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1 – 10 of over 8000Lukas Goretzki, Martin Messner and Maria Wurm
Data science promises new opportunities for organizational decision-making. Data scientists arguably play an important role in this regard and one can even observe a certain…
Abstract
Purpose
Data science promises new opportunities for organizational decision-making. Data scientists arguably play an important role in this regard and one can even observe a certain “buzz” around this nascent occupation. This paper enquires into how data scientists construct their occupational identity and the challenges they experience when enacting it.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on semi-structured interviews with data scientists working in different industries, the authors explore how these actors draw on their educational background, work experiences and perception of the contemporary digitalization discourse to craft their occupational identities.
Findings
The authors identify three main components of data scientists’ occupational identity: a scientific mindset, an interest in sophisticated forms of data work and a problem-solving attitude. The authors demonstrate how enacting this identity is sometimes challenged through what data scientists perceive as either too low or too high expectations that managers form towards them. To address those expectations, they engage in outward-facing identity work by carrying out educational work within the organization and (paradoxically) stressing both prestigious and non-prestigious parts of their work to “tame” the ambiguity and hype they perceive in managers’ expectations. In addition, they act upon themselves to better appreciate managers’ perspectives and expectations.
Originality/value
This study contributes to research on data scientists as well as the accounting literature that often refers to data scientists as new competitors for accountants. It cautions scholars and practitioners alike to be careful when discussing the possibilities and limitations of data science concerning advancements in accounting and control.
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Andrew M. Cox, Mary Anne Kennan, Liz Lyon, Stephen Pinfield and Laura Sbaffi
A major development in academic libraries in the last decade has been recognition of the need to support research data management (RDM). The purpose of this paper is to capture…
Abstract
Purpose
A major development in academic libraries in the last decade has been recognition of the need to support research data management (RDM). The purpose of this paper is to capture how library research data services (RDS) have developed and to assess the impact of this on the nature of academic libraries.
Design/methodology/approach
Questionnaire responses from libraries in Australia, Canada, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the UK and USA from 2018 are compared to a previous data set from 2014.
Findings
The evidence supports a picture of the spread of RDS, especially advisory ones. However, future ambitions do not seem to have seen much evolution. There is limited evidence of organisational change and skills shortages remain. Most service development can be explained as the extension of traditional library services to research data. Yet there remains the potential for transformational impacts, when combined with the demands implied by other new services such as around text and data mining, bibliometrics and artificial intelligence. A revised maturity model is presented that summarises typical stages of development of services, structures and skills.
Research limitations/implications
The research models show how RDS are developing. It also reflects on the extent to which RDM represents a transformation of the role of academic libraries.
Practical implications
Practitioners working in the RDM arena can benchmark their current practices and future plans against wider patterns.
Originality/value
The study offers a clear picture of the evolution of research data services internationally and proposes a maturity model to capture typical stages of development. It contributes to the wider discussion of how the nature of academic libraries are changing.
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Bee Leng Chew, Marnisya Abdul Rahim and Vighnarajah Vighnarajah
Recent advancement in technological development has encouraged distance learning institutions to be more productive and creative in effectively utilizing the Learning Management…
Abstract
Purpose
Recent advancement in technological development has encouraged distance learning institutions to be more productive and creative in effectively utilizing the Learning Management System (LMS). Among the many measures employed is the integration of federated search engine into the LMS which allows for a more productive and wider scope of information retrieval through the provisions of library resources and services. The purpose of this paper is to report one such case study in Wawasan Open University exploring the integration of federated search engine (EBSCO Discovery Service (EDS) widget) into the learning spaces of LMS. Widgets resemble apps that enable the integration of EDS functionality in providing access for students to retrieve library learning resources from the convenience of the LMS, excluding the need to log onto the library.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a discussion that highlights the development and conjectural implementation of a framework on the integration of the EDS widget into the University’s LMS. Data collection includes meta-analysis data from the micro- and macro-level infrastructure that make up the framework, namely, end-user layer, system layer and data management layer.
Findings
Findings from this study addressed significant importance to the library in promoting effective search and utilization of information needs. The findings will also make clear recommendations in developing effective collaborations between the library and faculties. Although the implementation of this framework is still in a developmental stage, this study still provides pertinent information in validating the integration of EDS into the University’s LMS.
Research limitations/implications
While serious limitations are not anticipated, possible concerns do exist with programming algorithms in the integration of EDS into the LMS. These challenges will be reported in the paper as reference for future replications of study
Practical implications
One key implication is the increase in the usage of the library resources and the potential to reach a larger audience of remote library users.
Originality/value
The primary advantage is to minimize the need for multiple gateway login while ensuring the library to monitor relevant library databases activities throughout the system check of the LMS.
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Ana Gutiérrez, Jose Aguilar, Ana Ortega and Edwin Montoya
The authors propose the concept of “Autonomic Cycle for innovation processes,” which defines a set of tasks of data analysis, whose objective is to improve the innovation process…
Abstract
Purpose
The authors propose the concept of “Autonomic Cycle for innovation processes,” which defines a set of tasks of data analysis, whose objective is to improve the innovation process in micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors design autonomic cycles where each data analysis task interacts with each other and has different roles: some of them must observe the innovation process, others must analyze and interpret what happens in it, and finally, others make decisions in order to improve the innovation process.
Findings
In this article, the authors identify three innovation sub-processes which can be applied to autonomic cycles, which allow interoperating the actors of innovation processes (data, people, things and services). These autonomic cycles define an innovation problem, specify innovation requirements, and finally, evaluate the results of the innovation process, respectively. Finally, the authors instance/apply the autonomic cycle of data analysis tasks to determine the innovation problem in the textile industry.
Research limitations/implications
It is necessary to implement all autonomous cycles of data analysis tasks (ACODATs) in a real scenario to verify their functionalities. Also, it is important to determine the most important knowledge models required in the ACODAT for the definition of the innovation problem. Once determined this, it is necessary to define the relevant everything mining techniques required for their implementations, such as service and process mining tasks.
Practical implications
ACODAT for the definition of the innovation problem is essential in a process innovation because it allows the organization to identify opportunities for improvement.
Originality/value
The main contributions of this work are: For an innovation process is specified its ACODATs in order to manage it. A multidimensional data model for the management of an innovation process is defined, which stores the required information of the organization and of the context. The ACODAT for the definition of the innovation problem is detailed and instanced in the textile industry. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) techniques required for the ACODAT for the innovation problem definition are specified, in order to obtain the knowledge models (prediction and diagnosis) for the management of the innovation process for MSMEs of the textile industry.
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Rose Clancy, Dominic O'Sullivan and Ken Bruton
Data-driven quality management systems, brought about by the implementation of digitisation and digital technologies, is an integral part of improving supply chain management…
Abstract
Purpose
Data-driven quality management systems, brought about by the implementation of digitisation and digital technologies, is an integral part of improving supply chain management performance. The purpose of this study is to determine a methodology to aid the implementation of digital technologies and digitisation of the supply chain to enable data-driven quality management and the reduction of waste from manufacturing processes.
Design/methodology/approach
Methodologies from both the quality management and data science disciplines were implemented together to test their effectiveness in digitalising a manufacturing process to improve supply chain management performance. The hybrid digitisation approach to process improvement (HyDAPI) methodology was developed using findings from the industrial use case.
Findings
Upon assessment of the existing methodologies, Six Sigma and CRISP-DM were found to be the most suitable process improvement and data mining methodologies, respectively. The case study revealed gaps in the implementation of both the Six Sigma and CRISP-DM methodologies in relation to digitisation of the manufacturing process.
Practical implications
Valuable practical learnings borne out of the implementation of these methodologies were used to develop the HyDAPI methodology. This methodology offers a pragmatic step by step approach for industrial practitioners to digitally transform their traditional manufacturing processes to enable data-driven quality management and improved supply chain management performance.
Originality/value
This study proposes the HyDAPI methodology that utilises key elements of the Six Sigma DMAIC and the CRISP-DM methodologies along with additions proposed by the author, to aid with the digitisation of manufacturing processes leading to data-driven quality management of operations within the supply chain.
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Chiehyeon Lim, Min-Jun Kim, Ki-Hun Kim, Kwang-Jae Kim and Paul P. Maglio
The proliferation of (big) data provides numerous opportunities for service advances in practice, yet research on using data to advance service is at a nascent stage in the…
Abstract
Purpose
The proliferation of (big) data provides numerous opportunities for service advances in practice, yet research on using data to advance service is at a nascent stage in the literature. Many studies have discussed phenomenological benefits of data to service. However, limited research describes managerial issues behind such benefits, although a holistic understanding of the issues is essential in using data to advance service in practice and provides a basis for future research. The purpose of this paper is to address this research gap.
Design/methodology/approach
“Using data to advance service” is about change in organizations. Thus, this study uses action research methods of creating real change in organizations together with practitioners, thereby adding to scientific knowledge about practice. The authors participated in five service design projects with industry and government that used different data sets to design new services.
Findings
Drawing on lessons learned from the five projects, this study empirically identifies 11 managerial issues that should be considered in data-use for advancing service. In addition, by integrating the issues and relevant literature, this study offers theoretical implications for future research.
Originality/value
“Using data to advance service” is a research topic that emerged originally from practice. Action research or case studies on this topic are valuable in understanding practice and in identifying research priorities by discovering the gap between theory and practice. This study used action research over many years to observe real-world challenges and to make academic research relevant to the challenges. The authors believe that the empirical findings will help improve service practices of data-use and stimulate future research.
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Ricardo Antônio Câmara, Emerson Antonio Maccari and Renato Ribeiro Nogueira Ferraz
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the contribution of a project management approach to develop a tool to support the management of Brazilian stricto sensu graduate…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the contribution of a project management approach to develop a tool to support the management of Brazilian stricto sensu graduate programs (SS-GP). The Adaptive approach was chosen by applying the Project Management Life Cycle (PMLC) method.
Design/methodology/approach
The study corresponds to the concept of applied research. The qualitative approach was used. The research strategy was the action research, where participants cooperate to understand their environment, identify problems and seek a solution, simultaneously producing and using the knowledge produced.
Findings
The results showed one possible way to apply a contingency project management approach to develop the tool. In addition, indicated that its application facilitated the project work, especially when finding a solution for the project’s development and when dealing with the changes inherent to the uncertainties about the problem.
Research limitations/implications
The lack of more updated information and the limitation of time and resources led to the reduction of the environment scope and of the number of functionalities developed.
Practical implications
To contribute to the generation of knowledge and expertise to support the management of SS-GP in activities such as providing information to the CAPES evaluation system, academic production analysis, collaborative researcher network analysis and post-graduation program monitoring and evaluation.
Originality/value
To fill a gap pointed out by several studies, that it is not possible to automatically generate input lists to be processed by ScriptSucupira tool, based on filtered criteria, comprising the entire universe of the Brazilian SS-PG. The creators of ScriptSucupira also declared to ignore the existence of an artifact similar to that.
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Petteri Annunen, Juho Tella, Sini Pekki and Harri Haapasalo
This study describes how maintenance capability should be created during the design and construction phases of construction projects. Purpose of the abstract to define the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study describes how maintenance capability should be created during the design and construction phases of construction projects. Purpose of the abstract to define the elements for creating the maintenance capability and the process to be used in construction life cycle projects for buildings.
Design/methodology/approach
An inductive and qualitative research method was used to construct the proposed process based on the literature and 18 interviews in two large construction companies.
Findings
The results indicate that the maintenance phase is usually overlooked during the design and construction phases, and capabilities are not systematically built. In particular, processes are lacking in data management, causing severe problems in maintenance.
Originality/value
This study presents a process including key requirements and activities for creating maintenance capability in conjunction with the design and construction phases, which is novel to the literature. The validated process can be adapted based on the needs of the construction company.
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The purpose of this paper is to develop an original model and a solution procedure for solving jointly three main strategic fleet management problems (fleet composition…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop an original model and a solution procedure for solving jointly three main strategic fleet management problems (fleet composition, replacement and make-or-buy), taking into account interdependencies between them.
Design/methodology/approach
The three main strategic fleet management problems were analyzed in detail to identify interdependencies between them, mathematically modeled in terms of integer nonlinear programing (INLP) and solved using evolutionary based method of a solver compatible with a spreadsheet.
Findings
There are no optimization methods combining the analyzed problems, but it is possible to mathematically model them jointly and solve together using a solver compatible with a spreadsheet obtaining a solution/fleet management strategy answering the questions: Keep currently exploited vehicles in a fleet or remove them? If keep, how often to replace them? If remove then when? How many perspective/new vehicles, of what types, brand new or used ones and when should be put into a fleet? The relatively large scale instance of problem (50 vehicles) was solved based on a real-life data. The obtained results occurred to be better/cheaper by 10% than the two reference solutions – random and do-nothing ones.
Originality/value
The methodology of developing optimal fleet management strategy by solving jointly three main strategic fleet management problems is proposed allowing for the reduction of the fleet exploitation costs by adjusting fleet size, types of exploited vehicles and their exploitation periods.
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Riccardo Giannetti, Lino Cinquini, Paola Miolo Vitali and Falconer Mitchell
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how a substantial organization gradually builds a management accounting system from scratch, changing its accounting routines by…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how a substantial organization gradually builds a management accounting system from scratch, changing its accounting routines by learning processes. The paper uses the experiential learning theory and the concept of learning style to investigate the learning process during management accounting change. The study aims to expand the domain of management accounting change theory to emphasize the learning-related aspects that can constitute it.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper provides an interpretation of management accounting change based on the model of problem management proposed by Kolb (1983) and the theory of experiential learning (Kolb, 1976, 1984). The study is based on a 14-year longitudinal case study (1994‐2007). The case examined can be considered a theory illustration case. Data were obtained from a broad variety of sources including interviews, document analysis and adopting an interventionist approach during the redesign of the costing system.
Findings
The paper contributes to two important aspects of management accounting change. First, it becomes apparent that the costing information change was not a discrete event but a process of experience and learning conducted through several iterations of trial-and-error loops that extended over the years. Second, the findings reveal that the learning process can alter management accounting system design in a radical or incremental way according to the learning style of the people involved in the process of change.
Research limitations/implications
Because of the adopted research approach, results could be extended only to other organizations presenting similar characteristics. Several further areas of research are suggested by the findings of this paper. In particular, it would be of interest to investigate the links between learning styles and communication and its effect on management accounting change.
Practical implications
The paper includes implications for the management of learning during management accounting change, to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of this process.
Originality/value
This paper is one response to the call for an interdisciplinary research approach to the management accounting change phenomena using a “method theory” taken from the discipline of management to provide an explanation of the change in management accounting. In respect of the previous literature, it provides two main contributions, namely, the proposal of a model useful both to interpret and manage learning processes; the effect of learning style on management accounting routines change.
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