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1 – 10 of 16Pedro Neves, Luis Ribeiro, João Dias-Ferreira, Mauro Onori and José Barata Oliveira
This paper aims to provide a method and decision support tool to enhance swift reconfiguration of Plug&Produce (P&P) systems in the presence of continuously changing production…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide a method and decision support tool to enhance swift reconfiguration of Plug&Produce (P&P) systems in the presence of continuously changing production orders.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews different production scenarios and system design and configuration methods and more particularly specifies the need of decision support tools for P&P systems that integrate configuration and planning activities. This problem is then addressed by proposing a method that helps reduce the solution space of the reconfiguration problem and allows the timely selection of the most promising reconfiguration alternative.
Findings
The proposed method was found to be helpful in reducing the reconfiguration alternatives that need to be considered and in selecting the most promising one for different orders. The advantages and limitations of this method are identified, and an illustrative test case of the approach is presented, corroborating the method applicability in the absence of large queues in the system.
Originality/value
This paper addresses a less explored domain within the P&P systems research field, which is the system reconfiguration. It proposed a method to support system validation and reconfiguration jointly with an illustrative test case. This represents an original contribution to the P&P research field, and it can have impact in improving agility and decreasing the complexity of reconfiguration activities to cope with constantly changing production orders.
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Mauro Onori and José Barata Oliveira
This roadmap is primarily concerned with the adaptive assembly technology situation in Europe, a topic of particular interest as assembly is often the final process within…
Abstract
Purpose
This roadmap is primarily concerned with the adaptive assembly technology situation in Europe, a topic of particular interest as assembly is often the final process within manufacturing operations. Being the final set of operations on the product, and being traditionally labour‐intensive, assembly has been considerably affected by globalisation. Therefore, unlike most technology roadmaps, this report will not focus solely on particular technologies, but will strive to form a broader perspective on the conditions that may come to influence the opportunities, including political aspects and scientific paradigms. The purpose of this paper is to convey a complete view of the global mechanisms that may come to affect technological breakthroughs, and also present strategies that may better prepare for such a forecast.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper describes a technological roadmap.
Findings
This paper provides a complete overview of all aspects that may come to affect assembly in Europe within the next 20 years.
Originality/value
The paper gives an original Evolvable Ultra Precision Assembly Systems FP6 project result which will be of general interest for strategic R&D.
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Barbara de Lima Voss, David Bernard Carter and Bruno Meirelles Salotti
We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in…
Abstract
We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in the construction of hegemonies in SEA research in Brazil. In particular, we examine the role of hegemony in relation to the co-option of SEA literature and sustainability in the Brazilian context by the logic of development for economic growth in emerging economies. The methodological approach adopts a post-structural perspective that reflects Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory. The study employs a hermeneutical, rhetorical approach to understand and classify 352 Brazilian research articles on SEA. We employ Brown and Fraser’s (2006) categorizations of SEA literature to help in our analysis: the business case, the stakeholder–accountability approach, and the critical case. We argue that the business case is prominent in Brazilian studies. Second-stage analysis suggests that the major themes under discussion include measurement, consulting, and descriptive approach. We argue that these themes illustrate the degree of influence of the hegemonic politics relevant to emerging economics, as these themes predominantly concern economic growth and a capitalist context. This paper discusses trends and practices in the Brazilian literature on SEA and argues that the focus means that SEA avoids critical debates of the role of capitalist logics in an emerging economy concerning sustainability. We urge the Brazilian academy to understand the implications of its reifying agenda and engage, counter-hegemonically, in a social and political agenda beyond the hegemonic support of a particular set of capitalist interests.
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Vianey Oliveira Costa, Raquel Rodrigues Rocha and Maria Jose Madeira
The purpose of this paper is to understand the innovative scenario in Portugal, assess the patterns of goods and service change in the past decade and evaluate several essential…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand the innovative scenario in Portugal, assess the patterns of goods and service change in the past decade and evaluate several essential characteristics from innovation and its relevant aspects.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is a case study with secondary data obtained from the Community Innovation Survey (CIS) in which it is applied to the constant comparative method of data analysis proposed by Spiggle (1994).
Findings
The innovation of products and services in Portugal increased over the entire period analyzed although not linear, the financing programs contributed to the recovery and growth of innovation and small companies presented the most significant increase in product innovation.
Research limitations/implications
This investigation has limitations related to the data collected because the secondary data analyzed generalize the indicators and make it impossible to comprehend each aspect analyzed in this study in detail. This study also pointed out that Portuguese small- and medium-sized enterprises are more easily able to innovate in times of difficulty when compared to large companies. However, it is necessary to understand this phenomenon and present elements that can support or refute this discovery.
Practical implications
This paper offers a broad view of product and service innovation in Portugal for companies, entrepreneurs, universities and researchers, in addition to facilitating the creation and structuring of policies, research and financing that can develop innovation processes.
Social implications
By presenting a macro view of product and service innovation, this paper may facilitate the creation of incentives for innovation in Portugal and, consequently, to improve economic and development indicators.
Originality/value
This paper is unique in showing the patterns of innovation in the product and service in Portugal over almost a decade and in demonstrating important indicators that can be used in future research.
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Claudia Lizette Garay-Rondero, Jose Luis Martinez-Flores, Neale R. Smith, Santiago Omar Caballero Morales and Alejandra Aldrette-Malacara
The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual model that defines the essential components shaping the new Digital Supply Chains (DSCs) through the implementation and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual model that defines the essential components shaping the new Digital Supply Chains (DSCs) through the implementation and acceleration of Industry 4.0.
Design/methodology/approach
The scope of the present work exposes a conceptual approach and review of the key literature from 1989 to 2019, concerning the evolution and transformation of the actors and constructs in logistics and Supply Chain Management (SCM) by means of examining different conceptual models and a state-of-the-art review of Industry 4.0’s concepts and elements, with a focus on digitization in supply chain (SC) processes. A detailed study of the constructs and components of SCM, as defined by their authors, resulted in the development of a referential and systematic model that fuses the inherent concepts and roles of SCM, with the new technological trends directed toward digitization, automation, and the increasing use of information and communication technologies across logistics global value chains.
Findings
Having achieved an exploration of the different conceptual frameworks, there is no compelling evidence of the existence of a conceptual SCM that incorporates the basic theoretical constructs and the new roles and elements of Industry 4.0. Therefore, the main components of Industry 4.0 and their impact on DSC Management are described, driving the proposal for a new conceptual model which addresses and accelerates a vision of the future of the interconnectivity between different DSCs, grouped in clusters in order to add value, through new forms of cooperation and digital integration.
Originality/value
This research explores the gap in the current SCM models leading into Industry 4.0. The proposed model provides a novel and comprehensive overview of the new concepts and components driving the nascent and current DSCs. This conceptual framework will further aid researchers in the exploration of knowledge regarding the variables and components presented, as well as the verification of the newly revealed roles and constructs to understand the new forms of cooperation and implementation of Industry 4.0 in digitalized SCs.
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Ana Camila Ferreira Mamede, José Roberto Camacho, Rui Esteves Araújo and Igor Santos Peretta
The purpose of this paper is to present the Moore-Penrose pseudoinverse (PI) modeling and compare with artificial neural network (ANN) modeling for switched reluctance machine…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the Moore-Penrose pseudoinverse (PI) modeling and compare with artificial neural network (ANN) modeling for switched reluctance machine (SRM) performance.
Design/methodology/approach
In a design of an SRM, there are a number of parameters that are chosen empirically inside a certain interval, therefore, to find an optimal geometry it is necessary to define a good model for SRM. The proposed modeling uses the Moore-Penrose PI for the resolution of linear systems and finite element simulation data. To attest to the quality of PI modeling, a model using ANN is established and the two models are compared with the values determined by simulations of finite elements.
Findings
The proposed PI model showed better accuracy, generalization capacity and lower computational cost than the ANN model.
Originality/value
The proposed approach can be applied to any problem as long as experimental/computational results can be obtained and will deliver the best approximation model to the available data set.
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Anderson Barbosa Lacerda, Augusto Sérgio da Silva Souza, Glycia Keylla Lucia Da Silva, Eduardo H. Malheiros De Azevedo and Fagner José Coutinho De Melo
The present research aims to evaluate the quality of services provided by the Basic Health Units (UBS) of the Unified Health System (SUS) located in the city of Recife, in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The present research aims to evaluate the quality of services provided by the Basic Health Units (UBS) of the Unified Health System (SUS) located in the city of Recife, in the state of Pernambuco, Brazil, using the Kano model integrated with the dimensions of quality proposed by the service quality (SERVQUAL) model.
Design/methodology/approach
The research was classified as bibliographic, descriptive, quantitative and surveyable. A structured questionnaire based on the Kano Model integrated with the dimensions of quality proposed by the SERVQUAL model, applied online through Google Forms. The questionnaires were distributed on social networks, obtaining a non-probabilistic sample of 120 individuals, collected for convenience.
Findings
Through the analysis of the Kano Model, it was possible to observe that all the investigated attributes are classified as one-dimensional. Among the attributes that deserve to be highlighted are attributes “Clean and pleasant environment”, “Reliability and security of information”, “Knowledge of employees to perform services”, “Service performed in the promised time”, “Polite and kind staff in dealing with users” and “Effectiveness of the service provided” due to having the longest intervals when considering the satisfaction and dissatisfaction coefficients, above 1.575. These attributes must be considered as critical priorities when implementing improvements, since their presence considerably increases users' satisfaction, as well as their absence generates great dissatisfaction.
Originality/value
The research is original and justified by the potential use of a quality assessment tool in the public health service, especially primary care. It is noteworthy that there are few works that integrate the Kano and SERVQUAL models applied in the public health service and that this integration can contribute to the national and international literature, mainly in the identification and prioritization of areas for improvement.
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Sergio Morales and Oswaldo Morales
The contribution of the present case lies in the critical view that every business actor should exercise – be it general manager, middle management, supervisor or executive – when…
Abstract
Learning outcomes
The contribution of the present case lies in the critical view that every business actor should exercise – be it general manager, middle management, supervisor or executive – when building a strong organizational culture in corrupt political environments.
Case overview/synopsis
The purpose of this case study is to explore the dilemma in which Marcelo Odebrecht, once CEO of Odebrecht, found/determined whether to continue with the business model established by the founders of Odebrecht or take a new path for the organization. After exploring the corrupt acts of Odebrecht and the scope of Operation Lava Jato, the reader can reflect on the importance of organizational culture (according to the three levels proposed by Schein) in the face of the emergence of corruption. By generating discussions about organizational culture, business ethics, political culture and corruption, the organizational culture of Odebrecht is problematized in relation to its real behavior.
Complexity academic level
Students of administration, business and international business undergraduates and graduates, as well as members of senior management in companies in the infrastructure sector. Also, given the plurality of possible readings, it is recommended that the case also be used in courses or specializations in organizational psychology, organizational sociology or organizational anthropology.
Supplementary materials
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Subject code
CSS 5: International Business.
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Gilberto Santos, Sergio Gomes, Vitor Braga, Alexandra Braga, Vanda Lima, Paulo Teixeira and José Carlos Sá
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the best way to create value in Portugal through quality and innovation and also to check what needs to be improved.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the best way to create value in Portugal through quality and innovation and also to check what needs to be improved.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was applied to population of 152 companies, with the research and development (R&D) management certified by Portuguese Standard NP 4457. The final sample was 66 companies, which correspond to 45 percent of the population. Statistical analysis of the data collected was performed using IBM SPSS Statistical Software.
Findings
The authors highlighted the main reasons/motivations that led companies to implement the NP 4457, which were, among others, competitive advantage and creating value. The systematization of information and the generation and management of ideas were highlighted as the main advantages. The lack of methodologies for innovation management and knowledge management was the difficulty experienced in the implementation of NP 4457. Portugal needs to increase patent registration and it also needs to know how to take advantage of the investment made in R&D, in order to decrease the unit cost of knowledge. Portuguese engineering should be more about product design than production processes. The involvement of top management must be greater.
Originality/value
This investigation contributes to the innovation and quality body of knowledge, since it explores the complementarity between the two concepts as sources of value creation. This case study is one of the first Portuguese empirical research works about value creation through quality and innovation in Portugal. It also allows to know in detail the Portuguese business reality in terms of innovation management.
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