Dan C. Burrows, Jack A. Petry and Scott A. Fratianne
Describes the success story of how Gilman, a division of Giddings & Lewis, Inc., with the help of Blackhawk Technical College, institutionalized reliability and maintainability…
Abstract
Describes the success story of how Gilman, a division of Giddings & Lewis, Inc., with the help of Blackhawk Technical College, institutionalized reliability and maintainability (R&M) into its quality system and obtained ISO 9001:1994 certification and a declaration of compliance to the QS 9000 Tooling & Equipment Supplement. Looks at aspects such as defining the need for R&M and the integration of effective reliability and maintainability procedures into the quality system. Reports on a comprehensive training effort to educate the organization in R&M.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the change of the Jordanian corporate reporting requirements in 1998. The reasons as to why International Financial Reporting Standards…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the change of the Jordanian corporate reporting requirements in 1998. The reasons as to why International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) were adopted in Jordan are outlined on the basis of strong structuration theory’s (SST) quadripartite structure.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is interpretive, as perceptions of the study’s participants are analysed regarding the adoption of IFRS in emerging economies. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken to collect Jordanian experts’ perceptions. The study uses elements of Stones’ strong structuration to illustrate and analyse the current study’s data.
Findings
The analysis illustrated that various elements pushed for the adoption of IFRS in Jordan – external structures that cause adoption of IFRS are the Gulf War and the immediate impact this had on Jordan. The internal structures seek to adopt new regulation in order to protect and support the Jordanian economy, which is part of agents-in-focus’ dispositions, and gain foreign direct investment. Agents-in-focus found that some corporations comprehended the needs of external investors, thus, sought to provide such information voluntarily.
Research limitations/implications
A limitation of this paper is the number of participants, which for future studies needs to be considered.
Practical implications
Reasons as to why new regulation is adopted are illustrated, which can support other countries seeking to do adopt new corporate reporting rules.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the sparse body of studies using SST in financial accounting. It is also one of the few studies investigating the change of regulation and the reasons for this adoption in the Middle Eastern and Jordanian context, in an interpretive study.
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Petri Ferreira and Charl de Villiers
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether an association exists between a firm's black economic empowerment (BEE) score and its share returns.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether an association exists between a firm's black economic empowerment (BEE) score and its share returns.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses linear regression that controls for the factors explaining share returns identified by Fama and French. The study includes the Top 200 BEE companies according to the Financial Mail/Empowerdex Top Empowerment Companies survey for 2005‐2008.
Findings
The regression analysis shows a significant, negative association between a firm's BEE score and its share returns.
Research limitations/implications
The results suggest that managers may be over‐investing in activities to improve their firms' BEE scores. This result is surprising. The long‐term effect of BEE investment, the association between the different elements of the BEE score and share returns and the optimal BEE investment level are all fruitful avenues for future research.
Originality/value
One of the elements of the BEE score is the percentage of black ownership of the company. Various studies have found positive market reactions to BEE deal announcements, which relate to the percentage of black ownership of the company. By contrast, this study investigates the relationship between an entity's BEE score, as opposed to a BEE deal announcement, and this entity's market performance. The results would be of interest to government policy analysts, investors and managers.
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Minna Matikainen, Leena Olkkonen, Nina Katajavuori, Petri Parvinen and Anne Juppo
This study aims to examine the attitudes of physicians towards the pharmaceutical industry and investigates how these are reflected when a new drug is introduced.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the attitudes of physicians towards the pharmaceutical industry and investigates how these are reflected when a new drug is introduced.
Design/methodology/approach
The qualitative theme-interview study adopts the innovation diffusion perspective and is conducted with 22 general practitioners and specialists.
Findings
Physicians’ positive relationship orientation and active interaction can result in early adoption of new drugs with product advantage. In comparison, negatively oriented and passively interacting physicians will adopt a new drug later based on research evidence- and experience-based reasoning and opinions of their colleagues.
Research limitations/implications
The objective was to obtain a deeper understanding of the research themes. Further qualitative studies in different countries and health care environments with a larger sample size would improve generalizability of results.
Practical implications
It’s necessary to find an optimal win – win situation that fulfils both parties’ needs, while decreasing unnecessary and time-consuming marketing activities and avoiding waste of limited resources and allowing physicians to participate in activities that better serve their primary needs. Managers in pharmaceutical companies should ensure their sales representatives act in appropriate and professional ways, interact openly and reciprocally and provide accurate and objective information.
Originality/value
The study demonstrates that the physician–pharmaceutical industry relationship has developed from being ethically precarious and having non-professional related personal benefits, towards becoming a more sustainable collaboration. The mutually beneficial collaboration supports physicians’ professional development, enabling better patient care and relieving strain on limited resources.
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Tuomas Korhonen, Erno Selos, Teemu Laine and Petri Suomala
The purpose of this paper is to better understand management accounting automation by exploring the programmability of management accounting work.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to better understand management accounting automation by exploring the programmability of management accounting work.
Design/methodology/approach
We build upon the literature on digitalization in management accounting and draw upon the pragmatic constructivist methodology to understand how digitalization takes place at the individual actors' level in accounting practice. The paper uses a data set from an interventionist case study of a machinery manufacturer.
Findings
We examine an actual process of automating management accounting tasks. During this development process, surprisingly, calculation tasks remained more fit for humans than machines though, initially, they were thought to be programmable.
Research limitations/implications
According to our findings, practitioners may interpret experts' nonprogrammable work tasks as programmable and seek to automate them. Only identifying the factual possibilities for automating accounting-related work can lead to automation-improved efficiency. Our findings can be increasingly relevant for advanced analytics initiatives and applications within management accounting (e.g. robotic process automation, big data, machine learning and artificial intelligence).
Practical implications
Practitioners need to carefully analyze the entity they wish to automate and understand the factual possibilities of using and maintaining the planned automatic system throughout its life cycle.
Originality/value
The paper shows that when processes are assessed from a distance, the nonprogrammable management accounting tasks and expertise can become misinterpreted as programmable, and the goal of automating them has little chance of success. It also shows possibilities for human accountants to remain relevant in comparison to machines and paves the way for further studies on advanced decision technologies in management accounting.
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Petri Uusitalo, Antti Peltokorpi, Olli Seppänen and Otto Alhava
This study aims to investigate the strategies that successful companies in the construction industry use to achieve systemic transformation within their value chains and broader…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the strategies that successful companies in the construction industry use to achieve systemic transformation within their value chains and broader ecosystems. This study focuses on understanding how these companies navigate the challenges of a mature and slow-changing industry through innovative approaches.
Design/methodology/approach
A multiple case study design is used to analyze the systemic innovation dynamics across construction subsystems, through the lens of Complex Adaptive Systems theory. This research involves an empirical examination of nine case companies, selected based on their innovations in at least two construction subsystem areas and markers of success such as growth, profitability or invested capital. This methodology facilitates a detailed understanding of the company-level transformation.
Findings
This study identifies four distinct development paths toward systemic transformation within the construction industry: product-driven, product platform-driven, process integration-driven and business model-driven. These paths are characterized by unique strategies integrating technology, optimizing processes and innovating business models, demonstrating how companies can effectively adapt to and evolve within the construction ecosystem.
Originality/value
This research contributes original insights into company strategies and how they achieve systemic transformation. This study expands existing knowledge on systemic transformation in the construction industry by integrating empirical evidence with theoretical frameworks, offering a novel perspective on how successful companies innovate within a traditionally slow-changing sector.
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Louise Gillies and Helen M. Burrows
Families conduct their affairs through processes that are built upon those of previous generations and also social capacities such as culture, class, oppression and poverty. The…
Abstract
Families conduct their affairs through processes that are built upon those of previous generations and also social capacities such as culture, class, oppression and poverty. The media has played a part in stereotyping the lower classes through their portrayal on the television programmes such as Benefits Street and Jeremy Kyle and tabloid newspaper stories. This chapter is a case study of two families who are at the opposing ends of the social scale, the Horrobin/Carter and Aldridge families. The two families were chosen due to them being linked by marriage in the younger generation. Through the use of genograms, we explore how the families differ in their attitudes towards relationships within their individual families, and also how they relate to each other as separate family groups. Despite the many differences, there are also a number of key similarities, particularly regarding the key females in the families, in terms of family background and snobbery. We also show that there is little family loyalty in the more privileged family and a power differential between the two families (oppressors vs. oppressed) in terms of the crimes committed.
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Shi-qing Wu, Bin Shen, Yun-zhe Tang, Jia-hai Wang and Da-teng Zheng
The purpose of this paper is to study a method to optimize the arrangement of the devices on a smart assembly workbench, which help to reduce fatigue and improve efficiency for…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study a method to optimize the arrangement of the devices on a smart assembly workbench, which help to reduce fatigue and improve efficiency for the worker.
Design/methodology/approach
The optimization priority is studied based on the users’ decisions, a mathematical model of the layout optimization is established from ergonomic perspective and an improved algorithm is adopted to solve the built the mathematical model.
Findings
Ergonomic software Jack is chosen to simulate the four layout schemes obtained. Through comparative analysis of the simulation results, it is proven that the optimal solution can be obtained using the improved algorithm.
Originality/value
The mathematical model built on observation comfort, operation comfort and device accessibility, as well as the improved algorithm in this paper, has some reference values for the layout design of smart assembly workbench.
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Lin Lu, Qingwei Zhang, David Wootton, Peter I. Lelkes and Jack Zhou
Musculoskeletal conditions are a major health concern in the USA because of a large aging population and increased occurrence of sport‐related injuries. Bone tissue engineering…
Abstract
Purpose
Musculoskeletal conditions are a major health concern in the USA because of a large aging population and increased occurrence of sport‐related injuries. Bone tissue engineering may offer a less painful alternative to traditional bone grafts with lower risk of infection. The purpose of this paper is to present a novel porogen‐based fabrication system for tissue engineering scaffolds using sucrose (C12H22O11) as the porogen building material.
Design/methodology/approach
A new solid freeform fabrication system has been developed and tested, which uses pressurized extrusion to print highly biocompatible and water soluble sucrose bone scaffold porogens (or negtives). Polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds are manufactured by injecting molten polymer into the porogens, and the porogens are subsequently dissolved with water. The resultant scaffolds demonstrate the defined porous structure designed into the sucrose porogen manufacturing computer‐aided design model.
Findings
To optimize the porogen manufacturing process, the viscosity of sucrose mixtures is measured. Design of experiments is used to plan and analyze the relationships between the porogen characteristics and the process parameters. Reservoir pressure and print head speed are identified as the dominant factors affecting sucrose flow rate and porogen strut diameter, respectively. The biocompatibility of the new system is assessed by in vitro cell culture testing. Endothelial hybridoma cells (EAhy 926) and osteoblasts (7F2) seeded on the fabricated PCL scaffolds adhered to the scaffold and proliferated over four to six days. Epifluorescence and scanning electron microscopy images reveal cell spreading and multiple layers of cells on the scaffold surface. The results demonstrated the potential of the structured sucrose porogen‐based fabrication method in manufacturing bone tissue scaffolds.
Originality/value
This paper describes the first time use of biomaterials‐sucrose to make scaffold porogens and how an injection molded biopolymer scaffold can then be received.
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Umberto Cavallaro, Paolo Paolini, Stavros Christodoulakis, Costis Dallas, Andreas Enotiadis, Saverio Proia, Jack Schiff and Wolfgang Schuler
HIFI (ESPRIT Project 6532) creates a set of tools to allow a reader to access a large body of heterogeneous information, managed by external databases created beforehand, through a…
Abstract
HIFI (ESPRIT Project 6532) creates a set of tools to allow a reader to access a large body of heterogeneous information, managed by external databases created beforehand, through a hypertext interface. Information currently found in information systems is based on different media and is usually managed by different tools, like relational databases and a variety of multimedia database systems. Sometimes the need arises to ‘browse’ through the information using an interactive and intuitive interface. Hypertext is probably the best current means for interactive (and possibly intuitive) navigation through a heterogeneous body of information. Available hypertext tools, however, are usually seen as being for managing their own information rather than being an interface for accessing external databases. The HIFI approach is based on a model‐based description of the hypertext application, as it appears to the reader. A declarative and/or operational mapping translates hypertext operations (search, queries and navigation) into operations on the underlying information base and also ‘materialises’ hypertext objects, using objects of the underlying databases. The system also implements methodologies to support the hypertext interface development process. Real‐life applications will be developed to show the validity of the approach, with the cooperation of important end‐users who will cooperate with the project directly, either as partners or sponsors.