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Article
Publication date: 1 September 2002

M. Piller and E. Nobile

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…

1179

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

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 12 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 29 October 2024

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…

161

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.

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Article
Publication date: 26 January 2010

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…

11518

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

European Journal of Innovation Management, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1460-1060

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Article
Publication date: 19 June 2009

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…

3292

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

Management Research News, vol. 32 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0140-9174

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Article
Publication date: 3 June 2014

Heekang Moon and Hyun-Hwa Lee

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…

2152

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

Journal of Research in Interactive Marketing, vol. 8 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-7122

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Article
Publication date: 27 March 2020

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…

4611

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.

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Article
Publication date: 3 October 2016

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.

2148

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

International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, vol. 10 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6182

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Article
Publication date: 10 July 2017

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…

1780

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

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 117 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

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Article
Publication date: 17 August 2012

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…

1865

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.

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Article
Publication date: 7 August 2009

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…

1302

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.

Details

Management Research News, vol. 32 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0140-9174

Keywords

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