A replication and extension of quality management into the supply chain

As competition moves beyond a single firm into the supply chain, researchers are beginning to explore quality management (QM) in a supply chain context. The literature suggests that supply chain management (SCM) consists of internal practices, which are contained within a firm, and external practices, which cross organizational boundaries integrating a firm with its customers and suppliers. Supplier quality management and customer focus are two QM practices that are also clearly in the domain of SCM. In this study we investigate how these two supply chain management-related quality practices lead to improved performance and examine the practices that precede and mediate those relationships. In doing so, we replicate and extend the relationships among the QM practices and their effects on firm performance suggested in Kaynak [Kaynak, H., 2003. The relationship between total quality management practices and their effects on firm performance. Journal of Operations Management 21, 405–435] using survey data gathered from firms operating in the U.S. The inclusion of customer focus and supplier quality management in the QM model supports the importance of internal and external integration for quality performance. Implications of the results for researchers and practitioners are discussed, and further research implications are suggested.     

Strategic supply management,quality initiatives,and organizational performance

Researchers in supply chain management have found over the past two decades that supply management should be not merely a purchasing function but a strategic tool for supply chain integration. Supply management, the cornerstone of the integration of industrial supply chains, has evolved as a key research area. Based on quantitative and qualitative investigations of 225 electronics manufacturing firms, we examine the organizational impacts of strategic supply management (SSM) and the contexts of company size, process type, ISO 9000 certification, and quality management (QM) implementation that facilitate such an endeavor. We reveal that SSM is essentially a quality management initiative that requires bilateral efforts for continuous improvement and thus is not associated with the basic requirements of ISO 9000. We find that SSM improves on-time shipments, reduces operational costs, and leads to customer satisfaction and improved business performance. Developed based on contemporary premises in supply chain and QM, this research refines our understanding of the relationships among quality initiatives, SSM, and organizational performance.     

柳州市医药零售连锁企业物流发展状况的调查研究

柳州是我国西南地区重要的交通枢纽和工业中心。近年来柳州经济快速发展。尤其是伴随着汽车工业的发展,工业物流得到了很快发展,但目前医药物流还处于起步阶段,医药连锁企业物流规模小,服务范围和功能狭窄,管理水平低下。文章分析了柳州市医药零售连锁企业物流发展的现状和主要问题。并针对存在问题提出了相应的对策。     

城市竞争背景下的规划管理政策研究

针对经济全球化背景下城市竞争所呈现出的双面性,从城市规划管理的角度出发,提出在保障宏观政策稳定的同时,建立迅速、有效的规划管理政策研究机构以应对瞬息万变的市场,是城市发展在竞争环境中的现实选择,并在研究内容及机构组织等方面建构了完整的政策研究机制。     

西方城市公共服务设施区位研究进展

通过梳理国外公共服务设施区位理论的发展以及近年来研究的新动向,提出了对我国城市公共服务设施区位研究的展望。     

国外城市蔓延研究进展

在对国外关于"城市蔓延"概念的界定进行综述的基础上,对"城市蔓延"的成本效益、肌理、定量化方法及其对环境的影响进行分析,最后得出对我国城市化的有益启示。     

节能降耗是建筑业可持续发展的关键

建筑业可持续发展,要抓住节能降耗这个关键环节,以科技创新为突破口,建立健全政府管理体制和市场激励机制,全面推广绿色与智能建筑,从根本上转变建筑业增长方式,实现人与环境和谐,确实做到科学发展。     

Editorial proximity equals publication success: A function of rational self-interest or good-faith economy?

This paper inquires into a recent finding that shows that proximity to the editor of a top accounting journal significantly increases one's chances of publishing in that journal. Three explanations are provided for this finding—two based on ‘rational self-interest’ and one on the ‘good-faith economy’. These explanations are further considered in light of interview data collected from individuals who worked in the same social space as these editors. While the first two of these explanations align themselves with the field's dominant methodological assumptions they alone do not fully describe actual practice in this field. Indeed, to the extent that this field's actors ignore or discount the third, good-faith explanation the field abrogates its scientific commitment to truth-seeking and objectivity, putting its faith instead in a naïve and potentially damaging vision of human behavior.     

Assessing supply chain risks with the analytic hierarchy process: Providing decision support for the offshoring decision by a US manufacturing company

This paper reports the process used by a US manufacturing company to assess supply chain risks within the context of an offshore sourcing decision. The case study company was faced with the objective of finding a new supplier for two of its major product lines. Five alternatives were considered: (1) sourcing finished goods from Mexico; (2) sourcing finished goods from China; (3) sourcing parts from China and assembly in the US; (4) sourcing parts from China, assembly in a Maquiladora in Mexico with investment; and (5) sourcing parts from China, assembly in a Maquiladora in Mexico with no investment in the venture. To find the best solution, action research methodology was combined with the application of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Through iterative and structured discussions, 17 risk factors were identified, which were subsequently grouped into main and sub objectives. AHP was then used to evaluate the importance of each risk factor, and to determine the best alternative. This study makes several contributions to the field of purchasing and supply management. First, it provides a comprehensive framework of empirically derived risk factors to be considered in an international sourcing context. Second, it shows how AHP can be used to assess these risk factors and alternatives as part of the framework to facilitate and support the final offshoring decision. And third, it illustrates the successful application of the approach by a US manufacturing company. As such, this paper contributes to the research streams of offshoring and risk management in purchasing and supply, as well as to decision-making under uncertainty and AHP. In addition, it serves as a practical methodology for firms in similar situations.     

建立以企业为主体的产学研合作模式促进区域科技自主创新

江苏省充分发挥科教资源优势,搭建科技服务平台,深入开展多种形式的产学研合作,加快了科技成果转化,产学研合作水平不断提升,企业的创新需求日趋主动,创新积极性得到显著提高,成为全省推动自主创新的一条有效途径。