Search results

The integration of front-end technologies such as automation, process simulation and augmented reality with Just-in-Time (JIT) practices can yield unforeseen outcomes in manufacturing due to complex dynamics. This study examines this integration’s impact on manufacturing firms' performance.

We design a survey questionnaire and distributed it among 353 Brazilian manufacturing firms to conduct our investigation. We utilize a combination of factorial and regression analyses with moderation within our final sample, composed of 262 manufacturing firms. Our goal is to examine the impact of aligning front-end technologies and JIT on the operational and economic performance of these manufacturing firms. We adopt complexity theory as our theoretical framework, recognizing and accommodating the intrinsic unpredictability and uncertainty inherent in complex scenarios such as technology adoption and its interplay with firm culture, adoption time and technology adoption resistance.

Our findings indicate that JIT influences the use of front-end technologies both positively and negatively. Regarding operational performance, JIT has a positive moderation effect on automation and a negative moderation effect on process simulation. Conversely, for economic performance, JIT positively moderates process simulation and negatively moderates automation.

We provide empirical evidence for managers to carefully assess the compatibility of technology adoption strategies with existing organizational culture and operational practices to maximize performance outcomes.

Our study advances complexity theory by elucidating the impacts of integrating front-end digital technologies with JIT practices within the unique scenario of the Brazilian manufacturing industry. More specifically, our theoretical framework offers a new perspective on the unpredictable nature of performance outcomes regarding technology adoption in operations.

Open innovation breadth (OIB) considers the diversity of external collaboration partners for innovation. The authors investigate the moderating effect of OIB on the relationship between industrial innovation activities (innovation inputs) and industrial innovation results (innovation outputs).

This study is based on secondary data from the Brazilian innovation survey, representing more than 30,000 innovative companies across 55 industrial sectors.

This study’s results show that OIB has different moderating effects regarding the several innovation input–output relationships. While OIB benefits some relationships, others are hampered by the diversity of collaboration partners.

Few studies have addressed OIB at the macro level. Using the perspective of transaction cost economics (TCE), the authors discuss the contributions and limitations of OIB at the industry level.

The provision of Industry 4.0 solutions demands a vast range of technology domains. To provide these solutions, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may need the support of different supply chain actors through an inbound open innovation strategy. The authors study the contribution of four types of supply chain actors for inbound open innovation: suppliers, competitors with complementary technologies, R&D centers and customers. The authors analyze how these four actors moderate the effect of integrated Industry 4.0 solutions on three main competitive strategies: cost, focalization and differentiation.

The authors conducted a survey on 77 SMEs from the automation sector, using OLS regression with moderating effects. They considered the integration of 15 technologies and 7 classic automation activities in the provision of Industry 4.0 solutions. The authors also studied three competitive outputs – technology cost reduction (cost), customer loyalty (focalization) and technology innovation (differentiation) – as well as four supply chain actors (moderators).

Expanding the provision of Industry 4.0 technologies increases customer loyalty and technology innovation. Collaboration with competitors (complementary technologies) leverage these results and reduce technology costs. Integration between customers and R&D centers elevates costs but R&D centers can foster long-run innovation.

This study is the first to empirically investigate inbound open innovation in the supply chain for technology development in the context of Industry 4.0. The authors discuss how these actors contribute to four inbound open innovation activities: technology scouting; horizontal technology collaboration; vertical technology collaboration; and technology sourcing.

Rapid tooling (RT) integrated with additive manufacturing technologies have been implemented in various sectors of the RT industry in recent years with various kinds of prototype applications, especially in the development of new products. The purpose of this study is to analyze the current application trends of RT techniques in producing hybrid mold inserts.

The direct and indirect RT techniques discussed in this paper are aimed at developing a hybrid mold insert using metal epoxy composite (MEC) in increasing the speed of tooling development and performance. An extensive review of the suitable development approach of hybrid mold inserts, material preparation and filler effect on physical and mechanical properties has been conducted.

Latest research studies indicate that it is possible to develop a hybrid material through the combination of different shapes/sizes of filler particles and it is expected to improve the compressive strength, thermal conductivity and consequently increasing the hybrid mold performance (cooling time and a number of molding cycles).

The number of research studies on RT for hybrid mold inserts is still lacking as compared to research studies on conventional manufacturing technology. One of the significant limitations is on the ways to improve physical and mechanical properties due to the limited type, size and shape of materials that are currently available.

This review presents the related information and highlights the current gaps related to this field of study. In addition, it appraises the new formulation of MEC materials for the hybrid mold inserts in injection molding application and RT for non-metal products.

The aim of this study is to identify and characterize kids' menu offer in fast-food and traditional restaurants located in shopping centres in five different countries.

An observational cross-sectional study is carried out, though a study was performed in all restaurants located in shopping centres from main cities, in five countries: Brazil, Chile, Croatia, Hungary and Portugal. A tool for assessing the quality of menus is used for the analysis (Kids Menu Healthy Score (KIMEHS)). Menu prices between countries were compared.

A total of 192 kids' menus were collected, 44 in Portugal, 57 in Brazil, 66 in Chile, 15 in Hungary and 10 in Croatia. All the countries have average negative KIMEHS values for the menus, indicating that the offer is generally poor in terms of healthy options. The cost of children's menus in European countries is generally low. In Brazil, the price is significantly more expensive, which may limit the accessibility by social economically deprived populations. No significant differences were found in the average cost of meals from different restaurants typology. Traditional/Western restaurants present the highest price.

Globally, kids' menus are composed by unhealthy food items, pointing to the need of improvements in food availability, aiming to promote healthy food habits among children.

This study presents innovative data on children's menus, allowing for characterization of meals offered to children and comparison between different countries.

Key points

1. Kids’ menus are composed by unhealthy food items.

2. Improvement of kids' menus quality will promote children food habits.

3. Healthier out-of-home food consumption will contribute to public health.

Kids’ menus are composed by unhealthy food items.

Improvement of kids' menus quality will promote children food habits.

Healthier out-of-home food consumption will contribute to public health.

This paper aims to explore the role of storytelling and impression management (IM) through the president’s letter in legitimizing the practices of an electricity company with regard to controversial issues during a period of change.

Drawing on a qualitative case study, this paper examines annual report letters from 1995 to 2013 using a methodological interpretative approach.

By promoting a success story using IM, the presidents give sense to particular actions related with controversial issues and attempt to influence expectations on strategic changes. The findings demonstrate that organizational actors use the flexibility of the president’s letter to tell the story and emphasize its self-laudatory nature. The study highlights that storytelling in these documents can be used to alleviate the tensions created by the inherent contradictions of social structures.

This research is useful for regulatory authorities, users of annual reports and academic researchers, making them attentive of the narratives companies may adopt to protect their legitimacy. The findings shed light on the need to evaluate the credibility of accountability mechanisms and can help stakeholders to develop a more critical view of the president’s letter.

This paper makes a contribution to research on communication issues by expanding literature on accounting and organizational storytelling. By demonstrating how presidents use sensegiving as a means of legitimacy-claiming, this study adds to the literature on legitimating accounts. In doing so, this paper bridges the gap between theories about organizational legitimacy, storytelling and IM. To sum up, the findings serve as an incremental step toward understanding the nature of accountability reporting.

The purpose of this study was to apply the OH-SMART approach on dengue vector control and assess the influence on knowledge, attitude, practice (KAP) amongst elementary students in Majalengka as well as check the dengue serotypes distribution.

This study was designed by sequential exploration. An OH-SMART workshop involving local government institutions, schools, colleges and health professional organizations was conducted. A total of 334 elementary students, chosen by cluster sampling, participated including 171 in the intervention group and 163 in the control group. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess the differences in the subject's KAP. Dengue serotypes were analyzed by reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and the distribution was measured by GPS. Descriptive statistics, paired t-test and the Wilcoxon rank test were used for data analysis.

There were eight gaps in Dengue vector control in Majalengka and three main recommendations after the OH-SMART workshop i.e. the formation of OH-teams, the preparation of module training, and training of vector control in the schools. After the program, there were statistically significant differences between the intervention and control groups (p = 0,001, CI 95%). All differences in the intervention group were higher than in the control. The most commonly found dengue serotype was DEN-1.

OH-SMART has never been applied in Indonesia, especially in a local government setting but is recognized as an effective approach in the prevention of vector-borne disease and zoonotic.

The purpose of this study is to nutritionally evaluate dams exposed to caloric restriction or cafeteria diets during the lactation period.

Twenty-four female Wistar rats (n = 8/group) and their respective litters received during lactation: Control (CTRL) – received standard chow; Caloric restriction (CR) – received 50% of the ratio of the CTRL group; Cafeteria diet (CAF) – received cafeteria diet. Weighing of the mother rats and their respective litters occurred weekly and the diets were daily. At weaning, levels of glucose, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and triglycerides were evaluated. Abdominal adipose tissue was removed and weighed. Liver tissue was removed to determine the lipid profile.

CR dams showed lower food (p < 0.01), caloric (p < 0.01) and all macronutrients (p < 0.01) intake. This group also observed intense weight loss (p < 0.01), in addition to low litter weight (p < 0.01). CAF dams had higher caloric intake (p < 0.05) and increased consumption of lipids (p < 0.01). The CAF group also reported greater accumulation of abdominal adipose tissue (p = 0.01), elevated levels of LDL (p < 0.01) and hepatic lipids (p < 0.01), as well as a litter with higher weaning weight (p < 0.01).

Few studies have evaluated the effects of different models of malnutrition focusing on dams. CR dams showed severe weight loss, which may have caused their pups to be underweight. On the other hand, the CAF diet during lactation led to a higher consumption of lipids and accumulation of adipose tissue, which generated a high weight of the litter.

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the implementation of building information modelling (BIM) concepts of the various processes involved in building surveying practice can lead to a reduction in waste. In turn leading to a synergy between BIM functionalities and lean production concepts.

To verify and validate the existence of this synergy between the two methods in building surveying, evidences were gathered from previous literature that supports these interactions. Next, a questionnaire was conducted for the purpose of identifying new interactions and providing further evidence to support existing interactions. Finally, based on the findings from previous literature and the results of the questionnaire, an interaction matrix was constructed linking the two concepts with the relevant evidence found.

The results of the questionnaire show that the BIM functionality with the highest interactions, maintenance of information integrity, had a high correlation with the reduction of variability, cycle time, batch size and promoting standardization of value flow. 4 D model-based scheduling, the second highest functionality, showed a high correlation with the reduction of variability, cycle time, batch size and an increase in the use of visual management. Finally, the results of the interaction matrix between the two concepts showed that the BIM functionalities with the most interactions were maintenance of information integrity, visualization of form and the automated generation of models and documents. The lean principles with the most interactions were reducing variability, cycle time, batch size as well as “enables visual management”. While most of these interactions were positive, negative interactions were also observed. These negative interactions were due to the fact that the level of competency and knowledge in BIM for building surveyors is at reduced levels which can lead to increased human errors.

The significance of this study is to provide the basis for building surveying organizations who wish to implement BIM and how this would lead to a synergy between BIM functionalities and lean principles. Both positive and negative interactions were considered to provide these organizations with different options for waste elimination.

The purpose of this paper is to design and validate a reliable and comprehensive instrument to assess the influence of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) practices on sustainable performance in hospitals.

A systematic and mixed-method approach was used to create and validate an instrument for assessing the level of implementation of hospital SSCM practices and the perceived extent of environmental, social and economic performance. This includes the development of preliminary items and the evaluation of content and construct validity. Data from Colombian hospitals was collected. Structural equation modeling was used to test the structural model.

During the content validity phase, an initial version of the questionnaire consisting of 88 items was generated. This version was qualitatively and quantitatively reviewed and assessed by six academicians and two hospital practitioners, based on criteria of sufficiency, clarity, relevance and coherence. The computation of both individual and scale content validity indices, along with the qualitative feedback, led to the refinement of the questionnaire. The subsequent phase of construct validity involved the implementation of a pilot test with 55 responses gathered from Colombian hospitals. By considering the metrics of convergent validity and discriminant validity derived from the analysis of structural equation modeling, the final instrument was composed of 59 items. The results reveal that hospital SSCM practices can be conceptualized and measured through two dimensions: environmental and social. The former includes the underlying constructs of internal environmental management, green purchasing and green operations. The latter encompasses the constructs of working conditions and employee well-being, equity management, social purchasing and community development and participation. Sustainable performance is defined by its environmental, social and economic dimensions.

This study is intended to provide useful insights for hospitals, researchers and policymakers to measure and develop strategies to enhance the implementation of SSCM practices, thereby improving sustainable performance. As a matter of fact, the instrument has already been applied in a recent empirical study conducted in Colombia, aimed at addressing the influence of SSCM practices on sustainable performance in hospitals.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to develop and empirically test an instrument for measuring the influence of SSCM on sustainable performance, both in the hospital setting and in an emerging country.