A.I. Millington, C.E.S. Millington and M. Cowburn
This paper explores the conditions under which motor component manufacturers may choose to supply car assembly plants through decentralised production in local assembly units…
Abstract
This paper explores the conditions under which motor component manufacturers may choose to supply car assembly plants through decentralised production in local assembly units (LAUs). The analysis is based on a case study of the decision to supply motor exhausts through an LAU where demand from the OEM company is sequenced. The case suggests that local assembly may result in significant efficiency gains. However, most of these gains flow to the OEM company, while most of the costs of local assembly flow to the component supplier. This finding emphasises the importance of trust and collaboration within supplier relationships, but suggests that significant possibilities for opportunistic recontracting may exist after the establishment of the LAU. Both supplier and OEM company should consider these possibilities when making the initial investment decision.
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The purpose of this paper is to provide a “Q&A interview” conducted by Joanne Pransky of Industrial Robot Journal as a method to impart the combined technological, business and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a “Q&A interview” conducted by Joanne Pransky of Industrial Robot Journal as a method to impart the combined technological, business and personal experience of a prominent, robotic industry PhD-turned successful business leader, regarding the commercialization and challenges of bringing technological inventions to market. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The interviewee is Dr Tessa Lau, an experienced entrepreneur with expertise in AI, machine learning, and robotics, who thrives on the challenges of creating startups. She is currently Founder/CEO at Dusty Robotics, whose mission is to address construction industry productivity by introducing robotic automation on the jobsite. In this interview, Lau discusses her technical and business insights from the startups she built.
Findings
Dr Lau received her BA and BS from Cornell University in computer science and applied & engineering physics; and an MS and PhD degree in computer science from University of Washington. Prior to co-founding Dusty in April 2018, she was CTO/co-founder at Savioke, where she orchestrated the deployment of 75+ delivery robots into hotels and high-rises. Previously, Lau was a research scientist at Willow Garage, where she developed simple interfaces for personal robots. She also spent 11 years at IBM Research working in business process automation and knowledge capture.
Originality/value
Dr Lau, known as the Chief Robot Whisperer, is a robot industry disruptor who is passionate about pioneering technology that gives people super-powers. Lau has built two businesses, large, successful venture capital-funded companies. Lau was named 2017 Woman of Influence by The Silicon Valley Business Journal and one of the most creative business people by Fast Company in 2015. Over the years, Lau has served on program committees for various major HCI and AI conferences and on the board for the CRA-W – the committee for the status of women in computing research.
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There have been many challenges and uncertainties in determining the future direction(s) for performance measurement (PM) in Florida public libraries over the years. Social…
Abstract
There have been many challenges and uncertainties in determining the future direction(s) for performance measurement (PM) in Florida public libraries over the years. Social pressures for establishing increased accountability and community needs combined with the library administrators need to respond to these pressures served as the catalysts for the need to evolve PM processes in Florida public libraries.
Taiwen Feng, Di Cai, Zhenglin Zhang and Bing Liu
The purpose of this paper is to examine the joint influence of technological newness (TN) and market newness (MN) on the relationship between customer involvement (CI) and new…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the joint influence of technological newness (TN) and market newness (MN) on the relationship between customer involvement (CI) and new product performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors employed hierarchical moderated regression analysis to test the hypothesized relationships using survey data collected from 214 Chinese manufacturing firms.
Findings
The authors found that the impact of CI on new product performance varies across the different configurations of TN and MN. Specifically, the performance effect of CI is most positive under low TN and high MN, while the performance effect is least positive under low TN and low MN.
Originality/value
This study enriches CI research by identifying different configurations of product innovativeness that augment or limit the value of CI.
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Collaboration between librarians and faculty is a relative new trend in Mexican academic libraries. Therefore, experiences are scarce and not yet documented. University professors…
Abstract
Collaboration between librarians and faculty is a relative new trend in Mexican academic libraries. Therefore, experiences are scarce and not yet documented. University professors and librarians normally have the usual relationship of patron‐information provider. Although librarians have assumed the role of user information educators, their work tends to occur in isolation. Teamwork is needed so that library instruction can become part of the learning process. Mexican information professionals probably face more library instruction challenges than their colleagues from the more advanced economies, because new students come to the library with hardly any library experience. In this article, the outstanding user education experience at Juarez University is described and assessed.
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Pamela Danese and Roberto Filippini
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of product modularity on new product development (NPD) time performance, and the moderating effects of interfunctional…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the impact of product modularity on new product development (NPD) time performance, and the moderating effects of interfunctional integration and supplier involvement on the product modularity‐time performance relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper analyzes data from a sample of 186 manufacturing plants settled in several countries, and operating in mechanical, electronic and transportation equipment sectors. Three hypotheses are tested through a hierarchical regression analysis.
Findings
Data analyses show that product modularity has a direct positive effect on NPD time performance, and that interfunctional integration positively moderates the product modularity‐time performance relationship. Finally, this research does not support the hypothesis that a positive interaction effect exists between product modularity and supplier involvement.
Research limitations/implications
Future research should replicate and extend the model to samples drawn from other industries. Moreover, analyses carried out provide some interesting directions for future research on the effect of supplier involvement on NPD time performance.
Practical implications
The practical implication for managers is that NPD time performance reduction requires levering simultaneously on product modularity and interfunctional integration to foster their interaction, rather than investing and acting on product modularity only. In addition, before deciding to invest on product modularity, managers should ascertain the level of interfunctional integration. In fact, it acts as prerequisite for the successful implementation of product modularity.
Originality/value
Empirical studies on the impact of product modularity on NPD time performance are really scant. This research empirically analyzes this effect, and contributes to the advancement of theory by investigating the effect of product modularity and integration practices in NPD in a comprehensive way.
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This paper aims to explore the impact of supply chain centralities on sales performance moderated by reputation and stock listing.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore the impact of supply chain centralities on sales performance moderated by reputation and stock listing.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical data on supply chain relationships were drawn from the context of electronics and electrical appliance industries in Tokyo, sourced from Teikoku Data Bank in year 2017–2018. On average, the authors analyzed an industrial network of 4,181 focal firms with 3.6 and 3.8 supplier and customer ties, respectively, using social networks and moderated regression analyses.
Findings
The authors find that in-(out-)degree, closeness and betweenness centralities are positively related to the focal firm’s annual sales performance. Hubs and authorities as ways of measuring reputation are found to not directly affect performance; hubs negatively moderate the relationship between betweenness and performance. Stock-listing was also found to negatively moderate the relationship between in-degree centrality and performance.
Originality/value
This study adds to existing literature by conducting a supply network analysis in a new industrial context, introducing a new method for assessing firm reputation in supply networks and showing how the structural characteristics of supply networks influence business performance.
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Mingu Kang and Ki-Hyun Um
The purpose of this study is to develop a moderated mediation model by which quality-oriented product design practices influence operational performance via supplier involvement…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to develop a moderated mediation model by which quality-oriented product design practices influence operational performance via supplier involvement under the different levels of product modularity.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use the multisource data from 268 manufacturing firms worldwide and apply regression and the PROCESS macro model to test the moderated mediation model.
Findings
The findings reveal that quality-oriented product design practices enhance operational performance directly and do so indirectly through promoting supplier involvement in quality improvement. In addition, this indirect effect is stronger when the level of product modularity is high.
Originality/value
By exploring the interaction effects of quality-oriented product design and product modularity, this study provides valuable insights into the ways in which manufacturing firms improve operational performance more effectively.
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Recent studies have found inconsistent findings on the impact of supplier and customer involvement on new product development. This study thus aims to explore what contextual…
Abstract
Purpose
Recent studies have found inconsistent findings on the impact of supplier and customer involvement on new product development. This study thus aims to explore what contextual factors affect supplier and customer involvement altogether and how such involvement affects new product performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used structural equation modelling to analyze empirical survey data from 251 manufacturers in Hong Kong.
Findings
The study found that modular design, product innovation, and internal coordination are positively correlated with the supplier and customer involvement. Such involvement and product innovation lead to better new product performance.
Research limitations/implications
The study is limited to the use of cross‐sectional data and a single key informant approach, and the industry structure of the sampled industries.
Practical implications
The study examines the contextual factors of supplier and customer involvement and how such involvement relates to new product development with new empirical evidence. The study not only provides new empirical evidence to support the importance of supply chain management in product development, but also extends existing literature to identify new contextual factors for such involvement.
Originality/value
The study re‐examines generalized beliefs about supplier and customer involvement in new product development, and extends prior studies of the contextual dimensions of product modularity, product innovativeness, and internal coordination on such involvement in an empirical way.
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Nasser Fathi Easa and Haitham El Orra
The relationship between human resource management practices (HRMP) and innovation has been described as a black box, where a lot still needs to be investigated. Thus, the aim of…
Abstract
Purpose
The relationship between human resource management practices (HRMP) and innovation has been described as a black box, where a lot still needs to be investigated. Thus, the aim of this paper is to investigate the nature of the link that exists between HRMP and innovation in both public and private organizations. To do so, theoretical underpinnings and existence of a mediating or a moderating mechanism is inspected.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on an empirical systematic review of research conducted between 2010 and 2018, content analysis has been conducted for 31 peer-reviewed articles in the English language.
Findings
Inspecting the nature of relations existed in the chosen articles, interesting findings are addressed relative to the nature of the human resource management systems (HRMS) used, practices encompassed and their different utility. HRMS has been shown to be associated with product innovation yet more evidence is needed for supporting process innovation.
Practical implications
The HRMS/HRMP and innovation relationship is inspected, important practices that would guide managers to induce innovation are highlighted. Usage of multiple HRMS and contingency in constructing such systems is indicated.
Originality/value
Contribution to comprehend the black box and areas for future research has been offered.