban divide in sport participation is explained by micro-level (socio-demographics), meso-level (safety and socio-economic status of neighbourhoods) and exo-level (variety and proximity of sport facilities) characteristics. We tested our theoretical expectations using representative data on 17,910 Dutch inhabitants between 6 and 79 years of age. Our study reconfirmed the importance of individual socio-demographics (micro-level), such as age, education and household income for sports participation. Furthermore, our results showed that weekly sport participation was more common in rural than in urban areas. This rural–urban divide in sport participation especially was attributed to social environmental factors (meso-level); physical conditions of the environment provided no explanation. Our findings should, however, not be taken as a denial of the importance of the physical environment (exo-level). This study was conducted in the Netherlands, a country with a high density, abundant sport facilities and a supportive sport climate. Moreover, variety of sport facilities nearby proved significant in explaining an individual’s monthly sport participation. To conclude, this study enhances our understanding of the rural–urban divide in sport participation and highlights the importance of especially meso-level features in addition to the socio-demographics. It thus may inform policymakers to critically assess sport promotion policies.     

How Can a Phenomenological Approach Innovate Leadership in a High‐Tech World?

The author opines that the litmus test for good or defective leadership can be obtained from the philosophical lens with which a leader approaches the world. A leader who is not rooted in nature will practices a calculative type of thinking and leadership. Because the origin of such leadership is based on illusion, the destiny of such leadership is also projected towards an illusionary vista. Phenomenological logic influences our relationship to space, time, values, and perceptions. Humans are not the central lens epistemology that allows leaders to listen to the protesting environment that they are immersed in. This kind of deep ethics is possible only in the realm of Heidegger's meditative thinking, and it leads to longsighted and deeper answers for a sustainable world. Because humans have tried to make technology absolute, humans now live on products of technology instead of living in our natural habitat. Deep listening to the song of creation will make human beings more compassionate to the natural order and the foresight to fashion a symmetrical relationship with flora and fauna.