This research seeks to empirically explore and examine the impact of organizational characteristics, i.e. firm size, type of production system, organizational design and type of…
Abstract
Purpose
This research seeks to empirically explore and examine the impact of organizational characteristics, i.e. firm size, type of production system, organizational design and type of ownership, on advanced manufacturing technology (AMTs) adoption in the Egyptian industrial sector; and to identify the similarities and dissimilarities of the nature of AMT adoption in Egypt compared to different contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis was based on a survey of 200 Egyptian manufacturing firms where 61 relevant responses were received (response rate of 30.5 percent).
Findings
The need for adopting AMTs is likely to be greater when companies are larger and their marketing strategy involves a combination of make to order and make to stock products.
Practical implications
Improving work force' skills through enhancing training programs is important for the successful implementation of AMTs.
Originality/value
The current study presents the state of the art of AMT adoption in Egypt. So, it will add to the operations management literature additional empirical contributions in the area of AMT adoption in less developed countries.
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This study aims to delineate the major human modifications to be undertaken prior to just‐in‐time (JIT) implementation in Egyptian manufacturing firms; to discern the benefits…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to delineate the major human modifications to be undertaken prior to just‐in‐time (JIT) implementation in Egyptian manufacturing firms; to discern the benefits obtained from JIT implementation; to identify the problems that Egyptian manufacturing companies typically encounter in implementing JIT philosophy; and to explore the relationship between human modification efforts to be undertaken prior to JIT implementation and JIT success.
Design/methodology/approach
The data analyzed in this article was collected from a mail questionnaire sent to 200 manufacturing firms in Egypt. The findings of this study indicate that JIT success is significantly associated with human resources modification efforts undertaken in preparation for JIT implementation.
Findings
JIT philosophy can be successfully implemented in Egyptian manufacturing companies; just like their peers in developed countries including Japan, USA and the Far East; with thoughtful attention applied to each individual company. Implementation of JIT can greatly improve the operations performance of Egyptian manufacturing firms.
Practical implications
A very significant managerial implication of the current study is that the Egyptian manufacturing companies can use JIT as a strategic philosophy, rather than as a temporary solution for operations obstacles. Another managerial implication of this study is that manufacturing firms are advised to be aware of the meticulous relationship between human modification efforts and the successful implementation of JIT philosophy.
Originality/value
This study contributes to what is a very limited amount of empirical studies of JIT implementation in LDCs in general and in Egypt in particular.
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Salaheldin Ismail Salaheldin and Riyad Eid
The purposes of this paper are to illustrate how the world class manufacturing (WCM) techniques which could be described as outperforming the industry's global best practices have…
Abstract
Purpose
The purposes of this paper are to illustrate how the world class manufacturing (WCM) techniques which could be described as outperforming the industry's global best practices have been implemented in the Egyptian manufacturing firms, to identify the critical driving and resisting forces toward WCM techniques implementation in Egyptian manufacturing firms, and to provide guidelines for the successful implementation of WCM by Egyptian manufacturers.
Design/methodology/approach
The data analyzed in this study are collected from a mail questionnaire sent to 200 manufacturing firms in Egypt.
Findings
The findings of this study indicate that the Egyptian manufacturers are still in the 1970s and 1980s, when compared with world‐class manufacturers. The most important variables that promote the implementation of WCM techniques are “reduced operating costs (marketing and production)” and “global issues (environment‐market).” More importantly, the results of this study indicate that poor planning and lack of knowledge are the most significant barriers to WCM implementation in the Egyptian manufacturing sector.
Research limitations/implications
There is a need to empirically explore the benefits of WCM implementation by the Egyptian manufacturing companies. Furthermore, more research is needed to study how the perceived importance of these drivers and barriers may differ across each industry such as manufacturing equipment, chemical and plastics, telecommunications, hardware equipment, textile industry, home equipment, scientific and medical equipment, management consulting, and software development.
Practical implications
This study hopes to create more awareness among management and employees about the strategic importance of WCM techniques to operations processes in the Egyptian manufacturing firms.
Originality/value
Although the last few years have witnessed phenomenal growth in WCM techniques, the underlying factors driving and inhibiting its diffusion are not well understood specially in the context of less developed countries in general and Egypt in particular. Therefore, this paper presents an empirical research that investigated the factors driving and inhibiting WCM implementation in Egypt and it provides insight into the strategies currently being adopted by Egyptian manufacturers in an effort to meet the challenge of obtaining WCM status.
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The purpose of this paper is to attempt to: explore the problems that the production division of Qatar Steel Company (QASCO) typically encounter in implementing QCs, identify the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to attempt to: explore the problems that the production division of Qatar Steel Company (QASCO) typically encounter in implementing QCs, identify the critical success factors promoting QCs implementation and discern the real benefits of QCs implementation.
Design/methodology/approach
Data for this study were collected using a self‐administered questionnaire that was distributed to 400 QCs members within the five departments (i.e. Manufacturing, Maintenance, Direct Reduction, Material Control and Technical departments) which comprised the production division of QASCO. Of the 400 questionnaires posted, a total of 197 were returned and used for the analysis.
Findings
The results of the study indicated that lack of support from top management was reported as the biggest problem impeding the implementation, and also commitment and support from top management were reported as the most important success factor of QCs implementation in the five departments. More importantly, the findings indicated that QCs implementation has created an atmosphere of cooperation within QASCO and produced many positive results including improving quality, increasing productivity, and improving the management style.
Research limitations/implications
The sample is restricted to only a single division, i.e. the production division of QASCO, so it would be strongly recommended that data be gathered from various divisions of QASCO, i.e. replications of this study are required to generalize its findings. Studying the deriving and inhibiting forces to QCs implementation in practice remains a task that requires further attention from researchers, whatever their motivations.
Practical implications
The findings are important and relevant to all the departments in QASCO. The study hopes to create more awareness among management and employees of the strategic importance of QCs to operational processes. More importantly, the benefits attained would be a motivating factor for managers to use QCs.
Originality/value
The research provides empirical insights to the growing body of knowledge on QCs implementation. Most of QCs research has been done in developed countries. The study presents the successful adoption and implementation of QCs in a manufacturing firm in a developing country of the Middle East where published research results on the successful use of QCs have been rather scarce.
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Doaa Salaheldin Ismail Elsayed
Aleppo city in Syria has witnessed severe bombardment since the 2011 war affecting its landscape heritage, causing explicit geomorphological changes with anthropogenic qualities…
Abstract
Purpose
Aleppo city in Syria has witnessed severe bombardment since the 2011 war affecting its landscape heritage, causing explicit geomorphological changes with anthropogenic qualities. The research aims to log observations on the patterns of bombardment craters. It investigates their key role in guiding post-war recovery plans. Currently, the interpretation of war scars is not considered in the reconstruction plans proposed by local administrations and here lies the importance of the research.
Design/methodology/approach
The study investigates the geomorphological transformations along the southern citadel perimeter in old Aleppo. Currently, digital tools facilitated data prediction in conflict areas. The research employs an empirical method for inhabiting war craters based on both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The former utilizes satellite images to define the geographical changes of landscape heritage. The latter applies geostatistical data analysis, validation, interpolation and simulation for multi-temporal Google Earth maps. The study exploits Surfer 13 software to localize and measure the preserved craters.
Findings
The research employs the generated models in a landscape design proposal examining the method's applicability. Finally, it offers a methodological toolkit guiding post-war landscape recovery toward the interpretation of conflict geography.
Practical implications
The paper enables a practical understanding of the contemporaneity of landscape heritage recovery as an action between sustainable development and conservation.
Social implications
The paper integrates the conflict geographies to the people's commemoration of places and events.
Originality/value
The article offers an insight into the rehabilitation of war landscapes focusing on land craters, exploiting geostatistical data prediction methods.
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Doaa Salaheldin Ismail Elsayed
According to the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) report of heritage at risk for 2011–2013, Cairo is facing serious conservation challenges after the…
Abstract
Purpose
According to the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) report of heritage at risk for 2011–2013, Cairo is facing serious conservation challenges after the revolution of 2011, witnessing aggressive cultural heritage vandalism. A marginalized inaccessible heritage site is considered one of the most vulnerable cultural assets. Existing studies focused on safeguarding accessible historical centers while insufficient attention is given to marginalized inaccessible heritage sites. The paper questions: how far the reaccess is preventive conservation action acting against possible encroachments? And if accessibility could stand as the key player promoting networks of marginal heritage landscapes, facilitating documentation and rehabilitation programs.
Design/methodology/approach
The research adopts both analytical and experimental approaches. The former departs from cartographic studies and systematic contextual surveys carried out in March 2017 and was updated in July 2019 concerning the delimitation of historic Cairo. It concludes by mapping marginal heritage besides classifying their value significance, urban risks and causes of inaccessibility. The latter phase structures a framework guiding accessibility interventions of marginal heritage and examines its applicability through a cross-case comparison between four sites while proposing accessibility interventions strategies.
Findings
Finally, the study offers a comprehensive assessment model for the new interventions measuring the contextual, economic, social and administrative influences of accessibility.
Practical implications
The framework is considered a decision-making tool defining marginalized heritage areas with the highest priorities of enactments. The study aims to facilitate the mission of governors, policymakers and experts in conserving problematic urban heritage through soft transformations.
Social implications
Both the framework and the assessment model are based on social empowerment and involvement within different phases of design, management and monitoring plans.
Originality/value
It aims to perform new urban codification representing the contemporary identity of marginal heritage landscape in developing countries challenging heritage vandalism. It enables reconfiguring the delimitation of historic Cairo through proposing new parameters and guidelines.
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This study aims to explore the critical resisting and driving forces that inhibit or promote the implementation of total quality management (TQM) strategy in Egypt, in an attempt…
Abstract
This study aims to explore the critical resisting and driving forces that inhibit or promote the implementation of total quality management (TQM) strategy in Egypt, in an attempt to determine whether TQM can be implemented effectively in this developing country. The domain of empirical study is the Egyptian ex‐public manufacturing firms. A mail questionnaire was used to collect the required data. A force‐field analysis was used for identifying the salient factors affecting TQM implementation in Egypt. Surprisingly, the findings indicated that forces that promote or prohibit TQM implementation obtained in one developing country might be generalizable to another less developed country. The investigation identified some driving forces that promote the implementation of TQM strategy by the Egyptian manufacturing firms. On the other hand, the investigation identified some roadblocks that prohibit the implementation of TQM by manufacturing firms. Managerial implications for the successful implementation of TQM are provided, and finally avenues for further research are recommended.
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The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical success factors of TQM implementation, to evaluate their impact on the primary measures as expressed by the operational…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical success factors of TQM implementation, to evaluate their impact on the primary measures as expressed by the operational performance and the secondary measures as expressed by the organizational performance, and to find out the effect of the operational performance on the organizational performance of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Qatari industrial sector using the structured equation modeling (SEM) approach.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was designed and distributed to 297 SMEs in the Qatari industrial sector. Of the 297 questionnaires posted, a total of 139 were returned and were used to test the theoretical model. In particular, hypotheses were developed to evaluate the impact of TQM implementation on the operational and organizational performance of the SMEs.
Findings
The empirical analysis demonstrates several key findings: data analysis reveals that there is a substantial positive effect of the TQM implementation on both the operational and the organizational performance. The findings confirm the significant relationship between operational and organizational performances of the SMEs. Overall, the results showed the central role of the strategic factors in the successful implementation of the TQM programs within the SMEs.
Research limitations/implications
The research is subject to the normal limitations of survey research. The study is using perceptual data provided by production managers or quality managers which may not provide clear measures of performance. However, this can be overcome using multiple methods to collect data in future studies. Interestingly, the findings here may be generalisable outside Qatar, i.e. a similar country to Qatar such as the GCC countries.
Practical implications
Qatari SMEs should consider TQM as an innovative tool for improving operational and organizational performance in today's dynamic manufacturing environment. The findings suggest the notion that the TQM critical success factors (CSFs) should be implemented holistically rather than on a piecemeal basis to get the full potential of the TQM. Moreover, the study emphasizes the need to link operational performance to organizational performance to achieve the success of TQM implementation.
Originality/value
The study integrates the CSFs of TQM practices, i.e. strategic, tactical and operational factors, with operational and organizational performances as related drivers of the effectiveness and success of TQM practices in the SMEs. Very few studies have been performed to investigate and understand this issue. Therefore, the research can make a useful contribution.
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Riya Sureka, Satish Kumar, Sachin Kumar Mangla and Flavio Hourneaux Junior
International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management (IJPPM) is one of the prominent journals publishing on general management with a particular focus on performance…
Abstract
Purpose
International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management (IJPPM) is one of the prominent journals publishing on general management with a particular focus on performance management and productive sciences. The objective of this study is to provide an academic structure overview of the journal between 2004 and 2018 using bibliometric tools.
Design/methodology/approach
Data used for this study were extracted using the Scopus database. Bibliometric analysis using several bibliometric indicators are adopted to know the major trends and themes of the journal. Mapping of bibliographic data is carried using VOSviewer and Gephi software.
Findings
Authors: Most of the IJPPM contributors are affiliated to the UK and India. Journal Performance: It is gaining pre-eminence in terms of total citations as well as CiteScores. Main themes: Major themes published in the journal are “performance management”, “productivity”, “six sigma”, “lean” and “supply chain management”.
Originality/value
IJPPM's growing influence in the scientific community has generated the interest to analyse the journal's publication and growth pattern. Moreover, no such retrospective bibliometric study for IJPPM is conducted so far.
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Norizan Mohd Kassim and Salaheldin Ismail
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how perceived service quality, satisfaction and trust determine loyalty in e‐commerce settings at the level of construct dimensions.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how perceived service quality, satisfaction and trust determine loyalty in e‐commerce settings at the level of construct dimensions.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey method approach was used in this study. To test the dimensionality of the perceived service quality, all the 20 items were analyzed using oblique rotation and varimax rotation. The hypotheses were tested using the structural equations modeling.
Findings
Empirical results indicate that only assurance does appear to play an imperative role in building trust as suggested by many authors. Of particular interest is the finding that word‐of‐mouth (WOM) is an antecedent of trust and intention. It becomes clear that WOM is a relatively important driver of trust and intention in e‐commerce settings.
Research limitations/implications
The study may also be delimited to Qatar only. Further research could complement it by exploring the study variables and other variables not mentioned in depth here.
Practical implications
Satisfaction, which contributes considerably to loyalty, can be increased by providing an attractive user interface, and an easy to use and interesting system. Specifically, the positive word‐of‐mouth decreases the need for marketing expenses and can increase revenue if new customers are attracted. Online retailers should direct their before‐ and after‐sales service mechanisms towards developing consumers' willingness to get engaged in positive WOM in favour of the company and its services.
Originality/value
The major contribution of the study is that it is the first attempt to investigate the impact of word of mouth on trust and intention ahead of previous studies.