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The drum‐buffer‐rope/buffer management approach radically changes the content of production management practice, research and pedagogy. Documents the major impacts that drum‐buffer‐rope has on production management study and practice. In summary it provides a framework which distils the complexities of material flow into an understandable format; reduces drastically the number of resources that must be explicitly scheduled; warns of potential disruption to the production plan; controls lead time; guides continuous improvement efforts; offers a significantly improved alternative to the kanban production system; aligns local resource performance measures with global organizational performance; and makes traditional job shop capacity management techniques obsolete.

A major US bank has determined that none of its customers should have to wait more than three minutes for service. Presents a procedure that helps management allocate tellers to prevent any customer waiting time from exceeding the three‐minute limit. Uses X¯ and s charts to monitor the average waiting time and the standard deviation of waiting times. Customer waits exceeding three minutes and customer arrivals are monitored using c charts. The approach integrates the analysis of the c charts along with that of the X¯ and s charts to determine the number of tellers necessary to maintain customer service at the desired level. The lobby operations are simulated and the procedure illustrated using operational data supplied by the bank.

Direct product profitability (DPP) is a performance measure that was designed to show each SKU′s contribution to profit. Used by food retailers to assist with shelf‐space allocation and pricing decisions, DPP has been adopted only very slowly since it was first implemented in 1979. Operators cite DPP′s labour‐intensity and complexity as barriers to its use. Shows that, besides being difficult to implement, DPP distorts a product′s contribution to profit. Drawing from the theory of constraints, a systems management philosophy, develops measures that accurately reflect a product′s contribution to profit and compares these to DPP using data from a major supermarket chain. The measures are simple and can be implemented easily on existing space management systems.

The overall goal of science is to build a valid and reliable body of knowledge about the functioning of the world and how applying that knowledge can change it. As personnel and human resources management researchers, we aim to contribute to the respective bodies of knowledge to provide both employers and employees with a workable foundation to help with those problems they are confronted with. However, what research on research has consistently demonstrated is that the scientific endeavor possesses existential issues including a substantial lack of (a) solid theory, (b) replicability, (c) reproducibility, (d) proper and generalizable samples, (e) sufficient quality control (i.e., peer review), (f) robust and trustworthy statistical results, (g) availability of research, and (h) sufficient practical implications. In this chapter, we first sing a song of sorrow regarding the current state of the social sciences in general and personnel and human resources management specifically. Then, we investigate potential grievances that might have led to it (i.e., questionable research practices, misplaced incentives), only to end with a verse of hope by outlining an avenue for betterment (i.e., open science and policy changes at multiple levels).

One of the common law duties owed by the employer is his duty to take reasonable care for the safety of his employee. This common law duty is an implied term in the contract of employment and is therefore contractual in nature. Because of the difficulties which may arise in bringing an action in contract for breach of the employer's duty of care, the employee who has sustained injuries during the course of his employment (although he may sue either in contract of tort will normally bring a tort action.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the quality of collaboration towards Sustainable Energy Innovation (SEI) in Private Finance Initiative (PFI) projects. While the capacity of PFI to encourage collaboration towards innovation is largely advocated by its proponents; however, it remains to be supported by empirical evidence.

Adopting the Complex Product System (CoPS) innovation management model, the authors assess the quality of collaboration at the interface between the innovation superstructure of public sector clients and users, and the innovation infrastructure of private sector designers, contractors and operators. Two interactional elements are examined upon which the quality of collaboration is assessed: openness of communication and alignment of objectives. The authors apply the model to four new-built PFI school projects within the context of the UK government Building Schools for the Future Programme. Semi-structured interviews with total of 50 key stakeholders were used as the primary data collection method.

PFI has introduced a number of problematic issues weakening collaborative efforts towards innovation in the project environment. Particularly, the study underlines the restricting internal contractual relationships within the integrated Project Company and the misalignment of Design-Construction-Operation sustainability objectives. It also highlights ineffective communication with public sector clients and users brought in by the restricted nature of PFI engagement processes as well as the misalignment of public sector-private sector sustainability objectives.

The qualitative nature of the chosen research methodology limits the ability to generalise. The research findings need to be confirmed or rejected by means of quantitative research as representative of all PFI projects.

The study emphasizes the public authority’s role in relation to providing the necessary conditions for the creation of a collaborative environment conducive to SEI in PFI projects.

The study was able to expand the understanding of innovation and collaboration management processes in PFI projects in three respects: First, addressing the limited attention to innovation in PFI research, the study is the first to examine the quality of collaboration in PFI projects towards the implementation SEI. Second, examining the quality of collaboration in PFI projects through the lens of CoPS provides a new understanding of sustainability innovation and strongly indicates that the CoPS model should be expanded to account for the dynamics of innovation processes in the procurement of sustainable CoPS. Third, the explorative nature of the study was useful in generating research hypotheses that can form the basis for future research on SEI in PFI projects.

Aarhus Kommunes Biblioteker (Teknisk Bibliotek), Ingerslevs Plads 7, Aarhus, Denmark. Representative: V. NEDERGAARD PEDERSEN (Librarian).

Function libraries, and indeed the majority of organisations, especially those operating on a commercial basis or utilising public funds, consist of material and human structures. The leaders of the human structure utilise personnel and materials in the pursuit of certain goals. Brech itemises four main elements in this process of planning and regulating enterprise activities. They comprise: