Roberth Gustafsson, Bengt Klefsjö, Eric Berggren and Ulrika Granfors‐Wellemets
Describes a project focusing on the experiences of implementing a third‐party certified quality system in small (maximum 50 employees) Swedish organisation. The project consisted…
Abstract
Describes a project focusing on the experiences of implementing a third‐party certified quality system in small (maximum 50 employees) Swedish organisation. The project consisted of a questionnaire to CEOs, and then a more comprehensive case study of selected organisations. Results show that the more the CEO and employees have been involved in the implementation process, the more the system is used, that the CEO is more satisfied with the results; and quality improvements have continued after certification. Furthermore, the higher the level of education within the company, the less help has been required from external consultants. Indicates that important factors for a successful implementation are the attitude of the organisation when the implementation starts, that fairly detailed plans for the implementation are performed and that the documentation is adapted to the business and not necessarily to the ISO standard.
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The ability of small businesses to make and adjust to the paradigm shift needed to benefit from the Japanese production theory has been questioned in the literature. Zangwill…
Abstract
The ability of small businesses to make and adjust to the paradigm shift needed to benefit from the Japanese production theory has been questioned in the literature. Zangwill (1992) questioned the limits of the Japanese Production Theory (JPT) and in a subsequent paper (Zangwill, 1994) held on to his argument about the limits of the Japanese Production Theory. In this paper, the Japanese Production Theory is first discussed, followed by a discussion of the consistency between the traditional EOQ theory and the Japanese production theory, critique of the Zangwill’s argument, and issues related to the relevance of the Japanese production theory to small businesses.
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Erik G. Prytz, Jonas Rybing, Eric Carlström, Amir Khorram-Manesh and Carl-Oscar Jonson
The purpose of this paper is to explore the workload and shared workload awareness in a staff performing command and control (C2) work during a planned major incident (MI…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the workload and shared workload awareness in a staff performing command and control (C2) work during a planned major incident (MI) empirical case in Sweden.
Design/methodology/approach
Data on workload and shared awareness were collected during live C2-work using qualitative observations and in-situ interviews mixed with quantitative questionnaires.
Findings
A content analysis of the qualitative data revealed categories of workload sources. Quantified workload estimates showed changes in workload levels over time and staff roles, which were also contextualized using the results of the qualitative data. Data on shared awareness indicated that team workload awareness shifted over time according to common patterns. This study demonstrates a promising methodology to study C2-related factors during live EMS work.
Research limitations/implications
The observed variations in workload imply that research that relies only on post-task measurements of workload may be inaccurate. Future research could use this method to investigate the connection between workload and performance during different types of MIs.
Originality/value
The results can be used to inform future Göteborgsvarvet C2-teams in terms of when, why, and for whom task load changes, which would support predictive allocation of resources.
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This special “Anbar Abstracts” issue of Employee Relations is split into seven sections covering abstracts under the following headings: Design of Work; Performance, Productivity…
Abstract
This special “Anbar Abstracts” issue of Employee Relations is split into seven sections covering abstracts under the following headings: Design of Work; Performance, Productivity and Motivation; Patterns of Work; Pay, Incentives and Pensions; Career/Manpower Planning ; Industrial Relations and Participation; Health and Safety.
This special “Anbar Abstracts” issue of the Marketing Intelligence & Planning is split into nine sections covering abstracts under the following headings: Business Strategy;…
Abstract
This special “Anbar Abstracts” issue of the Marketing Intelligence & Planning is split into nine sections covering abstracts under the following headings: Business Strategy; Marketing Strategy; Customer Service; Sales Management; Promotion; Marketing Research/Customer Behaviour; Product Management; Logistics and Distribution; Sundry.
We all talk of logistical problems as if they were something which can be left to others ‐ you know, those less creative than ourselves; the slightly dull sorts withcomputer‐like…
Abstract
We all talk of logistical problems as if they were something which can be left to others ‐ you know, those less creative than ourselves; the slightly dull sorts with computer‐like brains who thrive on just this sort of basically mathematical problem. This may be an overstatement of the case, but how many senior executives regularly meet with the managers responsible for the movement of materials? And how often do the same executives physically visit the scenes of these activities? Often? Sometimes? Never? And how many equate the costs of logistics merely with warehouse rents plus road haulage or rail costs?
For those who like certainty, now is not a good time to be in logistics management ‐ for those who relish challenges, there are plenty to be had. There are challenges not just to…
Abstract
For those who like certainty, now is not a good time to be in logistics management ‐ for those who relish challenges, there are plenty to be had. There are challenges not just to the old certainties, but the new certainties which replaced them. Companies have, in recent years, looked to Japan for inspiration, only to find the Japanese economy beginning to falter. Japanese management practices were endorsed by, and imported into, many Western organizations and, when these transplanted practices failed to work, cultural difficulties were cited. It then becomes something of a shock, for example, to see the keiretsu distribution system fall into disrepute, and lean production methods become modified or abandoned by those who developed them.
Shengnan Han, Shahrokh Nikou and Workneh Yilma Ayele
To improve the academic integrity of online examinations, digital proctoring systems have recently been implemented in higher education institutions (HEIs). The paper aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
To improve the academic integrity of online examinations, digital proctoring systems have recently been implemented in higher education institutions (HEIs). The paper aims to understand how digital proctoring has been practised in higher education (HE) and proposes future research directions for studying digital proctoring in HE.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review was conducted. The PRISMA procedure was adapted for the literature search. The topics were identified by topic modelling techniques from 154 relevant publications in seven databases.
Findings
Seven widely discussed topics in literature were identified, including solutions for detecting cheating and student authentication, challenges/issues of uptakes and students' performance in different proctoring environments.
Research limitations/implications
This paper provides insights for academics, policymakers, practitioners and students to understand the implementation of digital proctoring in academia, its adoption by HEIs, impacts on students' and educators' performance and the rapid increase in its use for digital exams in HEIs, with particular emphasis on the impacts of the systems on digitalising examinations in HE.
Originality/value
This review paper has systematically and critically described the state-of-the-art literature on digital proctoring in HE and provides useful insights and implications for future research on digital proctoring, and how academic integrity in online examinations can be enhanced, along with digitalising HE.
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Anja Johnsen, Gaby Ortiz-Barreda, Guro Rekkedal and Anette Christine Iversen
The purpose of this paper is to summarise and analyse empirical research on protective factors that promote academic resilience in ethnic minority children mainly aged between 13…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to summarise and analyse empirical research on protective factors that promote academic resilience in ethnic minority children mainly aged between 13 and 18 years attending schools in the Nordic countries.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper was opted for a literature review of 23 peer-reviewed quantitative articles published between 1999 and 2014. The analysis entailed protective factors at both the personal and environmental levels in ethnic minority children.
Findings
Some minority children’s school performance may be just as good if not better than majority children when having similar or even lower socioeconomic status than majority children. Protective factors at the personal level included working hard, having a positive attitude towards school, and having high educational aspirations. Protective factors at the environmental level included supportive school systems, supportive schools, and supportive networks including parental qualities and support. The findings are comparable to the findings outside the Nordic countries with one exception; minority children in the Nordic countries performed better than expected despite socioeconomic disadvantages.
Research limitations/implications
Protective factors affecting academic resilience need further attention in a time with an increased global migration. Research implications may be related to how schools and policy makers develop supportive school systems, supportive schools, and supportive networks to contribute to making a difference for minority children’s educational opportunities in the Nordic countries.
Originality/value
Academic resilience is a relatively new research field in the Nordic countries. This review is the first review which has summarised and analysed existing findings on academic resilience in the Nordic countries in minority children.