bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Re‐framing strategic thinking: the research – aims and outcomes
Authors: French Steven 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to justify the research programme and describe the conclusions.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is a summary of the aims and results of the research published in two special issues of Journal of Management Development. It argues that there are three fundamental issues that must be examined in order to resolve the conundrums of business strategy: the semantics; the structures; and the epistemology and ontology of the subject. To achieve this aim, four papers (Part 1) cover the literature that allows for a research aim to be developed. In the subsequent papers (Part 2), strategic thinking is reframed. An inductive frame is created to develop a model to help small business principals understand the need to think strategically about their business. The proposition that better strategy can be generated if answers are found to quality questions, rather than quality solutions found for poorly posed questions, is examined. A deductive frame of fundamental questions is created based on this concept and finally a reflective frame, which is “critically anti‐management”, provides the mechanism for the inductive and deductive frames to be applied to small business. The methodology is presented by French in “Action research for practising managers” in this issue and this paper is the summary of the research.FindingsA research aim is developed: to examine critically the theory of business strategy and reframe strategic thinking in order to develop and test a viable small business strategic process. Thus, strategic thinking is (critically) reframed and emergence explored beyond the (modernist and postmodernist) “box” of traditional strategic management.Practical implicationsSmall business principals have access to an integrated system of strategic frames that have been developed and tested using action research. Consequently the small business principal can be confident that the strategic process has both academic and practitioner credibility.Originality/valueParker suggests that little work has been done in the field of strategy in any non‐modernist paradigm. The author believes that this may be one of the early comprehensive studies in this field to utilise both critical theory, in the form of critical management studies, and to apply this epistemology to firms that are considered to be complex self‐adapting systems. The consequence is that there is now a theoretical answer to the problems of both Mintzberg, because there is now a mechanism for emergence, and of Hamel, because there is no longer a gap in the strategy discipline, we have a mechanism for strategy creation.
The inductive frame
Authors: French Steven 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThis paper seeks to develop a coherent model for small business principals to understand their management behaviour, with the intent to move their focus from an operational to a strategic perspective.Design/methodology/approachAction research (AR) was undertaken to develop the model.FindingsAR is utilised to develop a model that explains in conceptual terms how a business can be deconstructed such that the structure of any business can be explained. By deconstructing the business, small business principals are able to understand the nature of their managerial behaviour. This behaviour is almost entirely operational. They must also understand the nature of strategy and how they can think about their firms from a strategic perspective.Practical implicationsSmall business principals are provided with the opportunity to recognise their reliance on operational solutions to their business problems and opportunities, and accept the proposition that they must also think strategically.Originality/valueThe paper discusses the AR development of a unique tool to support the needs of small business principals move from an operational to the strategic level of their business.
Advanced analytics: opportunities and challenges
Authors: Bose Ranjit 
Published: March 2009

PurposeAdvanced analytics‐driven data analyses allow enterprises to have a complete or “360 degrees” view of their operations and customers. The insight that they gain from such analyses is then used to direct, optimize, and automate their decision making to successfully achieve their organizational goals. Data, text, and web mining technologies are some of the key contributors to making advanced analytics possible. This paper aims to investigate these three mining technologies in terms of how they are used and the issues that are related to their effective implementation and management within the broader context of predictive or advanced analytics.Design/methodology/approachA range of recently published research literature on business intelligence (BI); predictive analytics; and data, text and web mining is reviewed to explore their current state, issues and challenges learned from their practice.FindingsThe findings are reported in two parts. The first part discusses a framework for BI using the data, text, and web mining technologies for advanced analytics; and the second part identifies and discusses the opportunities and challenges the business managers dealing with these technologies face for gaining competitive advantages for their businesses.Originality/valueThe study findings are intended to assist business managers to effectively understand the issues and emerging technologies behind advanced analytics implementation.
An exploration of marketing tactics for turbulent environments
Authors: Mason Roger B. , Staude Gavin 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose that the choice of marketing tactics is influenced by the company's external environment. It aims to illustrate the marketing tactics suggested for a complex, turbulent environment, when marketing and the environment are viewed through a complexity lens.Design/methodology/approachA marketing mix model, derived from complexity literature, was assessed via a multiple case study to identify the type of marketing mix suggested for a complex, turbulent environment. The study was exploratory, using in‐depth interviews with two companies in the IT industry.FindingsThe results tentatively confirmed that the more successful company used a destabilizing marketing mix, and suggest that using complexity theory to develop marketing tactics could be helpful in turbulent environments.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are limited by the study's exploratory, qualitative nature and the small sample. Generalizing should be done with care and therefore further research with larger samples and in different environments is recommended.Practical implicationsThe paper will benefit marketers by emphasizing a new way to consider future marketing activities of their companies. The model can assist marketers to identify the tactics to use, dependent on the nature of their environment.Originality/valueMost work on complexity in marketing has concentrated on strategy, with little emphasis on tactics and the marketing mix. Therefore, the paper is an important contribution to the understanding of marketing mix choices, of interest to both practising marketers and marketing academics.
Supplier selection under uncertainty: a switching options perspective
Authors: Wu Liang‐Chuan 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze supplier selection from an economic perspective. The conventional view of cost benefit analysis is that the cost dimension is static, and companies are urged to pursue the lowest bid price when choosing suppliers. However, this perspective does not consider uncertainty, which is an important characteristic of supply chains. To overcome this shortcoming, a model is proposed that views supplier selection under uncertainty.Design/methodology/approachThe study proposes a model that analyzes supplier selection from an economic standpoint based on the switching options approach.FindingsThe results show that, contrary to the conventional wisdom, the buyer's choice of supplier makes a significant difference under conditions of uncertainty, and naïvely accepting the lowest bid price is not necessarily the best option.Research limitations/implicationsThe study extends the literature by quantifying previous studies of the buyer‐supplier relationship. This enhances understanding by quantifying the relationship under conditions of uncertainty, a topic that has been largely ignored by previous works.Practical implicationsThe economic perspective, which considers uncertainty, helps managers examine their supply chain relationships in depth when choosing suppliers. In addition, this study could also help buyers access alternative supply chain partners. Managers can make the calculations easily by using Microsoft Excel software.Originality/valueThe paper presents an original discussion about viewing supplier selection from the switching options perspective. The modeling and analysis of switching options help managers better understand the supplier selection process from an economic perspective, and improve competitiveness by helping them to make appropriate decisions.
Customer segmentation based on commitment and ICT use
Authors: Gil‐Saura Irene , Ruiz‐Molina Maria‐Eugenia 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to determine and characterize groups of retail customers, based on their perception of commitment to the retailer and the degree of use of its technological equipment.Design/methodology/approachA CHAID algorithm is performed and differences between the resulting segments are tested through the analysis of variance.FindingsFour segments are obtained that differ significantly in commitment to the retailer and level of use of the store's information and communication technology (ICT) facilities, as well as in other variables related to the retailer‐consumer relationship. In particular, customer segments differ in their use of retailers' payment facilities.Practical implicationsThe study provides a typology of consumers that enable retailers to take efficient decisions regarding their technology investments and to design effective marketing strategies.Originality/valueAlthough literature concerning interorganizational relationships has reported that commitment is influenced to a great extent by supplier investment in technology, the relation between these variables in retailing has received little attention. The paper explores the relationship between commitment and use of retailers' ICT solutions for retail customers.
Internet‐based ICT adoption: evidence from Malaysian SMEs
Authors: Sin Tan Khong , Choy Chong Siong , Lin Binshan , Cyril Eze Uchenna 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the innovative characteristics, benefits, and barriers influencing internet‐based information and communications technology (ICT) adoption among the small and medium enterprises (SMEs).Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire‐based survey was used to collect data from 406 managers or owners of SMEs in the southern region of Malaysia.FindingsThe results suggest that internet‐based ICT adoption provides a low cost yet effective communication tool for customers. However, security continues to be a major barrier. Finding on cost as a barrier is mixed. The inferential statistics reveal that relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, observability, and security are significant factors influencing internet‐based ICT adoption.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focuses only on the SMEs in the southern region of Malaysia.Practical implicationsThe findings offer valuable insights to policy makers in general and to the SMEs in particular on the significance of the measured characteristics and the associated benefits and barriers of internet‐based ICT adoption.Originality/valueThe study is perhaps one of the first to comprehensively address internet‐based ICT adoption among the SMEs through the use of a wide range of variables.
Mobile internet and SMEs: a focus on the adoption
Authors: Balocco Raffaello , Mogre Riccardo , Toletti Giovanni 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on the adoption of business to employee (B2e) mobile internet (MI) applications in Italian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The purpose is twofold: to analyze the diffusion of these applications underlining the main adoption barriers and to describe the impact on the corporate environment and the decision‐making process leading to the introduction of B2e MI applications.Design/methodology/approachThe diffusion of mobile solutions is gauged through a survey of 646 Italian SMEs in the manufacturing industry. Multiple case studies of 28 Italian SMEs that have adopted 33 B2e MI applications have given insight into the impact and the adoption process of such technologies.FindingsThe adoption of MI technologies is still limited in Italian SMEs. Two different kinds of solutions (classified into connectivity‐based and application‐based) lead to different processes of adoption.Research limitations/implicationsThe study has been conducted only in an Italian scenario. As for the survey, only firms belonging to the manufacturing industry have been interviewed.Practical implicationsThe main adoption drivers/constraints have been identified. The paper also provides information and communication technologies vendors with guidelines on how to increase the use of the applications in Italian SMEs.Originality/valueThe paper is based on a double methodology in order to provide a full analysis of the adoption of mobile technologies in a business environment: the survey is used to quantify the adoption of the technologies and the case studies are used to investigate the adoption process.
Influence of the reinforcement on penetration and perforation of concrete targets
Authors: Shiu Wenjie , Victor Donzé Frédéric , Daudeville Laurent 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe how a discrete element model is used to predict the penetration depth and the perforation caused by a non‐deformable missile against a thin reinforced concrete slab.Design/methodology/approachInitial calibration of the model was done with a series of flat‐nose missile tests. Additional simulations were performed with varying the percentage of reinforcement. The present numerical model is compared to experimental test data provided by the French Atomic Energy Agency (CEA) and the French Electrical Power Company (EDF).FindingsFor thin concrete slabs, the evolution of the penetration depth in terms of percentage of reinforcement was compared with experimental results: quantitatively the results are very coherent.Originality/valueThe modeling scale is higher than the heterogeneity scale, so the model may be used to simulate real structures, which means that the discrete element method is mainly used here for its ability to account for discontinuities; an identification process based on quasi‐static tests is used, so the quasi‐static behavior of concrete is reproduced. This identification process is the key point, to allow a complete predictive computation for complex impact configurations, especially when the missile diameter and the thickness of the concrete slab are on the same order in size.
Partitioning based reduced order modelling approach for transient analyses of large structures
Authors: Markovic Damijan , Ibrahimbegovic Adnan , Park K.C. 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe reduced order modelling based on dynamic flexibility approximation and applied to transient analyses.Design/methodology/approachThis work is based on a recently proposed flexibility‐based component modes synthesis (CMS) approach which was shown to be very efficient for solving large eigenvalue problems. The model reduction approach is based on partionning via the localized Lagrange multipliers method, which makes it very appropriate to handle coupled problems.FindingsIn particular, it is demonstrated in this paper how the utilised model reduction method can be applied only to one part of the structure and efficiently coupled to a full finite element model. The performance of the method is investigated on numerical examples of plate and 3D problems.Originality/valueThe proposed flexibility‐based CMS approach can be used as a very efficient tool for complex engineering structures under dynamic load where the mode superposition method applies. The efficiency of the computations is brought about by the model reduction.
Model adaptivity for finite element analysis of thin or thick plates based on equilibrated boundary stress resultants
Authors: Bohinc Uroš , Ibrahimbegovic Adnan , Brank Boštjan 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to address error‐controlled adaptive finite element (FE) method for thin and thick plates. A procedure is presented for determining the most suitable plate model (among available hierarchical plate models) for each particular FE of the selected mesh, that is provided as the final output of the mesh adaptivity procedure.Design/methodology/approachThe model adaptivity procedure can be seen as an appropriate extension to model adaptivity for linear elastic plates of so‐called equilibrated boundary traction approach error estimates, previously proposed for 2D/3D linear elasticity. Model error indicator is based on a posteriori element‐wise computation of improved (continuous) equilibrated boundary stress resultants, and on a set of hierarchical plate models. The paper illustrates the details of proposed model adaptivity procedure for choosing between two most frequently used plate models: the one of Kirchhoff and the other of Reissner‐Mindlin. The implementation details are provided for a particular case of the discrete Kirchhoff quadrilateral four‐node plate FE and the corresponding Reissner‐Mindlin quadrilateral with the same number of nodes. The key feature for those elements that they both provide the same quality of the discretization space (and thus the same discretization error) is the one which justifies uncoupling of the proposed model adaptivity from the mesh adaptivity.FindingsSeveral numerical examples are presented in order to illustrate a very satisfying performance of the proposed methodology in guiding the final choice of the optimal model and mesh in analysis of complex plate structures.Originality/valueThe paper confirms that one can make an automatic selection of the most appropriate plate model for thin and thick plates on the basis of proposed model adaptivity procedure.
Novel anisotropic continuum‐discrete damage model capable of representing localized failure of massive structures
Authors: Brancherie D. , Ibrahimbegovic A. 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present a finite element model capable of describing both the diffuse damage mechanism which develops first during the loading of massive brittle structures and the failure process, essentially due to the propagation of a macro‐crack responsible for the softening behaviour of the structure. The theoretical developments for such a model are presented, considering an isotropic damage model for the continuum and a Coulomb‐type criterion for the localized part.Design/methodology/approachThis is achieved by activating subsequently diffuse and localized damage mechanisms. Localized phenomena are taken into account by means of the introduction of a displacement discontinuity at the element level.FindingsIt was found that, with such an approach, the final crack direction is predicted quite well, in fact much better than the prediction made by the fracture mechanics type of models considering combination of only elastic response and softening.Originality/valueThe presented model has the potential to describe complex damage phenomena in a cyclic and/or non‐proportional loading program, such as crack closing and re‐opening, cohesive resistance deterioration due to tangential sliding, by using only a few parameters compared to the traditional models for cyclic loading.
Novel anisotropic continuum‐discrete damage model capable of representing localized failure of massive structures
Authors: Kucerova A. , Brancherie D. , Ibrahimbegovic A. , Zeman J. , Bittnar Z. 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss the identification of the model parameters for constitutive model capable of representing the failure of massive structures, from two kinds of experiments: a uniaxial tensile test and a three‐point bending test.Design/methodology/approachA detailed development of the ingredients for constitutive model for failure of massive structures are presented in Part I of this paper. The salient feature of the model is in its ability to correctly represent two different failure mechanisms for massive structures, the diffuse damage in so‐called fracture process zone with microcracks and localized damage in a macrocrack. The identification of such model parameters is best performed from the tests under heterogeneous stress field. Two kinds of tests are used: the simple tension test and the three‐point bending test. The former allows us illustrate the non‐homogeneity of the strain field at failure even under homogeneous stress, whereas the latter provides a very good illustration for the proposed inverse optimization problem for which the specimen is subjected to a heterogeneous stress field.FindingsSeveral numerical examples are presented in order to illustrate a very satisfying performance of the proposed methodology for identifying the corresponding material parameters of the constitutive model for failure of massive structures.Originality/valueThe paper confirms that one can make a very good use of the proposed identification procedure for estimating the corresponding parameters of damage model for localized failure of massive structure, and the advantages to using the experimental results obtained by testing under heterogeneous stress field.
Security aspects of vertical actions on bridge structure
Authors: Kožar Ivica 
Published: March 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate internal forces in bridges induced by moving vehicles and compare them to earthquake loading.Design/methodology/approachDynamic analysis of bridges is performed for moving support actions, for spectral method with Eurocode 8 parameters and for moving vehicle influence. Results from all three methods have been compared on two examples and conclusions have been made. Moving vehicle analysis could be based on the moving force and on the moving mass approach where the later one requires rather accurate knowledge of structural accelerations. It has been shown that the classical Newmark formulation produces accelerations of low accuracy and a novel impulse acceleration method has been devised.FindingsIt is found that the actions induced by the moving load could be comparable or larger than those caused by the earthquake on bridges whose mass is not too large in comparison to the vehicle mass.Research limitations/implicationsThe developed method will be applied to a broader choice of examples and more reliable conclusions made.Practical implicationsThere are bridges where it would be appropriate to perform moving vehicle dynamic analysis, in which case the vertical earthquake actions could be neglected in the analysis.Originality/valueIn order to assess actions from moving vehicles, Newmark method has been generalized in a novel way. Paper describes vector formulation of Newmark method that permits free mixing of integration parameters that could vary from node to node. The method is advantageous for moving load analysis where loading conditions of nodes change in time.