bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating technology resistance and technology satisfaction on students' performance
Authors: Daud Norzaidi Mohd , Intan Salwani Mohamed
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Using the extended task‐technology fit (TTF) model, this paper aims to examine technology resistance, technology satisfaction and internet usage on students' performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was conducted at Universiti Teknologi MARA, Johor, Malaysia and questionnaires were distributed to 354 undergraduate students.

Findings

The structural equation modelling (SEM) results indicate that technology satisfaction and the internet usage significantly explains the variance on students' performance. Task‐technology fit is not a predictor of technology resistance but it does predict the internet usage. The internet usage has greater impact on technology satisfaction than technology satisfaction on the internet usage. Finally, technology resistance is not a predictor of students' performance.

Research limitations/implications

The study focuses only on education in Malaysia and concentrates only on the students' performance and the relationship between technology resistance, technology satisfaction and the internet usage.

Practical implications

The results provide insights on how Malaysian education systems of a similar structure could improve upon their internet adoption.

Originality/value

This study is perhaps one of the first to address internet adoption in education using an extended task‐technology fit model (task‐technology fit, internet usage, technology resistance, technology satisfaction) to investigate their influences on students' performance.
Applied digital library project management
Authors: Cervone H. Frank
Published: October 2009

Purpose

This paper sets out to define and describe paired comparison analysis as a method for prioritizing the factors that have the most impact in a digital library project.

Design/methodology/approach

Using theory and example, the paper relates the use of paired comparison analysis to the successful prioritization of competing demands in digital library projects.

Findings

Paired comparison analysis is useful to project managers and project teams alike as a means for prioritizing the issues, factors, and courses of action within a single project or among multiple projects, especially when these items are difficult to evaluate using an objective scheme.

Originality/value

The paper fills a gap in the digital library project management literature by providing an overview of a useful tool to prioritize the issues, factors, and courses of action within a project or among several projects, particularly when these items cannot be compared based on similar measures.
Contributions of open access to higher education in Europe and vice versa
Authors: Chantavaridou Elisavet
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the relationship between open access and academic institutions, as well as the initiatives that spring from this relationship with a mainly European geographical focus.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper describes the main European initiatives and collaborations in the area of open access that have been university‐driven so far.

Findings

The strength of many universities is in leading many national European initiatives, and collaborations by universities that aim to provide open access to research output, scientific publications and student theses and dissertations. Individual university efforts are the ones that pioneer in software and application development. International agreements and declarations are also signed by university representatives in order to promote open access and the close bond between higher education and open access.

Originality/value

The paper describes the latest developments regarding the promotion of open access in European universities and the collaborations that they form. Smaller countries can benefit from these examples. E‐theses projects are estimated to lead the next pan‐European projects related to open access.
An empirical study of the driving forces behind online communities
Authors: Toral Sergio L. , Rocío Martínez‐Torres M. , Barrero Federico , Cortés Francisco
Published: October 2009

Purpose

A large variety of online communities have emerged during the last years as a result of the challenges faced by both the business and scientific worlds. This trend has also been promoted by the development of internet and new Web 2.0 technologies. In this context, this paper is focused on the determinants of success of online communities. But, as a difference from other studies, these determinants are analyzed from the social network analysis perspective. Several constructs related to the community organization as a social network are proposed and their interrelations are hypothesized in a general research framework. The obtained results test the proposed model providing the most relevant antecedents of the project success.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study based on Linux ports to non‐conventional processor and environments is used to test the proposed model. Structural equation modeling analysis is used to validate the structural proposed model.

Findings

The main antecedents of online communities' success, quantifying the strength of the relation through the standardized path coefficients.

Research limitations/implications

The research is limited to a particular set of online communities engaged with the development of the non‐conventional Linux ports. However, they constitute a representative set of communities in the field of the open source projects (OSS) development, which are typically developed using a community of support.

Originality/value

This paper fulfils the main antecedents causing the successful development of Internet virtual communities. Instead of using sources of data coming from users' surveys, this study employs community interactions as a source of data. Results have important implications over the development of online communities, like software business models based on virtual communities and open source software.
The effect of community identification on attitude and intention toward a blogging community
Authors: Shen Chung‐Chi , Chiou Jyh‐Shen
Published: October 2009

Purpose

Internet portals have long been providing free services (e.g. e‐mail, blog) to attract new users and retain existing customers. However, it is uncertain whether the users will continue to use the present free service over time. Blog enables people to interact with others extensively and the population of blog users has been skyrocketing in recent years. This paper aims to investigate the impacts of virtual community on a user's attitude and intention to continually use the current blog service.

Design/methodology/approach

The conceptual empirical model has been developed on the foundation of social psychology, relationship marketing, and transaction cost analysis (TCA). Users of blogging communities who have frequent experience of interacting with other members were the objects for this study. In total, 243 valid samples were obtained for empirical testing by employing structural equation model.

Findings

Results show that asset specificity and community pressure play mediating roles in the relationship between community identification and attitude toward using blog services, which in turn affects intention to stay with a blogging community. Perceived usefulness is successful in determining the attitude of using blogging community.

Originality/value

This paper is believed to be the first that uses a sociology view of community and asset specificity to investigate its impacts on online consumer loyalty. The study advances the relationship marketing literature in explaining user's new service adoption behavior by adding community identity and community pressure generated through the process of using web‐based services. The paper concludes with implications for web‐based service providers, and additional extended research relevant to the study of virtual community and asset specificity is also provided.
Complementing consumer magazine brands with internet extensions?
Authors: Tarkiainen Anssi , Ellonen Hanna‐Kaisa , Kuivalainen Olli
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to increase understanding of the effects of web site extension on the parent‐magazine brand in the context of experiential goods, and to identify factors that are related to success.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper focuses on the relationship between consumers' experiences on magazine web sites and their loyalty towards the print magazine.

Findings

There are different ways in which the web site can complement the print version. The first mechanism is related to engaging in more frequent communication with the magazine's readers, and the second is related to consumer‐initiated interaction between other readers. In both cases something is offered that cannot be obtained from the print magazine, but is assumed to complement it.

Originality/value

The paper increases understanding of brand extensions with regard to experiential goods, but more research is needed on the factors that are related to extension success.
Quantitative assessment of European municipal web sites
Authors: Miranda Francisco Javier , Sanguino Ramón , Bañegil Tomás M.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The internet is becoming increasingly important in the communication between local governments and citizens, which makes the usability of municipal web sites a critical factor in government‐citizen communication. The purpose of this paper is to propose and test a model for evaluating the potential of municipal web sites.

Design/methodology/approach

In this work an objective investigation of the issue has been conducted by manually accessing and evaluating 84 European municipal web sites. Quality of web home pages was determined using an original Web Assessment Index, which focuses on four categories: accessibility, speed, navigability and content.

Findings

A detailed report of the results arising from this investigation is presented and systematically analyzed.

Originality/value

The most valuable output from this paper is not the ability to identify the best sites, but to see how each municipal site is compared to related sites and to spot ideas and practices that can improve city sites. These findings will be useful for both researchers and practitioners who seek to understand the issues relevant to municipal e‐government.
Factors affecting purchase intention on mobile shopping web sites
Authors: Lu Hsi‐Peng , Yu‐Jen Su Philip
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore a conceptual model for analyzing customers' perceptions of using mobile commerce services for online shopping. This paper provides insights into consumer behavior, and the results have important implications for designers, managers, marketers, and system providers of mobile shopping (m‐shopping) web sites.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical investigation was carried out to test the hypotheses. The samples include 369 professional participants. For testing the relationships of the model, structural equation modeling (SEM) is used.

Findings

The results demonstrate that anxiety, which is an affective barrier against using innovative systems, is a key negative predictor of a customer's intentions to use mobile phones. Also, the consumer's self‐perception of mobile skillfulness significantly affects anxiety, enjoyment, and usefulness. Furthermore, enjoyment, usefulness, and compatibility have an impact on a customer's behavioral intentions.

Practical implications

The findings of this study help to understand what hinders or encourages the m‐shopping intention of online customers.

Originality/value

The results not only help develop a sophisticated understanding of mobile commerce theories for researchers, but they also offer useful knowledge to those involved in promoting m‐shopping to potential purchasers. The value of the paper is that the results could be applied to other portable information technology service adoptions, such as personal digital assistants (PDA), smart phones, advanced mobile phones, and portable global positioning systems (GPS).
Miscellanea U: post‐disciplinary networks in social media
Authors: Reid Alex
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to consider the pedagogical, disciplinary, and institutional implications of social media for higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper examines current theories on educational technology and social media in the context of specific social media (Second Life and iTunesU) used in pilot programs.

Findings

The paper finds that social media dramatically alter the material contexts in which we make decisions about how to organize people and information in higher education. The operation of social media, particularly the low costs of group formation and risk‐taking, is difficult to accommodate within the traditional institutional structures of higher education.

Originality/value

This paper expands the conversation of social media in higher education beyond the limited (though certainly significant) tasks of technical innovation and policy making to recognize the larger institutional and disciplinary challenges and opportunities they represent.
Social ePortfolios as the new course management system
Authors: Garrett Nathan , Thoms Brian , Alrushiedat Nimer , Ryan Terry
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to show the practicality of a new portfolio design that incorporates distributed content, emphasizes student ownership, encourages social learning, and acknowledges the central importance of ease of use.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach's practicality is demonstrated through survey results and usage logs from two case studies.

Findings

Students enjoy using this system, and report that its social aspects improve their academic performance and motivation. They also report it as being more social than their past experiences with BlackBoard.

Originality/value

The paper provides support for a vision of distributed educational software centered on portfolios, anchored by course tools, connected to assessment outcomes, and opened for public learning.
You say tomato, I say tomato, let's not call the whole thing off: the challenge of user experience design in distributed learning environments
Authors: Treviranus Jutta
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to chronicle new user experience (UX) design approaches being pioneered in an international, multi‐institution, multi‐sector, cross‐project initiative called the Fluid Project, covering the strengths and shortcomings of these approaches and the lessons learned about design and development in distributed communities.

Design/methodology/approach

Open source and community source software development projects have not fulfilled their promise of innovation and natively optimized tools and applications in large part due to a lack of integrated UX design and development processes. Fluid has developed a UX approach that aims to address the need to accommodate the huge diversity of users and contexts in academic communities as well as the critical need to improve the user experience.

Findings

It has been found that the Fluid approach challenges common or traditional notions integral to teaching in higher education, software design, user interaction design methods, usability research and accessibility strategies. It proposes greater individual control over the UX than most users may be ready to assume despite obvious benefits. An unexpected UX challenge is creating tools and applications that prompt and support users in configuring their systems to their personal needs and contexts.

Originality/value

Fluid has designed and prototyped new UX design methods, pedagogical practices, and usability and accessibility approaches to suit the context of distributed academic communities and open source development, while at the same time producing a UX system of benefit to the mashup or integration of any set of disparate tools.
Racing towards academic social networks
Authors: Boston Ian
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the driving forces moving Sakai to join the new era of social applications by adopting a content‐focused methodology.

Design/methodology/approach

The exploration is performed by looking at the way in which the role of content has developed through various phases of the internet, and how educational computing has leveraged those developments. The paper then goes on to relate these developments to the way in which initiatives like OpenSocial are changing the nature of application development and hosting, discussing the impact of the new world of cloud‐aware and cloud‐based applications on the development of Sakai.

Findings

Shifting to a modern web development paradigm that includes heavy use of client‐side programming methodologies such as AJAX, a content‐centric architecture, and an implementation of social networking capabilities will increase student satisfaction, while reducing development time and cost for systems like Sakai.

Originality/value

The paper will be of particular interest to those readers considering the tensions between institutionally provisioned applications and global free‐to‐use web services.
Web 2.0 LMS opportunities and obstacles: exploring OpenSocial, OpenID, and OpenCourseWare in NIXTY
Authors: Moriarty Glendon L.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the opportunities in moving to a Web 2.0 global learning environment. NIXTY, a Web 2.0 platform, is utilized to illustrate how OpenSocial, OpenID, and OpenCourseWare can be implemented to facilitate open education.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a system that implements the OpenSocial and OpenID standards as well as OpenCourseware imports. First, OpenSocial is discussed as a common way that developers can build applications that promote relational and social learning. Next, the promise of OpenID is explored. People are now creating their identities independent of organizations and they want to be able to translate that identity across formal and informal educational environments. Third, OpenCourseWare is covered with an emphasis on finding ways to further unlock material so it can easily be used to facilitate self‐directed and communal learning. Finally, tensions between learning inside and learning outside the university are explored.

Findings

Results of this preliminary review suggest that there are significant benefits for individuals and institutions.

Originality/value

Accreditation issues are addressed in both a developed world and late‐developing world context.
A service‐oriented virtual learning environment
Authors: Booth Andrew G. , Clark Brian P.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a prototype pluggable service‐oriented virtual learning environment, enabling teachers to create an integrated teaching environment using tools that have been chosen to best meet their academic requirements.

Design/methodology/approach

This is an implementation of a WAFFLE Bus. A microkernel software design pattern is used to enable tools to be added and removed from the system. An enterprise service bus is used to provide workflow and message transformation functionality. Tools are managed through web service interfaces and Shibboleth is used to effect interoperability at the web application user interface. The initial services for the prototype were chosen to implement a simple web service teaching workflow.

Findings

First, Shibboleth is shown to provide a solution to the virtual learning environment tools' interoperability problem. Second, the service‐oriented virtual learning environment naturally leads to the ability to operate with many different types of information channels in and out of the system. This leads to a multiplicity of possible types of context‐dependent user interface. Third, immersive 3D, possibly the most interesting interface, will provide a context amenable to even the smallest development teams for the introduction of artificial intelligence into teaching. Finally, web service workflow is shown to provide a viable option for the implementation of learning designs with advantages and disadvantages compared to existing approaches.

Research limitations/implications

Different types of information channels are associated with different security problems. It will be important to determine what the best ways are of establishing secure channels to student personal learning environments. The present web service workflow design tools are of the highest quality and usability, but the design process is still a job for a specialist. It might be possible, however, to modify these open source tools to bring the design process within the grasp of non‐specialists.

Originality/value

The software system presented herein represents one possible path leading away from VLE monolithy using a service‐oriented approach. A new solution to the tools' interoperability problem is presented along with a multi‐faceted approach to the user interface. The enterprise service bus creates a flexible platform for the delivery of web service teaching and learning workflows. It is posited that the use of an immersive 3D user interface will create a context that facilitates the introduction of an artificial intelligence layer into the virtual learning environment that can serve robot teaching avatars.
Exploring “analytics” to make better decisions – the questions executives need to ask
Authors: Fahey Liam
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe in detail how executives' careful questioning can contribute to the decision analytics process.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper lays out the questions that a senior executive should ask to guide analytics professionals in the analysis work they do. It also explains the rationale behind the questions.

Findings

The paper finds that a set of well‐chosen questions can transform the quality and relevance of the outputs so that executive decision makers can be better informed and thus make better decisions.

Practical implications

The questions senior executives should ask to guide analytics work are very similar to questions developed to guide competitive intelligence analysis. The process outlined here shows how executives and analytics professionals can work with each other to help ensure that decision relevant outputs are created.

Originality/value

With this set of questions executives can guide analytics work so that it is not driven solely by the technology or expertise of the analytics professionals.
A pharmaceutical company harnesses the power of analytics
Authors: Clifton T.E.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to look at a major pharmaceutical company that was expanding its research and decided that it needed to identify and collect information on “key opinion leaders” in research communities central to its new drug development activities.

Design/methodology/approach

The study shows that the company sought to harness the power of analytics technology to study peer relationships in research communities and keep this information continuously updated.

Findings

The study finds that executives identified several key opinion leader candidates, and also developed an appreciation for the pattern of competitor activity across the research community.

Practical implications

The executives continually challenged the analysts, kept the overall process focused on the key business drivers, and successfully blended their understanding of the kinds of insights the company required with the analysts' ability to generate insights from large volumes of data.

Originality/value

Where traditional corporate approaches provided reliable intelligence on tens or possibly hundreds of key participants in fields the company was familiar with, the decision analytic solution allowed the company to explore and regularly update tens of thousands of relationships across previously unknown fields.
A comprehensive strategy for globally integrated operations
Authors: Lubowe Dave , Cipollari Judith , Antoine Patrick
Published: October 2009

Purpose

To aid business leaders struggling to implement global integration, IBM Consulting developed an “R‐O‐I Framework” that emphasizes repeatable processes, optimized assets and integrated operations, all on a global basis. This paper aims to look at this framework.

Design/methodology/approach

The researchers first examined data from and IBM 2008 CEO Study (more than a 1,000 respondents), and then selected 20 best practice cases to identify patterns among strategies that strong global integrators were using.

Findings

The IBM approach has identified three elements of the R‐O‐I framework that must be addressed concurrently: repeatable processes – eliminating inefficiency, optimizing effectiveness, and managing exceptions; optimized assets – managing core versus non‐core activities, optimizing locations and establishing virtual operations; and integrated operations – Optimizing global competencies via partnering and managing end‐to‐end processes on a global basis.

Practical implications

In concert with the R‐O‐I elements, three additional elements underpin the global integration transformation process and serve as the foundation that enables globally integrated operations: leadership, organization and technology.

Originality/value

The final step to global integration is managing on a global basis for every process from end‐to‐end, within and beyond company walls. Key to this is a systems view of global operations, with tools and methodologies in place to continually monitor end‐to‐end processes while adjusting to changes wherever and whenever they arise, while maintaining a continual focus on global optimization.
Corporate environmental reporting through the lens of semiotics
Authors: Yusoff Haslinda , Lehman Glen
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand the motives behind corporate environmental reporting in Malaysia and Australia from an alternative perspective, i.e. through semiotics.

Design/methodology/approach

Reviews are made on the annual reports of the top 50 public companies in both countries, and the uses of business languages in those reports are investigated. The research concentrates on the significations of environmental messages made through paradigmatic and syntagmatic tests.

Findings

Corporate environmental disclosures made by the public companies in Malaysia and Australia signify similar form of motives. The tones, orientations, and patterns of environmental disclosures indicate that environmental information is a strategic mechanism used towards enhancing good corporate reputation.

Research limitations/implications

Environmental reporting plays a significant role in promoting corporate “green” image in conjunction with the aims for better social integration.

Practical implications

Semiotics offers a useful basis that enables a greater understanding of why companies prepare and disclose environmental information. Such an understanding holds the potential to provide ideas and guide policy‐makers, and other stakeholders (and users) of corporate environmental information.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to comparatively investigate the corporate motives and intention of environmental reporting practices via the application of semiotics on a two‐country data, specifically Malaysia and Australia.
A media analysis approach to evaluating national health information infrastructure development
Authors: Cockcroft Sophie
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate electronic health record (EHR) initiatives at the national/external level. Governments are investing large amounts of money in national EHR systems. These systems are socially and politically complex and a variety of stakeholders (e.g. at the individual, organisational or national level) have an interest in evaluating such systems from technical, economic or patient outcome perspectives. In cognisance of academic research in the area, this paper presents an approach which uses the perspective of one particular type of professional critic, the media, to identify issues and evaluate their impact at a national level.

Design/methodology/approach

The work is conducted using an established evaluation framework and formal content analysis of selected relevant articles from the quality press of three selected countries.

Findings

Different issues take prominence in centralised vs decentralised EHR approaches. In countries with a decentralised approach issues of standards and interoperability take the fore. Where there is a more centralised approach the media focus is more on project management, budgetary and financial aspects. In all coverage political and economic aspects are emphasised over technical or patient outcome issues.

Originality/value

The paper represents the application of the content‐context‐process framework. It contributes to the information systems evaluation literature at the national/external level.
Managing the implementation of an innovative technology in a hospital: a case study
Authors: Bahri Shamshul
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a model of radio frequency identification (RFID) implementation process in a hospital. The model is developed to fill the lack of models on RFID implementation in a hospital setting.

Design/methodology/approach

The case study research and grounded theory approaches are combined. The data are collected through repeat interviews with the hospital's RFID manager and the IT vendor. The data are analysed using the grounded theory approach.

Findings

The main finding of the paper is the RFID implementation process model in a hospital. The model consists of key activities that have occurred during the unfreezing, moving and refreezing stages of the implementation.

Research limitations/implications

The generalisability of the model may be limited because it is based only on a single hospital's RFID implementation.

Practical implications

RFID managers in hospitals need to be aware that the technology's implementation is no different to other types of information systems implementation. However, they also need to be aware of the contextual differences in their hospitals before the model can be adapted.

Originality/value

The RFID implementation process model could guide existing and future RFID managers in hospitals. The three stages of the model will enable the managers in identifying the different emphasis needed in each stage.
Transformational team‐building across cultural boundaries
Authors: Gabrielsson Mika , Darling John , Seristö Hannu
Published: October 2009

Purpose

In a world‐wide environment strongly influenced by the issues and perspectives of globalization, internationally‐based business firms must be focused on transformational leadership team‐building across the cultural boundaries with which they are involved. The purpose of this paper is to juxtapose the leadership dimensions and national culture dimensions, and particularly to explore one aspect of that transformational leadership team‐building process, the application of the key paradigm of leadership style balance and support within the parameters of an operational team.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a literature review the paper identifies four basic leadership styles, the strengths and weaknesses of each of the styles are identified, communication preferences are discussed, primary back‐up styles that come into focus due to high levels of stress are analyzed, and the all‐important skill of style flex is described. These dimensions will be examined in association with the case of UnitedTel Ltd (a pseudonym), and also include observations relating to the authors' experiences in several other arenas that have been encountered in management and consulting activities.

Findings

Two interactive dimensions at the heart of a leader's behavior – assertiveness and responsiveness – are foundations of that person's leadership style. The basic interactive dimensions of assertiveness and responsiveness thereby form the two axes of the framework of the leadership styles paradigm and the four primary quadrants, which represent the four leadership styles – analyzer, director, creator, and connector.

Research limitations/implications

The paradigm of leadership styles can be a valuable tool for the further research, and understanding of, the process of transformational teambuilding across cultural boundaries.

Practical implications

Importantly, it is not enough just to understand one's leadership style or the style of others in a leadership team; one must also exercise style flex that can enable the parties to function in a mutually‐beneficial situation congruent with the needs of the individuals and the organization.

Originality/value

The leadership styles paradigm can be a very important reference point in the process of transformational teambuilding across cultural boundaries. An interesting view and contribution of the paper are the way that the leadership styles and cultural dimensions can be linked.
Employee empowerment and team performance
Authors: Yang Seung‐Bum , Ok Choi Sang
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of employee empowerment on team performance in the context of municipal work teams. Four different dimensions of employee empowerment are identified: autonomy, responsibility, information, and creativity.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a survey of 176 US municipal government employees, this study conducted an OLS multiple regression analysis. The study regressed the dependent variable, team performance, on the four independent variables: autonomy, responsibility, information, and creativity.

Findings

The regression analysis provided empirical evidence in support of the four hypotheses proposed in this study. The study reveals that autonomy, responsibility, information, and creativity each have positive and significant effects on team performance.

Practical implications

The study suggests that employee empowerment programs should consider different dimensions of empowerment. At least, managers need to keep in mind the four dimensions of empowerment discussed in this research. Understanding different dimensions of empowerment will enable managers to design and implement a successful empowerment program.

Originality/value

Prior research focused on developing conceptual models of the multiple dimensions of empowerment. This paper took one step further and provided empirical evidence.
Planning and competitiveness in maintenance management
Authors: Carla Bittencourt Reis Ana , Cabral Seixas Costa Ana Paula , Teixeira de Almeida Adiel
Published: October 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to present the results of an analysis of two hypotheses on maintenance in manufacturing industries: the first hypothesis refers to managers' perception of planning maintenance when undertaking certain practices, and the second hypothesis to the behavior of manufacturing companies that consider their maintenance sector a source of competitive advantage for their organization.

Design/methodology/approach

The research study is carried out in medium‐sized and large manufacturing companies in a large metropolitan area of Northeastern Brazil. An exploratory analysis is made of the variables considered representative for this study. Data are collected from a probability sampling of companies selected randomly and in which interviews are later held. Analyses are performed in order to identify associations that validate the hypotheses constructed. The hypotheses are tested and can be explained by variables presented in the paper.

Findings

It is observed that some maintenance practices are currently correlated to the manager's perception of planning for maintenance and the treatment given to the area of maintenance displays a positive relationship with the perception of management in relation to maintenance as a source of competitive advantage for the organization.

Practical implications

The results obtained from this paper will assist maintenance engineers with understanding how the maintenance manager perceives planning and competitiveness and also what maintenance actions should in fact be implemented. The findings have yielded more knowledge of the maintenance environment and using this knowledge will be able to improve maintenance performance.

Originality/value

The results of this study are relevant for the maintenance area and will enable it to pay more attention to issues relating to planning and to the competitiveness of organizations. The advantages of probability sampling are also demonstrated, as is the fact that the findings from the statistical analysis can be generalized to the population investigated.
Production control of hybrid repair and remanufacturing systems under general conditions
Authors: Pellerin Robert , Gharbi Ali
Published: October 2009

Purpose

It is assumed that the production system responds to planned demand at the end of the expected life of each individual piece of equipment and unplanned demand triggered by equipment failures. The difficulty of controlling this type of production system resides in the variable nature of the remanufacturing process. In practice, remanufacturing operations for planned demand can be executed at different rates, referring to different component replacement and repair strategies. A sub‐optimal control policy in which inventory thresholds trigger the use of different execution modes has been formulated in previous research to address this problem when unplanned demands are processed under an exponential time distribution. The aim of this study is to extend this control policy to more realistic unplanned demand arrival and processing times distributions.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed approach is based on a combination of analytical modeling, simulation experimentation and regression analysis. The model was validated by comparing the obtained simulation results with those obtained under an exponential processing time distribution.

Findings

The results demonstrate that the structure of optimal control can be approximated by the sub‐optimal multiple hedging point policy with non‐significant cost variations.

Practical implications

The simulation results demonstrate that hedging point control policies could be applicable to a wide variety of complex remanufacturing problems in which analytical solutions are not easily obtained.

Originality/value

The paper extends the concept of hedging point policy to the control of real‐word repair and remanufacturing operations. Once calculated, the sub‐optimal policy parameters can be simply implemented by practitioners through the definition of stock‐level parameters.
Optimization of imperfect maintenance based on fuzzy logic for a single‐stage single‐product production system
Authors: Hennequin Sophie , Arango Gabriel , Rezg Nidhal
Published: October 2009

Purpose

This paper aims to propose an approach for the optimization of imperfect preventive maintenance and corrective actions performed on a single machine. After maintenance, the machine returns to an age between “as good as new” and “as bad as old”.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach is based on fuzzy logic and simulation‐based optimization. Fuzzy logic is preferred over crisp logic because it is relatively easy to implement in this situation considering that the human factor is hardly interpreted by analytical methods because of its unpredictable nature. Simulation‐based optimization is used to have a more reactive and accurate tool for practitioners.

Findings

Taking into account the impact of the imperfections due to human factors, the period for preventive maintenance, which minimizes the expected cost rate per unit of time or maximizes the availability of the system, is evaluated by the simulation‐based optimization.

Research limitations/implications

Different and more realistic maintenance levels must be considered and the traceability of a specific system could be used to determine the most appropriate failure law. For this study, cost reduction was considered as the priority, but the model can be adjusted according to the user's preferences.

Practical implications

This paper considers a single repairable machine as a system that undergoes periodic preventive and corrective maintenance actions. Considering maintenance imperfections, rule‐based fuzzy logic can be integrated into the maintenance program to determine the times for the periodic preventive maintenance actions.

Originality/value

Considering human factors in maintenance programs is indispensable to assure more accurate and realistic results. However, due to the difficulty engendered by their modeling, most theoretical maintenance models do not consider these factors. Therefore, the proposed fuzzy model in the paper can be an important tool to include them.
Accuracy of medical RP models
Authors: Mallepree Timon , Bergers Diethard
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to generate facsimiled rapid prototyping (RP) models for medical analysis that demands an answer about the accuracy of medical models.

Design/methodology/approach

The RP technology for anatomical biomodeling is the accurate RP procedure of milling and joining, a method that is used to produce high accurate functional prototypes. To fabricate medical prototypes with RP, there is a need to get appropriate data information. Along that process, image data will be taken by computer‐tomography (CT) images as data basis. The key process is to generate a digital three‐dimensional (3D) model that represents the original object as best as possible. To be able to make a statement about the accuracy of such a model the necessary parameters run along a CT scan are of interest.

Findings

A case study using a generated test model is presented in order to show the process accuracy in relation to the chosen scan parameters. The quality of editing CT images for a 3D‐reconstruction as a necessary pre‐process for RP is, to an important degree, based on the used scan parameters.

Originality/value

This paper represents a cutting‐edge analysis that gives answers about the constrictive accuracy that is achievable for medical RP models.
A detection and control method of resin liquid‐level of stereolithography apparatus
Authors: Wang Yiqing , Zhao Wanhua , Ding Yucheng , He Zhongyun , Lu Bingheng
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to detect and control the liquid‐level of stereolithography apparatus precisely.

Design/methodology/approach

A brightness‐variable laser source is adopted to remove the computational error of divider and a closed‐loop circuit is set to measure the terminal voltage directly proportional to the output current of photosensitive devices. It employs a sinking‐block device to control the liquid‐level.

Findings

The precise calibration result of this detecting device indicates that the resolution of the liquid‐level detection can reach ±1.5 μm.

Originality/value

This sinking‐block style liquid‐level control device can allow for the liquid‐level wave reduced from ±45 to ±15 μm.
Preparation and selective laser sintering of nylon‐coated metal powders for the indirect SLS process
Authors: Yan C.Z. , Shi Y.S. , Yang J.S. , Liu J.H.
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report a new method, the dissolution‐precipitation process, to prepare nylon‐coated metal powders for the indirect selective laser sintering (SLS) process.

Design/methodology/approach

The nylon‐12 coated carbon steel powders were prepared by the dissolution‐precipitation process. The powder characteristics are examined by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and laser diffraction particle size analysis. The effect of the applied laser energy density on the three‐point bend strength and dimensional accuracy of the SLS specimens are studied. The influence of nylon‐12 content on the bend strength are also investigated.

Findings

The SEM and laser diffraction particle size analysis results indicate that the steel particles are well coated by nylon‐12 resin. The bend strength of the SLS specimens increases with increasing the applied energy density until it reaches a maximum value, and then further increasing energy density will cause the decrease in the bend strength. The bend strength of the SLS specimens increases with increasing the nylon‐12 content over the investigated range. The dimensional errors in the X‐Y‐and Z‐directions are all increased with the increase in energy density.

Research limitations/implications

This paper only concerns the preparation and SLS of the coated powders. Further investigations are planned into post‐processing, such as binder decomposition and high‐temperature sintering, of the green parts made from the coated powders.

Originality/value

This paper provides a useful method for preparing nylon‐coated metal powders for making metal parts by the indirect SLS process.
Geometric conformity analysis for automated fabrication processes generating ruled surfaces: demonstration for contour crafting
Authors: Yeh Zhenghao , Khoshnevis Behrokh
Published: October 2009

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an introduction to geometric conformity principles for examining the geometric deviation between the desired (designed) and the fabricated surfaces which may be generated by a class of surface ruling fabrication processes such as flank milling, wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM), and contour crafting (CC).

Design/methodology/approach

In general, it is computationally challenging to calculate error approximation based on points. This paper proposes methods that efficiently calculate error approximation based on curve, surface area, and volume.

Findings

This paper derives the equations for calculating the ruled surface areas and the volume of 3D slices in 3D object models. One may use the difference of surface areas or volumes to determine the extent of the global conformity of the ruled surfaces. Additionally, local conformity analysis through calculating curve deviation has been introduced to improve the reliability of the global conformity analysis.

Research limitations/implications

The research results apply only to fabrication processes that generate ruled surfaces. There are, however, numerous applications in which ruled surfaces are generated, such as WEDM, any numerical control machining which uses cylindrical or conical cutting bits, and CC.

Practical implications

The research results presented will be applicable to fabrication processes such as flank milling, WEDM, and CC.

Originality/value

All developments presented are original. Also, CC, which is a candidate process for the developments presented in the paper, has been invented and developed by the authors.