Showing papers in "Industrial Management and Data Systems in 2009"

What drives Malaysian m‐commerce adoption? An empirical analysis

Abstract: – This study aims to empirically examine the factors that affect the consumer intention to use (IU) mobile commerce (m‐commerce) in Malaysia. The five factors examined in this study are perceived usefulness (PU), perceived ease‐of‐use (PEOU), social influence (SI), perceived cost and trust., – The study sample consists of 222 respondents with a response rate of 84.09 per cent. Data were analyzed by employing correlation and multiple regression analysis., – The findings revealed that PU, SI, perceived financial cost and trust are positively associated with consumer IU m‐commerce in Malaysia. In addition, PEOU and trust were found to have an insignificant effect on consumer IU m‐commerce in Malaysia., – The generalizability of the findings is limited as the study focuses only on Malaysia., – Based on the findings, companies involved in m‐commerce should focus on improving the usefulness of the system, trust (i.e. security and privacy protection) and reducing the cost of m‐commerce services to improve the adoption of m‐commerce., – The findings made a contribution in terms of allowing us to understand the factors that can contribute to the adoption of mobile commerce. This study successfully extend the TAM model in the context of mobile commerce by incorporating one trust‐based construct (trust), one behavioural control construct (perceived financial cost) and one subjective norm construct (SI). This extended TAM model provides a greater understanding of user acceptance of mobile commerce in Malaysia.

Internet‐based ICT adoption: evidence from Malaysian SMEs

Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the innovative characteristics, benefits, and barriers influencing internet‐based information and communications technology (ICT) adoption among the small and medium enterprises (SMEs)., – A questionnaire‐based survey was used to collect data from 406 managers or owners of SMEs in the southern region of Malaysia., – The results suggest that internet‐based ICT adoption provides a low cost yet effective communication tool for customers. However, security continues to be a major barrier. Finding on cost as a barrier is mixed. The inferential statistics reveal that relative advantage, compatibility, complexity, observability, and security are significant factors influencing internet‐based ICT adoption., – The study focuses only on the SMEs in the southern region of Malaysia., – The findings offer valuable insights to policy makers in general and to the SMEs in particular on the significance of the measured characteristics and the associated benefits and barriers of internet‐based ICT adoption., – The study is perhaps one of the first to comprehensively address internet‐based ICT adoption among the SMEs through the use of a wide range of variables.

Advanced analytics: opportunities and challenges

Abstract: – Advanced analytics‐driven data analyses allow enterprises to have a complete or “360 degrees” view of their operations and customers. The insight that they gain from such analyses is then used to direct, optimize, and automate their decision making to successfully achieve their organizational goals. Data, text, and web mining technologies are some of the key contributors to making advanced analytics possible. This paper aims to investigate these three mining technologies in terms of how they are used and the issues that are related to their effective implementation and management within the broader context of predictive or advanced analytics., – A range of recently published research literature on business intelligence (BI); predictive analytics; and data, text and web mining is reviewed to explore their current state, issues and challenges learned from their practice., – The findings are reported in two parts. The first part discusses a framework for BI using the data, text, and web mining technologies for advanced analytics; and the second part identifies and discusses the opportunities and challenges the business managers dealing with these technologies face for gaining competitive advantages for their businesses., – The study findings are intended to assist business managers to effectively understand the issues and emerging technologies behind advanced analytics implementation.

Determinants of satisfaction and continuance intention towards self‐service technologies

Abstract: Purpose – Self‐service technologies (SSTs) allow customers to offer their own service encounters via the interaction of electronic service interfaces or machines rather than by interacting with a firm's service personnel. This paper aims to develop an integrated model designed to predict and explain an individual's continuous use of SSTs based on the concepts of technology readiness (TR), technology acceptance model (TAM), and theory of planned behavior (TPB).Design/methodology/approach – The participants are from 481 SST users as the sample finally. Structural equation modeling is applied to demonstrate the stability of the proposed model and the results of hypotheses testing.Findings – This paper finds that consumers' satisfaction significantly influences continuance intention, while the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, subjective norm (SN), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) simultaneously influence satisfaction. Optimism and innovativeness are also the significant motivators of satisfa...

Successful enterprise resource planning implementation: taxonomy of critical factors

Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current literature base of critical success factors (CSFs) of enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations, provide a systematic compilation of CSFs, and present a new comprehensive taxonomy of CSFs for ERP system implementation., – This paper compiles literature that highlighted possible references to CSFs for ERP implementation projects. Given that the purpose of this paper is to achieve a depth of understanding of the various CSFs already identified by other researchers, “content analysis” is used. Four stages of content analysis are adopted to collect and analyse the literature, i.e. data collection, open coding, axial coding, and selective coding., – By analyzing all CFSs mentioned in literature during the last ten years (1999‐2008), taxonomy of ERP CSFs implementation was formulated. In total 17 CSFs were identified, which is then categorized into five main categories., – Literature is collected from selected databases and journals from 1999 to 2008., – This paper is significant because taxonomy helps us organize the knowledge. Taxonomy can help the researchers to make their search easier by assigning CSFs to a category and defining relationships between those categories., – The output of this paper will help future researchers to increase identification of related studies in the literature review phase of their work.

The relationship between knowledge management enablers and performance

Abstract: – This paper aims to study the correlation between knowledge management (KM) enablers and performance indices of KM., – Referring to the literature reviews, it attempts to construct the KM process performance index, analyze its importance, and further analyze a company's characteristics, the relationship between KM enablers with the importance of the KM process performance index, and try to adopt four KM enablers as independent variables. Lastly, it intends to explore whether the relationship between the importance of the KM process performance and financial performance indices affects the importance of the financial performance index., – Among KM enablers, the factor strategy and leadership appears to be one of the most significant positive relationships among all of the KM process performance indices. The importance of performance indices in knowledge creation and knowledge internalization on the operational and customer sides show a positive, significant relationship in the importance of the financial performance index., – With the constraint of the number of samples, this study does not construct the KM process performance indices of every industry category or strategy., – The main contribution of the paper is that it explores the causes that influence KM process performance indices, and this enriches empirical research literatures in the domain of the KM process performance indices.

Exploring individual personality factors as drivers of M‐shopping acceptance

Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how personality variables related to technology (innovativeness, compatibility and affinity) can modify the influence of classical technology acceptance model (TAM) variables on behavioural adoption intention of mobile shopping., – The impact of innovativeness, compatibility, affinity, TAM beliefs (ease of use and usefulness) and attitude on mobile shopping adoption is tested through structural equation modelling techniques. The sample consisted of 470 Spanish mobile telephone users selected on the basis of convenience., – Data analysis shows that the effect of perceived usefulness and, in a minor degree, perceived ease of use are over dimensioned if personality variables are omitted making intention formation to be perceived as more rational than it really is. Personality variables (affinity to mobile telephones, compatibility and innovativeness) have a direct and positive influence on the intention to engage in M‐shopping., – This research enables mobile shopping agents to know what aspects to highlight in their communication strategies to increase the M‐services adoption rate. The complementary use of the mobile and the internet is recommended since the similarities between both methods may favour the acceptance of distance shopping systems. Mobile services should not be simply designed as easy to use, but also as an enjoyable experience., – Despite the importance of personality factors on mobile shopping adoption, they were explicitly ignored when the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology was formulated. This research does not try to propose an extension of the TAM model, but analyses the degree in which the explicit rejection of personality variables could impoverish its performance.

TQM and customer satisfaction in Malaysia's service sector

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between total quality management (TQM) practices and customer satisfaction (CS) as perceived by managers' perspectives in Malaysia's service sector.Design/methodology/approach – The data are collected from 140 managers of Malaysia's service firms. The structural analysis is conducted to test the hypotheses in this paper.Findings – Results reveal that leadership, customer focus, information and analysis, and human resource focus are found to have significant and positive association with CS as perceived by Malaysian service sector's managers.Research limitations/implications – There are a few limitations for this paper. First, the time sequence of the relationships between the variables could not be determined since cross‐sectional data are used. Second, this paper is confined only to service industry. Lastly, the paper is only focused on managers instead of study employees at different hierarchical levels.Practical implications – This ...

Are supplier selection criteria going green? Case studies of companies in Brazil

Abstract: Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to verify if Brazilian companies are adopting environmental requirements in the supplier selection process. Further, this paper intends to analyze whether there is a relation between the level of environmental management maturity and the inclusion of environmental criteria in the companies' selection of suppliers. Design/methodology/approach - A review of mainstream literature on environmental management, traditional criteria in the supplier selection process and the incorporation of environmental requirements in this context. The empirical study's strategy is based on five Brazilian case studies with industrial companies. Face-to-face interviews and informal conversations are to be held, explanations made by e-mail with representatives from the purchasing, environmental management, logistics and other areas, and observation and the collection of company documents are also employed. Findings - Based on the cases, it is concluded that companies still use traditional criteria to select suppliers, such as quality and cost, and do not adopt environmental requirements in the supplier selection process in a uniform manner. Evidence found shows that the level of environmental management maturity influences the depth with which companies adopt environmental criteria when selecting suppliers. Thus, a company with more advanced environmental management adopts more formal procedures for selecting environmentally appropriate suppliers than others. Originality/value - This is the first known study to verify if Brazilian companies are adopting environmental requirements in the supplier selection process. © 2009 Emerald Group Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.

A study of e‐recruitment technology adoption in Malaysia

Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to examine the employed jobseekers' perceptions and behaviours of third‐party e‐recruitment technology adoption in Malaysia., – Using the validated modified Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) without the attitude construct as the core research framework and identifying Perceived Privacy Risk (PPR), Performance Expectancy (PE), Application‐Specific Self‐Efficacy (ASSE), and Perceived Stress (PS) as key external variables that form the research model for the study of e‐recruitment technology adoption., – The results identify few key determinants to this technology adoption. Moreover, the weak evidence of the behavioural intention indicates that e‐recruitment has not replaced some of the conventional recruitment methods., – The study implies that the third party e‐recruiters' policy makers and human resources practitioners need to improve the e‐recruitment system and services to attract these “passive” talented groups of candidates for employment., – The paper provides an insight for human resources practitioners on the effective use of third‐party e‐recruitment service provider and the strategy to attract employed jobseekers for employment.

Knowledge management enablers and outcomes in the small‐and‐medium sized enterprises

Abstract: – This paper attempts to accomplish the following aims: first, identify the preliminary knowledge management (KM) critical success factors (CSFs) or enablers that need to be concentrated by small‐and‐medium sized enterprises (SMEs) before launching a full‐scale KM initiative. Second, develop a conceptual research model which comprises both CSFs and outcomes. Finally, empirically assess the relationships between CSFs and performance outcomes in SMEs., – The approach of this study consists of two phases: first, development of a conceptual model based on the literature. Second, an empirical evaluation of the validity of the conceptual model. This phase is carried out by developing a survey instrument comprising 16 factors. Then, through a postal survey, data are collected from SMEs in Saudi Arabia in order to investigate the relationships between KM CSFs and outcomes., – The survey instrument is shown to be both reliable and valid. Pertinent statistical analyses are then performed. The overall results from the empirical assessment were positive, thus reflecting the appropriateness of the proposed CSFs and outcomes., – The current findings of this research study may indicate some limitations. Although this study shows that CSFs may enhance an organization's capability to manage knowledge effectively and in return achieve better outcomes, the findings of this study are the results of a “snapshot” survey that do not take into account the feedback effects. Hence, further researching such as longitudinal studies into the relationships between CSFs and outcomes in SMEs to further validate the conceptual model is needed., – The set of CSFs proposed is in itself important because it can act as a list of items for SMEs to address and deal with when adopting KM. This helps to ensure that essential issues and factors are covered during implementation of KM. Later, it can provide a basis for them to systematically evaluate their KM practices. For academics, this study provides insights into the relationships between KM efforts and outcomes., – This study is probably one of the first to systematically determine the CSFs for KM implementation and comprehensively explain the criteria for measuring KM efforts in SMEs. It offers valuable information, which will encourage SMEs to practice KM from the right perspective in order to reap outcomes from KM initiatives.

The value of B2B relationships

Abstract: – The purpose of the paper is to contribute to the knowledge of how relationship value, trust, commitment, satisfaction and loyalty intentions are defined and relate to each other It explores these relationships in the business‐to‐business (B2B) context by analysing manufacturing companies regarding to their main supplier, – After the literature review and several in‐depth interviews, a method of empirical analysis consisting of quantitative intervention with an ad hoc survey using a structured questionnaire has been developed Structural equations modeling is used to contrast the hypotheses on the links between the constructs analysed, – Confirmatory factor analysis provided satisfactory results With regard to the direct effects of the relationship value, the three relationships being considered were verified: relationship value has a positive influence on trust, commitment and satisfaction towards the supplier Also, and as already contrasted in previous studies, trust has a direct, positive effect on commitment In addition, and regarding to loyalty antecedents, data did not confirm that greater trust would increase loyalty but commitment did, leading to the conclusion that the effect of trust on loyalty is only indirect through the effect it has on commitment Loyalty was also positively affected by satisfaction with the supplier, – Limitations of this paper open lines for future research First, it considers that future research could include other variables affecting long‐term relationships Second, longitudinal studies could serve to enrich the results and illustrate the complexity of the direction in the links among the variables and take into account dynamics Third, a customer's perspective in the perception of value has been adopted in this paper Finally, relationship value has been operationalised as reflective and a formative approach could be adopted Implications for managers are in line with the detected importance of satisfaction and commitment as key factors because of their impact on intention to continue and expand business with the supplier Moreover, manufacturers should recognize the role of assessing and building relationship value with their partners as it has an impact – direct or indirect – on intentions to stay in the relationship, – In comparison, far less research has been done in the area of relationship value This paper emphasizes the role of perceived relationship value in relationship B2B marketing studies providing a model and contributing to relationship management

The role of partnership in supply chain performance

Abstract: – Supply chain management emphasizes collaborative relationships between buyers and suppliers within a supply chain. The purpose of this paper is to examine the antecedents of buyer‐supplier partnership and to explore its impact on the supply chain performance., – The proposed research model was tested via structural equation modeling analysis with survey data collected in October 2007 from 141 buyer‐supplier practitioners in South Korea., – The results of this study imply that both strategic and operational variables are perceived as crucial factors affecting the buyer‐supplier partnership; thus, this partnership relationship exerts an impact on supply chain performance., – This study provides researchers and practitioners with a more comprehensive understanding about the buyer‐supplier partnership in a supply chain context. Future research should focus on developing additional constructs that may capture other aspect of buyer‐supplier partnership., – The present study makes an empirical contribution by investigating an integrated framework focusing on the antecedents of buyer‐supplier partnership and its impact on supply chain performance.

How to develop a differentiated supply chain strategy

Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of supply chain (SC) design and operation by investigating how two case companies have developed and deployed differentiated SC strategies. This study primarily focuses on the operating part of the differentiated SC strategy, that is, how different manufacturing strategies – such as make‐to‐stock, assembly‐to‐order, and make‐to‐order – are used in contemporary manufacturing related SCs. However, this study also includes elements concerning supply and distribution parts., – This study employs a descriptive multiple case study approach. The case organizations originate from Sweden, but they have significant international presence. Empirical data have been collected mainly from in‐depth interviews with key persons representing senior and middle management in the case companies., – This research shows how two case companies have developed and deployed a differentiated SC strategy. The case study findings reveal that both the case companies already are employing several manufacturing strategies and also combine these with different distribution strategies. Up to now, the supply part of the differentiated SC strategy has been neglected but probably will be incorporated in the near future. This implies that one efficient way to develop a differentiated SC strategy could be to combine different supply, manufacturing and distribution strategies into various SC solutions. By combining relatively few strategies, it is possible to develop several differentiated SC solutions., – The research work is limited to Swedish companies, however, the case companies are in top three in their respective industries measured by sales, which provides ground for the generalization of the research., – This paper gives an insight to managers and practitioners in how to develop and deploy a differentiated SC strategy., – Several studies have discussed the appropriate SC strategy issue but failed to address the need to utilize several SC solutions concurrently. However, this paper contributes by discussing how to develop and deploy a differentiated SC strategy and how to manage these multiple SCs.

Enhancing performance through goal setting, engagement, and optimism

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships among goal setting, employee engagement, workplace optimism, and individual performance constructs. Goal setting is hypothesized as positively impacting employee engagement, employee engagement as positively impacting workplace optimism, and workplace optimism as positively impacting individual performance.Design/methodology/approach – Data collected from a sample of 426 full‐ and part‐time employees are analyzed following a structural equation modeling methodology.Findings – The measurement and structural models fit the data relatively well. Goal setting positively impacts employee engagement, employee engagement positively impacts optimism, and optimism positively impacts individual performance, as hypothesized.Research limitations/implications – Although data are collected from a relatively diverse group of respondents, the ability to generalize the findings is limited because the results are derived from a non‐random sample. All m...

Effect of management support, training, and user involvement on system usage and satisfaction in Kuwait

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the organizational factors and human motivations affecting information systems and information technology (IS/IT) usage and user's satisfaction in an Arabic country.Design/methodology/approach – The study develops a research model that links three organizational factors (top management support – TMS, availability of training, and user's involvement) to IS/IT usage and end‐user's satisfaction via the mediation of TAM beliefs (usefulness and ease‐of‐use) by 382 IS users. The model was examined through the LISREL.Findings – The results indicate that IS/IT usage and user satisfaction is largely influenced by perceived usefulness. Among the organizational factors, TMS was found to have the strongest effect on IS/IT usage and user's satisfaction, followed by availability of training and user involvement.Research limitations/implications – This study focuses on perceptions of respondents from public organizations who have had high experience with IS/IT. These...

Interactions between contingency, organizational IT factors, and ERP success

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of some organizational information technology (IT) factors (i.e. IT assets, employees' IT skills, IT resources, and satisfaction with legacy IT systems) and their interacting effects with two contingency factors (i.e. organization's size and structure) on enterprise resource planning (ERP) system success.Design/methodology/approach – Surveys were conducted in two European countries. Respondents came from diverse, private, and industrial organizations. Relevant hypotheses were developed and tested using a structural equation modeling technique.Findings – The analysis supported – partially or fully – six of the eight hypotheses formulated. For example, the data indicated strong positive relationships between IT assets and IT resources, on the one hand, and ERP success, on the other. Organization's size and structure were also found to be moderators in some of the relationships. Also, the analysis revealed that satisfaction with legacy IT systems i...

The role of structural capital on competitive intelligence

Abstract: – This paper aims to explore the role of structural‐organizational capital (or intelligence) in gathering, producing and transmitting competitive intelligence (CI) to enhance organization competitive advantage., – A questionnaire‐oriented survey covering 200 Iranian companies as samples was conducted to collect data for the study., – The findings indicate that the information systems (as the structural capital) and the content factors (as the organizational capital) of the structural‐organizational intelligence (SOI) are significantly related in attaining CI. The study also provides empirical evidence that attaining CI is positively related to organization competitive advantage., – First, the companies chosen for the study were mainly large companies. Thus, the results may not be applicable to smaller companies; second, this survey was limited to one country (Iran); third, 40 percent of the respondents were from state companies, which because of using state budget and being active at the monopolistic markets inside the country might be a negative effect on the amount of using SOI., – Future studies might be extended to analyzing the relationship among other factors of intellectual capital and CI and should seek to utilize multiple respondents from multinational companies to enhance the research findings., – The paper provides some of the very first insights into development of structural capital concept and its effects on organization. Previous studies were independent of structural‐organizational capital (intelligence). This study aims to fill that gap by studying downstream impact of SOI application on both the admission of CI information and organization competitive advantage.

Surfacing ERP exploitation risks through a risk ontology

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a risk identification checklist for facilitating user companies to surface, organise and manage potential risks associated with the post‐adoption of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.Design/methodology/approach – A desktop study, based on the process of a critical literature review, is conducted by the researchers. The critical review focuses on information systems and business research papers, books, case studies and theoretical articles, etc.Findings – By systematically and critically analysing and synthesising the literature review, the researchers identify and propose a total of 40 ERP post‐implementation risks related to diverse operational, analytical, organisation‐wide and technical aspects. A risk ontology is subsequently established to highlight these ERP risks, as well as to present their potential causal relationships.Research limitations/implications – For researchers, the established ERP risk ontology represents a starting point for f...

Service innovation through dynamic knowledge management

Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a study on the management of intellectual capital in Fortune Motors. It intends to highlight how an automobile service firm apply dynamic knowledge management concept to create new service processes which resulted in breaking through the bottleneck of profit loss., – The study is based on an in‐depth case study, semi‐structured interviews and extensive access to the secondary data on the firm. A qualitative approach was used to analyze the data due to the complexity of contextual content., – The proposed model has been validated and found that dynamic capabilities could enhance knowledge management by linking external resources or stimuli and internal knowledge management practices. Empirical evidence has also been provided on how a firm can apply dynamic capabilities to its knowledge management to substantiate service innovation., – Further studies verifying the linkage between knowledge management and specific capabilities can be extended from this study., – The proposed model provides a guideline for practitioners in managing their valuable knowledge and enhancing the existing knowledge management practices., – This paper identifies a gap in the linkage between knowledge management and constant environmental changes that has been overlooked. To narrow down this research gap, a model of a cyclical flow has been proposed containing processes of integration/coordination, learning/experimentation and innovation and transformation.

Performance measurement: roles and challenges

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the past and present practices, and the future roles of performance measurement in the Thai public sector. It is part of a transformation effort initiated by the Office of the Public Sector Development Commission (OPDC) on m‐government – more mobile, responsive, and flexible government. The paper also aims to identify possible roadblocks from successfully integrating performance measurement into a management process.Design/methodology/approach – In‐depth interviews with 12 executives and top administrators from private firms and public agencies, and document reviews are performed. The analysis on the participants' opinions is based on the applications of the grounded theory. The interview's findings are verified with document reviews. The roadblocks are identified and substantiated by two experts.Findings – For past and present practices, performance measurement is part of management tool and responsibility, a quality management system, and a learning org...

A classification model of ERP system data quality

Abstract: Purpose – In literature, there is not agreement on the relevant data quality dimensions in an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system context. The purpose of this paper is to provide some clarification of this topic, by answering two important questions: What are the most relevant dimensions for assessing ERP data quality? What are the causal relationships between these data quality dimensions?Design/methodology/approach – Based on a discussion of existing literature on data quality, a classification model of ERP system data quality is proposed and the relationships between the defined categories of data quality dimensions are defined. The validity of the classification model and the relationships between categories of data quality dimensions are investigated in three case studies.Findings – The three case studies confirm that the classification model captures the most important aspects of describing ERP data quality and that the defined causalities between categories of data quality dimensions correspo...

What are real problems in enterprise system adoption

Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to understand the nature of the difficulties experienced during enterprise system (ES) adoption. More specifically, this paper aims to investigate interrelations between these difficulties and therefore identify the source difficulties that cause other problems., – The research methodology is based on grounded theory approach and draws from the experience of a few dozen ES adopters. Interviews with ES practitioners are conducted and open coding procedure is applied during the process of data gathering. Next, axial coding is used to verify problem categories and subcategories. Finally, causal mapping analysis is performed in order to reveal interrelations among difficulties and elicit source problems., – The results suggest causal relationship among various problem categories and reveal seven source difficulties in ES implementation: knowledge of employees holding various positions in the adopter organisations' hierarchy, changes in the enterprise occurring during ES adoption, finance, enterprise structure, information technology (IT) infrastructure, data import and legacy systems, and training schedule., – The need for further research in order to incorporate multiple stakeholder view, project phase, and success measure., – The results may help practitioners in reaching the problems' source and thus facilitate overcoming the actual problems rather than ineffectively struggling with their symptoms. As a result, practitioners may better anticipate possible problems and assess potential threats to their projects., – This study gives insight into the actual problems experienced by ES adopters. It also identifies the real problems encountered during ES implementation as well as the other problems that occur as a result of these source difficulties.

Does total quality management reduce employees' role conflict?

Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to examine the total quality management (TQM) practices of both manufacturing and service firms in order to determine the relationship between the multidimensionality of TQM practices and role conflict of employees., – Questionnaires are distributed to 433 employees of 98 different firms from manufacturing and service industries in Malaysia., – The results support significant negative correlation among all TQM practices (i.e. leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, human resource focus, process management and information analysis) and role conflict. By employing multiple regression analysis, leadership, process management and information analysis are found to have significant and negative relationship with role conflict. Human resource focus is reported to have a significant and positive relationship with role conflict., – This model is ideal for practical usage by managers to evaluate the perceptions of role conflict of employees in TQM‐oriented firms. The findings suggest that firms should look into ways of developing the major roles of leadership and process management as well as improving efficient use of information analysis in order to reduce the detrimental role conflict of employees. This finding may also help administrators and individuals to attain a fine‐grained understanding of different dimensions of TQM in relation to role conflict., – TQM practices appear to be related to role conflict, addressing an apparent noticeable gap in the literature of TQM and the psychological well‐being of employees. This paper also lays the foundation for formation of a theoretically based model which integrates the elements of TQM and role conflict.

Mobile internet and SMEs: a focus on the adoption

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focus on the adoption of business to employee (B2e) mobile internet (MI) applications in Italian small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The purpose is twofold: to analyze the diffusion of these applications underlining the main adoption barriers and to describe the impact on the corporate environment and the decision‐making process leading to the introduction of B2e MI applications.Design/methodology/approach – The diffusion of mobile solutions is gauged through a survey of 646 Italian SMEs in the manufacturing industry. Multiple case studies of 28 Italian SMEs that have adopted 33 B2e MI applications have given insight into the impact and the adoption process of such technologies.Findings – The adoption of MI technologies is still limited in Italian SMEs. Two different kinds of solutions (classified into connectivity‐based and application‐based) lead to different processes of adoption.Research limitations/implications – The study has been conducted only in an Itali...

Demand chain management: a Swedish industrial case study

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to increase the understanding of demand chain management (DCM) by investigating how it has been structured and executed in an international manufacturing companyDesign/methodology/approach – The main emphasis has been on producing descriptive results and the applied research strategy has been an embedded single case study The case organization originates from Sweden, but it has significant international presence Empirical data have been collected mainly from in‐depth interviews with key persons representing senior management in the case companyFindings – This research shows that DCM is about developing synergies between the demand creation and the demand fulfillment processes A completely implemented DCM approach should incorporate all the major demand creation and fulfillment processes This kind of fully implemented approach probably does not exist in real life today but some companies have started to develop versions including some of the major processes, and

Determinants of success in open source software networks

Abstract: Purpose – Open source software (OSS) products have rapidly acquired a notable importance in the last years among consumers and firms all over the world. They are mostly developed and distributed through online social networks thanks to the voluntary and collaborative actions of their members. However, their innovation and development has to face up the existence of free‐riders which can benefit from the knowledge developed in the online social network. This paper aims to understand the factors that moderate the opportunistic behaviour in OSS development and distribution, which will help to correctly manage the OSS innovations.Design/methodology/approach – The influence of reputation on members' satisfaction and participation intentions in OSS online social networks are measured. Additionally, the impact of being an active and satisfied member on his/her commitment and intention to use the OSS products are studied. After the validation of measurement scales the hypotheses are contrasted with structural mod...

RFID‐based intra‐supply chain in textile industry

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe the design of a radio frequency identification (RFID)‐based intra‐supply chain (intra‐SC) system to facilitate coordination and integration of supply chain functions and activities, thus eventually enhancing the overall performance of a supply chain.Design/methodology/approach – The architecture of the proposed RFID‐based intra‐SC system is designed specifically for a chain made up of a fiber producer, fiber dyeing producer, yarn spinning producer, knitting and finishing producer, distributor, and a textile retailer.Findings – Compared with the traditional approach, operational time, costs, lead time, and accuracy of inventory holding and of cycle time operations are noticeably improved.Practical implications – The proposed RFID‐based intra‐SC system is implemented for trial at a distribution warehouse in Zhuhai, China. It is of benefit to the manufacturer who is able to seek obsolete stock effectively and capture real‐time data automatically.Originality/...

ERP user satisfaction issues: insights from a Greek industrial giant

Abstract: – Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are sophisticated information technologies (ITs) that enable companies to gain noticeable advantages over their rivals. However, these systems are neither a panacea to competition, nor a medium guaranteeing success. Neglecting a number of important factors in ERP systems implementation might very easily lead to failure instead of success. User satisfaction issues are among those factors that have a semantic impact on ERP systems' success. In this direction, this paper aims to examine the key factors that constitute ERP users' satisfaction and to explore whether ERP users' satisfaction varies among different users' profiles., – An instrument is constructed based mainly on previous ERP users' satisfaction studies. The instrument is then provided to a sample of 68 users within a Greek energy supply organization and also a personal interview is conducted with the chief information officer. Exploratory factor analysis, multiple regression analysis, and statistical inference tests are employed in order to test the research hypotheses., – The results indicate that three main components affect the level of satisfaction of an ERP user: “interaction with the IT department,” “pre‐implementation processes,” and “ERP product and adaptability.” Furthermore, a different satisfaction level has been traced among users from different departments., – This paper presents substantive evidence regarding ERP user satisfaction constituents and further suggests appropriate practices to better manage various behavioral aspects of ERP systems.

Supplier selection under uncertainty: a switching options perspective

Abstract: – The purpose of this paper is to analyze supplier selection from an economic perspective. The conventional view of cost benefit analysis is that the cost dimension is static, and companies are urged to pursue the lowest bid price when choosing suppliers. However, this perspective does not consider uncertainty, which is an important characteristic of supply chains. To overcome this shortcoming, a model is proposed that views supplier selection under uncertainty., – The study proposes a model that analyzes supplier selection from an economic standpoint based on the switching options approach., – The results show that, contrary to the conventional wisdom, the buyer's choice of supplier makes a significant difference under conditions of uncertainty, and naively accepting the lowest bid price is not necessarily the best option., – The study extends the literature by quantifying previous studies of the buyer‐supplier relationship. This enhances understanding by quantifying the relationship under conditions of uncertainty, a topic that has been largely ignored by previous works., – The economic perspective, which considers uncertainty, helps managers examine their supply chain relationships in depth when choosing suppliers. In addition, this study could also help buyers access alternative supply chain partners. Managers can make the calculations easily by using Microsoft Excel software., – The paper presents an original discussion about viewing supplier selection from the switching options perspective. The modeling and analysis of switching options help managers better understand the supplier selection process from an economic perspective, and improve competitiveness by helping them to make appropriate decisions.