Yu‐Chung Hung, Shi‐Ming Huang, Quo‐Pin Lin and Mei‐Ling ‐Tsai
The objective of this study is to discuss the critical success factors involved in implementing a knowledge management system (KMS), in order to enhance a firm's competitiveness…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this study is to discuss the critical success factors involved in implementing a knowledge management system (KMS), in order to enhance a firm's competitiveness, while keeping costs to a minimum.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on field studies and a literature review, this study outlined 32 variables in the implementation of a KMS. The research targets were on members of the Taiwan Pharmaceutical Marketing and Management Association (TPMMA). Out of the 355 questionnaires sent, 98 valid questionnaires were returned, resulting in a valid return rate of 27.6 percent.
Findings
After completing the statistical analysis, seven factors were determined to be critical: a benchmarking strategy and knowledge structure; the organizational culture; information technology; employee involvement and training; the leadership and the commitment of senior management; a learning environment and resource control; and evaluation of professional training and teamwork.
Research limitations/implications
This paper chooses members of TPMMA as research targets; thus, to apply this study to other than pharmaceutical industries requires further research.
Practical implications
Strategy and organizational culture are important in the adoption of a KMS. This study has determined that the pharmaceutical industry has paid special attention to benchmarking strategy. Adopting a KMS can be easy with a core department to maintain proper function of the system. However, companies should utilize the intangible assets available through a KMS to attain full participation from the employees to ensure the success of implementing an effective KMS.
Originality/value
This paper identifies critical factors in adopting a KMS for the pharmaceutical industry. That can offer pragmatic indication for those companies intent on introducing a KMS.
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Shi‐Ming Huang, Irene S.Y. Kwan and Yu‐Chung Hung
Theoretically and ideally, enterprise resource planning (ERP) seeks to streamline and integrate operation processes and information flow within a company. Practically, ERP system…
Abstract
Theoretically and ideally, enterprise resource planning (ERP) seeks to streamline and integrate operation processes and information flow within a company. Practically, ERP system implementation involves a much broader scope and in‐depth consideration within an organization as a whole. Concurrently, in response to this need for resource optimization, the impact of globalization has caused the emergence of a new business operation format, global logistics management (GLM). This pertains to the overall management system of a corporation’s undertaking of worldwide market distribution, product design, customer satisfaction, production, procurement, logistics, suppliers and inventory. Suggests building an ERP as the backbone for implementation of a GLM system, while minimizing the impact of changes by use of information system reengineering technology (ISRT). Proposes a novel development framework that applies ISRT and ERP to developing a GLM system to economize on the system implementation cost and minimize the impact of changes within the corporation as a whole.
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Tingting Zhang, William Yu Chung Wang and Angsana A. Techatassanasoontorn
The purpose of this study is to investigate the motivational process underlying users’ intention to provide feedback on user-contributed knowledge in professional online…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the motivational process underlying users’ intention to provide feedback on user-contributed knowledge in professional online communities. User feedback can serve as a means of indicating the credibility of the online content, which can help community members in their knowledge-seeking process. Adopting such a user feedback mechanism is beneficial for users to identify relevant and credible content efficiently and for an online community to sustain itself.
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on self-determination theory, an integrated model is proposed. In this model, behavioural intention is defined as the consequence of motivational orientations whose antecedences include various social factors. The model is empirically tested using survey data collected online and the structural equation modelling techniques.
Findings
The results show that users’ intention to provide feedback is primarily influenced by autonomous motivation. Autonomous motivation is in turn affected by social factors, including reciprocity, online reputation, trust in the user involvement mechanisms and affective and normative community commitments.
Originality/value
This study adds value to prior studies by stressing the significance and feasibility of user feedback in helping members of professional online communities with their knowledge-seeking process. It also contributes to the literature on user participation in these communities by showing the efficacy of a motivational process perspective and the role of motivational orientations, in particular, in explaining users’ behavioural intention.
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Yao-Chun Tsao and Wen-Kuei Chen
The ‘managed stock’ market in Taiwan is neglected by the authorities and general investors. In this paper, we explore the link between financial trait and stock price changes in…
Abstract
The ‘managed stock’ market in Taiwan is neglected by the authorities and general investors. In this paper, we explore the link between financial trait and stock price changes in this special market.
Overall, we analyze and discuss managerial implications for institutional investors, general investors and the authorities as well.
This paper is a study of the current trends and conditions of electronic resources for Chinese studies, based on a recent survey on the Internet of 29 Chinese libraries in North…
Abstract
This paper is a study of the current trends and conditions of electronic resources for Chinese studies, based on a recent survey on the Internet of 29 Chinese libraries in North America and eight Chinese libraries in China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. The survey discussed current electronic resources for Chinese studies, with a union list of major Chinese language databases currently used in libraries in Asia and the US. Current views on the use and development of electronic resources for Chinese studies were summarised.
Li-Wei Wu, Chung-Yu Wang and Yun-Chia Tang
Value, also known as co-creation, is recognized as the outcome of collaborative efforts between both parties. However, knowledge is currently limited regarding the motivations and…
Abstract
Purpose
Value, also known as co-creation, is recognized as the outcome of collaborative efforts between both parties. However, knowledge is currently limited regarding the motivations and mechanisms driving customers to engage in co-production and value co-creation. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate co-production in enhancing value co-creation. Previous research has predominantly explored the linear effects of commitment and asset specificity on co-production. To expand on this foundation, our study goes a step further by including the potential quadratic effects of commitment and asset specificity on co-production. Although moderate levels of commitment and asset specificity may enhance co-production, higher levels are implied to possibly impede it. Considering that co-production requires collaboration between customers and service employees, this study includes the characteristics of service employees, such as self-monitoring and self-efficacy, identifying their moderating roles in aiding active co-production and ultimately enhancing the value co-creation.
Design/methodology/approach
We employed linear, nonlinear and hierarchical moderated regression analysis to test our hypotheses.
Findings
Our findings provide evidence for the positive linear effects and negative quadratic effects between commitment, asset specificity and co-production. The inverted-U relationships suggest an existing optimal commitment and asset specificity that maximize co-production. Results also suggest that co-production influences value co-creation and self-efficacy and self-monitoring positively moderates the relationship between co-production and value co-creation.
Originality/value
By applying the core provisions of S-D logic, this study contributes to marketing literature by analyzing the dyadic process of co-production. Dyadic data collection from both customers and service employees provides a comprehensive understanding of the co-production process, allowing academics to recognize service employees’ self-efficacy and self-monitoring that contribute to effective co-production and value co-creation in service processes.
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Linh Nguyen Khanh Duong, Lincoln C. Wood and William Yu Chung Wang
This research proposes a decision framework for using non-financial measures to define a replenishment policy for perishable health products. These products are perishable and…
Abstract
Purpose
This research proposes a decision framework for using non-financial measures to define a replenishment policy for perishable health products. These products are perishable and substitutable by nature and create complexities for managing inventory. Instead of a financial measure, numerous measures should be considered and balanced to meet business objectives and enhance inventory management.
Design/methodology/approach
This research applies a multi-methodological approach and develops a framework that integrates discrete event simulation (DES), analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and data envelopment analysis (DEA) techniques to define the most favourable replenishment policy using non-financial measures.
Findings
The integration framework performs well as illustrated in the numerical example; outcomes from the framework are comparable to those generated using a traditional, financial measures-based, approach. This research demonstrates that it is feasible to adopt non-financial performance measures to define a replenishment policy and evaluate performance.
Originality/value
The framework, thus, prioritises non-financial measures and addresses issues of lacking information sharing and employee involvement to enhance hospitals' performance while minimising costs. The non-financial measures improve cross-functional communication while supporting simpler transformations from high-level strategies to daily operational targets.
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Reyes Gonzalez, Jose Gasco and Juan Llopis
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are a key player in the food services and restaurants sector; thus, the aim of this work consists in studying the previous…
Abstract
Purpose
Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are a key player in the food services and restaurants sector; thus, the aim of this work consists in studying the previous research on ICTs in food services and restaurants in the context of tourism and hospitality through a systematic literature review.
Design/methodology/approach
The systematic literature review is performed on full papers published in journals included in the Journal Citation Report of the WoS in the category of Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism. A total of 165 articles from 28 journals are analyzed, following different criteria, such as the research methods, perspectives, statistical techniques, geographical focus, topics, technologies, authors and universities.
Findings
The restaurant sector is more and more based on the creation of experiences and ICTs, through their multiple possibilities, can undoubtedly contribute to adding value to the simple meal and create and recreate experiences to attract and retain customers who are increasingly sophisticated and hooked on ICTs. ICTs are basic for managers taking decision at the highest level in food services and restaurants, so ICTs should not be seen as a technical tool but as an essential element for top management.
Research limitations/implications
This paper examined articles from very well-known tourism and hospitality journals, leaving aside others as well as different publication formats such as books or papers presented at conferences.
Originality/value
A significant contribution made with this paper is the availability of a list of topics in the context of ICTs in food services and restaurants. These topics are classified into three areas (Consumers, Suppliers and Environment and Tendencies) that can serve as a future research framework. The paper also provides useful information to restaurant managers about ICTs, to researchers for their future projects and to academics for their courses.
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Cherry W.M. Cheung, Caleb Kwong, Humera Manzoor, Mehboob Ur Rashid, Charan Bhattarai and Young-Ah Kim
Although scholars have investigated how social entrepreneurs create and develop social enterprises in the penurious stable environment, how they are created in the penurious…
Abstract
Purpose
Although scholars have investigated how social entrepreneurs create and develop social enterprises in the penurious stable environment, how they are created in the penurious unstable environment has yet been overlooked. The purpose of this paper is to address this research gap by exploring how internally displaced individuals, despite the lack of resources, create and develop a social enterprise to serve the other displaced population in the war and conflict zones.
Design/methodology/approach
Underpinned by a biographical research design, in-depth interviews with internally displaced individuals who have created social enterprises in the war and conflict zones were undertaken. Three social entrepreneurs were chosen for this study from three different social enterprises that are created by internally displaced individuals to serve the other internally displaced people of three different countries, namely, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Syria.
Findings
The single and cross-case analysis found that internally displaced individuals deploy bricolage strategy, for example, reconfiguration of pre-existing resources and competencies (both internal and external), to start up a social venture in the war and conflict zones. They utilise pre-existing internal resources, mainly human capital, and external resources, through a frugal approach towards resources acquisitions. The authors also found that the displaced social entrepreneurs utilise resources of other displaced individuals, for example, networks, volunteers, local knowledge and financial supports mainly from older arrivals, and develop their own enterprise ecosystem within the host location to co-create and co-develop social enterprise and social values for all of them.
Research limitations/implications
The findings show that internally displaced individuals utilise bricolage strategies to create and develop socially entrepreneurial venture to serve other internally displaced individuals in the war and conflict zones. As the findings are based on three case studies, for confirmatory approach, a quantitative study with a large sample size is necessary. Furthermore, as the differences in economic, cultural and linguistic in between the home and host locations can have impact on the creation and the development of a social venture, they should be considered in the future studies.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the limited literature and studies on social entrepreneurship, specifically, to the context of unstable penurious environment. It also contributes to the literature on bricolage by extending its application from penurious stable environment to the penurious unstable environment. By exploring what and how internal and external resources are utilised to create and develop a socially entrepreneurial venture in a war and conflict zones, this study has added value to the literature on not only bricolage but also entrepreneurship in war and conflict zones.