• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.2783-2804
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• 2021

In the network function virtualization environment, dynamic changes in network traffic will lead to the dynamic changes of service function chain resource demand, which entails timely dynamic adjustment of service function chain resource configuration. At present, most researches solve this problem through virtual network function migration and link rerouting, and there exist some problems such as long service interruption time, excessive network operation cost and high penalty. This paper proposes a dynamic adjustment method of service function chain resource configuration for the dynamic changes of network traffic. First, a dynamic adjustment request of service function chain is generated according to the prediction of network traffic. Second, a dynamic adjustment strategy of service function chain resource configuration is determined according to substrate network resources. Finally, the resource configuration of a service function chain is pre-adjusted according to the dynamic adjustment strategy. Virtual network functions combination and virtual machine reusing are fully considered in this process. The experimental results show that this method can reduce the influence of service function chain resource configuration dynamic adjustment on quality of service, reduce network operation cost and improve the revenue of service providers.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.20 no.12
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• pp.89-98
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• 2022

Purpose: Due to the rapid growth of e-commerce in Thailand, the operational excellence of distribution service providers has been elevated. Thus, this research investigated the key drivers of operational performance of e-commerce distributors in Thailand. The research contains key variables: the analytics capabilities of an organization, supply chain disruption orientation, innovation capability, and operational performance. Research design, data, and methodology: An online survey is administered to top managers and key personnel (N=425) employed for at least one year in Thailand's top five e-commerce distributors. The sampling methods were conducted using purposive sampling, quota sampling, and convenience sampling. Confirmatory Factor Analysis and Structural Equation Model were applied to analyze and confirm the model's goodness-of-fit and hypothesis testing. Results: The findings reveal that an organization's analytics capabilities significantly affect supply chain disruption orientation and supply chain resilience. Furthermore, operational performance is affected by supply chain disruption, supplier quality management, and innovation capability. Nevertheless, supply chain resilience and digital supply chain have no significant effect on operational performance. Conclusions: The results imply that supply chain digitalization could drive higher operational performance. Distribution businesses are encountering transformation and disruption, which should address the high level of a digital supply chain, innovation, and quality management to maximize their profit margin and delivery service quality.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
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• v.4 no.5
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• pp.223-227
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• 1983

A molecular dynamic computer experiment was performed on a system of 108 particles composed of a single polymer chain and solvent molecules. The state considered was in the immediate neighborhood of the triple point of the system. The polymer itself is an analog of a freely jointed chain. The Lennard-Jones potential was used to represent the interactions between all particles except for that between the chain elements forming a bond in the polymer chain, for which the interaction was expressed by a harmonic potential. The self-diffusion coefficient and velocity autocorrelation function (VACF) of a polymer were calculated at various chain lengths $N_p$, and various interaction strengths between solvent molecules and a polymer chain element. For self-diffusion coefficients D, the Einstein relation holds good; as chain length $N_p$ increases the D value decreases, and D also decreases as ${\varepsilon}_{cs}$ (the interaction parameter between the chain element and solvent molecules) increases. The relaxation time of velocity autocorrelation decreases as ${\varepsilon}_{cs}$ increases, and it is constant for various chain lengths. The diffusion coefficients in various conditions reveal that our systems are in a free draining limit as is well known from the behavior of low molecular weight polymers, this also agrees with the Kirkwood-Riesman theory.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.20 no.10
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• pp.93-103
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• 2022

Purpose: This study aims to determine the relationship between disruptive factors and customer satisfaction at chain stores. Survey-based questionnaires were designed in the distribution technique to measure the findings in this study. Research design, data, and methodology: In terms of the sampling technique, the researchers adopted the simple random sampling technique with a total of 200 sample sizes. For the statistical method, the researchers applied multiple linear regression analysis to determine the potential factors that affect customer satisfaction at chain stores. The analysis of this study measured how product quality, pricing policies of chain stores, design and layout, responsiveness, and location of chain stores impart their roles in customer satisfaction. Results: This study found a significant relationship between the product quality and location of chain stores on customer satisfaction. In addition, the responsiveness, pricing policy, and physical design of chain stores impart an insignificant role in customer satisfaction. However, it is proven that the location of chain stores and product quality positively impact customer satisfaction. Conclusions: The study is geographically limited to the region of Karachi, Pakistan. Therefore, the findings may differ in the context of study implications in the other areas.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.45-56
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• 2024

Purpose: This study utilizes value chain analysis to investigate the distribution of benefits in the snubnose pompano product value chain, aiming to ascertain how these benefits are obtained by the farmers. Research design, data and methodology: The study approaches the assessment components from the economic analysis framework of the value chain. It investigates the various actors involved in the value chain of snubnose pompano fishery products in the South-Central Coast region of Vietnam from 2020 to 2022. Data collection is conducted through direct interviews with the actors utilizing survey questionnaires. Results: The results indicate that farmers, traders, and processors are key actors in the chain. The distribution of benefits between farmers and other actors has improved and tended towards greater harmony over the years. However, farmers receive benefits that are not commensurate with their value-added contribution. Farmers contribute the greatest value-added, but their profit margin share is not commensurate with the ratio of their value-added contribution to the chain. Farmers suffer the highest degrees of losses caused by price fluctuation and production risks, while other actors face smaller risks. Conclusions: The study offers some recommendations to adjust the distribution of benefits and risks among participants in this value chain.

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.22 no.7
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• pp.95-106
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• 2024

Purpose: This study explores the effect on supply chain agility and logistics performance of building mutual trust between manufacturing companies that have adopted supply chain management. Previous studies have categorized trust into affective and cognitive types, and speed, flexibility, and responsiveness are recognized as subfactors of supply chain agility. Methodology: A survey gathered responses from employees of domestic manufacturing firms with supply chain management implementations. 254 valid responses underwent statistical analysis using structural equation modeling (SPSS 23.0 and AMOS 23.0). Results: Affective trust positively influences speed and responsiveness but not flexibility. Cognitive trust positively affects speed, flexibility, and responsiveness. Supply chain agility positively impacts logistics performance. However, neither affective nor cognitive trust significantly influences logistics performance. Conclusions: The study suggests that cognitive trust based on capabilities is more important than affective trust for flexibility in corporate relationships, a subfactor of supply chain agility. However, trust alone cannot enhance corporate performance. This research is significant as it examines the roles of trust and agility in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has exacerbated the manufacturing business environment.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.95-107
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• 2014

This study was conducted to empirically examine the impact of fit between project radicalness and innovativeness of the supply chain on the degree of supply chain integration. In order to test the research hypotheses, a survey was employed. The results show that the degree of supply chain integration varies on the fit between project radicalness and innovativeness of the supply chain. Specifically, when a supply chain consists of two morphogenetic organizations and the supply chain integration project is radical, we see very highly integrated supply chain. We also find high-level integration of supply chain when project is radical even though both a morphogenetic and a homeostatic organization compose a supply chain. However, we find opposite result, which is low integration, if a project is incremental rather than radical and a supply chain is composed of same types of the organizations mentioned above. Interestingly, degree of integration seems to be always low when a supply chain is composed of two homeostatic organizations, regardless of project radicalness. With these findings, this study concludes that a project whose radicalness is match with the supply chain's innovativeness should be chosen for successful supply chain integration.

• Korean Management Science Review
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.221-235
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• 2002

Many people are getting more and more interested in the value of information sharing in a supply chain in proportion to the development of information technology in these days. In spite of much interest in the value of shared information, the related studies concluded that the effect of only sharing information strategy between upper and lower level is not large However, many related companies want to link each channel members in the supply chain with on-line to expect to reduce the cost by means of information sharing. This study wants to evaluate the alternative strategy to reduce more related costs than only sharing information strategy. This paper analyzed that how much the total supply chain cost is to change in the case of a transfer of decision rights from the lower (retailers) to the upper level (depot, vendor) in a supply chain. The decision rights mean the rights of being able to decide when to order, how much to order, where to order, and what mode to transport or distribute, etc. in a supply chain. By the experimental simulation study to the simple case, the strategy to share only information took the low effect of 1～2%, but the strategy to transfer the decision lights from the lower to the upper member had larger effect of about 5%. However. for the strategies to work well, it needs to cooperate closely among each supply chain members, and the fruits from the transfer of decision rights in a supply chain are allocated to each chain members reasonably Therefore, there needs to study in the future not only the exact transfer effect of decision rights, but the reasonable allocation method of the fruits among the chain members.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.10 no.12
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• pp.43-55
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• 2019

Purpose : With the proliferation of O2O platform services that combine offline and online services, many startups are fiercely competing to lead services in the O2O service market. While the prospects for growth in the O2O service market are optimistic because of the close convenience to life, startups can achieve corporate performance only through close cooperation and partnership with suppliers. The purpose of this study is to verify the effect of O2O-based startups' and suppliers' cooperation in supply chain management on SCM performance through supply chain partnerships and startup satisfaction with suppliers. Research design, data, methodology : Data were collected from O2O service-based startups and hypotheses were verified through frequency analysis, exploratory factor analysis, reliability analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, feasibility analysis, and structural equation path analysis. In addition, the mediating effects of supply chain partnerships and startup satisfaction on suppliers were verified. Results : As a result of this study, IT utilization of the O2O startup cooperation method affects the financial perspective of supply chain partnership and SCM performance. The contract implementation of the cooperation method had an impact on the financial and innovation growth perspectives of the SCM performance, and the communication of the cooperation method had an effect on the supply chain partnership, startup satisfaction in the supply chain, and the innovation growth perspective of the SCM performance. Supply chain partnerships had an impact on the financial, innovation growth, and customer perspectives of SCM performance and startup satisfaction within the supply chain had a significant effect on innovation growth and customer perspectives. Conclusions : The implications of this study identified the factors that can improve SCM performance through the cooperation method of O2O startup, supply chain partnership and startup satisfaction with suppliers, and it is significant that the causal relationship was identified by the structural model through the supply chain cooperation factors derived by characteristics. Based on the empirical results, as the services of O2O startups grow, it is expected that empirical research and practical activation of academia should be considered as important in the cooperation of the supply chain.

• Journal of Korea Technology Innovation Society
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• v.8 no.spc1
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• pp.360-390
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• 2005

The paradigm of the corporate innovations has been changed from the intra-company innovations to the inter-company innovations. A prevalent approach to the inter-company innovations is the supply chain management. Three key words of the core concept of supply chain management are the long-term relationship, resource integration, and value creation. Specifically, it means that the supply chain management aims to make value creation through the resource integration for the supply chain entities, based on the long-term relationship between buyers and sellers. To make more effective long-term relationship among the supply chain entities, it is very important for the supply chain entities to analyze followings: i) What variables can influence the long-term relationship, ii) How these variables can influence to the long-term relationship. However, previous researches mostly deals the long-term relationship in the marketing area in fragment, and thus few research efforts have been done for the development of conceptual model using supply chain management theories. In contrast to previous studies, our research tried to develop and examine the integrative research model by introducing both the marketing theories and the supply chain management theories, and thus related hypotheses are derived. A multiple regression analysis was performed to examine the influence of the antecedents of the long-term relationship, for the 87 retailers of grocery supply chains. The empirical results confirm that cultural similarity, reputation, interdependency, and trust positively influence long-term relationship (i.e., partnership orientation and partnership symmetry). And results also confirm that the supply implementation factors such as organization integration, information system integration, and process integration playa moderating role between antecedents and long-term relationship. These findings suggest that companies should perceive the importance of managing the process, organization, information system integration in the long-term relationship implementation process as well as the factors such as cultural similarity, reputation, interdependency, and trust in the long-term relationship establishment process.