Ethnography originates from joining the two words: ethnos, which is Greek for cultural group, and graph, meaning writing. John van Maanen described ethnography as “tales of the field”. Ethnography in general is devoted to describing ways of life of humankind. Organizational ethnography is a social-scientific description of group of people interacting together for a period of time within organizations, whether formal or informal.

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Robotic warehouses have transformed logistics, prioritizing speed and efficiency. However, traditional static priority systems often leave low-priority customers facing excessive delays, raising concerns about fairness. This research, based on Invia, a robotic warehouse company, proposes a dynamic priority allocation model to balance efficiency and fairness. By adjusting order priorities over time, this approach ensures that both high-priority and long-waiting low-priority orders receive timely fulfillment. Through stochastic modeling and simulations, we demonstrate that dynamic prioritization reduces delays compared to static and first-come, first-served (FCFS) models. Case studies in e-commerce and healthcare logistics illustrate the broader impact of fairness in automation. As industries increasingly rely on AI-driven decision-making, the balance between efficiency and equity becomes critical. This research challenges the assumption that robotic warehouses should optimize for speed alone and advocates for a future where fairness plays a central role in automated commerce.
YUAN Zhe - EMLV |
- Research
- Digital Transformation, Logistics and Supply Chain