This is the first number of the newsletter from the Sustainable Development Division, Institute of Industrial Engineers.
Follow this link: http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs192/1101700049774/archive/1115244676959.html
There is space for contributions
Funder: College of Social Sciences Research Fund 2012/13
Context: Different authors have been discussing supply chains for mass distribution of food across borders and regions, but efforts to develop special, local, sustainable and innovative markets for food are fragmented. Supply chain expertise lags behind marketing innovation in these areas (Hingley et al, 2012). Different definitions and theories seem to be available to explore this phenomenon: Micro, Small and Medium Entreprises, MSMEs (European Union, 2005; Holter et al, nd); Supply Chains, SC (Christopher, 2005; Sanders, 2012); cooperation (Axelrod, 1990); relationships and networks (Barabasi, 2003), and systems theory (Checkland, 1999; Stowell and Welch, 2012). It is at the intersection of these disciplines where the Marketing and Supply Chain research group (MaSC) is committed to the development of “knowledge which supports sustainable value for market, chain and network stakeholders” (MaSC, 2013). Our first task in terms of exploring innovative aspects of research in Supply Chains has been defined as identifying, from a local/regional perspective, potential contributions that previous theories may provide to support the development of sustainable food supply chains, and when and where their application can be considered. This aim involves uncovering challenges and proposing possible solutions for creating and maintaining effective/efficient SCs in this arena. As an initial step, this project will concentrate our efforts on developing and testing a research design to explore the intersection between to related topics, Supply Chains and Food Security:
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Coauthors:
Eliseo Vilalta-Perdomo, Lincoln Business School, University of Lincoln
Ricardo Thierry Aguilera, Universidad del Valle de México, Campus Toluca, Mexico
Abstract:
Studies on complexity suggest two sources for uncertainty. On one hand, environments constituted by immense amounts of actors interacting through (almost) infinite relationships. On the other, subtle changes recognizable only after it is too late to react. We characterize both situations as complex because of the difficulties to guarantee any links between causes and effects, and to identify effective and efficient paths for action.
This paper deals with the challenge of introducing our students, future decision-makers, to the exercise of simulating systems with complex behaviors. System Dynamics (SD) is used to illustrate the process from a problem structuring perspective. By modeling and simulating different scenarios, complex situations can be studied and analyzed. Conceding that these activities may help on improving human action, the difficulty would strive on how to expand its use as it seems difficult to be caught by students. This paper elaborates on this by proposing an approach based on looking at SD as a problem structuring method (PSM), rather than a problem solving tool. Instances of the procedure are provided from a SD course delivered to undergraduate students in a Mexican university.
Keywords:
System Dynamics, Complexity, Problem Structuring Methods, Problem Solving, Education
Status:
Presented in FUBUTEC 2013
Last 10th of October, Profs. M. Hingley (University of Lincoln) and D.B. Grant (University of Hull) discussed different issues related to Logistical and Supply Chain for Lincolnshire food businesses. This event was organised by the Select Lincolnshire & Tastes of Lincolnshire partnership for their affiliates, at the Lincolnshire Leadership and Management Centre (LLMC).
Follow this link to see the presentation (Powerpoint): Taste of Lincoln – Overview of Logistics and SCM
Coauthors: Eliseo Vilalta-Perdomo; Rebecca Herron
Abstract
In thinking about Information Systems (IS) it is quite usual to consider knowledge resources as something abstracted from those who use the knowledge. This suggests seeing knowledge as something that can be disengaged from a particular situation / action to become general advice. An alternative perspective is to consider collectives that act in certain ways as themselves being the information systems. These ‘information systems’ will change in response to their collective understanding of the need for (or possibilities of) action. Furthermore, these information systems may frequently recognise the need to create new actions in the light of changing experiences. This paper looks at one response to studying such information systems. The approach involves introducing a formal language into a collective (in this case introducing the concepts of Viable Systems Modelling into a crime-reduction partnership) and engaging the members of the collective in designing and testing this framework as co-researchers. The intention was to see if this exercise could help to make visible communication and organisational processes within the collective (the IS) and to stimulate its self-organisation. In particular, participants were encouraged to reflect on attenuation and amplification processes within their communications and feedback systems. The study was conducted in a small, industrial, English town with members of a cross-agency Crime Reduction Partnership. An alternative approach to Crime Reduction Partnership information development was also observed in another nearby City; the differences revealing further differences in the relationship between information and agency in both these contexts.
Keywords: Research Methodology; Human Information Systems; Collective Knowledge Acquisition; Performance Improvement; Viable Systems Modelling.
Status: Knowledge Management Research and Practice (Under review)