John E. Bell

Natural resource scarcity and the closed‐loop supply chain: a resource‐advantage view

Purpose – This research aims to provide a theoretical framework for exploring how firms can respond to the growing threat of natural resource scarcity. Specifically, the role of closed‐loop supply chain management is examined as a means for creating resource advantages that can lead to marketplace competitive advantages.Design/methodology/approach – The research extends previous theoretical research, integrating natural resource scarcity and closed‐loop supply chain management for the first time. Resource‐advantage theory is employed as the theoretical lens for the research model and propositions.Findings – The findings deepen understanding of the forces that create natural resource scarcity conditions in the supply chain, and highlight the need for higher order closed‐loop capabilities that have the ability to mitigate natural resource scarcity.Research limitations/implications – The theoretical model and six research propositions suggest relationships between natural resource scarcity, closed‐loop capab...

Social Workers as Patient Navigators for Breast Cancer Survivors: What Do African-American Medically Underserved Women Think of This Idea?

Patient navigation (PN) is a new initiative in health care aimed at reducing disparities by assisting patients in overcoming barriers within the health care system. As PN programs grow around the country, it is important to consult the key stakeholders in the development of these programs. The purpose of this qualitative study was to discuss the needs of medically underserved cancer patients and allow them the opportunity to provide input on models of care to meet their needs. Four focus groups were conducted in three major cities across Tennessee. Research participants (n = 36) were recruited by the staff in area cancer support programs and treatment programs across the state and through recruitment flyers at various treatment centers and community organizations. Findings revealed four key themes in the development of PN programs: (1) the PN needs to address access to quality care issues; (2) the PN needs to address the emotional and practical concerns of the cancer survivor; (3) the PN needs to address family concerns; (4) the PN needs to be involved across the continuum of care from time of diagnosis into long-term survivorship. Oncology social workers have a unique opportunity to meet the needs of medically underserved cancer patients through the PN movement. Our profession is a key stakeholder in this movement. We need to advocate for trained oncology social workers to actively pursue the role of patient navigators to ensure that the needs of medically underserved cancer survivors and their families are met.

Exploring the Financial Impact of Breast Cancer for African American Medically Underserved Women: A Qualitative Study

In addition to the physical suffering experienced by cancer survivors, there are considerable financial hardships and access barriers to quality health care. The current study explored the financial burden of breast cancer on African American medically underserved women. Four focus groups were conducted in three major cities across Tennessee. Research participants (N=36) were recruited by the staff of cancer support and treatment programs in the area. Findings revealed that participants’ lack of insurance or inadequate insurance resulted in missed, delayed, or fewer treatment opportunities. The financial burden of cancer was not limited to the acute treatment phase. The women in the current study reported extreme economic hardship resulting from this disease into long-term survivorship. This exploratory study confirms the importance of providing care across the continuum to address the complex needs of low-income cancer survivors.

The effects of triangle inequality on the vehicle routing problem

Routing problems often utilize experimental networks to represent real world scenarios. However most ignore the inclusion of triangle inequality violations, a phenomenon resulting from delays or rounding errors within a network. This work evaluates the effect of both frequency – the number of violations – and severity – the degree of intensity of a violation – of triangle inequality and evaluates both solution quality and solution time based on Simulated Annealing, Ant Colony Optimization and Savings Algorithm methods. Findings indicate that while both frequency and severity degrade solution quality, increased levels of frequency and severity together result in significant adverse affects to solution quality. Solution time, however, is not impacted by the presence of triangle inequality violations within the network. This information should encourage practitioners to identify delays and maintain the presence of triangle inequality violations in a network to ensure accuracy of solution quality.

Primary angiosarcoma of the spleen: A case report and review of the literature

We describe a 47-year-old man with shoulder pain, multiple bony lesions, and a 1-cm lesion in the spleen. T-1 facetectomy revealed a poorly differentiated malignant neoplasm. Several months after chemotherapy, multiple splenic lesions were found by computed tomography and liver-spleen scan. A splenectomy showed a malignant spindle-cell neoplasm forming irregular vascular spaces. Tumor cells were positive for factor VIII-related antigen and vimentin. This patient died of extensive metastases from this primary angiosarcoma of the spleen. Splenic angiosarcoma is a rare neoplasm that often has a cryptic presentation and a dismal prognosis.

Exploring urban institutional pressures on logistics service providers

Purpose – As global populations become increasingly urbanized and urban areas grow in density and complexity, many firms seeking to operate in these areas face significant new challenges. The purpose of this paper is to identify the approaches utilized by urban logistics service providers to overcome the issues resulting from urban density and complexity. The paper also identifies potential directions for future research based on the research findings. Design/methodology/approach – The study followed a grounded theory approach (Corbin and Strauss, 2008) to uncover the approaches utilized by logistics service providers to adapt to urban environments. Findings – The urban environment exerts certain coercive and mimetic pressures on logistics service providers. To overcome these pressures, urban logistics service providers seek to manage space, resources, and legitimacy in the urban environment. Research limitations/implications – This research followed an inductive approach, and therefore, further empirical...

An Ant Colony Optimization and Hybrid Metaheuristics Algorithm to Solve the Split Delivery Vehicle Routing Problem

Abstract : Split Delivery Vehicle Routing Problem (SDVRP) is a relaxation of the Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (CVRP) wherein a customer can be visited by more than one vehicle. Two approaches using, 1) Ant Colony Optimization and 2) hybrid metaheuristics algorithm comprising a combination of ACO, Genetic Algorithm (GA) and heuristics are proposed and tested on benchmark SDVRP problems. The results indicate that the two proposed algorithms are competitive in both solution quality and solution time. In some instances, the best ever solutions have been found for particular problem instances.

Open versus selective customer loyalty programmes

Purpose This paper aims to examine the impact of an open loyalty programme (anyone can join) versus a selective programme (requirements must be met) to show what types of loyalty programmes are most effective. In-group identification, gratitude, stage of relationship and visibility are additionally examined. Design/methodology/approach Two studies use experimental methodology to initially test the relationships. A third study uses survey and panel data. Findings Open programmes lead to more in-group identification, while selective programmes lead to higher levels of gratitude, especially in mature stages. Visible programmes lead to more in-group identification. Industry differences are presented. Research limitations/implications The first two studies use a student sample (although Study 3 uses penal data). The research is limited to the variables examined. The findings add to theory by showing differences between open and selective loyalty programmes. Practical implications The findings show how different retailer offerings change the value and experience to the customer leading to loyalty intentions. Loyalty programme designers can tailor their programme structure to fit their customers and overall strategy. The findings also shed light on the strategic importance of tiered loyalty programmes. Originality/value The examination of how a customer enters a loyalty programme is not in current literature. The research shows how loyalty intentions are impacted by design of the programme, including how a customer signs up for a programme. The mechanisms through which the relationship works increase the understanding of loyalty programme effectiveness.

Alternative Fuel Infrastructure and Customer Location Impacts on Fleet Mix and Vehicle Routing

An increase in the use of conventional vehicles in combination with alternative fuel vehicles requires trucking carriers to make a decision on when to use a mixed fleet. The purpose of this article is to investigate how alternative fuel infrastructure and patterns of customer locations influence fleet compositions when minimizing routing costs. The variable-route vehicle refueling problem (VRVRP) for the mixed fleet is formulated as a mixed-integer programming model and solved with an optimization method. A logistic regression is then employed to assess the impacts of both the density of the alternative fuel infrastructure and the patterns of customer locations on the optimal fleet composition. Experimental results reveal that the right fleet mix decision is impacted by customer location patterns and available fuel infrastructure. While alternative fuel trucks were favored over conventional trucks with a dense alternative fuel infrastructure, the likelihood of mixed fleet use varied across different patterns of customer demand locations. Further, our analysis suggests that shippers and trucking carriers should understand the relative benefits and constraints of different geographical dispersions of customers and densities of alternative fuel infrastructures when designing optimal delivery strategies.

Military applications of location analysis

Over time, the decision-making needs of military commanders have had a strong influence upon the development of the field of operations research and analytic problem solving. The challenge of correctly positioning military units and resources within a geographical setting has vexed commanders and their staffs for thousands of years. However, it is only in the last 70 years that optimization methods have developed to the point where analysts can apply them to accomplish such goals. Along the way toward solving these narrowly defined military-focused problems, the advancement of the field has benefitted as generalizable techniques are extended beyond their origins to countless non-military applications. For example, military analysts first solved complex problems regarding routes for convoys of ships, code breaking, and materiel allocation mathematically during World War II ultimately leading to the development of linear and mathematical programming techniques by wartime scientists. Location analysis knowledge was similarly benefitted by the war, as commanders required the ability to spatially position munitions to destroy a target and covering a search area to find the enemy. The benefit is reciprocal however, as military strategy and planning since World War II have literally been redefined by the operations research field’s ability to solve larger and more complex problems.