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This study seeks to show how higher education institutions can plan regional strategies to increase their external impact on the environment.
Abstract
Purpose
This study seeks to show how higher education institutions can plan regional strategies to increase their external impact on the environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The balanced scorecard approach is used to provide a general framework to communicate the strategy.
Findings
The approach is useful in accomplishing the strategic themes and objectives.
Practical implications
The study presents an example of how higher educational institutions are able to plan their joint regional strategy.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the knowledge and practice of strategic planning in the network of educational institutions. The findings of this study are useful to administrators of educational institutions aiming to plan a regional strategy and improve the external impact of institutions.
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This paper aims to present results from a survey that investigates the situation in real world supply chains concerning logistics collaboration.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present results from a survey that investigates the situation in real world supply chains concerning logistics collaboration.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on supply chain management literature, a questionnaire was developed covering important topics from the literature. The questionnaire was sent to the logistics manager at Swedish manufacturing companies and a net response rate of 37.8 percent (177/482) was achieved. Apart from purely descriptive statistics, factor analysis, cluster analysis, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and cross tabulations with χ 2 tests were used for the analysis.
Findings
From the results, three major conclusions are drawn. First, there is a clear relationship between the intensity of the collaboration and the positive effects experienced from the collaboration. Second, the results indicate that top management is an important driver for higher intensity collaboration. Third, there are serious differences between supply chain management (SCM) theory and practice, due to the absence of strategic elements in the collaboration and the different ways in which supplier and customer collaborations are managed.
Research limitations/implications
Related to SCM theory, the lack of strategic elements in the collaboration might prevent or decrease the expected positive effects of the collaboration. It is therefore important to increase the strategic level component in the collaboration. Top management involvement is likely to be important to achieve this and hence more research on the topic is suggested.
Originality/value
The study presents a broad overview concerning logistics collaboration that covers many of the most important supply chain management issues. In addition, their relationship is discussed.
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This Case Study gives an account of the factors that led up to the joint commissioning unit (JCU) within the health and social services scene in Shropshire; analyses the concept…
Abstract
This Case Study gives an account of the factors that led up to the joint commissioning unit (JCU) within the health and social services scene in Shropshire; analyses the concept of strategic joint commissioning; and describes the role of the JCU and how it works.
Antti Tuomela, Markku Heimbürger, Juha Nummi and Jouko Toivonen
A case study at Senate Properties, a Finnish building owner organisation, for theory building was conducted to provide significant insights into strategic planning in partnership…
Abstract
Purpose
A case study at Senate Properties, a Finnish building owner organisation, for theory building was conducted to provide significant insights into strategic planning in partnership networks with a view to developing interaction in a triadic alliance. The purpose of this paper is to describe how a Finnish building owner organisation, Senate Properties, the focal firm of the studied network, manages multi‐level interaction in the alliance network of the case study.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the building owner's role is studied by using two network analysis studies. The emergent phase of a “triadic alliance” of service providers, building owners as contract managers, and the end‐users of services is analysed by using two separate qualitative network analysis studies.
Findings
The case study indicates that the networks of building users, owners, facilities management parties and service providers can improve their interaction and cooperation by multilevel interaction building, mutual orientation building in groups and formation of boundary‐spanning roles. We therefore present a model or a framework for interaction building in triadic networks that is derived from a knowledge base that can better explain the requirements of core businesses, key real estate and facilities services attributes and options evaluation to meet dynamic changes.
Research limitations/implications
The paper suggests that organisations involved in facilities management that enter into an alliance have to communicate and proactively exchange information to strengthen the interaction and cooperation between network members. For success, each network member should share information and each must learn from the others.
Originality/value
The interaction approach of network analysis takes place in a new building owner centred environment. The paper argues on a general level that to understand the complicated roles within the workplace environment, it is necessary to study the interaction needs of different functions.
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Linda Ward, Rachel Fyson and Debby Watson
Valuing People outlined ambitious plans for improving services for people with learning disabilities in England. Strategies to realise these goals were to be taken forward through…
Abstract
Valuing People outlined ambitious plans for improving services for people with learning disabilities in England. Strategies to realise these goals were to be taken forward through the new structure of learning disability partnership boards, based in the first instance on local joint investment plans (JIPs). This article reports findings from an analysis of the first round of learning disability JIPs, compiled as the implementation of the White Paper began, and reviews the implications for the development of robust local strategies and action plans.
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The purpose of this paper is to analyse the management of commercial actors in strategic networks of emergency preparedness management (EPM) in developed countries and how these…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the management of commercial actors in strategic networks of emergency preparedness management (EPM) in developed countries and how these strategies connect to the emergency response efficiency. This study uses collaboration, strategy, and efficiency to evaluate the private governance of the food, healthcare, and transportation sectors and follows an analysis of these sectors’ management that finds an ambivalent impact on the efficiency of the worldwide supply chain network (SCN) system. This study discusses many strategic networks and nets of commercial standards with different management structures and emphasizes illustrating the EPM context, thereby offering directions for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
An empirical research approach and triangulation methodology was adopted to design the selection, evaluation, and contribution of the observed data and the humanitarian and business literature. An overview of strategic networks’ role in EPM in Sweden comprises several network approaches and considers the strategic value of three SCNs for response efficiency.
Findings
The study finds that strategic networks are relevant for EPM and response efficiency and can be delimited and adapted to developing countries’ demands. However, growing interest in networks’ strategic value for EPM stresses public-private collaboration as a strategic choice to achieve response efficiency. To offer strategic planning that ties demand with supply, public-private actors must collaborate in SCNs.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the existing literature on strategic networks, for example, industrial networks, by illustrating their strategic value for developed countries’ SCNs. It also contributes to the business literature, for example, on strategic net management. The work is original because it adopts a practical perspective involving buyers and suppliers in planning, the delimitation of their capability in nets, and the strategic value of SCN collaboration.
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The Manchester Healthy City project has carried out a major consultation with communities over the action plan for the Healthy City initiative. The four clear themes were housing…
Abstract
The Manchester Healthy City project has carried out a major consultation with communities over the action plan for the Healthy City initiative. The four clear themes were housing and homelessness, the environment, crime and disorder, and mental health. These have formed the basis for key areas of work in which housing takes a lead role. This article will identify some of the joint initiatives which are going on in the various areas of strategic planning, commissioning and service delivery.
Considering the limitations of supply chain collaboration (SCC) literature, the purpose of this paper is to develop SCC framework and analyze the SCC practice based on the…
Abstract
Purpose
Considering the limitations of supply chain collaboration (SCC) literature, the purpose of this paper is to develop SCC framework and analyze the SCC practice based on the framework. The framework incorporating internal and external knowledge sharing under a collaborative culture (CC) and problem-solving environment preceded by preparedness is required.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve successful collaboration, this paper encompasses problem-solving and performance measurement, preparedness, culture, relationship strength (RS) and gives resource sharing and planning as internal and external focused perspectives. Exploratory methods are used to analyze the data from industries.
Findings
CC, RS and preparedness are crucial that reflect the health of collaboration. Three levels of collaboration practice – good, moderate and weak – are prominent where the extent of SCC practice seems weak. Collaborative activities that matter more are identified. Market-based knowledge sharing is important for good and moderate SCC, while weaker collaboration does not focus on it. Interestingly, this paper finds an increasing level of collaboration may not always result in increased performance. Firms from the pharmaceutical, automobile and electrical/electronic industry tended to practice higher collaboration as compared to other industries.
Originality/value
By integrating market-driven management, resource-based view, and contingency theory, the SCC framework gives a new perspective. Joint planning and resource sharing are categorized as internal and external focused functional areas. The paper identifies three profiles of collaboration and discusses the importance of SCC activities in achieving performance.
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The Chinese government has liberalized the foreign investmentenvironment considerably in order to encourage inward investment,primarily through joint ventures. Reviews the changes…
Abstract
The Chinese government has liberalized the foreign investment environment considerably in order to encourage inward investment, primarily through joint ventures. Reviews the changes in the regulatory environment and presents new data from UK partners engaged in Chinese joint ventures. The findings indicate that the main force motivating UK firms to form joint ventures is to gain faster entry to the Chinese market. The joint ventures allow UK firms access to largely intangible inputs that they would otherwise have difficulty acquiring. While choice of Chinese partners appears to be highly constrained, on the whole the UK partners analysed the joint venture decision thoroughly and generally concluded that they had joined forces with the “right” partner.
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Claudine A. Soosay, Paul W. Hyland and Mario Ferrer
The purpose of this study is to investigate how collaborative relationships enhance continuous innovation in the supply chain using case studies.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate how collaborative relationships enhance continuous innovation in the supply chain using case studies.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected from semi‐structured interviews with 23 managers in ten case studies. The main intention was to comprehend how these firms engaged in collaborative relationships and their importance for successful innovation. The study adopted a qualitative approach to investigating these factors.
Findings
The findings demonstrate how differing relationships can impact on the operation of firms and their capacities to innovate. The ability to work together with partners has enabled firms to integrate and link operations for increased effectiveness as well as embark on both radical and incremental innovation.
Research limitations/implications
The research into the initiatives and strategies for collaboration was essentially exploratory. A qualitative approach using case studies acknowledged that the responses from managers were difficult to quantify or gauge the extent of these factors.
Practical implications
The findings have shown various methods where firms integrated with customers and suppliers in the supply chain. This was evident in the views of managers across all the firms examined, supporting the importance of collaboration and efficient allocation of resources throughout the supply chain. They were able to set procedures in their dealings with partners, sharing knowledge and processes, and subsequently joint‐planning and investing with them for better operations, systems and processes in the supply chain.
Originality/value
The case studies serve as examples for managers in logistics organisation who are contemplating strategies and issues on collaborative relationships. The study provides important lessons on how such relationships can impact on the operation of firms and their capability to innovate.
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