The extraordinary conditions of a disaster, require the mobilisation of all available resources, inducing the rush of humanitarian partners into the affected area. This phenomenon called the proliferation of actors, causes serious problems during the disaster response phase including the oversupply, duplicated efforts, lack of planning. The aim of this research is to provide a solution to reduce the partner proliferation problem. To that end the main research question is put forward as “How to reduce the proliferation of partners in a disaster response”? Panel analysis of the historic record of 4,252 natural onset disasters between 1980 to 2013 via regression analysis, MA and AHP gives rise to the formation of a predictive decision-making platform called PREDIS. It is capable of predicting the human impact of the disaster (fatality, injured, homeless) of up to 3% of errors and enables the decision makers to estimate the required needs for each disaster and prioritises them based on the disaster type and socio-economics of the affected country. It further renders it possible to rank and optimise the desired partners based on the decision maker’s preferences. Verification of the PREDIS through a simulation game design using a sample group of decision makers, show that this technique enables the user to decide within one hour after the disaster strike using the widely available data at the time of the disaster. It also enables non-experts to decide almost identically to experts in terms of the similarity of the choices and the speed of the decision. The lack of an extensive database for the potential humanitarian partners from which to choose, is the limitation of this research in addition to the lack of standardised set of minimum requirements for the suitable partners. The model is also as strong as its data feed which is inconsistent in various humanitarian sources.

While knowledge is one of an organization’s greatest assets, it remains a challenge to facilitate knowledge transfer between people within an organization. Social influence has been studied in its role of facilitating information diffusion, which is necessary for knowledge transfer to occur. Among this research, tie strength, a quantifiable characteristic of a social network that determines the link between two nodes, has been measured to determine the impact of social influence on knowledge transfer and information dissemination within a social network. Current research that explores the impact of social influence on information diffusion has been conducted within public social networks due to the availability of data that can be gathered from public social online network systems, such as Facebook. With the emergence of collaboration technologies that exist in online social network tools being utilized within organizations, there is an opportunity to digitally collect information regarding information dissemination within a collaborative network. This study captured data from an online social network, specifically a unified communication tool, being used within a collaborative social network at a mid-sized South Central corporation. A content analysis of Lync messages for 1,749 connections was performed to quantitatively measure the influence of tie strength on information dissemination within a collaborative social network. The results demonstrated that tie strength had a significant impact on information dissemination using a collaborative system. Multivariate analysis of variance showed that tie strength had the largest impact on information dissemination using the instant messaging modality of a collaboration system.

<p>  </p> <p>Managing agri-food supply systems (AFSS) is a complex task due to all the factors that are typically present in these systems, for example, perishability, long lead time from cultivation to consumption, seasonality, weather and yield uncertainty, fragmented structure of the industry, high demand- and price variability, contamination concerns, fragility, and high weight-to-value ratios. This research focuses specifically on crop-based perishable AFSS systems with independent farmers for which it is difficult to coordinate cultivation activities with upstream operations of the supply chain, and where it is not possible to decouple processing or distribution from harvesting operations by building on-farm inventory after harvest. Two main industries are considered as case studies: sugarcane and vegetables for the fresh market. In the sugarcane industry, two main problems are addressed in this research, the farms clustering and harvest sequencing problem, and the truck release control problem. The first problem is modeled as a bi-objective non-linear program that aims to maximize sugar output and minimize the maximum cluster diameter when clustering farms for harvesting, and a heuristic algorithm is developed to find a good set of non-dominated solutions. For the second problem, a stochastic model is developed to determine the optimal number of trucks to be released into the sugarcane harvest system considering randomness in key inputs. Finally, the third problem deals with the development of a demand and capacity sharing protocol to support horizontal collaboration among private distribution networks in the fresh vegetables industry based on a real-time truck-sharing system for the long-haul transport stage. The effectiveness of the protocol is tested by simulating its implementation to a collaborative network of six distributors, and the results show significant improvement in delivery times, long-haul transport costs, and total traveled distance.</p>

Background: Although reverse logistics becomes more important nowadays to reach organisation goals, organisations are still plagued by data uncertainty and low supply chain visibility. In an attempt to remove those barriers to reach an effective reverse logistics operation, organisations have started to integrate industry 4.0 technologies among themselves and their reverse logistics partners. However, the introduction of industry 4.0 influence collaboration among reverse logistics partners posing a threat to successful implementation of industry 4.0 and to solving current reverse logistics operational problems. Purpose: The primary aim of this study is to provide insights what factors influence the facilitation of collaboration between supply chain partners through adopting Industry 4.0 within reverse logistics. Additionally, this study's secondary aim is to provide insights in how the concepts of industry 4.0, collaboration and reverse logistics relate to each other. Method: This study is performed as qualitative inductive research with a relativist ontology and a constructionist epistemology. The research design consists of an explorative multiple case study in which data has been collected through semi-structured interviews which have been found through purposive sampling. The data analysis of this research has been performed with a thematic analysis. Conclusion: The results show that three distinct factors have emerged from this study. General perception (1) in which a negative feeling towards reverse logistics has been described. Relationship-based collaboration (2) that describes that trust is the single-most important factor in relationships. Collaborative network 4.0 (3) which displays four stages of technological adaptations in reverse logistics streams.

Submitted by Filipe dos Santos (fsantos@pucsp.br) on 2017-07-11T12:44:17Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Juliana Caetano Nêto.pdf: 11772072 bytes, checksum: 1e7c4d737098470e5ba7ea4945cdcd85 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-11T12:44:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Juliana Caetano Nêto.pdf: 11772072 bytes, checksum: 1e7c4d737098470e5ba7ea4945cdcd85 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-06-29 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES / In the context of the culture of participation, the number of collective actions is growing every day. The thesis discusses the networked communication processes and the power that emerges in collective actions for social transformation. Our hypothesis is that the meta-plataforms that manage the crowdactions, so called because they are known from the use of the prefix crowd, are systems that favor community empowerment, act on the affective engagement of multiple agents and enable the creative emergence of responses to social problems. The methodology adopted is based on the mapping of poetic maps in cyberspace (Lúcia Leão) and case studies of collaborative meta-plataforms that were developed following different types of management models (bottom-up, middle-out and top-down). The thesis articulates relations with Stuart Hall, Zygmunt Bauman and Michel Maffesoli, who contribute to the problematization about the idea of identity and affective associations in groups. The research is anchored in the perspective of the creation processes of Lúcia Leão and Steven Johnson. As a result, the thesis has shown that meta-platforms are examples of systems founded on the knowledge ecology paradigm. The processes that make up these systems operate through open source structures, whose customization allows for an amplification of the offer of solutions, and create concrete possibilities of social transformation. In addition, systems are examples of knowledge production in the contemporary world as they create spaces for dialogue and favor the articulation of different agents in problem mediation / No contexto da cultura da participação, o número de ações coletivas em rede cresce a cada dia. A presente tese de doutorado discute os processos de comunicação em rede e o poder que emerge nas ações coletivas para a transformação social. Nossa hipótese é que as metaplataformas que gerenciam as crowdactions, assim chamadas por serem conhecidas a partir do uso do prefixo crowd, são sistemas que favorecem o empoderamento da comunidade, atuam no engajamento afetivo de múltiplos agentes e possibilitam a emergência criativa de respostas à problemas de cunho social. A metodologia adotada se baseia na abordagem das cartografias de poéticas no ciberespaço (Lúcia Leão) e foram desenvolvidos estudos de caso de metaplataformas colaborativas com diferentes tipos de modelo de gestão (bottom-up, middle-out e top-down). A tese articula relações com Stuart Hall, Zygmunt Bauman e Michel Maffesoli, que contribuem para a problematização acerca da ideia de identidade e associações afetivas em grupos. A pesquisa está ancorada na perspectiva de processos de criação de Lúcia Leão e Steven Johnson. Como resultado, a tese demonstrou que as metaplataformas são exemplos de sistemas fundados no paradigma da ecologia de saberes. Os processos que compõem esses sistemas operam através de estruturas open source, cuja customização permite uma amplificação da oferta de soluções, e criam possibilidades concretas de transformação social. Além disso, os sistemas são exemplos de produção de conhecimento na contemporaneidade à medida que criam espaços de diálogo e favorecem a articulação de diferentes agentes na mediação de problemas

The Program Institutional Scholarships Initiation to Teaching (Brazil / 2009) is intended for academic degrees of conducting inserts in basic education, and aims to improve teacher training. The PIBID the Federal University of Santa Maria includes nineteen (19) sub-projects related to undergraduate education, while Institutional initiative connected to the Dean of Graduate, which provides a virtual learning environment - Moodle / Prograd for this and other programs use to store courseware. This work aims to study the issue, with regard to communication and interaction of the participants of this project. As a general goal want to search the collaborative learning among the participants of PIBID / UFSM using the Virtual Learning Environment Moodle / Prograd. In this academic study initiation scholarship to teaching, supervising teachers and area coordinators teachers of four (4) sub-projects. We used case study with a qualitative approach to analyze the responses and as a tool for data collection, non-participant observation and questionnaires were used. Research shows that the use of this environment enhances the communication and interaction of those involved as well as practical encourages collaborative learning and may eventually envision a collaborative network using Moodle and thus give more visibility to the work carried out and facilitate exchanges of information and knowledge between participants PIBID UFSM and other education institutions. / O Programa Institucional de Bolsas de Iniciação à Docência (Brasil/2009) é destinado a acadêmicos das licenciaturas, realizando inserções na Educação Básica e visando a melhorar a formação docente. O PIBID da Universidade Federal de Santa Maria contempla 19 (dezenove) subprojetos ligados às licenciaturas. Enquanto projeto Institucional está vinculado à Pró-Reitoria de Graduação, que disponibiliza um ambiente virtual de aprendizagem Moodle/Prograd, para esse e outros programas utilizarem como repositório de material didático. Este trabalho objetiva estudar a problemática, no que diz respeito à comunicação e à interação dos participantes deste projeto. Como objetivo geral, busca pesquisar a aprendizagem colaborativa entre os participantes do PIBID/UFSM, utilizando o Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizagem Moodle/Prograd. Participaram deste estudo, acadêmicos de iniciação a docência, professores, supervisores e professores coordenadores de 4 (quatro) subprojetos. Utilizou-se o método estudo de caso, com abordagem qualitativa para análise das respostas e, como instrumento de coletas de dados, foram utilizados questionários e observação não participante. A investigação aponta que a utilização deste ambiente potencializa a comunicação e interação dos envolvidos, bem como estimula práticas de aprendizagem colaborativa, podendo, futuramente, vislumbrar uma rede colaborativa, utilizando o Moodle e, com isto, dar mais visibilidades aos trabalhos realizados e possibilitar trocas de informações e conhecimentos entre os participantes PIBID da UFSM e outras Instituições de Ensino.

This dissertation examines the factors and combinations of factors that affect the performance of continuum of care homeless service networks, applying the configurational approach of contingency theory to data sets drawn from federal sources. The study accepts the two key assumptions from the theory: (1) that there are multiple paths to high performance and (2) key conditions have a joint influence on network performance. The data analysis in this study has two parts. The first employs OLS regression to examine the causal relationship between independent variables and the performance of permanent supportive housing (PSH) programs. This study also applies fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to identify multiple combinations of factors that influence the performance of PSH programs. The results identify key factors and multiple combinations of factors that lead to high and low network performance. Federal CoC funding emerges as a core condition for high and low performance, but all relevant conditions can be critical factors depending on how they interact with other relevant conditions. This analysis helps expand the utility of existing contingency theory by using it to explain the dynamic interactions between factors in the context of public service networks. Ultimately, this dissertation confirms that fsQCA can be a useful method for evaluating the performance of public service networks and helping them provide more services more effectively.

Global use of natural resources has accelerated during the past decade and emissions and waste have increased as a consequence. The construction sector is a major contributor to global carbon emissions and is responsible for as much as one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions. The negative impact that industries across the world are having on the environment is getting recognized as a serious problem and the environmental awareness is growing. A significant amount of this impact could be reduced with increased resource efficiency. Our economic system needs to undergo an unprecedented transformation, to stop environmental degradation but also to assure sustainable access to natural resources in the future. To tackle this issue, institutions are pressuring to move away from our current linear economy with its “take-make-dispose” characteristics and move towards a circular economy that is waste-free by design. The concept of Industrial Symbiosis is seen as a means to do that. In these industrial networks that resemble biological symbioses, waste or by-products of one company become a resource for another. By engaging traditionally separate industries in a collective approach involving physical exchange of materials, energy and by-products, it is possible to divert waste from landfill and reduce the negative impact on the environment. From a company perspective, Industrial Symbiosis can reduce the need for raw materials as well as waste disposal costs while allowing companies to create new revenue from residue and by products. The aim of this report was to investigate the perspectives that stakeholders have on a potential participation in an Industrial Symbiosis network and the complex interplay of drivers, facilitators and barriers to the implementation, as well as how the responsibilities among the stakeholders could be divided in order to implement this concept in the most effective way. This was done by interviewing key stakeholders within the construction industry to get an overall perspective on their views. The results indicated a generally positive outlook on the concept of Industrial Symbiosis among the stakeholders. Key drivers and barriers were identified as economic – companies are only willing to invest if it is profitable, regulatory – regulations are an important enabling factor as they create the right incentives for companies to participate, organizational – A transformation of the business model is necessary in order to implement circular economy and technological – Technological developments and innovations will aid the implementation as it can increase efficiency and transparency among the network participants. A tentative model has been generated where the responsibility distribution among the stakeholders have been mapped in order to give a greater understanding of the dynamics of a potential network. / Den globala användningen av naturresurser har ökat under det senaste decenniet och utsläpp och avfall har vuxit som en följd. Byggsektorn är en stor bidragande faktor till globala koldioxidutsläpp och ansvarar för så mycket som en tredjedel av de globala utsläppen av växthusgaser. Den negativa påverkan som industrier över hela världen har på miljön erkänns som ett allvarligt problem samtidigt som miljömedvetenheten växer. En betydande mängd av denna påverkan kan minskas med ökad resurseffektivitet. Vårt ekonomiska system måste genomgå en enastående omvandling, för att stoppa miljöförstöring men också för att säkerställa hållbar tillgång till naturresurser i framtiden. För att ta itu med denna fråga pressar institutionerna att flytta sig bort från vår nuvarande linjära ekonomi och gå mot en cirkulär ekonomi som är avfallsfri genom design. Begreppet Industriell Symbios ses som ett sätt att göra det. I dessa industriella nätverk som liknar biologiska symboler blir avfall eller biprodukter från ett företag en resurs för ett annat. Genom att engagera traditionellt separata industrier i en kollektiv strategi som involverar fysiskt utbyte av material, energi och biprodukter, är det möjligt att avleda avfall från deponering och minska den negativa miljöpåverkan. Ur ett företagsperspektiv kan Industriell Symbios minska behovet av råmaterial samt avfallskostnader samtidigt som företag kan skapa nya intäkter från rester och av produkter. Syftet var att undersöka de synpunkter som intressenter har på ett potentiellt deltagande i ett Industriellt Symbios-nätverk och det komplexa samspelet mellan aktörer för genomförandet, samt hur ansvaret mellan aktörerna ska delas upp för att implementera detta koncept på det mest effektiva sättet. Detta gjordes genom att intervjua viktiga aktörer inom byggbranschen för att få ett övergripande perspektiv på deras åsikter. Resultaten indikerade en generellt positiv syn på konceptet industriell symbios bland intressenterna. Viktiga drivkrafter och hinder identifierades som ekonomiska - företag är bara villiga att investera om det är lönsamt, regelverk - förordningar är en viktig möjliggörande faktor eftersom de skapar rätt incitament för företag att delta, organisatoriska - En omvandling av affärsmodellen är nödvändig i för att genomföra cirkulär ekonomi och teknik - Teknologisk utveckling och innovationer hjälper implementeringen eftersom det kan öka effektiviteten och öppenheten bland nätverksdeltagarna. En modell har genererats där ansvarsfördelningen bland intressenterna har kartlagts för att ge en större förståelse för dynamiken i ett potentiellt nätverk.

跨機關服務協力合作網絡的有效形成，在官僚體制漸漸無法發揮績效的情況下，更顯得重要。為了探討在機關間協力合作的種種問題，本研究以公共網絡管理文獻建構跨機關間協力合作的模型。公共網絡管理的文獻，主要在探索公共管理者的行為與角色，以及機關間的協力合作行為，如何貢獻於服務傳遞協力合作網絡績效，而這兩個研究問題，也存在於本論文的觀察單位-臺北市政府戶政業務之中。資料來源主要是以問卷方式調查臺北市政府負責戶政業務戶政人員的主觀認知性資料。研究方法則是透過描述性統計、相關係數、信度考驗、確認性因素分析(Confirmatory Factor Analysis, CFA)、迴歸分析、迴歸診斷與結構方程式（Structural Equation Model, SEM）。 本研究的問卷抽樣數共524份，有效問卷為338份，回收率為64.5％。在統計分析上，無論在因素負荷量、信度考驗、迴歸模型解釋比率，以及結構方程式的模型適配度皆符合或接近標準。而多元迴歸分析（OLS）與結構方程式（SEM）亦顯示機關之間的資源分享與協助並無助於戶政服務傳遞協力協力合作網絡間的績效，這也解釋部分理論文獻對協力協力合作網絡過於樂觀的質疑。本研究亦發現網絡管理文獻所建構的特定因素如核心機關（民政局）的協調，以及策略與結構的協調與整合是有助於戶政服務傳遞協力協力合作網絡績效。在研究貢獻上，期許檢驗研究問題與研究假設，以及這些規範性理論應用至政府實務的深度。 / The efficient formation for interagency service delivery network is comparatively important when the bureaucracy falis to make it well in public affairs. This research employs the literatures of public network management to construct the model of interagency collaborations. Two research are discussed in public network management and our research with the observed unit of the household registration of Taipei City Government: how the behaviors and roles of public network managers and collaborative behaviors among public agencies contribute to the network performance of interagency service delivery network. The data sources are draw from subjective perceptive data of public managers and public administrators who response for household registration services in Taipei City Government. The research method employs descriptive statistics, correlations, reliability, confirmatory factor analysis, regression analysis, regressive dignosis and structural equation model. The response rates in this research are 64.5%(338/524). In statistics, the the factor loadings, reliability, R2 for the regression model, and the goodness of the fit for structural equation model(SEM) also show that the resources-sharing among the agencies does not benefit the netwotk performance in household service-delivery network, which doubt the celebratory viewpoints from some public network management literatures. This research also finds some factors such as the coordination of network core administrative agency (the Bureau of Civil Affairs), the integration and coordination of strategies and structures, are helpful for network performance in collaborative network of household service-delivery network. For the contributions of research, this research expects to examine our research questions and research hypotheses and then applies these normative theories to the depths of government practices.