The Last Mile: Managing Driver Helper Dispatching for Package Delivery Services

Hiring seasonal driver helpers is one widely used approach by parcel delivery companies to deal with increased home-delivery volumes during peak seasons. Nonetheless, driver helper-related issues have not received much attention in academic research. This study investigates how driver helpers can be utilized in the most effective way by parcel delivery companies. We show that by separating a parcel delivery route into two sub-routes, namely “no-helper” and “with-helper” routes, the utilization rates of driver helpers can be improved, and the carrier cost be reduced considerably. Three main contributions of this study are as follows. First, based on costtrade-off insights, we develop a new mathematical model for the last-mile distribution problem, which we call the Driver Helper Dispatching Problem. Second, using this mathematical model, we perform a series of numerical experiments to identify the conditions under which the proposed “split-route solution” works most or least effectively. Finally, we perform sensitivity analyses to investigate the impact that changes in model parameters, such as fuel cost, would have on study results.     

Green Innovation and Finance in Asia

Green innovation and green finance are two key components of sustainable development. In the most populous, fastest‐growing region in the world, Asian countries are pressed to maintain economic growth while addressing climate change and environmental externalities. Japan, South Korea, and China have each implemented policies to promote green innovation and finance conducive to such ends. While each country possesses unique capabilities, the extent to which they can promote environmentally adjusted multifactor productivity growth, green patent registrations, green bond issuances, green foreign direct investment, and environmental, social, and governance information disclosures stands to impact on their shifts to sustainable growth paradigms.     

Increasing Diversity in Telecommunications Ownership and Increasing Efficiency in Spectrum Auctions by Breaking the Link Between Capital Market Discrimination and FCC Spectrum Auction Outcomes

In Section 309(j)4(D) of the Communications Act, the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”) is required to increase opportunities for minority groups to participate in the provision of spectrum based services. In Adarand Construction, Inc. v. Pena, the Supreme Court held that race-based government programs were subject to strict scrutiny. That is race-based programs must serve a compelling governmental interest such as remedying past discrimination, and must be narrowly tailored to serve that interest. Against this backdrop, a simple theoretical model is developed that explains the relationship between capital market discrimination and outcomes in FCC spectrum auctions. Given capital market discrimination and all other factors being equal, it is shown that a minority firm has zero probability of winning in an auction for spectrum. In addition, it is proven that, if equal bidding credits are given to all firms, if there is capital market discrimination, and if all other things are equal, the minority firm has a zero probability of winning in a spectrum auction. It is shown that a policy of auctioning spectrum, when there is capital market discrimination, is an inferior policy among policies that can be used to allocate spectrum. Finally, a policy of auctioning spectrum, when there is capital market discrimination, results in an inefficient auction. These theoretical results and the empirical literature on capital market discrimination suggest that the FCC is implicitly discriminating against minorities through its auctioning of spectrum under conditions of discrimination in capital markets. The results imply that race-based programs are necessary/justified in order to increase diversity in telecommunications ownership and increase the efficiency of FCC Spectrum Auctions. Given possible legal remedies, the paper contains a critical “audit”/analysis of the FCC’s lending practices under the FCC’s installment payments. Legislative proposals for creating some new form of credit/installment payment in conjunction with some experienced financial institution(s) are summarized and reviewed.     

A behavioral model of ethical and unethical decision making

A model is developed which identifies and describes various factors which affect ethical and unethical behavior in organizations, including a decision-maker's social, government and legal, work, professional and personal environments. The effect of individual decision maker attributes on the decision process is also discussed. The model links these influences with ethical and unethical behavior via the mediating structure of the individual's decision-making process.Michael Bommer, Clarence Gratto, Jerry Gravander and Mark Tuttle all come from Clarkson University, Potsdam, NY.Michael Bommer is Professor and Chairman of the Dept. of Management. He is co-author of two books. His articles have been published in several journals.Clarence Gratto is Assistant Professor of Business Law. Jerry Gravander is Associate Professor and Associate Dean of Liberal Studies and he has written several articles, published in Technology Review, Journal of the Humanities and Technology and Journal of the International Society for Technology Assessment. Mark Tuttle is Assistant Professor at the School of Management and he is the author of articles which appeared in Journal of Vocational Behavior and Journal of Educational Psychology.     

Collective action initiatives to improve marketing performance: Lessons from farmer groups in Tanzania

This study aims to examine the extent to which certain characteristics and asset endowments of smallholder farmer groups facilitate collective action initiatives to improve group marketing performance. This is approached through an evaluation of a government-led programme in Tanzania, which is attempting to increase smallholder farmers’ incomes and food security through a market-oriented intervention. Findings suggest that more mature groups with strong internal institutions, functioning group activities, and a good asset base of natural capital are more likely to improve their market situation. Gender composition of groups also affects group marketing performance, as an enabling factor for male-dominated groups. Structural social capital in the form of membership in other groups and ties to external service providers, and cognitive social capital in the form of intra-group trust and altruistic behaviour are not significant factors in a group’s ability to improve its market situation.     

Dimand-Dore on cournot-bertrand: A reply and more

This note refutes the novel thesis of Jean Magnan de Bornier [1992] that all of Cournot's analysis in his 1838 classic was about price rivalry. It also reiterates the proposition that Cournot treated both quantity and price rivalry and that Cournot was clearly aware of the symmetry between quantity conjectures and price conjectures in 1838. It is conjectured that the many misinterpretations of Cournot derive from failure to work through Cournot's simple mathematics and a mental truncation of the Recherches into just Chapter VII.