Creative knowledge environments for research groups in biotechnology. The influence of leadership and organizational support in universities and business companies

This study analysed how leadership and organizational support (LOS) influences creative knowledge environments for research groups in biotechnology. A questionnaire distributed to 90 (97% responding) university and business company researchers resulted in that leadership was rated higher than organizational support. First, leaders were more important to creativity than organizational support. Secondly, LOS differed to a limited extent between members and leaders, universities and business companies and excellent and less excellent groups. Thirdly, working freedom was rated higher in universities than in business companies. Fourthly, group members perceived they were more encouraged to think freely in comparison to their group leaders. Finally, innovation goals were more pronounced in excellent than less excellent groups.     

Exploring Web keyword analysis as an alternative to link analysis: a multi-industry case

The study explored the feasibility of using Web keyword analysis as an alternative to link analysis and tested the feasibility in a multi-industry environment. The keyword is the organization??s name, in this case the company name. American companies from five industries were included in the study. The study found that the Web visibility of a company as measured by the number of Webpages on which the company name appears correlates with the company??s business measures (revenue, profits, and assets). The correlation coefficients are similar to that between the inlink counts and the business measures. This suggests that the keyword count (searched by the company name) could replace inlink count as an alternative indicator of some commonly used business measures. The co-word (the co-occurrence of the names of two companies on Webpages) count was used as a measure of the relatedness of the two companies. Multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis was applied to the co-word matrices and generated MDS maps that showed relationships among companies in a multi-industry context. Keyword data were collected from three different types of Websites (general Websites, blog sites, and Web news sites) and results were compared. The study found blog sites to be the better source to collect data for this type of study. The comparison of MDS maps generated from co-link data and the blog co-word data showed that the co-word analysis is as effective as co-link analysis in mapping business relationships. The value of the study is not limited to the business sector as the co-word method could be applied to analysing relationships among other types of organizations.     

Creating resilient and sustainable manufacturing businesses – a conceptual fitness model

Over recent years, UK manufacturing industry has experienced turbulence in its business performance. Lower cost products, and responsive and flexible processes, are now essential in order for a company to capture new markets and to become economically resilient. Business resiliency is a term used frequently to describe a company’s ability to adapt and cope with disturbance. This has led to the generation of many frameworks and models aimed at guiding companies towards improved business performance. However, these frameworks are primarily strategic in nature and do not necessarily focus on creating resilience at an operational level in manufacturing companies. The authors employ a mixed research approach initially undertaking a literature review and then a screening survey in to 25 manufacturing companies in order to identify the key business resiliency techniques employed. Following this, a focus group goes on to detail a new manufacturing resiliency model called the fit operational model. The model’s effectiveness is then assessed and adjusted as a result of being implemented in a subject company.     

Conceptualising the nexus of projects,finance and capacity in construction business

This paper addresses a research question on why construction companies fail in their business. Starting with the concept of growth and capacity underinvestment archetype, a new and operational systems thinking model is developed. The conceptual systems thinking model includes a set of causal structure that can explain various modes (including the growth and failure modes) of business performance of small and medium construction companies. Mainly the three components – projects, finance and capacity – and the understanding of their nexus (or causal inter-relationships) are found to be sufficient to reveal different performance modes in construction business. Further, the three operational aspects, namely, the business growth or decline process; the situation of financial and other capacity resource consumption; and the management of projects, finance and other capacity resources have been identified as the inter-related core and integral aspects of construction business. The three inter-related core aspects could actually include and explain different possible range of business situations, policies and practices in a construction company.     

服务大众的包装设计构想

提出了现代包装设计应秉持为大众生活而设计的宗旨,倡导平实质朴的生活哲学,排斥程式化的奢侈和炫耀;论述了包装设计如何回到容装、保护、便利和销售等功能的原点;并进一步从包装策略设计层面,提出以互动大众传媒,信息技术和物流系统等为基础,建立新包装系统的构想,以期从一定程度上解决不断增长的包装消费与有限资源、环境保护间的矛盾.     

The impact of digital transformation and digital marketing on the brand promotion,positioning and electronic business in Montenegro

The paper assesses the ways in which digital transformation in Montenegro influences the use of digital marketing in business, determining the impact of this concept on promotion and brand positioning, i.e. electronic business development through electronic services. This facilitates the integrated analysis of the context of electronic business, thus providing innovative and value-creating insights for Montenegro – a transition country. This research was conducted using a survey on a stratified random sample and the data was subsequently analyzed using the Structural Equation Model (SEM), Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test, and eta-coefficient. Multivariate analysis was applied to data obtained from 172 companies. The results showed that a number of factors determine the ways in which companies apply digital marketing and use differing levels of influence, amongst which the period of implementation, the abilities of people in charge for its usage, perception of digital marketing cost-effectiveness, measurability of its effects and sufficiency of traditional marketing have a key role. The period in which digital marketing is used was especially significant and notably affects the choice of digital marketing instruments, the way its performances are measured and the managers’ perception of its cost-effectiveness. Social networks were the most commonly used form of digital marketing in the market under analysis, and Google analytics was the most common way to measure the effects of digital marketing. Furthermore, the results showed that the more a company relies on the use of digital marketing in its business, the more significant its impact on promotion and brand positioning.     

卓越绩效评价模式在电网公司的应用研究

作为国际通用的管理手段之一,卓越绩效模式在国内大中型企业的应用日益广泛,对企业管理质量提升作用显著.以某电网公司实施卓越绩效模式为案例,本文基于卓越绩效评价国家标准,提出将评价对象映射到公司关键业务的评价思路,优化卓越绩效模式导入流程,融合精益精细化工程,构建卓越绩效评价"测量、评价、改进、提升"闭环管理长效机制,为其他电力企业实施卓越绩效评价探索出一条可借鉴的道路.     

Improved new product development through enhanced design architecture for engineer-to-order companies

There are many challenges that face companies today in the new product introduction process. These can include reduced design times, fast times to market, improved quality and the need for constant price reductions in order to keep up with the competition. Engineer-to-order firms face even more challenges because of the ‘build to order’ way that they must do business. This study presents new ways for these companies to meet the challenges posed by the market using a business case relating to the product introduction process at a mid-size (～$75 million annual sales) engineer-to-order manufacturer of flexible printed circuits. The company has developed a new product introduction process that seeks to improve quality and delivery times as well as process development for the project at hand. These suggested outcomes of the improved process are generic and widely applicable to contract manufacturers involved in the new product introduction process enabling them to work closely with customers thereby effectively addressing their design concerns. The updated procedures are examined in-depth and the associated forms and record-keeping methods are presented and analysed. The new product introduction process utilises Deming's plan, do, check and act process improvement cycle. Finally, various contributions emanating from the study that enhance our understanding of any engineer-to-order new product development environment are presented.     

EIA and EMS integration: not wasting the opportunity

Environmental tools such as environmental impact assessment (EIA) and environmental management systems (EMS) can be applied to ensure that major projects are constructed and operated using an approach that enables effective environmental protection. Previous research has shown that these tools are frequently applied in isolation at different stages of the project life cycle. The extent of EIA/EMS integration amongst nine of the biggest UK waste management companies was investigated through semi-structured interviews with environmental staff and thematic analysis of their responses. The research found that partial integration of EIA and EMS is widespread. Companies recognised a range of potential benefits to more closely integrating their processes such as system efficiencies, data availability and recognition from the regulator. However, significant barriers to further integration were identified in the form of cost, company structure and the size of the organisation. In a context where the regulation of the waste industry is increasingly aligned towards a risk-based approach, there is a new opportunity to use EIA outputs in an enhanced EMS. More generally, companies should seek to maintain continuity of personnel across the project life cycle and structure their environmental functions so that EIA and EMS staff can work more closely. This would help ensure that the greatest benefit is derived from both tools.     

Reducing the quantity of reworked parts in a robotic arc welding process

Today, the competitive environment of the knowledge age has been replaced with the competitive environment of the industrial age as the rules of the business world are changing completely. The focused issue is to reach to the knowledge as soon as possible, and to process and apply it rapidly. In this context, one of the important goals that the companies try to reach in order to achieve acceleration is the six sigma philosophy. Six sigma is a fundamental continuous improvement methodology aimed at reducing the variation and waste on processes by utilizing statistical methods and techniques efficiently. Global companies are making noteworthy profits by using this method in their processes. The six sigma methodology focuses on process excellence advantages for companies that apply it, to reach profit, to increase productivity and to have larger market share. In this paper, an application of six sigma methodology for reducing the quantity of rework parts for robotic arc welding process is given. The phases of six sigma and their results are indicated in detail. Furthermore, it is also shown how various techniques of six sigma methodology are applied to achieve financial benefits. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

融入区块链理念的配电网数据池构建方法研究

由于缺少统一的数据管理平台,电网公司发展策划部的数据应用及管理工作存在着工作量大、重复性高、一致性差等问题。为了进一步提升配电网发展业务信息化水平,规范发展业务的数据管理工作,介绍了区块链的定义及特征以及电网公司发展部的常规业务、数据管理、信息化系统应用情况。结合电网规划、电网诊断分析、项目后评价等业务工作成果要求开展数据需求分析,构建支撑供电公司发展业务需求的配网数据平台。同时融入区块链理念,构建数据管理架构、管理流程、管理机制、管理保障,制定配网数据池的记账、存储、共识、激励机制,为促进配网数据池的落实应用提供支撑保证。     

Development of technology and service thinking for technical personnel: Action research at a Japanese monitor maker

The importance of services within technology-based business in terms of customer value is increasingly well-understood by manufacturing companies. Manufacturing companies are trying to restructure their business models by adding the concept of service that is required to make a process of value co-creation with customers. Human resources are a core factor in the implementation of this notion in the practical field. In a technology-based business, technical personnel must have not only technology-oriented thinking but also service-oriented thinking in order to generate new value propositions. In this work, we propose an approach to transform the way of thinking and support knowledge co-creation with others with a focus on new corporate value propositions. We combined a service innovation chart with a business model thinking methodology to create a new approach intended for the development of technology and service thinking within technical personnel. Our objective is to help manufacturing companies create a service climate and clarify the knowledge co-creation process. We conducted action research by introducing our approach to 25 technical personnel employed by a Japanese monitor maker and obtained data including feedback on its usability and the impact on corporate business models. The findings of this study will help personnel to generate technology and service-based innovation concepts, thereby promoting servitization in technology-based companies.     

Mind systems imitation and emulation framework for service design and production

Knowledge creation and knowledge are the primary sources of productivity, profitability and company growth in the twenty-first century. Our approach is to use brain-based metaphors and models to better understand what kind of services we should be able to design and produce now and in the future. We propose new kind of services that will be able to imitate, emulate and support the mind structures of individuals, groups, teams, companies and organisations in dynamic business situations. The services should support human memory systems, motivational systems, interpreting systems and automatic systems and their sub-systems as they are actively present in living human systems. We have named our approach as Mind Systems Imitation and Emulation Framework. Different engineering disciplines will be jointly responsible for developing and applying such services now and in the future. As an example, a Democratic Company Culture tool Accord is described.     

Engineering Entrepreneurship: An Example of A Paradigm Shift in Engineering Education

This paper describes a course on technology‐based entrepreneurship. Brown University's Division of Engineering has created a two‐semester course sequence designed to introduce students to entrepreneurship through a unique merger of classroom learning and industry participation. The course is open to advanced undergraduates from all engineering disciplines, and emphasis is placed upon recruiting almost half of the student participants from outside of engineering in order to develop “team building” skills. Local “parent companies” provide seed ideas or concepts to student groups who use skills learned in the classroom (both in this course as well as other courses) to develop and refine the parent company's idea and turn it into a viable simulated spin‐off business or new start‐up. Managers from the parent companies serve in an evolving role over the two‐semester sequence beginning as a “board of directors” for the spin‐off and eventually evolving into a potential source of start‐up capital (or possibly a customer for the products of the company). The faculty carefully manage the student‐company interface. Deliverables at the end of the two‐semester sequence include a business plan and a prototype product.     

"Power quality system," a new system of quality management for globalization: towards innovation and competitive advantages.

Knowledge Management (KM) addresses the critical issues of organizational adoption, survival and competence in the face of an increasingly changing environment. KM embodies organizational processes that seek a synergistic combination of the data and information processing capabilities of information and communication technologies (ICT), and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings to improve ICT In that role, knowledge management will improve quality management and avoid or minimize losses and weakness that usually come from poor performance as well as increase the competitive level of the company and its ability to survive in the global marketplace. To achieve quality, all parties including the clients, company consultants, contractors, entrepreneurs, suppliers, and the governing bodies (i.e., all involved stake-holders) need to collaborate and commit to achieving quality. The design based organizations in major business and construction companies have to be quality driven to support healthy growth in today's competitive market. In the march towards vision 2020 and globalization (i.e., the one world community) of many companies, their design based organizations need to have superior quality management and knowledge management to anticipate changes. The implementation of a quality system such as the ISO 9000 Standards, Total Quality Management, or Quality Function Deployment (QFD) focuses the company's resources towards achieving faster and better results in the global market with less cost. To anticipate the needs of the marketplace and clients as the world and technology change, a new system, which we call Power Quality System (PQS), has been designed. PQS is a combination of information and communication technologies (ICT) and the creative and innovative capacity of human beings to meet the challenges of the new world business and to develop high quality products.     

The significance of organizational change management for sustainable competitiveness in manufacturing: exploring the firm archetypes

The successful development and deployment of adequate sustainable manufacturing strategies are still open issues and of utmost interest for research and practice. Guided by this particular challenge, we investigate the significance of organisational change management for sustainable competitiveness in manufacturing. By using six case studies from the Lombardia region in Italy and basing our research on the theoretical constructs of competitive aggressiveness and organisational change, we discover four archetypes of companies that show an increasing sustainable competitiveness with an increasing formalism and persistence in organisational change. Our findings suggest that change management practices are conditional hypothesis for creating competitive advantage through sustainability, and implementation gaps do hinder companies in realising the full potential. The study offers guidance to stakeholders, on how change management actions may potentially affect company performance in the manufacturing sector, as well as providing direction on the impact improved planning and leadership instances can have on the sustainability performance.     

The effects of integrated supply management practices and environmental management practices on relative competitive quality advantage

Superior quality continues to be central to a manufacturing company's success, and firms are constantly striving for quality advantage over their competition. It is therefore crucial for companies to ensure the sound practice of quality management principles. However, companies must also seek additional avenues to enhance the relative competitive quality advantage of their product offerings. In this context, we examine the role of integrated supply management practices (SMP) and environmental management practices (EMP) as drivers of actual and perceived quality. We suggest that these groups of practices, in addition to quality management practices, are crucial in an increasingly transparent, competitive and global business environment. As such, SMP can be leveraged with suppliers providing expertise, capabilities and high quality inputs for the final product, resulting in higher actual quality, but also via the suppliers’ more intangible reputation, generating higher perceived quality. Similarly, EMP can result in process improvements impacting actual quality, but can also create a favourable image of the company among customers, enhancing the perceived quality of the firm's products. Overall, we suggest SMP and EMP as key strategic drivers aiding in the further differentiation of firms. Our hypotheses are grounded in the resource-based view of the firm, and are tested with survey data collected from 434 manufacturing plants.     

Music industry intermediation in the digital era and the resilience of the Majors’ oligopoly: the role of transactional capability

The digital revolution has significantly impacted the music industry by lowering barriers to entry. This change is usually depicted as endangering the big incumbent firms, the so-called ‘Majors’ (Universal, Sony, and Warner). Yet, market indicators show that the majors’ leadership has not declined. In part thanks to the application of a 360° business model made possible by digitization, they have been able to sustain their position. However, there is still a lack of theoretical account as well as empirical evidence for understanding how this model has been implemented by the Majors. This paper uses the concept of transactional capabilities in order to explain this switch towards 360° business model : majors have relied on a new type of competences, more oriented towards the completion of multiple transactions in parallel with heterogeneous actors. We illustrate this point with the case study of the French arm of Sony Music Entertainment.