Rinu Sathyan, Parthiban Palanisamy, Suresh G. and Navin M.
The automotive industry appears to overcome much of its obstacles, despite the constant struggle facing COVID-19. The pandemic has resulted in significant improvements in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The automotive industry appears to overcome much of its obstacles, despite the constant struggle facing COVID-19. The pandemic has resulted in significant improvements in the habits and conduct of consumers. There is an increased preference for personal mobility. In this dynamic environment with unexpected changes and high market rivalry, automotive supply chains focus more on executing responsive strategies with minimum costs. This paper aims to identify and model the drivers to the responsiveness of automotive supply chain.
Design/methodology/approach
Seventeen drivers for supply chain responsiveness have been identified from the extensive literature, expert interview. An integrated methodology of fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory–interpretive structural modelling (DEMATEL–ISM) is developed to establish the interrelationship between the drivers. The cause–effect relationship between the drivers was obtained through fuzzy DEMATEL technique, and a hierarchical structure of the drivers was developed using the ISM technique.
Findings
The result of the integrated methodology revealed that strategic decision-making of management, accurate forecasting of demand, advanced manufacturing system in the organisation and data integration tools are the critical drivers.
Research limitations/implications
This study has conceptual and analytical limitations. In this study, a limited number of drivers are examined for supply chain responsiveness. Further research may examine the role of other key performance indicators in the broad field of responsiveness in the automotive supply chain or other industry sectors. Future study can uncover the interrelationships and relative relevance of indicators using advanced multi-criteria decision-making methodologies.
Originality/value
The authors proposed an integrated methodology that will be benefitted to the supply chain practitioners and automotive manufacturers to develop management strategies to improve responsiveness. This study further helps to compare the responsiveness of the supply chain between various automotive manufacturers.
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Namal Yapage and Samanthika Liyanapathirana
This paper aims to investigate the behaviour of geosynthetic reinforced deep cement mixed (DCM) column-supported embankments constructed over soft soils.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the behaviour of geosynthetic reinforced deep cement mixed (DCM) column-supported embankments constructed over soft soils.
Design/methodology/approach
Coupled consolidation analyses based on the finite element method are carried out assuming that the soil and DCM columns are fully saturated porous mediums. In the first part of the paper, a case study of an embankment constructed over a very soft soil deposit in Finland is presented. Two- and three-dimensional finite element models for the case study are developed including isolated and attached DCM columns beneath the embankment to capture the arching mechanism between DCM columns. The model simulations were carried out considering the actual staged construction procedure adopted in the field. Finite element predictions show good agreement with field data and confirm that the load transfer is mainly between attached columns beneath the embankment. Next, the significance of geosynthetic reinforcement on the load transfer mechanism is investigated. Finally, the influence of permeability of columns and soft soil on the performance of geosynthetic reinforcement column-supported embankments is studied.
Findings
Results demonstrate that the excess pore pressure dissipation rate is fast in DCM column-improved ground compared to the same case without any columns, although the same permeability is assigned to both DCM columns and surrounding soft soil. When DCM column permeability exceeds soil permeability, excess pore pressure dissipation rate shows a remarkable increase compared to that observed when the DCM column permeability is less than or equal to the permeability of surrounding soft soil. [ ]
Originality/value
This paper investigates the contribution of permeability and geosynthetic layer on the vertical load transfer mechanism of the embankment and modelling issues related to application of the embankment load and the properties of the cement-improved columns.
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Minu Saratchandra and Anup Shrestha
Knowledge management (KM) is widely adopted by organisations to improve their performance and make informed decisions. Prior research has confirmed that Information Systems (IS…
Abstract
Purpose
Knowledge management (KM) is widely adopted by organisations to improve their performance and make informed decisions. Prior research has confirmed that Information Systems (IS) play a critical role in effective KM. The purpose of this study is to examine the existing literature on the role of cloud-based KM systems (C-KMS) in small- and medium-sized enterprise (SMEs) by understanding its impact on the five KM processes: knowledge acquisition, creation, storage, sharing and usage.
Design/methodology/approach
This study conducted a systematic literature review by examining 133 journal articles and 24 conference papers from 2010 to 2021 on the role of cloud computing in KM for SMEs.
Findings
This study revealed that there are numerous empirical analyses on KM processes and tools in SMEs; however, only few studies demonstrate how the whole gamut of KM processes can adopt cloud computing in SMEs. Therefore, SMEs are ineffective at KM with limited IS intervention. This paper offers a proposition on how C-KMS can impact all five KM process, thereby increasing its effectiveness of KM in SMEs. This study analysed the benefits of C-KMS that brings to SMEs in terms of availability, scalability, reliability, security and cost.
Research limitations/implications
This systematic review is restricted to certain databases (ScienceDirect, Sage journals, Scopus and Emerald Insight) and specific IS conference proceedings to source articles. The selection of search criteria and time frame is based on this study’s assessment and choice. This study adds value to our understanding of the role of KM in SMEs, and it reinforces the role of cloud computing in effectively managing knowledge in SMEs. The proposal of C-KMS for the enhancement of KM has significant implications for SMEs to effectively use knowledge for their survival and superior performance.
Practical implications
This study suggests three practical implications. First, adopting and using C-KMS provide a strong foundation to manage knowledge for SMEs in a cost-effective way. Second, C-KMS improves the effectiveness of KM by increasing availability of knowledge artifacts, which in turn aids SMEs’ growth. Third, C-KMS is useful to codify SME’s knowledge, and accordingly supports employees to acquire and use knowledge based on their requirements.
Social implications
This study discussed C-KMS with contemporary social issues, such as the COVID-19 pandemic challenges for SMEs and demonstrated how C-KMS can support SMEs to handle such crises by managing knowledge effectively.
Originality/value
This research highlights the importance of the implementation of a C-KMS for the enhancement of KM in SMEs. The review provides empirical evidence on the challenges faced by SMEs regarding KM, as they often only have enough resources to focus on a single KM process, predominantly knowledge sharing. Consequently, a holistic approach to KM cannot be realised by SMEs. In this context, the findings of this study offer theoretical and practical insights into the role of cloud computing by addressing the challenges of KM in SMEs.
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Mary B. Collins and William R. Freudenburg
This chapter examines how the dual role of the federal government in promoting and regulating promising new industrial technologies may evolve to embody an inherent conflict of…
Abstract
This chapter examines how the dual role of the federal government in promoting and regulating promising new industrial technologies may evolve to embody an inherent conflict of interest, a condition referred to as the “paradox of partnerships.” Using a temporal perspective to explore relevant paradoxes of partnerships, this research speculates on the parallels of two recent technologies: nuclear power and nanotechnology. We conclude that while government–industry partnerships may seem relatively uncontroversial during early phases of technological development, such partnerships can prove problematic years later – as the government moves away from its role as a technology promoter and toward its role as an essential regulator. Lessons learned from the downfall of the nuclear power industry suggest that as nanotechnology becomes technically and economically feasible, early government investments may come to look more like entanglements – ones that may involve irreconcilable incentives that jeopardize the ultimate rewards.
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Mehran Ashouraie and Nima Jafari Navimipour
Expert Cloud as a new class of Cloud systems provides the knowledge and skills of human resources (HRs) as a service using Cloud concepts. Task scheduling in the Expert Cloud is a…
Abstract
Purpose
Expert Cloud as a new class of Cloud systems provides the knowledge and skills of human resources (HRs) as a service using Cloud concepts. Task scheduling in the Expert Cloud is a vital part that assigns tasks to suitable resources for execution. The purpose of this paper is to propose a method based on genetic algorithm to consider the priority of arriving tasks and the heterogeneity of HRs. Also, to simulate a real world situation, the authors consider the human-based features of resources like trust, reputation and etc.
Design/methodology/approach
As it is NP-Complete to schedule tasks to obtain the minimum makespan and the success of genetic algorithm in optimization and NP-Complete problems, the authors used a genetic algorithm to schedule the tasks on HRs in the Expert Cloud. In this method, chromosome or candidate solutions are represented by a vector; fitness function is calculated based on several factors; one point cross-over and swap mutation are also used.
Findings
The obtained results demonstrated the efficiency of the proposed algorithm in terms of time complexity, task fail rate and HRs utilization.
Originality/value
In this paper the task scheduling issue in the Expert Cloud and improving pervious algorithm are pointed out and the approach to resolve the problem is applied into a practical example.
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Parisa Fouladi and Nima Jafari Navimipour
This paper aims to propose a new method for evaluating the quality and prioritizing of the human resources (HRs) based on trust, reputation, agility, expertise and cost criteria…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose a new method for evaluating the quality and prioritizing of the human resources (HRs) based on trust, reputation, agility, expertise and cost criteria in the expert cloud. To evaluate some quality control (QC) factors, a model based on the SERVQUAL is used.
Design/methodology/approach
The aim of this paper is to offer a fast and simple method for selecting the HRs by the customers. To achieve this goal, the ranking diagram of different HRs based on the different criteria of QC is provided. By means of this method, the customer can rapidly decide on the selection of the required HRs. By using the proposed method, the scores for various criteria are evaluated. These criteria are used in the ranking of each HR which is obtained based on the evaluation conducted by previous customers and their colleagues. First, customers were asked to select their needed criteria and then by constructing a hierarchical structure, the ranking diagram of different HRs is achieved. Using a ranking system based on evaluating the quality of the model, satisfy the customer needs to be based on the properties of HRs. Also, an analytical hierarchical process-based ranking mechanism is proposed to solve the problem of assigning weights to features for considering the interdependence between them to rank the HRs in the expert cloud.
Findings
The obtained results showed the applicability of the radar graph using a case study and also numerically obtained results showed that a hierarchical structure increases the quality and speed rating of HR ranking than the previous works.
Originality/value
The suggested ranking method in this paper allows the optimal selection due to the special needs of any given customer in the expert cloud.
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Juan Manuel Maqueira Marín, Diessica De Oliveira-Dias, Nima Jafari Navimipour, Bhaskar Gardas and Mehmet Unal
This study aims to provide an overview of what characterizes the current state of research in the field of cloud computing use in human resource management (HRM) with the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide an overview of what characterizes the current state of research in the field of cloud computing use in human resource management (HRM) with the identification, analysis and classification of the existing literature and lines of research addressed and to provide guidance for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
The systematic literature review (SLR) technique has been used to identify, select, analyze and evaluate the existing publications on cloud computing and HRM. A total of 35 papers published up to December 2020 have been obtained from the Web of Science (WoS) scientific database. The research design has allowed us to determine what characterizes the current state of research on the use of cloud computing in HRM and obtain a novel classification of the literature that identifies four lines of research and the contributions in each line and has allowed us to define the future research agenda.
Findings
The four groups into which the papers on the cloud computing-HRM relationship have been classified are: (1) studies focused on the development of cloud platforms for HRM that highlight technical aspects, (2) papers that focus on the concept of human resource elasticity, (3) papers on the adoption and/or implantation of cloud platforms for HRM and (4) studies that highlight the effects or implications of cloud platforms for HRM. This paper proposes some new opportunities for future research and presents some helpful implications from the theoretical and management perspectives.
Research limitations/implications
This study uses only scientific articles in the WoS database with a Journal Citation Report (JCR) or SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) impact.
Originality/value
This paper provides an overview of the knowledge on cloud computing and HRM research and offers recommendations for future research.
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The purpose of this paper is to present the key food experience factors that affect a consumer’s restaurant meal enjoyment. It considers the effects on the dining experience that…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the key food experience factors that affect a consumer’s restaurant meal enjoyment. It considers the effects on the dining experience that come from enhancements in today’s restaurants and the advent of the foodie customer. The paper reviews the modern restaurant scene in Canada and how best practices have created non-events despite differentiation attempts among producers of hospitality experiences.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the literature regarding current practices in modern restaurants is reviewed, along with a discussion of the foodie consumer. Analysis draws on the theory that many transactions in hospitality are mundane and few offer meta-hospitality memorable moments.
Findings
With the expanding range of restaurant choice across Canada – serving better-than-ever food options in green environments in unique servicescapes – it would appear that these are the golden years of the food service industry. Yet the reality could be that consumers are walking away feeling that all gastronomic experiences are equally mundane.
Practical implications
An examination of the way we approach food service as entertainment and escape is called for. Examining hospitality trends is part of what makes the industry a source of fascination for consumers and researchers.
Originality/value
The author’s culinary background as a professional chef and his recent academic experience, including his doctoral research in a related topic, enriches the originality of this article.
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David Nicholas, Paul Huntington and Peter Williams
Touch‐screen kiosks are situated in a variety of locations to provide the public with ready access to health information. This paper examines their use, via the transactional…
Abstract
Touch‐screen kiosks are situated in a variety of locations to provide the public with ready access to health information. This paper examines their use, via the transactional logs, and makes comparisons between the types of organisation in which the kiosks are housed. Twenty‐one kiosks were selected and categorised into four groups – pharmacy, hospital, information centre and surgery. A small case study features a supermarket kiosk. Details of nearly 90,000 user sessions and 750,000 page views were used for the comparison. Comparisons between sites were made in terms of number of users, their age and gender, trends over time, the number of sessions conducted, page view time, session duration, pages viewed, site penetration, number of pages printed and health topics viewed. There were considerable differences between the kiosk locations. This early research provides the quantitative foundation for a fuller study of kiosk location and the differences in perceptions of the quality/authority of kiosk data.
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Yeganeh Charband and Nima Jafari Navimipour
The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and detailed review of the state-of-the-art mechanisms of knowledge sharing in the education field as well as directions for…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and detailed review of the state-of-the-art mechanisms of knowledge sharing in the education field as well as directions for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
In the current study, a systematic literature review until June 2017 is presented, which has been on the education’s mechanisms of knowledge sharing. The authors identified 237 papers, which are reduced to 71 primary studies through the paper selection process.
Findings
By providing the state-of-the-art information, the challenges and issues, this survey will directly support academics, researchers and practicing professionals in their understanding of knowledge sharing developments in education.
Research limitations/implications
There are several limitations in this study. First, this study limited the search for articles to Google scholar and four online databases. There might be other academic journals, which may be able to provide a more comprehensive picture of the articles related to the knowledge sharing in education. Second, non-English publications were excluded from this study. The authors believe research regarding the application of knowledge sharing techniques have also been discussed and published in other languages. In addition, more studies need to be carried out using other methodologies such as interviews.
Originality/value
The paper presents a comprehensive structured literature review of the articles’ mechanisms of knowledge sharing in the education field. The paper’s findings can offer insights into future research needs.