Paul Bowen, Keith Cattell, Peter Edwards and Ian Jay
This paper aims to investigate the nature and extent of value management (VM) practice by professional quantity surveyors in South Africa. The survey explores practitioners'…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the nature and extent of value management (VM) practice by professional quantity surveyors in South Africa. The survey explores practitioners' awareness and understanding of VM and the nature and extent of the use of VM techniques within their organisations.
Design/methodology/approach
A web‐based, online questionnaire survey is employed to establish VM practice by South African registered quantity surveyors. Descriptive statistics are used to analyse the survey response data.
Findings
The results suggest that, while VM (and more particularly its value engineering antecedent) is generally known among quantity surveyors in South Africa, it is less widely practiced. VM is seen predominantly as a cost reduction tool. This misperception, and the lack of awareness of the potential benefits of VM, must be remedied if quantity surveyors in South Africa are to provide clients with services that meet world's best practice standards. Quantity surveyors also need to know what those standards are.
Practical implications
Refresher courses in contemporary VM theory and practice are recommended, as well as exploration of the impacts on VM of other techniques such as risk, quality and environmental management.
Originality/value
The findings are important given the increasing globalization of construction services, especially given the international ties between designers, quantity surveyors and other built environment professionals.
Details
Keywords
Paul Bowen, Keith Cattell, Ian Jay and Peter Edwards
This paper seeks to investigate the nature and extent of value management (VM) practice in the South African manufacturing industry. It aims to explore engineers' and designers'…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to investigate the nature and extent of value management (VM) practice in the South African manufacturing industry. It aims to explore engineers' and designers' awareness and understanding of VM and the nature and extent of the use of VM techniques within their companies.
Design/methodology/approach
A web‐based, online questionnaire survey is employed to establish value management practice within the manufacturing sector. Descriptive statistics are used to analyse the survey response data.
Findings
The results suggest that, while VM (and more particularly its value engineering antecedent) is generally known among engineers and designers in the manufacturing sector in South Africa, it is less widely practised. VM is seen predominantly as a cost reduction tool. This misperception, and the lack of awareness of the potential benefits of VM, must be remedied if the South African manufacturing industry is to remain competitive. The industry needs to adopt best practice VM techniques and standards.
Research limitations/implications
It has proved extremely difficult to obtain survey data from manufacturing organizations, resulting in a low response rate. While this is a limitation, the information sourced provides useful direction for future case study investigation.
Practical implications
Refresher courses in contemporary VM theory and practice are recommended, as well as exploration of the impacts on VM of other techniques such as risk, quality and environmental management.
Originality/value
Against a background of increasing globalization, the findings are important if the South African manufacturing sector is to remain competitive. The results provide pointers for future research using a case study method.
Details
Keywords
Paul Bowen, Ian Jay, Keith Cattell and Peter Edwards
The purpose of this paper is to investigate value management (VM) practice by professional architects in South Africa. A primary aim is to test the assertion of Kelly et al. that…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate value management (VM) practice by professional architects in South Africa. A primary aim is to test the assertion of Kelly et al. that VM has “evolved to become an established service with commonly understood tools, techniques and styles.”
Design/methodology/approach
A web‐based, online questionnaire survey was employed to establish VM practice by South African registered architects. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the survey response data.
Findings
The results suggest that awareness of VM is not widespread among South African architects, and that its actual practice is minimal. Where VM was used on projects, it was invariably cost‐minimization driven in terms of both the project and the VM process itself. These findings are in direct conflict with the assertion of Kelly et al. There is also a mismatch between clients' value system key performance variables and objectives defined for VM studies. Use of VM for project brief facilitation is not widespread, and the integration of VM with risk and quality management systems is not pervasive. Where VM was undertaken, no attempt is made to benchmark VM activities against international standards.
Practical implications
Professional architectural associations in South Africa should adopt a proactive role in promoting the use of VM by architects; facilitated by continuing professional development programmes.
Originality/value
The originality of the research lies in determining the nature of, and extent to which, architects in South Africa practice VM.
Details
Keywords
To find out, from the perspective of the authors of a well‐known textbook on strategic management, in what ways they think the field is changing.
Abstract
Purpose
To find out, from the perspective of the authors of a well‐known textbook on strategic management, in what ways they think the field is changing.
Design/methodology/approach
Strategy & Leadership interviewed Arthur A. Thompson, Jr, A.J. Strickland III and John E. Gamble, the authors of the widely used textbook Crafting and Executing Strategy: Text and Readings, 15th edition (McGraw‐Hill/Irwin, 2006), to learn how they adapted the book to keep up with developments in the field.
Findings
Changes include:new analytical tools and ways of looking at strategy issues; new concepts and terms appear in the literature; companies encounter new or different kinds of strategic issues; and each new edition has to include the latest and best examples of “strategy in action.”
Practical implications
Sample practical suggestions: “A case can be made that a disproportionate amount of the research being published in today's “top tier” journals makes little difference to the practice of strategic management.” “To restore relevancy, business‐school deans and faculty must begin to place far higher scholarly value on research that truly advances the practice of management.” “I think we are now seeing a new trend, where more and more of the younger faculty lack training in the case method and are uncomfortable using it.”
Originality/value
The authors have watched strategic management literature develop and have a unique perspective on how the teaching of strategy has evolved.
Details
Keywords
From one year to another, more researchers join in the ever-growing field of interest of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Nevertheless, the literature on NGOs management is…
Abstract
Purpose
From one year to another, more researchers join in the ever-growing field of interest of non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Nevertheless, the literature on NGOs management is not as rich as what has been developed for private companies and bodies in the business world. The purpose of this paper is to propose a framework for managing NGOs effectively.
Design/methodology/approach
Reviewing the literature on NGOs management from different areas, the paper proposes a conceptual framework.
Findings
The paper provides a conceptual framework on how different management functions are involved in a mutual framework for managing NGOs.
Research limitations/implications
The author needs to empirically test the suggested framework using qualitative and qualitative techniques.
Originality/value
The author’s perspective on NGOs management is a subject of great interest for different NGOs stakeholders including: donors, communities, volunteers, managers and policy-makers.
Details
Keywords
Kenneth Traynor and Susan C. Traynor
Discusses the role that predictive fiction serves as a resource inlong‐range consumer marketing planning. Evaluates a case illustrationcomparing the scenarios depicted in two…
Abstract
Discusses the role that predictive fiction serves as a resource in long‐range consumer marketing planning. Evaluates a case illustration comparing the scenarios depicted in two major works of predictive fiction in the categories of consumer behaviour, consumer goods, environment, law, family, leisure, sex roles, technology and psychological factors. Offers guidelines for selecting and analysing the content of relevant literary works, and how to incorporate the results into consumer marketing planning process.
Details
Keywords
C.I. Jay and P.A. Bowen
The purpose of this paper is to provide a holistic and comprehensive historical perspective of the evolution of value management, and to illustrate the impact that value analysis…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a holistic and comprehensive historical perspective of the evolution of value management, and to illustrate the impact that value analysis can have on innovation within organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
A review of published material from credible sources describing the evolution of the value management methodology, and a desktop analysis of 35 documented value management case studies illustrating the role of value management in innovation.
Findings
Published descriptions of the evolution of value management are incomplete and fragmented. A holistic and comprehensive historical perspective of value management as a value-adding methodology is provided. Mapped against a model for innovation, value management is shown to contribute substantially to innovation within organizations across a variety of contexts. Value management is currently evolving into a powerful approach to strategic planning.
Practical implications
This paper illustrates the contribution of value management to innovation across a variety of industries and contexts.
Originality/value
The paper provides a holistic and comprehensive historical perspective of the evolution of value management as a methodology, and demonstrates by mapping selected case studies onto a model of innovation impact, that the method is a powerful and versatile approach to obtaining innovative solutions to organizational problems.
Details
Keywords
Ian Y. Blount, Jay Seetharaman and Trevor L. Brown
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of program strategy on the implementation of the efficacy of a procurement set-aside program at the state level.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of program strategy on the implementation of the efficacy of a procurement set-aside program at the state level.
Design/methodology/approach
This study examines the impact of program implementation strategy across two administrations considering the most compelling alternative arguments for what drives agency purchasing through contracts with MBEs.
Findings
The results of mixed effects linear regression models on the procurement expenditures of 70 state agencies in Ohio from 2008-2015 show significantly higher rates of procurement expenditures with MBEs under the Kasich administration.
Originality/value
These results provide support for the argument that changes in program implementation strategy led to substantive increases in the use of MBEs by state agencies in Ohio.
Details
Keywords
The growing public anxiety towards the end of the twentieth century that men were “in crisis” was articulated in popular-cultural texts. The purpose of this paper is to examine…
Abstract
Purpose
The growing public anxiety towards the end of the twentieth century that men were “in crisis” was articulated in popular-cultural texts. The purpose of this paper is to examine the TV family sitcom Modern Family, in order to explore the ways that it constructs the masculine post-9/11.
Design/methodology/approach
The approach used is that of cultural studies, a field which draws together theorisation and analytical methods from a variety of disciplines.
Findings
Despite the variety of family structures represented in the series Modern Family, its narratives continue to foster traditional notions of patriarchal power. However, the presence of alternate versions of “family” and “masculinity” suggests an awareness of other possibilities.
Practical implications
This paper may model to its readers a way of approaching and analysing other popular-cultural texts for their representations of masculinity.
Social implications
An understanding of the dynamics of masculinity and its alternative forms of masculinity may be likely to have a material impact in the social sphere.
Originality/value
By drawing together theory and analytical approaches from a variety of relevant disciplines, the paper demonstrates that, in the wake of the events of 9/11, there are twin impulses simultaneously to adhere to a familiar, dominant notion of masculinity, yet to propose alternate forms of the masculine.