Matloub Hussain

Exploring the bullwhip effect using simulation and Taguchi experimental design

This paper quantifies the impact of different causes of the bullwhip effect in a model of a multi-echelon supply chain with batching and information sharing. System dynamics simulation, using iThink ® software, has been initially used to explore the impact of various batch sizes on the bullwhip effect. It has been observed that the relationship between batch size and demand amplification is non-monotonic. Large batch sizes, which when combined in integer multiples can produce order rates that are close to the actual demand, produce little demand amplification. Next, a combination of simulation and Taguchi design of experiments is applied to quantitatively measure the impact of different causes of the bullwhip effect and the interaction that occurs between these causes. This is a contribution to the continuing research into controlling the bullwhip effect, giving supply chain operations managers a practical approach to understanding the impact of different causes of the bullwhip effect.

Conceptualizing and incorporating social sustainability in the business world

ABSTRACT One of the most important challenges faced by business managers today is the integration of sustainability into their core functions. The contemporary enterprise is forced to leap forward from the mere adoption of green practices toward rethinking, redesigning, and redeveloping business practices in a more sustainable way. Most of the initiatives in this attempt have so far emphasized primarily the economic and environmental aspects of sustainable development and overlooked the social dimension of sustainability. As more organizations commit to sustainability, there is an increasing concern to incorporate social sustainability throughout their business operations. To conceptualize and integrate the notion, some organizations use preexisting indicators to demonstrate the value and impact of sustainability, while others look beyond the measurement of impacts by constructing their own system of indicators. This paper draws on a comprehensive literature review to determine a broadly acceptable framework of social sustainability indicators to be conceptualized and integrated into the business world. Findings suggest that economic and environmental sustainability can be driven together with core social factors including fairness and equality, poverty, health, education, delinquencies, demography, culture, and employee engagement within an organization. These results offer insight into the emerging phenomenon of formulating sustainable business strategies for organizations based on social indicators to attain the ultimate sustainable outcomes. This study is among the first to identify social sustainability indicators from societal and corporate perspectives. It offers a comprehensive social sustainability framework that may be adopted by organizations in the business world.

Role of public policies in promoting CSR: empirical evidence from business and civil society of UAE

This paper aims to explore the intermediary roles that public policies play in stimulating government agencies, businesses and civil society to engage in a corporate social responsibility (CSR) agenda.,Issues related to decision-making of public policies are increasingly complex. Therefore, analytical hierarchy process has been used to prioritize public policy practices for CSR in the UAE. Data were collected from experts working in businesses and civil society organizations.,Findings suggest that businesses and the civil society confirm the importance of standardization and law enforcement public policy practices in issues related to CSR in developing countries. The endorsing style of public policies was the least important approach to encouraging CSR implementation in the UAE.,Results are derived from a limited amount of empirical data only in one country; therefore, these cannot be generalized. Future research from other countries is needed.,Outcomes from this study will help the government enhance its role as mediator among all agents and help with designing public policies that encourage adoption of CSR by business firms while maintaining competitiveness in the economy.,A framework consisting of five public policy categories – mandating, facilitating, partnering, endorsing and empowering roles – and 29 sub-policy practices is introduced. This study provides an important technique for analyzing the importance of public policies in promoting CSR. It offers insights into a population that shapes a CSR agenda.

Impact of Capacity Constraints on the Dynamic Response of Two Level Supply Chain

This paper investigates the impact of capacity constraints on the stability boundaries of two tier supply chain. System dynamic simulation using iThink Software has been applied to explore the impact of different levels of capacity constraints on the Order Rate and Actual Inventory of Automatic Pipe Line Inventory and Order Based Production Control System (APIOBPCS). When manufacturer has capacity level of 1.33 over the mean demand, the factory (farthest echelon) should be confident in dealing with the 20 % increase in demand and this situation has been named as the “Leading Capacity Strategy”, where the manufacturer can use excess capacity to absorb sudden increases in demand. This research gives supply chain operations managers and designers a practical way to develop understanding of capacity constraints at different echelons and to take better decisions about their capacity level.