Mads Mortensen and Jan Arlbjørn
This paper aims to investigate the concept of inter‐organisational supplier development programs and to stress the importance of considering suppliers' interest and motivation…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the concept of inter‐organisational supplier development programs and to stress the importance of considering suppliers' interest and motivation when implementing development initiatives.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper's theoretical framework is based on an in‐depth literature review that analyses how extant supplier development literature considers an inter‐organisational approach. A single case study of eight inter‐organisational relationships is also included.
Findings
The literature review reveals a lack of focus on inter‐organisational approaches to supplier development, even though the literature mentions it as a missing theme. Customer attractiveness is presented as one approach that takes supplier view and motivation into consideration. This idea is supported by the case study, which indicates that supplier performance is influenced by perceived customer attractiveness.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is based on only a single case study and does not provide the basis for statistical generalisation. A theory on customer attractiveness is under development, and the analysis presented here is based on the theoretical findings.
Practical implications
Because suppliers can have their own strategic agendas, such as prioritising developments with the most attractive customers, buyers should consider suppliers' perspectives and motivations when analysing and implementing supplier development programs.
Originality/value
This paper is among the first to focus on the importance of viewing both parties' interest in a buyer‐supplier relationship when implementing supplier development initiatives. The concept of customer attractiveness as an inter‐organisational approach represents a valuable addition to supplier development literature.
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Mads Hovmøller Mortensen, Per Vagn Freytag and Jan Stentoft Arlbjørn
Companies engage in several business relationships ranging from arm's length to close relationships based on trust and commitment. Several companies have recognized that their…
Abstract
Purpose
Companies engage in several business relationships ranging from arm's length to close relationships based on trust and commitment. Several companies have recognized that their supply chain capabilities give them a competitive edge for delivering what customers want. However, often customers are not a homogeneous group requiring the same physical products and services. From a manufacturer's perspective, this demands that the issue of customer and supplier attractiveness should be considered. How can a company work with a differentiated approach: to be more attractive to selected customers or to suppliers? The purpose of this paper is to address this issue by proposing a process and maturity model for customer attractiveness in supply chains.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on two in‐depth explorative case studies of Danish business‐to‐business manufacturers. The cases report both seller and buyer perspectives on attractiveness.
Findings
The literature review on attractiveness reveals that the explanation of attractiveness has been described differently by a range of authors who are divided into three levels. This challenge calls for the development of a maturity model. Based on the developed maturity model, different sets of managerial implications are deducted. It is found that the parameters used at different attractiveness stages have to differ both in scope and in actual usage.
Research limitations/implications
The research is explorative in nature and rests on two case studies. This does not provide a basis for statistical generalization. Future research should test the maturity model, through both more case studies and more questionnaire surveys.
Practical implications
The maturity model helps companies manage their resources more efficiently. It provides a structured framework showing where to start and a foundation for an assessment of companies' current customer and supplier attractiveness.
Originality/value
The paper is the first to develop a maturity model for customer and supplier attractiveness from a supply chain management perspective.
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David S. Waller and Helen J. Waller
In recent years, there has been a “heritagisation” of pop culture, including music, whereby cultural institutions, such as galleries and museums in primarily Western countries…
Abstract
Purpose
In recent years, there has been a “heritagisation” of pop culture, including music, whereby cultural institutions, such as galleries and museums in primarily Western countries, have run exhibitions based on pop culture to successfully market to a new audience of visitors. The purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the issue of the “heritagisation” of pop culture by museums and observe visitor response to a specific music-related exhibition, linking intangible and tangible elements of the exhibition to provide a framework to understand the visitor experience.
Design/methodology/approach
The purpose will be achieved by observing the “heritagisation” of pop culture in the literature and past exhibitions, proposing how cultural institutions have linked the intangible and tangible elements of music in pop culture for an exhibition and observe visitors' feedback from online comments posted on Tripadvisor undertaken during the original “David Bowie is” exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), London.
Findings
From the Leximancer analysis, a new conceptual framework for visitor experience at an exhibition was developed, which contains three visitor-related categories: pre-exhibition, exhibition space and exhibition experience, with five themes (tickets, exhibition, displayed objects, David Bowie and visitors) and 41 text concepts.
Practical implications
For cultural institutions the implications are that there can be opportunities to curate exhibitions on pop culture or music-related themes, which can include intangible and tangible elements, such as songs, videos, tickets, costumes, musical instruments and posters. These exhibitions can also explore the changing socio/political/historical/cultural background that contextualises pop cultural history.
Originality/value
This theory-building study advances the body of knowledge as it links music in pop culture and cultural institutions, specifically in this case a highly successful music-related exhibition at a museum, and provides a theoretical model based on tangibility elements. Further, it analyses museum visitor comments by using the qualitative software program, Leximancer, to develop a new conceptual framework for visitor experience.
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Seeks to exemplify and discuss how students’ use of weblogs can prepare them for a networked world where writing has consequences outside grades.
Abstract
Purpose
Seeks to exemplify and discuss how students’ use of weblogs can prepare them for a networked world where writing has consequences outside grades.
Design/methodology/approach
Experiences using weblogs with university students are critically discussed with reference to related theoretical and practice‐based work.
Findings
While many students were wary at first, the experience of writing in public provided an important learning opportunity, and many of the most skeptical became enthusiastic and proficient webloggers during the course of the semester.
Research limitations/implications
The empirical data are from a single course and therefore limited.
Practical implications
Students should practice writing in public and on the network, yet ethical issues must be considered.
Originality/value
An increasing number of teachers and professors are using weblogs with students. In addition to a critical discussion of the ethics and pedagogical value of weblogging, this paper gives educators specific advice on how to encourage students to use their weblogs actively and productively.
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The purpose of this paper is to study the behavioral and lifestyle influences on reported calorie intake. Marketing segmentation techniques applied to self-reported food…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the behavioral and lifestyle influences on reported calorie intake. Marketing segmentation techniques applied to self-reported food consumption can offer benefits to both health policy and marketing research.
Design/methodology/approach
The two-stage modeling process in this research determines important behavioral, lifestyle and sociodemographic influences on reported calorie intake. Significant predictors are then included in latent class models, which are used to derive and describe five consumer segments.
Findings
These segments differ with respect to their food-related activities, such as dieting, grocery shopping and preparing food at home. The segments also differ with respect to lifestyle characteristics, such as household size, employment status and income. Data obtained from a multi-period probability sample help generalize the results to the US population.
Originality/value
The models developed in this paper can inform health policymakers by explaining reported calorie intake patterns more thoroughly than demographics alone, aiding their ability to create more targeted interventions. This approach also allows food marketers to clarify consumer insights that can be used for targeting particular food shopper segments.
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Mads Bejlegaard, Ioan-Matei Sarivan and Brian Vejrum Waehrens
This paper aims to investigate the impact of the strategic transformation of engineering to order company (ETO) at the level of the internal value-adding chain of operations on…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the impact of the strategic transformation of engineering to order company (ETO) at the level of the internal value-adding chain of operations on its position as a sub-supplier. The transformation is motivated and enabled by end-to-end business intelligence related to processes revolving around the product’s design, configuration and engineering. The investigation builds on case-based research following the company’s decision of converting its product portfolio to only one family of products, thus increasing process efficiency whilst at the same time enlarging its market reach by offering individualized and innovative products. By digitally integrating operations related to sales, product development and production preparation, the traditional trade-off between cost-effective solutions with high product variety and low lead-time is significantly reduced.
Design/methodology/approach
A design science research project has been conducted to create knowledge on the effects of integration across the value-adding chain of operations. Several design cycles illustrate how development based on business intelligence and available technological enablers for inter-operation integration influence the traditional approach towards supply chain pipeline selection strategies.
Findings
Relating to digital transformation, the consequences and means of adopting digital business intelligence for integrating several administrative and engineering operations in small-medium enterprises (SME) are studied. The product delivery performance of the SME is improved, thus, having ETO lead-time comparable to manufacturing to order company. The findings show how the adoption of state-of-the-art technological solutions for cross-operation digital integration challenges traditional supply chain, coordination models.
Research limitations/implications
The conclusions are drawn based on a single case. The limitations associated with case-based research call for further work to support generalization. Furthermore, the long-term influence of the effects of increased interoperability on supply chain coordination strategies requires further investigation.
Practical implications
As technological solutions evolve, new opportunities for supply chain management arise, which put into question the traditional understanding that complex supply chain pipeline characteristics should be handled by complexity reducing initiatives, which opens up new competitive opportunities for companies in high-cost countries.
Social implications
Enabling the use of human resources towards expanding the business (rather than running it only) are aligned with the current economic and political situation in high-cost countries like Denmark and potentially releases skilled employees from repetitive and low value-adding work and reengages them in business development.
Originality/value
By embracing flexibility and volatility as an opportunity, this publication exemplifies how to move beyond hedging the supply chain volatility, but systematically enable the supply chain to deal with complexity efficiently.
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A. Shams Nateri, E. Dehnavi, A. Hajipour and E. Ekrami
The aim of the paper was to study the effects of mordanting methods on the absorption behaviour of cochineal natural dye on polyamide fibres.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the paper was to study the effects of mordanting methods on the absorption behaviour of cochineal natural dye on polyamide fibres.
Design/methodology/approach
Iron sulphate and aluminium potassium sulphate salts were used as mordanting agents, and bottom mordanting, meta-mordanting and after mordanting methods were applied in the dyeing of polyamide samples with the cochineal natural dye. Colourimetric evaluations were carried out, and the principal component analysis was used to investigate the spectrophotometric properties of the dyed samples. Fastness properties of the dyed samples were also assessed.
Findings
The obtained results indicate that the method of mordanting has a great effect on the obtained shades, absorption behaviour and fastness properties. Based on the results, it was concluded that polyamide fabrics could be successfully dyed with cochineal and combination of dyeing with different mordanting methods, and different mordanting agents would develop the range of obtainable shades.
Originality/value
The textile and apparel industries have been widely criticised for their role in polluting the environment. So, the use of synthetic dyes has been limited and the use of natural dyes has increased. The literature survey indicates that there have been relatively few works investigating the dyeing of polyamide with cochineal natural dye. This research studies the effects of mordanting methods and mordant types on colourimetric and fastness properties of cochineal-dyed polyamide samples.