Yes / Objective: The adverse impact of supply chain disruptions on the operational performance of supply chains have been suggested to emanate from its existing vulnerabilities. However, empirical studies regarding this proposition remain limited. This study provides empirical evidence of vulnerabilities in the face of dynamic disruptions in the pharmaceutical supply chain. This is geared at developing resilience strategies capable of curbing these forms of disruptions. Research Approach: In seeking to achieve the objective of this study, the mixed method research design in a longitudinal framework was adopted. It involved a two-step procedure where the study began by conducting semi-structured interviews with the downstream stakeholders of the pharmaceutical supply chain. Here the sampling method adopted was both purposive and snowballing. Data collected from this process was analysed using thematic analysis where key variables were coded for further analysis. Findings from the interviews were employed to construct close ended questionnaires. The questionnaires were administered online, approximately nine months after the first data collection process ended and analysed using various statistical techniques. Findings: The themes that emerged from the first phase of the data generation process were classified into five main pillars which include: supply chain characteristics, regulatory framework (schemas), imbalance of market power, managerial decisions and supply chain structures. These themes were further confirmed by the findings from the survey. The study finds that imbalance of market power generates negative welfare such as time consumption and stress on the downstream stakeholders of the pharmaceutical supply chain. In the same vein, dependence on suppliers and consumers in designing the supply chain exacerbates the impact of a dynamic disruption. The findings from the survey complement these pillars by identifying other vulnerabilities: price manipulation, inadequate policies, inefficient manufacturing processes as well as available training in handling these vulnerabilities. Originality/Value: By providing empirical evidence of the vulnerabilities within the pharmaceutical supply chain in the face of a dynamic disruption, this study extends operations management literature by highlighting vulnerability benchmarks against which resilience strategies can be employed in dynamic disruptive scenarios. The innovative aspect of this research is the ability to identify the vulnerabilities peculiar to the pharmaceutical supply chain which is required in order to successfully develop strategies that are resilient to dynamic disruptions. Research Impact: This study extends existing debates on supply chain vulnerabilities as well as supply chain disruptions. Practical Impact: This study contributes to practical managerial decisions, as the identifications of vulnerabilities to dynamic disruptions will aid pharmaceutical and or operations managers in assessing supplier selection and design.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

M.Comm. / Southern Africa is considered by the rest of the world to be a water scarce region. Previously within the region water was not regarded as a high profile subject in the development process. A paradigm shift is required in the region to recognise the need to concentrate on demand management instead. The paper briefly examines the climatic conditions as a contributing factor to scarcity of the water resources. It further focuses on the human factor which is regarded as a factor that can be managed as opposed to the climatic conditions. In managing the human factor, the usage of water cannot remain the same as it was before the scarcity problem that the SADC region is faced with. It is also recognised that water resource is necessary for survival, therefore basic human requirements are examined. This scarcity makes water to be regarded as an economic good. The paper further explains the elements that make water to be regarded as an economic good. Water being an economic good, it commands a price. The study explains pricing the resource as the only method of making the population understand about the importance of the resource. Different pricing methods are explained in detail. To demonstrate this demand management of water the study interrogates three cities namely Soweto, Cape Town and Durban. In this interrogation the demand management techniques used and their efficiency are compared and contrasted to ascertain the efficiency of the chosen demand management techniques and the existence of gaps within these techniques.

Summary in Chinese. / Thesis (M.B.A.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong. / Bibliography: l. 91.

Summary in Chinese. / Thesis (MBA)--Chinese University of Hong Kong. / Bibliography: l. 138.

A Gestão da Cadeia de Suprimentos (GCS) vem sendo um tema em evidência nos dias atuais para a busca de vantagens competitivas, as quais não se limitam mais nos limites das empresas, mas sim no escopo de cadeia de suprimentos (CS), através de iniciativas interempresariais que se estendem desde controles e reposição de estoque conjuntos até uma gestão colaborativa na CS. Um dos grandes desafios na GCS é desenvolver uma coordenação da cadeia de suprimentos (CCS) que, além de atender os níveis de serviço desejados com os estoques controlados, também seja capaz de lidar com as variáveis cada vez mais complexas, buscando uma racionalização dos recursos, uma melhoria de produtos e processos e, ainda, lidar com as possíveis ameaças que afetam a vulnerabilidade da CS (VCS). O objetivo geral desta tese é propor um modelo de CCS que inclua atividades de melhoria da CS (MCS) e VCS, para assim auxiliar no desempenho da CS. A fim de alcançar o objetivo geral, foram propostos objetivos específicos, correspondentes aos quatro artigos que compõem esta tese. O primeiro artigo teve como objetivo realizar uma revisão sistemática da literatura, com o propósito de identificar os métodos colaborativos mais disseminados, suas características e desafios de implementação. O segundo artigo também realizou uma revisão sistemática da literatura, mas direcionada à identificação dos métodos de otimização e melhoria em CS implementados atualmente, como e por que são implementados. O terceiro artigo realizou um aprofundamento teórico sobre VCS, entendendo seus componentes e outros elementos relacionados. Após isso, demonstrou a contribuição de métodos colaborativos para mitigá-la. O quarto artigo traz uma retomada dos achados nos três primeiros artigos e consolida os mesmos como bases conceituais para a proposição do modelo de CCS que inclui atividades de MCS e VCS. Os principais resultados da tese iniciaram por mostrar que os métodos colaborativos em CS possuem características puramente de CCS e o CPFR foi encontrado como método colaborativo mais abrangente e mais abordado na literatura pesquisada, cuja estrutura de funcionamento foi utilizada como arcabouço para o modelo de CCS proposto. A literatura mostrou a MCS com foco atualmente em melhoria contínua através do Lean Manufacturing. Outro resultado da tese foi a criação de um framework de VCS, no qual foi possível entender a VCS, seus elementos e constatar que a mesma pode ser mitigada através da utilização de métodos colaborativos. Os resultados finais da tese apresentam um modelo de CCS que inclui atividades de MCS e VCS. Essas atividades inseridas no processo de CCS permitem a identificação de oportunidades de melhoria, pontos restritivos e vulnerabilidades que, se trabalhados de acordo com as prioridades para os objetivos da CCS, podem gerar um aumento de desempenho competitivo da CS. As discussões apresentadas na presente tese mostraram a pertinência e necessidade dessas atividades para um aumento do desempenho competitivo da CS, bem como o fato dessas atividades poderem interagir com outras atividades isoladas de gestão de riscos ou melhorias dentro da CS. / Supply Chain Management (SCM) has been a theme in evidence in the present day in seeking competitive advantages, which are being sought not within the limits of companies, but in the supply chain (SC) scope, through intercompany initiatives, that extend from controls and inventory replenishment to a collaborative SCM. One of the major challenges in SCM is to develop a Supply Chain Coordination (SCC) that in addition to meeting the desired service levels with inventory levels controlled should also be able to handle the variables, increasingly complex, seeking a resource reduction, products and process improvement and also deal with possible threats to the Supply Chain Vulnerability (SCV). The overall objective of this thesis is to propose a SCC model that includes improvement activities in SC (SCI) and SCV, so as to help improve the SC performance. In order to achieve the overall goal, specific objectives have been proposed, corresponding to the four articles that make up this thesis. The first paper aimed to perform a systematic literature review in order to identify the most widespread collaborative methods, their characteristics and implementation challenges. The second paper also held a systematic literature review, but directed in identifying the optimisation and improvement methods currently implemented, how and why they are implemented. The third paper conducted a theoretical study on SCV, understanding of its components and other related elements and analyzed the contribution of collaborative methods to mitigate it. The fourth article brings a resume of the findings in the three previous papers and consolidates them as conceptual basis for the SCC model proposition that includes SCI and SCV activities. The main thesis results began to show that the SC collaborative methods have features purely as CCS and CPFR was found as most comprehensive and further discussed collaborative methods in the literature, which its operating structure was used as a framework for the proposed SCC model. The literature showed the SCI currently focusing on continuous improvement through Lean Manufacturing. Another result of the thesis was to create a SCV framework in which it was possible to understand the SCV, in its entirety and find that it can be mitigated through the use of collaborative methods. The final results of the thesis presented a SCC method that includes SCI and SCV activities, which generated discussions and showed the relevance and necessity of these activities to increase the SC competitive performance. The pointed competitive performance increase is towards increasing its operating reliability, rationalize resources and improve restrictive points, linked to priorities stated during SCC process. This fact may interact with other isolated activities of risk management or improvements in the CS.

A introdução efetiva da sustentabilidade em empresas exige ações que extrapolam os limites organizacionais, abarcando o ambiente interorganizacional. Dessa maneira, as empresas deixam de ser consideradas isoladamente e passam a ser analisadas de acordo com suas cadeias de suprimentos, compostas por organizações que contribuem para o alcance dos mesmos objetivos de desempenho. Nesse sentido, uma cadeia de suprimentos é considerada mais sustentável quando insere as dimensões econômica, ambiental e social em suas operações, nas estratégias e na tomada de decisão, possuindo bons níveis de desempenho em tais dimensões. A adoção de práticas de sustentabilidade em cadeias de suprimentos pode ser analisada em um contínuo, formado por dois extremos: a resposta reativa e proativa. Nesse contexto, a proatividade de práticas sustentáveis pode ser definida como a adoção de ações, realizadas voluntariamente por empresas, com a finalidade de melhorar o desempenho ambiental e o desempenho social, além das exigências legais. A empresa proativa afirma sua preocupação e seu compromisso com a sociedade e o ambiente natural, em que está inserida. Diante dessas considerações, tem-se a premissa dessa pesquisa: a postura proativa de empresas em relação a práticas sustentáveis estimula melhor articulação com os elos de sua cadeia de suprimentos, o que colabora para a introdução da sustentabilidade nessa cadeia. O objetivo desta pesquisa é analisar a contribuição da articulação de uma empresa proativa com seus elos para a introdução da sustentabilidade na sua cadeia de suprimentos. Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa qualitativa, distribuída em duas etapas (exploratória e descritiva), envolvendo uma empresa focal proativa e parceiros de sua cadeia de suprimentos. Ressalta-se que, em virtude da complexidade e da extensão de cadeias de suprimentos, optou-se por analisar a cadeia à montante, isto é, foram entrevistados colaboradores da empresa focal (Mercur S.A.) e de empresas fornecedoras (LKC Transportes; PAMF Indústria e Comércio de Confecções; Caeté Embalagens; e, Artecola Química). Primeiramente, foi analisada a proatividade de práticas sustentáveis da Mercur. Os resultados indicam que a Mercur pode ser considerada uma empresa proativa, em função da implantação total de 37 ações em prol da sustentabilidade ao core business da organização e da implantação parcial de seis práticas. Em segundo lugar, investigou-se a articulação e o relacionamento da empresa proativa com os elos de sua cadeia de suprimentos. Verificou-se que os entrevistados consideram que os elos estão em processo de integração. Diante disso, pode-se observar que existem diferentes níveis de articulação na cadeia de suprimentos, envolvendo a Mercur e seus fornecedores. Em seguida, averiguou-se a existência de práticas sustentáveis ao longo da cadeia de suprimentos estudada, as quais foram descritas a partir de cinco categorias de análise (orientação estratégica, continuidade da cadeia de suprimentos, colaboração, gestão de risco, proatividade). Incentivos foram identificados para que práticas pró-sustentabilidade passem a ser concebidas e implantadas por todos os membros da cadeia, colaborando para um desenvolvimento mais sustentável. Nessa perspectiva, diante dos resultados encontrados, assume-se que a premissa de pesquisa foi confirmada, uma vez que a postura proativa de práticas sustentáveis da Mercur estimula maior articulação com os parceiros de sua cadeia de suprimentos, contribuindo para a inserção da sustentabilidade nessa cadeia. Entretanto, a articulação da Mercur com os parceiros também pode incentivar que posturas proativas em benefício da sustentabilidade sejam incorporadas pelas empresas da cadeia de suprimentos. / The effective introduction of sustainability in business requires actions that go beyond organizational boundaries, encompassing the inter-organizational environment. Thus, companies are no longer considered individually; they are analyzed according to their supply chains, composed by organizations that contribute to the achievement of the same performance goals. A supply chain is considered more sustainable when it enters the economic, environmental and social dimensions in their operations, strategies and decision making, possessing good levels of performance on these dimensions. The incorporation of sustainability practices in supply chain can be analyzed in a continuous, formed by two extremes: reactive and proactive response. The sustainable proactivity can be defined as the adoption of actions, performed voluntarily by companies, in order to improve the environmental and social performance beyond legal requirements. A proactive company states its concern and commitment to society and the natural environment in which it operates. Given these considerations, this research premise is: the proactive approach of companies towards sustainable practices encourages better integration with the partners in their supply chain, which contributes to the incorporation of sustainability in the supply chain. In this context, this research aims to analyze the contribution of proactive company integration with its partners to the introduction of sustainability in their supply chain. Therefore, a qualitative research was performed, composed by two phases (exploratory and descriptive), involving a proactive focal company and its supply chain partners. It is emphasized that, because of the complexity and the extent of supply chains, we chose to analyze the upstream chain, i.e., focal company (Mercur S.A.) and supplier firms (LKC Transportes; PAMF Indústria e Comércio de Confecções; Caeté Embalagens; and Artecola Química). The employees of these companies were interviewed. First, it was analyzed the proactivity of sustainable practices of Mercur. The results indicate that Mercur can be considered a proactive company, due to the full adoption of 37 actions for sustainability in the core business of the organization and the partial implementation of six practices. Secondly, it was investigated the integration and the relationship of a proactive company with its supply chain partners. It was found that the interviewees consider that the supply chain is in process of a complete integration. Thus, it can be observed that there are different levels of integration in the supply chain, involving the Mercur and their suppliers. Thirdly, it was examined the existence of sustainable practices throughout the supply chain. These practices were described considering five categories of analysis (strategic orientation, supply chain continuity, collaboration, risk management, and proactivity). Incentives were identified for the design and the implementation of sustainable practices by all supply chain members, contributing to a more sustainable development. From this perspective, given the results, it is assumed that the research premise was confirmed, since the proactive sustainable practices Mercur encourages greater integration with partners in the supply chain, contributing to the sustainable supply chain. However, the integration of Mercur with partners can also encourage that proactive practices in favor of sustainability be incorporated in the supply chain.

Thesis ( M.Dev.) -- University of Limpopo, 2018 / This study reflects on the effectiveness of municipal water service delivery in Hluvukani community in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga. Since the study wanted to have an in-depth understanding of the strategies/methods that the municipality use to deliver water services effectively in Hluvukani, both the qualitative and quantitative research approaches were used. It is within these methodologies that a case study was adopted to seek to deepen the strategies used by government and municipal officials to address the challenges of water experienced by villagers in Hluvukani. Three methods of data collection were used, namely: interviewing, non- participant observation and documents. Hluvukani village was selected as a site for the study by means of purposive sampling. The participants interviewed included the municipal manager, the municipal officials, Hluvukani villagers and officials from the Department of Water Affairs. The documents consulted included the municipal IDP and the 2015/2016 Municipal Budget. This study found that villagers have difficulties in accessing water at Hluvukani and the water service delivery was not effective even though the municipal manager claimed otherwise. This was manifested by the strategies that were used to delivery water such as using delivery trucks to supply water to Hluvukani villages every two weeks. This, the researcher found ineffective as people had to live without water delivery for a period up to four weeks.

Thesis (M.Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2008

Thesis (MPA.) --University of Limpopo, 2007 / The aim of this inquiry was to analyze the role played by the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry in service delivery, i.e. supply water in the northern region of the Limpopo Province. Not much research has been conducted in this field especially in the Limpopo Province. Public Services are not a privilege in a civilized and democratic society, but are a legitimate expectation. Hence, meeting the basic needs of all citizens is one of the five key programmes of the government’s Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP). From the literature review, it was evident that service delivery is essential in the communities, and, as such, government departments and municipalities have a critical role to play. The study also aimed to examine the problems and challenges the community faced during the construction of the community development programme. It reflected on the importance of consultation, project management and even feedback as a point of departure in showing both to the department and the municipality the attitudes and perceptions of communities and their level of satisfaction with regard to the effectiveness of service delivery. In order to achieve this goal, an interview was conducted with various interviewees. The participants ranged from the youth to the elderly citizens in the community, and the government officials. The main patterns that emerged from the collected data related to the dissatisfaction of the community about the lack of consultation. It would be advisable for government, especially municipalities, to take cognizance of the results and concerns in an effort to improve and ensure the effective service delivery as stipulated in the Reconstruction and Development Programme document. / Limpopo Legislature