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The purpose of this paper is to examine out‐of‐stock (OOS) challenges in the independent grocery sector with a special emphasis on in‐store root causes. The analysis aims to assess the extent and root causes for OOS in the independently controlled retail sector and provide a comparison of these results with the centrally controlled chain sector in Denmark. The paper also seeks to examine the practices and challenges of store ordering and store replenishment processes in the independent sector and identify practical implications for store management and other members of the grocery channels.

The research design includes two studies. Study‐I surveys and compares the extent and root causes of OOS of 42 stores from eight chains in the two sectors. Study‐II identifies, based on qualitative interviews with 17 store managers/owners of independent stores, specific insights on store operations.

The quantitative study shows that the OOS rates in the independent sector are significantly higher than in the centrally organized sector. Furthermore, the independent grocery sector faces OOS challenges in more categories than the centrally controlled sector. The study also reveals a very large variation in the performance of independent stores. Contrary to the centrally controlled chain store sector, the major root cause for OOS in the independent sector is found in the store ordering process. The qualitative study shows that the main discriminating issues between stores with a low and a high OOS rate are: store management emphasis and commitment to OOS issues; the resulting priority and managerial guidance in store ordering and store replenishment tasks; the stability of staff and the proper planning for replenishment peaks; the store size and resulting space conditions; and the use of appropriate decision heuristics and use of inventory in store ordering.

The findings have practical implications for store management as it reveals practices to pursue and to avoid. Also, it is argued that the findings have implications for the other members of the grocery channels.

Empirically, this paper explores two issues not being dealt with in depth in previous research, i.e. the OOS challenge in the independent sector and the emphasis on store operations.

These fourteen software programs can help managers do strategic planning and teach them the consequences of strategic decisions.

The paper aims to explore factors that impinge on the “insider‐researcher” (IR) when undertaking a work‐based learning project, which will result in the creation of a context analysis framework.

A qualitative, interpretative approach with the IR as central to the research process, together with data from students work‐based projects, research literature and texts, and an academic advisers' focus group.

Themes of benefits and constraints identified the organisation, the clients and co‐workers and the IR benefiting from work‐based projects. The positionality and personal attributes of the IR may be a constraint. Of major consideration are ethical issues arising from the project process. Academics' concerns include student supervision, the impact on the IR, and factors affecting change and project processes.

A small study constrained by the researcher being central to the data and therefore introducing potential bias to the interpretation.

The creation of a context analysis framework as a tool to assist the work‐based student, the academic and the workplace in preparing to implement a work‐based project.

No similar analysis tool has been published. This can contribute significantly to the work‐based curriculum. The issues that concern researchers, academic practitioners and work‐based students during a work‐based project have not been previously investigated. A good practice guide for projects can result from this.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a complete theory of grey conflict analysis model based on grey game and the graph model for conflict resolution and also, to illustrate a case of “prisoner's dilemma” in the traditional grey game as an example.

Based on the theories of grey game and graph model for conflict resolution, this paper concentrates on the model of grey conflict analysis in a case of two players under the condition of symmetrical loss information. By analyzing decision makers, strategies, states, graph model and grey potential, and the number of decision makers' steps, the pure strategy Nash equilibrium is extended to grey potential‐general metarationality, grey potential‐symmetrical metarationality, and grey potential‐sequential stability. Meanwhile, the logical relationships between solutions are discussed. A specific case study is carried out to illustrate how the proposed grey conflict analysis model is used in practice.

The results in this paper indicate that more stable solutions are found when one considers the grey potential‐general metarationality, the grey potential‐symmetrical metarationality, and the grey potential‐sequential stability, and then solve the paradox of “prisoner's dilemma”.

This new grey conflict analysis model could be used to provide useful information for policy makers during existing conflicts or negotiations among parties or enterprises.

The paper succeeds in constructing a new grey conflict analysis model, in which the solution concepts are studied; and the two‐player grey game will be extended to n‐players in the near future.

With the advance of the Silk Road Initiative proposed by China, it has been a focus of China government to develop strategic emerging industries. The development of strategic emerging industries needs the support of competitive intelligence on many aspects such as strategical planning, policy making, industrial structure adjustment, and technology innovation. However, so far there are few studies toward the competitive intelligence systems for strategic emerging industries. In this article, we focus on a number of issues related to the competitive intelligence for strategic emerging industries in China. First, we conduct a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats analysis on the situations of strategic emerging industries in China, based on which the necessity of building a competitive intelligence (CI) service system for strategic emerging industries is discussed. Next, the authors present a framework of a CI service system for strategic emerging industries in China. The principles, components, working process, and product forms are deeply described. The CI service system proposed in this article consists of a cooperation network platform, three layered organizations, and three systems, which integrates organizations, information, people, network, and service platforms into an ecosystem to offer competitive intelligence supports for government, industry, and enterprises. Finally, the authors discuss a case study of the proposed CI service system for the new energy automobile industry.

An empirical examination of the product elimination decision‐making processes in American and British manufacturing firms was presented. Specifically, two areas of the product elimination decision‐making process are presented: (1) the precipitating circumstances which “triggered” the product elimination decision‐making process to begin; and (2) the variables used to make the elimination/retention are reviewed. It was concluded that the decision making processes were similiar in the two countries.

In this chapter, I discuss intersectionality in relation to complexity theory as an approach to social systems, inspired by Sylvia Walby's ground-breaking work where she brings together these two theoretical perspectives (2007, 2009, p. 250). In order to apply her synthesis to my study of migrant nurses to Norway, I examine the methodological potential of Bourdieu-inspired feminist concept of capitals (Adkins & Skeggs, 2004) in grasping the connections between individual agency and intersecting systems of inequality.

–The paper originated in challenges trying to theorize and research practices and processes of actors engaged in transnational activities for business and everyday life. Key concern was the assumption that actors’ identities remain the same regardless of time/space. While intersectional analysis once seemed a reasonable analytical approach the authors wondered about starting from identity-based categorical schemes in a world where mobility may be ever more the ontological status of everyday experiences and social structuring. Thus, the paper addresses limitations of intersectional analysis in such situations and advances its recasting via mobile conceptualizations, redressing its analytical purchase for contemporary subject formation.

Discusses emergence of intersectionality at a particular point in time, its success and proliferation, and more recent critiques of these ideas. Develops alternative conceptualization – mobile subjectivities – via literatures on mobilities in the context of globalization. Illustrates the value of these arguments with ethnographic examples from a multi-sited ethnographic project and analyses. Concludes by examining implications for new feminist theorizations under neoliberalism and globalization.

Observing the constitution of a “mobile selfhood” in actual transnational business activities is a step toward making sense of complex processes in contemporary subject formation under globalized market neoliberalism.

“Mobile subjectivities” suggest that analyses of oppression and subordination must be ongoing, no matter which “new subjectivities” may appear under “the latest regime.”

Theoretical and empirical analyses facilitated a reconceptualization of intersectionality as a mobile, precarious, and transitory accomplishment of selfhood temporarily fixed by the neoliberal rhetoric of “choice” and “self-empowerment.” This is of particular value for understanding transnational practices and processes of contemporary organizational actors.

Humanitarian Supply chain Management (HSCM) is concerned with managing the efficient flow of aid materials, information and services to reduce the impact of disaster on human lives. Post 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the relief activities in India were not planned and executed properly. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the present situation existing to tackle a disaster, identify the gaps and suggest few mechanisms to overcome the gaps.

A situation‐actor‐process (SAP) learning‐action performance (LAP) model has been applied to analyze the HSCM activities in India. The “situation” represents the present scenario of the organization. Actors are the participants, influencing the situation to evolve different business processes. Based on SAP, various “learning” issues have been analyzed which lead to suitable “action” to be followed by impact of SAP on the “performance” of the supply chain of the organization.

Various issues that need attention are identification of the supply sources, co‐ordination among the actors, importance of a central authority, role of experienced SCM professionals, scarcity and abundance of the resources may be seen together, supply chain understanding in the disaster management and necessity of a financial supply chain.

The general model of SAP‐LAP is used to explain various issues of HSCM in a managerial context.

The SAP‐LAP model presents the situation of HSCM in India to actors who may initiate the relief operations. It also helps in identifying issues in the current method of operation. The synthesis of SAP leads to LAP, which helps in suggesting the improvement actions or the learning from the present situation, actors and processes.

The paper presents a novel approach to analyze qualitative issues of HSCM in a single model comprising various perspectives on activities undertaken during the relief operations, both prior to disaster and post disaster.

Draws on the works of a number of authors to synthesize a conceptual framework (or, as we prefer, a linguistic‐conceptual system) within which to think about conceptual frameworks; indicates within that system what conceptual frameworks “are”; describes within that system what it “is” that we do when we appropriate them; specifies within that system what it “is” which we do when we apply them; suggests ways in which thinking about conceptual frameworks in the manner indicated may contribute to the development of competence in their appropriation and skilful application; points out the ways in which that competence might be expected to contribute to increased problem‐solving effectiveness, and identifies several implications for instruction. Suggests that the “theory‐practice gap” arises as a partial consequence of our failure to conceptualize adequately the “nature” of conceptual frameworks and the manner in which their use can enhance effectiveness in the analysis and reformulation of unstructured problems.