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Article
Publication date: 14 August 2017

Yue Wang and Karen Yuan Wang

The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical account of how firms make choices between dynamic capability-based and ad hoc problem-solving approaches toward strategic…

1645

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a theoretical account of how firms make choices between dynamic capability-based and ad hoc problem-solving approaches toward strategic change.

Design/methodology/approach

A model has been developed to answer the questions of how and under what conditions firms develop appropriate approaches to handle strategic change.

Findings

Drawing upon structural inertia theory (SIT) and the resource-based view (RBV), the model predicts that firms, regardless of their age and size, are more likely to adopt an ad hoc problem-solving approach to handle change in both highly dynamic and low-dynamic environments. However, in moderately dynamic environments, a dynamic capability-based approach may be more appropriate, depending on which theoretical logic (SIT or RBV) the decision is made.

Originality/value

The paper builds on the useful distinction made by Winter (2003) in terms of the ways to handle organizational change and extends the recent research on temporary vs sustainable competitive advantages to investigate how firms tackle strategic change within the contexts of both environmental dynamism and organizational attributes.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 30 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 June 2012

Avi Herbon, Shalom Moalem, Haim Shnaiderman and Joseph Templeman

The purpose of this paper is to develop a user‐oriented decision‐supporting applicable tool for selection of a single supplier out of a group of potential suppliers in a dynamic…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a user‐oriented decision‐supporting applicable tool for selection of a single supplier out of a group of potential suppliers in a dynamic business environment over a finite planning horizon.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative and quantitative description of the impact of a change in one or several business environment parameters on current and future supplier choice; the methodology is accompanied by a visual representation of those impacts for the decision maker. The paper presents extended simulation experiments to test the proposed methodology.

Findings

A strategy of replacing suppliers over a definite planning horizon based on a forecast of the business environment is significantly (2‐9 per cent) more efficient than a strategy of relying on a single leading supplier throughout the planning horizon. This efficiency gain is greater the more the business environment is dynamic.

Practical implications

The proposed methodology is applicable to a broad range of service and manufacturing organizations that operate in dynamic business environments and rely on complex purchasing systems. Thanks to its simplicity, it can be applied to very large systems with a broad range of selection and/or environmental parameters.

Originality/value

Although the supplier selection process has been extensively studied, the literature still lacks appropriate reference to the effects of a dynamic business environment on this process.

Details

International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management, vol. 42 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0960-0035

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 January 2018

Araceli Rojo, Mark Stevenson, Francisco Javier Lloréns Montes and Maria Nieves Perez-Arostegui

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between environmental dynamism and supply chain flexibility (SCF) and to evaluate if two dynamic capabilities, i.e…

2464

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the relationship between environmental dynamism and supply chain flexibility (SCF) and to evaluate if two dynamic capabilities, i.e. operational absorptive capacity (OAC) and organisational learning (OL), are necessary competences for firms to develop such a responsive supply chain strategy as flexibility.

Design/methodology/approach

Hypothesised relationships are tested with survey data from 302 Spanish manufacturing firms using structural equations modelling.

Findings

Environmental dynamism is positively associated with both OAC and OL, and both dynamic capabilities enable SCF. The authors also find that the relationship between environmental dynamism and SCF is partially mediated by both dynamic capabilities.

Research limitations/implications

The study contributes to the literature, for example, by determining when it is advantageous to develop SCF, by specifying what capabilities a firm needs to develop to align SCF with the environment, and by opening the black box that is the relationship between the environment and SCF.

Practical implications

Managers should develop SCF via OAC and OL when they detect a high degree of environmental dynamism. Knowing when this is necessary relies on a good understanding of the environment. OAC is found to be a stronger enabler of SCF than OL. The findings provide managers with an insight into why some firms are able to develop more effective responses to dynamic environments than others.

Originality/value

This study is one of only a limited number of studies that adopt a dynamic capabilities approach to supply chain management. Prior literature has shown that dynamic capabilities can aid in developing strategic, structural, and operational flexibility. The authors extend this literature by showing that OAC and OL have an effect on SCF.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 38 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 April 2021

Jinbao Fang, Qiyu Sun, Yukun Chen and Yang Tang

This work aims to combine the cloud robotics technologies with deep reinforcement learning to build a distributed training architecture and accelerate the learning procedure of…

Abstract

Purpose

This work aims to combine the cloud robotics technologies with deep reinforcement learning to build a distributed training architecture and accelerate the learning procedure of autonomous systems. Especially, a distributed training architecture for navigating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in complicated dynamic environments is proposed.

Design/methodology/approach

This study proposes a distributed training architecture named experience-sharing learner-worker (ESLW) for deep reinforcement learning to navigate UAVs in dynamic environments, which is inspired by cloud-based techniques. With the ESLW architecture, multiple worker nodes operating in different environments can generate training data in parallel, and then the learner node trains a policy through the training data collected by the worker nodes. Besides, this study proposes an extended experience replay (EER) strategy to ensure the method can be applied to experience sequences to improve training efficiency. To learn more about dynamic environments, convolutional long short-term memory (ConvLSTM) modules are adopted to extract spatiotemporal information from training sequences.

Findings

Experimental results demonstrate that the ESLW architecture and the EER strategy accelerate the convergence speed and the ConvLSTM modules specialize in extract sequential information when navigating UAVs in dynamic environments.

Originality/value

Inspired by the cloud robotics technologies, this study proposes a distributed ESLW architecture for navigating UAVs in dynamic environments. Besides, the EER strategy is proposed to speed up training processes of experience sequences, and the ConvLSTM modules are added to networks to make full use of the sequential experiences.

Details

Assembly Automation, vol. 41 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-5154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 May 2011

Yi Wang and Xinping Shi

Small and mid‐sized enterprises (SMEs) are facing challenges in an increasingly fierce environment. This paper aims to explore the promise of information systems (IS) in enhancing…

1479

Abstract

Purpose

Small and mid‐sized enterprises (SMEs) are facing challenges in an increasingly fierce environment. This paper aims to explore the promise of information systems (IS) in enhancing the survival and competitiveness of SMEs in a dynamic environment. To address this issue, the paper draws upon the dynamic capability theory and develops a research model of IS‐enabled dynamic capabilities to examine the role of IS competence for enhancing SMEs dynamic capabilities in a competitive business environment.

Design/methodology/approach

An empirical study is conducted by using survey data from senior managers of 120 SMEs in China.

Findings

The analytic outcomes support the research model and confirm that IS competence significantly contributes to SMEs' dynamic capabilities for gaining competitive advantage.

Research limitations/implications

This paper contributes to the literature on IS impact on dynamic capabilities of SMEs by incorporating IS competences into a research model of IS‐enabled dynamic capabilities and articulating the relationships between IS competences and dynamic capabilities of SMEs in a changing business environment. The research findings enrich dynamic capabilities theory by justifying IS as an enabling antecedent for organizational capability development. The findings may empirically convince SMEs owners and management to effectively invest in and deploy IS for enhancing SMEs' dynamic capabilities and performance.

Originality/value

A capability‐building perspective is used to examine how IS can leverage SMEs' capabilities to enhance their competitive advantage in a dynamic environment.

Details

Journal of Systems and Information Technology, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1328-7265

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2016

Samuel Adomako, Bedman Narteh, Joseph Kwadwo Danquah and Farhad Analoui

Research on entrepreneurial orientation (EO) has concluded a positive link between EO and firm performance and that relationship depends on several contingencies. The purpose of…

1107

Abstract

Purpose

Research on entrepreneurial orientation (EO) has concluded a positive link between EO and firm performance and that relationship depends on several contingencies. The purpose of this paper is to derive insights from the absorptive capacity and contingency perspectives to introduce extra-organizational advice as a moderator of the relationship between EO and firm performance in a dynamic environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Using survey data from 340 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana, the study examines the moderating influence of extra-organizational advice on the EO-firm performance relationship in dynamic environments.

Findings

The study’s empirical findings suggest that extra-organizational advice amplifies the EO-performance relationship in dynamic environments.

Research limitations/implications

The cross-sectional design of the study does not permit causal inferences to be made regarding the variables examined. Future studies may use longitudinal design to examine the causal links of the variables. Limitations aside, the study helps to answer how extra-organizational advice translates EO into improved performance in an environment characterized by constant flux.

Practical implications

The results of this paper can assist entrepreneurs and policy makers in understanding the dynamics and processes involved in implementing a strategic orientation to achieve higher performance. For SME managers, firm performance is determined by high levels of EO and extra-organizational advice in dynamic environments. The understanding of this issue can promote the development and maintenance of entrepreneurial ventures.

Originality/value

The paper examines an important, but under-researched issue – the moderating effect of extra-organizational advice on the EO-performance relationship in dynamic environments. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the present study pioneers research in this area.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 22 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 January 2023

Yawen Li, Guangming Song, Shuang Hao, Juzheng Mao and Aiguo Song

The prerequisite for most traditional visual simultaneous localization and mapping (V-SLAM) algorithms is that most objects in the environment should be static or in low-speed…

Abstract

Purpose

The prerequisite for most traditional visual simultaneous localization and mapping (V-SLAM) algorithms is that most objects in the environment should be static or in low-speed locomotion. These algorithms rely on geometric information of the environment and restrict the application scenarios with dynamic objects. Semantic segmentation can be used to extract deep features from images to identify dynamic objects in the real world. Therefore, V-SLAM fused with semantic information can reduce the influence from dynamic objects and achieve higher accuracy. This paper aims to present a new semantic stereo V-SLAM method toward outdoor dynamic environments for more accurate pose estimation.

Design/methodology/approach

First, the Deeplabv3+ semantic segmentation model is adopted to recognize semantic information about dynamic objects in the outdoor scenes. Second, an approach that combines prior knowledge to determine the dynamic hierarchy of moveable objects is proposed, which depends on the pixel movement between frames. Finally, a semantic stereo V-SLAM based on ORB-SLAM2 to calculate accurate trajectory in dynamic environments is presented, which selects corresponding feature points on static regions and eliminates useless feature points on dynamic regions.

Findings

The proposed method is successfully verified on the public data set KITTI and ZED2 self-collected data set in the real world. The proposed V-SLAM system can extract the semantic information and track feature points steadily in dynamic environments. Absolute pose error and relative pose error are used to evaluate the feasibility of the proposed method. Experimental results show significant improvements in root mean square error and standard deviation error on both the KITTI data set and an unmanned aerial vehicle. That indicates this method can be effectively applied to outdoor environments.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this study is that a new semantic stereo V-SLAM method is proposed with greater robustness and stability, which reduces the impact of moving objects in dynamic scenes.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. 50 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2022

Jin Xue, Geoffrey Qiping Shen, Xiaomei Deng, Adedayo Johnson Ogungbile and Xiaoling Chu

Relationship management evolves with dynamic and complex environments of megaprojects. However, studies on the longitudinal measurement of relationship management performance for…

Abstract

Purpose

Relationship management evolves with dynamic and complex environments of megaprojects. However, studies on the longitudinal measurement of relationship management performance for each stakeholder in dynamic and complex project environments are lacking. The purpose of this research is to propose an NK-network evolution model to evaluate stakeholder performance on relationship management in the development of megaprojects.

Design/methodology/approach

The model input includes the stakeholder-associated issues and stakeholders' relational strategies, the co-effects of which determine the internal effects of relationship management in megaprojects. The model processing simulates the stakeholder performance of relationship management under the dynamic and complex nature of megaprojects. The NK model shows the dynamic stakeholder interactions on relationship management, whereas the network model presents the complex stakeholder structures of the relationships between stakeholders and relevant issues. The model output is the evolution graph to reveal the weak stakeholder performance on relationship management in the timeline of the project duration.

Findings

The research finding reveals that all stakeholders experience the plunge of stakeholder performance of relationship management at the decision-making moment of the planning stage. Construction, environmental and pressure groups may experience the hardship of relationship management at the start of the construction stage. The government is likely to suffer difficulties in relationship management in the late construction stage. Local industry groups would face challenges in relationship management in the middle of the construction stage and handover stage.

Originality/value

The research provides a useful approach to measuring weak moments of relationship management for each stakeholder in various project phases, considering the dynamic and complex environments of megaprojects. The proposed model extends the current knowledge body on how to make project stakeholder analysis by modelling dynamic and complex environments of megaprojects, with bridging the knowledge domains of evolution modeling techniques and network methods.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 30 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 2023

Kaixin Li, Ye He, Kuan Li and Chengguo Liu

With the increasing demands of industrial applications, it is imperative for robots to accomplish good contact-interaction with dynamic environments. Hence, the purpose of this…

Abstract

Purpose

With the increasing demands of industrial applications, it is imperative for robots to accomplish good contact-interaction with dynamic environments. Hence, the purpose of this research is to propose an adaptive fractional-order admittance control scheme to realize a robot–environment contact with high accuracy, small overshoot and fast response.

Design/methodology/approach

Fractional calculus is introduced to reconstruct the classical admittance model in this control scheme, which can more accurately describe the complex physical relationship between position and force in the interaction process of the robot–environment. In this control scheme, the pre-PID controller and fuzzy controller are adopted to improve the system force tracking performance in highly dynamic unknown environments, and the fuzzy controller is used to improve the trajectory, transient and steady-state response by adjusting the pre-PID integration gain online. Furthermore, the stability and robustness of this control algorithm are theoretically and experimentally demonstrated.

Findings

The excellent force tracking performance of the proposed control algorithm is verified by constructing highly dynamic unstructured environments through simulations and experiments. In simulations and experiments, the proposed control algorithm shows satisfactory force tracking performance with the advantages of fast response speed, little overshoot and strong robustness.

Practical implications

The control scheme is practical and simple in the actual industrial and medical scenarios, which requires accurate force control by the robot.

Originality/value

A new fractional-order admittance controller is proposed and verified by experiments in this research, which achieves excellent force tracking performance in dynamic unknown environments.

Details

Industrial Robot: the international journal of robotics research and application, vol. 50 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 April 2018

Khadijeh Momeni and Miia Maarit Martinsuo

Resource allocation is challenged by dynamic environments where changes are frequent. The purpose of this paper is to identify resource allocation challenges and practices in…

1636

Abstract

Purpose

Resource allocation is challenged by dynamic environments where changes are frequent. The purpose of this paper is to identify resource allocation challenges and practices in service units that perform both project and non-project activities in dynamic environments. Its goal is to show that top-down mechanisms of project resource allocation need to be replaced by or supplemented with mechanisms that are more flexible.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative comparative case study was conducted in two service units of two project-based firms. The main source of data consisted of semi-structured interviews with 17 service managers and staff members.

Findings

This study shows that resource allocation is not necessarily a top-down process at all, and the practices are context-dependent. Two more flexible approaches are revealed – hybrid resource allocation and bottom-up resource allocation – as examples of managing resource allocation in service units that engage in projects under uncertain conditions. The results of the analysis highlight prioritisation and adapting to change and delay as the main issues that managers face in allocating resources to different types of projects and service activities in dynamic environments.

Research limitations/implications

The two target companies chosen for the qualitative research design limit the analysis to project-based firms in a business-to-business context. Further, the viewpoint of the service unit is central to the study. Studying project resource allocation in different organisational contexts and uncovering the perspectives of product development and delivery units would offer promising directions for future research.

Practical implications

The study reveals that in dynamic project settings such as service organisations, top-down mechanisms of resource allocation need to be accompanied by other, more flexible approaches to ensure the sufficient resourcing of projects and related services in dynamic environments. Companies need to establish practices for resource allocation changes that are caused by re-prioritising tasks and accommodating changes and delays in their project and service activities.

Originality/value

Compared to a top-down perspective taken in previous research, the study proposes a more flexible approach for resource allocation in constantly changing environments with different project and service activities. Previous studies have focussed on resource competition between projects, placing project managers in the central role for resource allocation. By contrast, this study discusses hybrid and bottom-up resource allocation, both of which involve broader personnel engagement in resource allocation tasks, drawing on the experience of all employees.

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 11 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 81000