Central Decision Research Articles

The Impact of Autocratic, Democratic, and Laissez-faire Leadership Styles on Employee Motivation “An Analytical Study at Several Directorates within the Ministry of Interior in the Soran Independent Administration”

This study examines how autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire styles of leadership affect employee motivation in the different directorates of the Ministry of Interior, otherwise known as Soran Independent Administration. Research has proven that such styles of leadership are going to affect the way employees engaged and committed themselves to the performance outcome for the sake of organizational success. High levels of democratic leadership or participative decision-making and inclusivity-related structures would, however, create conditions conducive to employee motivation. Recommendations for further research have been made in relation to the study variables. An additional area for further development includes the relationship between laissez-faire, leadership and employee motivation, especially pertaining to the more experienced employees. An autocratic style of leadership is associated with highly centralized decision-making and closely controlled decision environments. In this context, the style may portray itself as very little or even null in terms of motivational influence on employees. This negative emphasis often goes along with lowered creativity and less engagement by the employees with work. These findings indicate the need for anchoring leadership styles under a banner of a scope that should create the entire base of guidelines on open communication trust and employee empowerment as a more strategic approach to better employee motivation and improved organizational outputs. Indeed, by applying participative and autonomous leadership approaches to organizations, such factors become important in creating an environment really conducive to innovation, loyalty, and productivity. Its outcomes point out leadership strategies that can be optimized for effective employee motivation and remind organizations about the practical ways to move toward developmental success.

Where is Batho Pele? The perspective of child and adolescent mental health service users in the Western Cape Province of South Africa

BackgroundMental health disorders of children and adolescents represent a key area of concern, yet child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) are neglected, especially in low- and middle-income countries. There is a clear need to provide services that are relevant to the needs of service users, but little research to date has explored their needs and experiences of services, or to identify their recommendations for service strengthening. In 1997 the South African Government introduced the “Batho Pele” (‘People First’) initiative in all public sector services, with the aim of putting the voices of service users at the centre of decision-making of policy development and implementation. This study sought to explore user perspectives about CAMHS in the Western Cape, one of the nine provinces of South Africa.MethodsUsing focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews, qualitative data were collected from purposively sampled CAMHS users (caregivers and adolescents) across the Western Cape Province. Data were entered into NVivo, and thematic analysis was performed by two independent raters.ResultsResults highlighted slow, inappropriate and unacceptable CAMHS at primary level of care, and lack of dedicated CAMH resources and staff rudeness at primary and secondary levels of care. Only one positive theme was identified about a new service initiative at primary care. Only specialist CAMHS (tertiary level) were regarded as well-organised. To improve CAMHS, users recommended that the processes and procedures should be restructured to become child- and family-friendly, separate CAMHS should be developed at primary and secondary levels, CAMHS should be prioritized to provide equitable services to young people with mental health disorders, and better communication and information, including formal psychoeducation should be provided to caregivers.ConclusionsThe data from this study provided very little support for the “Batho Pele” principles and highlighted a clear need for CAMHS strengthening in the Western Cape, and in South Africa as a whole. These findings may be similar in other low-resource settings and highlight the importance of putting “people first” by listening to their voices on an ongoing basis and at all levels of service and systems strengthening.

When HSFs bring the heat-mapping the transcriptional circuitries of HSF-type regulators in Candida albicans.

Heat shock factor (HSF)-type regulators are stress-responsive transcription factors widely distributed among eukaryotes, including fungi. They carry a four-stranded winged helix-turn-helix DNA-binding domain considered as the signature domain for HSFs. The genome of the opportunistic yeast Candida albicans encodes four HSF members, namely, Sfl1, Sfl2, Skn7, and the essential regulator, Hsf1. C. albicans HSFs do not only respond to heat shock and/or temperature variation but also to CO2 levels, oxidative stress, and quorum sensing, acting this way as central decision makers. In this minireview, I follow on the heels of my mSphere of Influence commentary (2020) to provide an overview of the repertoire of HSF regulators in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and C. albicans and describe how their genetic perturbation in C. albicans, coupled with genome-wide expression and location analyses, allow to map their transcriptional circuitry. I highlight how they can regulate, in common, a crucial developmental program: filamentous growth.

Academic freedom and dissent in higher education: the case of Hungary

ABSTRACT The article provides insights into the limitation of academic freedom, the nature of higher education reform in Hungary and the corresponding dissent. The article is influenced by critical university studies and seeks to expose and critique forms of institutional oppression shaped by hegemonic ideologies. It is a paradigm that has a predilection for activism and solutions grounded in social change and transformative movements. It describes how the Hungarian government has managed to restrict academic freedom, mainly through legislation, financial pressure and state-sponsored media attacks. Hungary after 2010 provides an important case study for what can happen to academic freedom under an authoritarian regime and the nature and scope of dissent. It is important to explore forms of dissent, because in doing so, we create reference points for the future, and it could strengthen the capacity of democratic resilience in a society. Dissent can be a catalyst for change and be viewed as a positive societal dynamic. Dissenters, including those in academia, can become the architects of the future they desire and move from the margins to the centre of decision-making and knowledge production.

Coordination strategy and contract design of platform supply chain for large-scale sports events with low carbon preference.

The organization of sports events, while generating economic benefits, inevitably imposes significant environmental pressures. Conducting green and low-carbon sports events have become a global consensus. In addressing the carbon emissions and benefit coordination issues on the production end of infrastructure construction for large-scale sports events, we considers the significant role of digital platforms in the industry's low-carbon transformation and upgrade, and innovatively incorporates platforms as decision-making entities and investigates the equilibrium strategies for low-carbon cooperation under three different power structures: one led by the sports events materials supplier, one by the materials distributor, and one by the integrated service platform. Additionally, it designs related cost-sharing contracts. The findings suggest that: centralized decision-making is more conducive to aligning the interests of various entities within the sports events platform supply chain. Different power structures have distinct impacts on overall supply chain profits and carbon emissions. Specifically, the supply chain achieves the highest overall profit under the domination of the integrated service platform, while the lowest level of carbon reduction occurs under the domination of the materials distributor. These results provide strategic insights for the low-carbon development of sports events and the coordinated cooperation within platform supply chain.

Hacking democratic innovations: the problem of agency in deliberative systems

ABSTRACT Empowering citizens through democratic innovations has long been a central goal of government intervention. Despite the transformative rhetoric that has accompanied their implementation, democratic innovations have gained support and political presence, however, while moving away from public decision-making processes. A recent example are deliberative mini-publics. The problem has to do with a conception that relativizes the agency of citizens in political systems, an issue that is very visible in the systemic turn of deliberation. From this perspective, agency is diluted in a dynamic of interconnected deliberative settings far from the decision-making centers. The objective of this essay is to analyze a hybrid deliberative framework conceived from the outset around the political agency of citizens. We show how deliberation can improve participatory systems, without needing to replace agency with diffuse communicative mediation. To do this, we analyze the successes and failures of its implementation in the city of Madrid.

Research on Emission Reduction Decisions in Supply Chains Considering Vertical Spillover Effects and Low-Carbon Preferences

The growth in carbon emissions is increasingly exacerbating global warming. As the principal source of carbon emissions, companies can effectively enhance their emission reduction levels through the vertical spillover of emission reduction technologies to investigate the impact of vertical spillover rates, consumers’ low-carbon preference coefficients, emission reduction cost coefficients on optimal supply chain decisions, and profits in centralized and decentralized decision-making environments. Considering consumers’ preferences for low-carbon options, this paper constructs a Stackelberg game model under centralized and decentralized supply chain decision-making scenarios. It examines the effects of considering the vertical spillover effects of emission reduction versus not taking them into account. Using backward induction, this study optimizes the emission reduction levels of leading suppliers and manufacturers. The results indicate that an increase in consumers’ low-carbon preference levels and vertical spillover rate not only enhances the emission reduction levels of suppliers and manufacturers but also increases their profits. Conversely, an increase in emission reduction cost coefficients impedes emission reductions, with a more pronounced effect under vertical spillover conditions. In centralized decision-making, increases in vertical spillover rates, consumers’ low-carbon preferences, and decreases in emission reduction cost coefficients create a synergistic effect, resulting in greater increases in emission reduction levels and profits for suppliers and manufacturers compared to the sum of the effects of changes in individual coefficients. This finding provides new insights for governments in formulating relevant policies to promote corporate emission reductions.

How Polycentric Governance Affects Nature Conservation in Practice: The Case of Two Coastal Protected Areas in Suriname

This article focuses on the interactions between multi-level decision-making centers – local, national, international – in migratory species conservation in Suriname. Such multi-level interactions are crucial for transboundary conservation practices, but they have been researched very little by the scientific community so far, and not on Suriname at all. Moreover, although multi-level decision-making may differ per situation, it always poses governance and management challenges. To understand these, two Suriname case studies are analyzed in-depth: migratory shorebirds in the Bigi Pan Multiple Use Management Area and marine turtles in the Galibi Nature Reserve. A polycentric governance framework is used as an analytical lens, while a qualitative case study methodology is applied. The results of the analysis show that polycentric structures for the conservation of migratory species are currently only moderately in place and heavily dependent on donor finance. Yet, such vertical interactions are crucial for building connections – particularly among international NGOs, national governments and local communities – to achieve effective and legitimate conservation outcomes, irrespective of the presence or absence of donors. This paper, therefore, draws the following three key lessons for polycentric conservation efforts in the global South: (1) structural funding and alternative sources of income to donor money are crucial for transboundary conservation, (2) effective cooperation will require robust institution-building for enduring collective action, particularly at the local level, and (3) decision-making centers at all levels should be truly committed to a social-ecological approach of conservation, since a sole focus on biodiversity will not lead to legitimate results.

Implementing an artificial intelligence command centre in the NHS: a mixed-methods study.

Hospital 'command centres' use digital technologies to collect, analyse and present real-time information that may improve patient flow and patient safety. Bradford Royal Infirmary has trialled this approach and presents an opportunity to evaluate effectiveness to inform future adoption in the United Kingdom. To evaluate the impact of the Bradford Command Centre on patient care and organisational processes. A comparative mixed-methods study. Operational data from a study and control site were collected and analysed. The intervention was observed, and staff at both sites were interviewed. Analysis was grounded in a literature review and the results were synthesised to form conclusions about the intervention. The study site was Bradford Royal Infirmary, a large teaching hospital in the city of Bradford, United Kingdom. The control site was Huddersfield Royal Infirmary in the nearby city of Huddersfield. Thirty-six staff members were interviewed and/or observed. The implementation of a digitally enabled hospital command centre. Qualitative perspectives on hospital management. Quantitative metrics on patient flow, patient safety, data quality. Anonymised electronic health record data. Ethnographic observations including interviews with hospital staff. Cross-industry review including relevant literature and expert panel interviews. The Command Centre was implemented successfully and has improved staff confidence of better operational control. Unintended consequences included tensions between localised and centralised decision-making and variable confidence in the quality of data available. The Command Centre supported the hospital through the COVID-19 pandemic, but the direct impact of the Command Centre was difficult to measure as the pandemic forced all hospitals, including the study and control sites, to innovate rapidly. Late in the study we learnt that the control site had visited the study site and replicated some aspects of the command centre themselves; we were unable to explore this in detail. There was no significant difference between pre- and post-intervention periods for the quantitative outcome measures and no conclusive impact on patient flow and data quality. Staff and patients supported the command-centre approaches but patients expressed concern that individual needs might get lost to 'the system'. Qualitative evidence suggests the Command Centre implementation was successful, but it proved challenging to link quantitative evidence to specific technology interventions. Staff were positive about the benefits and emphasised that these came from the way they adapted to and used the new technology rather than the technology per se. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted care patterns and forced rapid innovation which reduced our ability to compare study and control sites and data before, during and after the intervention. We plan to follow developments at Bradford and in command centres in the National Health Service in order to share learning. Our mixed-methods approach should be of interest to future studies attempting similar evaluation of complex digitally enabled whole-system changes. The study is registered as IRAS No.: 285933. This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health and Social Care Delivery Research programme (NIHR award ref: NIHR129483) and is published in full in Health and Social Care Delivery Research; Vol. 12, No. 41. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Robust ordering, production, and replenishment in a supply chain for innovative products: A two-echelon newsvendor problem with partial information in yield and demand

Robust ordering, production, and replenishment in a supply chain for innovative products: A two-echelon newsvendor problem with partial information in yield and demand

Private Enterprises and Innovative Interventions in Long-Term Care for Older People: Insights into Residual Stereotypes of Greek Rural Areas

In many areas of rural Greece there exist remnants of traditional stereotypes that were socially constructed in closed societies where the institution of the patriarchal family previously reigned and are regenerated by the dominant culture. These stereotypes have shaped over time the perception that long-term care for older adults should be provided within the family structure and exclusively by family members. Notably, it was previously considered a disgrace in Greek rural society if children moved their parents to a residential or nursing home. Public or other care facilities for older people emerged just two decades ago, except a few led by the church. However, these attitudes have been softened in recent years. European and National funded programmes have shaped different notions towards long-term care in these areas. This was facilitated by the structural changes that occurred in the Greek countryside in combination with the existing low birth rate in these areas and the presence of concrete migratory flows. The present study explores the business environment that is being formed and its potential to unleash the productive forces that have pinned down the relevant residual stereotypes. It also examines the socio-economic impact of the above enterprises on rural areas. Qualitative interviews were conducted with eight entrepreneurs who have invested in rural long-term care settings for older persons and eight elected chairpersons of local councils. Our findings indicate that regardless of financial support towards private care entities for older people, in order for the services offered to take a more prominent social role, the development of local consensus and innovative interventions is required in tandem. If achieved, such care providers can contribute to the socio-economic development of rural areas. This study provides international literature with further evidence on the crucial role of such enterprises on supportiveness towards inhabitants’ quality of life improvement while results can be useful for Greek and European decision-making centers as well as potential rural entrepreneurs.

Dynamic game research of food agricultural products supply chain based on blockchain traceability technology

PurposeFood quality and safety issues have always been imperative topics discussed by people. The anti-tampering of blockchain technology and the transparency of information make it possible to improve food traceability and safety quality. How to effectively apply blockchain traceability technology to food safety has great research significance for improving food safety and consumer quality trust.Design/methodology/approachThe paper aims to analyze the differences in product quality levels and market participants’ profits before and after the use of blockchain-driven traceability technology in the food agricultural product supply chain (SC) in the dynamic game frameworks of supplier-led and retailer-led modes, respectively, and explores the willingness, social welfare and consumer surplus of each member of the agricultural product SC to participate in the blockchain. Besides, We investigate the SC performance improvement with the mechanism of central centralized decision-making and revenue-sharing contract, compared to the SC performance in dynamic games.FindingsThe results are obtained as follow: The adoption of blockchain traceability technology can help improve the quality of food agricultural products, consumer surplus and social welfare, but the application and popularization of technology is hindered by traceability technology installment costs. Compared with the supplier leadership model, retailer-led food quality level, customer surplus and social welfare are higher.Research limitations/implicationsHow to effectively apply blockchain traceability technology to food safety has great research significance for improving food safety and consumer quality trust.Practical implicationsFood quality and safety issues have always been hot topics discussed by people. The anti-tampering of blockchain technology and the transparency of information make it possible to improve food traceability and safety quality.Social implicationsThe research results enrich the theories related to food safety and quality, and provide a valuable reference for food enterprises involved in the decision-making exploration of blockchain technology.Originality/valueBased on the characteristics of blockchain technology, the demand function is adjusted and the product loss risk of channel members is transferred through a Stackelberg game SC composed of agricultural products suppliers and retailers.Highlights:•We introduce two features of blockchain: quality trust and product information tracking.•The willingness of each member of the supply chain to use blockchain for product traceability was explored.•The overall traceability effect of the retailer-led blockchain is better than that of the manufacturer-led blockchain.•The cost of blockchain technology is a barrier to its adoption.•Blockchain brings higher consumer surplus and social welfare.

Dual-Channel Supply Chain of Agricultural Products under Centralised and Decentralised Decision-Making

The rise of rural e-commerce, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic, has driven agricultural development, resulting in a dual-channel model that combines offline supermarket docking with online e-commerce direct sales. Furthermore, given the perishable nature of most agricultural products, consumers exhibit a preference for high-quality logistics services. This paper analyses the dynamics of the agricultural supply chain, beginning with the “leading enterprises + farmers” production mode, and establishes two optimal decision-making models for online and offline dual-channel agricultural supply chains, incorporating logistics service levels. The first model considers centralised decision-making, where leading agricultural producers and community superstores make decisions simultaneously, aiming to maximise the overall profit of the supply chain. The second model addresses decentralised decision-making in which the producer, as the dominant player in a Stackelberg game, anticipates the reactions of retailers and sets the wholesale price, online sales price, and online logistics service level accordingly. Retailers, as followers, then determine the offline sales price and offline logistics service level based on the producer’s decisions. Finally, we conduct a sensitivity analysis of the proposed models. Our findings reveal that as consumer focus on logistics service levels increases, the overall profit of the supply chain improves, and as the unit logistics cost corresponding to the level of logistics service increases, the marginal benefits of decreasing profit brought about by the increase in unit logistics cost also decrease.

МЕТОД КОДУВАННЯ КЛАСТЕРИЗОВАНИХ ТРАНСФОРМАНТ В ДИФЕРЕНЦІЙНО-НОРМОВАНОМУ ПРОСТОРІ

The article shows that one of the main purposes of projects for the development of informatization of the state is the proper provision of the necessary information to the centers of analysis and decision-making. It is important to comply with the requirements for the timeliness, reliability and security of information delivery processes. This contributes to the development of means of remote collection of information and its transmission using various technological solutions. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UNV) are in the greatest demand. However, the article shows that in practice there are factors that limit the capabilities of telecommunications equipment. Then the timeliness and reliability of information transmission will be realized only for low-level image formats. On the other hand, the procedure of information analysis, including the use of intelligent analysis, puts forward factors for the implementation of higher-level image formats on the UNV. It is clear that a contradiction arises. This contradiction concerns the inconsistency between the permissible and required levels of image formats for unmanned vehicles. Localization of such collisions is possible by reducing the information load on the basis of taking into account certain features in the description of image fragments. In spectral space, such features of fragments have the following manifestation: the presence of sequences of spectral components with a not significant deviation of the span interval. The presence of such features is a prerequisite for the construction of compression methods in the spectral-parametric description of transformants (SPDT). Therefore, the aim of the article is to develop methods for compressing images based on their spectral-parametric description, taking into account higher-order dependencies. The necessity for the formation of homogeneity spaces for the group of transformants of the general video stream for the implementation of the possibility of accounting for inter-transformant dependencies in the SPD of arrays of spectral elements is substantiated. A model for constructing homogeneity spaces (clusters) from the transformant group based on the power of the SP by the number of spectral SP has been developed. This creates the conditions for the implementation of the compression procedure with the additional removal of the amount of inter-transformant redundancy in the SPD-transformant.

Optimal decisions and coordination of a supply chain in the hybrid recycling mode with traceability and fairness concern

Considering the case of recycling competition between a manufacturer and a retailer, we construct game models under centralised and decentralised decision-making with or without fairness concern, respectively. By comparatively analysing the optimal decisions and profits under the three models, we design an improved two-part tariff contract to realise supply chain coordination. We have the following findings: First, in the supply chain with traceability, consumers’ preference for traceability and the impact of traceability on recycling are not only beneficial to the environment but also to each enterprise. Second, the retailer’s concern for fairness can harm the profits of the manufacturer and system. Moreover, the retailer’s disproportionate focus on fairness of the distribution of revenues hinders the introduction and development of the traceability system, leading to lower recycling volume and demand. Third, the traceability system is most efficient under centralised decision-making, attaining the highest traceability level, recycling volume, and system profit. The retail price and manufacturer’s recycling price are lower than those under decentralised decision-making. Our findings also suggest that improved two-part tariff contract can enhance the chain members’ performance. While fairness concern and fierce recycling competition hinder implementation of the coordination mechanism, and improved traceability facilitates the attainment of coordination.

A Study of Electronic Product Supply Chain Decisions Considering Extended Warranty Services and Manufacturer Misreporting Behavior

In the supply chain management of electronic products, asymmetric cost information is a prevalent issue that can lead manufacturer to misreport costs, thereby exacerbating supply chain imbalances. This study focuses on the electronic product supply chain with an extended warranty service, where the manufacturer bears the after-sales responsibility during the extended warranty period. It explores the decision-making (DM) issues within the supply chain under different information environments and power structures. The Stackelberg game theory is employed to solve and analyze these models, and the main findings are as follows: (1) When supply chain information is symmetrical, centralized DM is the best choice. However, in cases where the supply chain adopts decentralized DM, it is more beneficial for the retailer and the supply chain if the retailer assumes the role of DM leader. Additionally, when the retail price sensitivity coefficient is low, the manufacturer will compete with the retailer for DM priority. Conversely, when the retail price sensitivity coefficient is higher, the manufacturer is better off as a follower in DM; (2) When the supply chain information is asymmetric, the manufacturer may engage in misreporting, which benefits the manufacturer but is detrimental to both the supply chain and the retailer. Moreover, if the price sensitivity coefficient is low, the manufacturer should lead the supply chain DM. Otherwise, the retailer should take the lead in supply chain DM. Adopting such a flexible strategy will prove advantageous for all parties involved in the supply chain. (3) The strategy of “reducing the retail price and increasing the extended warranty price” is a favorable strategy for the supply chain.

SD-GPSR: A Software-Defined Greedy Perimeter Stateless Routing Method Based on Geographic Location Information

To mitigate the control overhead of Software-Defined Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (SD-MANETs), this paper proposes a novel approach, termed Software-Defined Greedy Perimeter Stateless Routing (SD-GPSR), which integrates geographical location information. SD-GPSR optimizes routing functions by decentralizing them within the data plane of SD-MANET, utilizing the geographic location information of nodes to enhance routing efficiency. The controller is primarily responsible for providing location services and facilitating partial centralized decision-making. Within the data plane, nodes employ an enhanced distance and angle-based greedy forwarding algorithm, denoted as GPSR_DA, to efficiently forward data. Additionally, to address the issue of routing voids in the data plane, we employ the A* algorithm to compute an optimal routing path that circumvents such voids. Finally, we conducted a comparative analysis with several state-of-the-art approaches. The evaluation experiments demonstrate that SD-GPSR significantly reduces the control overhead of the network. Simultaneously, there is a notable improvement in both end-to-end latency and packet loss rate across the network.

Governance fix? Power and politics in controversies about governing generative AI

Abstract The launch of ChatGPT in late 2022 led to major controversies about the governance of generative artificial intelligence (AI). This article examines the first international governance and policy initiatives dedicated specifically to generative AI: the G7 Hiroshima process, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development reports, and the UK AI Safety Summit. This analysis is informed by policy framing and governance literature, in particular by the work on technology governance and Responsible Innovation. Emerging governance of generative AI exhibits characteristics of polycentric governance, where multiple and overlapping centers of decision-making are in collaborative relationships. However, it is dominated by a limited number of developed countries. The governance of generative AI is mostly framed in terms of the risk management, largely neglecting issues of purpose and direction of innovation, and assigning rather limited roles to the public. We can see a “paradox of generative AI governance” emerging, namely, that while this technology is being widely used by the public, its governance is rather narrow. This article coins the term “governance fix” to capture this rather narrow and technocratic approach to governing generative AI. As an alternative, it suggests embracing the politics of polycentric governance and Responsible Innovation that highlight democratic and participatory co-shaping of technology for social benefit. In the context of the highly unequal distribution of power in generative AI characterized by a high concentration of power in a small number of large tech companies, the government has a special role in reshaping the power imbalances by enabling wide-ranging public participation in the governance of generative AI.

Profitable reverse chain of any dual-channel supply chain with product quality concerns under dynamic decision support system

Many real-life medium and large-scale organisations have shifted to online selling of products within dual-channel supply chain framework, whereas legislation favouring traditional retailers compel managers to often alter the contract mechanisms among centralised decision support systems (DSS) with revenue-sharing and linear quantity discount contract (LQDC) under decentralised DSS. Thus, the major managerial concerns include the optimal choice of DSS while ensuring consistent quality of online products under demand disruptions, a less explored area in dual-channel literature. Moreover, the backdrop of increased environmental awareness causes the emergence of APP-based third-party logistics (ATPL) enterprises, who promote mobile application based direct collection of customers' used items. However, there is a notable gap in investigating the economic independence of reverse chain partner ATPL. Thus, this study delineates one closed-loop dual-channel supply chain, the forward chain of which comprises one manufacturer selling products in both retail and online channels, and the reverse chain involves the ATPL for direct collection and the retailer for in-store collection under dynamic DSS. Results underscore the superiority of LQDC mechanism for significantly higher profitability of chain partners, including ATPL. Curtailing quality maintenance costs in both channels without compromising quality considerably improve the profitability of the proposed model.

A Move towards Improving Good Governance in Kenya- Roles of Citizens in Promoting Good Governance

Aim: Governance is at the very apex of human society, wherein, the success of every facet of human life is anchored highly on improved government that is answerable to the needs and interests of the citizens. Good governance, therefore, impacts immensely on human life, as it creates conducive political, social, and economic environments for human survival and development. Every citizen is thereafter able to feel part and parcel of decision-making and all the activities and programs of the government. This paper, sought to articulate the role and obligations of citizens towards improving good governance in Kenya. Methods: The research is grounded upon a theoretical perspective using the literature drawn from various scholars from the year 2014 to 2024. The paper relied on secondary sources such as books, journals, reports and government records through government anti-corruption agencies. Results: Views from stakeholders such as government anti-corruption agencies, private sector, civil service organization, among others are considered. However, the people of Kenya in their diversity have been left aside in almost all the reviewed literatures, something which the paper believe is the reason for the word “mitigate corruption” instead of end corruption. The paper thereby, after perusing these literacy records from 2014 to 2024, is convinced that the people have cardinal role to play to end corruption. Conclusion: The study conclude that people’s involvement is required for any genuine move toward realizing the envisaged good governance in Kenya. Recommendations: A framework that allows the people to be at the center of decision-making in government’s activities should be sought. People must refuse manipulation and ethnic party politics, enforce the implementation of Kenyan 2010 constitution, and report any corrupt practices regardless of who is the victim. More studies should be conducted especially on the roles of citizens in ending not mitigating corruption.