Showing papers in "Journal of Enterprise Information Management in 2018"

Knowledge sharing in higher education institutions: a systematic review

Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to help in providing a better understanding on knowledge sharing amongst academics in higher education institutions (HEIs). The aim of this study is realized by profiling existing literature to understand the determinants of knowledge sharing, research trends, theories, and future research opportunities. Design/methodology/approach After carefully examining the extant literature and by utilizing relevant academic-based research databases, a total of 73 papers published in peer-reviewed journals over the last decade were reviewed and analyzed using well-established systematic literature review methodology. Findings The adopted systematic review revealed that there are limited contributions in understanding knowledge sharing in HEIs when compared with other sectors. The review provides a number of avenues for future research including technological, cultural, organizational, and behavioral aspects at different levels. Practical implications This study helps in offering a focal point to senior management in HEIs for realizing the requirements for developing appropriate strategies and programs to promote knowledge sharing among academics and consequently enhance their institutions’ performance. Originality/value This study utilized Jesson et al. (2011) in presenting a comprehensive systematic review of knowledge sharing specifically in the context of HEIs. This paper offers some theoretical and practical insights on what contributes toward understating the determinates affecting knowledge sharing practices among academics.

A consumer behavioural approach to food waste

Abstract: Purpose Food waste occurs in every stage of the supply chain, but the value-added lost to waste is the highest when consumers waste food. The purpose of this paper is to understand the food waste behaviour of consumers to support policies for minimising food waste. Design/methodology/approach Using the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) as a theoretical lens, the authors design a questionnaire that incorporates contextual factors to explain food waste behaviour. The authors test two models: base (four constructs of TPB) and extended (four constructs of TPB plus six contextual factors). The authors build partial least squares structural equation models to test the hypotheses. Findings The data confirm significant relationships between food waste and contextual factors such as motives, financial attitudes, planning routines, food surplus, social relationships and Ramadan. Research limitations/implications The data comes from an agriculturally resource-constrained country: Qatar. Practical implications Food waste originating from various causes means more food should flow through the supply chains to reach consumers’ homes. Contextual factors identified in this work increase the explanatory power of the base model by 75 per cent. Social implications Changing eating habits during certain periods of the year and food surplus have a strong impact on food waste behaviour. Originality/value A country is considered to be food secure if it can provide its citizens with stable access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food. The findings and conclusions inform and impact upon the development of food waste and food security policies.

Supply chain collaboration and firm’s performance: The critical role of information sharing and trust

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to identify and assess the interrelationships between various characteristics of information sharing and trust and their criticality for effective information-centred supply chain collaboration initiatives and, in turn, its criticality to overall firm’s performance.,A survey of 189 executives from different firms was conducted and the resulting data were analysed to investigate how collaboration enablers affect effective collaboration and to determine its impacts on organisational performance. Structural equation modelling through partial least squares is used to study the relationships between four enablers (trust, information readiness, information accuracy and information security), perceived collaboration success, and two outcomes (sales growth and overall operational performance).,The empirical results indicate that three collaboration enablers including trust, information readiness and secure sharing of information improve supply chain collaboration. The present study finds that “secure sharing of information” was the most important factor in fostering information sharing-centred collaboration. The present study also demonstrates that effective collaboration positively and significantly influences on firm’s performance.,This study provides researchers and practitioners with a more comprehensive understanding about the information sharing-centred collaboration, its enablers and effects on firms’ performance in a supply chain context. Future research should focus on developing additional constructs that may capture other drivers of effective collaboration.,The present study makes an empirical contribution to the body of knowledge by investigating an integrated framework focussing on the enablers of collaboration through information sharing and its impact on firms’ performance.

Analyzing Workforce 4.0 in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and proposing a road map from operations management perspective with fuzzy DEMATEL

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to present a structural competency model; second, to remark new criteria for personnel selection in Industry 4.0 environment; and third, to contribute to the operations management literature by focusing on recruitment process in Industry 4.0 environment and supporting human resources activities with Industry 4.0 related criteria and point out a new research field in Industry 4.0.,Fuzzy DEMATEL has been used in the implementation. The study is conducted in a high-tech firm, which has started to modify its processes according to Industry 4.0, and introduces a new specific department that is responsible of this transformation. In total, 11 personnel selection criteria were presented and then assessed by experts through a fuzzy linguistic scale. Both importance order and causal relation between criteria are presented at the end of the study.,According to the results, the most important criteria in the selected firm are the ability of dealing with complexity and problem solving, thinking in overlapping process, and flexibility to adapt new roles and work environments. While cause group includes criteria such as knowledge on IT and production technologies, awareness of IT security and data protection, and ability of fault and error recovery, effect group includes flexibility to adapt new roles and work environments, organizational and processual understanding, and the ability to interact with modern interfaces.,Analytical thinking and system approach are the key topics for new supporting personnel selection criteria, which lead to the need for the skills and qualifications in decision making and process management. Results of the cause group criteria also indicate the importance of technical abilities such as coding, IT security and human-machine interfaces. On the other hand, effect group of the study emphasizes on the flexibility and interdisciplinary working structure that suggests the suitability of matrix organization in the companies which follow the Industry 4.0 trends. Moreover, team work comes forward as another key concept for organizations transforming to Industry 4.0.,The originality of this study appears on modeling of a competency structural model for Workforce 4.0 which is proposed as a road map, including the suggested set of related criteria and the fuzzy MCDM-based methodology for companies which alter their organizations according to Industry 4.0.

Pythagorean fuzzy CODAS and its application to supplier selection in a manufacturing firm

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to develop the Pythagorean fuzzy extension of CODAS method.,Supplier selection is a critical issue for manufacturing companies since it is a multidimensional problem including several conflicting criteria. A suitable multi criteria decision making (MCDM) method that could consider vagueness and impreciseness in the assessments should be used for this kind of problems. Pythagorean fuzzy sets (PFSs) are characterized by a membership degree and a non-membership degree satisfying the condition that their square sum is equal to or less than 1. PFSs extend the concept of intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IFSs). COmbinative Distance-based Assessment (CODAS) method is relatively a new MCDM technique introduced by Keshavarz Ghorabaee et al. (2016).,Pythagorean fuzzy CODAS gives better results than ordinary fuzzy CODAS since it considers the hesitancy of decision makers and presents a larger space for membership and non-membership definition.,The value of this paper is the proposal of a new method to use for the solutions of MCDM problems under vagueness and impreciseness. To show validity and effectiveness of the proposed method, an application to the supplier selection problem is given.

Understanding social media advertising effect on consumers’ responses: An empirical investigation of tourism advertising on Facebook

Abstract: This study aims to deepen the current understanding of social media advertising by using the Ducoffe’s advertising value model. The purpose of this paper is to examine the antecedents of advertising value and its consequences on consumers’ attitude and behavior in the specific context of tourism advertising on Facebook.,Survey was conducted on a quota sample of 352 Tunisian Facebook users. Web-based questionnaires were used to collect the data which was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.,Findings indicate that there is a significant relationship between informativeness, entertainment, credibility and social media advertising value. This positive value will affect favorably consumers’ attitude toward social media advertising and their behavioral responses. The moderator effect of corporate reputation was also confirmed in this relationship.,Tourism marketers should focus not only on developing information-rich and entertaining social media advertisements but also a credible content of the ads. Furthermore, Facebook should be systematically integrated by tourism practitioners in their communication strategy as it affects the attitude and consequently the behavior of the consumers especially when the company using social media advertising has a good corporate reputation.,In the tourism context, the effectiveness of social media advertising remains little known to practitioners and scholars despite the frequent use of social media by tourism customers and companies in recent years. So, this research study contributes to a better understanding of the use of social media advertising on Facebook regarding tourism products and services.

Predicting changing pattern: building model for consumer decision making in digital market

Abstract: Consumers have the multiple options to choose their products and services, which have a significant impact on the pattern of consumer decision making in digital market and further increases the challenges for the service providers to predict their buying pattern. In this sense, the purpose of this paper is to propose a structural hierarchy model for analyzing the changing pattern of consumer decision making in digital market by taking an Indian context.,To accomplish the objectives, the research is conducted in two phases. An extensive literature review is performed in the first phase to list the factors related to the changing pattern of consumer decision making in digital market and then fuzzy Delphi method is applied to finalize the factors. In the second phase, fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is employed to find the priority weights of finalized factors. The fuzzy set theory allows capturing the vagueness in the data.,The findings obtained in this study shows that consumers are much conscious about innovative and trendy products as well as brand and quality; therefore, the service providers must think about these two most important factors so that they can able to retain their consumer in their online portal.,The analysis shows that “innovative and trendy” is the first priority factor for the consumers followed by “brand and quality” and “fulfilment and time energy.” The proposed model can help the marketers and service providers in predicting customers’ preferences and their changing pattern efficiently under vague surroundings. The outcomes of this research work not only help the service provider to update their products and services according to consumers’ needs but can also help them to increase profit and minimize their risk.,This work contributes to consumer research literature focusing on problem evaluation in the context of changing pattern of consumer decision making in digital era.

Examining information and communication technology (ICT) adoption in SMEs: A dynamic capabilities approach

Abstract: Since the 1980s, a substantial number of theories have contributed extensively to information and communication technology (ICT) adoption. Much of such theories regarded ICT adoption as a one-off action as they specifically focus on factors affecting decision making at one decision point. They tend to play down on the fact that as adoption decision progresses through stages, they are supposedly influenced by the same or different factors. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the dynamic process of ICT adoption using the concepts of dynamic capabilities.,This study used qualitative approach to gain in-depth insight into the dynamic and evolutionary process of emerging information and communication technology (EICT) adoption in UK small service SMEs. Unstructured and semi-structured interviews were conducted in two separate rounds with 26 participants drawn from Crunch Online Data Base and Luton Business Directory. The participants were selected from a sample of 65 drawn from extended classification of professional service businesses proposed by Ramsey et al. (2008). They include managers, government agencies, SMEs consultants and IT vendors; and then purposeful random sampling and snowball sampling were used.,The study developed a framework from the concept of dynamic capabilities and found that using the concept of dynamic capabilities to examine the process of EICT adoption helps to unveil the recursive nature of the process and how the factors vary at both single and multiple stages of adoption.,This study is limited by its focus and other factors. Studying the opinions of small service UK SMEs limits the power of generalizing the identified causal relationships; therefore, extended measures are required on accounts of environmental, cultural, geographical and sectoral differences. While some errors seemed unavoidable when measures appear subjective and prone to common error biases, the study advised on recognizing the over-riding influence of the factor(s) at each stage of the adoption process in order to be proactive in committing resources.,This work focuses on emerging ICT adoption in SMEs from the dynamic and evolutionary process perspective using the concept of dynamic capability. It advances ICT adoption research by developing a framework to depict that ICT is not a one-off event, rather it is dynamic and interactive in nature and factors influencing adoption vary from one stage or the other.

The effect of supply chain information management and information system infrastructure: The mediating role of supply chain integration towards manufacturing performance in Malaysia

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to explain the relationship between supply chain information management, supply chain information system (IS) infrastructure, supply chain integration and the manufacturing performance of firms in manufacturing industry in Malaysia. Therefore, the study addresses a gap in research concerning the effect of supply chain information practices toward manufacturing performance.,The research design for this study employed the quantitative method using survey questionnaires that have been developed based on a thorough and detailed analysis of the relevant literature. Based on a sample consist of 248 usable data, mediated multiple regression analysis was used to examine the research model.,The findings indicate that supply chain integration fully mediates the relationship between supply chain information management and supply chain information system infrastructure (ISI) toward manufacturing performance.,This research is limited to a particular sample: i.e. electrical and electronics manufacturing firms in Peninsular Malaysia. Thus, the results need to be generalized to encompass wider samples.,Organizations interest in making all members in their supply chain to communicate using information network to support managers in better decision making while adopting more enhanced information management and system infrastructure. As a plus, it helps in integrating various internal and external value chain processes across manufacturing firms in the organization’s supply chain network. As result, manufacturing firms could improve their performance in the long run.,The originality of this study lies in employing a newly developed framework-based existing theoretical argument to examine the effectiveness of supply chain information management and system infrastructure with an improved influence from supply chain integration toward the manufacturing performance.

The effects of using social network sites on academic performance: the case of Qatar

Abstract: Social network sites (SNSs) have been common applications attracting a large number of users in Qatar. Current literature remains inconclusive about the relationship between SNS usage and users’ academic performance. While one stream confirms that SNS usage may lead to addiction and seriously affect individuals’ academic performance, other studies refer to SNS as learning enablers. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, it investigates the SNS usage profiles among the young generation in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) represented by Qatar; second, it examines the relationship between the identified SNS usage profiles and their respective users’ academic performance.,The study follows a quantitative survey-based method that was adapted from Chen’s internet Addiction Scale to fit the context of social networks. Data were collected from students of two universities in Qatar, one private and another public. Respondents’ grade point average was also collected and compared across the different usage profiles to understand how SNS usage behavior affects academic performance.,Results reveal that there is no linear relationship between SNS usage and academic performance. Therefore, this study further investigates SNS usage profiles and identifies three groups: passive (low usage), engaged (normal usage) and addicted (high usage). It was found that engaged users demonstrate significantly higher academic performance than their passive and addicted peers. Moreover, there is no significant difference in the academic performance between passive and addicted users.,This study is cross-sectional and based on self-reported data collected from university students in Qatar. Further research venues could employ a more general sample covering a longer period, differentiating between messaging tools (e.g. WhatsApp) and other pure SNS (e.g. Twitter), and to cover other aspects than just academic performance.,This study complements research efforts on the influence of technology on individuals and on the society in the GCC area. It concludes that engaged SNS users achieve better academic performance than the addicted or passive users. Contradicting the strong linear relationship between SNS and performance, as claimed by previous studies, is the main originality of this paper.

Data governance activities: a comparison between scientific and practice-oriented literature

Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the current literature on data governance in scientific and practice-oriented publications, and to provide a comparative analysis of the activities reported for data governance. Data have become a key organisational asset and data governance both a necessary and critical activity. Design/methodology/approach A comprehensive literature review is conducted in order to identify the published material that reflects the current state of knowledge. A systematic procedure was followed that identified 61 publications that explicitly mention data governance activities. Open coding techniques were applied to conduct content analysis, resulting in the identification of 591 concepts. A critical analysis also identified gaps in the literature. Findings The analysis identified 120 data governance activities which are understood as: “action” plus “area of governance” plus “decision domain” (e.g. define data policies for data quality). The authors define and present a data governance activities model based on the analysis. The analysis also shows a higher volume of data governance activities reported by practice-oriented publications that are associated with the “implement” and “monitor” actions of the areas of governance across the decision domains compared with scientific publications, whereas The authors found that the scientific publications focus more on defining activities. The results contribute to identifying research gaps and concerns on which ongoing and future research efforts can be focused. Research limitations/implications This paper is of interest to both academics and practitioners, as it helps them understand the activities associated with a data governance programme. Current literature fails to provide a comprehensive understanding of the data governance activities that are required when considering a data governance programme. Therefore, the proposed model for data governance activities can be used to give insights into these activities. Originality/value To the knowledge of the authors, this study is the first to explicitly consider data governance activities from both an academic and practice-oriented perspective.

Stochastic AHP and fuzzy VIKOR approach for warehouse location selection problem

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to develop a stochastic multi-criteria decision-making approach to solute the warehouse location problem in the stochastic environment which contains uncertain condition.,In developed approach, the weight of criteria was calculated by using the stochastic analytic hierarchy process (SAHP) method. Alternative ranking was made and evaluated by fuzzy VIKOR (VlseKriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje).,This study dealt with warehouse location selection problem of a supermarket that has sellers in many regions in Turkey and selected proper warehouse.,This study combined SAHP and fuzzy VIKOR methods as a solution approach for warehouse location selection problems.

What drives cloud ERP continuance? An integrated view

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to explore the key antecedents of organizational users’ continuance intention of cloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) by the integration of constructs from the expectation–confirmation model (ECM), technology acceptance model (TAM), theory of planned behavior (TPB), task-technology fit and TAM2.,Sample data for this study were collected from end users of cloud ERP working in companies in Taiwan. A total of 560 questionnaires were distributed in the 56 sample companies, and 395 (70.5 percent) usable questionnaires were analyzed using structural equation modeling in this study.,Findings show that while compatibility and output quality are key antecedents of confirmation of expectations toward cloud ERP, compatibility still reveals overwhelming and more indirect impacts on users’ continuance intention of cloud ERP than output quality because output quality has significant but evidently lesser effects on perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use than compatibility.,First, this study contributes to the identification of compatibility and output quality that may reveal deep insights to the task-related factors in understanding users’ cloud ERP continuance greatly driven by their confirmation of expectations toward cloud ERP. Next, the empirical evidence on capturing the ECM, TAM and TPB for completely explaining the antecedents of users’ continued cloud ERP usage intention is well documented. Hence, this study’s findings have significantly shed light on the possible formulation of a richer post-adoption model.

A GIS-based interval type-2 fuzzy set for public bread factory site selection

Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a new public bread factory location selection for Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM) Design/methodology/approach A two-stage methodology is proposed to determine the location for the public bread factory facility This framework is based on both geographic information systems (GIS) and multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques The first stage of the methodology aims to decrease the number of possible alternative locations to simplify the selection activity by applying GIS; the second stage utilises interval type-2 fuzzy MCDM approach to exactly determine the public bread factory site location Findings In this study, the authors present weighted normalised-based interval type-2 hesitant fuzzy and interval type-2 hesitant fuzzy sets (IT2HFSs)-based compressed proportional assessment (COPRAS) methods to overcome facility location selection problem for a fourth public bread factory in Istanbul Practical implications The results show that the proposed approach is practical and can be employed by the bakery industry Originality/value In this study, the authors present a two-stage methodology for public bread factory site selection In the first stage, the number of alternatives is reduced by the GIS In the second stage, an interval type-2 fuzzy set is implemented for the evaluation of public bakery factory site alternatives A new integrated approach based on COPRAS method and weighted normalised with IT2HFSs is proposed

Prioritization of production strategies of a manufacturing plant by using an integrated intuitionistic fuzzy AHP & TOPSIS approach

Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to find most appropriate production strategy for a manufacturing plant by using an integrated interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy (IVIF) analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) approach. Design/methodology/approach The applied methodology is a multi-criteria decision making approach consists of AHP and TOPSIS methods with the extension of intuitionistic fuzzy sets. Findings Results of the application are revealed that using integrated IVIF-AHP & TOPSIS methods are very appropriate for the prioritization of the strategy for the production management for a manufacturing plant. This outcome also is supported by the sensitivity analysis. Results of the sensitivity analysis demonstrate the robustness of the methodology. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, an integrated IVIF-AHP & TOPSIS methodology is used for the prioritization of production strategies for the first time.

A collaborative agent based green IS practice assessment tool for environmental sustainability attainment in enterprise data centers

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to develop a collaborative agent-based web architecture and an agent-based green IS assessment tool to aid information technology (IT) practitioners in data centers assess their current green information systems (IS) practice toward attaining sustainability.,The methodology comprises that the collaborative agent-based web architecture, agents’ algorithm and the green IS assessment tool, which is validated by employing focus group questionnaire targeting IT practitioners in seven Malaysian-based enterprises that have an in-house data centers. With 105 valid samples at hand, descriptive analysis and exploratory factor analysis was utilized to determine the applicability of the implemented agent-based green IS assessment tool.,Findings reveal that the agent-based green IS assessment tool possesses the capability to evaluate benchmark and rate enterprise data centers current green IS practice. Additional findings indicate that the agent-based green IS assessment tool provide suggestions on how green IS practice can be improved in enterprise data centers.,This study only collected data from 105 IT practitioners in enterprise data centers based in Malaysia; as such results from this research cannot be generalized to other countries. Moreover, the developed collaborative agents for green IS practice assessment can only be fully deployed after domain experts has added green IS practice assessment questions and alternative answers.,This study presents an autonomous agent-based green IS assessment tool that supports the assessment of enterprise toward inclusion of sustainability considerations to enhance enterprise environmental performance.,This study provides empirical evidence for data centers efficacy leading toward a greener society for environmental conservation for future generations to come.,This study creates awareness by presenting the green IS practice to be implemented by IT practitioners in data centers. In addition, the agent-based green IS assessment tool provides a web-based platform for promoting environmental sustainability by supporting data centers toward evaluating, benchmarking and rating their current green IS practices.

Factors influencing e-HRM implementation in government organisations: Case studies from Bangladesh.

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the factors influencing the implementation of electronic human resource management (e-HRM) in Bangladesh government organisations. Recent research evidence has shown that e-HRM played a significant role in enhancing the performance of human resource (HR) departments in private sector organisations. While similar practices are expected from government domain, there is no empirical research evidence to support this proposition. Given the significant technological advancements today, e-HRM as a strategic tool has grown to encompass seamless functionality to support organisations in providing tactical capability, reducing cost and continuous service improvement as well as the quality of service delivery. Although several private and public sector organisations have implemented e-HRM, its application within government domain in developing regions is limited. This can be attributed to the bureaucratic nature of public sector organisation, which are often slow to adopt changes.,The study adopts a qualitative and multiple case study research approach.,The findings provide insights into the myth surrounding the lack of and slow implementation of e-HRM among public sector organisation in developing economies but also serve as empirical data for further research.,The low level in the number of public organisations that have implemented e-HRM applications in developing countries may be responsible for the dearth of empirical studies in this area. The dearth of empirical studies and the need to understand the factors that influence the implementation of e-HRM in public sector organisations led the authors to investigate the factors influencing the implementation of e-HRM in public sector organisation.,Findings from two case organisations exhibit that such an approach contributes towards more healthy and robust decisions for e-HRM implementation and specifies that it is acceptable by the case study organisations. The findings from this research can serve as a source of understanding the particular context in which the study was undertaken. Moreover, it should serve as a catalyst for understanding organisations in similar socio-politico and economic context.,This research advances and contributes to the body of knowledge as it examines factors influencing the implementation of e-HRM in Bangladesh public sector organisations and proposes a model for e-HRM implementation in government organisations in developing economies. The e-HRM implementation research presented in this paper extends recognised standards for e-HRM implementation, by bringing together influential factors – benefits, barriers and risks, thus, enabling government organisations in developing nations to produce more vigorous proposals for e-HRM implementation.

Workplace spirituality and employee commitment: The role of emotional intelligence and organisational citizenship behaviour in Indian organisations

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to provide an empirical investigation of workplace spirituality (WS) and employee commitment (EC). EC is presumed as a mindset which is generally influenced by spiritual culture and the prospective outcomes are in the form of sense of calling and sense of membership with one’s profession and organisation. Drawing on the proposition of Tepper’s (2003), organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB) was proposed as a mediator between spirituality and commitment. The study also tests whether emotional intelligence (EI) moderates the relations among them.,Data were collected from 761 executives working in Indian manufacturing and service organisations. SPSS 20.0 and AMOS 18.0 were used to analyse the data.,The results confirmed that an insignificant mediation of OCB and moderation of EI among WS and EC. However, WS is found to be a strong and consistent predictor of EC. The findings highlight the necessity of suitable HR intervention for instrumentalizing personal role-organisational goal fitment to create an engaging and committed workforce.,The study is among the few to empirically investigate the role of WS on employee commitment at work. The study is first of its kind to explore the mediating role of OCB and interactive role of EI at work in explaining the relationship between WS and EC.

CNC router selection for SMEs in woodwork manufacturing using hesitant fuzzy AHP method

Abstract: Despite being a low-tech industry, woodwork manufacturing industry that includes furniture and cabinet making, witnessed technological leaps in production technologies due to technical developments in computer numerical control (CNC) machining processes. The managers of this industry have attached high importance to the selection of efficient machines as their decisions directly affect the quality and performance of products produced by the firms. Improper selection process can result in a significant decrease in productivity and flexibility. Therefore, a systematic decision-making procedure is needed to prevent inaccurate investments on machines. The purpose of this paper is to purpose a hesitant fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (HFAHP) based multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) system for CNC router selection in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in woodwork manufacturing.,The study proposes a hierarchical model consisting of 4 main criteria and 11sub-criteria for woodwork manufacturing. Technical, personnel, economic and vendor aspects constitute the main criteria. Because of the hierarchical structure of the model, HFAHP is utilized to define the importance weights of the criteria, and to select the most appropriate CNC alternative for a manufacturing company under focus. In a selection procedure, the judgments of decision makers may have vagueness to specify the importance of criteria affecting the decision process. In the literature, the fuzzy set theory has been utilized to deal with such uncertainties. However, when the ideas of the managers have high potential to fall into contradiction in pairwise comparisons, a novel approach is needed to overcome the obstacles. HFAHP allows the membership degree having a set of possible values. It is specifically useful in compromised decisions where experts cannot agree on a single value and prefer to come up with an interval of linguistic variables.,It is revealed that for SMEs in woodwork manufacturing, the most important criterion in selecting the CNC routers is the technical aspects. It may seem counter intuitive that they do not refrain finding the technical criteria superior to the economic aspects, even though they have limited budgets compared to large-scale firms. This demonstrates that in current competitive environment, SMEs understand the need for high-quality production strategy. The weights of the remaining two criteria (personnel and vendor aspects) are relatively low because they expect that they can easily overcome the problem of adapting the workers by training, and all vendors have quality standard qualifications so they can offer a satisfactory service and supplementary systems.,The ready-to-use model proposed is specialized for SMEs in woodwork manufacturing. However, to make it an easily adaptable model for every company in the woodwork industry regardless of its size, the calculation process of the priority weights is illustrated in detail with a numerical example. Any company can follow the process using their own preferences to end up with a specific model that will perfectly reflect their own specific priorities. For demonstrating the application of the model, a case study is conducted in a woodwork manufacturing SME to select the best CNC router among three alternatives.,The originality and value of the paper is twofold. First, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that proposes a woodworking-specific CNC router selection for SMEs. Second, to handle the high uncertainty in the judgements, and to facilitate consensus among the experts during face to face meetings to develop compromised matrices, a very recently developed method, HFAHP is used.

Analysis of production planning in a global manufacturing company with process mining

Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the result of using process mining to model the production planning (PP) process of a manufacturing company that is supported by enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses event logs obtained from the case company’s ERP database. The steps for this research are planning process mining implementation, extraction and construction of event log, discovering process model with Heuristic Miner and analysis. Findings Process model obtained from process mining shows how the PP is actually conducted. It shows the loop in materials requirement planning and create plan order process. Furthermore, the occurrences of changing plan order date and production line indicate the schedule instability in the case company. Further analysis of the material management (MM) event log shows the implication of production plan changes on MM. Continuous change in the plan affects material allocation priority and may result in a mismatch between production needs and the materials available. Research limitations/implications The study is only conducted in a single and specific case. Therefore, even though the findings provide good insight, the use of solitary case study does not imply a general result applied to other cases. Hence, there is a need to conduct similar studies on various cases so that a more generic conclusion can be drawn. Practical implications The result provides insights into how the current company’s policy of adjusting the production plan to accommodate changing demand impacts their operation. It can help the company to consider a better balance between flexibility and efficiency to improve their process. Originality/value The paper demonstrates the use of process mining to capture the real progression of PP based on the data stored in the company’s ERP database, which give an insight into how a real company conducts their PP process, the implication of schedule instability on MM and production. The novelty of this research lies in the use of process mining to attest to the schedule nervousness issue at a process level.

Food security across the enterprise: a puzzle, problem or mess for a circular economy?

Abstract: Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the use, applicability and relevance of strategic planning as a process and tool when applied to exploring food security challenges, in the context of existing research on food security and food waste in the food supply chain The issues associated with robust and resilient food supply chains within a circular economy are increasingly being seen as supportive of creating enhanced levels of food security but the authors argue that this is only sustainable when strategically planned as part of a cross-enterprise, information-rich and complex supply chain The relevance of the Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal and Environmental (PESTLE) strategic planning tool is explored to establish whether it can play a role tacking the complexity of food insecurity (ie a lack of food security) Design/methodology/approach This is a viewpoint piece therefore as a result, thought, normative literature and supposition are used as a means to ground and orientate the views of the authors Findings The authors identify and conclude that strategic planning tools like PESTLE across enterprises may not be relevant in supporting the reduction of food insecurity This conclusion is predicated on the heightened level of complexity surrounding the pursuit of food security and the simplistic categorisation of PESTLE factors in a linear fashion that underpin this tool Rather, the authors’ call for the use of strategic planning tools that are able to capture a large number of inter-related factors holistically Practical implications This insight to the inter-related factors that contribute to food insecurity will allow policy developers, decision makers and others to develop their understanding of how strategic planning can support increased levels of food security within a circular economy and across cross-enterprises Originality/value The authors contribute to the literature through a new insight of how normative strategic planning tools need to evolve in a complex, inter-connected world of international business and geo-politics In doing so, it is expected that this research will motivate others to develop their line of enquiry around uncovering and exploring those inter-relationships connecting PESTLE factors

An ICT-based framework to improve global supply chain integration for final assembly SMES

Abstract: To access new markets and improve sourcing practices small to medium sized manufacturing companies (SMEs) increasingly seek suppliers and customers in distant countries. Yet these new relationships with global partners often pose problems of an agency nature. The purpose of this paper is to directly address these challenges through the proposal of an information and communication technology (ICT)-based framework.,There has been very little research into how lead SMEs manage their global supply chains and the challenges they face. This paper uses a case study investigation to analyze how four French SMEs – final assemblers of machinery in the farming and agri-business sector – manage their international supply chains.,It was observed that the relationships and interactions between the SMEs and their immediate upstream and downstream partners were dominated by the agency problem and fell into six distinct categories (termed “barriers” to effective supply integration), namely; asymmetries, contractual design, supplier dependence, product specifications, supply chain complexity and performance monitoring.,The contribution of this paper is that a conceptual frame work was developed in which ICT solutions are offered to help address the barriers to supply chain integration, thus reducing the overall risk exposure due to externalities and problems of agency.

In-store behavioral analytics technology selection using fuzzy decision making

Abstract: With the emerging technologies, collecting and processing data about the behaviors of customers or employees in a specific location has become possible. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate existing data collection technologies.,Technology evaluation problem is handled as a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) problem. In this manner, a decision model containing four criteria and eight sub-criteria and four alternatives are formed. The problem is solved using hesitant analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and trapezoidal fuzzy numbers (TrFN).,The results show that the most important sub-criteria are: accuracy, quantity, introspective and cost. Decision makers’ evaluate for alternatives, namely wireless fidelity (WiFi), camera, radio-frequency identification and Bluetooth. The best alternative is found as Bluetooth which is followed by WiFi and Camera.,Technology evaluation problem, just like many other MCDM problems are solved using expert evaluations. Thus, the generalizability of the findings is low.,In this paper, technology selection problem has been handled using hesitant AHP for the first time. In addition, the original methodology is extended by using TrFN to represent the expert evaluations in a better way.

Augmented reality goggles selection by using neutrosophic MULTIMOORA method

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to present the augmented reality (AR) eyeglass selection problem based on Neutrosophic MULTIMOORA method which is a very new multi-objective method.,The author evaluates five AR goggles according to six different criteria. Criteria have different weights and determined by analytic hierarchy process. The author used neutrosophic MULTIMOORA method in order to evaluate AR eyeglasses.,Five different AR eyeglasses were evaluated and the best one was selected according to six different criteria (benefit and non-benefit). According to Neutrosophic MULTIMOORA method, Sony AR eyeglass is selected as the best one. Neutrosophic MULTIMOORA method uses simple computational equations and it handles multi-objective decision making problems effectively.,Evaluating AR goggles by using the Neutrosophic MULTIMOORA method for the first time is the originality of this paper.

G-RAM framework for software risk assessment and mitigation strategies in organisations

Abstract: Purpose Malicious attackers frequently breach information systems by exploiting disclosed software vulnerabilities. Knowledge of these vulnerabilities over time is essential to decide the use of software products by organisations. The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel G-RAM framework for business organisations to assess and mitigate risks arising out of software vulnerabilities. Design/methodology/approach The G-RAM risk assessment module uses GARCH to model vulnerability growth. Using 16-year data across 1999-2016 from the National Vulnerability Database, the authors estimate the model parameters and validate the prediction accuracy. Next, the G-RAM risk mitigation module designs optimal software portfolio using Markowitz’s mean-variance optimisation for a given IT budget and preference. Findings Based on an empirical analysis, this study establishes that vulnerability follows a non-linear, time-dependent, heteroskedastic growth pattern. Further, efficient software combinations are proposed that optimise correlated risk. The study also reports the empirical evidence of a shift in efficient frontier of software configurations with time. Research limitations/implications Existing assumption of independent and identically distributed residuals after vulnerability function fitting is incorrect. This study applies GARCH technique to measure volatility clustering and mean reversal. The risk (or volatility) represented by the instantaneous variance is dependent on the immediately previous one, as well as on the unconditional variance of the entire vulnerability growth process. Practical implications The volatility-based estimation of vulnerability growth is a risk assessment mechanism. Next, the portfolio analysis acts as a risk mitigation activity. Results from this study can decide patch management cycle needed for each software – individual or group patching. G-RAM also ranks them into a 2×2 risk-return matrix to ensure that the correlated risk is diversified. Finally the paper helps the business firms to decide what to purchase and what to avoid. Originality/value Contrary to the existing techniques which either analyse with statistical distributions or linear econometric methods, this study establishes that vulnerability growth follows a non-linear, time-dependent, heteroskedastic pattern. The paper also links software risk assessment to IT governance and strategic business objectives. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study in IT security to examine and forecast volatility, and further design risk-optimal software portfolios.

A robust MCDM approach for ERP system selection under uncertain environment based on worst case scenario

Abstract: ERP selection is a multi-faceted process and needs to be successful in dealing with high uncertainty. The purpose of this paper is to propose a novel multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approach, titled as cloud-based design optimization (CBDO), for ERP selection problem to handle high uncertainty with a computationally effective way.,CBDO has been utilized as an alternative method to fuzzy set theory and stochastic programming, and proposes robust findings for worst case scenario. In order to assess the proposed methodology, a numerical study is conducted by taking into account existing state-of-the-art study on the ERP selection problem for the small medium enterprises. The outputs of the existing state-of-the-art study are assumed as uncertain and varying across time as it is expected in real life; therefore, different scenarios are created in order to reveal the effect of uncertainty on decisions.,In the methodology, the results given under uncertain conditions are compared with the results obtained under stable conditions. It is clearly seen that ERP system selection problem area has high sensitivity to the uncertain environment, and decision makers should not undervalue the unsteadiness of criteria during the ERP system selection process, especially within volatile economies.,This study contributes to the relevant literature by utilizing CBDO as a MCDM tool in the selection of the ERP software as a first time, and validating the impact of unsteadiness on the ERP selection procedure. It is the first CBDO-based study that validates the effect of distributional differences on uncertainties in the ERP selection processes.

An application of network data envelopment analysis with fuzzy data for the performance evaluation in cargo sector

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to present a methodology which enables to measure and analyze the performance of sub-process and overall system of a cargo company.,Network data envelopment analysis method with fuzzy data is used for performance measurement which considers the sub-process efficiency simultaneously together with the overall efficiency and also the uncertainty included in input–output data.,A real-life application of the proposed model is presented for Turkey. The application results show the efficiency scores of ten branches according to each sub-process and also the overall system. Although the obtained results are case specific, the application results indicate that the inefficient branches can achieve efficiency either by decreasing circulation ratio input for human resources sub-process or by increasing closed complaint output or by decreasing open complaint output for customer relationship management sub-process.,The study presented provides insights into the performance measurement applications in cargo sector. The methodology presented provides the flexibility of removing or adding some new sub-processes and also decision-making units which enables the approach to be used for other performance evaluation problems.

Mediating and moderating influencers of firm performance: Supply chain managers perspective

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to conduct an exploratory study that will assist supply chain firms in the development of partner satisfaction, flexibility, and supply chain performance The authors examine how the interaction of information exchange, partner interaction, knowledge sharing and flexibility as mediated through partner satisfaction effectuates firm performance The goal of this research is to answer the supply chain managers’ need to better understand where to invest their time and effort to get improved firm performance,The model was tested with panel data from 105 experienced, US-based supply chain managers Structural equation modeling using partial least squares approach was utilized to conduct the analysis,The results provide crucial evidence that simple information exchange among supply chain partners does not result in improvements in firm performance or partner satisfaction, but, when mediated through the flexibility construct, it does Further, the use of integration tools has a moderating effect on the relationship between flexibility and firm performance The results suggest that working closely with supply chain partners helps ensure improved relationship satisfaction, and can reduce issues that can impact firm performance,The empirical research presented requires additional validation though larger sample data from supply chain managers,This study stresses on the importance of managers using information exchange, partner interaction, and knowledge sharing as a means of improving their firm’s indirect influence on firm performance through flexibility and integration tools,This is one of the few studies in the supply chain literature that integrates flexibility as a mediator variable Additionally, this study introduces the new construct of integration tools to the supply chain literature

SMED methodology based on fuzzy Taguchi method

Abstract: There can be activities that cannot reduce times by conventional single minute exchange of die (SMED) tools. In this case more advanced tools are needed. The purpose of this paper is to integrate the fuzzy Taguchi method into the SMED method in order to improve the setup time. The reason for using fuzzy logic is the subjective evaluation of factor’s levels assessment by experts. Subjective assessment contains a certain degree of uncertainty and is vagueness. The fuzzy Taguchi method provides to determining optimal setup time parameters in an activity of SMED. So it is possible to reduce time more than the conventional SMED method.,In this study, the SMED method and the fuzzy Taguchi method are used.,In this study, it has been shown that the setup time is reduced (from 196 to 75 min) and the optimum value can be given at the intermediate value by the fuzzy Taguchi method.,In this limited literature research, the authors have not found a study using the fuzzy Taguchi method in the SMED method.

Does public consultation encourage social participation

Abstract: Social participation or public participation is a mechanism that aims to enable decision makers to understand the real needs of society and to promote more appropriate and acceptable public policies. The purpose of this paper is to analyze, through Douglasian Cultural Theory, the public-consultation mechanism, and to what extent it encourages the participation of people with different points of view in the formulation of public policies.,This research paper uses theoretical propositions from Douglasian Cultural Theory to investigate the process of public consultation adopted by the Brazilian National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) in the formulation of public policies for Brazil’s health sector.,The results contribute to the findings of previous studies, i.e., that social participation is unequal, and that some points of view are dominant in policy formulation. This indicates that public managers should seek mechanisms of participation that promote more inclusive and pluralistic public participation.,The main limitations of this study are the subjectivity inherent in the classification of “voices” in Douglasian Cultural Theory, the small number of contributions analyzed and the absence of some unpublished data.,The analysis contributes to the literature by supporting some and rejecting other propositions of Douglasian Cultural Theory, as well as indicating possible potential from this theory through public administration in the evaluation of mechanisms of social participation.