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Lean manufacturing (LM) is prevalent in the manufacturing industry; thus, focusing on fast and accurate lean tool implementation is the new paradigm in manufacturing. Value stream mapping (VSM) is one of the many LM tools. It is understood that combining LM implementation with VSM tools can generate better outcomes. This paper aims to develop an expert system for optimal sequencing of VSM tools for lean implementation.

A proposed artificial neural network (ANN) model is based on the analytic network process (ANP) devised for this study. It will facilitate the selection of VSM tools in an optimal sequence.

Considering different types of wastes and their level of occurrence, organizations need a set of specific tools that will be effective in the elimination of these wastes. The developed ANP model computes a level of interrelation between wastes and VSM tools. The ANN is designed and trained by data obtained from numerous case studies, so it can predict the accurate sequence of VSM tools for any new case data set.

The design and use of the ANN model provide an integrated result of both empirical and practical cases, which is more accurate because all viable aspects are then considered. The proposed modeling approach is validated through implementation in an automobile manufacturing company. It has resulted in benefits, namely, reduction in bias, time required, effort required and complexity of the decision process. More importantly, according to all performance criteria and subcriteria, the main goal of this research was satisfied by increasing the accuracy of selecting the appropriate VSM tools and their optimal sequence for lean implementation.

Discusses the effects of the implementation of Just‐in‐Time (JIT) in the relationships between suppliers and manufacturing companies within Swedish industry. Explores whether such relationships will be beneficial for all parties and create higher total economic effectiveness in the supply relation or if the often more powerful buyer only transfers its stock holding problems to the smaller and weaker part in the buyer‐supplier relation. Two buyer‐supplier relations in the automobile industry are studied, one more from the buyer′s point of view and the other from the supplier′s side. Proves that there are very clear possibilities to get higher total effectiveness in such relations and that mutual benefits are really obtainable. Shows the increased importance of reduced arrival variancy but also that JIT does not necessarily mean an increased traffic intensity. Introduces an important finding by identifying the time interval between the Sequence Locking Instant and the point when the component is needed in Production (SLIP) as the determining factor for JIT relations rather than the physical distance per se.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between total quality management (TQM), employee outcomes and performance. Moreover, how environmental uncertainty (EU) influences the relationship between employee outcomes and performance is regarded in the context of automobile part manufacturing and suppliers of Iran. Four theories namely resource-based view theory, ability, motivation, opportunity framework, contingency theory and quality management theory have been adopted in this research.

A research project is conducted in 191 automobile part manufacturing and suppliers plants using the questionnaire method. Confirmatory factor analysis is applied to assess the reliability and validity of the measurement instrument. The correlations between latent constructs are examined through partial least squares method.

The results show positive relationship between TQM, employee outcome and performance. The EU also moderates the relationship between employee outcome and performance.

It is recommended that some contextual factors such as culture be noticed in future research studies. Data were collected from Iranian automobile part manufacturing and suppliers plants, which may limit the generalization of results to other organizations in other countries.

In this paper, some beneficial insights are addressed to assist managers in recognizing the organizational problems, which weaken implementing TQM, employee outcomes and the effect of EU on organizations.

By improving the quality of management practices and employee outcomes, the society gains benefits such as customer satisfaction.

This study contributes to the TQM advance and human resource management literature and provides better foundations for employee outcomes improvement through TQM practices in the Middle East. By investigating the effect of EU, this study fills the current gap in this field.

The purpose of this paper is to study a modified multiplicative analytic hierarchy process (MMAHP) method, which is combined with multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) and applied MMAHP model for solving green supplier selection problem.

Supplier selection is typically a MCDM problem including both qualitative and quantitative factors that has to be taken into consideration. To select the best green suppliers with the highest potential for meeting a firm’s needs consistently, the MMAHP is utilized in this study. Then a green supplier selection problem of a well-known automobile manufacturing company in Qingdao is investigated. The authors also make a comparison of the results with that of the traditional AHP, during which the authors observe that the MMAHP is an effective approach for the considered problem and potential rank reversals can be avoided, that is, when a new supplier is added, the ranking of suppliers does not change and maintains its original relative ratio.

A numerical example of green supplier selection is utilized to verify the proposed approach. The results show that the MMAHP is an effective approach for the considered problem and potential rank reversals can be avoided.

The proposed approach can be used to solving green supplier selection problems and can avoid the rank reversal.

The paper introduces the MMAHP method to help researchers to choose more effective approach for green supplier selection.

Drawing on the resource-based view, institutional logic and isomorphic pressure theories, this study constructed a theoretical model to explore the correlations between government subsidies and innovation performance. Particularly, this study aims to investigate the moderating effects of ownership types and degree of internationalization on these relationships.

To empirically test the relationships, the authors use panel data from high-tech manufacturing and automobile manufacturing industries in Chinese A stock listed companies for the period 2011–2015 and performed regression analysis.

Results indicate that government subsidies positively enhance enterprises’ innovation performance; there is a big gap between government subsidies’ incentive effect on innovation performance between state-owned enterprises (SOEs) and private-owned enterprises (POEs); with the improvement of internationalization, the promotion effect of government subsidies on enterprise innovation performance is strengthened; there is a three-way interaction between government subsidies, degree of internationalization and ownership types, such that in the presence of a low degree of internationalization, there is a big gap in the incentive effect of government subsidies on the innovation performance of SOEs and POEs; in the presence of a high degree of internationalization, the gap is significantly reduced.

This is an empirical study on the impact mechanism of ownership types and internationalization on the relationship between government subsidies and innovation performance in China. It provides valuable insights to show how internationalization can dramatically improve SOEs’ efficiency disadvantages in the allocation of government subsidies to innovation activities.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the critical barriers of green manufacturing implementation practices in Indian SME’s with the VIKOR approach.

Challenges faced in the implementation of green manufacturing by Indian SME’s have been extracted from literature review, and questionnaire survey of Indian SME’s is done. The responses are further annealed and analysed using a factor analysis technique and ranked with the VIKOR technique.

The literature was studied, and various challenges were listed and were grouped into six critical latent challenges by using the factor analysis technique, and it was found that Economic constraints tops with the VIKOR technique. The recognition of the outcomes of critical barriers was assumed to be substantial in the current scenario.

Present study reveals that green manufacturing implementation in Indian SME’s faces many challenges. The outcomes of the study will help green manufacturing practitioners, HR executives and managers in the various manufacturing organizations to develop clarity in understanding and developing strategies for the implementation of green manufacturing. Hence, the information obtained from the empirical examination of barriers in implementing green manufacturing will be helpful in improving the overall implementation plan.

The car-sharing market has entered the mature stage, and consumers' demand shows a diversified increasing trend. This paper considers two modes of operation and two pricing strategies, which are business-to-consumer and consumer-to-consumer modes, market pricing and platform pricing. Under these conditions, the platform's revenue-sharing ratio will be different. The purpose of this paper is to explore this research question, and seeks an optimal pricing mechanism that can achieve a win–win situation between platform and automobile manufacturer in the two market modes.

The authors design different profit functions for platform under the two contexts. Of course, the platform's function is constrained to the manufacturer's function. By introducing a revenue-sharing contract a Stackelberg game model dominated by the platform is established and the equilibrium solutions under the two pricing models are derived.

The study found that even if only market pricing is executed, the scale of the car-sharing market will continue to expand. As the car-sharing market becomes more saturated, platform pricing is better for the automobile manufacturer; in most cases, the platform prefers platform pricing, but when the number of private cars is relatively small, if the cost of car operation and maintenance for the automobile manufacturer is lower or the revenue-sharing ratio of private cars is high, then market pricing will be more favorable to the platform.

With the cross-border integration of car service platforms and the automobile manufacturing industry, the key to achieving win–win cooperation and sustainable development in the car-sharing market will converge on the question of how to design a suitable pricing mechanism and revenue-sharing method.

Authors have determined how a car-sharing platform achieves a win–win order pricing strategy with the manufacturer and private car owners, respectively. And authors combined the supply chain revenue-sharing contract with the car-sharing market to explore the application of the revenue-sharing contract in the sharing economy.

The purpose of this paper is to find industry wise differences in relationship between onboarding experience (OE) and turnover intention (TI). An attempt has been made to find the intervening role of psychological variables such as locus of control and self-efficacy.

An online questionnaire was administered to 596 newcomers in five industrial sectors: fast-moving consumer goods, information technology (IT), pharmaceuticals, automobile manufacturing, and hospitality. The questionnaire measured the constructs of locus of control, self-efficacy, perceived OE, and TI.

Inverse relationship was found between perceived OE and TI. There is a significant positive relationship between motivation-based self-efficacy and TI which is mediated through OE. Affective self-efficacy moderates the impact of OE on TI, such that for individuals with low efficacy the inverse relationship between OE and TI is strong, but for individuals with high self-efficacy the relationship between the two variables is direct. The OE in automobile manufacturing industries is significantly higher than other industries. TI is significantly higher in IT and hospitality industries. Exploratory factor analysis of the instrument on OE led to extraction of four factors. Based on socialization resource theory, they were termed as orientation, socialization, task characteristics and leadership. Aspects of socialization and leadership are most significant factors in determining TI across industrial sectors, whereas in case of the hospitality and automobile manufacturing sector it was found that better the task characteristics higher is the chance of TI.

There are limited studies linking various aspects of OE with TI across industries, especially in the Indian context. So, this will be the unique contribution of this research.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a clustering approach to segment supply chain partners in the automobile industry and prioritize services offered by third party logistics service (3PL) providers.

In total, 98 automobile and auto‐parts manufacturers are surveyed to identify service needs, preferences, and outsourcing commitments. By applying a two‐stage clustering approach combined with Ward's minimum‐variance method and the K‐means algorithm, the logistics companies prioritize their services to better satisfy groups of customers with specific preferences.

Four distinctive groups of manufacturers are identified using the two‐stage clustering approach. The clusters separate logistic preferences and outsourcing patterns of after market parts suppliers, original equipment service parts suppliers, original equipment manufacturer parts suppliers, and tier one car makers. The paper finds that distribution and delivery services hold the highest percentage of services outsourced among the manufacturers.

This paper models logistic services as customizable services and develops a data system methodology to define the profiles of automobile manufacturers and their preferred logistic services. Through the analysis of service preferences and clustering, the paper identifies the key logistic services that can be customized for members of the automobile supply chain. A case is provided which demonstrates how a logistics company can provide customized service designs for specific target markets and customers.

The circular economy concepts are useful for resource conservation, eliminating waste and enhancing the efficiency of production to improve the sustainability of the system. The application of CE in Indian manufacturing industry is in nascent stage. India’s manufacturing sector significantly contributes to the economic development of the nation; therefore, this study aims to identify and analyze the sustainability related challenges faced during the implementation of the circularity concept.

Comprehensive survey of literature and the use of Pareto analysis yield ten significant challenges which are further analyzed using fuzzy-Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory approach.

Findings revealed that noncompliance of environmental laws, revenue generation, design issues owing to technological limitations and less preference to refurbished and reused product are some of the major challenges to the CE practices in the manufacturing industry.

The results will help the researchers and practitioners in strategic decision-making for the improved application of circularity in the production process.

This paper contributes to the identification and prioritization of sustainability-related challenges faced during the implementation of a novel concept by a developing economy.