Chunguang Bai

Evaluating ecological sustainable performance measures for supply chain management

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce a methodology to help evaluate, select, and monitor sustainable supply chain performance measurement that can be integrated into a performance management system (PMS).Design/methodology/approach – Grey‐based neighborhood rough set theory is used to help arrive at a core set of important business and environmental performance measures for sustainable supply chains. The supply chain operations reference (SCOR) model is used to develop both business and environmental measures for supply chain sourcing.Findings – A case illustration shows the applicability of the methodology. A sensitivity analysis shows that variations in outcome considerations may greatly influence the set of key performance measures for a sustainable supply chain PMS.Research limitations/implications – The methodology and presentation is conceptual, yet the tool can provide very useful interpretations for both researchers and practitioners.Practical implications – The tool can be valuable...

Determining and applying sustainable supplier key performance indicators

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to introduce a methodology to identify sustainable supply chain key performance indicators (KPI) that can then be used for sustainability performance evaluation for suppliers. Design/methodology/approach – Initially the complexity of sustainable supply chain performance measurement is discussed. Then, a two-stage method utilizing neighborhood rough set theory to identify KPI and data envelopment analysis (DEA) to benchmark and evaluate relative performance using the KPI is completed. Additional analysis is performed to determine the sensitivity of the KPI set formation and performance results. Findings – The results show that KPI can be determined using neighborhood rough set, and DEA performance results provide insight into relative performance of suppliers. The supply chain sustainability performance results from both the neighborhood rough set and DEA can be quite sensitive parameters selected and sustainability KPI sets that were determined. Research limitations/...

Evaluating supplier development programs with a grey based rough set methodology

Abstract Supplier performance management and continuous improvement play an important role for organizational and supply chain development. Many broad-based empirical studies have provided insights into the relationships of supplier development practices to supplier performance. Yet, specific tools available for organizations to internally evaluate such relationships are limited. To help further the research and development of decision tools in this area, we introduce a multi-method approach relying on grey system theory and rough set theory that can help organizations identify the important practices and programs related to suppliers’ performance. Our contribution includes introduction of a methodological approach for evaluating supplier development programs and identification of effective programs and relationships. Implications and results interpretation of the methodology, limitations and future research directions, further expanding the methodology and its applications, conclude the paper.

Green information technology strategic justification and evaluation

Green and sustainable information technology (GSIT) can be an important and strategic decision for many organizations. Strategic GSIT decisions can influence a variety of internal and external organizational stakeholders. GSIT justification and evaluation is critical to organizations, especially those seeking the ecological modernization ‘win-win’ of introducing green technologies into organizations. The literature has seen very few tools and approaches to aid in the explicit justification of strategic GSIT. Although numerous models exist for regular IT, there are certain characteristics including a greater number of factors, especially intangible and socially focused factors, requiring greater investigation of tools for the evaluation and justification process. The identification of appropriate metrics and categorizations to use in advanced strategic appraisal techniques for GSIT is in itself a non-trivial exercise. Thus, in this paper issues facing the strategic justification of GSIT set the stage for introduction of a novel, flexible and comprehensive evaluation approach utilizing a grey systems, fuzzy, and TOPSIS multiple criteria foundation. An illustrative application for evaluating and selecting alternative green data center designs sets the stage for an illustrative example and sensitivity analysis. The results are evaluated including discussion of practical and research implications. Directions for future research are also identified.

Integrating Fuzzy C-Means and TOPSIS for performance evaluation: An application and comparative analysis

In this paper we introduce a multi-method multiple criteria approach for evaluating the performance of organizations. Performance analysis may include both strategic and operational performance, as well as financial and other less tangible factors. This paper introduces the use of Fuzzy C-Means and TOPSIS for organizational performance evaluation purposes. Using real company data and balanced scorecard accounting and performance dimensions the methodology is applied and evaluated. The predictive abilities of the technique from an organizational performance evaluation approach are evaluated using this data. One of the results from the illustrative application is that economic performance evaluation is not the best predictor of overall viability of some organizations, especially e-commerce based organizations.

Complex investment decisions using rough set and fuzzy c-means: An example of investment in green supply chains

Green supplier development focuses on helping organizations integrate activities to improve the natural environmental performance of their supply chains. These green-supplier-development programs require substantial resources and investments by a buyer company. Investigation into investment management in this context has only begun. This paper introduces a methodology to help manage investment in green-supplier-development and business-supplier-development practices. Managing these practices and their outcomes requires managing of a large sets of data. We propose a combination of rough set theoretic and fuzzy clustering means (FCM) approaches; first to simplify, and then sharpen the focus on the complex environment of evaluation of the investment decisions. The combined methodology, based on performance measures of supplier practices and agreed-upon investment objectives, identifies a set of guidelines that can help make decisions about sound investments in the supplier practices more effectively and judiciously. Various steps involved in the methodology are illustrated through using an example developed to highlight the salient steps and issues of the methodology. We show how the results may be interpreted to obtain many insights useful from both practical and research perspectives. Although the impetus to developing this methodology came from sustainability considerations, the methodology is general enough to be applicable in other areas where management and evaluation of investments is based on large data sets.

Corporate sustainability development in China: review and analysis

– The purpose of this paper is to threefold. The first purpose is to review and critically analyze corporate sustainability development (CSD) research in China. Second, the paper extracts a unified theoretical framework among CSD drivers, CSD practices, and corporate performance in China. Finally, it seeks to identify links between CSD and industrial management and data systems (IMDS) topics. , – A comprehensive and structured review of the research literature investigating CSD in China was completed. Categorizations and classifications of the literature were summarized. A critical analysis of the literature resulted in a generic theoretical framework that can be used for evaluation of the literature and further investigation. , – The literature review found over 189 papers on CSD in China published from 1997 to 2013. The framework developed focussed on relationships among drivers, practices, and performance within a CSD in China context. The framework provides useful insights into the implementation of CSD practices. The integration of the three dimensions of sustainability and decision-making methodology are still rare. Specific features of CSD are also reviewed with a linkage to IMDS research around information technology, business process modeling, and supply chain management. , – This is one of the first works to provide a comprehensive focus on CSD in China. The theoretical framework was developed for CSD in China to clarify the relationships between the drivers, the corporation’s characteristics, CSD practices, and corporation performance and will prove useful for future research development and investigation. The linkage to IMDS topics is novel and will help further research related to CSD in China for this journal.

Addressing key sustainable supply chain management issues using rough set methodology

Purpose – This paper aims to introduce relatively novel multi‐supply chain activity overview rough set theoretic applications to aid management decision making with an especial focus on green and sustainable supply chain management.Design/methodology/approach – The methodology is a review of recent literature with extensions around rough set or neighborhood rough set methodologies for supply chain management. An overview of how the techniques can be applied to various stages of green supply chain management, selection, evaluation, development is presented in various sections.Findings – The paper finds that rough set methodology is flexible enough to be applied as a selection tool, performance measurement evaluation tool, and a development program evaluation tool. Its application to green supply chain management topics is warranted and valuable.Research limitations/implications – Limitations of the approach provide additional avenues for further research. One major limitation of the research is that a real...

Supply-chain performance-measurement system management using neighbourhood rough sets

Performance measurements are central to improving organisational competitiveness. Organisations and researchers have developed and investigated various performance-measurement systems to manage and improve internal and external operations for logistics and supply chains. Yet, formal modelling tools and approaches for organisations to help evaluate the relationships between the performance measures and the desired competitive outcomes are limited, especially in logistics and supply-chain management functions. To help address this gap, we introduce a novel application of neighbourhood rough-set theory for the identification and selection of performance measures related to externally derived desired outcomes on the sourcing function. Our contribution includes introducing an innovative neighbourhood rough-set approach using elements of the Supply-Chain Operations Reference model. The model may aid in determining a core set of external logistics and supply-chain performance measures to internal performance expectations and outcomes. Implications and results interpretation of the methodology, sensitivity analysis, limitations, and future research directions conclude the paper.

Government Green Procurement: A Fuzzy-DEMATEL Analysis of Barriers

Government green procurement has been a major driver of demand for environmental products and services in developing countries. This reality is not lost in China. However, government green procurement in China has still seen limited utilization. To address the obstacles facing government green procurement adoption in China, various barrier factors that may contribute to limited adoption of this practice are investigated. A fuzzy-based DEMATEL and fuzzy clustering approach is applied to identify the relative relationship and significance of various factors that negatively influence Chinese government green procurement at a municipal level. Further, managerial and research implications, and future research directions are presented.