Showing papers by "Cranfield University published in 2001"

An Integrated Model for the Design of Agile Supply Chains.

Abstract: The latter part of the twentieth century saw the lean production paradigm positively impact many market sectors ranging from automotive through to construction. In particular there is much evidence to suggest that level scheduling combined with the elimination of muda has successfully delivered a wide range of products to those markets where cost is the primary order winning criteria. However, there are many other markets where the order winner is availability. This has led to the emergence of the agile paradigm typified by “quick response” and similar initiatives. Nevertheless, “lean” and “agile” are not mutually exclusive paradigms and may be married to advantage in a number of different ways. This paper explores ways in which hybrid strategies can be developed to create cost‐effective supply chains and proposes an integrated manufacture/logistics model for enabling the essential infrastructure.

What do we mean by corporate social responsibility

Abstract: There have long been conflicting expectations of the nature of companies’ responsibilities to society. However, for those businesses that do undertake what might be termed “corporate social responsibility”, what is actually socially responsible behaviour as opposed to management of corporate image management or other activity aimed predominantly at business benefits? This article reviews definitions of corporate social responsibility from both practice and the literature and looks at theories to explain why such behaviour takes place. The literature has strong divides between normative or ethical actions and instrumental activities. The article concludes by posing the question of when instrumental activities become business activities rather than largely social responsibility.

Tacit Knowledge: Some Suggestions for Operationalization

Abstract: With the emergence of the resource-based view of the firm and of the concept of core competencies, intangible resources, and tacit knowledge in particular have been argued to occupy a central place in the development of sustainable competitive advantage. This is because tacit knowledge is argued to be difficult to imitate, to substitute, to transfer and it is rare. However, there is little empirical research to support this theoretical proposition. Tacit knowledge has so far resisted operationalization. This paper sets out to define the term tacit knowledge and proposes to redefine it, within the context of the resource-based view of the firm, as tacit skills. A methodology (based on causal mapping, self-Q and storytelling) for empirically researching the subject is outlined.

The performance prism in practice

Abstract: This article describes and illustrates the practical application of a new measurement framework – The Performance Prism – which addresses the shortcomings of many of the traditional measurement frameworks being used by organisations today. The Performance Prism, with its comprehensive stakeholder orientation, encourages executives to consider the wants and needs of all the organisation’s stakeholders, rather than a subset, as well as the associated strategies, processes and capabilities. DHL’s board for the UK have used this framework to re‐engineer their corporate measurement and reporting system and the article explains DHL and other firms’ experiences with the Performance Prism.

Diagnosing Customer Value: Integrating the Value Process and Relationship Marketing

Abstract: The concept of value and, more specifically, customer value is of increasing interest to both academics and practitioners. This paper undertakes a substantial review of past and current literature on value and categorizes this considerable body of research into nine streams of literature. Building on the emerging relationship marketing paradigm, it then proposes a framework for relationship value management. Nine core streams of value literature are identified and discussed: consumer values and consumer value; the augmented product concept; customer satisfaction and service quality; the value chain; creating and delivering superior customer value; the customer's value to the firm; customer-perceived value; customer value and shareholder value; and relationship value. To date, the core focus of most of this literature has been on the nature of value from the perspective of the organization and its customers – the customer–supplier relationship. However, it is argued that the emergence of the relationship marketing paradigm has emphasized the role of other stakeholders in building relationships. An existing multiple stakeholder model of relationship marketing, the six markets model, is introduced and is integrated with key concepts from the value literature to produce a conceptual framework for relationship value management.

Exploring the experiences of collaborative planning initiatives

Abstract: Supply chain integration (or synchronisation) is to a large extent still only a promise, despite many considerable efforts by organisations and their customers and suppliers. Lack of visibility of true consumer demand and collaborative relationships based upon joint decision making remain significant barriers to the goal of supply chain integration. Collaborative planning, forecasting and replenishment (CPFR) is a strategy which promises to overcome these barriers, and seeks through joint planning, joint decision making and the development of a clearer understanding of the dynamics of the supply chain replenishment process to deliver some of the promised benefits of actual supply chain integration. Despite the existence of a detailed and comprehensive process model, and promising initial results there has not been widespread adoption of CPFR, justifying the need to revisit the process model and to further explore the inhibitors and enablers. Based upon a review of the existing literature and a comprehensive survey of participants in existing CPFR implementations, this paper identifies the critical inhibitors and makes some proposals as to how these inhibitors may be overcome.

Food safety risk: consumer perception and purchase behaviour

Abstract: Food safety has become a major issue of public concern, encouraging the UK Government and the food industry to take steps to rebuild consumer confidence. In this context, the paper draws on a review of research literature to develop a conceptual framework to identify and review the factors influencing consumer perception of food safety related risks and the likely impact on purchasing behaviour. The relevance of strategies adopted by consumers to reduce risk exposure and the influence on the likelihood of food purchase are also explored, together with the implication for the food industry.

Corporate marketing and service brands ‐ Moving beyond the fast‐moving consumer goods model

Abstract: Examines the issues associated with the creation and development of service brands in corporate branding. Initially considers the increasing importance of the services sector, the appropriateness of corporate versus individual branding and how service organisations have challenged the traditional approach to business. By analysing the success and failure of corporate branding in financial services, illustrates how thinking about service branding needs to change. Outlines the differences between product and service branding and considers how the fast‐moving consumer goods (FMCG) approach to branding needs to be adjusted for the services sector. Particular emphasis is placed on the intangible nature of services and corporate branding and how problems linked to intangible offerings can be overcome. Concludes with an examination of the roles that employees and consumers play in the delivery and strengthening of the corporate service brands.

Surface-Grafted Molecularly Imprinted Polymers for Protein Recognition

Abstract: A technique for coating microplate wells with molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) specific for proteins is presented. 3-Aminophenylboronic acid was polymerized in the presence of the following templates: microperoxidase, horseradish peroxidase, lactoperoxidase, and hemoglobin, via oxidation of the monomer by ammonium persulfate. This process resulted in the grafting of a thin polymer layer to the polystyrene surface of the microplates. Imprinting resulted in an increased affinity of the polymer toward the corresponding templates. The influence of the washing procedure, template concentration, and buffer pH on the polymer affinity was analyzed. It was shown that the stabilizing function of the support and spatial orientation of the polymer chains and template functional groups are the major factors affecting the imprint formation and template recognition. Easy preparation of the MIPs, their high stability, and their ability to recognize small and large proteins, as well as to discriminate molecules with small variations in charge, make this approach attractive and broadly applicable in biotechnology, assays and sensors.

Expatriation: A developing research agenda

Abstract: This introductory article briefly reviews the current state of research into expatriation, focusing on the critical issues of strategy, selection and predeparture, compensation, performance management, repatriation, and career management. The burgeoning research in the field is set into context and a plea made for a more varied and imaginative research agenda. The articles in the rest of this special issue are located in this context. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

A simple approach to soil loss prediction: a revised Morgan–Morgan–Finney model

Abstract: A revised version of the Morgan–Morgan–Finney model for prediction of annual soil loss by water is presented. Changes have been made to the way soil particle detachment by raindrop impact is simulated, which now takes account of plant canopy height and leaf drainage, and a component has been added for soil particle detachment by flow. When tested against the same data set used to validate the original version at the erosion plot scale, predictions made with the revised model gave slopes of a reduced major-axis regression line closer to 1.0 when compared with measured values. The coefficient of efficiency, for sites with measured runoff and soil loss, increased from 0.54 to 0.65. When applied to a new data set for erosion plots in Denmark, Spain, Greece and Nepal, very high coefficients of efficiency of 0.94 for runoff and 0.84 for soil loss were obtained. The revised version was applied to two small catchments by dividing them into land elements and routing annual runoff and sediment production over the land surface from one element to another. The results indicate that, when used in this way, the model provides useful information on the source areas of sediment, sediment delivery to streams and annual sediment yield.

Recognition of ephedrine enantiomers by molecularly imprinted polymers designed using a computational approach

Abstract: A new approach to the computational design of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) specific for ephedrine is presented. A virtual library of functional monomers was developed and screened against the template using molecular modelling software. The monomers giving the highest binding score were co-polymerized with a cross-linker in the presence of ephedrine. Control (blank) polymers were prepared under the same conditions but in the absence of the template. A good correlation was found between the modelling results and performance of the materials in an HPLC study. A MIP based on one of the selected monomers—hydroxyethyl methacrylate—gave a separation of ephedrine enantiomers with a separation factor α of 1.42–2.09 (depending on temperature). This figure is larger than the α values generally obtained with commercially available chiral phases. It is anticipated that the computational approach will be of use for the rational design of MIPs and the prediction of polymer affinity and specificity.

On‐line monitoring of wastewater quality: a review

Abstract: Real-time monitoring of wastewater quality remains an unresolved problem to the wastewater treatment industry. In order to comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations, plant operators as well as instrument manufacturers have expressed the need for new standards and improved comparability and reliability of existing techniques. A review of currently available methods for monitoring global organic parameters (BOD, COD, TOC) is given. The study reviews both existing standard techniques and new innovative technologies with the focus on the sensors' potential for on-line and real-time monitoring and control. Current developments of biosensors, optical sensors and sensor arrays as well as virtual sensors for the monitoring of wastewater organic load are presented and the interests and limitations of these techniques with respect to their application to the wastewater monitoring are discussed. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry

Knowledge Transfer and the Management of Expatriation

Abstract: This is a theory-building article that uses the example of an international organization from the Spanish financial sector to explore the way in which the characteristics of knowledge influence expatriation policies. A preliminary conceptual framework is offered, and a case study is used to develop a set of theoretical hypotheses reflecting the relationship between knowledge characteristics and expatriation policies as a contribution towards a theory of international assignments. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Fiber-optic liquid-level sensor using a long-period grating

Abstract: A liquid-level sensor based on the refractive-index sensitivity of long-period fiber-optic gratings is proposed and demonstrated. The form of the transmission spectrum of the long-period grating is dependent on the fraction of the length of the long-period grating that is surrounded by the liquid. The sensor shows a large linear range, with sensitivity of 4.8% change in transmission per millimeter, for a long-period grating with a length of 40 mm and a periodicity of 400 μm.

The selective removal of phosphorus from soil: is event size important?

Abstract: Data from the Woburn Erosion Reference Experiment (Bedfordshire, UK) were used to test the hypothesis that losses of phosphorus (P) in small erosion events are as great as those in infrequent large events, and to examine the effect of storm characteristics on the selective enrichment of P in eroded sediment For almost every plot event in the period 1988 to 1994, the clay-sized fraction of the sediment was enriched compared with the soil of the plots There was more variation in clay enrichment for smaller erosion events than for larger ones The clay and P contents of the sediment were strongly correlated (p 100 kg) The greater frequency of smaller events, combined with the likelihood of higher P concentrations in the sediment, therefore accounted for a greater proportion of the P lost over the 6-yr period than the infrequent large events Phosphorus concentrations generally increased with increasing peak discharge and decreased with increasing event duration For the same return period, P losses were generally greater from plots cultivated up and down the slope than from those cultivated across the slope Overall, our results suggest that small erosion events should be controlled to prevent P contamination of surface waters and that the most effective means of doing this are by the introduction of minimal tillage techniques and across-slope cultivations

Corporate Financial Distress and Turnaround Strategies: An Empirical Analysis

Abstract: Extant research on corporate turnaround from financial distress has prescribed a range of strategies to effect corporate recovery. However, no large sample study has examined the general applicability and effectiveness of these strategies. We set out to test the effectiveness of strategies and identify the underlying factors of effectiveness – the impact of timing, intensity and implementation of strategies on corporate recovery. We examine a sample of 166 potentially bankrupt UK firms drawn from 1985 to 1993 and track their turnaround strategies for a period of three years from distress. These strategies include operational, asset, managerial and financial restructuring. Our results show recovery and non-recovery firms adopt very similar sets of strategies, and managers of non-recovery firms restructure more intensively than recovery firms Nevertheless, non-recovery firms seem far less effective in strategy implementation than their recovery counterparts. Whereas recovery firms adopt growth-oriented and external-market focused strategies, non-recovery firms engage in fire-fighting strategies.

Partial Oxidation by Ozone to Remove Recalcitrance from Wastewaters - a Review

Abstract: Xenobiotic organics produced by modern industrial processes resist conventional biological wastewater treatment. Ozone pretreatment to improve biodegradation via partial oxidation is a potential solution for this recalcitrance. Ozone forms no additional sludge, removes colour and has two modes of action that can be utilised according to the wastewater consitituents. The preozonation of a variety of wastewaters and model compounds is reviewed here. Of the industrial processes examined, the associated recalcitrant organic compounds were generally halogenated heterocyclic or nitrogenous aromatics, aliphatic polymers or polyaromatics. Initial optimisation of ozone dose ensured the occurrence of partial oxidation, where over 90% parent compound transformation was required to give best results in the subsequent biological process. Ozonation intermediate and end-products included ketones, aldehydes and organic acids that were more biodegradable than the parent compounds. Biodegradability improvement was assessed...

Extension to the Messinger Model for Aircraft Icing

Abstract: A one-dimensional mathematical model is developed describing ice growth due to supercooled e uid impacting on a solid substrate. When rime ice forms, the ice thickness is determined by a simple mass balance. The leadingorder temperature proe le through the ice is then obtained as a function of time, the ambient conditions, and the ice thickness. When glaze ice forms, the energy equation and mass balance are combined to provide a single e rst-order nonlinear differential equation for the ice thickness, which is solved numerically. Oncethe icethickness is obtained, the water height and the temperatures in the layers may be calculated. The method for extending the one-dimensional model to two and three dimensions isdescribed. Icegrowth rates and freezing fractions predicted by the current method are compared with the Messinger model. The Messinger model is shown to be a limiting case of the present method.

Customer support and new product development : An exploratory study

Abstract: Customer support is an essential element in the successful marketing of many products – from domestic appliances to high‐tech computer networks. Many aspects of support are strongly influenced by a product’s design and so customer support requirements should be evaluated during new product development. However, researchers have largely ignored the relationship between new product development and customer support. The current study addressed this gap by using case studies and a workshop, both conducted with leading companies, to identify how customer support is typically evaluated at the design stage and to determine the importance of this aspect of new product development. The results have implications for managers responsible for product innovation – they show the need to allocate adequate resources to integrating customer support requirements into new product development.

From Tacit Knowledge to Knowledge Management: Leveraging Invisible Assets

Abstract: Within competitive advantage considerations, knowledge has emerged as one of the more strategic, although invisible, assets for organizations. This is notwithstanding a wider and specifically economistic and cognitive discounting of knowledge as a factor of production — largely ignoring the socially constructed and socially mediated nature of knowledge. Intellectual capabilities and knowledge/information transformations now have a central place within globalizing information economies. Constructing, transforming and commodifying knowledge and information require new organizational understandings and newer cognitive capabilities of strategic management praxis. Part of this cognitive awareness is a deliberate organizational designing for the role of symbolic analysts. As well, there is an emerging need for the Chief Knowledge Officer function going well beyond the Chief Information Officer requirements posited by an information technology-driven restructuring of routine processes, as compared with innovation creation capacities associated with critically non-routine functions within organizations discovered by Cranfield research. The paper considers neglected institutional and organizational dimensions to knowledge creation and knowledge conversion — it reviews the renewed importance of internal recruitment and socialization within institutions and details knowledge codification and application functions within knowledge-creating organizations. Knowledge management, as praxis, inevitably raises concerns about cognitive failure in leadership theory and praxis. Copyright # 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Women Directors on Top UK Boards

Abstract: Research suggests that more diversity in board membership could improve overall performance. This paper considers the business case for increased numbers of female directors, and the lack of female representation on UK FTSE 100 company boards in 1999 and 2000. It also offers a comparison to US data. In 1999, almost two-thirds of FTSE 100 companies had at least one female director, but numbers had dropped by July 2000 from 64 per cent to 58 per cent, paralleling the levelling-off at top level reported in North America. More firms having female directors are to be found amongst those with the highest turnover, profit and number of employees in the FTSE 100, again paralleling the findings from the US.