Knowledge sharing—A key role in the downstream supply chain

We explore the role of knowledge sharing within a downstream two-echelon supply chain. Drawing on chaos theory and the literature on knowledge management, we contrasted the information and knowledge sharing contexts. More specifically, we have provided a real-world case study of knowledge management practice at a U.S. Fortune 40 firm. We reviewed the major issues in this firm's downstream supply chain operations and have described its knowledge management initiative. Finally, we discuss the implications of knowledge management on managerial practice.     

Work Satisfaction,Causes, and Sources of Job Stress and Specific Ways of Coping: A Case Study of White‐Collar Outsourcing Service Employees

This study investigated work‐related stresses in the business outsourcing service environment. Eighty‐six white‐collar professionals who occupied low‐level managerial positions in a business accounting outsourcing company took part in the field study. The derived scales for the sources of stress, work satisfaction, and coping with stress had different structure than those contained in the original occupational stress indicator scale of Cooper, Sloan, and Williams (1988). The study results also illustrate that the observed sources of work stress perceived by white‐collar employees of the outsourcing firm are unique to this occupational group and specific to this sector of business activity. Future research efforts will focus on comparative analysis of work stress in outsourcing companies across different cultures. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The impact of socialization mechanisms and technological innovation capabilities on partnership quality and supply chain integration

The aim of this study is to contribute to the advent of supply chain management research from social exchange theory and resource-based view and shed light on whether socio-technical factors affect a firm’s ability to enhance partnership quality and increase the level of supply chain integration. This study develops a research model to examine the impact of socialization mechanisms (e.g., knowledge sharing and communication quality) and technological innovation capabilities on supply chain integration, directly or indirectly through an increase on partnership quality (partner trust and partner commitment). The research model is empirically tested with data obtained through a field survey involving a sample of 179 large Taiwanese manufacturing firms. The results support the theorized relationships indicating that the level of partnership quality and supply chain integration is positively influenced by socialization mechanisms and technological innovation capabilities. For both socialization and technological innovation constructs, partnership quality partially mediates the relationship with supply chain integration. Theoretical and managerial implications of the research findings for industrial managers are discussed.     

Exploring users' appropriation and post‐implementation managerial intervention in the context of industry IOIS

Although the literature has repeatedly shown that inter‐organizational information systems (IOIS) are prone to abandonment and low levels of adoption, a great deal of research examining such unsatisfactory outcomes has focused on phenomena occurring in the early stages of the implementation, thus, leaving the post‐implementation period under‐explored. This paper presents a conceptual lens through which we study two interrelated post‐implementation phenomena: managerial intervention and users' appropriation. Specifically, we develop a structurational model to examine IOIS management intervention to boost IOIS assimilation, the situated and emergent appropriations of the IOIS that followed and the ongoing adaptations by those intervening in these processes. Actors shape the context for others' actions by offering modalities of structuring – i.e. new meanings, new procedures, new software applications – which are then taken up in practice by adopters, giving rise to both intended and unintended outcomes. The paper contributes with a multi‐level process‐based study that (1) conceives IOIS assimilation as an episodic process in which there are dialectical tensions between users and IOIS management; and (2) identifies two forms of managerial intervention targeting diverse aspects of the institutional context that lead to assimilation.     

Developing a set of management needs for IS managers: a study of necessary managerial activities and skills

This study presents an activity competency model (ACM) that was developed to investigate the perceived importance of managerial activities and skills/knowledge required of three levels of information systems (IS) managers from three types of industries. Our findings indicate that, not surprisingly, the importance of IS managerial activities varies significantly for different levels of management but does not vary significantly for different industries. The results of this study have implications for management development, training, and IS management career planning. They can also serve as a guideline for recruiting the right IS managers.     

How is Creativity Best Managed? Some Empirical and Theoretical Guidelines

In an Internet‐based study with an ethnically‐diverse sample of 1,337 managers from 19 countries (mainly the US and Canada), eight managerial competencies that elicit creativity in subordinates were ranked according to how well they predicted desirable self‐reported outcomes. The most valuable of eight managerial competencies proved to be: Provides Adequate and Appropriate Resources. Females outscored males in all eight competency areas, a dramatic finding that is consistent with other research on executive skills. The eight competencies can be derived from Generativity Theory, a formal, empirically‐based theory of the creative process, and are also evident in many successful cases of creativity enhancement in business and industry. Scores on a test that measured the competencies were substantially higher for people who had had creativity management training and were positively correlated with the number of hours of training people reported. In general, the study revealed a fairly dramatic range of competence across the eight areas and suggests that most managers lack trainable skills that are essential for encouraging workplace creativity.     

A structural equation model for analyzing the impact of ERP on SCM

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) and supply chain management (SCM) represent important information technology investment options for operation or IT managers, and have been acclaimed in the practitioner and academic literature for their potential to improve business performance. The purpose of this article is to provide further insights into the adoption of ERP systems and the impacts on firm competence in SCM. We propose a model featuring ERP benefits to firm competences in supply chain management. We also hypothesize that three constructs of ERP benefits positively impact firm competences in SCM. To clarify the relationships among these constructs, structural equation model (SEM) is conducted to examine the model fit and nine hypotheses. The SEM results clearly demonstrate that there exist close interrelations among the benefits of implementing ERP systems and firm competences in SCM. The data from Taiwanese IT firms was collected through interviewing of experts and surveys. The results provide empirical evidence that the beneficial impacts of ERP on the supply chain do lead to better overall SCM competence. That evidence confirms that operational benefits, business process and management benefits, and strategic IT planning benefits of ERP in turn enhance firm competences of SCM in operational process integration, customer and relationship integration, and planning and control process integration.     

COIVA: context‐aware and ontology‐powered information visualization architecture

This paper exploits semantics to apply context in run‐time adaptation, particularly for services in a user‐centered smart environment. Context‐sensitive services are usually focused on their own information without interoperation pretensions. It is necessary to enable common context models and systems in order to make context‐aware applications interoperable. Moreover, context management systems need to implement mechanisms to support the dynamic behavior of the users and their surroundings, including techniques to adapt the model to their future needs, to maintain the context information at run‐time and to be interoperable with external context models. By adapting web semantic technologies we can enable smarter and more proactive operation of context management systems. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Employee involvement: Its interaction with advanced manufacturing technologies,quality management,and inter‐firm collaboration

The goal of this article is to assess empirically the connection between different operations management decisions and the use of practices aimed at promoting the involvement of workers in the company. More specifically, the three operations management issues considered are the use of Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, the application of Quality Management tools, and the establishment of close relationships with customers and suppliers. Information relating to an initial sample of 965 Spanish manufacturing plants with at least fifty employees was used. Information was gathered through face‐to‐face interviews with a senior manager of each plant. To achieve the objective of the study, two different analyses were taken. First, the determinants of adoption of employee involvement practices were analyzed. Second, the interactive effects of employee involvement and operation management on firm performance were examined. Results show that Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, Quality Management, and close relationships with other firms have positive effects on the number of employee involvement practices used. However, no interactive effect was detected on firm performance of the simultaneous application of participatory practices and Advanced Manufacturing Technologies, Quality Management, and the establishment of close connections with customers and suppliers. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 14: 117–134, 2004.     

Computer assisted training of complex managerial performance

The degree of training effectiveness in most prior management training technologies is considered. It is suggested that training should not only focus on the specific content of managerial tasks (e.g., what managers should think or do in response to certain task or situational demands) but should also focus on structural components of managerial effectiveness (e.g., “how” managers think and function, including the utilization of adaptive differentiation and flexible integration, especially in complex, fluid and uncertain settings). A training experiment employing two scenarios of a computer assisted quasi-experimental simulation is reported. Computer-based training was interspersed between exposure to the two simulations. Data indicate that training in both specific content and in structural components of management generated considerable improvement in performance. The degree of improvement after exposure to only specific training was diminished and restricted to simpler aspects of performance. No improvement was evident for those managers who were not exposed to training. Suggestions for future managerial training technologies are advanced.     

Improvement strategies for the tools and techniques of quality improvement: Utilization of a performance evaluation matrix in the taiwanese high‐tech industry

This study integrates importance–performance analysis (IPA) and Slack's IPA matrix to provide a more comprehensive performance‐evaluation matrix for prioritizing improvement actions with regard to the tools and techniques of quality improvement. The study undertakes a review of the literature to identify the tools and techniques most widely used by high‐tech businesses in Taiwan. Following a survey of 394 managers and technicians, these tools and techniques are then placed on the integrated performance‐evaluation matrix to determine appropriate priorities for improvement actions. The study finds that “new seven” total quality management tools are used less often than “old seven” total quality management tools, and that education, training, and the efficient use of corporate resources are required to improve the frequency of utilization and the performance of the tools and techniques of quality improvement. © 2011Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Systems of the 5th generation and their impact on the qualification,training, and retraining of management

The introduction of 5th generation systems means that new tasks must be assumed by management. Information will become a product. The industrial society is on the way to an information society. Information has to be evaluated and must be introduced in balance and profit and loss sheets. Information managers must be members of the board of directors. The concept of an information center allows the concurrent handling of decentralized organization and data processing structures and central information gathering. Expert systems will support managers mainly in planning and decision making. Modelling and simulation of company behavior will be utilized as an important means for decision support. Management has to be introduced to the capabilities and limits of flexible and knowledge-based systems through continuous education.     

Perception of the Climate for Creativity in the Workplace: the Role of the Level in the Organization and Gender

This paper reports a study conducted to examine differences between employees in managerial and non‐managerial positions, as well as between men and women, in their perception of climate for creativity in the workplace. It was hypothesized that, in general, managers would perceive the climate as more favourable than non‐managers, and this discrepancy should be modulated by gender. The questionnaire used in the study, conceptually grounded in Amabile's empirical and theoretical work on creativity and innovation, was administered to 388 respondents: 229 female and 159 male participants drawn from a wide range of Polish work organizations. The results show that managers perceive the climate as significantly more conducive to creativity than non‐managers do. Female employees perceive the climate less favourably than male employees, although these differences appeared smaller and less frequent as compared to the managers/non‐managers comparisons. Moreover, higher positions of female participants in the organization do not improve their perception of the climate to the same extent as it does in the case of male participants. Implications and areas for future research are explored.     

Exploration and Exploitation within Firms: The Impact of CEOs' Cognitive Style on Incremental and Radical Innovation Performance

Previous studies have provided valuable insights into how environmental and organizational factors may influence levels of explorative and exploitative innovation in firms. At the same time, scholars suggest that individual characteristics, such as cognitive and behavioural inclinations of top executives, might also have significant impact on the ability of a firm to engage in explorative and exploitative activities. The importance of the CEO is of interest, especially in medium‐sized companies, where the CEO appears to be most influential. Very few studies, however, have quantitatively examined the relationship between individual characteristics of top managers and firm‐level exploration and exploitation. Most of the existing research focuses on observable managerial characteristics and the composition of top management teams. Therefore, some important psychological issues may have been bypassed. This study complements prior research in two fundamental ways. First, whereas previous studies focus on extrinsic organizational factors that influence individual exploration and exploitation, we rely on insights from cognitive psychology to hypothesize a relationship between intrinsic factors (i.e., cognitive style) and individuals' tendency for exploration versus exploitation. Second, whereas existing research remains silent on the implications of individual CEO characteristics for firm performance, we hypothesize a relationship between CEOs' tendency for exploration or exploitation and firm‐level innovation performance.     

Functional Management Competence and Growth of Young Technology‐Based Firms

Acknowledging an increased research interest into the success factors for young technology‐based firms in the last decade, the present study serves two main purposes. First, we aim at developing a comprehensive concept of functional management competence in young technology‐based firms. Functional management competence covers the understanding of and proficiency in managing specific functional tasks ( Katz, 1974 ). As we focus on young technology‐based firms, it is suggested that marketing, financial and technology management tasks are at the core of functional management competence. Second, we aim at delineating and validating an appropriate measurement model for functional management competence. In order to test the model's nomological validity, we investigate the impact of functional management competence on firm growth. Therefore, building on established firm development approaches, we propose a phase model for the development of young technology‐based firms. Our study builds upon data from 212 young technology‐based firms in the field of microtechnology, nanotechnology, electronics, optics and lasers. We use formative measurement models to establish valid and reliable constructs and a path model based on partial least squares modelling to investigate the performance effects. The results suggest that functional management competences generally are significant drivers of firm development speed. In particular, technology and marketing management competences are shown to impact development speed. While technology management competence is positively driving development speed, the marketing management competence impact on speed is mediated by competitive advantage of the new products developed by young technology‐based firms. Financial management competence has no significant link to firm development speed.     

Manufacturer warranty service outsourcing strategies in a dual‐channel supply chain

Warranty management for durable products has received increasing attention in recent years. In addition to conventionally keeping warranty in‐house, more manufacturers choose to outsource warranty service to agents. This paper explores outsourcing strategies for manufacturer warranty services in a dual‐channel supply chain by which the demand‐enhancing service can be undertaken by different supply chain parties. We show the results of three alternative outsourcing strategies for manufacturers whereby (a) the retailer undertakes the service, (b) a third party undertakes the service, and (c) both the retailer and a third party undertake the service simultaneously. According to Stackelberg game theory, we build a two‐echelon supply chain model and discuss the corresponding expressions for supply chain members' equilibrium decisions. Additionally, we compare the profits of each supply chain member and derive interesting managerial insights. When the base market size is relatively large, Scenario R helps the manufacturer and the retailer reach a “win‐win” situation.     

Distributed edge event‐triggered consensus protocol of multi‐agent systems with communication buffer

This paper proposes a distributed edge event‐triggered (DEET) scheme of multi‐agent systems via a communication buffer to reduce unnecessary update of controllers induced by fast information transmission. This edge scheme avoids a synchronous phenomenon in node event‐triggered mechanism, in which the triggering of one agent activates information transmission of all edges linked with this agent. Hence, the node event‐triggered scheme leads to unnecessary update of control protocols while the DEET provides a new approach without constrains on synchronous phenomenon of edge information exchange. That is, the communication on each edge is independent with other edges. In addition, we investigate another case where edge information transmission is subject to quantization and a quantized edge event‐triggered control protocol is proposed. Note that such a quantized protocol guarantees asymptotical consensus instead of bounded consensus in most of the existing literature. Meanwhile, both DEET and quantized edge event‐triggered schemes have nontrivial properties of excluding Zeno behavior. Furthermore, an algorithm is provided to avoid continuous event detection; hence, the communication traffic of the whole network is reduced significantly. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

自适应供应链及其递归结构的设计与研究

在自适应供应链(AdaptSC)及其主要特性的分析研究基础上,运用活性系统模型(viable systems model,VSM)的核心思想,对自适应供应链的递归结构进行了构建与研究。结合具体公司情境,从整体上描述其组成部分及各部分之间的相互关系,以递归结构描述其应对突发事件的能力和自适应机理,利用结构熵模型,从信息传输效率的角度对该公司的自适应供应链递归结构进行测量与实证。研究结果表明,递归结构更有利于自适应供应链的构建与应用。自适应供应链的结构设计研究对供应链信息技术开发与应用、先进供应链的实施与管理具有非常重要的指导意义。     

Information management practices (IMP) from the senior manager's perspective: an investigation of the IMP construct and its measurement

While many scholars have discussed what a company should look like when it has reached an advanced state in using its information, there has been little empirical research to develop a valid effectiveness measure to determine whether a company is doing a good job of managing its information. Based on a theoretically derived model of an information life cycle, this study empirically tests a measure of information management practices (IMP) that can be part of future business measurement approaches. To ensure that we maintain an enterprise‐wide perspective, we focus on senior managers' perceptions of how well their companies manage information. We discuss IMP as a ‘process’ or life cycle that involves sensing, collecting, organising, processing and maintaining information to enhance its use for decision‐making. We first give an overview of the research on life cycle views of information management. Next, we present our information management life cycle framework and its dimensions. We then statistically determine the extent to which these ideas exist in the minds of senior managers as reflected in the second‐order construct IMP. Finally, we discuss the implications for evaluating and measuring IMP in companies. The contributions have scholarly value as a building block in a theory of knowledge management, and practical value as a validated measure of the effectiveness of IMP.     

Integrating carrier selection with supplier selection decisions to improve supply chain security

Supply chain security is a major concern for logistics managers who have responsibility for inbound and outbound shipments to and from both domestic and international locations. We propose here that logistics decisions concerning security in the supply chain will be made more effectively when made in concert with decisions in related supply chain processes, especially supplier and carrier selection. Indeed, managers may minimize cost, transit time, and security risk by integrating decision processes internally, as well as with their carrier's and supplier's operations. Thus, we account for both intra‐firm collaboration between logistics and purchasing managers, as well as inter‐firm collaboration among buyers, suppliers, and carriers in a supply chain. In this paper, we propose a decision process that features a set of security rules and a multi‐objective optimization model to accomplish this aim. We then provide an illustration to demonstrate the potential usefulness of these concepts in practice.