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1 – 10 of over 1000The purpose of this paper is to examine the value of a developmental learning view on implementation of quality management (QM) concepts. QM concepts are common in various…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the value of a developmental learning view on implementation of quality management (QM) concepts. QM concepts are common in various organizations; some implement them smoothly, others struggle and sometimes even abandon the initiatives. What is then a successful implementation – is it the use a specific QM method as a standard problem solving approach, or is it that learning has occurred during implementation?
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on an illustrative case study carried out at a hospital in western Sweden. The data have been collected through about 130 hours of participation in project work by the first author and through seven face-to-face interviews of about one hour each.
Findings
It is shown that a Design for Six Sigma pilot project with a narrow view on implementation could be regarded as a failure, but it gave rise to much learning and new improved ways of working. Hence, it is argued that a developmental view on implementation can support learning by an emergent and experimental approach to implementation processes.
Originality/value
Much research has been done on how to increase the success rate of implementations of QM initiatives, e.g. procedures to follow to reach an outcome where the new way of working is standard procedure. Less research has problematized the implementation process, questioning what a successful outcome of an implementation is.
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Efficient processing of XML queries is critical for XML data management and related applications. Previously proposed techniques are unsatisfactory. The purpose of this paper is…
Abstract
Purpose
Efficient processing of XML queries is critical for XML data management and related applications. Previously proposed techniques are unsatisfactory. The purpose of this paper is to present Determined – a new prototype system designed for XML query processing and optimization from a system perspective. With Determined, a number of novel techniques for XML query processing are proposed and demonstrated.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology emphasizes on query pattern minimization, logic‐level optimization, and efficient query execution. Accordingly, three lines of investigation have been pursued in the context of Determined: XML tree pattern query (TPQ) minimization; logic‐level XML query optimization utilizing deterministic transformation; and specialized algorithms for fast XML query execution.
Findings
Developed and demonstrated were: a runtime optimal and powerful algorithm for XML TPQ minimization; a unique logic‐level XML query optimization approach that solely pursues deterministic query transformation; and a group of specialized algorithms for XML query evaluation.
Research limitations/implications
The experiments conducted so far are still preliminary. Further in‐depth, thorough experiments thus are expected, ideally carried out in the setting of a real‐world XML DBMS system.
Practical implications
The techniques/approaches proposed can be adapted to real‐world XML database systems to enhance the performance of XML query processing.
Originality/value
The reported work integrates various novel techniques for XML query processing/optimization into a single system, and the findings are presented from a system perspective.
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Fathul Wahid and Maung K. Sein
While institutional theory is used widely in the information system (IS) literature to study implementation of systems, the actual process of institutionalization has received…
Abstract
Purpose
While institutional theory is used widely in the information system (IS) literature to study implementation of systems, the actual process of institutionalization has received less attention. The purpose of this paper is to address this gap in the literature by using three concepts drawn from the theory, namely, institutional isomorphism, institutional logic and institutional entrepreneurship, and the interplay between them to explore the role of the dominant institutional entrepreneur in the institutionalization of a public system, as an instance of e‐government initiatives.
Design/methodology/approach
In an interpretive case study, this study examined the institutionalization process of an e‐procurement system over a four‐year period (2007‐2011) in the Indonesian city of Yogyakarta.
Findings
This study reveals that different institutional isomorphism mechanisms emerge during the process and institutional logics evolve over time. More interestingly, it uncovers the dominant role of an institutional entrepreneur, the city's mayor, who mobilized resources and support to drive the institutionalization process. At the beginning stage, institutionalization is best described as a process of instilling values, cultivated by the mayor, followed by a process of creating reality through a typification process, whereby the e‐procurement system is embedded in the existing practices and institutionalized.
Research limitations/implications
As an interpretive study, the findings are generalized to theoretical concepts rather than the population. The interrelationship between the three concepts of institutional theory represents plausible rather than deterministic links. It also offers practical insights, such as e‐procurement implementation strategy.
Originality/value
This paper goes beyond simply using institutional theory as an interpretive lens by examining the interrelationship between the mechanisms of institutionalization. It shows that the main catalyst of the institutionalization process is the institutional entrepreneur who managed the institutional isomorphism and was instrumental in changing the institutional logic. It also presents lessons from a successful case where corrupt practices were highly institutionalized at the beginning but were decreased through the system.
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The purpose of this paper is to introduce new non‐classical implementations of neural networks (NNs). The developed implementations are performed in the quantum, nano, and optical…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to introduce new non‐classical implementations of neural networks (NNs). The developed implementations are performed in the quantum, nano, and optical domains to perform the required neural computing. The various implementations of the new NNs utilizing the introduced architectures are presented, and their extensions for the utilization in the non‐classical neural‐systolic networks are also introduced.
Design/methodology/approach
The introduced neural circuits utilize recent findings in the quantum, nano, and optical fields to implement the functionality of the basic NN. This includes the techniques of many‐valued quantum computing (MVQC), carbon nanotubes (CNT), and linear optics. The extensions of implementations to non‐classical neural‐systolic networks using the introduced neural‐systolic architectures are also presented.
Findings
Novel NN implementations are introduced in this paper. NN implementation using the general scheme of MVQC is presented. The proposed method uses the many‐valued quantum orthonormal computational basis states to implement such computations. Physical implementation of quantum computing (QC) is performed by controlling the potential to yield specific wavefunction as a result of solving the Schrödinger equation that governs the dynamics in the quantum domain. The CNT‐based implementation of logic NNs is also introduced. New implementations of logic NNs are also introduced that utilize new linear optical circuits which use coherent light beams to perform the functionality of the basic logic multiplexer by utilizing the properties of frequency, polarization, and incident angle. The implementations of non‐classical neural‐systolic networks using the introduced quantum, nano, and optical neural architectures are also presented.
Originality/value
The introduced NN implementations form new important directions in the NN realizations using the newly emerging technologies. Since the new quantum and optical implementations have the advantages of very high‐speed and low‐power consumption, and the nano implementation exists in very compact space where CNT‐based field effect transistor switches reliably using much less power than a silicon‐based device, the introduced implementations for non‐classical neural computation are new and interesting for the design in future technologies that require the optimal design specifications of super‐high speed, minimum power consumption, and minimum size, such as in low‐power control of autonomous robots, adiabatic low‐power very‐large‐scale integration circuit design for signal processing applications, QC, and nanotechnology.
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Mohammad Raoufi and Aminah Robinson Fayek
This paper aims to cover the development of a methodology for hybrid fuzzy Monte Carlo agent-based simulation (FMCABS) and its implementation on a parametric study of construction…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to cover the development of a methodology for hybrid fuzzy Monte Carlo agent-based simulation (FMCABS) and its implementation on a parametric study of construction crew performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The developed methodology uses fuzzy logic, Monte Carlo simulation and agent-based modeling to simulate the behavior of construction crews and predict their performance. Both random and subjective uncertainties are considered in model variables.
Findings
The developed methodology was implemented on a real case involving the parametric study of construction crew performance to assess its applicability and suitability for this context.
Research limitations/implications
This parametric study demonstrates a practical application for the hybrid FMCABS methodology. Though findings from this study are limited to the context of construction crew motivation and performance, the applicability of the developed methodology extends beyond the construction domain.
Practical implications
This paper will help construction practitioners to predict and improve crew performance by taking into account both random and subjective uncertainties.
Social implications
This paper will advance construction modeling by allowing for the assessment of social interactions among crews and their effects on crew performance.
Originality/value
The developed hybrid FMCABS methodology represents an original contribution, as it allows agent-based models to simultaneously process all types of variables (i.e. deterministic, random and subjective) in the same simulation experiment while accounting for interactions among different agents. In addition, the developed methodology is implemented in a novel and extensive parametric study of construction crew performance.
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Marie‐Claude Boudreau and Daniel Robey
Business process re‐engineering (BPR) promises to transform organizations by fundamentally altering their core processes, thereby achieving radical improvements in performance. As…
Abstract
Business process re‐engineering (BPR) promises to transform organizations by fundamentally altering their core processes, thereby achieving radical improvements in performance. As the number of actual re‐engineering projects increases, the rhetoric surrounding BPR has shifted to reflect greater cynicism and discomfort over its claims. In the absence of compelling and trustworthy evidence about the success of BPR projects, critics have exposed logical contradictions within BPR’s “manifesto” for revolutionary change and insinuated that BPR’s utopian rhetoric masks political motives. This paper contributes to this discussion in three ways. First we examine two difficulties affecting the evaluation of BPR programmes: defining what process re‐engineering really is, and determining whether BPR has been applied successfully. Second, we examine four fundamental contradictions inherent in BPR’s analysis of organizations: the fallacy of its “clean‐slate” assumption, the paradox of information technology’s role as an enabler of organizational change, the hypocrisy of employee empowerment, and the irony of employee commitment. Third we propose that such contradictions be addressed in both research and practice by employing theoretical perspectives that are prepared to accommodate contradictory phenomena, in contrast to the simplistic, deterministic logic guiding current investigations of BPR’s effectiveness. We suggest theories of organizational learning and organizational politics to understand and resolve the contradictions embedded within BPR.
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Nima Gerami Seresht, Rodolfo Lourenzutti, Ahmad Salah and Aminah Robinson Fayek
Due to the increasing size and complexity of construction projects, construction engineering and management involves the coordination of many complex and dynamic processes and…
Abstract
Due to the increasing size and complexity of construction projects, construction engineering and management involves the coordination of many complex and dynamic processes and relies on the analysis of uncertain, imprecise and incomplete information, including subjective and linguistically expressed information. Various modelling and computing techniques have been used by construction researchers and applied to practical construction problems in order to overcome these challenges, including fuzzy hybrid techniques. Fuzzy hybrid techniques combine the human-like reasoning capabilities of fuzzy logic with the capabilities of other techniques, such as optimization, machine learning, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) and simulation, to capitalise on their strengths and overcome their limitations. Based on a review of construction literature, this chapter identifies the most common types of fuzzy hybrid techniques applied to construction problems and reviews selected papers in each category of fuzzy hybrid technique to illustrate their capabilities for addressing construction challenges. Finally, this chapter discusses areas for future development of fuzzy hybrid techniques that will increase their capabilities for solving construction-related problems. The contributions of this chapter are threefold: (1) the limitations of some standard techniques for solving construction problems are discussed, as are the ways that fuzzy methods have been hybridized with these techniques in order to address their limitations; (2) a review of existing applications of fuzzy hybrid techniques in construction is provided in order to illustrate the capabilities of these techniques for solving a variety of construction problems and (3) potential improvements in each category of fuzzy hybrid technique in construction are provided, as areas for future research.
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Claudio de Araujo Wanderley, John Cullen and Mathew Tsamenyi
The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) possesses an inherent duality, as it has been described as a carrier of institutions (i.e. the BSC is a “management ideology” or “mode of thinking”…
Abstract
Purpose
The Balanced Scorecard (BSC) possesses an inherent duality, as it has been described as a carrier of institutions (i.e. the BSC is a “management ideology” or “mode of thinking”) and a flexibly interpretive boundary object at the same time. This study examines how this inherent duality of the BSC may influence the unfolding rationales surrounding its implementation and use.
Design/methodology/approach
Empirical support for this investigation is gathered from an in-depth field study. The focal firm is a Brazilian electricity distribution company that transitioned from state to private ownership under hyper-regulation, and whose holding company experienced strategic and structural changes.
Findings
The study identified a misalignment between the characteristics of the firm (e.g. organizational logics) and the perceived BSC features. This misalignment initially produced tensions and institutional logics complexity for the organization forcing the BSC implementers to rationalize it to provide meaning regarding its implementation in the firm. The findings also show why and how the promoters of the BSC conducted its “strategy of translation” in order to disentangle and reassemble both the material and symbolic components of the BSC to facilitate its implementation and use. It was found that promoters of the BSC engaged in contextualization work, which featured two main actions: a combination of coupling and selective decoupling and a change of meaning.
Originality/value
This paper advances current understanding of the process of the unfolding rationales surrounding management accounting innovations (e.g. the BSC). The study shows that the BSC unfolds in more complex, time-related and simultaneous ways than has previously been reported in the literature. Moreover, the paper contributes by explaining how the management's rationales, relating to their historical understanding, perception of legitimation needs and social skills, contributed to the continuous unfolding of the BSC. In addition, four potentially interesting areas for further research were identified.
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The purpose of this paper is twofold: to identify and map contemporary research on advanced technology implementations for problem-solving purposes in the manufacturing industry…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold: to identify and map contemporary research on advanced technology implementations for problem-solving purposes in the manufacturing industry, and to further understand the organizational learning possibilities of advanced technology problem-solving in the manufacturing industry.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper outlines a scoping review of contemporary research on the subject. The findings of the review are discussed in the light of theories of contradicting learning logics.
Findings
This paper shows that contemporary research on the subject is characterized by technological determinism and strong solution-focus. A discussion on the manufacturing industries’ contextual reasons for this in relation to contradicting learning logics shows that a Mode-2 problem-solving approach could facilitate further learning and expand knowledge on advanced technology problem-solving in the manufacturing industry. A research agenda with six propositions is provided.
Originality/value
The introduction of advanced technology implies complex effects on the manufacturing industry in general, while previous research shows a clear focus on technological aspects of this transformation. This paper provides value by providing novel knowledge on the relationship between advanced technology, problem-solving and organizational learning in the manufacturing industry.
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Strategic management theory has failed to explain the underlying principles of strategy processes and the relationships between strategy process and strategy content. There seems…
Abstract
Strategic management theory has failed to explain the underlying principles of strategy processes and the relationships between strategy process and strategy content. There seems to be no theory of strategy logic, i. e. the general process and management characteristics generating a certain strategy outcome. Strategy content research has presented a systematic analysis on the basis of competitive advantage, and strategy process research has provided careful in-depth descriptions and examinations of strategy making. However, the basic strategy logic, including the underlying procedures, activities and reasoning that generate a particular type of strategy, has been less commonly evaluated. In particular, principles and details of strategy making in complex situations seem less clear.