Karen Scarlette Sanhueza and Christopher Nikulin
The purpose of this paper is to address the emerging need to map knowledge and information with a novel classification, suitable to have a clear and integrated overview of the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address the emerging need to map knowledge and information with a novel classification, suitable to have a clear and integrated overview of the design method, models and techniques from both the sides of product and process. The proposed classification allows to understand main relevance of different design methods, models and techniques according their characteristic and also level in where company usually applied.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors decided to structure the research into three steps: from the analysis of background literature, in order to draw the main evidences for the development of a novel classification, to their application. First, the papers search related to collect the different methods used in literature. Second, paper characterization which aims to understand main traits and usefulness of design methods, models and tools. Third, the assessment of design methods, models and tools according proposed classification.
Findings
Each method, model or technique would be more useful according to the context in which is applied. Most of methods and modes can be continuously improving, considering different sub-classification or complement each other, striving to compensate to the extent possible for weakness in any one of the approaches.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed classification did not deliver absolute results in every analyzed model or techniques, it delivered a wide range of possibilities in every sub-classification, thus the engineers get multiple options to choose depending on its main goal or the available resources.
Originality/value
The author’s proposal aims at filling a classification gap in the design method literature, which has to plausible in use. The different alternatives can be represented according to a scalable and hierarchical logic embedding also a more structured evaluation of the methods and tools in practice.
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Patricio Vera, Christopher Nikulin, Monica Lopez-Campos and Rosa Guadalupe G. Gonzalez Ramirez
The purpose of this paper is to propose a combination of forecasting methods that enables a holistic understanding of a future situation, given certain influencing variables by a…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a combination of forecasting methods that enables a holistic understanding of a future situation, given certain influencing variables by a combination of real data and expert knowledge.
Design/methodology/approach
The proposal combines two well-known methods: first, system archetypes that correspond to generic structures, allowing us to handle model management issues, and second, system dynamics that offers technical support on a computational level to assess different scenarios or problem solutions.
Findings
The case study considers the situation of the mining industry in Chile and its related variables, including four different scenarios. Based on the proposed methodology, the results indicate that: first, the price of copper is paramount for the industry and its effects are not limited to company profits; second, a long period of downfall in copper prices could halt exploration and development projects.
Research limitations/implications
Systemic archetypes are still a subject of research and their application in different fields of knowledge continues to increase to improve this simulation approach.
Practical implications
The case study illustrates the combination of a Vester matrix and initial system archetype models that are enriched using the system dynamics approach. Indeed, the case study aims to understand the consequences of different scenarios based on the problem-driven approach provided by Vester.
Social implications
The goal of prospective studies of large-scale and complex situations is to model the real situation to obtain solutions that may enhance social welfare.
Originality/value
The proposed methodology contributes to the existing literature by integrating techniques such as the Vester matrix, system archetype modelling and system dynamics simulation, all of which were proposed previously in the literature as independent techniques.
Propósito
Este artículo propone una combinación de métodos de pronósticos que permite una comprensión holística de una situación futura, dadas ciertas variables de influencia mediante una combinación de datos reales y conocimiento de expertos.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
La propuesta combina dos métodos conocidos: (i) arquetipos de sistemas que corresponden a estructuras genéricas, lo que nos permite manejar los modelos, y (ii) la dinámica de sistemas que ofrece soporte técnico a nivel computacional para evaluar diferentes escenarios o soluciones de problemas.
Resultados
El caso de estudio considera la situación de la industria minera en Chile y sus variables relacionadas, incluidos cuatro escenarios diferentes. Según la metodología propuesta, los resultados indican que i) el precio del cobre es primordial para la industria y sus efectos no se limitan a las ganancias de la empresa; ii) un largo período de caída en los precios del cobre podría detener los proyectos de exploración y desarrollo.
Limitaciones en la investigación/implicaciones
Los arquetipos sistémicos siguen siendo un tema de investigación y su aplicación en diferentes campos del conocimiento continúa aumentando para mejorar este enfoque de simulación.
Implicaciones prácticas
El estudio de caso ilustra la combinación de una matriz de Vester y los modelos de arquetipos del sistema inicial que se enriquecen utilizando el enfoque de dinámica de sistemas. De hecho, el caso de estudio apunta a comprender las consecuencias de diferentes escenarios basados en el enfoque orientado a los problemas proporcionado por Vester.
Implicaciones sociales
El objetivo de los estudios prospectivos para situaciones de gran escala y complejas es modelar la situación real para obtener soluciones que puedan mejorar el bienestar social.
Originalidad/valor
La metodología propuesta contribuye a la literatura existente mediante la integración de técnicas como la matriz de Vester, el modelado de arquetipos del sistema y la simulación de dinámica de sistemas, todo lo cual se propuso anteriormente en la literatura como técnicas independientes.
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Rosa Hendijani and Reza Saeidi Saei
This study aims to examine the interaction between different types of supply chain integration (SCI) and competitive strategies on firm performance.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the interaction between different types of supply chain integration (SCI) and competitive strategies on firm performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The research method is quantitative. The study develops a structured model and a set of hypotheses based on the related theories. Empirical data is collected in a cross-sectional manner using an online survey to test the model and its hypotheses. The survey comprised standard scales to measure study variables. The scales had high reliability and validity and were commonly used in the literature. The study was conducted on Iranian firms working in steel and auto parts industries. Based on official reports, a total of 305 active companies were found in these two industries. Due to the small population size, all companies in the two industries were contacted for participation. Overall, 84 firms completed the survey. To test the research hypotheses, the authors used hierarchical regression analyses using SPSS 27 software.
Findings
Results showed that internal integration improves financial performance when firms follow a cost leadership strategy. Differentiation strategy and process integration interact positively and improve operational performance. Type of industry had no significant effect. The results add to the SCI literature by showing that a match between competitive strategy and integration type can influence both operational and financial performance. In total, firms should focus on the appropriate dimension of SCI based on their competitive strategy to improve the performance of the firm.
Originality/value
The impact of competitive strategy as a moderator on the SCI-performance relationship has not been widely addressed in the literature. In one study, Huo et al. (2014) investigated this relationship using data from 604 manufacturing companies in China. The results provided support for financial performance but not for operational performance. However, the influence of competitive strategies on the SCI performance may vary in different countries and contexts with dissimilar environmental, social and cultural characteristics. As several supply chain scholars have argued, understanding contextual conditions that influence the effect of best practices such as SCI on performance are critical
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Karen D. Hughes and Jennifer E. Jennings
The purpose of in this study is to examine how scholarship on women’s entrepreneurship/gender and entrepreneurship has contributed to understandings of the embeddedness of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of in this study is to examine how scholarship on women’s entrepreneurship/gender and entrepreneurship has contributed to understandings of the embeddedness of entrepreneurial activity. The authors review studies from the past four decades (1975-2018) to assess the extent to which research has examined the embeddedness of entrepreneurial activity in two key institutions – the family and the labour market – that remain pervasively and persistently gendered.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors blend a systematic quantitative analysis of scholarly publications with qualitative analysis, identifying key themes and contributions. The corpus of material comprises over 1,300 scholarly publications, including both empirical and theoretical contributions.
Findings
This analysis shows that attention to the embeddedness of entrepreneurial activity in gendered social institutions is a clear legacy of women’s entrepreneurship research. The systematic quantitative review found that over one-third (36.6 per cent) of scholarly publications examines questions of family and/or labour market embeddedness in some way. The qualitative analysis identifies a rich array of themes over the past four decades and a growing global reach of scholarship in recent years.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to knowledge about the embeddedness of entrepreneurial activity. It offers a comprehensive review of how entrepreneurship is shaped by the embedding of such activity in two predominant (and gendered) social institutions – families and labour markets. It will be of use to scholars seeking an overview of this topic and considering new research questions to pursue.