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The Duane reliability growth model has a number of inherent limitations that make it unsuitable for monitoring reliability improvement progress. These limitations are explored and a model based on variance‐stabilizing transformation theory is explained. This model retains the ease of use while also avoiding the disadvantages of the Duane model. It represents a more useful graphical model for portraying reliability improvement at development team meetings. Computer simulations have shown that the new model provides a better fit to the data over the range of Duane slopes normally observed during a reliability growth program. The instantaneous mean time between failures (MTBF) equation for the new model is developed. Computer simulations show that its use results in higher values of instantaneous MTBF than that achieved by the Duane model. The new model also reduces the total test time for achieving a particular specified instantaneous MTBF. Finally, software failure data from an actual project illustrates the calculations and benefits of the new model.

Market demands, especially within the automotive sector, are pushing towards increased product complexity and performance with zero ship parts per million (PPM) requirements. To achieve both quality and performance goals very stringent requirements are being placed on the test manufacturing solution. These requirements lead to conflicts between cost, performance and quality. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to investigate the conflicts that exist between quality, performance, and cost, and second, to review current practices and techniques being used in tests to minimise ship PPM.

In the paper a test process development flow chart is presented, along with a review of current methods being used for both defect screening and performance testing. The relationship between test coverage and ship PPM is investigated using established yield models. The cost in terms of gross margin degradation of yield loss at final test to extensive screening and aggressive limits is modelled.

The paper finds that to maintain ship PPM very high levels of test coverage are required – typically test coverage needs to be > 98 per cent. The cost of yield loss to this testing typically matches on a percentage point basis gross margin degradation. Reviewing current test methods shows the need both for extensive defect‐screening techniques for the defective portion of the population, and for optimised guardbanding techniques for performance testing. Weaknesses that exist are the absence of a model to predict outgoing PPM, and the conservative nature of existing guardband techniques for performance testing.

This is a review paper and it serves to highlight both the weaknesses in current practices, and areas where improved models are required.

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a novel approach of designing, specifying, and describing the behavior of software systems in a way that helps to predict their reliability from the reliability of the components and their interactions.

Design imperatives and relevant mathematical documentation techniques for improved reliability predictability of software systems are identified.

The design approach, which is named design for reliability predictability (DRP), integrates design for change, precise behavioral documentation and structure based reliability prediction to achieve improved reliability predictability of software systems. The specification and documentation approach builds upon precise behavioral specification of interfaces using the trace function method (TFM) and introduces a number of structure functions or connection documents. These functions capture both the static and dynamic behavior of component‐based software systems and are used as a basis for a novel document driven structure based reliability predication model.

Decades of research effort have been spent in software design, mathematical/formal specification and description and reliability prediction of software systems. However, there has been little convergence among these three areas. This paper brings a new direction where the three research areas are unified to create a new design paradigm.

The aim of this paper is to provide new insights into cooperation for organisations.

The paper is based on a literature review of cooperation, risk and trust. The emergent themes from the literature review form the basis for a proposed cooperation framework.

The power of cooperation for organisational leaders lies in its ability to enhance group effectiveness and increase performance. The emergent elements of trust and risk provide a basis for the proposed cooperation framework. The proposed framework has utility for organisations and their leadership and informs us that trust has the potential to reduce risk and increase cooperation.

This research provides practitioners and business leaders with a greater understanding of how cooperation, risk and trust are interconnected. Also, the researchers contend that the cooperation framework proposed in this paper has the potential to enhance cooperation in organisations.

The paper proposes a new framework that shows how cooperation is connected to risk and trust. The proposed framework has utility in organisations by providing a deeper understanding of the value of trust to organisations and their leaders.

The purpose of this paper is to develop and validate a new framework for continuous improvement.

The literature review on customer value and strategic quality provides the basis for the identification of a conceptual framework for continuous improvement. This conceptual framework is validated using the in-depth interview and the survey approach.

The empirical study concluded that the new framework contains all the core components or forces of continuous improvement. These forces are customer value focused co-leadership, customer value focused strategic objectives, improvement specialists with people performance knowledge and improvement methodology. By adopting this framework, all process personnel can have a role to play in process improvement leading to increased organisational returns on investment. Overall, it is an effective framework that is easily understood and can be applied throughout any process led organisation. This is supported by the empirical data.

This new framework can demonstrate to each organisational employee where they fit into the organisational continuous improvement strategy. This paper provides practitioners with a new validated continuous improvement framework that has application in all organisations that are involved in process customer value improvement. The researchers contend that this new framework can compliment existing continuous improvement frameworks.

This paper develops and validates a new framework for continuous improvement. By adopting this framework, all process personnel can have a role to play in process improvement leading to increased organisational returns on investment. This is supported by the empirical data. Also, the authors contend that this framework embraces the systems thinking approach (Conti, 2010) or systemic approach as people interact with customers, processes, improvement methodologies and each other to drive customer value improvement. Consequently, this generates a need to take global view of the combined effect of all customer value improvement components. This systems thinking can feed into future research.

The vast majority of indigenous Irish enterprises can be classed as small (less than 50 employees). Latest figures from the census of industrial production indicate a figure of 90 per cent. However the Irish small firm sector is notoriously volatile in that a large percentage of new companies “die” in the first five years. For those that survive there are many barriers to growth. Therefore the potential of our small firm sector in aiding employment creation and economic development is not realised. Studies on life cycle and growth indicate that internal managerial capabilities are a significant factor in constraining growth. This paper details an investigation into a particular aspect of management; HRMs and highlights how managerial behaviour in this respect can affect the success of a small firm. Implications for providers of HRD are also analysed and discussed.

The focus of this paper is to highlight the issues impacting technology‐enhanced learning (TEL) in an industrial setting in Ireland. The paper uses the output from a community of practice (CoP) set up to identify and discuss these issues. Seven companies participated in the CoP. Their experiences represented the full spectrum of industrial experience of TEL in Ireland. The aim of the paper was to highlight the key areas where Irish companies experience issues with regard to the implementation of TEL programmes. The results of the study show that many of the issues highlighted by past literature still remain.

The research presented in this paper is output from a CoP set up to discuss TEL within industry. Within the CoP discussion groups were created to highlight the relevant issues.

The main issues highlighted by the CoP members ranged from strategic, content, learner and technology‐related issues. One key finding of the CoP is that holistic approaches to implementing technology‐enhanced initiatives are more successful in terms of learner acceptance, relevance to the job and effectiveness of the training. The holistic approach takes into account the business need for the training, benefits to the learner and all aspects impacted by TEL.

This paper highlights the issues experienced by industry in Ireland in relation to implementation programmes. It was felt by community members that if the many issues outlined are not addressed the true benefits of TEL to the organisation would fail to materialise. It is hoped that in highlighting and sharing these issues other companies implementing TEL will benefit from the shared experiences of others.

Identifies that best practices for TEL are slow to be implemented in Ireland and that the issues arising are often those previously experienced in the past.

The purpose of this paper is to provide new insights in understanding the value of integrating the Balanced Scorecard (BSC) with Six Sigma.

The paper is based on a comprehensive literature review of the BSC and Six Sigma. The literature review provides the basis for a new integration framework that is grounded on the Plan‐Do‐Check‐Act cycle.

The literature review for both Six Sigma and the BSC crystallise how a fusion can add further value in comparison to a standalone implementation of either the BSC or Six Sigma. This new integration framework is identified through first, leveraging the strengths of both the BSC and Six Sigma and second, by incorporating the key themes of the literature review.

This paper provides practitioners with a greater understanding of the value of integrating Six Sigma with the BSC. Also, the study provides a framework that can serve as a basis for the integration of Six Sigma with the BSC.

Little research has been carried out on the integration of the BSC with Six Sigma. This paper takes a novel approach for the integration framework by identifying the integration leverage points through the strengths and weaknesses of both the BSC and Six Sigma. The key contribution of this paper is that it provides new insights in understanding how the BSC can be integrated with Six Sigma. In addition, the paper provides direction for future research that will address weaknesses in the way organisations execute integration of the BSC with Six Sigma today.

This paper aims to present a case study illustrating the issues involved in the tacit knowledge conversion process and to determine whether such conversion delivers value to the organisation in terms of business value and return on investment (ROI).

A single‐case multiple baseline participants experimental design, replicated across two participants, was utilised. Aaron's KM V‐model of evaluation is utilised to determine the ROI of the initiative.

While the evaluation of the tacit knowledge conversion initiative suggests positive value to the business; analysis of the conversion process also reveals a number of individual level factors, which reinforce the challenges associated with efforts to access, capture and share expert tacit knowledge.

The results of this study may stimulate further research on tacit knowledge management processes, and specifically the influence of the individual in the success or failure of these initiatives.

The paper presents an actual case study situation that reveals the micro‐level issues involved in converting tacit expert knowledge.

The paper addresses three important areas; it makes an effort to focus on tacit rather than explicit knowledge management, it takes steps to evaluate a tacit knowledge management initiative in terms of its tangible business value, and it pays attention to the influence of the individual in knowledge management processes, which are inherently driven by the individual.

The purpose of this article is to explore strategies used by communities of practice (CoPs) managers when managing intentionally created CoPs.

Four intentionally created CoPs in Ireland are explored, using a qualitative research design with data from observation, interviews and analysis of documents.

The study identified a number of specific strategies CoP managers use to develop trust, facilitate collaboration, facilitate the negotiation of shared meaning and manage power issues within the CoP. These strategies were shared by the four managers who participated in the study.

The study is based on a small sample of managers in Ireland. The context and process imposed constraints and the findings are context specific which implications for the application of findings to other CoPs.

The study highlights the concept of CoP is not confined to traditional understandings but includes intentionally created highly structured time‐bound groupings of individuals who work in a collaborative manner to share knowledge. The paper offers learning from CoP managers and highlights the practical implications of their experiences.