bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A hierarchical model for e‐supply chain coordination and optimisation
Authors: Feng Yin Xiao , Pheng Khoo Li 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe integration of e‐business and supply chain enables seamless information flow from suppliers to customer service network via the internet. It also enables better‐coordinated materials flow from customer order to production, storage, distribution and delivery. The purpose of this paper is to describe the work that leads to the realisation of a hierarchical model for e‐supply chain coordination and optimisation.Design/methodology/approachThe model is based on an e‐business information flow network in order to respond rapidly to the dynamics of e‐supply chain and market. It can be used to realize management level strategies, and facilitate the planning and control of detailed operation schedules of supply chain units in an e‐supply chain environment. Three main modules are discussed. They are routing and sequence optimiser (RSO) with the aid of a GA and TS‐based multiple population search strategy (MPSS); supply chain virtual clustering (SCVC) based on fuzzy virtual clustering; and supply chain order scheduling (SCOS) using an agent‐based distributed scheduling system.FindingsThese modules enable: the generation of preferred routings, transportation modes and work order plan under such constraints as customer service level, cycle time and cost; the formation of supply chain's unit‐transportation‐work order families using a clustering approach to down‐size supply chain problems and increase computation efficiency; and the integration of scheduling with supply chain optimisation in order to facilitate the control of a supply chain with the aid of an agent‐based distributed scheduling approach.Originality/valueThis paper proposed a hierarchical model for e‐supply chain coordination and optimisation that is capable to solve large‐scale problems. A MPSS using GA and TS was depicted in detail to expedite the RSO.
Development of an online quality information system for e‐manufacturing
Authors: Jianxin Jiao Roger , Pokharel Shaligram , Kumar Arun , Zhang Lianfeng 
Published: January 2007

PurposeIn an e‐manufacturing environment, the acquisition of real time quality data and information is paramount for distributed collaborative manufacturers to make quick and correct actions towards quality problems in a manufacturing process. This paper attempts to assist manufacturers in obtaining such data and information and further to make decisions regarding quality control.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, an online quality information system (OQIS) for quality control in an e‐manufacturing environment is presented. The common object request broker architecture standards and client‐server technologies are applied to obtain real time data and information whenever required at different locations. In addition, several modules, responsible for product design, process planning, quality control and data input, are developed within a coherent OQIS information model.FindingsPreliminary results show advantages of the OQIS for companies to obtain real time quality data and information. It can also suggest possible improvements pertaining to quality control towards e‐manufacturing.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed OQIS can be further developed to solve such issues as explanation of complex quality information and deployment costs in the enterprise. Further research should be directed to the evolution of OQIS.Originality/valueThe OQIS can provide consistent quality data and information, based on which manufacturers can make timely and correct decisions in solving quality problems in an e‐manufacturing environment.
“Do It Yourself (DIY) portalets” for developing e‐business solutions for small and medium enterprises
Authors: Huang George Q. , Zhao J.B. , Chen X. 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo propose and develop a cost‐effective approach to developing and implementing customized electronic business solutions in a do‐it‐yourself (DIY) fashion.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed DIY approach is based on the concept of “portalets” that are used as building blocks to develop e‐business solutions with little or varying degree of customization efforts. Portalets form a platform for deriving the software (e‐business) product lines.FindingsThis paper not only discusses the necessity but also demonstrates the feasibility of the proposed DIY e‐business approach. New challenges associated with the approach are highlighted.Research limitations/implicationsIt is a critical and incremental task to develop portalets building blocks and identify their interfaces and standardize their customization points in terms of backend, middleware and client components.Practical implicationsThe study identifies a suite of tools and techniques for building and implementing EBS in order for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to significantly reduce the time and effort to an affordable level while capturing the unique business logics into the solutions.Originality/valueThe DIY e‐business approach represents a unique alternative for SME companies to adopt and implement EBS to best suit their operational characteristics.
Knowledge sharing issues in the introduction of a new technology
Authors: Finnegan David , Willcocks Leslie 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThis exploratory case study research aims to apply a processual analysis to the implementation of a customer relationship management (CRM) system from a knowledge management perspective to a contemporary (1999‐2004) situation within a UK city council. The paper seeks to place a specific focus on areas neglected in previous CRM studies – sub‐cultures, psychological contracts, how tacit knowledge is surfaced and transferred, and with what effects on implementation.Design/methodology/approachThe paper investigates how the system stakeholders and the information system (IS) itself evolved through encountering barriers, sharing knowledge, finding new uses, inventing work‐arounds.FindingsA rich picture emerges of sub‐cultural silos of knowledge linked with psychological contracts and power‐based relationships influencing and inhibiting adoption and acceptance of the CRM system.Originality/valueThis case study research provides useful information on the implementation of a CRM system from a knowledge management perspective with a specific focus on sub‐cultures, psychological contracts, how tacit knowledge is surfaced and transferred, and with what effects on implementation, which are areas neglected in previous CRM studies.
A data envelopment analysis approach based on total cost of ownership for supplier selection
Authors: Mohammady Garfamy Reza 
Published: January 2007

PurposeManagement accounting contains several techniques such as total cost of ownership (TCO) that provide necessary information related to supply issues for supplier evaluation and selection purposes. However, it is not clear whether these techniques should be applied along with other evaluation approaches. This paper aims to examine such kind of applicability to provide some insight about alternative solutions, which can be considered as well.Design/methodology/approachThis paper proposes and demonstrates the application of data envelopment analysis (DEA) approach in evaluating the overall performances of suppliers on multiple criteria based on TCO concept and simulated data in a hypothetical firm and with a strategic orientation of being able to reduce TCO by identifying benchmark values.FindingsIt is shown that management accounting techniques should be used in a holistic and comprehensive way and complemented by other evaluation approach in the supplier selection decision‐support framework.Originality/valueThe overall value of this study can be said to be a contribution to enhancing knowledge about management accounting and supplier selection. The results offer important theoretical and managerial implications and future research directions for purchasing as well as management accounting.
Information preloading strategies for e‐government sites based on user's stated preference
Authors: de Korvin André , Hashemi Shohreh , Quirchmayr Gerald 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe paper seeks to improve website performance by developing a specific preloading strategy tuned to the needs of a web server. Applying simple preloading strategies, as used in various operating systems' memory management algorithms, does not suffice when managing websites due to the uncertainty of internet users' behaviour.Design/methodology/approachThis paper uses rough, or fuzzy, sets as the framework to introduce a website management strategy based on a user's stated preference. This mathematical approach allows the derivation of preloading strategies from uncertain and partially contradicting information generated from site usage statistics.FindingsA paper example of an application of the algorithm is used to illustrate how this approach can be applied to efficiently manage a website.Originality/valuePerformance is one of the key issues in managing websites, especially as the internet gains popularity and becomes the common access point for information retrieval. This technique has the potential to deliver greater efficiency; faster response times; and reduces the need to hold detailed individual user profiles.
Collaborative performance management: present gaps and future research
Authors: Busi Marco , Bititci Umit S. 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo identify gaps in current research concerning the critical issues, threats and opportunities in the design of a system for managing performance in collaborative enterprises; and to define a performance management research agenda.Design/methodology/approachAn interdisciplinary study examines performance management from different disciplinary perspectives with the purpose of giving insights into the area, which is currently not sufficiently explained. Three sources of knowledge are investigated: scientific literature; practitioners' magazines; and research project reports.FindingsThere is a lack of understanding of what collaboration means and what it implies on the development of appropriate performance measurement systems. Future research should study the nature of collaboration and the characteristics of performance indicators to support it.Research limitations/implicationsThe selection of the disciplines to be investigated and knowledge sources to be searched is based on the authors' definition of collaborative performance management. This implies that different definitions of the same concept could lead other researchers to study different disciplines, reach different conclusions and define a different research agenda.Practical implicationsIt helps researchers build a sound knowledge base in collaborative performance management and focuses their research efforts on the most relevant issues.Originality/valueThe value of this paper resides in its ability to structurally gather most of the information available in the area, which is usually scattered in several different disciplines. This paper's contribution should be seen in the context of an ever‐increasing use in performance management research of the constructive approach, where a priori knowledge is very important.
Holistic performance management: an integrated framework
Authors: Andersen Bjørn , Henriksen Bjørnar , Aarseth Wenche 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe work presented aimed at developing an integrated framework for holistic performance management.Design/methodology/approachThe research was carried out using an action research approach. A case study was used as the basis for developing a pilot framework for performance management, involving both employees in the case organization and researchers. The research is based on theoretical contributions within performance management, total quality management, and trend analysis.FindingsA generic holistic performance management framework is outlined, encompassing diverse areas that need to play together and reinforce each other to give full effect to an organization. The main focus is a case study of a bank office, where a tailored version of the performance management framework was developed to give a setting where all these elements now are harmonized and work together.Research limitations/implicationsThe framework must be viewed as a pilot that should be further tested in other types of industries/organizations to verify its validity on a broader basis.Originality/valueThe generic framework for integrated performance management is novel and seems suitable for adaptation to many different industries and types of organization and can function as a guideline to avoiding launching concepts and programs that ultimately do not cancel each other out as their inter‐linkages have not been understood.
How can comedy be used in business?
Authors: Vitug Matthew , Kleiner Brian 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo explain how comedy can be effectively used in business.Design/methodology/approachLiterature review covering: need for comedy; advantages of using comedy; applicability to business; tips for implementation; and contemporary examples.FindingsThere are two immediate benefits of applying comedy in a business setting. First, there is a natural physiological response experienced by both the sender and the receiver. Second, appropriate and effective use of comedy allows for a “humanizing” effect that creates a connection between the speaker and the audience. When applying comedy concepts to business, the speaker may utilize the three components of comedy or apply improvisation principles. However, the presenter should use comedy that is carefully calibrated and without using offensive material. If the individual is interested in applying comedy principles in business, it is recommended that they utilize one of three types of professional organizations that are available to help tailor messages to fit objectives.Practical implicationsThe application of the ideas found in this article will help a speaker develop rapport with his/her audience, keeping them more alert and focused on what the speaker is desiring to communicate to them.Originality/valueComedy as a topic of business research inquiry for the purpose of improving productivity and performance has received very limited attention in relation to other topic areas. This article is intended to draw interest to this underappreciated subject for both additional research and practical management behavior.
Paul Virilio: a critic of international business?
Authors: Armitage John 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo investigate the importance of the work of French cultural theorist Paul Virilio for critics of international business.Design/methodology/approachThe article employs Virilio's and others' writings on “dromoeconomics” or the political economy of speed and “hypermodern” forms of organization with the aim of expounding a “Virilian” approach to the critique of international business. This standpoint necessitates a discussion of dromoeconomics in addition to deliberations on “hypermodern organization”. Two jointly authored articles by the author are introduced and explored as examples of a Virilian perspective on international business.FindingsThe author argues that whilst a Virilian point‐of‐view regarding the field of international business might initially appear as inappropriate to orthodox critics, a deeper examination reveals its usefulness.Originality/valueThe article considers Virilio's groundbreaking cultural theory in view of contemporary debates over international business, dromoeconomics, and hypermodern modes of organization.
Survey research in finance: views from journal editors
Authors: Kent Baker H. , Mukherjee Tarun K. 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to analyze both survey and non‐survey data to draw conclusions about the status of survey‐based research in finance.Design/methodology/approachThe paper surveys editors from 15 core and 35 non‐core finance journals to learn their views about specific issues involving survey research and reviews 49 finance journals over the period 1985‐2005 to identify and classify published survey research.FindingsEditors indicate that survey‐based manuscripts typically go through the same review process as other manuscripts. They view the chief strengths of surveys as producing data unavailable from other sources and suggesting new avenues for future research. The major weaknesses of surveys are the difficulty of generalizing the results and non‐response bias. A review of 49 finance journals shows that 63.3 percent published at least one survey article during this period. The most common topic area for published surveys was financial management.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper contains the normal limitations associated with the survey method including potential non‐response bias.Practical implicationsSurvey‐based research has a definite place in financial research if such research is done to the same standards as other types of research.Originality/valueThis is the first study to examine the use of survey research in finance by asking journal editors their opinions and by inspecting finance journals' record of publication.
Valuation of private companies by Estonian private equity and venture capitalists
Authors: Sander Priit , Kõomägi Margus 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe paper aims to investigate the views of Estonian private equity and venture capitalists about the valuation of high‐growth companies and compare these with theoretical recommendations found in corporate finance and venture capital literature.Design/methodology/approachThe analysis was carried out by using the case study methodology. Structured interviews were conducted in order to present the material for analysis. The dominant model of the case study analysis is exploratory, using an explanation‐building and pattern‐matching technique.FindingsMain findings of the empirical study show that Estonian private equity and venture capitalists make the valuation somewhat differently compared to Western European and American ones. Some findings do not confirm the suggestions made by scientists.Research limitations/implicationsSome of the required data were considered to be a business secret. The research could be extended to a broader sample.Practical implicationsThe findings can be used by the managers of private equity and venture capital funds for choosing appropriate cost of capital and valuation model for venture capital projects.Originality/valueThe paper is the first empirical paper, investigating how Estonian private equity and venture capitalists make the valuation of target companies.
Unpacking complexity, pinning down the “elusiveness” of strategy
Authors: Bakir Ali , Bakir Vian 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe dominant strategy discourse projects strategy as rational and calculable. However, leading academics conclude that strategy is “elusive” and “complex”. The purpose of this paper is to unravel strategy's elusiveness and unpack its complexity through empirical hermeneutic investigation.Design/methodology/approachStrauss' grounded theory is used to investigate leisure and cultural managers' understanding of strategy‐making. Data were collected through multiple interviews with senior managers of a local authority, and the organisation's strategy documents were examined. The grounded theory's transferability to organisations in, and outside, public leisure and culture was provisionally tested.FindingsIt was found that in making strategy, managers engage in purposeful, complex processes, here termed “navigational translation” which have mutually impacting relationships with organisational resources, the environment and managers' character, explaining its complexity and elusiveness. The provisional testing of navigational translation's transferability suggests that it has scope beyond public sector leisure and cultural strategy.Research limitations/implicationsAs this research focused on theory generation, a main limitation is its small‐scale testing of navigational translation's transferability. Future research could test transferability with more organisations in leisure, culture and other fields.Practical implicationsThis explanation provides a robust understanding of strategy that could improve practice. It empowers managers so that they are no longer subjugated to unrealisable expectations that rationalistic strategy tools will work in a complex world.Originality/valueNavigational translation offers a richer, practitioner‐oriented understanding of strategy, which utilises leading academic explanations from the various, competing and divergent strategy schools into a pragmatic, multiparadigmatic framework.
Clusters of entrepreneurs
Authors: Butel Lynne , Watkins Alison 
Published: January 2007

PurposeEntrepreneurs operate in conditions of dynamic uncertainty; identifying and exploiting opportunities presented by the business environment. Opportunistic search is core to entrepreneurial activity, but its dynamics are rarely explored. Groups of entrepreneurs are attracted to the same potential business opportunities. They have no incentive to cooperate, they may not even know of the existence of others. However, over time, clusters of entrepreneurs interested in the same opportunities develop. Aims to discuss the issues.Design/methodology/approachAnt colony optimisation modelling is used to simulate the activities of entrepreneurs in an opportunity rich environment. The entrepreneurs must identify the locations of the appropriate resources. Three simulations were run to observe entrepreneurial success in different environments.FindingsA random search of the business environment for resources by individual entrepreneurs was unproductive. Once the entrepreneurs learned to read the business environment and so refine their search, they were increasingly efficient. This was even more pronounced when time allowed for search was constrained and weaker entrepreneurs had little influence.Research limitations/implicationsThe computer simulations demonstrate how a cluster of entrepreneurial activity may begin. The results raise questions about the appropriateness of policies supporting entrepreneurial activity and about the path dependency of cluster development. Empirical research is now needed to test these research implications.Originality/valueFocusing on the little explored dynamics of opportunistic search by would‐be entrepreneurs in a spatially defined business environment combines previous research in the fields of entrepreneurial outcomes and cluster development. Using a multi‐agent search model to simulate the dynamic interaction of a number of entrepreneurs in the same business environment demonstrates early cluster formation without the protagonists relying on cooperative, competitive or value chain interaction.