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The purpose of this paper is to propose a new approach for the supply chain management. This approach is based on the virtual enterprise paradigm and the usage of multi‐agent concept. The base component of our approach is a virtual enterprise node (VEN). The supply chain is viewed as a set of tiers (corresponding to the levels of production), in which each partner of the supply chain (VEN) is in relation with several customers and suppliers. Each VEN belongs to one tier. The main customer gives global objectives (quantity, cost and delay) to the supply chain. The mediator agent (MA) is in charge to manage the supply chain in order to respect those objectives as global level. Those objectives are taking over to negotiator agent at the tier level (NAT). This architecture allows supply chains management which is completely transparent seen from simple enterprise of the supply chain. The use of multi‐agent system allows physical distribution of the decisional system. Moreover, the hierarchical organizational structure with a decentralized control guarantees, at the same time, the autonomy of each entity and the whole flexibility.

This Special Issue of The Electronic Library on the “Impact of information technology on indigenous peoples” gathers articles from several different countries and cultures in an effort not only to highlight the difficulties faced by indigenous peoples with accessing the Internet or using computers, but also to show how they are aiming at self‐determination and supporting their goals as sovereign nations, as well as preserving their heritage. The articles, in most cases specially written for this Issue, illustrate how tribal nations are using information technology to explore their culture, document these efforts, and share elements of their perspectives with the larger world.

Highlights the need for professionals who refer customers among themselves to acquire up‐to‐date information on specialists available in the area and their performance. Develops a model to assist with the understanding of this process. Discusses several managerial implications related to marketing referrals. Concludes that further investigations of the model are needed in other service markets.

The innovation expected by clients is identified as a business success factor of industrial companies in the current decade and the accountability of it is primarily attributable to Research and Development (R&D), which makes it a strategic topic for studies on the decision-making process. In light of this, the purpose of this paper is to present a decision aiding methodology used to support R&D management in the technology-based company, specialised in refrigeration solutions and world leader in the hermetic compressor market.

It is an exploratory study and has deductive-inductive logic and uses a quail-quantitative approach. It uses the Knowledge Development Process Constructivist (ProKnow-C) to systemically revise the literature surrounding the theme in order to identify research opportunities in the subject and adopts the Multi-Criteria Decision Aiding Constructivist (MCDA-C) methodology as an instrument of organisational performance evaluation to fulfil the research opportunities identified.

In the theoretical aspect, this research fulfilled the opportunities observed in recent and qualified literature about R&D performance evaluation. The paper also offers practical implications for the performance evaluation in R&D, since the methodology allowed the R&D manager to build knowledge to understand the consequences of his decisions in the criteria deemed important by himself.

The importance of this work covers academic and practical interests, as it documents the application of MCDA-C and increases knowledge concerning R&D management, whilst developing a recurrent tool of decision aiding in the context of the company studied.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a 3D route planner, called 3DPLAN, which employs the Fast‐Pass A* algorithm to find optimum paths in the large grid.

The Fast‐Pass A* algorithm, an improved best‐first search A* algorithm, has a major advantage compared to other search methods because it is guaranteed to give the optimum path.

In spite of this significant advantage, no one has previously used A* in 3D searches. Most researchers think that the computational cost of using A* for 3D route planning would be prohibitive. This paper shows that it is quite feasible to use A* for 3D searches if one employs the new mobility and threat heuristics that have been developed.

This paper reviews the modification of the previous 3DPLAN in the ocean dynamical environment. The test mobility map is replaced with more realistic mobility map that consists of travel times of each grid point to each of its 26 neighbors using the actual current velocity data from the Navy Coastal Ocean Model – East Asian Seas version. Numerical comparison between the A* and genetic algorithms (GA) shows that the A* algorithm has significantly faster running time than GA.

These new heuristics substantially speed up the A* algorithm so that the run times are quite reasonable for the large grids that are typical of 3D searches.

Studies that investigate the length of stay as a predictor of consumer post-purchase behavior are rare despite its importance in efficient hotel management. By analyzing online customer reviews, this study aims to fill this gap in the extant literature on the relationship between length of stay and customer satisfaction level.

The authors collected and used online review data on hotels in London for this study. A series of linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the effect of length of stay on customer satisfaction as measured by review ratings. The authors used the Mahalanobis matching approach to confirm the empirical findings.

This analysis shows that length of stay is negatively associated with customer satisfaction. Additionally, the authors find that this negative relationship is stronger in high-end hotels than in low-end hotels.

The research findings contribute to the literature by shedding light on a new stream of research, namely, length of stay. Additionally, the research findings offer novel insights that could help hotel managers understand the trade-off between longer stays and customer satisfaction.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the first few studies to show the systematic impact of length of stay on the valence of online review ratings, as well as the moderating effect of hotel levels by analyzing customer online reviews on hotel experiences.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the organizing practices of a Lakota Sun Dance, and to contribute to the literature on rituals and ceremonies in organizational culture.

The researcher acted as participant-as-observer during this extended ceremony. Fieldnotes capturing observations and informal interviews with Lakota elders were the source of data as recording devices were not permitted on the Sun Dance grounds. Observations were conducted for approximately 45 hours over the course of five days.

The Lakota Sun Dance can be understood through organizational theory, particularly through a unique integration of the concepts of agency, loosely coupled systems, and just-in-time organizing. The current research highlights the role of agency in organizational ceremonies.

This research offers a thick description of the organizing practices of an extended Lakota ceremony. The integration of traditional Lakota organizing principles with modern organizational theory is absent from the literature, and offers a unique perspective on organizing from a non-Western perspective.

Tribal archives are an essential resource for documenting cultural history. This article explores the essential archival functions of a tribal repository and addresses special concerns tribal archivists may face in managing these unique institutions. Tribal archives are growing in number, sparking new initiatives for training and collaboration among those tribes that house archives. As more and more documentation becomes available in electronic form, more repositories feel the pressure to contribute material. Electronic media and the Internet pose a number of concerns and possibilities for tribal archives and tribes as a whole. Funding is perhaps the most important factor in supporting digitization projects. There are a number of ways that archives, libraries and museums of tribes can obtain financial support. Funding agencies such as the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the National Park Service, and the National Historical Publications and Records Commission all administer both competitive and non‐competitive grants in support of museums, libraries and archives.