Connecting at the edge: Cycles of commodification and labour control within food delivery platform work in Belgium

In this paper we examine how commodification and labour control unfold within a digital labour platform, focusing on the connections between the platform, its users and workers. Based on a qualitative study covering couriers, clients, restaurants and the management of a food delivery platform in Belgium, we shed light on the complexity of commodification, explaining how the platform simultaneously empowers and disempowers all participants. We illustrate how the platform fosters commodification by granting access to transactions and fuelling competition, while at the same time increasing dependency through withholding information from users and workers. In so doing, we contribute to understanding how platforms exert control and create, extract and capture value by connecting users and workers with each other through the use of digital technology.     

数字化交付模型数据整合路径探讨及优化

为了扩大可接纳建模数据范围，降低投标方的准入门槛，提高项目数字化交付可行性，以某公司数字工厂示范项目为研究对象，积极探索数字化交付模型数据的整合路径。在归纳整理项目涉及的模型数据类型的整合要素、关键节点及主要工具的基础上，制定了整合实施路径中的优化方向和步骤，并根据典型问题针对性地提出了改进优化方案。结果表明：1)实现了PDMS,Revit, SolidWorks, CADWorx, 3DS MAX等近10款主流软件在AVEVA AIM平台的整合，为项目的数字化交付工作打下了基础；2)实施整合后，项目模型数据完整度由70%提升至95%以上，减少大量供应商及部分设计单位进行PDMS翻模的工作，有效提升了总体院的数字化交付水平和平台兼容能力；3)精准运用各类插件和接口、灵活使用二、三维转换工具等措施，可以有效解决大量问题、提高整合效率。研究结果可为数字化交付的模型数据整合优化提供解决方案及思路，并为数字化交付及智能工厂的建设工作提供技术支持。     

寡头竞争市场下共同配送定价方法研究

共同配送采用多个企业联合组织起来实施配送活动的方式，其优势越来越受到重视，关于共同配送的理论研究也越来越多，但是对于定价问题还一直是个难题。在前人研究的基础上，引入共同配送服务质量因素，建立寡头竞争市场下共同配送定价模型，并设计粒子群算法，采用帕累托改进方法和总收益最大解方法对模型进行具体求解，得到相关的结论，最后验证了模型和算法的有效性。     

Measuring performance: Ranking state success over two decades in India

This paper proposes new composite measures of relative and dynamic state performance to improve governance and delivery of public programs in developing countries with a federal structure. We illustrate the use of the indices to rank the performance of 19 major Indian states on two large development programs launched by the Indian government over the last two decades using publicly available data. Although we find volatility in performance over time, there exists a positive correlation between measures of initial (administrative) state capacity, development and accountability with program outcomes. Our findings have important implications for both the design and implementation of large-scale public programs across developing countries.     

Treat yourself: Food delivery apps and the interplay between justification for use and food well-being

This study examines the relationship between justification for use and well-being in respect to mobile food delivery apps (FDA). Adopting an interpretivist qualitative approach, the study offers contributions to the FDA and food well-being literature by uncovering four groups of licensing effects that consumers use in justifying FDA use. Those licensing effects can have either positive or negative influence on consumers' well-being depending on the degree to which consumers engage in self-regulation, awareness, and conscious managing of their relationship with food. The study also unravels the importance of dealing with the tensions between FDA use and well-being by shedding light on feelings of guilt and financial anxiety related to FDA use.     

青岛市快递业发展研究

回望“十三五”期间,我国快递行业保持了高增速,快递年业务量更是五年翻两番,稳居世界第一。青岛市快递行业发展迅速,服务能力不断提升,发展环境持续优化,满足了青岛市经济社会发展和服务民生的需要。     

Online food delivery companies' performance and consumers expectations during Covid-19: An investigation using machine learning approach

Online food delivery (OFD) businesses flourished during COVID-19; however, OFD companies experienced different challenges and customers' expectations. This paper uses social media data to explore OFD companies' performance and customers' expectations during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most important topics in developed and developing countries are identified using machine learning. Results show that customers in India are more concerned about social responsibility, while financial aspects are more important in the US. Overall, customers in India are more satisfied with OFD companies during the COVID-19 pandemic than the US customers. We further find that factors such as OFD companies' brand, market size, country, and COVID-19 waves play a crucial role in moderating customer sentiment. The results of the study offer several managerial insights.     

Critical factors characterizing consumers’ intentions to use drones for last-mile delivery: Does delivery risk matter?

Uncrewed Aerial Vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone, has become popular in military and recreational circles. Although their usage in commerce is relatively low, a continuous rise in commercial use, especially for last-mile delivery, in the future is anticipated. Consequently, there is a necessity for a greater understanding of consumers' readiness to accept the latest technological application to increase knowledge, business, and managerial practice. Specifically, this study aims to investigate consumers’ intentions to deploy drones for last-mile delivery. The study applies the social cognitive theory and the model of goal-directed behaviour. It investigates the effect of outcome expectancy, lifestyle compatibility, perceived self-efficacy, consumer attitude, and the desire of usage for delivery drones among European millennial consumers. Additionally, it examines whether delivery risk moderates the influence of attitude and desire to use delivery drones. The authors discovered that the aforementioned are positively related to consumer attitude. Consumer attitude as such is positively associated with the desire and intention to use this method of delivery. Furthermore, the intention to use drone delivery is positively influenced by the desire for this delivery, outcome expectancy, and lifestyle compatibility. These findings indicate the importance of desire and lifestyle compatibility as predictors. At the theoretical level, the results support the perspective that social cognitive theory, together with the model of goal-directed behaviour, is an adequate framework to account for consumer intentions.     

我国电子商务和快递业协同度测度研究

电子商务迅速发展,已成为国家经济的重要组成部分,作为电子商务发展重要支撑的快递业也快速发展壮大。近年来快递业与电子商务合作不断深化,国家相关部门也出台相关政策促进两者的协同发展。基于协同学理论,构造我国电子商务与快递业协同度测算指标系统,并计算两者的协同度。结果表明,研究期间,电子商务子系统的有序度高于快递业,我国电子商务与快递业的协同度整体上呈现起伏式下降趋势,华南、华东等区域整体的协同度高于西北、华北等区域。     

Which food delivery platforms are winning the restaurant food delivery wars? Analysis from a consumer perspective

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically lowered the foodservice industry's income overnight. Conversely, the practical measure of remaining at home to deal with the pandemic's impact has boosted the online food delivery business. In this study, a consumer perspective was adopted and an adapted version of the extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT2) was used alongside multi-attribute decision-making methods (DEMATEL, DANP and modified VIKOR) to construct a model for evaluating and selecting a food delivery platform (FDP). The results of the INRM (influential network relation map) revealed that the first dimension to be improved upon and adjusted should be security, followed by effort expectancy, performance expectancy, social influence, facilitating conditions, hedonic motivation and habit. The DANP influential weights suggested that habits were the most important dimension, followed by hedonic motivation, while performance expectancy was the least important. According to the results of the gap analysis, the first dimension that required improvement was performance expectancy, followed by effort expectancy, facilitating conditions, security, social influence, habits and hedonic motivation. It is expected that the findings of this study can serve as a reference for consumers selecting FDPs to better satisfy their dining needs. The novel model is discussed in terms of theoretical, practical and managerial implications.