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1 – 8 of 8Alejandro Ríos-Hernández, Joel Mendoza-Gómez and Luz María Valdez–de la Rosa
This study empirically tests a model of human capital (HC) factors affecting the organisational competitiveness (OC) of automotive parts suppliers in the Industry 4.0 framework…
Abstract
Purpose
This study empirically tests a model of human capital (HC) factors affecting the organisational competitiveness (OC) of automotive parts suppliers in the Industry 4.0 framework, including concepts such as Toyota Kata (TK), Kaizen and Quality 4.0, during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
An instrument was created to measure emotional intelligence (EI) and analytical skill (AS) as input variables and OC as the output variable. The instrument was distributed electronically to Tier 1 non-technical employees in Nuevo León and Querétaro, México. A total of 195 surveys were obtained. The instrument used stepwise multiple linear regression.
Findings
This study proposes a model to strengthen the OC of Tier 1 automotive parts supply industry from the perspective of HC factors. Furthermore, it is shown that EI and AS have a positive and significant impact on OC.
Practical implications
From an HC perspective, this study provides a useful basis to improve OC for researchers, industry experts and managers at different levels of the automotive industry, including the triple helix (academia, industry and the government).
Originality/value
No studies simultaneously test the relationship of EI and AS to OC; therefore, this study fills a gap in the literature. Furthermore, the study explored the literature on individual Kaizen (IK) and TK, leading to a contrast between the definitions of EI and AS. Finally, for EI, a reference to motivation was found in the IK. In the case of AS, an orientation to ability of problem solving was found in TK.
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Guilherme Tortorella, Anupama Prashar, Jiju Antony, Roberto Vassolo, Alejandro Mac Cawley, Rodrigo Peimbert Garcia and Daniel Luiz de Mattos Nascimento
This paper aims to examine the relationship between the implementation of soft lean practices and organizational resilience development in the service sector.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the relationship between the implementation of soft lean practices and organizational resilience development in the service sector.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-methods explanatory design that relied on two sequential and complementary phases was adopted. In the first phase, a quantitative analysis was performed based on data collected from practitioners from service organizations, allowing the identification of the significance of this relationship. In the second phase, the authors used semi-structured interviews with experts to qualitatively assess how this relationship occurs.
Findings
Findings indicated that soft lean practices are positively associated with organizational resilience, although the extent of their relationships varies depending on the resilience ability under analysis. Interviews with experts also provided specific details on how such relationships occur, adding insights to the numerical results.
Originality/value
This study provides a deeper understanding of the implications of lean management, specifically concerning the support of soft lean practices to develop organizational resilience. Additionally, the identification of this relationship (and how it occurs) allows service organizations to deploy human-related strategies to promote broader adoption of certain soft lean practices. As socio-cultural changes are usually time-consuming, anticipating these organizational resilience needs may result in competitive advantages in the face of disruptive events.
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Darwin Carchi, Mercy Orellana, Andrés Martínez and Joselin Segovia
The purpose of this study is to analyze the affordability and sustainability of residential water consumption in Ecuador, a developing country.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to analyze the affordability and sustainability of residential water consumption in Ecuador, a developing country.
Design/methodology/approach
To determine affordability, the authors assess water consumption and its distribution across different income levels of the population in the three main cities: Cuenca, Guayaquil and Quito. The authors then simulate the effects of a pricing policy on sustainability by deriving demand elasticities through a quadratic almost ideal demand system (QUAIDS).
Findings
Results show that Ecuador has low water tariffs with respect to other cities in Latin America, which points to its affordability. However, sustainability might not be guaranteed since consumption is overall higher than the level suggested by the World Health Organization. From an economic point of view, this could be motivated by the low tariffs. Indeed, the simulation of a pricing policy shows that higher prices can significantly reduce demand for most of the sample. However, in low-income households this reduction may compromise vital consumption.
Research limitations/implications
This research has important implications in terms of stimulating the discussion of how water affordability and sustainability can be achieved. For the case study, Ecuador, the results indicate that sustainability may not be guaranteed and that policies need to be designed to encourage it. Another implication is that population income levels should be considered to avoid negative effects for the most vulnerable groups. The main limitations of this study are methodological. First, the QUAIDS model is based on a conditional demand model (Zhen et al., 2013), which does not take into account spending on other goods. Second, data availability is limited and prevents a deeper analysis.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to analyze these issues in Ecuador, a country that recognizes the human right to water at the constitutional level.
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Antonios Karatzas, Georgios Papadopoulos, Panagiotis Stamolampros, Jawwad Z. Raja and Nikolaos Korfiatis
Scholars studying servitization argue that manufacturers moving into services need to develop new job roles or modify existing ones, which must be enacted by employees with the…
Abstract
Purpose
Scholars studying servitization argue that manufacturers moving into services need to develop new job roles or modify existing ones, which must be enacted by employees with the right mentality, skill sets, attitudes and capabilities. However, there is a paucity of empirical research on how such changes affect employee-level outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors theorize that job enrichment and role stress act as countervailing forces during the manufacturer's service transition, with implications for employee satisfaction. The authors test the hypotheses using a sample of 21,869 employees from 201 American manufacturers that declared revenues from services over a 10-year period.
Findings
The authors find an inverted U-shaped relationship between the firm's level of service infusion and individual employee satisfaction, which is flatter for front-end staff. This relationship differs in shape and/or magnitude between firms, highlighting the role of unobserved firm-level idiosyncratic factors.
Practical implications
Servitized manufacturers, especially those in the later stage of their transition (i.e. when services start to account for more than 50% of annual revenues), should try to ameliorate their employees' role-induced stress to counter a drop in satisfaction.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies to examine systematically the relationship between servitization and individual employee satisfaction. It shows that back-end employees in manufacturing firms are considerably affected by an increasing emphasis on services, while past literature has almost exclusively been concerned with front-end staff.
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Julianna Paola Ramirez Lozano, Percy Samoel Marquina Feldman and Renato Peñaflor Guerra
This study aims to understand the leadership characteristics of founders of social and environmental enterprises in Latin America who have achieved business success with a focus…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand the leadership characteristics of founders of social and environmental enterprises in Latin America who have achieved business success with a focus on sustainability despite difficult social, economic, political and even health contexts in which they live.
Design/methodology/approach
This nonexperimental research is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory study. Twenty-one in-depth interviews were conducted with social/environmental entrepreneurs of the Kunan Network (an organization that groups the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Peru).
Findings
The study analyzes the leadership profile and characteristics of entrepreneurs who have created profitable businesses with a social/environmental focus that solve relevant social problems and contribute to improving people’s quality of life and caring for the environment.
Research limitations/implications
Although only 21 business leaders with outstanding participation and positive social and environmental impact were included in this study, they were supported and recognized by the Kunan Network.
Originality/value
The study contributed to the conceptualization and understanding of the profile of leaders of social and environmental enterprises, whose main challenges are to solve social or environmental problems of society and contribute to improving the quality of life of people and the environment. Knowing the profile of these entrepreneurs generates value to the knowledge of the subject and contributes to understand and propose strategies to improve the ecosystem of social-environmental entrepreneurship in emerging countries such as Peru. This will contribute to the creation of relationships and alliances with various social actors: public, private, third sector, academia, among others, for the management and promotion of sustainable business.
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Ana Isabel Jiménez-Zarco, M Dolores Mendez-Aparicio and Alicia Izquierdo-Yusta
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the life history of the Spanish Generation X over the last five decades.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the life history of the Spanish Generation X over the last five decades.
Design/methodology/approach
Considering that the generational cohort concept can be identified from the marketing side as a market segment, this paper proposes to analyze the socio-economic and cultural context that has marked the different life stages of Generation X, and how they have related to brands according to their needs, desires and aspirations.
Findings
The results show that the customer journey can be considered a circular concept. The customer’s relationship with the brand can begin in childhood and continue into adulthood, such that the emotional relationship established with the brand as a child influences purchase decisions in adulthood.
Research limitations/implications
Although limited to the analysis of Generation X and its relationship with brands, this paper shows the importance of knowing the socio-economic, legal and cultural context of a generation.
Practical implications
As a business implication, the importance of remarketing is evident as a business strategy that reinforces the emotional connection between the brand and the different generations.
Social implications
From a social point of view, this paper shows the power of brands as an element of self-expression of the needs, tastes or preferences of individuals is evident.
Originality/value
This paper offers a different and innovative vision of the customer journey, taking into account the individual’s life cycle, and the way in which at each stage of life, he/she relates to brands in a different way.
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V.T. Rakesh, Preetha Menon and Ramakrishnan Raman
Pricing is widely acknowledged as a market entry challenge for servitising companies. The purpose of this research is to ascertain the attributes that contribute to willingness to…
Abstract
Purpose
Pricing is widely acknowledged as a market entry challenge for servitising companies. The purpose of this research is to ascertain the attributes that contribute to willingness to pay (WTP) for industrial services and suggest incorporating those attributes to a pricing model.
Design/methodology/approach
Three attributes (Quality of Service, Nearness of Service Provider and Brand Equity of Service Provider) were analyzed at three respective levels to ascertain their importance on WTP. Conventional conjoint analysis (CCA), using an orthogonal design, was the method used. The 346 respondents were decision-makers and top management professionals from various industries.
Findings
Brand Equity emerged as the most significant attribute contributing to WTP, having more than 45% importance – followed by the Quality and Nearness.
Research limitations/implications
The scope of the study is limited to the industries and its Allies. However, the relative importance of the attributes may vary depending on the type of service.
Practical implications
The importance of attributes and their WTP preference helps future researchers create a pricing model involving these attributes. This helps service providers price their services rationally, thus succeeding in servitization.
Social implications
Product life is extended because the manufacturers themselves are servicing it and also help recycle the product with their expertise. Servitization is also helpful for the Indian economy, as it is turning into a manufacturing economy.
Originality/value
This research investigates three attributes that contribute to WTP, in accordance with their level of contribution. It also provides a direction to establish an adequate pricing model for industrial services.
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The main research target of this paper is to capture the network effects using the case of mobile cellular telephony, identified in European telecommunication markets, and its…
Abstract
Purpose
The main research target of this paper is to capture the network effects using the case of mobile cellular telephony, identified in European telecommunication markets, and its determinants enhancing the process of digital technologies diffusion.
Design/methodology/approach
This research relies on panel and dynamic panel regression analysis. The empirical sample covers 30 European countries, and the period for the analysis is set for 2000–2019.
Findings
This work contributes by examining the network effects identified on European telecommunication markets that drive the process of digital technologies diffusion, but it also extends the understanding of the latter by tracing major determinants of fast network expansion, e.g. prices of access to and use of, per capita income, urbanisation, population density, accessibility of fixed telephony infrastructure. The main findings support the initial supposition that the installed base strongly enhances diffusion of new technologies, while other factors, for example, prices, are not of prime importance.
Research limitations/implications
This research has certain managerial implications. The unveiled network effects driving adoption of technological innovations constitute a significant determinant of implementation of differentiation strategy by telecommunication companies. Due to network effects consumers' propensity to join the network is valued higher than the prices of services offered, which is crucial not only from the perspective of the company's pricing strategy but also enables telecommunication companies to introduce to the market new products and/or services concentrating on increasing its quality and usability rather than future prices.
Originality/value
This is the first work that empirically verifies the intercompanies and interpersonal diffusion of cellular telephony, hypothesising that this process relies on unique network effects.
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