bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Higher education as a change agent for sustainability in different cultures and contexts
Authors: Stephens Jennie C. , Hernandez Maria E. , Román Mikael , Graham Amanda C. , Scholz Roland W.
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The goal of this paper is to enhance consideration for the potential for institutions of higher education throughout the world, in different cultures and contexts, to be change agents for sustainability. As society faces unprecedented and increasingly urgent challenges associated with accelerating environmental change, resource scarcity, increasing inequality and injustice, as well as rapid technological change, new opportunities for higher education are emerging.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper builds on the emerging literature on transition management and identifies five critical issues to be considered in assessing the potential for higher education as a change agent in any particular region or place. To demonstrate the value of these critical issues, exemplary challenges and opportunities in different contexts are provided.

Findings

The five critical issues include regional‐specific dominant sustainability challenges, financing structure and independence, institutional organization, the extent of democratic processes, and communication and interaction with society.

Originality/value

Given that the challenges and opportunities for higher education as a change agent are context‐specific, identifying, synthesizing, and integrating common themes is a valuable and unique contribution.
Learning outcomes for sustainable development in higher education
Authors: Svanström Magdalena , Lozano‐García Francisco J. , Rowe Debra
Published: August 2008

Purpose

This paper sets out to discuss the commonalities that can be found in learning outcomes (LOs) for education for sustainable development in the context of the Tbilisi and Barcelona declarations. The commonalities include systemic or holistic thinking, the integration of different perspectives, skills such as critical thinking, change agent abilities and communication, and finally different attitudes and values.

Design/methodology/approach

An analysis of LOs that are proposed in the Tbilisi and Barcelona declarations is conducted, showing specific issues for the commonalities presented. Examples of LOs from Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) in Mexico, as well as various associations from the USA is shown. A brief discussion is done on the means to achieve these LOs and learning evaluation.

Findings

In the example sets of LOs shown, the commonalities presented in the paper's first section appear in the LOs proposed by the institutions. Based on current knowledge and perception, sustainability is properly addressed in the examples.

Practical implications

The paper can be used to foster a wider discussion and analysis of LOs for sustainability education, also further work on teachers' capacity building for sustainability, as well as the assessment needed for future professionals in higher education institutions.

Originality/value

The paper presents the onset of discussing and comparing commonalities among higher education institutions regarding sustainability LOs.
LibQUAL+TM in Iran: a subgroup analysis by gender
Authors: Hariri Nadjla , Afnani Farideh
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the service quality of the central library of Iran University of Medical Sciences and Health Services (IUMS) from the viewpoints of female and male users of the library.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was done using a LibQUAL+™ survey, consisting of 22 core questions. The research sample included 361 users of the library and the results were interpreted on the basis of gap analysis. The mean values of gap scores for female and male users were compared statistically.

Findings

The mean score for the overall adequacy gap for women was 0.08 while this score for men was −0.08. The overall and dimensions superiority gap for both genders were negative. Statistical analysis did not show significant differences between mean values of gap scores for female and male users. The desired level of service quality, as in most LibQUAL+™ surveys in non‐Iranian libraries, was not met by this library.

Practical implications

The similarity in some results of LibQUAL+™ in different socio‐cultural contexts implies that perhaps customer expectations from library services are somehow global.

Originality/value

The paper shows that the translated version of LibQUAL+™ , can be reliably implemented in different countries. Furthermore, though LibQUAL+™ is a web‐based survey, in the case of the countries where ICT facilities are not still completely established, its printed version can reliably be utilized.
An approach to evaluating Latin American university libraries
Authors: Reyes Pacios Ana , Lubisco Nidia
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the current evaluation processes and experiences among Latin American university libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on the results of a questionnaire sent to 31 libraries in seven countries.

Findings

It was found that most libraries evaluate some aspect of their services, but the frequency of these actions does not appear to be very consistent. They seem to have an acceptable level of computerization, but some of them neither take advantage of nor make the most of it. Only a few libraries perform an evaluation to improve their management and few libraries have enough historical data sets to permit comparative studies.

Research limitations/implications

The response rate is limited, with just 51.6 percent of surveyed institutions (16 questionnaires returned of the 31 sent).

Practical implications

The paper can aid Latin American university libraries to analyze their evaluation needs in a common forum and to reach agreements as to what are the most appropriate indicators to measure their performance. This will help them in the long term to improve the quality of their services and the value of their role in the performance of the university.

Originality/value

This survey is the first to be carried out to discover the existing situation in Latin America.
User perceptions of digital libraries: a case study in Italy
Authors: Tammaro Anna Maria
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the findings of a survey promoted and financed by Fondazione Rinascimento Digitale about users' perceptions of digital libraries in Italy. The primary objective of the survey was to obtain feedback from users on their perceptions of digital library services and to give them an opportunity to make suggestions. A secondary objective was to establish and test a collaborative methodology with which to evaluate best practice for digital libraries.

Design/methodology/approach

Questionnaires and interviews were used to gather the data. A questionnaire was also distributed to the managers of those cultural institutions involved.

Findings

The results of the survey indicated that users have different perceptions with regard to digital libraries and that they tend to use the services of more than one cultural institution. Overall, there is a positive attitude towards digital libraries, but the survey also underlines that users often do not know how to use the libraries and are unaware of all of the services offered. The accessibility of the interface was considered important, but as it becomes more sophisticated offering more services more staff assistance will be required.

Research limitations/implications

The survey has had limitations of time and resources available. The focus was on on‐site users at the cultural institutions and not remote users and non‐users.

Practical implications

The results of the survey have identified user priorities, but users are rarely involved in the design of digital libraries. The Fondazione Rinascimento Digitale aim was to stimulate a culture of excellence in the different cultural institutions involved, focusing on users' expectations.

Originality/value

The survey served to test experimental quality indicators and inquiry methodologies that focused on library users. This paper considers the implications of these results for digital libraries in general, and the value of a cooperative approach to the identification and evaluation of digital library users in particular.
How a quantity surveyor can ease cost management at the design stage using a building product model
Authors: Matipa Wilfred M. , Kelliher Denis , Keane Marcus
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The role of the professional quantity surveyor is to provide information with regard to the initial and future costs so that sound financial factors – inter alia – are considered by the design team. However, it has always been very difficult to produce conceptual estimates because they require the ability not to count the bricks, windows, doors and fixtures but the ability to visualise these components. This problem stifles quantity surveyors' capability to meet the demand for “value for money” (VfM) throughout sustainable building development. The purpose of this paper is to describe results from a case study of deploying a building product model on a commercial project in Ireland, with a view to easing the cost management duties of the quantity surveyor.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper comprises a case study of the Environmental Research Institute project and a questionnaire survey of quantity surveying business in Ireland.

Findings

Quantity surveying still encounters serious data compatibility problems in integrated teams because most software available on the market run proprietary file formats. It is concluded that there is a huge business potential for quantity surveying to facilitate designing to a budget within integrated teams, and that software interoperability could have a negative impact on professional fee structures, which could trigger more robust appraisal strategies for building products if quantity surveying is to maintain a leading role in providing cost management services to the construction industry.

Research limitations/implications

Some case study data could not be made public.

Practical implications

Quantity surveyors might be encouraged to be innovative when using computerised systems that could produce better cost models; hence meet the demand for VfM throughout sustainable building development.

Originality/value

The paper provides valuable information to built environment stakeholders working in integrated teams so as to optimise whole life resources expendable on a constructed facility.
Perceptions of the impacts of organizational culture and information technology on knowledge sharing in construction
Authors: Issa Raja R.A. , Haddad Josef
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to expand understanding of the factors that affect knowledge sharing in construction organizations. The outcome of this study will enable further understanding of knowledge sharing in construction and will therefore contribute towards successful implementation of knowledge sharing as part of organizational knowledge management (KM) initiatives in construction organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was conducted of the 2005Engineering News RecordTop 400 US contractors to assess their perceptions of how factors such as organizational culture (OC), trust and information technology (IT) impact knowledge sharing in their construction organizations.

Findings

The survey respondents strongly agreed on the perception that a proper organizational culture will enhance mutual trust in the organization. The respondents also perceived that IT will assist but not motivate people in sharing their knowledge and that not all types of knowledge can be shared using IT.

Research limitations/implications

The results are limited to the respondents' perceptions of how knowledge is shared in large construction organizations. By encouraging the participation of a larger number of construction companies, a higher confidence level can be achieved for the responses.

Practical implications

Knowledge sharing is one of the key processes in KM and, as such, understanding the perceptions of how knowledge is shared in large construction organizations is very important in their implementation of KM.

Originality/value

Very few studies have been conducted in the USA on the perceptions of management level employees about knowledge sharing in large construction organizations. The study is an important first step in collecting such data.
Ontology‐based information and knowledge management in construction
Authors: Anumba Chimay J. , Issa Raja R.A. , Pan Jiayi , Mutis Ivan
Published: August 2008

Purpose

There is an increasing recognition of the value of effective information and knowledge management (KM) in the construction project delivery process. Many architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) organisations have invested heavily in information technology and KM systems that help in this regard. While these have been largely successful in supporting intra‐organisational business processes, interoperability problems still persist at the project organisation level due to the heterogeneity of the systems used by the different organisations involved. Ontologies are seen as an important means of addressing these problems. The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of ontologies in the construction project delivery process, particularly with respect to information and KM.

Design/methodology/approach

A detailed technical review of the fundamental concepts and related work has been undertaken, with examples and case studies of ontology‐based information and KM presented to illustrate the key concepts. The specific issues and technical difficulties in the design and construction context are highlighted, and the approaches adopted in two ontology‐based applications for the AEC sector are presented.

Findings

The paper concludes that there is considerable merit in ontology‐based approaches to information and KM, but that significant technical challenges remain. Middleware applications, such as semantic web‐based information management system, are contributing in this regard but more needs to be done particularly on integrating or merging ontologies.

Originality/value

The value of the paper lies in the detailed exploration of ontology‐based information and KM within a design and construction context, and the use of appropriate examples and applications to illustrate the key issues.
The impact of office layout on productivity
Authors: Haynes Barry P.
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the impact office layout has on office occupiers' productivity.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper evaluates the literature that claims to make a linkage between the office layout and the effect on office occupiers' productivity. Two main themes are developed. First, the literature that links office layout to work patterns is evaluated, and second, the open‐plan office vs cellular office debate is developed.

Findings

The review of the literature reveals that the connection between the three major components of office layout, office occupiers' work patterns and productivity is not clearly established.

Originality/value

The paper establishes that there is a requirement to link together office layout to the work patterns of office occupiers. It is only when the connection is made between the office layout and the office occupiers' work patterns that productivity gains can be achieved. To support the different work patterns undertaken, the facilities manager can create office environments that consist of a balance between private space and communal shared space. The amount of balance will be very much dependent on the mix of the work patterns in the office.
On the performance evaluation of sustainable student housing facilities
Authors: Hassanain Mohammad A.
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the findings of a post‐occupancy evaluation of the major technical and functional elements of performance on a type of student housing facilities at the campus of King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyses published literature to review knowledge areas pertaining to technical and functional performance requirement elements in student housing facilities. Past maintenance work orders for the building were evaluated and analysed for the purpose of identifying frequent and major areas of complaints and discomfort to the occupants. A user satisfaction survey was developed to obtain the students' indicative feedback on their experience with the 48 identified performance elements.

Findings

The findings of the survey were analysed and reported to describe the degree of satisfaction with the identified performance elements. The paper examined the extent to which various success factors in the student housing facility had been realised.

Originality/value

A post‐occupancy evaluation can provide valuable feedback to planners, design professionals, housing administrators and facility managers involved in the planning, design and operation of student housing facilities. Post‐occupancy evaluation can assist in continually improving the quality and performance of the student housing facilities they design, construct, operate and maintain.
Optimisation of performance management for housing services
Authors: Lam Terence Y.M.
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate how performance management control should be optimised for housing management services, through two different organisational contexts in the social housing sector.

Design/methodology/approach

Case study methodology was used to examine the performance management control of one typical local authority in England where housing management services are run by a non‐profit‐making Arm's Length Management Organisation, and of another major housing organisation, the Hong Kong Housing Authority, where the services are contracted out to profit‐making consultants.

Findings

In a non‐profit‐making organisational context, housing management services should be measured by performance indicators related to the strategic objective of providing efficient and effective services. Benchmarking should be conducted to supplement performance control. In a profit‐making organisational context, market competition should also be introduced so that more tendering opportunities are given to the best performers to optimise the performance of service providers.

Research limitations/implications

The findings of this research are based on two cases representing the social housing sectors in England and Hong Kong. The research forms a conceptual baseline on which further research can be built to find out effective control to optimise the performance of property management services in many other housing and facilities management organisations.

Practical implications

Performance management of housing management services can be optimised by benchmarking and market competition.

Originality/value

This study contributes to performance management of housing management services by conducting empirical confirmatory testing of the validity of performance management theory.
Reaping benefits from diversity
Authors: Broughton Andrea , Strebler Marie
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of diversity management initiatives using three good practice examples from employers operating in the manufacturing, IT and charity sectors in the UK.

Design methodology/approach

Using IBM, Jaguar Land Rover and Scope as case studies, the paper follows the introduction and maintenance of diversity policies based on internal research and market developments.

Findings

Corporations without well thought‐out diversity policies tend to miss out on recruiting top talent as well as running the risk of a backlash among job seekers. Making diversity part of corporate culture requires buy‐in from senior management all the way through the organization and must be reflected in all facets of business dealings.

Originality/value

The paper presents the key drivers behind these initiatives, how they have been implemented and what measures are used to assess impact, and highlights what other organizations can learn from this.
Equipping leaders for the 21st century
Authors: Encombe Jock
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show that leaders who want to succeed in the 21st century need to develop a unique portfolio of attitudes, behaviors and skills to enable them to work at the highest level and drive performance and profitability within their people and their organization, ultimately contributing to the sustainability of their operating environment. Leaders of the future will need to make a positive impact on their organizations and the wider world.

Design/methodology/approach

This article aims to investigate the nature of this contribution and to stimulate discussion on how to build leadership capability for success in the 21st century.

Findings

Meaning is the central component of creating the leadership mindset and skillset required for success in the 21st century and is the key factor that leaders need to address to engage their people and stakeholders. This article draws on the experiences of Costa Coffee, which has already begun to develop a 21st century outlook and is beginning to reap the rewards of creating meaning and engagement throughout the organization.

Originality/value

The paper presents a series of issues and questions for leaders with 21st century ambition to consider and discusses how they can benchmark their current 21st century leadership capability.
Supporting lone parents: experiential training techniques in distance education
Authors: Papadakis Spyros , Fragoulis Iosif , Phillips Niki
Published: August 2008

Purpose

This paper aims to study the possibility of delivering experiential training techniques through distance learning, targeted to lone parents and to present the early implementation findings. It also aims to present the potential benefits of participative techniques when combined with new technologies used in distance training programs targeting single families.

Design/methodology/approach

Techniques such as direct discourse combined with questions and answers may be implemented in a virtual environment of consultative support. Trainees, from their job or home, log on to a site of consultative virtual structure, using their personal computer and the internet. Technology allows them to chat with one or more participants, through text, sound and even video.

Findings

Research findings showed that trainees responded positively to the proposed training tool. They creatively exploit participative techniques during their distance training.

Practical implications

Lone parents are often limited in their availability to participate in face‐to‐face training programs and have fewer chances of lifelong learning in a classroom form. They are often confronted with transport difficulties and time restraints. Thus, distance learning with the use of new technologies may provide development solutions for this group of citizens.

Originality/value

The paper provides useful information on participative techniques during distance training for lone parents.
A framework for team coaching: using self‐discrepancy theory
Authors: Rezania Davar
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for project managers and team coaches to help them coach their team.

Design/methodology/approach

A team is provided with a measurement of actual experience of teamwork juxtaposed with its ideal experience of teamwork.

Findings

The paper finds that self‐discrepancy theory helps us explain that this triggers self‐directed learning in the team.

Research limitations/implications

A more comprehensive picture of team learning that takes into account non‐measurable dimensions of interaction might be of value in a framework for team coaching.

Practical implications

Using such a framework, a team leader can help team members to develop both their individual and team skills. This would create far more knowledgeable and skilled individuals who can contribute to an organization within their sphere of influence.

Originality/value

This paper extends current methods of coaching and offers practical help to team coaches.
Building design innovation
Authors: Murphy M.E. , Perera R.S. , Heaney S.G.
Published: August 2008

Purpose

A perceptible gap has been observed in the literature concerning the adoption of product innovations into construction projects by designers (architects and engineers). This is seen specifically in the scant investigation into this group as a relevant source of construction innovation. It is also seen in the failure of current literature to reflect this group's interpretation of innovation linkages. The result is a gap in knowledge and a difficulty in correlating construction innovation models to the work of designers. The purpose of this paper is to seek to address this gap by identifying and classifying recent examples of innovation using an accepted construction innovation model.

Design/methodology/approach

The primary objective was to expand this accepted construction innovation model's interpretation of innovation linkages and identify those linkages that directly relate to the work of designers and address aspects of building form rather than merely aspects of cost and process efficiencies.

Findings

The results revealed that the interpretation of building linkages by designers were much more diverse than those as perceived by the manufacturers and suppliers of the products. New linkages included aspects of building orientation, facade design, services integration, floor layouts, lighting design, fire safety and sustainability. In some cases, the designer's interpretation of the product's linkages had substantial implications for the marketing strategy of the products, and even the potential to change the classification grouping of the innovation.

Originality/value

This paper forms part of a wider piece of research into the management of innovation for construction professionals. The timely research is necessary to motivate design professionals in the adoption of new product innovations into their building designs.
On using the Gaussian and hyperbolic distributions to improve quality in construction
Authors: Tam Vivian W.Y. , Le Khoa N.
Published: August 2008

Purpose

Various method have been used by organisations in the construction industry to improve quality, employing mainly two major techniques: management techniques such as quality control, quality assurance, total quality management; and statistical techniques such as cost of quality, customer satisfaction and the six sigma principle. The purpose of this paper is to show that it is possible to employ the six sigma principle in the field of construction management provided that sufficient information on a particular population is obtained.

Design/methodology/approach

Statistical properties of the hyperbolic distribution are given and quality factors such as population in range, number of defects, yield percentage and defects per million opportunities are estimated. Graphical illustrations of the hyperbolic and Gaussian distributions are also given. From that, detailed comparisons of these two distributions are numerically obtained. The impacts of these quality factors are briefly discussed to give a rough guidance to organisations in the construction industry on how to lower cost and to improve project quality by prevention. A case study on a construction project is given in which it is shown that the hyperbolic distribution is better suited to the cost data than the Gaussian distribution. Cost and quality data of all projects in the company are collected over a period of eight years. Each project may consist of a number of phases, typically spanning about three months. Each phase can be considered as a member of the project population. Quality factors of this population are estimated using the six sigma principle.

Findings

The paper finds that by using a suitable distribution, it is possible to improve quality factors such as population in range, yield percentage and number of defects per million opportunities.

Originality/value

This paper is of value in assessing the suitability of the hyperbolic and Gaussian distributions in modelling the population and showing that hyperbolic distribution can be more effectively used to model the cost data than the Gaussian distribution.
Job satisfaction of South Africa quantity surveyors
Authors: Bowen Paul , Cattell Keith , Michell Kathy , Edwards Peter
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The main objective of this paper is to report the findings of a comparative study examining levels of job satisfaction of employees and employers in the quantity surveying profession in South Africa. Factors that have an impact on job satisfaction are explored. In addition, issues relating to gender at work and harassment and discrimination in the workplace are examined.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were obtained via a web‐based, national questionnaire survey of the registered quantity surveyors. A response rate of 10 per cent was achieved. Of the 146 respondents, 43 per cent are salaried employees whilst 57 per cent are employers. Likert scales were used to measure respondent perceptions regarding factors influencing their job satisfaction, and to explore gender‐related issues at work and perceived instances of harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

Findings

Contrary to the published literature, employers and employees do not differ significantly in levels of job satisfaction, although twice as many employers than employees claim to “love it”. Employers report a greater presence at work of motivating factors than do employees, namely; salary; promotion prospects; personal satisfaction; recognition, autonomy, team participation, and social interaction. Gender and race issues at work are a problem, with more employers than employees claiming instances of racial harassment and discrimination at work. Employees report significantly more instances of discrimination on the basis of gender than employers.

Originality/value

Little is known about the job satisfaction of design team professionals, particularly quantity surveyors. The results provide valuable insight into the job satisfaction experienced by employers and employees in quantity surveying practices.
Women helping women: outcomes of a South African pilot project
Authors: Verwey Ingrid
Published: August 2008

Purpose

This paper reviews how women help women in the South African Women in Construction (SAWIC) organization to effectively participate in projects. In a pilot project partnering with industry stakeholders, the Development Bank of Southern Africa as incubator of SAWIC, further explored what support women contractors required to succeed, tested mentoring and coaching as part of enterprise development.

Design/methodology/approach

Relevant literature were studied and analysed, testing the views and measure of success of women contractors against existing models. A survey instrument was developed to test the constructs empirically.

Findings

The empirical testing of success as a construct indicated that women overwhelmingly view mentoring and coaching as key capacity building and growth strategies towards successful women‐owned construction enterprises, underpinned by preliminary indications of the almost complete pilot study.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation to the study is that it is based on preliminary findings and limited scope of the civil project.

Practical implications

Given the excellent results of the Cronbach α and factor analysis, the instrument developed proved to be reliable and valid and could be used for similar studies.

Originality/value

Knowledge sharing of lessons learnt in the joint initiative between government, the building industry, development finance institutions and women associations towards addressing critical skills shortages and gender equity.
Integrated production machines and systems – beyond lean manufacturing
Authors: Pham D.T. , Pham P.T.N. , Thomas A.
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose a “Fit” manufacturing paradigm for industry so that manufacturing companies can become economically sustainable and can operate effectively in a global competitive market. The proposed Fit paradigm is aimed at providing a new manufacturing management perspective to both academics and industrialists.

Design/methodology/approach

The Fit paradigm is developed and proposed as a new manufacturing management strategy towards creating economically sustainable manufacturing organisations. Fit is a theoretical development using the principles of existing manufacturing paradigms along with new and innovative management concepts to create a sustainable approach to manufacturing.

Findings

Manufacturing strategies such as lean and agility allow companies to deliver bottom‐line savings in production terms although their effectiveness depends upon the volume and demand profile of their products. The trend towards mass customisation requires companies to provide personalised products and services at mass production prices. This now places a further burden on companies and therefore a holistic manufacturing framework must be developed in order to ensure that the factory of the future is able to meet this new demand. This paper proposes a fit manufacturing paradigm which integrates the manufacturing efficiencies achieved through lean and agility with the need to break into new markets through effective marketing and product innovation strategies to achieve long term economic sustainability. The small scale application of the approach in a case company shows that the initial results to be positive when measured against a fit index which is developed within this paper.

Originality/value

The development of a fit paradigm aimed at tackling directly the issues of economic sustainability is proposed and is considered by the authors as one of a kind. Fit will also provide a framework for the implementation of sustainable manufacturing operations within organisations.
Automating knowledge acquisition for constraint‐based product configuration
Authors: Huang Youliang , Liu Haifeng , Keong Ng Wee , Lu Wenfeng , Song Bin , Li Xiang
Published: August 2008

Purpose

Product configuration is considered as one of the most successful applications of knowledge‐based approaches in the past decade. Knowledge‐based configurations can be classified into three different approaches, namely, rule‐based, model‐based and case‐based approaches. Past research has mainly focused on the development of reasoning techniques for mapping requirements to configurations. Despite the success of certain conventional approaches, the acquisition of configuration knowledge is usually done manually. This paper aims to explore fundamental issues in product configuration system, and propose a novel approach based on data mining techniques to automatically discover configuration knowledge in constraint‐based configurations.

Design/methodology/approach

Given a set of product data comprising product requirements specification and configuration information, the paper adopted an association rule mining algorithm to discover useful patterns between requirement specification and product components, as well as the correlation among product components. A configuration was developed which takes XML‐based requirement specification as input and bases on a constraint knowledge base to produce product configuration as output consisting of a list of selected components and the structure and topology of the product. Three modules are developed, namely product data modelling, configuration knowledge generation and product configuration generation module. The proposed approach is implemented in the configuration knowledge generation module. The configuration generation module realizes a resolution of constraint satisfaction problem to generate the output configuration.

Findings

The significance and effectiveness of the proposed approach is demonstrated by its incorporation in our configuration system prototype. A case study was conducted and experimental results show that the approach is promising in finding constraints with given sufficient data.

Originality/value

Novel knowledge generation approach is proposed to assist constraint generation for Constraint‐based product configuration system.
Building competitive enterprises through supply chain management
Authors: Hassini Elkafi
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a special issue that looks at how enterprises could build competitive advantage through supply chain management.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides an overview of competitiveness within a supply chain framework, introduces the issue papers and summarizes their major features.

Findings

Nowadays competition is increasingly between supply chains rather than individual companies. Thus, one would expect supply chain management to be a key in maintaining enterprises competitiveness. Through conceptual models and empirical studies this special issue's papers demonstrate how designing and operating efficient supply chains, through the effective use of information technology, can provide enterprises with a competitive advantage.

Research limitations/implications

The paper implies that enterprises can associate with a supply chain and develop a mechanism to fairly share surpluses. The papers in the special issue offer insight in to how an enterprise can position itself within a supply chain and how risks and profits can be shared equitably.

Practical implications

The paper introduces articles that report on practical implementation issues of supply chain principles.

Originality/value

The paper suggests a unified framework for the special issue papers.
Organizational culture and supply chain strategy: a framework for effective information flows
Authors: Jungbae Roh James , Hong Paul , Park Youngsoo
Published: August 2008

Purpose

Critical information flows in the supply chain reflect the patterns of organizational culture and supply chain strategy (SCS). This paper aims to links organizational culture and SCS using competing values and an uncertainty framework.

Design/methodology/approach

Anchored at literature review on organizational culture and SCS, this paper presents a typology with four patterns of organizational culture with four types of corresponding SCS.

Findings

This paper presents diverse requirements for effective design of supply chain in that for each pattern of organizational culture, corresponding SCS is identified: efficient for hierarchical, risk‐hedging for group, responsive for rational, and agile for developmental culture.

Research limitations/implications

The exploratory nature of this study requires empirical research validation. Firms may use this research framework in design and evaluation of their supply chain management structure according to their organization's cultural elements and requirements.

Practical implications

Using this integrative framework business executives may better manage the informational infrastructures that reflect the rich dynamics between their particular organizational cultural traits and supply chain behavioral practices.

Originality/value

This paper expands the concept of organizational culture in the extended supply chain network context and identifies information strategy profiles.
An objective evaluation of the Ivey Purchasing Managers Index
Authors: Cho Danny I. , Ogwang Tomson
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide academic researchers and practitioners with a better understanding of the current Ivey Purchasing Managers Index (IPMI), with alternative IPMIs, and with their appropriateness as an indicator of the performance of the Canadian economy.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper makes use of principal component analysis to investigate the choice of principal variables for computing new IPMIs based on monthly data for five Ivey indexes for the period from December 2000 to May 2006. Statistical tests were made for the validity of the existing and new IPMIs using two major indicators of Canadian business and economic activities.

Findings

The results suggest that a new composite purchasing managers index for Canada similar to its US counterparts be computed based on four identified Ivey indexes. For constructing a simpler and parsimonious IPMI, the results support Ivey's current practice of using only one Ivey index, namely, the Purchases index.

Research limitations/implications

There was a limited amount of data used for the analysis (i.e. monthly data for less than six years). Also there are issues on data comparability between the Ivey data and the US data (i.e. the Ivey does not collect separate data for the manufacturing sector or the non‐manufacturing sector).

Practical implications

Using a composite index akin to the PMI, business organizations and policymakers will have an accurate sense of what is happening in the Canadian economy. Furthermore, enhancing the power and accuracy of such an index will benefit supply professionals, economic forecasters, and policy experts.

Originality/value

The present study offers additional insights to both practitioners and academics. It helps supply chain managers and practitioners come up with a more reliable business strategy by providing them with a weighted composite index for the Canadian economy. It also makes contributions to the academic community in the area of statistical theory applied to supply management as it has introduced the principal components variable selection analysis in the construction of a new IPMI.
Flexibility and revenue management in the automotive industry
Authors: Voigt Kai‐Ingo , Saatmann Michael , Schorr Sascha
Published: August 2008

Purpose

This research aims to analyze the potential of revenue management in the German car industry. The concept offers the chance for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to be more customer‐oriented to reduce costs and increase earnings. To implement revenue management, criteria are required to segment the customers. The car configuration changes and the delivery time look suitable in this context and this paper aims to analyze these.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey analysis was conducted with 2974 German buyers of new cars. The respondents recently bought a car or were in the planning process of doing so. A total of 803 data sets could be evaluated statistically using SPSS software. Descriptive statistics and mean test were utilized to test several hypotheses and find out distinctions between the respondents.

Findings

The results show that German car buyers could be segmented in to different groups according to the criteria: delivery time and configuration changes. This enables manufacturers to introduce revenue management and realize benefits in better customer orientation and improved supply chain planning.

Originality/value

This research shows that German OEMs, especially the premium OEMs overestimate the value of change flexibility and short delivery times for their customers. The implementation of revenue management could help to reduce complexity and offer each customer the appropriate degree of change flexibility and the optimal delivery time combined with a process‐ and effort‐adequate pricing.
The effect of inventory management on firm performance
Authors: Koumanakos Dimitrios P.
Published: August 2008

Purpose

Lean management is getting more and more attention in today's highly competitive environment. In this context, the aim of this study is to test the hypothesis that efficient (lean) inventory management leads to an improvement in a firm's financial performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for the analysis came from the ICAP database, which contains financial information on all medium to large Greek firms. The sample period extended from 2000 to 2002. For each year all manufacturing firms with the corporate form of societés anonyms operating in any one of the three representative industrial sectors in Greece: food, textiles and chemicals were selected.

Findings

Preliminary results, obtained by cross‐section linear regressions, reveal that the higher the level of inventories preserved (departing from lean operations) by a firm, the lower its rate of returns. Findings are additionally tested by the use of pseudo‐likelihood ratio test which constitutes a more reliable tool, thus verifying the robustness of the linearity of the relationship.

Research limitations/implications

Given the great number of the possible determinants of performance it is difficult to isolate the effect of inventories even by using large samples and advanced methodologies.

Originality/value

Since the results from other empirical studies on the microeconomic determinants and consequences of inventories are somewhat contradictory, this study sheds more light to this issue by employing more sophisticated statistical tests applied to a large and recent sample of Greek manufacturers across different industries.
Evaluating performance of national R&D organizations using integrated DEA‐AHP technique
Authors: Jyoti  , Banwet D.K. , Deshmukh S.G.
Published: August 2008

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and compare the performance of national R&D organizations in India in terms of their relative efficiencies using a multiple output measurement criteria incorporating the quality of the output measures.

Design/methodology/approach

An integrated data envelopment analysis (DEA) and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) has been used.

Findings

The relative efficiency for national R&D organizations is obtained not only based on quantity of output, but also on the basis of quality of the output and provides more comprehensive and realistic results to the decision makers in identifying the benchmark national R&D organizations and inefficient organizations.

Research limitations/implications

Owing to difficulty in approaching all the departments, the application of the model is limited to a small group of Indian national R&D organizations. This model can be extended for various departments/agencies heading various national R&D organizations in India as well as in other countries according to their requirement and suitability.

Practical implications

This model provides a more comprehensive method to the policy makers for evaluating the performance of national R&D organizations in terms of their relative efficiencies also incorporating the quality of the output measures. The results provide the indicators to the policy makers for redesigning the R&D processes in the inefficient national R&D organizations.

Originality/value

In the context of R&D, an integrated DEA‐AHP model is applied for the first time to evaluate the performance of national R&D organizations in terms of their relative efficiency obtained not only on the quantity of the output taken, but also on the quality of the output.