Optimizing a warranty–based sustainable product service system using game theory

Abstract

In recent years, the concepts of sustainability and product service system have been closely associated with each other. In today’s competitive markets, due to Extended Producer Responsibility and customer environmental awareness, producers shift from ‘product-seller’ towards ‘product-service provider’ for using the environmental and economic advantages of coupling a product with services. This paper proposes a novel approach to determine the optimal warranty period and the out-of-warranty replacement period, from the point of view of the producer and the customer to minimise the total cost of usage and end of life of product. As regards the fact that adopted strategies by producers and customers sometimes are in conflict and it affects choosing the optimal product usage period, a game theory model was developed in this study. Finally, a case study with data from chain of local notebook service centres was applied to demonstrate some practical aspects of the developed model.     

A sustainability approach for selecting maintenance strategy

Appropriate maintenance can prolong the life of an asset and prevent costly breakdowns that may result in lost production, failed shipping schedules and a decline in customer satisfaction. The goal of this study was to present a comprehensive framework that utilises sustainability metrics based on social, environmental and economic criteria to select an appropriate maintenance strategy among a variety of maintenance strategy alternatives, such as preventive, failure-based, reliability-centred, condition-based and total productive maintenance strategies, for a manufacturing company. The sustainability-based approach may significantly influence the personnel, energy, material and the overall costs in a company. In the first step of this paper, a sustainability-based decision-making structure is proposed for the maintenance strategy selection problem applying the concept of factor analysis to determine the leading factors in each of the sustainability pillars. In the next step, a fuzzy VIKOR framework is used to select the most appropriate maintenance strategy. The provided approach is illustrated using a manufacturing industry case study.     

Holistic well-being and sustainable organisations – A review and argumentative propositions

Abstract

This article discusses holistic well-being in a balanced work system theory framework. Holistic well-being is a combination of well-being in both work and non-work domains. Theories of balanced work systems and balanced organisations are retold in light of holistic well-being to show how different individuals in organisations can contribute to achieving desired outcomes at different process levels. Further, this article provides new insights and research challenges to the balanced organisation theory by including a sustainability aspect and by proposing a new concept of balanced value networks.     

Regional Research Capacity-Building in Sustainability Science: Facts,Gaps, and Futures in Northeast Asia

Abstract

Evidence shows that some conceptual ideas relevant to both local and global sustainability have been adopted in some official documents in northeast Asian nations, particularly China, South Korea, and Japan. This seems to be a very positive signal for the future development of sustainability science in this region. However, studyes show that there are still some major gaps there. One is the problem of how to build up the regional research capacity of sustainability science among northeast Asian research institutes across different disciplines as well as different political systems. Another is how to shift the conceptual frameworks of sustainability science into the operational policy frameworks. There are four major obstacles to the enhancement of regional research capacity-building in sustainability science. In order to build up the regional research capacity in sustainability science and to realize both local and global goals of the sustainable development in northeast Asia, this paper proposes some basic frameworks, including regional institutional innovations, establishment of a regional sustainability information network, initiatives of the regional assessment programme, and focus on the regional education and training of sustainability knowledge.     

成都龙泉山地区建设用地生态适宜性评价

随着景观格局与生态过程之间的关系日益受到重视,传统的评价方法已经不能满足生态适宜性评价的发展需要。本文以成都市龙泉山地区为例,从景观类型、生态功能、生态价值、土壤侵蚀敏感性和地质灾害敏感性5个方面建立评价指标体系,分别采用最小累积阻力模型和模糊综合评判法描述水平生态过程和垂直生态过程下的生态适宜性,综合两种评价结果进行建设用地的生态适宜性评价。研究结果表明,模型机理的差异使评价结果有着很大的区别,两种方法的综合应用可以有效弥补彼此的不足,本文将研究区的生态适宜性评价结果划分为禁止开发区、严格限建区、一般限建区、重点开发区和优化开发区5个分区,各区的面积分别为259．70km^2、793．89km2、1220．35km2、739．68km2和490．42km2。以往的生态适宜性评价方法往往单一地考虑水平或者垂直生态过程,本文构建的这种综合水平和垂直生态过程的评价方法为生态适宜性评价的方法研究提供了有益的尝试和补充。     

污染场地风险管控可持续评价指标体系构建及关键影响因素分析

以可持续发展理论和风险管理理念为基本原则的污染场地可持续风险管控已成为当前国际社会场地管理的重要决策问题和研究前沿热点,为明确影响污染场地风险管控可持续发展能力的决定性因素,基于国内外污染场地可持续风险管控相关文献的系统调研,构建契合我国场地管理背景的区域污染场地风险管控可持续评价体系,通过指标综合权重计算判定影响风险管控可持续发展能力的关键因子.结果表明,区域尺度上可能影响我国污染场地风险管控可持续性的指标多达44个,涵盖环境、社会、经济和技术这4个维度,单指标影响程度为0.26%～5.01%(平均值2.27%).潜在风险和温室气体排放(环境指标)、健康与安全和公众参与(社会指标)、管控成本和环保投资(经济指标)、修复周期和修复效果(技术指标)是影响我国污染场地风险管控可持续发展的重要因子,影响程度为1.89%～5.01%(平均值3.58%).具有较强政策敏感性的指标,包括考核指标、投融资创新、名录管理、能力建设、安全利用和制度建设等,对风险管控可持续性已经产生1.18%～3.48%的正向影响,随着政策制度的深入落实与全面地域推广,其对风险管控可持续发展的助力效应将更加明显.     

秦皇岛港建设绿色企业文化探析

建设绿色企业文化是秦皇岛港实现绿色发展的前提,对港口的发展有深远的意义和重要作用.秦皇岛港应从强化领导意识、提高职工素质、完善绿色制度体系、构建绿色企业形象等方面入手建设港口绿色企业文化.     

Interactions between water and land in The Netherlands

The Netherlands are one of the most densely populated coastal countries in the world and there is only limited space for living, working, transport and recreation, while there is also the need to preserve and expand valuable natural habitats. In order to solve many existing and future conflicts of interest, and in order to create ‘added value’, strategies are developed to optimize the use of water-land systems. The principle of ‘building with nature’ is applied in order to integrate land in sea and water in land in such a way that future generations will be able to use coastal resources in a sustainable way, including a minimal effort to maintain the coastline and the promotion of a multiple-use system. The concept of Integrated multifunctional sustainable coastal zone development is introduced. This concept deals with a balanced approach to the lack of space for present and future coastal uses in relation to each other, to the hinterland, and to the sea. Flexible master plans are developed, taking into account many functions of the coastal zone, and facilitating adaptation to future developments—e.g. impacts of climate change and relative sea level rise. In this regard increasing the flexibility of the coastal zone is of vital importance. Large-scale coastal land reclamations in The Netherlands are dealt with, based on two different principles: (1) polder systems (low lying land reclamations surrounded and protected by dikes), (2) systems of ‘building with nature’—land reclamation protected by man-made foreshores, beaches and dunes. In the latter type new flexible dynamic-equilibrium coasts are created for many functions, while coastal vulnerability is reduced and a flexible coast is developed.     

不同农田土壤养分可持续性指数的研究

讨论了不同农田土壤碳、氮、磷、钾养分的可持续性指数。结果表明,不同施肥方式、不同土壤类型对碳、氮养分可持续性指数的影响表现为有机肥配施化肥处理＞有机肥处理＞化肥处理,潮土＞水稻土＞红壤;对磷、钾养分表现为化肥处理＞有机肥配施化肥处理＞有机肥处理,水稻土＞潮土＞红壤。相关分析表明,土壤养分可持续性指数与土壤养分相关或极相关。这表明,土壤养分可持续性指数可以用来评价土壤肥力和指示土壤养分的动态变化。     

水资源的可持续开发与利用

水是一切生物生存环境的最重要支撑,只有可持续地开发利用水资源,才能创造一个可持续发展的社会和生存环境。针对日趋严重的淡水资源危机,本文以水资源的可持续存在为基础,从整体的角度出发,而不是就水论水,探讨了可持续开发、利用水资源的五个途径:经济向生态效益型转向、可持续开发水资源、建立水资源核算体系、建立水资源政策分析机制、人人参与水资源管理,从而实现环境完整性、经济效率和平衡三个基本目标。