bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Computational Markovian analysis of large systems
Authors: Mehmood Rashid , Lu Jie A. 
Published: July 2011

PurposeMarkov chains and queuing theory are widely used analysis, optimization and decision‐making tools in many areas of science and engineering. Real life systems could be modelled and analysed for their steady‐state and time‐dependent behaviour. Performance measures such as blocking probability of a system can be calculated by computing the probability distributions. A major hurdle in the applicability of these tools to complex large problems is the curse of dimensionality problem because models for even trivial real life systems comprise millions of states and hence require large computational resources. This paper describes the various computational dimensions in Markov chains modelling and briefly reports on the author's experiences and developed techniques to combat the curse of dimensionality problem.Design/methodology/approachThe paper formulates the Markovian modelling problem mathematically and shows, using case studies, that it poses both storage and computational time challenges when applied to the analysis of large complex systems.FindingsThe paper demonstrates using intelligent storage techniques, and concurrent and parallel computing methods that it is possible to solve very large systems on a single or multiple computers.Originality/valueThe paper has developed an interesting case study to motivate the reader and have computed and visualised data for steady‐state analysis of the system performance for a set of seven scenarios. The developed methods reviewed in this paper allow efficient solution of very large Markov chains. Contemporary methods for the solution of Markov chains cannot solve Markov models of the sizes considered in this paper using similar computing machines.
Application of Self Organizing Map (SOM) to model a machining process
Authors: Saraee Mohamad , Vahid Moosavi Seyed , Rezapour Shabnam 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to present a practical application of Self Organizing Map (SOM) and decision tree algorithms to model a multi‐response machining process and to provide a set of control rules for this process.Design/methodology/approachSOM is a powerful artificial neural network approach used for analyzing and visualizing high‐dimensional data. Wire electrical discharge machining (WEDM) process is a complex and expensive machining process, in which there are a lot of factors having effects on the outputs of the process. In this work, after collecting a dataset based on a series of designed experiments, the paper applied SOM to this dataset in order to analyse the underlying relations between input and output variables as well as interactions between input variables. The results are compared with the results obtained from decision tree algorithm.FindingsBased on the analysis of the results obtained, the paper extracted interrelationships between variables as well as a set of control rules for prediction of the process outputs. The results of the new experiments based on these rules, clearly demonstrate that the paper's predictions are valid, interesting and useful.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first time SOM and decision tree has been applied to the WEDM process successfully.
Intelligence decision systems in enterprise information management
Authors: Kahraman Cengiz , Kaya İhsan , Çevikcan Emre 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to show how intelligence techniques have been used in information management systems.Design/methodology/approachThe results of a literature review on intelligence decision systems used in enterprise information management are analyzed. The intelligence techniques used in enterprise information management are briefly summarized.FindingsIntelligence techniques are rapidly emerging as new tools in information management systems. Especially, intelligence techniques can be used to utilize the decision process of enterprises information management. These techniques can increase sensitiveness, flexibility and accuracy of information management systems. The hybrid systems that contain two or more intelligence techniques will be more used in the future.Originality/valueThe intelligence decision systems are briefly introduced and then a literature review is given to show how intelligence techniques have been used in information management systems.
The practice of the Balanced Scorecard in health care services
Authors: Kollberg Beata , Elg Mattias 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the main characteristics of the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) practice in health care servicesDesign/methodology/approachThe paper uses a case study approach focusing on three health care organisations in Sweden using the BSC. The focus is upon different management levels in a hierarchical branch in each organisation.FindingsThe paper concludes that the BSC is used as a tool for improving internal capabilities and supporting organisational development. More specifically, the BSC is used as a tool by management and employees in discussions, information dissemination, knowledge creation, follow‐up and reporting processes. Instead of using the BSC as a tool to implement and communicate strategy formulated by management it is used as a tool for opening up the organisation and providing a foundation for an improvement dialogue, which consequently increases the demands on management.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper contributes to changing the focus in existing research away from the design and construction of the BSC towards its use in managerial work.Practical implicationsThe paper emphasises important aspects in using the BSC in a health care context that will help managers in improving performance measurements.Originality/valueThe paper shows that the use of the BSC includes several aspects, such as the purpose of the system, implementation process, actions taken and the expected contribution.
A “system dynamics‐based Balanced Scorecard” to support strategic decision making
Authors: Barnabè Federico 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to focus on the development of a “dynamic Balanced Scorecard” and to demonstrate that matching the traditional Balanced Scorecard (BSC) architecture with system dynamics principles offers better support for strategic management decisions.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on a case study related to a service‐based business. The maps, the mathematical model and the BSC developed according to system dynamics modelling principles are discussed.FindingsA system dynamics‐based BSC, particularly if embedded into a management flight simulator, would allow exploration and understanding of features of complexity and dynamics, consideration of feedback loops rather than unidirectional causality, the use of mapping tools for a more comprehensive design of the strategy maps, the facilitation of a process of organisational learning; and support for policy design and strategic analysis performed by managers.Originality/valueThe value of this paper is two‐fold: first, it shows that by using system dynamics modelling principles it is possible to overcome positively some limitations of the original BSC framework; second, the paper provides information and suggestions that are helpful for companies that are interested in developing strategic management systems based on both BSC architecture and on system dynamics principles and simulation tools (e.g. the management flight simulator).
IT and non‐IT factors influencing the adoption of BSC systems: a Delphi study from Bahrain
Authors: Kamhawi Emad M. 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis study aims to underline the role of information technology (IT) in adopting Balanced Scorecard (BSC) systems/initiatives in Bahrain. It seeks to highlight this role through comparing the IT‐related factors/requirements against the non‐IT‐related ones that contribute to the implementation of such systems. Moreover, it provides a better understanding for the adoption of such systems through investigating the availability of such factors in Bahraini organisations.Design/methodology/approachA Delphi method was utilised relying on a panel of 67 BSC experts from 34 Bahraini organisations.FindingsThe results indicated that IT requirements for adopting BSC initiatives had the same level of importance compared to non‐IT requirements. From the non‐IT‐related requirements, management factors such as “clear strategic management” and “top management support”, and implementation factors such as “preparing implementation plans” and “proper training and guidelines” came on the top of the requirements list. On the other hand, the study suggests software interface characteristics such as “graphical user interface” and “easy to use application”, and data quality factors such as “standard data formats” and “data accuracy” as the top IT‐related requirements.Originality/valueThis study extends current research efforts related to the adoption of BSC systems. It provides insights for understanding how organisations get ready to implement such initiatives in both IT and non‐IT‐related areas. Moreover, it equips practitioners with an initial checklist of pre‐requisites for undertaking such performance management systems.
Knowledge transfer between Russian and Western firms
Authors: Michailova Snejina , Jormanainen Irina 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis paper seeks to challenge some assumptions that have long existed in the international business and knowledge management literature about knowledge transfer between Western and Russian firms. It aims to open a debate among scholars and practitioners in these fields on issues related to knowledge transfer in this context.Design/methodology/approachThe paper offers a critical analysis of issues regarding knowledge transfer and absorptive capacity in the context of business interactions between Russian and Western firms.FindingsThe paper argues that in the later stages of post‐Socialist transition it is no longer valid to attach rigidly the roles, respectively, of sole receiver to Russian and sole transmitter to Western firms. Further, the paper questions the view that problems in the knowledge transfer process are mainly attributable to the lack of absorptive capacity in Russian firms. As post‐Socialist transition has advanced, this is no longer the typical case. While Russian firms have taken the learning race seriously and have substantially enriched their knowledge stock, Western firms operating in the Russian market have primarily “learned by doing” and have not intentionally invested in improving their own absorptive capacity.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper invites scholars to examine knowledge transfer between Russian and Western firms in a more nuanced manner that takes into account the changes evident in the latest stage of post‐socialist transition. It advocates against subscribing to well‐established assumptions that were valid in the beginning of post‐Socialist transition, but are not aligned with changed economic realities.Practical implicationsWestern managers are advised to invest more effort into enhancing their understanding of the local knowledge and specific requirements and needs for knowledge transfer to local Russian firms. They should intentionally invest in enhancing their own internal absorptive capacity. Russian managers need to pay attention to the dynamics of the absorptive capacity‐learning feedback loop, as well as to the distinction between potential and realised absorptive capacity.Originality/valueUnlike the mainstream literature that has examined knowledge transfer between Western and Russian firms, this paper provides a fairer, more balanced view, aligned with changed realities, of the issues associated with knowledge transfer between Russian and Western firms.
Automatic generation of mobile widgets
Authors: Raibulet Claudia , Cammareri Daniele 
Published: July 2011

PurposeMobile widgets represent applications exploiting web technologies and providing specific functionalities in an efficient and user‐friendly way. Owing to the low or medium complexity of the mobile widgets, their development may be simplified and optimized through automatic mechanisms. This paper aims to address this issue.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents an approach to the automatic generation of widgets, which is based on the separation of concerns between the specification of their structural and functional characteristics, and their appearance. The structural and functional features are expressed at a high abstraction level through the authors' Widget Markup Language, while their appearance through pre‐defined or personalized templates. The authors' automatic generator of mobile widgets translates the XML‐based documents containing the widgets description based on the Widget Markup Language into functional widgets for various available technologies.FindingsThe main non‐functional properties of the authors' widget generator are related to its extensibility towards new technologies, and the structural and functional aspects of the widgets. The validation of their solution has been done through various case studies, among which they mention the DISCo widget, a mobile widget which provides academic information for the students of the Computer Science Department at the University of Milano‐Bicocca in Italy.Originality/valueThe main advantages of the authors' approach for the development of mobile widgets can be summarized as following: adherence to the Write‐Once‐Run Everywhere paradigm, which allows developers to save time and to not have to be aware of all the differences among the different technologies; the high‐level specification of a widget is simpler than its creation from scratch, and is, therefore, accessible to a greater number of potential developers; separation between the specification and the graphical layout of the widgets; generating widgets can consider, in addition to the platform, the characteristics of devices such as screen resolution or pointing mechanism, saving the developer the management of these aspects and industrial production of widgets, such as scalable management of creating and updating a large number of applications.
An energy efficient pedestrian aware Smart Street Lighting system
Authors: Müllner Reinhard , Riener Andreas 
Published: July 2011

PurposeConventional street lighting systems in areas with a low frequency of passersby are online most of the night without purpose. The consequence is that a large amount of power is wasted meaninglessly. With the broad availability of flexible‐lighting technology like light‐emitting diode lamps and everywhere available wireless internet connection, fast reacting, reliably operating, and power‐conserving street lighting systems become reality. The purpose of this work is to describe the Smart Street Lighting (SSL) system, a first approach to accomplish the demand for flexible public lighting systems.Design/methodology/approachThis work presents the SSL system, a framework developed for a dynamic switching of street lamps based on pedestrians' locations and desired safety (or “fear”) zones. In the developed system prototype, each pedestrian is localized via his/her smartphone, periodically sending location and configuration information to the SSL server. For street lamp control, each and every lamppost is equipped with a ZigBee‐based radio device, receiving control information from the SSL server via multi‐hop routing.FindingsThis research paper confirms that the application of the proposed SSL system has great potential to revolutionize street lighting, particularly in suburban areas with low‐pedestrian frequency. More important, the broad utilization of SSL can easily help to overcome the regulatory requirement for CO2 emission reduction by switching off lampposts whenever they are not required.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper discusses in detail the implementation of SSL, and presents results of its application on a small scale. Experiments have shown that objects like trees can interrupt wireless communication between lampposts and that inaccuracy of global positioning system position detection can lead to unexpected lighting effects.Originality/valueThis paper introduces the novel SSL framework, a system for fast, reliable, and energy efficient street lamp switching based on a pedestrian's location and personal desires of safety. Both safety zone definition and position estimation in this novel approach is accomplished using standard smartphone capabilities. Suggestions for overcoming these issues are discussed in the last part of the paper.
Foreign vs domestic investors and the post‐announcement drift
Authors: Geoffrey Booth G. , Kallunki Juha‐Pekka , Sahlström Petri , Tyynelä Jaakko 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate who causes post‐announcement drift and whether this drift is observed for various types of news announcements.Design/methodology/approachUsing Finnish share ownership data, the authors examine the trading behavior of foreign and domestic investors during the post‐announcement periods of scheduled earnings and unscheduled non‐earnings announcements.FindingsThe results show that the post‐announcement drift exists for both types of news, but only if the news is negative. As a group, foreign investors react first by selling shares of firms reporting negative information. Domestic investors act in the opposite manner.Originality/valueThe results imply that the post‐announcement drift is a special case of a more general post‐disclosure phenomenon and that investor differences (most likely information processing skills) is one likely explanation for its pervasiveness.
Determinants of leasing propensity in Canadian listed companies
Authors: Callimaci Antonello , Fortin Anne , Landry Suzanne 
Published: July 2011

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between a firm's propensity to lease and several firm characteristics: tax position, financial constraint, ownership structure, growth, and size.Design/methodology/approachControlling for industry, total lease share, operating and capital lease share ratios, obtained using an income statement approach, are regressed on a trichotomous tax variable, a dichotomous cash flow coverage ratio variable, debt over fixed assets, ownership concentration, market to book value of shares and the natural log of sales.FindingsTotal lease share increases with leverage, tax position and growth; it decreases with cash flow coverage, ownership concentration and firm size. Results for operating lease share are similar to those for total lease share. In contrast, capital lease share decreases with tax position and increases with ownership concentration and size.Research limitations/implicationsThe results suggest that leasing offers added debt capacity and increases in financially constrained firms. Firms that pay high taxes seem to place more value on the constant stream of tax deductions from the rental payments than on deductions from decreasing interest costs and amortization. Finally, highly concentrated Canadian firms may use less leasing because they are more family‐controlled.Originality/valueThe literature offers mixed reasons for firms' decisions to lease or purchase assets. This study provides further evidence in a rich setting. In 2001, the Canadian tax authorities changed the tax treatment of leases, thus providing an opportunity to validate prior results on the impact of taxes on leasing. By including two different measures of financial constraint, this study disentangles the substitution and the added debt capacity hypotheses.
Assessing probabilities of financial distress of banks in UAE
Authors: Zaki Ehab , Bah Rahim , Rao Ananth 
Published: July 2011

PurposeCommercial and Islamic banks are important players in the UAE financial market. However, little is known about their financial distress because these financial institutions usually resolve financial distress within their own organisations, which means that outsiders cannot explicitly observe distress. The purpose of the research is therefore to identify the main drivers of financial institutions' financial distress.Design/methodology/approachThe paper estimates a probability distress prediction model using the BankScope Database and the annual reports of UAE financial institutions submitted to UAE Security Exchange Authority. The paper also analyses the impact of macroeconomic information for forecasting financial institutions' financial distress.FindingsThe fundamentals of financial institutions in terms of cost income ratio, equity to total assets, total asset growth and ratio of loan loss reserve to gross loans (all these variables with a lag of one year) positively impacted the probability of financial distress in the next year. Recent findings for emerging economies have cast some doubt on the usefulness of macroeconomic information for financial institutions' risk assessment. Similar results are found for UAE financial institutions in predicting the probability of financial distress.Originality/valueThis is the first study to provide empirical evidence on the drivers of financial distress of commercial and Islamic banks in UAE during 2000‐2008, and to examine the extent of the financial distress that can be can be attributed to internal bank‐specific fundamental factors and external factors in the economy.
Supply chain enhancement through product and vendor development programme
Authors: Hasrulnizzam Wan Mahmood Wan , Mat Tahar Nurulain , Nizam Ab Rahman Mohd , Baba  
Published: July 2011

PurposeThis paper aims to review the methods used by an automotive manufacturer in enhancing the supply chain management (SCM) system through a set up termed product and vendor development (PVD) programme. PVD was developed to eliminate problems faced due to late delivery and poor quality of supplies and availability of supplies at the lowest possible costs.Design/methodology/approachThe paper explores the step‐by‐step methodologies that have been employed by the PVD.FindingsResults overtime show that the PVD has improved the SCM system especially in the areas of quality and delivery services, other services and cutting costs that manufacturers had to face due to problems that arose in the shortcomings of the supply services.Research limitations/implicationsThe PVD has managed to promote the localization programme and has also been able to establish qualified vendors through the structured vendor performance evaluation.Practical implicationsFindings also establish that the PVD team is the key to success for development of the PVD programme.Originality/valueThe paper presents an original discussion about viewing PVD programme from a successful automotive manufacturer. The structured PVD programme helps the team better understand the product development process involving supplier selection and supplier performance measure.