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It is necessary to determine the processes affecting cloud computing service applications in supply chain management (SCM) systems in order to facilitate cloud computing service exchanges and transmission of data among supply chain members. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Drawing on the elaboration likelihood model (ELM) and integrating the commitment trust theory, this paper develops a theoretical model using argument advantage and source credibility constructs to examine the relationships among perceived usefulness, attitude, trust and usage intention.

The results indicate that both the central route and the peripheral route of the ELM have a positive influence on perceived usefulness. The argument advantage has a strong influence on perceived usefulness as compared to source credibility while source credibility has a strong impact on trust. Furthermore, the perceived usefulness of cloud computing services plays a pivotal role in attitude and intention, whereas trust has a weak effect on usage intention.

The proposed model not only explores the argument that potential user evaluations of both the advantages of cloud computing services and source credibility influence their affective states, which in turn affect their usage intention, but it also examines the mediating factors that influence processes related to cloud SCM acceptance.

This study aims to indicate the advantages of using cloud computing services, including the ways in which firms use cloud-based services to achieve accessibility, better communication, flexibility and effective provision of services. However, little evidence has been obtained related to the effectiveness of applying cloud computing services to supply management chains.

In this study, a sample of 223 top 1,000 manufacturing firms in Taiwan that had implemented cloud-based supply chain management systems (CSCMs) was surveyed to determine what kind of internal resources in these companies were allocated to this implementation effort, how collaborative relationships were established in the existing supply chain to help make the transitions successful, how well their systems are working now that they have been implemented and whether these new systems have improved cycle time performance and the overall performance of their organizations. The study also examines the interrelationships among these variables.

The results reveal that, from the perspective of the managers who were surveyed, an effective allocation of internal organizational resources does have a positive, strong effect on external CSCM conditions. They also showed that when the relationship between internal and external resources is well constructed, the result is that CSCM improves supply chain management cycle time performance, which, in turn, leads to positive organizational performance.

The study reports some useful insights from the managers of CSCM systems related to how the execution of CSCM solutions can improve cycle time and organizational performance by enhancing internal organizational management and joint collaboration among supply chain partners. The findings from this survey will be useful to managers who are considering creating cloud-based supply management systems in the future.

Numerous biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms have undergone considerable changes and adapted to the challenge of developing sustainable products and services. However, few studies have explored the factors that contribute to the success of external innovation and value co-creation strategies adopted by biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms. The purpose of this study is to examine how biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries use value co-creation strategies to obtain external resources.

This study developed a conceptual framework based on the relevant literature. The study applied a resource-based approach, dynamic capability theory and a qualitative multiple-case study design to investigate several research questions; semi-structured interviews were conducted with representatives from 11 biotechnology/pharmaceutical firms in Taiwan, and the data extracted from the interview content were axially coded.

This study revealed that factors such as dynamic marketing capabilities and process optimization contributed to the success of the aforementioned strategies; several propositions were also developed on the basis of the literature review and coded data, thereby providing insights regarding the relative efficacy and propriety of various external innovation and value co-creation strategies and models in various situations and contexts. Firms and technology providers might enter a technology licensing agreement, establish a joint venture company; participate in a merger/acquisition depending on their size, research and development capabilities; or goals and time- and cost-related factors.

The main original contributions of this study are the proposed conceptual framework and the insights provided regarding the relative efficacy and propriety of different external innovation and value co-creation strategies and models in different situations and contexts.

The purpose of this paper is to find how the changing relationship between labour and political parties influenced the growth of reasonably independent labour unions in Taiwan.

The authors have drawn on data collected through in-depth interviews of union officials, labour activists and members of legislature from two major political parties in Taiwan.

The authors found that the breach between labour and political parties was affected by the eventualities contemplated in democratisation. Though the DPP (Minchin-tang/Democratic Progressive Party) provided the initial “shot in arm”, autonomous unions have not necessarily grown underneath DPP’s dominion. Political liberalisation of Taiwan’s industrial relations systems has gained more momentum when the DPP was in opposition than in power. Anti-incumbency pushed independent unions to sway the opposition’s backing when Kuomintang (KMT/the Chinese Nationalists) was in power and not to that extent when the KMT stepped down. The autonomous labour movement in Taiwan was initially influenced by the changing relationship between labour and ruling parties. However, the movement was subsequently shaped by the ethnic and political characteristics based on the historical divide between the mainlanders and Taiwanese and Taiwan’s changing economic landscape.

Specific limitations include the subjectivity of the inference and lack of generalisability of the findings that are based on interviews with two out of three players of industrial relations system.

Because of globalisation and global financial crisis that brought together a new generation of workforce who hold individualistic values, have lesser faith in collectivism and perform new forms of work where unionisation is no more relevant, the autonomous labour movement in Taiwan was hugely impacted.

Growth of independent unions is not being shaped by democratisation alone. If we refocus the debate about democracy’s implied relationship with the rhetoric of national identity, one can see the crucial role played by the changing economic landscape and ethnic divisions ingrained in political origins.

This study aims to explore the impact of social capital on job performance when workers interact with coworkers through social media in organizations.

Structural equation modeling was conducted, and a sample of 230 workers in Taiwan was investigated.

This study found that bonding social capital has a greater impact on job performance than bridging social capital for interactions among coworkers through social media in organizations. Moreover, bridging social capital affects job performance more strongly for male workers than for female workers, but bonding social capital affects job performance more strongly for female workers than for male workers.

This study extended social capital theory by adding the mediating effects of job satisfaction and relational satisfaction and the moderating effect of gender into the model.

This study suggests that company managers need to train workers how to use social media to appropriate their affordances and consider the work team relationship to position adequate strategies for male and female workers.

This study advances the previous knowledge of social capital theory for workers interacting with coworkers through social media in organizations.

This paper aims to set out the relationship between business process reengineering (BPR) and data warehouse (DW) and identify the advantages brought by the integration of DW technology in BPR projects.

This paper is primarily based on a case study which was conducted in a Tunisian hospital and allowed some lessons to be learned.

Introducing changes in the field of healthcare services has become a necessity to provide better satisfaction to patients and to offer faster services and of better quality. So, the BPR approach can be applied to introduce these changes and provide better satisfaction to recipients of services, i.e. the hospital patients. This study is based on a case study based on the BPR application for healthcare process in some services of Farhat Hached Hospital in Sousse, Tunisia. This case study has mainly contributed to a proposed DW for healthcare services.

The proposed DW and the new corresponding process have not yet been implemented in the real life of the considered services. The research work in this project allowed the provision of detailed and rational justifications for the information technology introduction in BPR applied in healthcare services and in particular to the implementation of the DW concept. In addition to the detailed justifications, the research paper provided the prerequisite for the success of the project as well as its technical specifications and appropriateness to the specifity to the local setting.

The lessons learned were related in one hand to the particularities of BPR projects using the DW technology and on the other hand to the advantages brought by the DW technologies in the BPR projects. The following questions are considered in this paper: what are the particularities of the BPR projects using the DW technology? What are the main contributions of the DW technology to BPR projects?