bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A learning model of intelligent home
Authors: Yiu C.Y. , Yau Y. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThis paper aims to review the extant intelligent home specifications and put forward a new dimension for the specifications of intelligent home (IHS).Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts a learning (bottom‐up) algorithm which emphasizes the importance of learning and adaptability to the dynamic environmental changes in the IHS.FindingsThe study finds that the intelligent home has been characterized by automation, integration of facilities and communication. However, it is contended here that an intelligent home specification in such a hard‐wired (top‐down) approach cannot be sustained in the light of the continuous changes of user requirements. Hence, adaptation to users' needs must be encompassed in a system of home intelligence.Research limitations/implicationsThis study provides a framework for all stakeholders to work for a common goal and a platform for benchmarking the performance of intelligent home in the long run.Originality/valueThis is the first to adopt the learning (bottom‐up) algorithm in defining home intelligence.
The marketing curriculum and educational aims: towards a professional education?
Authors: Clarke Peter , Gray David , Mearman Andrew 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this conceptual paper is to address the current debate about the role of business and marketing education. Should marketing courses be pragmatic and professional, geared towards practical knowledge of necessary tools and techniques; or should they be academic and intellectual, aimed at creating scholars who happen to be marketers. Should marketers be trained or educated?Design/methodology/approachThe paper addresses these questions through the well‐established distinction between intrinsic and instrumental aims of education.FindingsIt is argued that ethics are good for business; and that an intrinsic education is necessary to produce the marketers who can work in this ethical dimension.Originality/valueThe paper should be of interest to those involved in marketing education and business curricula design.
Transition to a market orientation in China: preliminary evidence
Authors: Bathgate Ian , Omar Maktoba , Nwankwo Sonny , Zhang Yinan 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe research objective was to assess the challenges of transition that firms face in adopting a market orientation in China, as the basis for providing a context‐specific explanation of market orientation.Design/methodology/approachA sample from the He Bei Light Industry Directory was selected by the systematic‐selection‐from‐lists procedure. The survey instrument was adapted from the widely used MARKOR scale.FindingsAlthough some of the early results are consistent with those obtained in the West, an underlying lacuna needs to be addressed in order for a useful culture‐sensitive interpretation of market orientation to be offeredvis‐à‐vislocale‐specific knowledge.Research implications/limitationsWhile there can be little doubt that market orientation delivers superior performance in developed western economies, implementations in many transition‐economy contexts reveal a range of paradoxes, which point to some gaps in both the theory and practice of marketing.Originality/valueA useful explanation of market orientation in transition economies should necessarily embed an approach that accommodates the institutional peculiarities of the environment under study, focusing the temporal, spatial and wider socio‐cultural and historical characteristics of marketing itself.
Operations strategy and flexibility: modeling with Bayesian classifiers
Authors: Abad‐Grau María M. , Arias‐Aranda Daniel 
Published: July 2006

PurposeInformation analysis tools enhance the possibilities of firm competition in terms of knowledge management. However, the generalization of decision support systems (DSS) is still far away from everyday use by managers and academicians. This paper aims to present a framework of analysis based on Bayesian networks (BN) whose accuracy is measured in order to assess scientific evidence.Design/methodology/approachDifferent learning algorithms based on BN are applied to extract relevant information about the relationship between operations strategy and flexibility in a sample of engineering consulting firms. Feature selection algorithms automatically are able to improve the accuracy of these classifiers.FindingsResults show that the behaviors of the firms can be reduced to different rules that help in the decision‐making process about investments in technology and production resources.Originality/valueContrasting with methods from the classic statistics, Bayesian classifiers are able to model a variety of relationships between the variables affecting the dependent variable. Contrasting with other methods from the artificial intelligence field, such as neural networks or support vector machines, Bayesian classifiers are white‐box models that can directly be interpreted. Together with feature selection techniques from the machine learning field, they are able to automatically learn a model that accurately fits the data.
Justifying investment in advanced manufacturing technology: a portfolio analysis
Authors: Small Michael H. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThis paper seeks to present the results of an investigation on the justification of investments in advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) at manufacturing plants in the USA. Unlike previous research that explored the adoption and use of a specific AMT or groups of similar AMT, this study focuses on a plant's combination of technologies or its technology portfolio.Design/methodology/approachMail survey responses from a sample of 82 plants are used to examine the relationships between the type of technology portfolio being used and the justification approaches and evaluation techniques that were utilized to justify these investments. The study also investigates the level of functional integration and the level of effort applied to several activities during the justification stage of the AMT projects.FindingsThe majority of plants that had adopted the more complex technology portfolios were using hybrid (economic and strategic) justification approaches supported by ratio and discounted cash flow justification techniques. Plants that were using the less complex portfolio also used hybrid approaches, but tended to concentrate on the use of ratio techniques. Findings on the level of functional integration at various stages of the AMT project are also reported.Research limitations/implicationsThis research concentrated on discrete‐parts durable goods producers in the USA. Further studies are needed to determine whether the findings can be generalized across other industries or in other countries.Originality/valueThis research uses an innovative portfolio analysis approach to investigate the important topic of justification of AMT. Managerial implications arising from the results of this study and a number of new research avenues are advanced.
The process‐wide information organism approach for the business process analysis
Authors: Tsaih Ray , Lin Wan‐Ying 
Published: July 2006

PurposeTo manage linkages amongst value activities, this study seeks to explore to a greater extent the underlying information‐processing infrastructure of the value chain, and then to derive a corresponding business process analysis framework.Design/methodology/approachThe approach is an in‐depth investigation of the information‐processing infrastructure underlying the value chain activities.FindingsThis study leads to the process‐wide information organism approach and further delivers a business process analysis framework for describing and measuring mechanisms of managing the information flow underlying the strategic business process.Originality/valueThe information‐processing infrastructure underlying the value chain and thus the business process has been identified, and an analytical framework for describing and measuring mechanisms of managing the information flow underlying the strategic business process has been proposed.
Contextual problem detection and management during software execution in complex environments
Authors: Sun Kim Jae , Park Sooyong , Sugumaran Vijayan 
Published: July 2006

PurposeFrom the point of view of computing environments, the paper aims to present a goal‐based contextual problem detection and management (GCPDM) method whose core benefit in its extendability of detection capability to deal with unpredicted problems.Design/methodology/approachApproaches the subject by designing a goal graph, designing actions, designing achievable relations between actions and goals, defining contextual factors of each action, defining CCGs and implementing the GCPD engine.FindingsThat self‐managed, as opposed to traditional, software is designed to avoid runtime failures by adapting to unpredictable situations.Originality/valueThis paper presents a GCPDM method.
Diffusion of selected concepts in information systems and management: 1973‐2004
Authors: Harman Keith , Koohang Alex 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to explore the extent to which the diffusion of concepts related to information systems and management approximates the rate and the cumulative frequency distribution patterns assumed to reflect the diffusion of innovations.Design/methodology/approachThe diffusion of those concepts was measured via citation analysis of 4,014 publications (journal articles, books, and dissertations) for the period 1973‐2004.FindingsTwo key findings emerged from the study. First, the cumulative frequency distribution approximates the S‐curve of adoption. Second, the rate of adoption is exponential and corroborates an epidemiological model of the rate of adoption recently reported in the literature.Research limitations/implicationsFurther research is needed to identify and examine topics or concepts that have run their course and subsequently offer an excellent opportunity to performex‐post‐factostudies on the life cycle of innovative concepts or topics. From these studies will be baseline data and easily identifiable “actors” in the diffusion process (authors, editors, reviewers, and dissertation committees) that will provide the impetus for continued, progressively complex research models.Practical implicationsThe practical implications of a deeper understanding of the diffusion of innovations are immense. It will enhance understanding of how to better promote research and development and technology transfer. It will enhance understanding of how better to market the fruits of those endeavors.Originality/valueThis paper's findings bring to the scholarly community in the digital era the importance of understanding how new concepts and theories are brought to light and evaluated.
Developing an agent‐based workflow management system for collaborative product design
Authors: Huang Ching‐Jen , Trappey Amy J.C. , Yao Yin‐Ho 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to develop a prototype of agent‐based intelligent workflow system for product design collaboration in a distributed network environment.Design/methodology/approachThis research separates the collaborative workflow enactment mechanisms from the collaborative workflow building tools for flexible workflow management. Applying the XML/RDF (resource description framework) ontology schema, workflow logic is described in a standard representation. Lastly, a case study in collaborative system‐on‐chip (SoC) design is depicted to demonstrate the agent‐based workflow system for the design collaboration on the web.FindingsAgent technology can overcome the difficulty of interoperability in cross‐platform, distributed environment with standard RDF data schema. Control and update of workflow functions become flexible and versatile by simply modifying agent reasoning and behaviors.Research limitations/implicationsWhen business partners want to collaborate, how to integrate agents in different workflows becomes a critical issues.Practical implicationsAgent technology can facilitate design cooperation and teamwork communication in a collaborative, transparent product development environment.Originality/valueThis research establishes generalized flow logic RDF models and an agent‐based intelligent workflow management system, called AWfMS, based on the RDF schema of workflow definition. AWfMS minimizes barriers in the distributed design process and hence increases design cooperations among partners.
A genetic approach for freight transportation planning
Authors: Caputo A.C. , Fratocchi L. , Pelagagge P.M. 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThis purpose of this paper is to present a methodology for optimally planning long‐haul road transport activities through proper aggregation of customer orders in separate full‐truckload or less‐than‐truckload shipments in order to minimize total transportation costs.Design/methodology/approachThe model is applied to a specific Italian multi‐plant firm operating in the plastic film for packaging sector. The method, given the order quantities to be shipped and the location of customers, aggregates shipments in subgroups of compatible orders resorting to a heuristic procedure and successively consolidates them in optimized full truck load and less than truck load shipments resorting to a Genetic Algorithm in order to minimize total shipping costs respecting delivery due dates and proper geographical and truck capacity constraints.FindingsThe paper demonstrates that evolutionary computation techniques may be effective in tactical planning of transportation activities. The model shows that substantial savings on overall transportation cost may be achieved adopting the proposed methodology in a real life scenario.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation of this optimisation methodology is that an heuristic procedure is utilized instead of an enumerative approach in order to at first aggregate shipments in compatible sets before the optimisation algorithm carries out the assignments of customer orders to separate truckloads. Even if this implies that the solution could be sub‐optimal, it has demonstrated a very satisfactory performance and enables the problem to become manageable in real life settings.Practical implicationsThe proposed methodology enables to rapidly choose if a customer order should be shipped via a FTL or a LTL transport and performs the aggregation of different orders in separate shipments in order to minimize total transportation costs. As a consequence, the task of logistics managers is greatly simplified and consistently better performances respect manual planning can be obtained.Originality/valueThe described methodology is original in both the kind of approach adopted to solve the problem of optimising orders shipping in long‐haul direct shipping distribution logistics, and in the solution technique adopted which integrates heuristic algorithm and an original formulation of a GA optimisation problem. Moreover, the methodology solves both the truckload assignment problem and the choice of LTL vs FTL shipment thus representing an useful tool for logistics managers.
ERP use: exclusive or complemented?
Authors: Elbertsen Liane , Benders Jos , Nijssen Ed 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the antecedents of ERP use and use of alternative software packages simultaneously.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory model was composed based on literature on adoption and diffusion of innovations in general and ERP in specific. The model was tested using a sample of 486 Dutch midsized enterprises of the electrical, engineering and metal industries. Using two regression analyses we identify the effect of ERP related factors on ERP adoption and the simultaneous use of alternative software solutions.FindingsERP adoption is significantly related to ERP complexity (positive), ERP compatibility (negative), IT competence (negative), and ERP sellers' marketing efforts (positive). For the ERP adopters that also use other software packages the following relationships were significant: ERP's additional flexibility, ERP compatibility (positive), IT competence (positive), ERP sellers' marketing efforts (negative), and company size.Research limitations/implicationsAs any sample, ours is limited and the findings may be validated among other populations. In‐depth qualitative research may help gaining deeper insights into actual decision processes.Practical implicationsCompanies considering investing in ERP are aware of the influence sellers might have; companies should consider alternatives to ERP systems to overcome flexibility problems emanating from ERP use. This will most likely help to maintain their competitive advantage in the marketplace. It will require some internal IT competence to help make the right decisions, i.e. balance need for integration of software and product/service differentiation towards customers.Originality/valueThis is the first paper on the issue of the exclusive use of ERP systems versus the simultaneous use of alternative packages.
Information orientation and its impacts on information asymmetry and e‐business adoption
Authors: Hsieh Chang‐Tseh , Lai Fujun , Shi Weihua 
Published: July 2006

PurposeTo define the term “information orientation” and to propose a model to investigate how information orientation influences information asymmetry and e‐business adoption.Design/methodology/approachThe model was tested using survey data from 307 international trading companies in Mainland China. Partial least squares was chosen to conduct data analysis in this study.FindingsResults suggested that information orientation could significantly reduce information asymmetry. This influence may be mediated by information sharing and information collection. It has been found that information orientation could also significantly influence e‐business adoption.Research limitations/implicationsFurther studies are needed regarding how information orientation and such other strategic orientations as marketing and learning orientations may interact to influence business performance and organizational innovation.Practical implicationsCompanies with stronger information orientation may have less information asymmetry problems and would be more capable to make appropriate decisions based on information. The information orientation also motivates the e‐business adoption, which in turns would help the company to share information among supply chain members and among internal employees.Originality/valueThis study provides valuable insights for managers that building a stronger information orientation may help companies motivate e‐business adoption and alleviate information asymmetry, thus improve decision‐making processes.
A contingency model for knowledge management capability and innovation
Authors: Ju Teresa L. , Li Chia‐Ying , Lee Tien‐Shiang 
Published: July 2006

PurposeBased on theories of organizational learning and strategy, the purpose of this study is to develop a strategic contingency model to identify the interrelationships among knowledge characteristics, knowledge management (KM) strategy, knowledge integration, organizational learning, KM capability and innovation.Design/methodology/approachThis study was conducted using the survey method. A total of 800 survey questionnaires were sent to KM managers from the semiconductor, LED, precision machinery, communication, and biotech industries. ANOVA and LISREL were adopted to test 11 hypotheses as developed in this study.FindingsThe research results concluded that: knowledge characteristics with higher modularity and explicitness could enhance organizational learning and knowledge integration; levels of organizational learning, knowledge integration, and KM capability had significant impact on a firm's innovation; the interaction effects of human oriented KM strategy and organizational learning, and system oriented KM strategy and knowledge integration were found to significantly impact KM capability.Research limitations/implicationsTo further confirm the results of this cross‐sectional research, more longitudinal research is suggested. To identify the scope of generalization of this study, future research may use the same questionnaire or an abbreviated one to conduct surveys across different industries or different international settings.Originality/valueThe interrelationships among knowledge characteristics, KM capability and innovation have been evaluated extensively in previous studies. However, the interaction effects between organizational learning and KM strategy and between system oriented KM strategy and knowledge integration on KM capability have been largely ignored. The results of this study provide very important references for academics and practitioners to implement the effectiveness of KM.
Private property rights, culture, property management and sustainable development
Authors: Wai‐chung Lai Lawrence 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to theorise on the nature of property management broadly understood as resource management and demonstrate the actual and potential contribution of innovative property management to sustainable development.Design/methodology/approachThe approach is analytical and backed by real life examples, using concepts of property rights informed by Coasian neo‐institutional economics and Yu's ideas on the Schumpeterian process in innovation.FindingsThere is a fast spread of gated communities in the Pearl River Delta and some private shopping centres provide public facilities and entertainment as a public relation method.Research limitations/implicationsThe transformation of negative externalities into positive ones is the crux to achieve win‐win solutions to property management for sustainable development.Practical implicationsA good property manager does not simply perform the role of a passive housekeeper or management fee collector. S/he is, above all, an innovator who applies updated technology and concepts with great sensitivity to the externalities generated by or affecting the resource s/he manages.Originality/valueThis is the first paper that defines for property management a research agenda anchored in Coasian economics and demonstrate the actual and potential contribution of property management.
Sustainability planning: first, do no harm
Authors: Gordon Peter 
Published: July 2006

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe conventional top‐down planning as applied to land markets – and its limitations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper includes a brief survey of recent literature that sheds light on the argument and that puts property management into the larger context.FindingsMuch that is known about positive trends in human wealth and welfare can be ascribed to what might be called bottom‐up planning. Property managers are increasingly part of the latter activity. In light of the trends discussed, the property management activity plays a key part in the ever more important bottom‐up management of land.Originality/valueThis paper links the growth of wealth and welfare in our time with the broadening responsibilities of property managers.