Mathematical models are described for collaborative distribution between two logistics service providers (LSPs). We find that (a) collaborative distribution is conditionally profitable for LSPs, and the conditions for cooperation are given; (b) LSPs save more costs primarily by shortening the delivery distance and decreasing delivery speed; (c) collaborative distribution makes the delivery time either shorter or longer; (d) if one LSP changes its equilibrium price, the total profit conditionally increases, and this condition is related to demand structure and delivery cost structure; and (e) collaborative distribution can solve the personalization of delivery time and reduce pollution to some extent. For the companies sharing the incremental profit, we characterize a transfer payment contract that includes fixed and variable fees. Our findings suggest that LSPs should adopt collaborative distribution to formulate an optimal distribution plan to save costs and shorten the delivery time, and should select partners with smaller cost parameters and both different and moderate speeds. In addition, warehouse and vehicle sharing are beneficial to the implementation of collaborative distribution.
This paper aims at checking the effectiveness of environmental policy pushed by the Central Government at provincial level since China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO). For this purpose, the industrial system of each province is divided into industrial production sub-system and pollution treatment sub-system, and a novel slack-based measure data envelopment analysis (SBM-DEA) model with non-cooperative game is proposed to evaluate the environment efficiency of both industrial production sub-system and pollutant treatment sub-system. The results show that the proposed model can describe the environmental efficiency more precisely than the traditional DEA models. During 2003-2012, the efficiencies of industrial production sub-system and pollution treatment sub-system at the provincial level are both relatively low. Specifically, the efficiency of industrial production is not only lower than pollution treatment efficiency, but is falling generally, especially in the Eastern area. However, in the Central and Western area, the efficiency of industrial production remains relatively stable, and pollution treatment efficiency is rising steadily. The technology gap between the Central/Western area and the Eastern area is narrowing, particularly concerning pollution treatment technology. We thus conclude that though the Central Government's environmental policies fail to solve the inner contradiction between economic and environmental systems, and they indirectly contribute to the expansion of pollutant treatment technology among the Eastern, Central, and Western areas, which is conducive to the coordinated development among different areas.
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