Three learning modules on corporate social responsibility (Systems Processes Learning Module, Codes of Conduct Auditing Terminology, and Factory Audit Simulation) were developed and assessed in an upper division course in global fashion sourcing. Three forms of assessment resulted in revisions to the learning modules to meet the learning objectives.

The research examines the role of social media as a part of marketing communications strategy in the fashion industry. The aim is to develop a conceptual framework for marketing communications in the digital age, given the rise in importance of social media and the decline of traditional print media in terms of fashion influence.

The paper supports the idea that competition is nowadays played among supply chains rather than among companies. The competitive action has been mainly analyzed as a single actor' strategy, looking for gaining a competitive advantage over competitors (Porter, 2008). The competitive advantage is connected to distinctive resources and capabilities owned and/or controlled by the single actor and, especially, to how a company is capable to combine and connect such resources and capabilities reaching a distinctive positioning (Grant, 1991). By re-defining the most traditional view, Porter underlines how strategy has to look for uniqueness rather than to the search for being better than others in the market (Porter, 1996). Following such a view, scholars have addressed their attention to identify new sources of differential advantage, based on a at least temporary uniqueness. Such new sources mostly rely on intangible issues and on the capability to perform more efficiently and effectively market-driven processes (Day, 1994). By shifting his view from tangible to intangible issues, from products to processes, literature has focalized on the company's network relationships as fundamental sources of differential advantage (Hakansson, Snehota, 1989; Dyer, Singh, 1998). The structure and dynamics of a company's business relationships, as well as the company's relational capabilities can sensibly make the difference between one company's performance and another's in the eye of the customer. Processes of value creation and delivery capable to meet customer expectations are only in part referred to activities performed by a single supplier company. Rather, they are connected to a number of companies that interact and connect their resources and capabilities in supply chains' contexts (Christopher, 2012; Cox, Lamming 1995). The customer satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) can be addressed to a single supplier, notably the branded company that directly interfaces with the customer but it is strongly connected to how the branded company's supply chain has been able to mobilize resources, connect activities and exchange information. (Dyer, 1996; Gadde et al., 2010). In confronting and evaluating its perceptions in respect to two different brands a customer expresses his satisfaction (or not) towards the performance of two different supply chains (Hines, 2004). Taking a branded company, driving a supply chain (it is also known as strategic center or leader company), structuring, mobilizing and enabling effective and efficient business relationships with effective and efficient suppliers becomes the most important tool to gain market shares and keep customers satisfied. As network literature well explains, even if a company is a leader in a supply chain, business relationships with supplier companies can only be partially addressed and oriented, mobilized. (Ford, Hakansson, 2002). The general aim of this paper is to discuss the impact of the processes of contractual formalization in business networks on the competitiveness of the supply chains. More precisely, the paper focalizes on a new tool introduced by Italian government, named "Contratto di Rete" (Network Contract - NC)1, that can be also useful to reinforce, orient and develop efficient and effective supply chains. The NC is not simply a type of strategic business alliance as a joint venture or a consortium can be (Guercini and Woodside 2012). It is a flexible tool that companies may use and it is a legal framework within which a network of companies can experiment various opportunities to innovate and to be more competitive. The NC sustains SMEs' development and competitiveness, especially in an international context. The NC also represents a new way of response for Italian SMEs to the current economic crisis, and to the challenges posed by an increasingly globalized and competitive market. Small and medium enterprises represent a significant portion of the industry in most countries. This share is particularly relevant in the Italian reality. In Italy the weight very strong of the small business and the relative weakness of big business has recently been the focus of debate on the loss of competitiveness of the country's industrial system (Coltorti et al., 2013). Empirically, the paper studies the case of Gucci and its supply chains that have used the NC to reinforce and promote their positioning and their performance. In particular, sponsored by the Florentine brand of luxury and with the support of Confindustria Florence, three NC have been developed - P.re.Gi. , Almax and Fair – among the companies of three supply chains of small leather goods , bags and luggage . Each of the three networks includes companies that provide the complete production cycle, from cutting the skin and in one case even tanning to the final packaging of the object . The idea behind the signing of the “Contratto di rete” is come together to promote the transfer of innovation, knowledge transfer, know -how and training, but also to make economies of scale, improve access to credit, streamline costs and streamlining the supply chain, to ensure improved transparency in the flow of marginalization by the leader until the last sub-contractor. In each of the three networks, the parent company is different from Gucci that is left out of the contract. But, most interesting, Gucci will play the role of facilitator, subject to address and exchange of best practices, support and advice in the organizational, technological, financial and training issues. By studying the three NC, the paper wants to emphasize the most important issues both supporting and limiting the action of supply chains as competitive sets. Based on our preliminary study of these Network Contracts, made possible by the availability of a large secondary material and by the research conducted by the authors both on the new legislative tool leading to formalized networks and on the business networks spread since long-term in the leather industry, we formulate some propositions which can be tested as hypothesis or considered as alternatives explanations of the possible role played by the NC to support the competitiveness of companies and supply chains. The study of the Network Contract must take into account with attention to different layers it may impact and influence the competitiveness of the supply chains. At a first layer, it can be a tool of survival of present existing competitive ability and/or supporting the development of new capabilities. One aspect not mutually exclusive but complement the other. It can, however, be interesting to see logic sub-standing the formalization of existing networks and which are the objectives present in the declared intentions as well as those emerging from the observation of the behavior of the actors involved. You may recognize different levels of goal through the process of formalization. A first objective is linked to the fact that the importance of business networks makes them subject to specific policy of public policy makers. This makes the process of formalization important and useful for access policies to support networks. In this sense, a first proposition can be the following: P1. The network contract represents a tool of formalization of existing business networks that allows first to make visible, perceptible such structures and enabling policy makers to support them through appropriate policies to support their growth or survival. At a second layer, the formalization of existing networks can have organizational impacts. The recognition of a strategic center within the network, the formal creation of central coordination unit, or at least the existence of roles and shared resources can also substantially initiating organizational changes that make the network an entity able to access to larger economies and critical mass in respect to individual companies. The contractual formalization can produce effects on the roles of the individual actors involved and determine a different conduct of trials. This can allow the achievement of economies, the achievement of critical mass to trigger new initiatives, to realize innovations. Where networks emerge from declining districts the depletion of external economies can be a way to internalizing in formalized networks a part of the resources as an answer to the crisis of the external district. NC can thus support companies to benefit from the shift from external economies to internal “networks” economies In this sense, a second proposition can be the following: P2. The formalization through contracts in business networks has organizational effects that result in new processes and methods of use of the resources that can affect the operation of the business network and generate economies. At a third layer, in addition to affecting the relationship between the companies and the policy makers as well as the organizational processes in the business network, the formalization by NC can have effects on the contents of the strategy implemented by the firms involved and implemented by the whole chain. Particularly in the luxury sector competition among supply chains assumes importance in terms of exclusivity and the level of quality of the offered products. The contents of the strategy have systematically need to take account of the supply chains. This pushes systematically luxury brands (defined as actors) to search for forms of vertical control through ownership (acquisition of suppliers) and through contracts (contracts for exclusive supply). Consider the role of supply chain strategies related to issues such as: (1) ecological sustainability and social sustainability of productions from luxury brands; (2) country of origin and country of product design on which is affixed the company logo; (3) traceability and guarantees associated with the use of branded products etc. In this sense, a third proposition can be the following: P3. The formalization of contracts in business networks has effect on the strategies declared and / or emerging from the behavior of the actors, both in terms of content and dynamics in the implementation. The paper, through an in-depth analysis of the three networks connected to the Gucci’s supply chain, wants to test the hypotheses corresponding to the three propositions formulated above making a comparison between the supply networks before and after the formalization of the business relationships by the Network Contract. The paper is structured as follows: in the first section the paper emphasizes the shift from a view of competition among companies to competition among supply chains and stresses major problems emerging in supply network dynamics. It then focalizes on the NC tool and its characteristics that can support supply network dynamics. The paper thus focuses on the three networks connected to the brand Gucci. In the final section, the paper summarizes the three mail levels of impact that the NC may have on the supply chains’ competitiveness: the supportive level, the organizational level and the strategic level. A comparison between the main issues affecting supply chains competitiveness in case of their formalized or not-formalized networks structure let draw final conclusions are on the role of Network contracts as positive and negative promoter on supply chains competitiveness.

This research aims to understand how an interdisciplinary approach could help Italian firms to enhance their offer to the market. In this perspective, authors have studied benefits and obstacles of an interdisciplinary research approach, by describing the case of RITRATTO, a project by University of Florence referents of various disciplines (agronomy, design, engineering, history and marketing).

Clostridium perfringens (C. perfringens) 와 Mycobacterium fortuitum (M. fortuitum)은 동물과 사람에서 심각한 질병과 관련이 있는 세균들로 알려져 있다. 본 연구에서는, povidoneiodine을 주성분으로 하는 소독제의 살균효과를 C. perfringes와 M. fortuitum을 대상으로 평가하였다. 소독제의 살균효과는 배지희석법을 이용하여, 대상 세균들을 4℃에서 소독제에 30분 동안 노출시킨 다음, 가장 낮은 소독제의 살균 희석배수를 결정하였다. 소독제는 경수와 유기물로 희석하였으며, 경수 조건에서, C. perfringes와 M. fortuitum에 대해 효과적인 소독제 희석배수는 각각 50과 80배이었다. 유기물 조건에서는, C. perfringes와 M. fortuitum에 대해 효과적인 소독제 희석배수는 모두 15배로 나타났다. 이상의 결과로부터, povidone-iodine을 주성분으로 하는 소독제는 C. perfringes와 M. fortuitum에 대해 살균효과를 갖는 것으로 확인되었으며, C. perfringes와 M. fortuitum에 의한 질병의 확산을 방지하기 위해 사용될 수 있을 것으로 사료된다.

본 실험은 단기간 ABA처리가 토마토 묘의 생장과 증산율, 기공 저항성 및 건조 내성에 미치는 영향 을 검토하기 위하여 수행되었다. 실험은 25일간 플러그 트레이에서 육묘한 토마토 묘를 간이 수경재배 키트에 이식하여 양액 육묘하면서 ABA처리 효과와 건조 내성을 검토하였다. 배양액에 ABA를 0.5, 1, 2, 및 3mg·L−1 의 농도로 첨가한 4개의 처리구와 무처리구를 설계하여 5일과 10일간 양액육묘한 뒤 묘소질, 엽온, 증산율, 기공확산 저항성을 측정하였다. 건조 내성을 검토하기 위한 수분 스트레스 처리는 PEG 8,000을 이용하여 -5bar로 조정한 고삼투압 용액에 ABA처리 직후의 묘를 이식한 뒤, 묘의 위조 정도를 조사하였다. 저농도(0.5와 1mg·L−1) 의 ABA처리구에서 묘소질은 경경을 제외하고 대부분의 생육에서 통계적 유의차는 나타나지 않았으나, 2와 3mg·L−1의 농도에서는 지상부의 생장이 억제되었다. 근권부의 생장은 1mg·L−1의 농도처리에서만 뿌리의 건물 중과 생체중, 전표면적, 근장, 근경, root tip수 모두가 유의적으로 증가하였으며, 그 외의 처리농도에서는 일부의 생육지표를 제외하고는 유의적 차이가 나타나지 않았다. ABA처리 농도가 증가함에 따라 기공확산 저항성은 증가하고 증산율은 감소하는 경향을 보였다. 또, ABA처리는 묘의 건조 내성을 증가시켜 ABA가 첨가된 배양액에서 5일 또는 10일간 육묘한 묘를 -5bar 용액에 치상하였을 경우 대조구는 치상후 10시간 후부터 묘의 위조가 시작되어 20시간 후에는 모든 개체가 위조하였으나, ABA처리구는 치상 30시간 후부터 위조가 시작되어 50시간이 경과해서야 모든 개체가 위조되었다. 또, 수분 스트레스처리로 위조된 묘를 재관수하였을 경우 ABA 0.5와 1mg·L−1처리구는 100%, 그 이상 농도 처리구에서도 50%이상 회복되었으나, 무처리구의 경우는 전개체가 고사하였다. 이상의 결과 토마토 육묘과정에서 저농도의 ABA처리를 통한 근권부의 생장 촉진과 건조 내성 증진 가능성이 시사되었으나, 상업적 활용을 위해서는 추가적인 검토가 필요할 것으로 판단된다.

It is imperative to know the reproductive parameters of the existing swine breed for profitable farming in Bangladesh. This study was designed to determine the reproductive parameters of sows at hilly areas. A total of 245 pigs with 47 breedable sows were included. The data on age at puberty, oestrous cycle length, oestrus duration, gestation length, interval between furrowing and onset of oestrus, first service pregnancy rate, service per pregnancy and number of piglets born per sow in local and cross bred sows were determined. The present study revealed that age at puberty of local and cross breed sows was 232.5±8.4, 221.3±6.9 days, respectively. Oestrous duration was 41.1±3.1 hours. The interval between furrowing and onset of oestrus was shorter in cross bred sows. There was no variation in values of oestrus cycle length and gestation length. The first service pregnancy rate was higher in both the local and cross bred sow. Number of piglets per sow per farrowing was 6.1±2.2 and 60.9% local sows gave birth of 3 to 5 piglets per farrowing whereas 75.0% cross bred sows gave birth of 6 to 9 piglets. These results suggest that reproductive parameters of local sow need to be improved for better production, and cross bred sows should be reared for obtaining expected productivity.

Launched in 2008 and 2010 respectively, Instagram and Pinterest are two of the fasted growing social media platforms with 220 million users combined (Leverage 2014, Techcrunch 2014, Loren & Swiderski 2012). Their success is due to their simplicity and a focus on visuals rather than text, furthermore they are described as platforms with strategic potential for fashion brands (Wired 2012). Despite this, many fashion brands have been slow to engage with them. However the Huffington Post (2012) suggests that the visual social media has a wide appeal with respect to both brand positioning and increasing awareness. Recent research by Mashable (2014) highlights that referral traffic and spend is higher from Pinterest users than Facebook users, and this contributes to the rationale for study. The aim of this reseach is twofold, firstly it is to explore the reasons for the utilisation of visual social media platforms within a fashion brands marketing planning cycle, and second it seeks to identify the strategic and operational ways in which fashion brands can use them. For the purpose of this paper only Instagram and Pinterest are investigated. Using a qualitative and inductive approach, the study will use in-depth elite interviews with 6 UK fashion brands (2 Luxury, 2 mid-market, 2 value) alongside content analysis of their platforms. This will enable the research to also consider how each platform can be harnessed at different levels of the market therefore contributing to the lack of empirical applied research in this area.

In line with the significant impact of information overwhelming on consumer behavior, the study conducted by Iyengar and Lepper (2000) showed that information overload could merely happen while being presented by too much choice, which is also referred as the phenomenon of “choice overload.” In contrast to the classic economic and psychological theories that the more choice, the better, their field observation and lab experiment concluded the finding that having more choice may be demotivating. Through the classic jam study of theirs, which was conducted in an upscale grocery store, they found that while displaying 24 different exotic jams at the sample booth (the large choice set) in the store, only three percent of the sampling shoppers actually purchased one of the jams. However, 30 percent of the sampling shoppers purchased one of the jams during the display of six jam samples (the small choice set). The too-much-choice effect was observed not only in the supermarket but also in an educational context. While providing six versus 30 essay topics to students, the quality of essays was found to be significantly better in the limited-choice (6) condition than in the extensive-choice (30) condition. In marketing practices, marketers tend to provide abundant alternatives to consumers because it increases the likelihood to match different needs and interests of various consumers (Haynes, 2009). However, researchers have noticed that providing extensive choice could result in negative consequences such as making one dissatisfied and unconfident with the choice or defer the decision. Although many empirical studies have shown that the too-much-choice effect occurs in different contexts (e.g. charity donation, prize drawing, and essay topics) or with various product categories (e.g. mp3 players, pens, and chocolates), it has not been consistently observed. Scheibehenne, Greifeneder, and Todd (2009) did not find the statistically significant relation between the size of choice sets (small vs. large) and the percentage of the participants who made a choice in the restaurant-picking task and charity donation task. To better understand the too-much-choice effect, thus, the purpose of this study is to develop a holistic and theoretical model of the too-much-choice effect inductively based on empirical findings. To date, most of the studies that have been conducted focus on experimental examinations, which are essential building blocks for theory development. However, experimental findings only provide fragmentary explanations about the phenomenon. By assembling the pieces derived from those segments, therefore, the too-much-choice effect is treated as a continuum, which may better explain under what situation the effect is more likely to appear and what consequences it may result in.

The present study was designed to observe the oestrus responses in the indigenous ewe induced by cloprostenol sodium manufactured by two different companies (Ovuprost®, BOMAC, Newzealandand Prostenol®, Techno, Bangladesh). Twelve local ewes were divided into 3 groups (n= 8). The ewes in Group I and II were induced by intramuscular injection of 100 μg (0.4 ml) of cloprostenol sodium (Ovuprost® and Prostenol®), respectively. The 2nd injection in each group was given at 9 days apart. The ewes in Group III were kept as control for observing natural oestrus characteristics and comparing the responses with induced oestrus. Hundred and 75% ewes showed oestrus following 2nd injection of Ovuprost® and Prostenol®, respectively. The average time of onset of oestrus following 1st and 2nd injection of Ovuprost® and Prostenol® were 50.5 ± 3.5 vs 48.0 ± 0.0 h and 49.9 ± 1.9 vs 49.5 ± 1.7 h, respectively. There was no significant difference between the two types of cloprostenol sodium group on the onset of oestrus. The average duration of oestrus was 27.5 ± 0.7 vs 27.5 ± 0.0 h and 25.9 ± 3.3 vs 24.2 ± 0.3 h in Ovuprost® and Prostenol® treated ewes, respectively. For natural oestrus, the duration of oestrus was 25.2 ± 3.3 h. There was no significant difference among the cloprostenol sodium produced by two different companies and natural oestrous ewes on the duration of oestrus. The higher percentages of cornified cells were present in induced oestrus (90 and 85%) compared with natural oestrus (80%), although there was no significant difference among them. The pregnancy rates were 75, 66.7 and 100% in Ovuprost®, Prostenol® and natural oestrous ewes, respectively. The above results indicate the suitability of using cloprostenol sodium for synchronization of oestrus in indigenous ewes in Bangladesh.

차 (Tea)는 네팔을 포함한 남아시아의 주요 농산물 수출품목 중에 하나이다. 네팔의 차 생산은 150년 전에 시작되었지만, 상업적인 생산 규모는 발전 가능성이 있음에도 불구하고초창기 모습 그대로이다. 차 생산에서 우위를 차지하고 있는인도, 스리랑카, 방글라데시와 같이 네팔은 좋은 품질의 차를생산할 수 있는 큰 잠재력을 가지고 있다. 그리고 현재 차 산업의 선도자로 남아시아 국가의 잠재력을 강화하기 위해 남아시아지역협력연합 (South Asian Association for the RegionalCooperation, SAARC)은 각 회원국의 National Tea board가차 산업을 육성할 수 있도록 지원하기 위하여 차 위원회를 설립할 예정이다. 이러한 남아시아지역협력연합의 차 위원회 설립에 맞추어 본 연구는 남아시아 차 산업에서 부각되고 있는네팔의 차 생산과 소비, 그리고 수출 경향을 다른 남아시아국가와 비교하여 분석하였다. 남아시아는 전세계 차 생산량의약 1/3를 생산하고 있으며, 대표적인 차 생산국가는 인도, 스리랑카, 방글라데시, 네팔이다. 남아시아 중에서 네팔은 연간약 1만8천톤의 차를 생산하고 있으며, 최근 20여년간(1994~2012) 차 생산량이 약 100배(196톤→18,309톤) 가까이 급증하고 있다. 네팔의 차 산업은 수출증대를 통해 외화획득과 경제발전에 기여할 뿐만 아니라 차 생산과 가공산업에참여하는 농가와 농촌여성의 고용창출 측면에서 매우 중요한역할을 담당하고 있다.

In vibration analysis of ships, the principle aim is to determine the natural frequencies and excitation frequencies, and use this information to avoid resonances and vibration damage. The simplest method is to prevent resonance conditions, which is effective as long as the natural frequencies and excitation frequencies can be regarded as independent from environmental conditions. For ships that use electric propulsion systems, the sources of vibration are reduced compared with those caused by a diesel engine or other combustion-based propulsion systems. However, the frequency spectrum of these vibrations may be different; therefore, to understand the characteristics of the electric propulsion, we also should investigate how the ship responds to these vibrations. We focused on a 1,000-ton deadweight (DWT) ocean-research vessel using an electric propulsion system and analyzed the response to vibration.

Activated carbon (AC) was synthesized from rice husks using the chemical activation method with KOH, NaOH, a combination of (NaOH + Na2CO3), and a combination of (KOH + K2CO3) as the chemical activating reagents. The activated carbon with the highest surface area (around 2000m2/g) and high porosity, which allows the absorption of a large number of ions, was applied as electrode material in electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs). The AC for EDLC electrodes is required to have a high surface area and an optimal pore size distribution; these are important to attain high specific capacitance of the EDLC electrodes. The electrodes were fabricated by compounding the rice husk activated carbons with super-P and mixed with polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) at a weight ratio of 83:10:7. AC electrodes and nickel foams were assembled with potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution as the electrolyte. Electrochemical measurements were carried out with a three electrode cell using 6 M KOH as electrolyte and Hg/HgO as the reference electrode. The specific capacitance strongly depends on the pore structure; the highest specific capacitance was 179 F/g, obtained for the AC with the highest specific surface area. Additionally, different activation times, levels of heating, and chemical reagents were used to compare and determine the optimal parameters for obtaining high surface area of the activated carbon.

Fe-TiC composite was fabricated from Fe and TiC powders by high-energy milling and subsequent spark- plasma sintering. The microstructure, particle size and phase of Fe-TiC composite powders were investigated by field emission scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction to evaluate the effect of milling conditions on the size and distribution of TiC particles in Fe matrix. TiC particle size decreased with milling time. The average TiC particle size of 38 nm was obtained after 60 minutes of milling at 1000 rpm. Prepared Fe-TiC powder mixture was densified by spark- plasma sintering. Sintered Fe-TiC compacts showed a relative density of 91.7~96.2%. The average TiC particle size of 150 nm was observed from the FE-SEM image. The microstructure, densification behavior, Vickers hardness, and frac- ture toughness of Fe-TiC sintered compact were investigated.

There is increasing interest in zirconia as a dental material due to its aesthetics, as well as the exceptionally high fracture toughness and high strength that are on offer when it is alloyed with certain oxides like yttria. In recent years, many solution based chemical synthesis methods have been reported for synthesis of zirconia, of which the sol-gel method is considered to be best. Here, we synthesize zirconia by a sol gel assisted precipitation method using either PEG or PVA as a stabilizing agent. Zirconia sol is first synthesized using the hydrothermal method. We used NaOH as the precipitating agent in this method because it is easy to remove from the final solution. Zirconium and yttrium salts are used as precursors and PEG or PVA are used as stabilizers to separate the metal ions. The resulting amorphous zirconia powder is calcined at 900˚C for 2 h to get crystallized zirconia. XRD analysis confirmed the partially stabilized zirconia synthesis in all the synthesized powders. SEM was taken to check the morphology of the powder synthesized using either PEG or PVA as a stabilizing agent and finally the transparency was calculated. The results confirmed that the powder synthesized with 10 % PVA as the stabilizing agent had highest percentage of transparency among all the synthesized powder.

ZIF 재료는 독특한 기체 분리 특성을 포함한 물리적, 화학적 특성 때문에 큰 관심을 받아왔다. 본 연구에서는 α-alumina 지지체 위에 결함 없고 연속적인 ZIF-7 막을 형성하는 새롭고 효율적인 방법이 연구되었다. 지지체 위에 시딩 (seeding)을 하지 않고 직접 ZIF-7 박막을 합성하는데 정전분무법이 처음으로 적용되었다. 이 방법은 전구체 용액을 직접 정 전분무함으로 α-alumina 지지체에 ZIF-7 박막을 형성할 수 있었다. ZIF-7 박막은 XRD, FE-SEM, 단일 기체 투과 장치 등을 이용해 분석하였다.