There has been growing interest in the use of a variety of interpretative approaches to researching in the field of information systems. This type of research typically applies…
Abstract
There has been growing interest in the use of a variety of interpretative approaches to researching in the field of information systems. This type of research typically applies social theory to help develop an in‐depth interpretation of some of the features and characteristics of phenomena, which relate in some way to the application of information technology, its development or related policy‐making issues. While there are attempts at developing the “rigour” or “validity” of the process of interpretation, there are no holistic criteria or benchmarks by which this type of research can be evaluated. This paper uses an evaluation framework (NIMSAD), taken from the action research domain, in order to help benchmark interpretative research processes. This framework is used as a way of providing a benchmark dimension to the evaluation of the process of interpretative research in information systems.
Details
Keywords
Buddhi Rajini Munasinghe, Abdul Ali, Farooq Habib and Murtaza Farooq Khan
This study aims to investigate how the supply chain (SC) experts from the UK manufacturing organisations (MO) interpret the drivers and barriers to adopting Industry 4.0…
Abstract
Purpose/Aim
This study aims to investigate how the supply chain (SC) experts from the UK manufacturing organisations (MO) interpret the drivers and barriers to adopting Industry 4.0 technologies from a technological, organisational and environmental (TOE) point of view. Furthermore, this study evaluates how adoption drivers and barriers influence innovative practices that support Industry 4.0 adoption.
Methodology
A qualitative narrative inquiry strategy, involving nine semi-structured interviews with leading SC experts including group executives, global directors and vice presidents was adopted.
Key Findings
The people factor across the SC is found critical for successful Industry 4.0 adoption. It was also found that the firm size is an insignificant factor; rather, Industry 4.0 readiness in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) is driven by flexibility and agility, while larger organisations are driven by resource availability and scalability. Evidently, the culture and attitude of the MO tend to facilitate or hinder the Industry 4.0 adoption, therefore, innovative practices in building an expert team, establishing a systematic change management process, actively involving suppliers in the adoption process and continuously monitoring the adoption process were introduced.
Novelty
By addressing the relationships between the drivers, barriers and innovative practices from a business perspective, a detailed Industry 4.0 adoption framework for the UK Manufacturing Supply Chains (MSC) was developed as a unique theoretical and practical contribution. This study also highlights the lessons learnt from applying Industry 4.0 in the UK context. The findings can also be informed in applying Industry 4.0 technologies in emerging market contexts.
Details
Keywords
Alan Eardley, Hanifa Shah and Andrea Radman
Extensive literature on business process management suggests that organisations could enhance their overall performance by adopting a process view of business. However, there is a…
Abstract
Purpose
Extensive literature on business process management suggests that organisations could enhance their overall performance by adopting a process view of business. However, there is a lack of empirical research in this field. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the understanding of the process view and process maturity levels in a transition economy and to test the impact of process orientation maturity level on organisational performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical investigation combined an exploratory‐confirmatory approach using factor analysis and structural equation modelling.
Findings
The investigation confirms the impact of business process orientation on organisational performance in a transition economy. The link is even stronger than in the original investigation. The results show that business process orientation leads to better non‐financial performance and indirectly to better financial performance.
Practical implications
The research confirms that business process orientation is advantageous for companies since it has a positive influence on organisational performance. The finding that the impact on financial performance is indirect through non‐financial performance suggests that the companies have to take that view of performance into consideration as well.
Originality/value
The paper is valuable for academics and practitioners because the impact of business process orientation on organisational performance has been confirmed for a transitional economy. Its originality is in the measurement of organisational performance, for which a more detailed specification of organisational performance based on the balanced scorecard concept that includes non‐financial performance measures has been used.
Details
Keywords
Haytham Siala, Elmar Kutsch and Suzy Jagger
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether learners from different cultures adopt a serious 3D game to facilitate the learning of transferable managerial skills (ethics…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether learners from different cultures adopt a serious 3D game to facilitate the learning of transferable managerial skills (ethics) and knowledge.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional, cross-country survey study (n=319) was conducted recruiting participants from one North American and two British universities. The survey data and the conceptual model have been analysed and tested using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling.
Findings
Participants displayed positive attitudes towards the 3D game and responded positively to theory presented as “real-life” scenarios; gamification techniques such as interactions and dialogue, and rewards and progression levels, which are part of the game, albeit the participants’ adoption was driven more by extrinsic motivations (rewards) than intrinsic ones (ease of use and entertainment). In addition, the empirical results suggest that when gender is taken into account, the perceptions and needs of cross-cultural learners in serious gaming environments vary and display characteristics that are similar to Rogers’ five adopter categories; thus, culture could significantly shape learners’ decisions to adopt a serious game as a managerial learning tool.
Research limitations/implications
For future researchers, this paper highlights various levels of training, support and promotional awareness that need to be considered to facilitate the adoption of serious games for managerial learning.
Practical implications
For academics and practitioners in work-based learning and managerial training environments, this paper highlights the salient factors that need to be inherent in a serious 3D game, and best practices for scaffolding existing instructional approaches or training interventions.
Originality/value
In light of Rogers’ five adopter categories, this cross-country study involving culturally diverse learners provides key insight into the potential application of serious games as a practice-based learning instrument in academia and industry.
Details
Keywords
Dejana Zlatanović and Matjaž Mulej
Respecting the growing importance of interdependence of knowledge, values and social responsibility, the purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of knowledge-cum-values…
Abstract
Purpose
Respecting the growing importance of interdependence of knowledge, values and social responsibility, the purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of knowledge-cum-values management and to show how some soft systems approaches can support interdependence of knowledge and human values resulting in socially responsible innovative behavior, hence in success.
Design/methodology/approach
The selected soft systems approaches are used to double-check the usefulness of the requisitely holistic approach to knowledge-cum-values management and innovation. The applied methodology for qualitative analysis is the Dialectical Systems Theory.
Findings
One-sidedness, unlike the requisite holism, causes oversights and hence disables innovations as a new users’ benefit. Requisitely holistic knowledge-cum-values management prevents one-sidedness and therefore many oversights; hence it is a valuable driver of innovation. It is supported by social responsibility (exposing the systemic behavior by suggesting interdependence and holistic approach to one’s responsibility for one’s influences on society). By including values and by enabling consideration of interdependence of human values and knowledge, some soft systems approaches support innovative behavior with social responsibility.
Research limitations/implications
Research is limited to theoretical findings resulting from authors’ previous empirical studies. The novel concept “knowledge-cum-values” erases the human dangerous one-sidedness resulting from the irrational rationalistic division of the two. Social responsibility supports informal use of some soft systems theories and diminishes this danger.
Practical implications
The practical application of the selected soft systems approaches and social responsibility offers great possibilities for managers to improve the holism of their innovation processes, driven by knowledge-cum-values management. Fewer oversights are possible and lead to fewer mistakes and more success in the invention-innovation-diffusion processes. No human is rational or emotional only, either as a creator or as a consumer, but this fact is disregarded in the management literature.
Social implications
Social responsibility shall be considered as an important novel soft-system approach and part of organizational innovative behavior aimed to replace the one-sided approaches prevailing so far and causing crises: the overseen attributes do not cease, but they still impact life and are out of control.
Originality/value
The contribution introduces the new, still insufficiently researched concept of knowledge-cum-values management; it highlights new ways of attaining the requisitely holistic knowledge-cum-values management that enhances enterprise’s innovation capacity by requisite holism, supported by social responsibility.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this paper is to explore the characteristics of situations where managers analogise, and when they change to a different decision model; examine how the analogies…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the characteristics of situations where managers analogise, and when they change to a different decision model; examine how the analogies are evoked, what characteristics they have and how they are used, and add to the understanding through taking a qualitative approach.
Design/methodology/approach
This is an illustrative case study of a new market entry attempt by a medium‐sized manufacturing firm based on interviews and analytical dialogues with management team members.
Findings
The paper finds that decision makers analogise when cause/effect‐relationships are unclear, and change decision models when the analogy has helped to formulate a theory of the nature of the problem or a recipe for handling the situation. They evoke analogies by automatic recognition, using internal and external sources, for transfer within and between domains. The use of analogy occurs in problem setting, problem solving, action and sensemaking modes.
Research limitations/implications
Misunderstandings can occur in dialogue between researchers and decision makers. Future interpretive research should consider participant observation and conceptual modelling. A computational study might incorporate situational differences, roles, and the issues identified in this study.
Practical implications
Awareness of the prevalence of analogy in decision making can help practitioners critically evaluate the analogies used and consider multiple perspectives on problematic situations.
Originality/value
The paper adds to the literature by taking a qualitative approach to analogising. The findings offer some support to prior research using laboratory and analytical approaches, while suggesting reconsiderations and offering new insights.
Details
Keywords
Rakesh Raut, Vaibhav Narwane, Sachin Kumar Mangla, Vinay Surendra Yadav, Balkrishna Eknath Narkhede and Sunil Luthra
This study initially aims to identify the barriers to the big data analytics (BDA) initiative and further evaluates the barriers for knowing their interrelations and priority in…
Abstract
Purpose
This study initially aims to identify the barriers to the big data analytics (BDA) initiative and further evaluates the barriers for knowing their interrelations and priority in improving the performance of manufacturing firms.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 15 barriers to BDA adoption were identified through literature review and expert opinions. Data were collected from three types of industries: automotive, machine tools and electronics manufacturers in India. The grey-decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method was employed to explore the cause–effect relationship amongst barriers. Further, the barrier's influences were outranked and cross-validated through analytic network process (ANP).
Findings
The results showed that “lack of data storage facility”, “lack of IT infrastructure”, “lack of organisational strategy” and “uncertain about benefits and long terms usage” were most common barriers to adopt BDA practices in all three industries.
Practical implications
The findings of the study can assist service providers, industrial managers and government organisations in understanding the barriers and subsequently evaluating interrelationships and ranks of barriers in the successful adoption of BDA in a manufacturing organisation context.
Originality/value
The paper is one of the initial efforts in evaluating the barriers to BDA in improving the performance of manufacturing firms in India.
Details
Keywords
Yesim Deniz Ozkan-Ozen, Deniz Sezer, Melisa Ozbiltekin-Pala and Yigit Kazancoglu
With the rapid change that has taken place with digitalization and data-driven approaches in supply chains, business environment become more competitive and reaching…
Abstract
Purpose
With the rapid change that has taken place with digitalization and data-driven approaches in supply chains, business environment become more competitive and reaching sustainability in supply chains become even more challenging. In order to manage supply chains properly, in terms of considering environmental, social and economic impacts, organizations need to deal with huge amount of data and improve organizations' data management skills. From this view, increased number of stakeholders and dynamic environment reveal the importance of data-driven technologies in sustainable supply chains. This complex structure results in new kind of risks caused by data-driven technologies. Therefore, the aim of the study to analyze potential risks related to data privacy, trust, data availability, information sharing and traceability, i.e. in sustainable supply chains.
Design/methodology/approach
A hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) model, which is the integration of step-wise weight assessment ratio analysis (SWARA) and TOmada de Decisao Interativa Multicriterio (TODIM) methods, is going to be used to prioritize potential risks and reveal the most critical sustainability dimension that is affected from these risks.
Findings
Results showed that economic dimension of the sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) is the most critical concept while evaluating risks caused by data-driven technologies. On the other hand, risk of data security, risk of data privacy and weakness of information technology systems and infrastructure are revealed as the most important risks that organizations should consider.
Originality/value
The contribution of the study is expected to guide policymakers and practitioners in terms of defining potential risks causes by data-driven technologies in sustainable supply chains. In future studies, solutions can be suggested based on these risks for achieving sustainability in all stages of the supply chain causes by data-driven technologies.