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The purpose of this paper is to report the key results and lessons of a study in Thailand. Occupational safety and health is the foundation of ISO 26000, which emphasizes on corporate social responsibility. This study underlines the needs on gradually preparing the industries for market integration.

Two leading companies in automotive and energy industries are selected. The automotive industry is one of Thailand’s largest clusters in terms of investment, employment, and sale turnovers. On the other hand, the energy industry is critical as Thailand seeks to import energies from neighboring and other countries. The in-depth analysis aims to identify excellent practices, elements, and success factors commonly shared by the two selected companies. The interviews with the companies’ executives follow this identification for the findings’ confirmation and possible extension.

The findings provide a description of the process of how an integrated safety management system is implemented and reports results such as the following. The two leading companies apparently share many common practices, elements, and success factors. They include safety culture (empowerment, behavior, communication, etc.), system and structure (processes, instruction, documentations, records, etc.), and use of external influences (e.g. safety audits by international partners and customers) to sustain the safety management system.

This study should inform executives and managers who are concerned with how to prepare an organization when attempting to adapt to Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems 18000 and subsequently to ISO 26000. Building a strong safety culture should be considered as the foundation, while relying on regulatory compliance and enforcement alone is not adequate.

This study aims to develop a pedagogy which would help a school become a workplace for learning and professional development. Essentially, this objective addresses the following critical question. How can a school become an attractive workplace where learning and professional development of teachers positively contribute to better teaching and learning for the students?

The research is considered as a case study. The pilot project or experiment has taken place at Mattayom Suwitserianusorn School which is part of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. Design Thinking and Finnish practices have been explicitly integrated into peer-learning community (PLC). Design Thinking, through the use of empathy, helps highlight the interrelationships among motivation, emotion and cognition of students. Follow-up meetings provide insights into teacher’s professional development and impacts on student’s learning. The verification is based on award and recognition gathered over the past years for students and the school.

PLC helps improve a school as a place for learning and professional development. The significance of integrating Design Thinking is extensively discussed. The project shows how co-teaching can be applied, given a proper selection of a problem. Higher motivation and better behavior among students are noticeable. The pilot project reinforces the importance of PLC in the current pedagogical development as it helps transform a school into workplace learning for both teachers and students. Blending Design Thinking helps strengthen the sustainability of PLC, as a lesson plan should be revised according to the students’ background and needs.

The study responds to the call by several international studies for better pedagogical development and in-service training for teachers’ continuous learning and professional development. More vigorous comparisons with other schools will be needed to help verify the study’s findings. This is due to the need to have a longitudinal study of PLC’s impacts.

For teachers, an understanding of their common interests and the recognition on the need to learn from one another is important. For students, an understanding of their psychology and emotional intelligence through the use of Design Thinking is highlighted. Motivation, emotion and cognition of students are interrelated and can help transform a school into learning space.

The study contributes to the transformation of a school as a workplace for learning and professional development which is based on the aforementioned pedagogical development. Also, Design Thinking helps strengthen PLC as an alternative pedagogical practices.

The study aims to examine the issues relating to workplace learning at the upper secondary school level. This study is based on the two questions. How should the professional/peer-learning community or PLC be developed and deployed to help strengthen in-service teacher training? The second question is what are the success factors which contribute to the continuity of the PLC within the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) context?

This study, considered as a case study, is based on BMA’s in-service teaching training program which took place from August 2014 until September 2016. Observations and interviews represent the key tasks undertaken for this study. Observation focuses on the PLC adaptation for a teacher network and key activities relating to actual teaching and learning. Interviews with teachers and students help evaluate the suitability of the PLC’s use as a component of in-service teacher training for workplace learning. The application proposal to international funding helps outline how the data from the observation and interviews should be grouped and analyzed.

The PLC’s implementation involves a network of teachers (those teachers who traveled to Finland for pedagogical training), the selection of a common theme (i.e. a polluted waterway reflecting environmental phenomena) allowing various different subject teachers to work together and actual teaching and learning across schools with students through project work. The results of the interviews demonstrate that a PLC is a potential alternative for BMA’s in-service teacher training. The PLC allows teachers to share their experience and knowledge while simultaneously strengthening students’ life skills through the PLC’s applications.

The case study demonstrates the process through which the PLC is successfully deployed. The BMA applied the PLC alongside and in collaboration with the actual student teaching and learning, instead of separating them because the PLC was regarded as training. PLC is dependent on: the willingness of the teachers to work together, their ability to come up with a common topic that they can link their knowledge, enable several subject teachers to work together, an effective planning process to gradually involve the students in problem-based learning and public recognition to demonstrate their success.

The PLC appears to benefit workplace (or school) learning and development for both teachers and students. Additionally, the use of the PLC in this case study points to an alternative for future in-service teacher training at BMA schools. When compared with the existing practice of sitting in a room and listening to an external expert without much interaction, participating teachers feel that the PLC helps them become more motivated, through experience and knowledge sharing.

The contribution to research is the knowledge on the PLC’s implementation for in-service teaching training (as part of workplace learning). Moreover, the PLC should be applied simultaneously with actual teaching and learning through project work. Three notable lessons learned from comparing the effectiveness of the PLC use between BMA and Finnish schools point to the importance of pre- and in-service teacher training with the focus on continuous dialogue and open communication, familiarity with integrated lesson plan and teacher autonomy.

Increasing competition in global markets requires many countries to seek new growth sectors. In addition, the nature of competition is changing. This paper applies the business ecosystem concept and studies San Diego as a spatial health and life sciences ecosystem. The purpose of this paper is to identify issues that should be considered in design of innovation policies and regional industry development.

The research approach is built on a literature review of business ecosystems and spatial innovation. The empirical study is based on semi-structured interviews, observations, and information gathering and verification during field research.

The results include a description of the ecosystem structure and dynamics. This paper demonstrates the bottom-up nature of San Diego’s health and life sciences ecosystem without a dominant lead actor, and presents prerequisites for fostering spatial ecosystems.

A single case may not be able to offer a generalized picture of this topic. However, the study raises several considerations for researchers and decision-makers involved in innovation policy design. Future work should extend the study and involve other spatial and substance contexts to compare findings and to pursue a more generic picture of innovation ecosystems and networks.

This paper demonstrates that applying the concept of business ecosystems to the spatial context provides new insights in terms of dynamic mechanisms and factors contributing to economic growth in a particular location. Understanding how to facilitate the creation of successful spatial ecosystems is in the focal point of innovation policies.

Ensuring the sufficient service level is essential for critical materials in industrial maintenance. This study aims to evaluate the use of statistically imperfect data in a stochastic simulation-based inventory optimization where items' failure characteristics are derived from historical consumption data, which represents a real-life situation in the implementation of such an optimization model.

The risks of undesired shortages were evaluated through a service-level sensitivity analysis. The service levels were simulated within the error of margin of the key input variables by using StockOptim optimization software and real data from a Finnish steel mill. A random sample of 100 inventory items was selected.

Service-level sensitivity is item specific, but, for many items, statistical imprecision in the input data causes significant uncertainty in the service level. On the other hand, some items seem to be more resistant to variations in the input data than others.

The case approach, with one simulation model, limits the generalization of the results. The possibility that the simulation model is not totally realistic exists, due to the model's normality assumptions.

Margin of error in input data estimation causes a significant risk of not achieving the required service level. It is proposed that managers work to improve the preciseness of the data, while the sensitivity analysis against statistical uncertainty, and a correction mechanism if necessary, should be integrated into optimization models.

The output limitations in the optimization, i.e. service level, are typically stated precisely, but the capabilities of the input data have not been addressed adequately. This study provides valuable insights into ensuring the availability of critical materials.

The purpose of this paper is to identify critical factors for effective business value chains in the electrical and electronic industries. This knowledge can benefit private firms as well as their supplier management and customer fulfillment, and public agencies for relevant policy initiatives.

The research methodology includes the survey development and the statistical analyses, especially the use of the Pearson correlation. Altogether, a total of 129 firms participated in this study, 97 companies from Hong Kong and 32 firms from Thailand. Included in this methodology are a pre‐test of a survey and follow‐up discussions with participating executives.

An effective business value chain essentially depends on good operational systems and management, and information and communication technology (ICT) linkages with both suppliers and customers. There are a total of five critical factors for effective business value chains. For example, an effective business value chain is influenced by how well production and delivery systems are managed. In addition, how well a manufacturer can manage its operation is influenced by customers with effective information and communication infrastructures.

The five identified factors can be used as a checklist for planning and/or monitoring the effectiveness of a business value chain. The findings also helps develop a new initiative to be undertaken by Thailand's Department of Industrial Work when attempting to strengthen business value chains within various industrial clusters.

The findings underline the need to focus on data harmonization and to adapt ICT standards, such as Control Objectives for Information and related Technology COBIT and Projects in Controlled Environments PRINCE for data sharing and software development, to promote supplier audits when sustaining a business value chain.

The purpose of this paper is to describe key factors in sustaining effective business value chains for companies operating in the electronic industry and identify their potential future challenges.

The research methodology includes the survey development, the hypothesis development, and the statistical analyses, especially the Pearson correlation. Altogether, a total of 129 firms participated in this study – 97 companies from Hong Kong/China and 32 firms from Thailand. Included in this methodology are a pre‐test of a survey, a development of the research hypotheses, and follow‐up discussions with participating executives on possible future challenges for their business value chains.

An effective business value chain essentially depends on a good internal operational system and constructive relationships with suppliers and customers. In other words, the collective efficacy depends on a manufacturer's internal operations (IO) and its supplier and customer partnership. Owing to the extensive information and communication technology (ICT) applications, the concern relating to schedule nervousness has been greatly reduced.

The key future challenges for an electronic manufacturer's business value chains are ICT standardization (i.e. data harmonization) for better sharing and transfer with both customers and suppliers and within a manufacturer's IO, and risk management.

The findings underline the importance of data harmonization and an adaptation of ICT standards such as control objectives for information and related technology and projects in controlled environment for managing design and deployment of ICT projects and their related risks.

To study the motives for partnership in marketing channels and provide an empirical study on mutual selection between manufacturers and distributors.

The data were collected mainly from the interviews which present the perspectives of both the Finnish manufacturers and Chinese distributors and agents.

Based on the empirical study, the new finding is that task‐related and partner‐related dimensions in partner selection of international joint ventures also apply to distributor relationship. We argue that a distributor relationship is a product‐tied relationship, and product innovation can be used as an approach for performance improvement in distributor relationship.

The study consists of four case companies so the result cannot be of general application. Nevertheless, it provides valuable information for further utilization.

The study provides empirical evidence of the motives of partnership and mutual selection between manufacturers and distributors in China. The results of the study suggest that distributor relationship management could be improved through product innovation.

The paper attempts to fill the gap in available research on the initiative stage of distributor relationship while also providing some perceptions from the distributor side of the process.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the specific circumstances which require productivity information. It aims to help support the promotion of productivity for manufacturing firms belonging to the Federation of Thai Industries or FTI.

The analysis is based on survey data collected from FTI‐based manufacturing firms. There are five profiles: industrial type; size; years operating in business; ownership; and targeted customer to be studied in a pair‐wise circumstance. There are 40 companies that participated in this study. The statistical analyses include general linear mode with ANOVA. Altogether, there are a total of 138 circumstances (pair‐wise profiles) under study.

In general, productivity information is important as indicated from most circumstances – the must‐measure and require‐to‐measure circumstances. The findings also indicate that there is no specific prediction for particular circumstances (e.g. the larger‐size firms with longer years operating in business need productivity information than the smaller ones).

The results show that there is no need for the FTI to single out specific groups to focus on productivity‐measurement efforts. The study helps gain better understanding into the issues regarding when‐to‐measure productivity. It is generally known that there are a few measurement techniques that are communicated to the FTI firms on a regular basis such as multi‐factor productivity measurement and value‐added productivity measurement – what to measure. In addition, their applications are primarily at the organizational and production levels – where‐to‐measure. The process to deploy these measurement techniques is well known and documented – how‐to‐measure.

The findings support the use of both financial and non‐financial information to ensure an effective management process (i.e. measurement, analysis, and improvement).

The purpose of this paper is to focus on the early development of eHealth service start-ups. To elaborate the research problem, the study addresses the following research questions: How do managerial experiences in eHealth service start-ups relate to the central findings of the recent empirically based stages-of-growth literature? What context-specific viewpoints should be considered when using the stage framework in relation to eHealth service start-ups?

In this explorative multiple case study, the authors test a growth framework describing the early stages of eHealth service firms through eight case studies. The authors utilise the critical incident technique and semi-structured interviews in the data collection.

When taking into account the key contradictions assessed in the study as well as context-specific features of eHealth businesses, the empirically based stage framework seems to be a useful starting point for reflecting on and predicting the challenges faced during the early development of eHealth service start-ups. Slow growth due to several factors and the essential role of the public sector were commonly emphasised elements of the context-specific viewpoints of the eHealth service business.

The results may be used in start-ups and intermediary organisations as a framework for predicting managerial challenges during the start-up stage of an eHealth service business.

Numerous universal models and frameworks have attempted to clarify management priorities during the early stages of business. However, context-specific viewpoints and their effects on start-ups have not been broadly studied. This study provides new insights into growth management in the eHealth context.