Optimization in Allocating Goods to Shop Shelves Utilizing Genetic Algorithm for Yogurt Sales Data

How to allocate goods to shop shelves makes great influence to sales amount. Searching the best fit allocation of goods to the shelves is a kind of combinatorial problem. This becomes a problem of integer programming and utilizing genetic algorithm （GA） being an effective method. Reviewing past researches, there are few researches made on this. Formerly, the paper concerning optimization in allocating goods to shop shelves utilizing the GA was presented by us. In those papers, the problem that goods were allowed to allocate in multiple shelves was pursued. In this paper, the problem that does not allow goods to be allocated in multiple shelves is examined and the concept of sales profits and sales probabilities is introduced. Optimization in allocating goods to shop shelves is investigated. An application to the shop shelves for yogurt is executed. Utilizing GA, the optimum solution is pursued and verified by a numerical example. Various patterns of problems must be examined hereafter.     

Entrepreneurs as decisive human resources and business performance for the Lao SMEs

Resource-based view （RBV） has been a very important theory to explain performance in the past decades. Among several types of resources, human resources are known as a critical factor for business success. The present paper has sought to link the human resources and performance based on the concept of RBV focusing on entrepreneurs as decisive human resources. This paper uses a sample of 378 Lao small and medium enterprises （SMEs）. Overall, the findings suggest that the significant factors in explaining performance in Lao SMEs are the education of entrepreneurs, business development services for entrepreneurs and experience of entrepreneurs. Whereas training at starting business and training for entrepreneurs were not supported.     

Executive remuneration and financial performance in Brazilian companies

The objective of this study is to investigate the existence of a relationship between executive remuneration and financial performance in 28 Brazilian companies from the industrial sector. These companies have been selected among those companies elected as ＂The Best Companies to Work for in Brazil＂. In order to operationalize the remuneration variable, the authors use the monthly salary, the variable salary and three indexes--of benefits, career and professional development--which have been created especially for this survey. To measure financial performance, the authors use three accounting measures： sales growth, return on equity （ROE） and return on sales （ROS）. The results point the existence of a relationship between executive remuneration and financial performance.     

Effects of competitive interactions of different life forms submersed plants on biomass allocation in shallow lakes

Plant competition has been recognized as one of the most important factors influencing the soructure and function of lake ecosystems. Competition from plants of dissimilar growth form may have profound effects on shallow lakes＇. An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of competitive interactions of submersed plants with dis- similar growth forms on the biomass allocations. Hydrilla verticitlata and Vallisneria natans were selected and were planted in a single-species monoculture and a mixed-species pattern, Results showed that the growth of E natans was＇ significantly affected by the tt, verticillata and caused a sharp reduction of biomass, but the root：shoot ratio of E ha- tans was not affected significantly and there was a minimal increase in mixture： while for H. verticillata, the biomass and the root：shoot ratio were not significantly changed by the competitive interactions ore natans, there was minimal increase of biomass and minimal decrease of the root：shoot ratio. These results may indicate that theplant which can develop a dense mat or canopy at the water surface would be a stronger competitor relative to the plant that depends more on light availability near the sediment.     

Impacts of Human Activity on Biodiversity——An Approach to Driving Force indicators

The impact of human activity on biodiversity is very complicated, making it difficult to design practical indicators for assessment. Currently, state and response indicators are listed within Chapter 15 of Agenda 21, but no mention is made of driving force indicators and how they relate to biodiversity protection. This paper represents an effort to identify and then operationalize the idea of driving force indicators at national level. Five human induced factors affecting blodiversity were discussed: (a) habitat toss and fragmentation; (b) overexploitation of resources; (c) species introduction; (d) pollution; and (e) climate change. From these five factors, a subset was selected to serve as possible driving force indicators: (1) habitat loss, (2) the ratio of exotic species to indigenous ones, and (3) the change in pollution status. Although the three indicators are relatively simple, they cover the most important human impacts on biodiversity and offer the potential for further redefinition and ultimate use within the spirit of biodiversity protection.     

Driving Smartization Through Intelligent Transport

Smart cities initiatives are developing all over the world, due to their support in favouring a better provision of services, in connection with the aim of achieving efficiency in cities management. More and more big corporations are interested in this topic to develop their businesses, as several issues are linked to these projects, like environment, water management, energy policies, education, culture, and so on. In literature these issues, known as drivers, were also related to sustainability aims which could be reached through the accomplishment of better performances within environment, economy, and society. This study synthesizes all the different drivers identified by scholars and industry players in a model, in order to use it as a framework to depict the linkages among the various smart cities projects. Since transport resulted as one of the most considered drivers in the analyzed contributions, the research questions were delineated to describe its role in the different phases of smart initiatives, and to understand if it could encourage and enable the other drivers＇ development. The multiple case study was chosen as the fittest methodological approach and it was conducted with the selection of three smart cities, one for each of the most cited platform models developed by industry players, which had started transport initiatives at least three years ago： Singapore （IBM）, Amsterdam （Accenture）, and San Francisco （Microsoft）. The analysis of the official documents set up by city departments and by the industry players showed transport as a driving force in smart cities projects which conveys a smart approach to different domains, especially energy savings, environment, and safety. The results also showed smart mobility as a pivot in stimulating investments and citizens＇ participation on different city drivers, especially as it concerns environment and services to both citizens and businesses. Smart transport initiatives, hardware and software infrastructures, technological devices, and     

Bar in Questionnaires

Vougiouklis ＆ Vougiouklis have proposed the replacement of Likert scales, usually used in questionnaires, with a bar. With this proposal a discrete situation is replaced by a fuzzy one. There are identified certain advantages concerning the use of the bar as compared to that of a scale during both the stages of filling-in as well as processing a questionnaire. The main advantage associated with business research requirements is the fact that it is expected to be much quicker to fill in and much easier to explain to participants. The bar provides the potential for different types of processing Likert scales cannot. Therefore the researchers are allowed to ascertain that the given answers follow not only the already suggested and used Gauss distribution but also a parabola distribution as it will be suggested in present paper, and which is expected to give the researcher the opportunity to ＂correct＂ this tendency. Therefore, a possibility of choosing amongst a number of alternatives is offered, by utilizing fuzzy logic in the same way as it has already been done in industry and combining mathematical models with multivalued operations.     

Entrepreneurial Mind-Set Among Female University Students： A Study of University of Jos Students,Nigeria

In today＇s world, entrepreneurship is seen as the vital source for economic growth, and education in the creation and development of entrepreneurial attitudes. It is, therefore, natural to consider female students as the primary resource of future entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship as a career option is becoming increasingly desirable. Responding to this need, many colleges and universities around the world have significantly increased their offerings of entrepreneurship courses over the past 25 years. Entrepreneurship courses are not only offered by Business Institutes, but other faculties like Social Sciences, Natural Sciences, Engineering, and Information Technology are also offering these courses in their syllabus. The problem under focus was to examine entrepreneurial mindset among female university students, a study of University of Jos. The study also ascertained the rate at which variables like： perception of entrepreneurship, role model and university＇s role to promote entrepreneurship are translated into entrepreneurial mindset of female students of University of Jos. A sample size of about 400 was adopted from the three Faculties of Management Science, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences which were selected at random. Furthermore, the data obtained were analyzed using simple percentage and presented in tables and charts, the hypothesis which states that there is no significant relationship between the teaching of entrepreneurship and university female students＇ entrepreneurial mindset which was tested using z-test analyses of population proportion earlier conducted. This implies a weak relationship between the teaching of entrepreneurship and university female students＇ entrepreneurial mindset. Based on the above inference, the research recommended that, as providers of entrepreneurship trainings, universities must create entrepreneurship supportive environment that could encourage entrepreneurial activity which would in turn help develop an enterprise culture among the female students.     

Research and Evaluation on Ecotourism Resources of Jilong Valley in Everest National Nature Reserve

Jitong is a place behind The Himalayas, which is almost isolated from the world. There is typical vertical ecosystem thanks to its special geological environment. So it is honored as ““the most abundant species gene warehouse in the Plateau Area““and ““the most beautiful valley in the world““. To exploit this valiey is necessary along with the construction of Jilong Port on the border of Sino-Nepal Based on the research on the spot, the ecological resources there are evaluated and an idea that regards hiking tourism as main form and ecotourism as the theme is put forward in this paper, which explores a way to develop the valley on the basis of sustainability.     

The Ecological Economic Model Based on Bounded Rational Agents

I. Introduction Ecology is a newly emergent subject. Stemming from natural history and evolutionary biology, ecology came into being at the beginning of the 20th century. Ecology has been strug- gling for its existence as a science, which has involved a s…     

Theory summary on price discovery function of futures market

Price discovery is the basic function of futures market, and whether the futures market has the function of price discovery is an important research field for scholars both at home and abroad. This paper classifies the test methods and models on a basis of previous research, and introduces the applicable premise of research methods and models as well as the major research achievements of scholars at home and abroad, and also reviews the shortcomings of test methods and models.     

Talk of Mayor

I've beenthe first elected Mayor of Torbayfor about 100 days now.Have I done what I set out to do? Highlights have been saving Upton St James School ,putting the cross back at the crematorium,and starting a mean-ingful dialogue withthe business community.I've been elected Chairman of the Torbay Strategic Partnership,and I mexcited about the possibilities there.There is a real sense of satisfactionin startingto get things done.     

The Scenario of Lean Product Development in Brazilian Auto-industry

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact of lean product development （LPD） in the Brazilian automotive sector. A mailed-questionnaire survey was used to examine 23 questions about LPD principles and practices. The target population for the study was Brazil＇s largest product development and design companies. The study identified that although the automobile sector is seen as a reference in the adoption of lean practices, there is still potential for improvement by establishing partnership relations with suppliers, and with those on the other points of the chain by identifying what provides value to clients. Set-based concurrent engineering is also a practice that needs to be better developed, as well as the value stream mapping tool to identify waste and activities that add value to the product development process. There has been no previous study of this nature in Brazil that characterizes the sector and highlights its importance in relation to the global scene, providing incentives to international investors. The value of the work is in the results that allow diagnosing the lean development practices that are most used in the automotive sector. Moreover, the survey questions can be applied in other economic sectors and at companies of other sizes. The study contributed to providing a systematic view of the product development process from the perspective of people, processes, and technology, and assists companies and academics manage change.     

TOYOHASHI OF THE 21ST CENTURY

AN OUTLINE OF TOYOHASHIToyohashi lies in the center of Japan and is rich with nature and blessed with a mild climate. With efficient transportation provided by the Tokaido Shikansen super - express train service as well as access to the Tomei Expressway, agriculture,manufacturing, and service industries all flourish in Toyohashi with a pleasant balance. With a population around 360,000people, it is the 2nd largest city in Aichi prefecture.Reflecting back at ancient history, evidence…     

Demographic Factors,Corporate Social Responsibility,Employee Engagement and Corporate Reputation： A Perspective From Hotel Industries In Indonesia

Hotel as a hospitality industry should manage its reputation as a valuable asset for the business continuity. The hotel＇s reputation is built up by the employee＇s perceptions of treatment and sense of belonging and engagement of the hotel. The purpose of this study is to analyze employee＇s perceptions of corporate social responsibility （CSR） activities, employee engagement, and corporate reputation that have been undertaken by the hotel industry in Jakarta and how demographic factors influence these perceptions. The structure equation model （SEM） was implemented to find each variable influence. Samples were taken from hotel employees who work in five-star hotels in Jakarta with 221 respondents （response rate 78.9%）. The results indicate that CSR activities significantly influence employee engagement and corporate reputation, and at the same time, employee engagement significantly influences cor0orate reputation.     

The straitjacket at workplace： Mobbing

Mobbing has been defined as a chronic asymmetric pattern of power relations and a consequent conflict transformed into a systematic discrimination or mistreatment at workplace which is expressed through unethical or aggressive communication （Leynman, 1996）. Mobbing occurs when an employee in the workplace is steadily subjected to aggressive behavior from more than one colleague or supervisor over a period of time, in a situation where the target finds it difficult to defend him/herself to escape this dire situation. Such a long term incivility tends to stigmatize the mobbed victim and may cause severe psychological trauma since （s）he is metaphorically in a straitjacket. In this double-bind and double-squeeze condition where （s）he can neither get out of the situation nor endure the ordeal, a positive outcome is unlikely. How do we differentiate mobbing from conflict in organizations and how are disputes converted into mobbing behavior, and if one may even do research on mobbing in a culture of＂organizational silence＂ and ＂obedience/submission＂ in a developing country will be the first theoretical research question. Whether systemic silence as a collective level phenomenon is not only an obstacle to healthy organizational communication and relationships, but also a serious barrier to development, participation and learning from malpractices is another relevant question. Most researches investigating the background of mobbing are based on either experiences of targets as victims or the critical cases including the perpetrators as mobber; Therefore, the findings are often at individual level and subjective. They are often ＂ex post facto＂ analysis of psychological dimensions （e.g., personality characteristics of mostly of mobbed victims and rarely of mobbers） or legal dimensions. There are few ＂ex ante＂ analyses of organizational culture dimensions so that preventive measures may be taken prior to any serious mobbing case is reported. This paper＇s objective is to approach mobbing as a function of group conflict and rumor that is uncontrolled for a long time. By exploring the background of mobbing in ten companies from service sector in IstanbuI-Turkey, this view is assessed. The findings confirmed that mobbing is a function of relational conflict and gossip particularly in companies with high positional power distance and highly centralized decision-making where high power imbalance between supervisors and subordinates are salient. Such organizations seem to be more conducive to concealed mobbing and survival than to development and participation of employees as ＂modus operandi＂.     

The effects of attributes and buyer regret on overall satisfaction

The current study represents an attempt at exploring product attribute, service attribute evaluation, and buyer regret influence overall satisfaction in the buyer decision context. The data used in the project were collected as part of a large study of buyer regret. The sampling frame consisted of automobile purchases in Taiwan We have collected yield 600 questionnaires, by screening out 44 questionnaires, including those missing value or incomplete answer, and finally a usable sample of 556 questionnaires were utilized in this study. The results reinforce the finding form early research that the concept of buyer regret plays an important role for automobile purchases in the buyer decision. Results show that higher evaluations of service and product attributes lead to less buyer regret, and lower buyer regret will likely to increase overall satisfaction. Specifically, the finding indicates that buyer regret mediates the effects of the attributes on overall satisfactions. Implications for marketing theory and practitioners are discussed, and possible directions for future research are sketched.     

A Survey of Development and Features of Ganzhou Orange Industrial Clusters in China

Ganzhou Orange Industrial Clusters （GOIC for short） is mainly characterized as follows. （1）The Government＇s driving force is the key factor for the formation and development of GOIC; （2）the interaction between market and industry; （3）the specific geography and natural resources act as a carrier; （4）with a strong sense of innovation; （5）it is still at the early stage of development, with a certain high cost.