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Book part
Publication date: 8 April 2005

Fredrik von Corswant

This paper deals with the organizing of interactive product development. Developing products in interaction between firms may provide benefits in terms of specialization…

Abstract

This paper deals with the organizing of interactive product development. Developing products in interaction between firms may provide benefits in terms of specialization, increased innovation, and possibilities to perform development activities in parallel. However, the differentiation of product development among a number of firms also implies that various dependencies need to be dealt with across firm boundaries. How dependencies may be dealt with across firms is related to how product development is organized. The purpose of the paper is to explore dependencies and how interactive product development may be organized with regard to these dependencies.

The analytical framework is based on the industrial network approach, and deals with the development of products in terms of adaptation and combination of heterogeneous resources. There are dependencies between resources, that is, they are embedded, implying that no resource can be developed in isolation. The characteristics of and dependencies related to four main categories of resources (products, production facilities, business units and business relationships) provide a basis for analyzing the organizing of interactive product development.

Three in-depth case studies are used to explore the organizing of interactive product development with regard to dependencies. The first two cases are based on the development of the electrical system and the seats for Volvo’s large car platform (P2), performed in interaction with Delphi and Lear respectively. The third case is based on the interaction between Scania and Dayco/DFC Tech for the development of various pipes and hoses for a new truck model.

The analysis is focused on what different dependencies the firms considered and dealt with, and how product development was organized with regard to these dependencies. It is concluded that there is a complex and dynamic pattern of dependencies that reaches far beyond the developed product as well as beyond individual business units. To deal with these dependencies, development may be organized in teams where several business units are represented. This enables interaction between different business units’ resource collections, which is important for resource adaptation as well as for innovation. The delimiting and relating functions of the team boundary are elaborated upon and it is argued that also teams may be regarded as actors. It is also concluded that a modular product structure may entail a modular organization with regard to the teams, though, interaction between business units and teams is needed. A strong connection between the technical structure and the organizational structure is identified and it is concluded that policies regarding the technical structure (e.g. concerning “carry-over”) cannot be separated from the management of the organizational structure (e.g. the supplier structure). The organizing of product development is in itself a complex and dynamic task that needs to be subject to interaction between business units.

Details

Managing Product Innovation
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-311-2

Article
Publication date: 27 December 2021

Barnabas Addi, Benjamin Doe and Eric Oduro-Ofori

Over the past two decades, Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) has been a pragmatic strategy towards universal Primary Health Care (PHC) in Ghana. However, the…

Abstract

Purpose

Over the past two decades, Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) has been a pragmatic strategy towards universal Primary Health Care (PHC) in Ghana. However, the ability and capacity of these facilities to deliver quality primary health care remain an illusion as they are still crumbling in myriad challenges. These challenges are translated to the poor-quality services provision and low community utilization of CHPS facilities. The study presents a comparative analysis of three communities in the Kassena-Nankana East Municipality, Ghana.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a mixed-method research design, the study gathered and analysed data from 110 households, three community health officers (CHOs) and three community leaders using semi-structured questionnaires and interview guides.

Findings

The findings indicated that the facilities do not have the requisite inputs such as drugs and supplies, logistics, appropriate health personnel, good infrastructure, funding support necessary to deliver quality and appropriate healthcare services that meet the health needs of the communities. For the CHPS to realize their full potentials as PHC facilities, it is required that the needed inputs such as logistics, drugs and appropriate staff are in place to facilitate the activities of CHOs.

Research limitations/implications

Due to the limited number of participants and selection of the study communities, the results may generalization. Also, the researchers acknowledged the inability to interview the district level health officials and the Kassena-Nankana Municipal Assembly during the field visits. This could have provided in-depth knowledge on the findings of this research as well as the validation of the results from the communities' perspective. Several attempts were made to contact and interview district-level authorities which proven futile due to the unavailability of targeted respondents. This resulted in limiting the studies at the community level. However, this limitation does not disprove the findings of this study.

Practical implications

The article implications for planning primary health care strategies include a keen assessment of community health needs and institutional management of primary health care facilities, equip PHC facilities with adequate resources such as drugs and appropriate staffing to provide the health needs of the communities.

Originality/value

The paper fulfils the gap in the literature by providing empirical data on how the challenges of primary health care facilities affected the provision of high quality service and how this can affect community’s use of the facilities.

Details

Journal of Health Organization and Management, vol. 36 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7266

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 March 2007

Manocher Djassemi

In spite of having a number of general‐purpose algorithms for solving plant layout problems, facility planners may still face a challenging task to adjust these algorithms to…

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Abstract

Purpose

In spite of having a number of general‐purpose algorithms for solving plant layout problems, facility planners may still face a challenging task to adjust these algorithms to handle special, but not uncommon, layout problems. The purpose of this study is to propose a new method for addressing the impact of overhead space utilization on a plant layout solution.

Design/methodology/approach

A new method for adjusting material flow under a mixed floor and overhead material handling condition is incorporated in an existing plant layout procedure. A case study involving the layout improvement in a lawn mower engine assembly facility is presented to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Findings

The analysis of solutions for the case study shows that the layout generated by the proposed modified material flow approach is a more economical solution. The case also shows, when it is important to optimize the use of space, the overhead space should be considered as part of any methodology for designing a good layout.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed modified material flow approach can be applied to any facility where the use of overhead space for material handling is justifiable by limited floor space and/or by high cost of land. The proposed method can be applied to small to medium size problems with minimal computational effort. However, as the size of facility grows, the manual calculation becomes more time consuming and potentially erratic.

Originality/value

This paper should be useful to both researchers and practitioners who deal with overhead space utilization in designing facility layouts.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 18 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 August 2013

Roger A. Atinga and Anita A. Baku

To achieve Goal 5 of the MDGs, the Government of Ghana introduced the free maternal health service system to break financial barriers of access to maternal care services. In spite…

1187

Abstract

Purpose

To achieve Goal 5 of the MDGs, the Government of Ghana introduced the free maternal health service system to break financial barriers of access to maternal care services. In spite of this, facility‐based deliveries continue to be low due partly to poor quality of antenatal care that prevents pregnant women from giving birth in hospitals. The aim of this study is to examine factors shaping quality of antenatal care in selected public hospitals in the country.

Design/methodology/approach

363 expectant mothers were randomly selected for interview. Women who have previously received antenatal care in the health facilities for at least two occasions were interviewed. Multivariate logistic regression model were computed to examine correlates of antenatal care quality.

Findings

The odds of reporting quality of antenatal care as good was higher among women aged between 30 and 34 years. Similarly women with junior/senior high education were more likely to report antenatal care quality as good. Distance to the health facilities generally influence women perception of antenatal care quality but the relative odds of reporting quality of care as good attenuated with proximity to the health facility. Five factors (pleasant interaction with providers, privacy during consultation, attentiveness of providers, adequate facilities and availability of drugs) emerged as statistically significant in explaining antenatal care quality after controlling for selected demographic variables.

Originality/value

Results of the study generally demonstrate the need to improve maternal services in public facilities to stimulate utilisation and facility‐based deliveries.

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 40 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 July 2018

Yose Rizal

This paper aims to find in-depth information related the activities of “clean and healthy behavior” in household regulations, starting from assessment, planning, mobilization…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to find in-depth information related the activities of “clean and healthy behavior” in household regulations, starting from assessment, planning, mobilization, implementation monitoring and assessment.

Design/methodology/approach

Data analysis was used for quantitative and qualitative approaches (mixing method). The qualitative approach was used to understand the individual phenomena in terms of finding, obtaining and describing the community behavior, which is related to health problems. The data obtained through the approach were then analyzed using interactive model.

Findings

In principle, this research exactly determines the responses of officers and the community to the process of “clean and healthy living behavior” activities. In general, the health facility used first is self-treatment, before seeking medical treatment or non-drug treatment. It proves that humans are always experimenting. From the research result, there are respondents who do not use medical treatment at 16 per cent; and the remaining 84 per cent are using medical treatment, despite being preceded by self-treatment (S) and non-medical treatment (N).

Originality/value

Currently, there have not been many studies related to the implementation of clean and healthy behavior although the information about it is very important to know. The managers of the “clean and healthy behavior” program need to know such information.

Details

Journal of Global Responsibility, vol. 9 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2041-2568

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 March 2017

Panagiotis Dimitropoulos, Ioannis Kosmas and Ioannis Douvis

The purpose of this paper is to examine the issue of performance management in the public sector and specifically the implementation of the balanced scorecard (BSC) methodology on…

2738

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the issue of performance management in the public sector and specifically the implementation of the balanced scorecard (BSC) methodology on a public (municipal) non-profit sport organization in Greece. The research provides a discussion on the BSC development process, the goals set on each pillar and the outcome that the organization achieved, in order to be used as a roadmap for other managers in the public sector.

Design/methodology/approach

The study used information extracted from the municipal board of Papagos-Holargos city in Greece, including board reports, documents and decision transcripts and open-ended interviews related to the implementation of BSC method, as well as to the impact of this decision on the quality of services, citizens’ satisfaction and the improvement of internal processes.

Findings

The results indicated that the citizens of Papagos-Holargos perceived sport services to be of enhanced quality related to/when compared to the previous years (based on a questionnaire submitted by the citizens of Papagos-Holargos at the end of the each sample per year). In addition, the staff improved its skills and abilities by participating in training seminars and, in general, the implementation of the BSC method on the municipal sport organization of Papagos-Holargos city sets the basis for an effective performance management which can enhance its future sustainability.

Practical implications

Managers of municipal and public sport organizations could use the findings of the study as a roadmap for discussing, evaluating and possibly implementing the BSC approach in their organizations’ daily operations.

Originality/value

This study fills a significant gap in the existing literature on the implementation of a traditional business performance management tool on a non-profit public sport organization.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 66 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1997

Madjid Tavana and Jack Rappaport

Presents a model that minimizes an aggregate measure of waiting times and queue lengths for a collection of workstations. Shows that the naïve allocation of arrivals among…

Abstract

Presents a model that minimizes an aggregate measure of waiting times and queue lengths for a collection of workstations. Shows that the naïve allocation of arrivals among workstations in proportion to their processing times does not result in an optimized system. Uses the Lagrange multiplier in determining the proportional distribution rate that minimizes waiting times and queue lengths in a collection of workstations. Finally, shows the effectiveness of this model through analytical methods and computer simulation applied to a series of sample cases and an application problem.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 22 June 2015

Yosuke Endo and Yohei Kurata

This chapter investigates a corporate branding method that is based on direct customer communication. Consumer goods companies often arrange communication platforms that are…

Abstract

This chapter investigates a corporate branding method that is based on direct customer communication. Consumer goods companies often arrange communication platforms that are designed to attract visitors and advertise their products and corporate philosophy. Such platforms include corporate showrooms, corporate museums, and factory tours. This chapter focuses on automobile companies and their customer communication corporate activities. The chapter compares the current customer communication strategies of leading German and Japanese car manufacturers. Certain car manufacturers maintain customer communication facility arrangements. The chapter finds certain differences concerning facility utilization and the corporate policies of each company. We discuss the results of our study and consider a company’s suitability and potential with respect to branding methods that incorporate tourism.

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1988

Larry L. Learn

This article provides a broad overview of telecommunications and network‐related technologies. Topics covered include identification and review of network elements, analog and…

214

Abstract

This article provides a broad overview of telecommunications and network‐related technologies. Topics covered include identification and review of network elements, analog and digital signals, synchronous and asynchronous transmission formats, transmission media and equipment, transmission techniques and characteristics, multiplexing, network types, access technologies, network architectures and topologies, local‐area network technologies and attributes, protocols and protocol issues, gateways, internetworking, local networking alternatives, equipment certification, and various aspects of network management. It is intended to provide the practicing professional in the field of library and information science with a broad, up‐to‐date technical review that might serve to support and facilitate further investigation of current developments in networks and networking. Although the broad range of topics is not treated in depth, numerous references are provided for further investigation.

Details

Library Hi Tech, vol. 6 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0737-8831

Article
Publication date: 1 May 2002

Hemanta Doloi and Ali Jaafari

This paper focuses on a conceptual methodology for an integrated simulation model dubbed as dynamic simulation modelling system (DSMS) for proactive and optimal decision making…

3686

Abstract

This paper focuses on a conceptual methodology for an integrated simulation model dubbed as dynamic simulation modelling system (DSMS) for proactive and optimal decision making within a project management framework. Due to the uncertainties in project environment, the technical and operational functionality of a facility needs to be assessed during development and operation phases of the project. The simulation model is used for optimising the investment decisions vis‐à‐vis evaluation of functionalities on project facilities in early stages of the project. Project life cycle objective functions (LCOFs) are employed as a set of decision criteria throughout the project’s life. The discussion is being extended on the need for setting up an integrated and user‐friendly model to encompass the processes in the entire life cycle of the project. Details of the system are described and a hypothetical case study is used to demonstrate its capabilities. Possible extensions are then outlined. The C++ programming language in association with the object‐oriented database management system is used to achieve the aforementioned objectives.

Details

Logistics Information Management, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-6053

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 20000