Ming Luo, Hongqin Fan and Guiwen Liu
As one of the pillar sectors, China’s construction industry (CE) is not efficient in productivity with large regional gaps over the past decades. It is crucial for stakeholders to…
Abstract
Purpose
As one of the pillar sectors, China’s construction industry (CE) is not efficient in productivity with large regional gaps over the past decades. It is crucial for stakeholders to have insightful information on regional input of resources and output of productive efficiency for making policies and investment decisions. The purpose of this paper is to develop an efficiency measurement for the CE and explore the regional differences of construction productive efficiency across the three regions of China.
Design/methodology/approach
Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is an objective benchmarking methodology used for measuring the performance of construction productivity. Distance friction minimization (DFM) approach, based on DEA model, is applied to identify the causes of inefficiency, sources of growth and the optimal paths to efficient frontier for regional CE. Further studies are conducted to provide insightful information for efficiency improvement, according to DFM modeling results and empirical analysis.
Findings
The results indicate that eastern region leads construction development due to strong performance of coastal provinces. Faced with decreasing supply of skilled workers in developed region, investing more on construction plants and equipment for labor savings is more efficient to the long-term productivity growth of CE in the east. For developing midland region, heavy reliance on cheap manpower should be gradually relieved by allocating more budgets to vocational training and education program to boost quality labor supply, as well as making steady investment on construction equipment and advanced technology. In underdeveloped western region, raising construction labor wages is recommended to attract more workers to meet the market demand and achieve an optimal production efficiency in the CE.
Originality/value
The findings provide insights into the causes of inefficiency, the sources of growth and the best strategies for efficiency improvement in regional CE, recommendations are made for policy making and strategic planning to enhance the overall performance of China’s construction productive efficiency.
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Hyung Goun Joo, Kang Yong Lee, Guo Ming Luo and Da Quan Zhang
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the combined erosion and corrosion behavior of WC-Ni vacuum brazed coating.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the combined erosion and corrosion behavior of WC-Ni vacuum brazed coating.
Design/methodology/approach
Al2O3 particles and 10 wt% NaCl solution are used to evaluate erosion and corrosion resistance of WC-Ni vacuum brazed coating. Combined test of erosion and corrosion is also conducted. The microstructure of each specimen is characterized by the scanning electron microscopy. The chemical composition was determined by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy.
Findings
WC-Ni vacuum brazed coating layer is effective protective coating under combined erosion and corrosion environment. The weight loss of coating layer is more reduced as the cumulative test time.
Originality/value
WC-Ni vacuum brazed coatings are investigated to check characteristic of the combined erosion and corrosion environment. WC-Ni vacuum brazed coatings are kind of diffusion coating that attract attention because of the resistance of superb impact and corrosion in comparison with other coatings. Some previous researches reported the properties of vacuum brazed WC material. Erosion and corrosion behaviors of WC-Ni vacuum brazed coatings were studied in our previous research, respectively. Hence, in this research, the principal objective is to examine the combined erosion and corrosion behavior of WC-Ni vacuum brazed coating.
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Lieh‐Ming Luo and Her‐Jiun Sheu
The paper aims to evaluate the real research and development (R&D) options value through the proposed model that can jointly consider the two types of risk management activities…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to evaluate the real research and development (R&D) options value through the proposed model that can jointly consider the two types of risk management activities, i.e. hedging risks and making use of risks. Hedging is an important risk‐management tool that can diversify R&D risk internally since R&D organizations cannot transfer technological risks to another entity by conventional loss financing methods. Making use of risks means R&D organizations can benefit from proactively managing risks, and then can create management‐flexibility value from the real option reasoning viewpoint.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the real options pricing approach, the paper provides an applicable assessment method for R&D projects that can jointly consider the aforementioned two types of risk management activities. The paper also investigates the value‐enhancing effects of R&D risk management activities via interviews survey and secondary data analyses in the pharmaceutical industry of Taiwan.
Findings
Through numerical analyses, the results indicate that the hedging management can serve to be effective mechanisms of risk reduction as well as value enhancement for R&D projects. Additionally, the value‐enhancing effect of hedging management is more significant for those R&D projects with even higher risk‐level. The results of empirical study also are consistent with the model prediction.
Originality/value
To achieve great performance of R&D risk management, R&D organizations need to implement both the types of risk management activities. By this real‐options valuation approach incorporating together those risk management activities, R&D projects portfolio can be evaluated adequately.
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Chih‐Ming Luo and Hung‐Fan Chang
From 2002 to 2005, Taiwan's ODMs concentrated on PCs and consumer electronics. Even though they lacked any well‐known brand names, they managed to develop an outstanding 34…
Abstract
Purpose
From 2002 to 2005, Taiwan's ODMs concentrated on PCs and consumer electronics. Even though they lacked any well‐known brand names, they managed to develop an outstanding 34 percent compound annual growth. The purpose of this study is providing a viewpoint of SMEs competitive strategy from Taiwan's ODM industry.
Design/methodology/approach
In this article, we first examine the SMEs Transition of ODMs in Taiwan, highlighting the challenges executive face between Taiwan and Mainland China for better competitive strategy. Next, we introduce some of the ODM strategies using the innovative division of labor from the SEM in Taiwan and describe how they can play a role in overcoming the challenge in the global market.
Findings
In the traditional closed business models, the operating efficiency of the ODM industry has been impacted by both the rise of innovative R&D costs and shortening of the revenue period. The new open business model (OBM) strategy can overcome the shortcomings of costly R&D in the traditional business models. The case study in this paper shows that there are four new profit sources in the OBM using the innovative division of labor.
Originality/value
The study is the first to shed light on the role of the OBM using the innovative division of labor for the SMEs. The findings may have noteworthy implications for the SMEs. From this article, managers may gain insights into the innovative division of labor for the SMEs ways to integrate these insights into their managing.
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Hung‐Fan Chang and Chih‐Ming Luo
The purpose of this study is the analysis of innovation in technology‐intensive industries via the application of scenario analysis (SA) to master the development of market…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is the analysis of innovation in technology‐intensive industries via the application of scenario analysis (SA) to master the development of market information and competitive environment. This study will employ the technical development of SONY video tape recorder (VTR) as a case study, and then provide more adequate decision information on the technology development strategy (TDS) planning process.
Design/methodology/approach
Scenario analysis strategy assessment model will be utilized to construct a future technical development model based on present status, and will diffuse and apply the forecasting model to the cycle period of future market technical innovation. Therefore, applying SA in this study can effectively connect historical information to the analysis of technology development.
Findings
This research used SONY VTR TDS as a case study that provides a strategy assessment model to technology‐intensive industry for technical development strategy planning as the basis of decision information for technical forecasting. Output of the R&D department is the core lifeline for the development of a company, and TDS is affected by the orientation of customer demand and has an impact on the development of TLC to form the cycle period of uncertainty.
Originality/value
This model applied the property of TDS assessment to grasp the development trend in the market, and it can enable the R&D department to integrate technical push and market demand pull. In turn, this results in a gain in the competitive edge for technical innovation through a combination with strategies and regulations.
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Fariq Rahadiyan Chalik and Taufik Faturohman
E-wallet is one of the financial technology (fintech) products. In Indonesia, e-wallet is still in the growing stage. Many e-wallet providers are attracted to join the market…
Abstract
E-wallet is one of the financial technology (fintech) products. In Indonesia, e-wallet is still in the growing stage. Many e-wallet providers are attracted to join the market every year, and the competition becomes tighter, focusing on customer acquisition. Promotion is launched, burning much cash in making the promotion. However, cash-burning does not guarantee that customers will use one e-wallet. Customer satisfaction is an important key element of success and continuous use in information systems and e-commerce contexts. This research aims to investigate the satisfaction of e-wallet customer in Indonesia, focusing on and extending the trust role. This study adopted the model proposed by Geebren, Jabbar, and Luo (2021), which is an extension of information system success model. This research used Structural Equation Modeling with Partial Least Squares to analyze the data. It was found that factors that influence customer satisfaction are trust, system quality, information quality, service quality, and structural assurance. The authors found that trust positively affects customer satisfaction, and trust plays a vital role in customer satisfaction. Also, trust has a role as partial and full mediators. It is suggested that e-wallet providers should consider enhancing customer satisfaction.
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Hussein Suleman, Edward A. Fox, Rohit Kelapure, Aaron Krowne and Ming Luo
Metadata harvesting has been established by the Open Archives Initiative as a viable mechanism for connecting a provider of data to a purveyor of services. The Open Digital…
Abstract
Metadata harvesting has been established by the Open Archives Initiative as a viable mechanism for connecting a provider of data to a purveyor of services. The Open Digital Library model is an emerging framework which attempts to break up the services into appropriate components based also on the basic philosophy of the OAI model. This framework has been applied to various projects and evaluated for its simplicity, extensibility and reusability to support the hypothesis that digital libraries should be built from simple Web service‐like components instead of as monolithic software applications.
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Sanjay Jain, Ngai Fong Choong, Khin Maung Aye and Ming Luo
Rapid product/process realization and enterprise integration have been identified among the major imperatives for enabling the next generation manufacturing paradigm. This paper…
Abstract
Rapid product/process realization and enterprise integration have been identified among the major imperatives for enabling the next generation manufacturing paradigm. This paper proposes a virtual factory modeling approach to support these imperatives. A virtual factory is defined as an integrated simulation model of major subsystems in a factory that considers the factory as a whole and provides an advanced decision support capability. It seeks to go beyond the typical modeling of one sub‐system at a time, such as the manufacturing model, the business process model and/or the communication network model developed individually and in isolation. A basic virtual factory model of a semi‐conductor backend factory has been developed for concept demonstration. Application examples are used to demonstrate the integration between business processes and manufacturing system performance. Future work will move further towards the development of the complete virtual factory and its industry applications.
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Phil Yihsing Yang, Lieh‐Ming Luo, Chun‐Sheng Joseph Li, Yi‐Chang Yang and Sandra H.T. Lee
Many manufacturers are transforming into manufacturing service industry to enhance their value creation. Adopting the value‐added chain model, this study aimed to conduct four…
Abstract
Purpose
Many manufacturers are transforming into manufacturing service industry to enhance their value creation. Adopting the value‐added chain model, this study aimed to conduct four case studies, including Acer, Giant, TSMC and Eternal, to verify the high‐valued strategies and the common characteristics of service provisions.
Design/methodology/approach
Four case studies, including Acer, Giant, TSMC and Eternal, were conducted to verify the high‐valued strategies and the common characteristics of service provisions. Specifically, these companies are selected from different industry and value chain position to enhance the robustness of the research findings.
Findings
This study concluded that the manufacturing firms strengthen their position as system integrator. The provision of high‐valued services is orientated toward the integration of the value chain stages according to the industry and business model. The companies are going to upstream or downstream, outsource non‐core manufacturing activities, and sell some manufacturing assets. The high‐valued service strategies provided the manufacturing firms with new approaches to compete in a rapidly changing economy. The findings also provided the direction for the emerging economies in confronting with industrial structure transformation.
Originality/value
This study focuses on the transformation of four manufacturing firms toward providing high value‐added services. The results conclude that manufacturing firms can integrate forward and backward stages in the value‐added chain, and provide the knowledge‐based services including R&D, marketing, information system, branding, financial and after‐sale services to enhance the market value of their products. This study argues that the high value‐added service strategies can be a great opportunity for the manufacturers.
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The paper aims to develop an alternative valuation model for money‐back guarantees (MBG) using a real‐option approach and examine the validity of the proposed model with an…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to develop an alternative valuation model for money‐back guarantees (MBG) using a real‐option approach and examine the validity of the proposed model with an experimental design. This study attempts to address how retailers appropriately price MBG from a consumer value‐based viewpoint.
Design/methodology/approach
The study defines the perceived post‐purchase product value as a stochastic underlying process, and then MBG option value could be theoretically determined by the real‐option pricing approach. For the test of the real‐option perspective on MBG, a 2×2×2 factorial experimental design is conducted to examine the empirical effects.
Findings
With model specification, the study investigated the effects of three key factors, i.e. price level, perceived risk level, and consumers' risk‐aversion, which are characterized by a two‐sided effect on MBG option value. The relationships among those factors also are clarified through theoretical analyses. The empirical results could be explained well by the proposed model.
Originality/value
Faced with increasingly competitive market, retailers typically need more sophisticated pricing strategies. The study can offer retailers a more comprehensive understanding of consumers' perceived value of MBG in various situations and thereby suggest some management implications for the MBG pricing issue.