Provision Of Goods Research Articles

“They Behave Like Jews”: Anti-Speculation Propaganda and the Creation of a Caste of “New Traders” in Lithuania in 1941–1944

The article analyses socio-economic propaganda campaigns that were actively developed in the Lithuanian press during the period from 1941 to 1944: 1) anti-speculation propaganda; 2) calls for Lithuanians to engage in trading (this can be visually called the creation of a cast of “new traders”). In 1941, after the occupation of Lithuania by Nazi Germany, speculative activities increased due to the difficult economic situation, the faltering supply of food products to cities and the interruption of the supply of industrial goods (for example, kerosene, textiles) to villages. The occupation regime carried out an active anti-speculation propaganda campaign, which manifested itself in three ways: 1) calls not to buy goods from speculators and to report speculators to the authorities; 2) promoting legal alternatives to speculation (such as commissions or barter stores); 3) intimidation through repression. The creation of the caste of “new traders” was based on the belief that Lithuanians would willingly take advantage of the Holocaust, when Jewish traders who had held significant positions in pre-war Lithuanian trade, especially in the private sector, were killed (or isolated in ghettos) along with the Jewish community. Lithuanians were urged through the press to engage in trade business, to create a new, nationally socially oriented, qualitatively different trade system. The network of trade schools had been actively expanded in the towns of the provincial regions. Despite their ambitions, these two propaganda campaigns did not achieve their goals. Speculation was active throughout the war, while its legal alternatives were unattractive and unpopular, and the actual practice of punishing speculators was far more moderate than the press calls for the death penalty. The creation of the “new traders” caste was also unsuccessful: although trade schools soon began to prepare new trade sector employees, relatively few were prepared, and the same press soon began to criticize “new traders” for taking over “Jewish speculation” and for tending to deceive buyers and the regime.

Machine Learning and Digital Twins-enabled Supply Chain Resilience: A Framework for the Indian FMCG Sector

Disruptions highlight machine learning (ML)-powered digital twins as a significant technology to ensure supply chain resilience (SCR). The authors acquired supportive data by conducting semi-structured interviews with 37 fast-moving consumer goods supply chain professionals. Using open, axial and selective coding approaches, the authors mapped and discovered the themes that constitute the essential elements of ML-enabled SCR. The findings of the research underscore four principal capabilities in which ML is poised to enhance the resilience of supply chains, namely (a) visibility, (b) supply chain analytics, (c) managing levels of inventory and (d) consumer behaviour. The research implications employ empirical data to demonstrate how integrating ML with digital twins into the supply chain enhances resilience and presents a comprehensive framework utilizing ML to improve SCR. The research draws upon the dynamic capability view theory.

MODELLING GROWTH STRATEGIES OF TRANSPORT ENTERPRISES IN THE CONDITIONS OF CONTEXT UNCERTAINTY

Modern military conditions and tasks of post-war reconstruction require the development of effective strategies for the activity of transport enterprises of Ukraine to ensure the continuity of supplies of military and humanitarian goods. The purpose of the research was to create a model for the selection of optimal strategies for the development of transport enterprises of Ukraine in the conditions of uncertainty caused by the simultaneous influence of military aggression and the deepening of transport integration of Ukraine with the EU. The Saaty's method was selected for the study, which is based on the construction of fuzzy functions and is the most relevant in the context of the influence of a significant number of unstable exogenous and endogenous factors on the functioning of enterprises. In consideration of the evolving landscape of transportation in the European Union and Ukraine, the authors have distilled the overarching objectives of sustainable transportation development (economic, social, and environmental) into eighteen sub-objectives pertaining to the advancement of enterprises. These objectives are then subjected to expert evaluation. The article presents the findings of this expert ranking exercise, delineating the priorities for transportation enterprises in Ukraine across two distinct periods: the current state of martial law and the subsequent phase of post-war reconstruction. The authors have built a model for selecting optimal strategies for the development of a transport enterprise on the basis of a multi-level hierarchy of priority growth goals in two periods. As strategic alternatives, the authors have chosen the "strategy of limited growth"; "strategy of concentrated growth"; "strategy of diversified growth"; "strategy of integrated growth"; and "combined strategy". The paper determines that the appropriate growth strategies for transport enterprises during the period of martial law would be: a strategy of limited growth (rank 1.827) and a combined strategy (rank 2.0980). In the period of post-war reconstruction, the following growth strategies will be appropriate for implementation: concentrated growth (rank 3.0151) and integrated growth (rank 2.6783). The publication proposes a set of possible options for practical management actions in various functional areas of the transport enterprise (financial, organisational, marketing, social, technological, environmental) in accordance with the defined development strategies under martial law and post-war reconstruction. The practical application of the methodological approach to strategic management of transport enterprises in the context of economic uncertainty developed in the article will help to preserve domestic transport companies in the conditions of war and increase their competitiveness in the post-war period. The comprehensive implementation of the identified strategies will contribute to the development of innovative technologies, as well as European social and environmental transport standards in Ukraine.

Poradnictwo kulinarne okresu PRL jako źródło wiedzy o jedzeniu i ówczesnych warunkach życia codziennego

The article presents an attempt to examine what culinary trends were promoted during the Polish People’s Republic in cookbooks and culinary guides published at the time, and what image of the country emerged from such content. The main assumption of the study was that culinary guide writings published during the communist years largely reflected the peculiarities of the era, in its cultural, social and political aspects. In order to examine the subject matter, selected content in publications providing a broad range of household advice was analysed. The conclusions thus reached made it possible to prove that the cuisine of the Polish People’s Republic can be described not only through the lens of rational and collectivised consumption advice, but also in regard to how established traditions were drawn on under conditions of a limited supply of consumer goods.

Suspected poor-quality medicines in Kenya: a retrospective descriptive study of medicine quality-related complaints reports in Kenya’s pharmacovigilance database

Poor-quality, substandard and falsified, medicines pose a significant public health threat, particularly in low-middle-income countries. A retrospective study was performed on Kenya's Pharmacovigilance Electronic Reporting System (2014–2021) to characterize medicine quality-related complaints and identify associations using disproportionality analysis. A total of 2767 individual case safety reports were identified, categorized into medicines with quality defects (52.1%), suspected therapeutic failure (41.6%), and suspected adverse drug reactions (6.3%). Predominantly reported were antineoplastic agents (28.6%), antivirals (11.7%), and antibacterial agents (10.8%) potentially linked to non-adherence to good manufacturing practices, inappropriate usage and supply chain degradation. Notably, analgesics (8.2%), and medical devices (3.5%) notified had quality defects, predominantly from government health facilities (60.0%). Antineoplastic agents (20.2%) and antivirals (3.7%) were frequently reported from suspected therapeutic failures and suspected adverse drug reactions, respectively, across both private for-profit facilities (26.5%) and not-for-profit facilities (5.4%). Underreporting occurred in unlicensed health facilities (8.1%), due to unawareness and reporting challenges. Pharmacists (46.1%), and pharmaceutical technicians (11.7%) predominantly reported quality defects, while medical doctors (28.0%) reported suspected therapeutic failures. Orally administered generic medicines (76.9%) were commonly reported, with tablets (5.8%) identified as potential sources of suspected adverse drug reactions, while quality defects were notified from oral solutions, suspensions, and syrups (7.0%) and medical devices (3.9%). The COVID-19 pandemic correlated with reduced reporting possibly due to prioritization of health surveillance. This study provides valuable evidence to supporting the use of medicine quality-related complaints for proactive, targeted regulatory control of high-risk medicines on the market. This approach can be strengthened by employing standardized terminology to prioritize monitoring of commonly reported suspected poor-quality medicines for risk-based sampling and testing within the supply chain.

Design and analysis of government subsidies policy of capacity expansion under reselling and agency selling schemes

Major disruptions, such as the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the US-China trade war, have significantly impacted businesses and the global economy, creating a turbulent environment for society and supply chains. Globally, fighting disruptions and ensuring the supply of essential goods has become a significant challenge for governments. One possible solution is to strategically expand essential product capacity to increase supply resilience. Governments must cooperate closely with suppliers through carefully designed subsidy policies. A theoretical model based on current industry practices was built to explore and analyze the partnerships between governments and essential product suppliers. Our proposed model includes four players: the government, the supplier, the selling agent, and the consumer. We considered government subsidy policies for capacity expansion in building supply chains subject to two pricing designs: (1) government pricing and (2) market pricing. The results indicate that once a disruption occurs, social welfare increases with the government-subsidized expansion of essential goods to increase supply chain capacity. We analytically show that if the government does not support production expansion, the supplier can expand production only if the expansion cost is trivial. Furthermore, without government pricing, the product price increases in the government subsidy ratio. Hence, we conclude that government intervention is required to stabilize the market with proper price control, especially in the essential goods supply chain.

The utility and outcomes of the temporalis muscle flap for palate reconstruction after maxillectomy for malignancy

Back groundA common pedicled facial technique in head and neck reconstruction is the TMF It can be utilised to replace missing tissues in a variety of conditions, including oral deformities of the hard and soft palate.Aim of the study was to document the utility and outcomes with the reconstruction of the palate using TM flaps following Maxillectomy For maxillary sinus malignancies MethodologyThe study included 24 patients who were operated on for cancer maxilla and eligible for maxillectomy and reconstruction of the Palate using temporalis flap. Follow-up was planned for at least 12 months postoperative. Postoperative physical and speech therapy are initiated to help improve speech and swallow outcomes and to prevent trismus ResultsThe current study included 24 cases with Maxillary sinus cancer with a mean age of 42.34±4.67. The mean operative time was 5.4±1.22 hours with no reported intraoperative bleeding or injury of important structures .No cases of facial palsy or trismus were reported while partial flap loss was reported in one case where oronasal fistula was evident. The donor site complications were minimal where seroma occurred in two patients and alopecia , wound infection and dehiscence were reported in one case each. The donor site depression was evident in 25% of cases ConclusionTMF is an excellent option for the reconstruction of many craniofacial defects, it is easy to be harvested with good blood supply with minimal postoperative complications

Exploring the role of heuristics in buyer–supplier relationship dynamics

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the role of heuristics in the reassessment of relationship events and how it influences perceptions of commitment, fairness and relationship value. It answers the question of how heuristics interrelate with decision-makers’ evolving interpretations of commitment, fairness and relationship value in a specific buyer-supplier relationship.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents data from a longitudinal study of an evolving buyer–supplier relationship involving a multinational supplier of fast-moving consumer goods and a medium-sized and highly specialized supplier. It analyzes qualitative data about the use of heuristics in buyer–supplier relationships, and it is based on evidence collected from interviews, presentations, meetings and secondary data.FindingsThis paper shows that a buyer’s unexpected behavior can lead to a reassessment of commitment, fairness and relationship value. Heuristics can delay relationship reassessments, however. The case shows that heuristics have a preserving quality and that the effect of transformative events only slowly changes the perception of the value of the relationship. In this change process, the link between commitment, perceived fairness and heuristics is crucial.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to research on the relationship between buyer–supplier relationships and heuristics. In particular, the paper contributes to the understanding of how relational events in a buyer-supplier relationship change the commitment and perception of fairness, and how heuristics change accordingly. On a more overarching level, the study contributes to our understanding of business relationship dynamics.

A Commentary on the Jurisdictional Challenges in the Rand- Dollar Exchange Manipulation "Cartel": Competition Commission of South Africa v Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Designated Activity Company [2023] ZACT 26 (30 March 2023)

Cartels are the most egregious of competition law transgressions, because they entail a concerted effort on the part of cartel members to deliberately distort the market through price fixing, bid rigging, market allocation and constraining the supply of goods and services. Despite efforts by national competition authorities in various countries to combat cartelism, cartels have proved to have long tentacles, often extending beyond borders and morphing into "cross-border cartels". This contribution discusses one of the major challenges that cross-border cartels poses to competition authorities, that of prosecutorial and penal jurisdiction. The note focusses on the "banking cartel" that has been and still is the subject of contentious litigation. In March 2023 the Competition Tribunal (the Tribunal) handed down judgment in the matter of the Competition Commission of South Africa v Bank of America Merrill Lynch International Designated Activity Company [2023] ZACT 26 (30 March 2023). There were several questions in the matter, including the jurisdiction of the South African competition authorities to investigate and prosecute firms not incorporated or operating in South Africa (pure peregrini). The Competition Commission (the Commission) had initiated proceedings in the Tribunal against a host of banks for alleged cartel conduct, and some of the respondent banks raised objections and exceptions relating to the jurisdiction of the South African competition authorities. The note observes that while national competition authorities may have prosecutorial jurisdiction against cross-border cartels, there is still a challenge in enforcing an order where cartels are non-resident in the country. The contribution also notes potential challenges to cartel enforcement on the African continent in light of the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Due to the removal of various trade barriers, there is likely to be a rise in cross-border competition issues, including cross-border mergers and cross-border cartels. The note therefore discusses a pertinent issue, that of jurisdiction, which may well be a challenge within the AfCFTA.

Does a Fixed Establishment Have an Impact on the Place of Taxation of Goods?

In this article the author analyses the relationship between a fixed establishment (FE) and the place where the supply of goods is deemed to be located. In particular, he explores the relationship that exists between the FE and the parent company with regard to intra-Community supplies of tangible goods and addresses the question as to whether intervention by the FE in concluding the transaction in the Member State of destination of the goods results in the requalification of the supply as a domestic transaction.

Digital Public Services in Indonesia Show High Satisfaction and Adaptation Challenges Remain

General background: Public service is an essential function of government, aimed at fulfilling citizen needs through the provision of goods, services, and administrative support in accordance with regulations. Effective public service requires continuous bureaucratic reforms. Specific background: Lemujut Village, in collaboration with the Population and Civil Registration Service of Sidoarjo Regency, introduced the Online Service (Plavon) application to improve population administration and civil registration services. However, the effectiveness of the Plavon application remains underexplored. Knowledge gap: There is limited research on the effectiveness of digital public service platforms like Plavon in rural Indonesian settings, particularly in terms of productivity, efficiency, satisfaction, and adaptability. Aims: This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of the Plavon application in improving public service quality in Lemujut Village by analyzing five key elements: productivity, efficiency, satisfaction, adaptation, and development. Results: Findings indicate that productivity is high, with Plavon operators following procedures and maintaining public trust. However, efficiency is lacking, as some administrative processes fail to meet service time standards. Community satisfaction is notably high at 98.98%, but adaptation to digital services remains suboptimal due to inadequate socialization. Development efforts, such as coordinating via WhatsApp and establishing a call center, show significant progress. Novelty: This study provides a detailed evaluation of the Plavon application’s impact on village-level public services, highlighting the role of digitalization in improving service delivery while identifying challenges in community adaptation and efficiency. Implications: The findings suggest the need for enhanced socialization of digital services and continued development of digital infrastructure to ensure equitable access and efficiency in rural public services. Highlights: High public satisfaction, but service delays persist. Digital adaptation slow due to lack of community awareness. Effective coordination boosts service improvement efforts. Keywords: Public service, digital platform, Plavon, effectiveness, rural Indonesia

Imports and the CO2 emissions of firms

We explore how importing of intermediate goods affects the carbon intensity of firms in the Swedish manufacturing sector. By exploiting exogenous shocks to foreign export supply of intermediate goods, we estimate that a 10 percent increase in imports causes a 5.6 percent reduction in carbon intensity. Average carbon intensity among the firms in our sample between 2004 and 2016 decreased by around 50 percent, and our results suggest that import growth accounted for about a third of this decline. Exploring the mechanisms, we find evidence for both a technique effect and a product composition effect. Importing has a positive impact on productivity, scale of production, and abatement investments. It also encourages firms to focus more on their core products. We find no evidence for a pollution haven effect.

PENYELESAIAN CAPACITATED VEHICLE ROUTING PROBLEM PADA PENDISTRIBUSIAN AIR GALLON MENGGUNAKAN ALGORITMA KOLONI LEBAH

Distribution is one of the problems in the business and industrial world, for example the problem of delivering supplies of raw materials and other goods to several customers, where the delivery must be carried out exactly once by one or more vehicles to each customer with a certain capacity. In its development, this problem was formulated as the Capacitated Vehicle Routing Problem (CVRP). Based on the definition, CVRP is one of the most common variations of the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) problem to determine the optimal route with the addition of constraints in the form of homogeneous vehicle capacity. Here, we discussed the CVRP problem of the distribution route for Pak Nurrofiq's gallons of water from the depot to its customers in the Taman Sei Raya Complex, Serdam Asri Complex and Kapuas Mas Complex. The aim of this research is to create a mathematical model for the CVRP problem in the distribution of Pak Nurrofiq's drinking water and solve it using the bee colony algorithm. The bee colony algorithm is a metaheuristic algorithm based on the behavior of honey bees in searching for food sources. The research results show that the case of gallon water distribution was successfully implemented into CVRP and completed using the bee colony algorithm, 4 routes were obtained with a total distance of all routes, namely 9,068 km.

Efficiency of Supply Chain Management Performance in Potato Farming with Data Envelopment Analysis

The potato farmers in Karangreja District use two supply chain channels, namely the supply chain channel partnership non-partnership supply chain channels. The existence of a good supply chain channel, will provide benefits and benefits that are evenly distributed to all parties involved in distributing potato products to consumers. The purpose of this research is to analyze the differences in profit, farmer share, and supply chain efficiency in partnership and non-partnership patterns in Karangreja District, Purbalingga Regency. The farmer sampling method using Simple Random Sampling obtained 500 partnership pattern farmers and non-partnership pattern farmers. Determination of marketing agencies using the Snowball Sampling technique obtained collectors, wholesaler, and retailers. Analysis of the data used is the analysis of supply chain efficiency and analysis of different tests. The results of the analysis show the supply chain efficiency analysis shows that 42.86 farmers operating efficiently have partnership patterns and 57.20 non-partner pattern farmers. The different test analysis shows that for profit and farmer's share indicators there is a significant difference between the partnership pattern and the non-partnership pattern. As for the marketing margin indicators and performance efficiency, there is no significant difference between the partnership pattern and the non-partnership pattern

Contemporary Challenges in the Digitization of Companies' Foreign Trade Activities

Digitalisation enables companies to significantly reduce costs associated with their foreign trade activities. The implementation of digital technologies simplifies the organization and execution of foreign trade operations, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of exported goods. Furthermore, the widespread adoption of digital technologies within companies' foreign trade activities is driving the emergence of new trends in both the supply and demand of goods. This shift allows for the substitution of expensive resources with more cost-effective alternatives, reduces labour costs, and uncovers previously untapped resources in the production process. The article explores and substantiates the potential benefits of digitalization in the foreign trade activities of companies.

Current labor market in the EU and Ukraine: trends, problems, forecasting and solutions

The labor market is one of the economy changing components, it is quite similar to the market for goods and services, but instead of the demand and supply of goods, there is a demand and supply of labor, knowledge, skills and abilities that are supplied by the employee. The EU, in turn, is known for its openness to immigrants and the employment of third-country nationals. This creates new opportunities and challenges for workers and employers. Labor market research helps to understand the impact of immigration on labor markets. Covid-19 has actually become that springboard on the way to changes in the economies and labor markets of countries around the world. Transformations and changes that were just emerging until 2020 (this may safely include digitalization, automation, the spread of remote employment, etc.) will further intensify under the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian war and lead to a significant redistribution of workers between sectors. In general, labor market research in the EU and Ukraine helps countries to understand and respond to various challenges and opportunities related to employment, labor migration, economic development and social policy. The purpose of our work is to identify trends and problems that exist at the present stage of development of the labor market, as well as to forecast the further development of the labor market at the level of the European Union and Ukraine

Changes in the Supply of Public Intermediate Goods, Fixed Wage, and the Relative Price in the Harris-Todaro Model

Since the Harris-Todaro model was proposed in 1970, it has played a crucial role in analyzing various environmental and trade issues in developing countries. This paper analyzes the effects of the amount of public intermediate goods provided by the government, the increase in the fixed wage rate in the urban sector, and the changes in the relative international prices of agricultural and manufacturing goods on labor employment, unemployment, and the economic welfare in the context of a small open economy. It also proposes relevant policies to reduce the unemployment rate while improving national welfare.

2B or Not 2B?

In this article, the author explains that suppliers must collect essential information to distinguish if a supply of goods is a B2B or B2C transaction to treat it correctly for VAT purposes. When the supplier depends on information (not) provided by the customer, it is sometimes difficult to make the distinction between a B2B or B2C supply. In fact, other information, such as the nature of the goods or volumes sold, can help in making this distinction.

Analysis of UHT Diamond Milk Supplier Selection With Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) Method cafe Milkyway Coffe & Milk In Berau Regency, East Kalimantan

Every business sector certainly wants consistency in production results, this can be realized through collaboration with raw material providers or suppliers who can ensure the consistent availability of raw materials because the production of raw materials is very vital. Therefore, it is necessary to have a good raw material procurement system and supplier selection so that the production process can run smoothly. Milkyway Cafe is the first pioneering UKM of beverage and food business in Berau Regency, East Kalimantan which has a special characteristic of beverage products made from milk which are liked by many customers, especially teenagers, children, and families. There are problems experienced when selecting suppliers who provide raw materials for UHT milk because there are several factors to consider, namely price, delivery, service, and accuracy of quantities. The sample of the research is the owner of the business that regulates the procurement of UHT milk. The results of the analysis and calculation of the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) using Microsoft Excel stated that the chosen alternative, namely the Kompas with a weight value of 0.46, was superior to the Simpang Utama with a weighted value of 0.34 and the Tops Jaya with a weighted value of 0.20. The main factors that are prioritized in the selection of suppliers at Milkyway are service criteria with a weight value of 0.18, the accuracy of the number of goods with a weight value of 0.15, prices with a weight value of 0.08, and delivery with a weight value of 0.06.

Pareto optimal provisions as outcomes of voluntary public good supply

It is shown that a large set of public good supply levels that arise in a Pareto optimal allocation can also be attained as public good provisions in the Nash equilibrium of a non-cooperative provision game. With a not very far-fetched assumption on agents’ preferences this result even holds for all Pareto supply levels.