The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) is a decision making method, which has as its greatest criticism the rank reversal effect. Here a new mathematical analysis of this method is performed, and three new results are highlighted. First, the method is formulated as a linear system of equations, where it is possible to assign a geometric interpretation, determine the number of possible solutions, and perform an sensitivity analysis based on the condition number of the matrix. Second, the causes of rank reversal can be encompassed by two mathematical aspects related to the properties of the matrix of AHP: high condition number and deficient rank. When the matrix is deficient rank, it is possible to obtain a condensed formulation of the AHP with a new full rank matrix. This guarantees greater stability to the method. Third, some mathematical results can be used as a robustness test for the matrix of AHP.

Supply chain risk management (SCRM) has a strong influence on the cooperation among partners and the performance of the entire production chain. A supply chain designed to minimize risks enables firms to establish a competitive position and provides long-term benefits to stakeholders. The SCRM system should be structured to manage both routine and extraordinary risks, such as natural disasters and major accidents. The risks should be managed both reactively, by monitoring changes in the chain, the needs of customers, technology and the strategies of suppliers and competitors, among others, to enable quick reaction to events; and proactively, to identify risks and implement actions to prevent them or minimize their impacts. The basic risk management process consists of identifying, evaluating, mitigating and controlling risks. The objective of this paper is to analyze how a carmaker identifies and manages the risk factors in its supply chain. To achieve this aim, we performed a qualitative, applied and exploratory field study of a Brazilian automaker. The data were collected by structured interviews, and the analytic hierarchy process was applied to rank the risk factors, resulting in a risk matrix that can be an instrument for making decisions by the company studied.

The increased number of items with a shorter useful life, the massive use of e-commerce, and increased environmental awareness with increasingly demanding laws on disposal of products, have created a large amount of returns increasing the importance of ReverseResumo: O aumento do número de produtos com vida útil menor, a intensificação no uso do comércio eletrônico, leis cada vez mais exigentes de responsabilidade sobre descarte dos produtos e uma crescente consciência ambiental têm gerado um elevado número de retornos, fazendo crescer a importância da Logística Reversa para as empresas e para a sociedade, de forma geral. Contudo, constatou-se na literatura que se trata de uma área ainda pouco explorada e, portanto, não existem dados concretos para se trabalhar e explorar as oportunidades de melhoria. Com o intuito de mitigar esta carência, foi realizada uma pesquisa bibliográfica acerca da relação entre a Logística Reversa e o desempenho empresarial, bem como uma pesquisa junto às empresas, procurando verificar como se dá este relacionamento. Como resultado principal, relacionado diretamente com o objetivo do trabalho, obteve-se um modelo conceitual que contribuiu para a ampliação da visão gerencial sobre o processo de Logística Reversa, modelo este que inclui indicadores de desempenho que permitem avaliar a atividade. Também é proposta do trabalho a utilização de métodos de Tomada de Decisão com Múltiplos Critérios, ferramenta esta que facilita a seleção dos indicadores segundo as estratégias das empresas.Palavras-chave: Logística Reversa. Indicadores de desempenho. Modelo conceitual. Métodos de Tomada de Decisão com Múltiplos Critérios. Modelo de Gerenciamento da Logística Reversa Reverse Logistics Management Model IntroduçãoCom o surgimento do novo modelo de gerenciamento empresarial baseado na competitividade, a Logística Empresarial, de forma geral, e a Logística Reversa (LR), em particular, têm-se tornado um assunto de prioridade nos negócios da empresa.Neste sentido, a LR passou a ser estudada visando a sua adaptação em um mercado altamente competitivo.Além do aumento da eficiência e da competitividade das empresas, a mudança na cultura de consumo por parte dos clientes também tem incentivado a LR. Os consumidores estão exigindo um nível de serviço mais elevado das empresas e estas, como forma de diferenciação e fidelização dos clientes, estão investindo em LR.

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Purpose This study aims to focus on the entrepreneurial education and profile in undergraduate business administration programs in Brazil, particularly in the southern region of the state of Rio de Janeiro. Assuming that the entrepreneurial profile can be developed by teaching and learning processes. Design/methodology/approach The research performed qualitative approach through interviews and a quantitative approach using multiple criteria decision-making methods. Data were collected along 2015 in a survey with a population of 412 students from three high education institutions (HEIs) and analyzed using the analytic hierarchy process with ratings. Findings The study has found that the key entrepreneurial trait for all groups was the ability to “plan”. Other relevant dimensions were “self-realization”, “innovative” and “leader”. The dimensions “risk taking” and “sociability” were considered not important in the opinion of all groups. Practical implications The entrepreneurial profile does not seem to evolve over the four-year college period, thus suggesting a failure of the entrepreneurial education at the three surveyed HEIs to impact the overall perception of students about the requirements for creating and developing new ventures. Actions to revert this trend should be taken. Originality/value This research aims to identify differences in perception about the entrepreneurial profile among freshmen and senior undergraduates. The theme is relevant in a knowledge era where academy has to prepare students to be entrepreneurs. Similar studies were done around in Brazil and around the world but no one in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The work has a contribution by proposing and applying a method to compare students groups, programs, institutions and countries over time.

The fatigue crack growth rates curves of engineering materials depend on two parameters. In addition to the dependence on the classical stress intensity factor (SIF) range ΔK, there is a dependence on the mean load (or mean SIF), mainly in the near‐threshold region. The present paper provides some useful suggestions and good practices for using three of the current available methods to reduce this second dependence through the use of tuning constants. The methods considered here are the Elber, Walker and Vasudevan (or unified approach). For each approach, multiple regression analyses are performed on experimental data from the literature, and the correlations in two and three dimensions are graphically analyzed. Numerical examples of crack growth analysis for cracks growing under nominal stresses of constant amplitude in single‐edge and notch/hole geometries are performed, assuming an identical material component to that of the available experimental data. The resulting curves of crack size versus number of cycles (a versus N) are then compared. All three models gave approximately the same (a versus N) curves in both geometries. Differences between the behaviors of the (a versus N) curves in both geometries are highlighted, and the reasons for these particular behaviors are discussed.

The recent years has arisen a global discussion in relation with how to incorporate sustainability at a business level. Corporate sustainability is a multidimensional concept, is the translation of Sustainable Development concept at a business level. Sustainability in organizations must be managed and assessed by decision makers, for that reason a multi-criteria sustainability performance measurement is necessary. The aim of this paper is combine different important tools that helps to make operative corporate sustainability and sustainability performance measurement in Cuban organizations. The combination of Sustainability Balanced Scorecard, multi-criteria decisions models like: Analytic Network Process, and Matrix of Sustainable Strategic Alignment, can help managers in sustainability performance measurement and assessment. The result of this paper focus in a Corporate Sustainability Measurement Network design as a first approach for further sustainability performance measurement systems development emphasizing in multi-criteria analysis.

Abstract:The present article proposes a structured approach to assessing environmental performance through a procedure that establishes a course of action to complete the evaluation of corporate environmental performance, integrating environmental indicators that respond to major policies and strategies. The Resumen: El artículo propone un abordaje estructurado para evaluar el desempeño ambiental a través de un procedimiento que establece una línea de acción para realizar la evaluación del desempeño ambiental de empresas cubanas, integrando indicadores ambientales que responden a las principales políticas y estrategias. La propuesta tiene como objetivo presentar contribuciones teóricas para la evaluación del desempeño ambiental empresarial en el entorno de Cuba, para complementar la evaluación con medidas de resultados del desempeño ambiental y garantizar la eficacia de las políticas, estrategias y metas. La propuesta surge de la carencia de instrumentos metodológicos que permitan la selección, agrupamiento, integración y evaluación de indicadores ambientales que permitan evaluar el desempeño ambiental garantizando la eficacia de las políticas, estrategias y metas. El procedimiento facilita la selección de indicadores ambientales tomando como base las estrategias y principales cuestiones ambientales, modelos de integración y herramientas tales como ISO 14031, el Balanced Scorecard (BSC) y métodos para la toma de decisiones multicriterio, específicamente el Analytic Network Process. También se propone en el trabajo la obtención de un valor único de desempeño ambiental global, con base en el nivel de cumplimiento de las metas y los indicadores ambientales definidos inicialmente. Para la validación del procedimiento se aplicó en cuatro pequeñas y medianas centrales eléctricas, donde además de evaluar el desempeño ambiental, fue posible identificar los puntos críticos y oportunidades de mejora para re direccionar los esfuerzos y resolver los principales puntos críticos. Apoyo financiero: Parte de esta investigación esta soportada por el proyecto "Desarrollo de herramientas informáticas para soportar la gestión del desarrollo sustentable y el Cambio Climático en territorios y ecosistemas cubanos" (código P211LH001013), perteneciente al programa nacional, Cambio Climático en Cuba: impactos, mitigación y adaptación de la Agencia de Medio Ambiente.