The results from a direct numerical simulation (DNS) of turbulent, incompressible flow through a square duct, with an imposed temperature difference between the horizontal walls…
Abstract
The results from a direct numerical simulation (DNS) of turbulent, incompressible flow through a square duct, with an imposed temperature difference between the horizontal walls, are presented. The vertical walls are assumed perfectly insulated, and the Reynolds number, based on the bulk velocity and the hydraulic diameter, is about 4400. Our results indicate that secondary motions do not affect dramatically global parameters, like the friction factor and the Nusselt number, with respect to the plane‐channel flow, but the distributions of the local shear stress and heat flux at the walls are highly non‐uniform, due to the presence of these secondary motions. It is also shown that an eddy‐diffusivity approach is capable to reproduce well the turbulent heat flux. All simulations were performed by an efficient finite volume algorithm. A description of the numerical algorithm, together with an analysis of time‐accuracy, is included. The OpenMP parallel programming language was exploited to obtain a moderately‐scalable application.
Details
Keywords
Nikola Suzic, Petar Vrgović, Cipriano Forza and Mikela Chatzimichailidou
This study aims to propose a framework for the development of implementation guidelines (IGs) that can help consultants mitigate not-invented-here (NIH) syndrome during a…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to propose a framework for the development of implementation guidelines (IGs) that can help consultants mitigate not-invented-here (NIH) syndrome during a consultant intervention as a specific type of knowledge transfer.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors adopted a design science research approach for proposing an NIH-mitigating IG development framework. Inspired by findings and rich primary data from two consultant interventions, the authors, through theory building, ground five core principles in the general theory of NIH attitude functions. Finally, the authors revisit two consultant interventions to identify and describe mechanisms that led to the enactment of the principles.
Findings
The proposed framework provides five principles for developing NIH-mitigating IGs. The present research proposes that successful knowledge transfer and the mitigation of NIH syndrome as a prerequisite for this success are conditioned by adequately developed IGs.
Originality/value
The originality and value of the present research lie in the proposed NIH-mitigating IG development framework containing a set of principles for IG development as a proactive rather than reactive approach to NIH mitigation. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research to address the problematics of mitigating NIH syndrome in consultant knowledge transfer by focusing on developing appropriate IGs. By developing and implementing IGs based on the proposed framework, a more successful transfer of knowledge from consultants to clients should take place, thus, increasing the value that clients receive from consultancy.
Details
Keywords
Maria Antikainen, Marko Mäkipää and Mikko Ahonen
The purpose of this paper is to explore collaboration in open innovation (OI) communities. The paper focuses on the following two research problems: how can users be motivated to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore collaboration in open innovation (OI) communities. The paper focuses on the following two research problems: how can users be motivated to collaborate in OI communities and what kind of tools and methods can support collaboration in OI communities?
Design/methodology/approach
The exploratory case study includes three innovation intermediaries originated in three different countries: France, The Netherlands and Finland. The primary data source consists of the open‐ended questions posted to the maintainers and users by e‐mail. The data include five responses from the maintainers and 12 responses from the users. The secondary source is the internet document review. The classification of the factors in the preliminary framework is derived from reading and rereading the answers of the respondents until the themes started emerging from the data. Thereafter, the data are coded according to the chosen themes.
Findings
Results suggest that monetary rewards are not always the best way to motivate contributing users. Instead, contributors appreciate many intangible factors, such as community cooperation, learning new ideas and having entertainment. Contributors also appreciate good support and the right cooperation tools from their service provider.
Research limitations/implications
The data are based on three cases and a limited amount of participants. Therefore, it may be that in gathering empirical data from a larger group of cases, some new factors will be found.
Practical implications
Companies should provide community members with tools that are easy to use, allowing people to express themselves and share their personal details. It seems to be important that maintainers are involved as visible members of a community, which includes telling about themselves in a more detailed way.
Originality/value
This paper is one of the first papers focusing on the collaboration perspective of OI communities.
Details
Keywords
Anders Haug, Klaes Ladeby and Kasper Edwards
Most mass customization literature focuses on the move from mass production to mass customization. However, in some literature engineer‐to‐order (ETO) companies are also claiming…
Abstract
Purpose
Most mass customization literature focuses on the move from mass production to mass customization. However, in some literature engineer‐to‐order (ETO) companies are also claiming to have become mass customizers, although it can be questioned if these companies conform to popular definitions of mass customizers. The purpose of this paper is to ask the question: under which conditions is it reasonable to label ETO companies as mass customizers?
Design/methodology/approach
First, definitions of mass customization are examined and related to ETO companies that move towards mass customization. Second, the individual transitions from mass production and ETO to mass customization are analyzed by: relating the transition to classifications from relevant literature; describing the motivations and risks associated with the transition; and defining some of the most important transition characteristics. Finally it is discussed if ETO companies can become mass customizers and under which conditions it would be reasonable to describe them as such.
Findings
The paper argues that from several angles it makes sense to label some ETO companies as mass customizers although the products are not at prices near mass produced ones.
Research limitations/implications
To avoid dilution of the concept of mass customization, while not excluding ETO companies, it is suggested to start out with a broad definition of mass customization under which separate definitions of different kinds of mass customizers are created.
Originality/value
Although much has been written about mass customization, and ETO companies in much literature have been labeled as mass customizers, the essential discussion of under which conditions it is reasonable to label ETO companies as mass customizers has been missing.
Details
Keywords
The purpose of this study is to investigate consumers’ intention to use mass customization by incorporating preference fit and their ability to express preferences into the theory…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate consumers’ intention to use mass customization by incorporating preference fit and their ability to express preferences into the theory of planned behaviour and to examine how consumers perceive behavioural control over the process of online mass customization (OMC). Preference fit, which refers to fit between consumer preference and product attributes, and ability to express preferences were integrated into theory of planned behaviour as two belief variables related to OMC.
Design/methodology/approach
In total, 346 potential respondents were invited via e-mail to participate in the present study acquired from an independent marketing company. We conducted a self-administrated online survey using a video clip with voice instructions to demonstrate the OMC process as a stimulus.
Findings
The results suggest that consumers’ attitudes and perceived behavioural control predicted their OMC use intentions. Preference fit positively affected consumers’ attitudes towards OMC as a behavioural belief, and the ability to express preferences positively influenced preference fit but did not predict perceived behavioural control as a control belief. Clothing involvement was a positive predictor of preference fit and the ability to express preferences.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the OMC literature by suggesting a theoretical framework by extending the theory of planned behaviour and identifying consumers’ belief variables as antecedents of attitudes and perceived behavioural control in the OMC context. In addition, the study examines the role of clothing involvement in facilitating consumers’ OMC beliefs, suggesting the crucial role of clothing involvement as one of individual factors extending theory of planned behaviour framework, in the OMC process.
Details
Keywords
Jessica L. Pallant, Sean Sands and Ingo Oswald Karpen
Increasingly, customers are demanding products that fit their individual needs. Many firms respond by cultivating product individualization via mass customization, often…
Abstract
Purpose
Increasingly, customers are demanding products that fit their individual needs. Many firms respond by cultivating product individualization via mass customization, often integrating this capability via interactive platforms that connect them with customers. Despite such customization, research to date has lacked cohesion, often taking the organizational, rather than customer, view. The purpose of this paper is to provide inconclusive theorizing in regard to customization from the consumers’ perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
The review and synthesis of the literature revealed that co-configuration is an underexplored domain of mass customization. Consequently, an initial conceptualization of co-configuration is developed and compared with current customization strategies. Specifically, the definition and boundary conditions of co-configuration are compared with three domains of mass customization, namely, co-production, co-construction and co-design. This led to the development of research priority areas to establish an agenda for future research on mass customization and its role in customer’ firm relationships.
Findings
This paper provides the delineation of four distinct consumer customization strategies, conceptualized in a matrix, and proposes separate customer journey visualizations. In advancing the theoretical understanding by means of a unifying typology, this paper identifies three existing Cs of mass customization (co-production, co-construction and co-design) and focuses specifically on a fourth (co-configuration), identified as an understudied mass customization strategy.
Originality/value
This paper extends the previous conceptualizations of mass customization comprising co-production, co-design and co-construction. The proposed typology establishes a foundation for four research priority areas that can improve both academic rigor and practical application.
Details
Keywords
Ursula Scholl-Grissemann and Benedikt Schnurr
The purpose of this study is to investigate how hedonic and utilitarian choice options of online travel agencies (OTAs) affect consumers’ process enjoyment and booking intentions.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate how hedonic and utilitarian choice options of online travel agencies (OTAs) affect consumers’ process enjoyment and booking intentions.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors apply a one-factorial experimental design. The stimuli consisted of screenshots of the fictitious OTA “www.my-holiday.com”. Participants were told to imagine they were planning a city trip to San Francisco and that, during an internet search, they came across a new OTA called “www.my-holiday.com”.
Findings
The authors find that both booking intentions and process enjoyment are higher for hedonic OTAs, i.e. OTAs which offer more hedonic choice options such as entertainment and spa. The authors conclude that these toolkits strongly relate to pleasurable experiences and positive emotions. Therefore, these options drive positive affective reactions in terms of process enjoyment, which subsequently affect booking intentions. Additionally, the authors find that preference insight positively affects consumers’ booking intention as the number of choices provided by the OTA increases.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to tourism research on online travel shopping behavior. The authors apply knowledge from research on online customization tools to an OTA context and show that hedonic and functional choice options of OTAs significantly reflect on consumer behavior.
Details
Keywords
Enrico Sandrin, Alessio Trentin, Chiara Grosso and Cipriano Forza
The purpose of this paper is to focus on online sales configurators (SCs), also known as mass-customization toolkits, which enable consumers to self-customize their product…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to focus on online sales configurators (SCs), also known as mass-customization toolkits, which enable consumers to self-customize their product solutions online. The paper aims to provide new insights into which characteristics of an online SC increase the consumer-perceived benefits of possessing a mass-customized product.
Design/methodology/approach
Previous studies on mass customization (MC), sales configuration, and learning psychology are used to develop the research hypotheses, which are tested by analyzing data from 675 configuration experiences from a convenience sample of potential consumers using 31 real online SCs for laptops/notebooks, economy cars, and sport shoes/sneakers.
Findings
The paper finds support for the hypotheses that SCs with higher flexible-navigation, focused-navigation, and easy-comparison capabilities enhance not only the traditionally considered utilitarian benefit (UT), but also the consumer-perceived uniqueness benefit (UN) and self-expressiveness (SE) benefit (SE). Furthermore, consistent with the study’s hypotheses, SCs with higher benefit-cost communication and user-friendly product-space description capabilities are found to improve UT. The hypotheses that these two capabilities enhance UN and SE, however, are not supported. Post-hoc analyses suggest that the examined SCs are generally UT-centered and need improvement of their ability to communicate the UN and the SE a consumer could derive from the purchase of his/her configured product.
Originality/value
While prior research has primarily been concerned with conceptually arguing and empirically showing that uniqueness and self-expressiveness are two additional sources of consumer value in business-to-consumer MC, this is the first empirical study that offers insights into which characteristics online SCs should have in order to draw from these two value sources.
Details
Keywords
Jihyeong Son, Amrut Sadachar, Srikant Manchiraju, Ann Marie Fiore and Linda S. Niehm
“Collaborative customer co‐design websites” (CCCWs), reflect a combination of co‐design and social networking. While this technology is presently emerging, little research has…
Abstract
Purpose
“Collaborative customer co‐design websites” (CCCWs), reflect a combination of co‐design and social networking. While this technology is presently emerging, little research has explored consumer perception of the underlying benefits and impediments of CCCW features. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the perceived benefits and impediments offered by a CCCW and its influence on consumer acceptance of this technology.
Design/methodology/approach
The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) with additional variables (perceived playfulness, perceived social risk, and mass confusion) was employed to examine the effects of CCCW features on consumers' beliefs about the CCCW and their consequent intention to use a CCCW. An online, scenario‐based survey was used to collect responses from college students (n=223). Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.
Findings
Results of structural model testing indicated that perceived playfulness had the largest influence on intentions to use the CCCW. Additionally, perceived social risk associated with the CCCW negatively influenced consumers' intention to use the website. Contrary to expectations, mass confusion positively influenced consumers' intentions to use the CCCW.
Originality/value
Successful online co‐design retailers have begun to utilize social networking features for customer collaboration. Yet, there is scant research that explores the features leading to consumer acceptance of this technology during the collaborative customer co‐design process. Focusing on this problem, the present paper empirically tested perceived benefits and impediments regarding acceptance of a CCCW. The findings suggest that online retailers who adopt a CCCW as a business strategy may relay the value added benefits to consumers by: promoting how this technology relieves customers' perceived social risk; and underscoring the fun and enjoyment aspects of CCCWs to encourage website use and patronage.
Details
Keywords
Thawatchai Jitpaiboon, Ramesh Dangols and James Walters
This paper aims to examine the interrelationships among cooperative relationships (CRs), mass customization (MC), and organizational performance using structural equation modeling…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the interrelationships among cooperative relationships (CRs), mass customization (MC), and organizational performance using structural equation modeling (SEM) methodology.
Design/methodology/approach
The research framework investigates the mediating roles of MC in enhancing organizational performance. The CRs are the drivers in the model. CRs can be measured using two sub‐constructs – customer integration (CI) and supplier integration (SI). The surveyed data are collected from 220 manufacturing firms. The SEM methodology is used to develop valid and reliable instruments to measure these constructs and test the hypothesized relationships described in the framework.
Findings
The results reveal that firms with high levels of CI were more successful at MC compared to those with low levels of integration. Firms that involve customers in the creation of goods and services might have the ability to understand and respond to customer needs quickly, thereby enabling them to reduce the inherent risks of innovation. As a result, they are more likely to include only those product functions that add value to end‐users, thereby enabling them to reduce product costs.
Research limitations/implications
This study does not find a direct link between SI and MC. SI may be moderated by buyers and suppliers core competences and type of business in which they compete. Therefore, a future study examining a moderating relationship between the two might be fruitful. Researchers may be required to include not only the type of business of sample firms, but also the position they occupy in the supply chain.
Practical implications
The firms with higher level of CI would have an ability to understand customer preferences, thereby, enabling them to process customized products at low cost (MC).
Originality/value
The paper measures and validates the measurement for CRs which can be applied to research in supply chain management area.