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Article
Publication date: 4 December 2017

Georgios Giannoukos, Mart Min and Toomas Rang

This paper aims to give a brief overview of dielectric properties, relative complex permittivity and its dependence on frequency. The significance of different approaches to…

1272

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to give a brief overview of dielectric properties, relative complex permittivity and its dependence on frequency. The significance of different approaches to complex permittivity is also discussed.

Design/methodology/approach

The different mechanisms of polarization are then presented. Dielectric measurements are given, and an RC parallel-equivalent circuit is used to simulate a parallel plate capacitor, and the way in which the impedance of the circuits is affected by frequency is illustrated in their respective diagrams. The way in which dielectric properties change with time is also discussed.

Findings

The goal of this paper is to give an overview of the characteristics of the dielectrics and how frequency affects the relative complex permittivity and to present different approaches to and equations for the relative complex permittivity, such as that of Debye, Cole–Cole, Cole–Davidson and Havriliak–Negami. In addition, three mechanisms of polarization, namely, electronic, atomic and bipolar, are presented. The most common dielectric characterization device, a capacitor with parallel plates between which the dielectric material under study is located, is also discussed. Ohmic and dielectric losses of a non-ideal capacitor are accounted for. Furthermore, this paper studies the equivalent circuits of a non-ideal parallel plate capacitor, those being a resistor and an ideal capacitor connected either in series or in parallel.

Originality/value

Finally, dielectric responses to both time and to stepwise excitation are given.

Details

World Journal of Engineering, vol. 14 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1708-5284

Keywords

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Case study
Publication date: 6 February 2018

Fatima Hamdulay and Himanshu Vidhani

Lean thinking and organizational culture

Abstract

Subject area

Lean thinking and organizational culture

Study level/applicability

MBA, Executive Education, Post Graduate Diploma

Case overview

The case details the adoption of lean thinking at K-Way, a contemporary technical textile manufacturer of outdoor apparel and accessories. The case covers the 12-year journey at K-Way, detailing the process and cultural improvements the company underwent. The case closes as Bobby, the General Manager at K-Way, thinks about his new challenges. The CEO of K-Way’s parent company, Cape Union Mart, wants Bobby to start devolving the lean thinking approach to other units within Cape Union Mart, in particular a newly acquired and under-performing children’s clothing business. Bobby is excited at the prospect, but simultaneously anxious about the work that still needs to happen at K-Way and more importantly, whether the organization is ready for his, and his key consultant-coach’s withdrawal as the primary “voices” of lean thinking. Would there be a reversal of progress in their absence and how can they counter this?

Expected learning outcomes

Understanding lean thinking as a management system and not a mere set of tools for waste reduction, while recognizing the importance of waste reduction. An understanding of how to entrench lean thinking in an organization after initial adoption with specific emphasis on the following: Kata and scientific thinking – what it is and how it can be employed; Hoshin Kanri/Strategy Deployment – what it is and how it can be used; Leader Standard Work, what it is and how it can be used. Consider responses for a company that has been on a lean journey for 10 years, with a focus on how (or if) lean leaders can withdraw from the operation.

Supplementary materials

Teaching Notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Subject code

CSS: 9: Operations and logistics

Details

Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, vol. 8 no. 1
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 2045-0621

Keywords

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Case study
Publication date: 12 August 2021

Aldi Schoeman, Geoff Bick and Claire Barnardo

The learning outcomes of this paper are as follows: to define the scope of digital customer experience, why it is important and how it can be used to create a competitive…

Abstract

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes of this paper are as follows: to define the scope of digital customer experience, why it is important and how it can be used to create a competitive advantage, to evaluate the various challenges for traditional retail businesses that undertake a digital transformation strategy, to critically assess a chosen digital transformation strategy, to identify the key features of a successful digital transformation strategy and to develop a crisis communication strategy.

Case overview/synopsis

The Cape Union Mart Group is a typical apparel retail company faced with the challenge of improving the digital customer experience and accelerating digital transformation in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to the pandemic, the demand for e-commerce increased dramatically. However, strict lockdown regulations forbade the delivery of clothing. When the lockdown was lifted, there was an order backlog of four weeks. To add to this challenge, the Group was in the midst of a technology update. They moved their entire information technology (IT) backbone to three clouds and, just a week before the lockdown, launched five new websites for its five different retail chains. The ultimate goal with the technology update was to give the company a competitive advantage by improving the customer experience. However, having to do this at an accelerated pace due to the pandemic posed a number of challenges. The case provides a vivid description of how the crisis unfolded and how Grant De Waal-Dubla, the executive of e-commerce and IT at the Group and his team responded to the challenges, together with the marketing team. Based on the success of e-commerce during the lockdown, the owners of the business then tasked Grant with new, aggressive growth targets. Whilst dealing with the aftermath of the lockdown, Grant’s main challenge is to develop a strategy to reach those targets.

Complexity academic level

The primary target audience for this case are postgraduate students enrolled on programmes such as Master of Business Administration or specialist masters in a business field such as marketing or strategy and also for Executive Education courses.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 11: Strategy.

Details

Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, vol. 11 no. 3
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 2045-0621

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 6 July 2010

Hokey Min

As the household budget tightens in uncertain economic times, many grocery shoppers are constantly looking for the best deal in town. To attract and retain these savvy shoppers, a…

5246

Abstract

Purpose

As the household budget tightens in uncertain economic times, many grocery shoppers are constantly looking for the best deal in town. To attract and retain these savvy shoppers, a supermarket should understand what they value most and how they comparison‐shop. With this in mind, this paper aims to develop a set of benchmarks that helps supermarkets monitor their service delivery process, identify relative weaknesses, and take corrective actions for continuous service improvements.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and competitive gap analyses to measure the service performances of supermarket franchises in the Southeastern USA. It also uses exploratory factor analyses to identify salient factors influencing the service performances of supermarkets.

Findings

This study found that a service attribute considered most important to the supermarket customers' impression of service quality was product quality. It was followed by cleanliness of the store, competitive price, product variety and fast checkouts. This study discovered a direct correlation between the relative service performance of the supermarket and its “word‐of‐mouth” reputation. Supermarket customers tended to favor large‐scale, national supermarket franchises such as Meijer, Kroger, and Wal‐Mart than small‐scale, regional counterparts such as Pic‐Pac, Aldi, and Save‐A‐Lot in terms of overall service quality.

Research limitations/implications

The sample of the current study was primarily represented by customers in the Southeastern USA. Thus, the sample used in this study may not reflect the opinions of the general public in the USA.

Practical implications

This paper provides practical guidelines as to how supermarkets can cope with increasing competition and changing customer needs by measuring their service performances relative to their leading competitors and improving their service performances continuously.

Originality/value

This paper identifies service attributes that shape the customer perception of supermarket service quality and uncovers the areas of weaknesses in the supermarket franchises' service offerings. In addition, it helps supermarkets formulate the future survival and growth strategies by providing the detailed picture of where they stand in terms of competitiveness. This paper is the first attempt to utilize AHP to develop performance benchmarks for supermarkets in the increasingly competitive grocery industry. The proposed AHP can be easily modified or extended to similar service settings in other regions of the USA and other countries in Europe and Asia.

Details

Journal of Services Marketing, vol. 24 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0887-6045

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 1 September 2005

Cheol Park

In the discount store area, foreign large retailers such as Wal‐mart, Carrefour, and Costco fight hard with domestic retailers in Korea. The Korean customer is a judge in the…

2398

Abstract

In the discount store area, foreign large retailers such as Wal‐mart, Carrefour, and Costco fight hard with domestic retailers in Korea. The Korean customer is a judge in the centre of such a difficult fight. Therefore, foreign retailers who are willing to win the game should pay attention to what Koreans say and respond to the complaint as fast as they can. This study monitored e‐complaints of customers towards Korea Carrefour through analysing contents of the bulletin board in an anti‐Carrefour site. Upon examining e‐complaints by category and retail attributes, there were found to be more complaints in electrical goods and food and groceries by product category, and in employee attitudes and store atmosphere by retail attributes. The implications for successful retail strategies of foreign discount stores in Korea are discussed and further research is suggested.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

Available. Content available
Article
Publication date: 1 March 2006

Deaver Brown and Joseph E. Levangie

Many entrepreneurs are enthralled with their company's technologies, products and potential markets. Invariably these emerging ventures present bedazzling business plans with…

1246

Abstract

Many entrepreneurs are enthralled with their company's technologies, products and potential markets. Invariably these emerging ventures present bedazzling business plans with industry-wise vernacular, detailed market research, and sophisticated financial spreadsheets. They often flaunt their “optimized business models.” Investors, however, typically want to know when and how the sales will start meeting the Plan. “Whereʼs the purchase order?” is the refrain. In this article, our “Practitionerʼs Corner” associate editor Joe Levangie collaborates with a long-time colleague, Deaver Brown, to address how businesses should “make sales happen.” Levangie warns that Brownʼs elitist education (Choate, Harvard College, Harvard Business School) should not be interpreted as a lack of “street smarts”; Brownʼs more entrepreneurially friendly credentials include winning Golden Gloves boxing medals and selling Fuller Brush products door-to-door! To ascertain how the entrepreneur can wrest an order from a prospective customer, read on.

Details

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1550-333X

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Article
Publication date: 1 April 2005

Li‐teh Sun

Man has been seeking an ideal existence for a very long time. In this existence, justice, love, and peace are no longer words, but actual experiences. How ever, with the American…

814

Abstract

Man has been seeking an ideal existence for a very long time. In this existence, justice, love, and peace are no longer words, but actual experiences. How ever, with the American preemptive invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq and the subsequent prisoner abuse, such an existence seems to be farther and farther away from reality. The purpose of this work is to stop this dangerous trend by promoting justice, love, and peace through a change of the paradigm that is inconsistent with justice, love, and peace. The strong paradigm that created the strong nation like the U.S. and the strong man like George W. Bush have been the culprit, rather than the contributor, of the above three universal ideals. Thus, rather than justice, love, and peace, the strong paradigm resulted in in justice, hatred, and violence. In order to remove these three and related evils, what the world needs in the beginning of the third millenium is the weak paradigm. Through the acceptance of the latter paradigm, the golden mean or middle paradigm can be formulated, which is a synergy of the weak and the strong paradigm. In order to understand properly the meaning of these paradigms, however, some digression appears necessary.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 25 no. 4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 16 February 2024

Qing Wang, Xiaoli Zhang, Jiafu Su and Na Zhang

Platform-based enterprises, as micro-entities in the platform economy, have the potential to effectively promote the low-carbon development of both supply and demand sides in the…

247

Abstract

Purpose

Platform-based enterprises, as micro-entities in the platform economy, have the potential to effectively promote the low-carbon development of both supply and demand sides in the supply chain. Therefore, this paper aims to provide a multi-criteria decision-making method in a probabilistic hesitant fuzzy environment to assist platform-type companies in selecting cooperative suppliers for carbon reduction in green supply chains.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper combines the advantages of probabilistic hesitant fuzzy sets (PHFS) to address uncertainty issues and proposes an improved multi-criteria decision-making method called PHFS-DNMEREC-MABAC for aiding platform-based enterprises in selecting carbon emission reduction collaboration suppliers in green supply chains. Within this decision-making method, we enhance the standardization process of both the DNMEREC and MABAC methods by directly standardizing probabilistic hesitant fuzzy elements. Additionally, a probability splitting algorithm is introduced to handle probabilistic hesitant fuzzy elements of varying lengths, mitigating information bias that traditional approaches tend to introduce when adding values based on risk preferences.

Findings

In this paper, we apply the proposed method to a case study involving the selection of carbon emission reduction collaboration suppliers for Tmall Mart and compare it with the latest existing decision-making methods. The results demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method and the effectiveness of the introduced probability splitting algorithm in avoiding information bias.

Originality/value

Firstly, this paper proposes a new multi-criteria decision making method for aiding platform-based enterprises in selecting carbon emission reduction collaboration suppliers in green supply chains. Secondly, in this method, we provided a new standard method to process probability hesitant fuzzy decision making information. Finally, the probability splitting algorithm was introduced to avoid information bias in the process of dealing with inconsistent lengths of probabilistic hesitant fuzzy elements.

Details

Asia Pacific Journal of Marketing and Logistics, vol. 36 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-5855

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 1 June 2005

Li‐teh Sun

Man has been seeking an ideal existence for a very long time. In this existence, justice, love, and peace are no longer words, but actual experiences. How ever, with the American…

828

Abstract

Man has been seeking an ideal existence for a very long time. In this existence, justice, love, and peace are no longer words, but actual experiences. How ever, with the American preemptive invasion and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq and the subsequent prisoner abuse, such an existence seems to be farther and farther away from reality. The purpose of this work is to stop this dangerous trend by promoting justice, love, and peace through a change of the paradigm that is inconsistent with justice, love, and peace. The strong paradigm that created the strong nation like the U.S. and the strong man like George W. Bush have been the culprit, rather than the contributor, of the above three universal ideals. Thus, rather than justice, love, and peace, the strong paradigm resulted in in justice, hatred, and violence. In order to remove these three and related evils, what the world needs in the beginning of the third millenium is the weak paradigm. Through the acceptance of the latter paradigm, the golden mean or middle paradigm can be formulated, which is a synergy of the weak and the strong paradigm. In order to understand properly the meaning of these paradigms, however, some digression appears necessary.

Details

International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, vol. 25 no. 6/7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-333X

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 13 March 2009

Jared M. Hansen

This paper aims to evaluate the evolution of buyer‐supplier relationships from adversarial toward relational, or service‐centered, emphasis for large‐scale organizations.

5953

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to evaluate the evolution of buyer‐supplier relationships from adversarial toward relational, or service‐centered, emphasis for large‐scale organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses the historical method to review historical changes through synthesized qualitative (i.e. field notes and industry interviews) and quantitative (i.e. company reports, Compustat queries, trade reports, and survey) research.

Findings

Technology and information sharing in B2B relationships engender integrated value chains. Within these value chains, service‐centered view of B2C relationships have been adopted in B2B relationships, resulting in changes in supplier roles and how they are measured.

Research limitations/implications

By focusing on large scale buyer‐supplier relationships within supply chains (e.g. Wal‐Mart, Royal Phillips, ElecSound, China Minmetals, The People's Republic of China), which may affect the generalizability to small‐business applications, this paper provides some guidance on which customer levels (in a value chain) an organization should focus. The evolution of buyer‐supplier relationships towards more cooperative relationships results in changing roles such as co‐managed inventory, where suppliers are authorized to write themselves orders.

Practical implications

This paper is a very useful source of information for practitioners and educators about recent trends in large‐scale buyer‐supplier relationships, including slotting allowances, co‐managed inventory practices, and selling teams. It also provides a buyer‐seller trust matrix that can be used for teaching or developing relational strategy in organizations and classrooms.

Originality/value

This paper provides description of changes in sales force roles and measures, including the roles of responsiveness, empowerment, trust (both supplier and supplier representative), and information sharing not previously found in the literature. Survey research establishes the external validity of the qualitative research.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 24 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

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