bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A systematic approach for knowledge auditing: a case study in transportation sector
Authors: Cheung C.F. , Li M.L. , Shek W.Y. , Lee W.B. , Tsang T.S. 
Published: July 2007

PurposeThis paper aims to present a systematic approach for knowledge auditing which is composed of a number of stages with the focus on the establishment of an overall framework and customized tools for knowledge auditing.Design/methodology/approachThe systematic approach for knowledge auditing is composed of eight phases: orientation and background study, cultural assessment, in‐depth investigation, building knowledge inventory and knowledge mapping, knowledge network analysis and social network analysis, recommendation of knowledge management strategy, deploying KM tools and building collaborative culture, and continuous knowledge re‐auditing, respectively.FindingsA systematic approach for knowledge auditing is proposed and trial successfully implemented in a railway company. The results show that the systematic knowledge auditing approach yields a number of benefits that include the identification of the critical knowledge and the subsequent recommendations can be derived for better managing the knowledge in the railway company.Practical implicationsMany KM programs failed because the companies themselves lacked the knowledge on KM and their knowledge organization. The practical implementation of the systematic approach for knowledge auditing allows an organization to reveal its KM needs, strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats and risks. Hence, appropriate KM strategy can be derived for better managing its knowledge.Originality/valueThe proposed systematic approach for knowledge auditing addresses the shortcomings of some existing knowledge audit approaches which generally lack a systematic approach and have limited practical value for real‐life implementation. The capability of the proposed systematic approach is demonstrated through a successful implementation in a railway company.
Time lag assessment between research funding and output in emerging technologies
Authors: Daim Tugrul , Monalisa Mitali , Dash Pranabesh , Brown Neil 
Published: July 2007

PurposeIn this paper, an analysis is presented of the research funding towards nanotechnology at the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI) and its relationship to the research output in Nanoscope, an application area of nanotechnology.Design/methodology/approachThe paper analyzes the data collected from 1997 till 2006 and derives a definitive time lag between the allocation of research funds and issued patents and published journals. This assessment is achieved by identifying growth trends in patents, funds and publications and doing a curve‐fit analysis using the Fisher‐Pry model. Linear regression analysis is used to show the correlation between the funding and research outputs. Alongside, non‐linear programming objective function optimization technique is used to derive the time lag in years for each of the research outputs from the year of funds granted.FindingsThis paper demonstrated that there is a strong correlation between research funding and different research outputs. The time lag between funding and patents issued is evident from the patent trend analysis and Bibliometric analysis. In the case of Nanoscope, the patent time lag was found to be approximately five to six years, for journal article it was approximately two to three years and conference presentations happened right after the funding. The research outputs showed similar trends and were found to be interdependent as evident from our mathematical analysis.Research limitations/implicationsWhile this study has shown that lag times exist within the chosen example of Nanoscope, and furthermore can be calculated to a precise degree, further data points in terms of additional emerging technologies would support the hypothesis in a more general term. A future study can look at developing technology roadmaps of the future based on the funding happening today.Originality/valueThe work takes bibliometric analysis to a further intelligence and establishes key linkages between these indicators.
Business relationships redesign with electronic commerce tools
Authors: Salo Jari 
Published: July 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand and provide an empirical illustration for how electronic commerce (EC) tools are used to redesign business relationships. The amount and quality of EC tools have mushroomed and the use of these to redesign and digitize relationships is still a relatively under‐researched area. Most of the current research is conceptual in nature and empirical research has rarely been conducted.Design/methodology/approachWith the help of a literature review on EC and business relationships this paper provides the means to identify some important EC tools that can be used to streamline relationships. Besides, theoretical argumentation this research sheds some additional light on how relationships can be redesigned and digitized with a case study from the steel industry.FindingsThe case study reports on usage of the internet, enterprise resource planning systems and wireless local area network‐based mobile solutions to eliminate extra manual work and speed up order‐to‐delivery processes in a steel industry context.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper provides only one case study from a specific context.Practical implicationsFor managers, this paper illustrates how interfacing processes in a steel industry business relationship can be conducted in a more cost‐effective manner. For academics this study highlights the need for further and consistent empirical research on the impact of EC tools on business relationships.Originality/valueThis paper casts light on business relationship redesign with EC tools and proposes further studies on this pertinent topic.
Critical success factors for implementing enterprise portals
Authors: Remus Ulrich 
Published: July 2007

PurposeThe goal of this paper is to discuss critical success factors (CSF) for implementing enterprise portals by comparing them with CSF for ERP implementations.Design/methodology/approachIn order to identify and rank CSF for portal implementations, the paper followed a multi‐method design, following a two‐stage approach with the first stage analyzing the state‐of‐the‐art of portal implementation by interviewing portal integrators in Germany and a follow‐up stage with a focus on CSF, thereby identifying and analyzing the CSF for portal (implementation) projects in general and across project stages. Then the findings are compared with the results of a similar study on CSF in ERP (implementation) projects.FindingsWhen comparing CSF for portal projects with CSF of ERP projects, some similarities were found but also some differences with respect to top management support, project management, communication, selection of the software package and business process re‐engineering.Research limitations/implicationsThere are limitations with regard to the comparability of both studies as both studies used different samples.Practical implicationsBased on these findings, measures to improve the engineering and management of portals can be proposed and developed.Originality/valueUp to now, there are neither detailed studies focusing on the identification and evaluation of CSF for portal projects nor studies that try to compare portal and ERP projects. The paper tries to fill this gap.
Evaluating operations flexibility in industrial supply chains to support build‐to‐order initiatives
Authors: Coronado M. Adrian E. , Lyons Andrew C. 
Published: July 2007

PurposeThis paper seeks to evaluate the implications of operations flexibility in industrial supply chains and the effect it has on supporting initiatives designed for build‐to‐order (BTO) manufacturing.Design/methodology/approachAn industrial case study is used to investigate operations flexibility and its impact on industrial supply chains. Tools used in the analysis include value stream mapping (VSM) and a scorecard for performance measurement. The scorecard tool comprises daily utilisation figures, product demand and responsiveness measures such as supply chain cycle times and pipeline inventory.FindingsThe results of the analysis confirm that supply chain VSM and scorecarding are effective tools that can be used to measure the performance of supply chains through the identification of inefficiencies associated with supply chain integration/design. The analysis shows the duration of value‐adding and non‐value adding activities in the entire chain. Also, the analysis has revealed the close relationship between operations flexibility and the supply chain flexibility dimensions of people and information systems.Research limitations/implicationsThe research presented analyses the operations and the supply chain of one industrial case study. The analysis does not cover the life cycle of the products mentioned in the study.Practical implicationsThe study addresses the need, in the manufacturing industry, for tools that can be used in the analysis of manufacturing operations and supply chains, ultimately providing guidelines that can be used in the design of policies focused on performance improvement.Originality/valueBTO initiatives are growing in importance in the manufacturing industry. The flexibility of operations and the supply chain are closely related to the concept of BTO in manufacturing.
Process‐oriented taxonomy of BPOs: an exploratory study
Authors: Niranjan T.T. , Saxena K.B.C. , Bharadwaj Sangeeta S. 
Published: July 2007

PurposeThis paper sets out to classify business process outsourcing (BPO), linking it to service level agreement (SLA) design needs.Design/methodology/approachThe paper develops a framework based on prior literature to classify BPOs and illustrates it with field research of Indian vendors.FindingsThe paper identifies criticality and complexity as the dimensions of classification and explicates the role of SLAs along these dimensions.Research limitations/implicationsThis is an exploratory research involving four vendors. A larger study is needed to strengthen/enrich the proposed framework, and make the findings more conclusive.Practical implicationsThe taxonomy aids BPO industry practitioners in understanding the characteristics of different processes and the control issues arising therein. It also helps analysts to make more qualified generalizations within the BPO industry.Originality/valueThe paper addresses a dearth of literature on BPOs, especially from a vendor perspective. The taxonomy serves to position future work in this fast‐growing field of research.
Closed‐loop supply chain activities and derived benefits in manufacturing SMEs
Authors: Talbot Stéphane , Lefebvre Élisabeth , Lefebvre Louis‐André 
Published: July 2007

PurposeClosing the loop at the end of products' useful life is earning increased attention from industry and academia. The recent or upcoming enactment of regulations regarding the management of end‐of‐life products is forcing manufacturers to consider strategies to increase the residual value of the products they make. Facilitating the residual value extraction process for end‐of‐life products is a challenging issue deserving investigation. This paper proposes to investigate this issue.Design/methodology/approachThis paper analyzes empirical evidence from a sample of 205 environmentally responsive SMEs operating in the fabricated metal products and electric/electronic products industries. A coherent research model is developed which classifies the closed‐loop supply chain (CLSC) activities along two dimensions, the forward and reverse supply chains.FindingsThis first proposed taxonomy has been shown to be relevant for both sectors. The results also demonstrate that firms' abilities to implement CLSC environmental initiatives vary in their intensity and in their locus along the product value chain. Furthermore, benefits derived from these initiatives seem to vary according to the strategy favored by the firms.Originality/valueThis research is valuable for those firms interested in implementing CLSC strategies in a synergistic manner with their forward supply chain.
Towards an IT production function
Authors: Wagner Heinz‐Theo , Weitzel Tim 
Published: July 2007

PurposeThe goal of this paper is to identify core IT value drivers in firms and to model them as an IT production function to help disclose and measure the IT value creation process and to guide managers in seeking adequate ways of employing the IT resource.Design/methodology/approachBased on a critical review of the literature on the resource‐based view, an IT value framework based on the constructs IT capability, resource, and routine is developed and then formalized as an IT production function.FindingsOrganizational routines are decisive for turning firm resources into an IT capability and in turn into better business process performance. Shows how the IT value creation process in general and routines in particular can be measured and formalized.Practical implicationsAs the interaction between IT and business units is crucial for IT value generation, organizational routines provide for important knowledge flows that turn firm resources into value generating capabilities. Proposes a concrete method to measure and evaluate these routines and thereby contribute to making the IT resource controllable.Originality/valueThe main contribution is the identification and analytical formalization of the role of routines for IT value creation. Shows how insights from the resource‐based view, microeconomic theory (Cobb‐Douglas/CES production function), and Granovetter's strength of ties argument can be used to describe, measure, and guide IT value creation and to develop an IT production function.
KM governance: investigating the case of a knowledge intensive research organisation
Authors: Schroeder Andreas , Pauleen David 
Published: July 2007

PurposeThe aim of the research is to identify the knowledge management (KM) governance configuration of an organisation and to investigate its impact on the development of knowledge management in the organisation.Design/methodology/approachCase research methodology has been adopted using data obtained from interviews with key personnel involved in the knowledge management of the organisation.FindingsFindings show the particular importance of the centralised structure of the KM function for the creation of synergies among the different KM aspects; and the importance of leadership, communication and coordination to integrate other functions and to promote KM aspects in the organisation.Research limitations/implicationsEven though data has been obtained from several interviewees and secondary data, additional interviews with other key players of the KM initiative might have provided additional insights. This study describes a single organisation operating in a particular industry, which limits generaliseability.Practical implicationsOf particular importance is the portfolio of functions integrated in the KM Group, the provision of KM leadership, and the communication and coordination processes employed to support the KM initiatives.Originality/valueResearch into KM governance and the way in which KM is structured and coordinated in organisations is still relatively new. Little research has looked at the structures and processes behind organisational KM
A profile of ERP adoption in manufacturing SMEs
Authors: Raymond Louis , Uwizeyemungu Sylvestre 
Published: July 2007

PurposeThis paper seeks to build and validate a typological profile of manufacturing small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in regard to their eventual adoption of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, based on the predisposition of their environmental, organizational, and technological context.Design/methodology/approachProvides cluster analysis of secondary questionnaire data obtained from a benchmarking database of 356 Canadian manufacturing SMEs.FindingsThree types of SMEs were obtained: 140 “internally predisposed” SMEs, 60 “externally predisposed” SMEs, and 156 “unfavourably disposed” SMEs.Originality/valueProvides a valid framework for analysis that can serve ERP vendors and consultants, as well as SME owner‐managers, the first to better target their offer of products/services, and the second to better position their firm before contemplating the implementation of an ERP system.
The effect of performance management on the organizational results of a bank
Authors: de Waal André A. , Coevert Vincent 
Published: July 2007

PurposeThis paper aims to identify the impact and workings of a new performance management system in a branch of a national bank.Design/methodology/approachPerformance data of the branch, before and after introducing a new performance management system, were collected and the results of actions taken by managers in the commercial divisions of this bank, to improve performance management, and the results of their responsibility areas were observed.FindingsThe striking issue in this case study is the different effects the introduction of the new performance management system had in the two commercial divisions of the bank branch. However, only the Private Clients division improved its results significantly while those of the Business Clients division only improved slightly. After analysis, it turned out that this difference was due to the way the new system was used. The divisional manager of the Business Clients division paid virtually no attention to the behavioural factors of importance to the successful implementation of performance management, with detrimental effects.Research limitations/implicationsThe main limitation is that the research concerns a case study in which only one fairly small organisation has been the subject of investigation. Whether the same effects of performance management can be found in other, bigger organisations remains to be studied.Practical implicationsDuring the implementation of a performance management system an organisation has to expressly pay attention to fostering and improving the behavioural factors of performance management, in order to increase the chance if a successfully implemented and used system.Originality/valueThis article describes the results of a study that explored the impact and working of a new performance management system in a branch of a bank, and thereby sheds light on the important role behavioural factors play in the successful implementation and use of performance management.
Aligning strategic profiles with operational metrics in after‐sales service
Authors: Cavalieri Sergio , Gaiardelli Paolo , Ierace Stefano 
Published: July 2007

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to overcome the limitations of the current models available in the literature in terms of relation and consistency between business strategy, service chain configuration and performance measurement systems, and on the alignment between strategic, tactical and operational levels of after‐sales decision‐making processes.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws on a literature review of after‐sales performance measurement systems and provides a first validation of the proposed integrated model through industrial case studies related to the provision of durable consumer goods in a business to consumer scenario.FindingsThe paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the factors which influence the performance of after‐sales, in order to allow enterprises to consistently design their corporate after‐sales service strategic performances with those required at operational levels within a service chain.Research limitations/implicationsFurther development must be carried out in order to: enlarge the sample of companies and cases where the model can be applied, with a specific extension on a business‐to‐business industry; extend the model to the whole supply and service chain; enrich the framework in order to consider other aspects, as empathy; and develop a full integration with the SCOR model, including the definition of best practices.Originality/valueThe integration of the strategic and operational views subsumed by the framework would allow enterprises in relating more consistently their corporate After‐sales strategic and operational performance within a service chain and to assess the cause and effect relationship between operational drivers and financial and competitive results.
Measurement and analysis of customer satisfaction: company practices in Spain and Portugal
Authors: Fernández‐González Arturo J. , Carlos Prado Prado J. 
Published: July 2007

PurposeThe research objective is to analyze the situation and outlook for the future of the measuring and analysis practices used to determine customer satisfaction in 305 ISO 9000‐certified organizations of the Euro‐region Galicia (Spain)‐North of Portugal.Design/methodology/approachThe empirical study was conducted on a random sample of 305 ISO 9000 companies. Data were gathered by personally interviewing those responsible for quality management at the companies.FindingsCertified companies in the Euro‐region Galicia‐North Portugal have a high awareness of the need to measure and analyze the satisfaction of their customers and a predisposition towards it but, when it comes to putting said practice into action, they fall into certain methodological deficiencies that lead to their usefulness being only moderate.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a basically descriptive work concerning the practice of measuring and analyzing customer satisfaction in certified companies, within the Galicia (Spain)‐North Portugal Euro‐region. The results obtained are based on evaluations given by the interviewees, so that their reliability depends, to a large extent, on sincerity and good information being provided by the same.Originality/valueThe work is particularly useful for practitioners. The results may act as a guideline for the companies implementing these practices and for those who will do so in the near future. It is also of interest for orientating activities involving evaluation, training and assessment by companies and official bodies related to quality management, such as consultants, certification bodies, universities, business schools, etc.
Soil macrofauna research in ecosystems in Uganda
Authors: Okwakol M. J. N. , Sekamatte M. B. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractSoil is a living entity, comprising an inseparable mixture of solid, liquid and gaseous phases, and diverse fauna and flora, the below ground biodiversity. The macrofauna consists of animals longer than 4 mm or wider than 2 mm, which are easily located by the naked eye and include arthropods, molluscs and earthworms. This review is aimed at developing an inventory of the present knowledge about macrofauna in ecosystems in Uganda and identifying future priorities for research, application and capacity building. It is noted that there are a few assessments of soil macrofauna, diversity and abundance made for different habitats. Similarly, studies on their importance in ecosystems, distribution patterns, management, linkage with above ground biodiversity and effects of land use on them are deficient. Further, there is little documentation of farmers’ knowledge and practices related to soil macrofauna management and conservation. It is also noted that the current gaps in the soil macrofauna data and information have been caused by lack of capacity and expertise to identify, evaluate and manage this resource. More research and training in the taxonomy, ecology, economic evaluation and management of this fauna are suggested.
The present knowledge on soil pests and pathogens in Uganda
Authors: Sekamatte M. B. , Okwakol M. J. N. 
Published: July 2007

AbstractTo develop an inventory of the present knowledge about soil‐borne pests (insects, fungi, nematodes and bacteria) in Uganda, we review in this paper, aspects of their diversity, abundance, distribution in agro‐ecosystems control approaches as well as their role in sustainable land management. Knowledge gaps about the soil pests and short falls in human resource capacity are identified as possible factors affecting the development of appropriate management packages for the soil pests. Priority research areas and capacity building needs are suggested.