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The purpose of this paper is to examine whether or not driver job satisfaction, carrier performance, and customer service can be improved as a result of the use of uniquely constructed, extended regional dispatching systems.

Simulation is used to examine regional dispatching systems that are extended in scope of dispatch by using integrated freight lanes. The results of extended regional dispatching systems are compared to traditional dispatching methods and previous experimentation with stand‐alone regional and lane dispatching.

It is shown that a carrier's adoption of extended regional dispatching can be beneficial to both trucking companies and drivers, while remaining relatively neutral to customers. Additionally, it is shown that this improvement can be obtained without significant degradation of the driving jobs that remain outside the regional dispatching network.

A new method of dispatching has been developed in such a way that very attractive regional driving jobs can be extended to a much larger percentage of drivers than in more established regional alternatives. This reduces reliance on the less effective random, over‐the‐road dispatching systems that are typically utilized in the truckload trucking industry.

Carriers may be able to utilize extended regional dispatching systems as a means of improving driver satisfaction and retention.

This research extends knowledge in the area of alternative dispatching methods for truckload carriers in a way that drastically improves the quality of life for professional drivers.

Describes a user‐friendly decision support tool to select near optimal containers for specific manufacturing scenarios relative to all the constraints associated with the use of the container. Guides the user through a dialogue to input constraints and scenario‐specific information. Shows how the decision support tool iterates between an expert system and a simulation model, to produce a near optimal container with respect to internal and external dimensional requirements. Explains the methods by which the system is tested and validated in a realistic environment. Discusses future research directions.

In many industries, the success or failure of a new product is largely determined in the design phase of the project. Consequently, manufacturers should strive to develop integrated system design tools to help ensure that new products are readily producible according to manufacturing or assembly capability. Introduces a systems integration strategy called “design to fit an existing environment” (DFEE). The purpose of this DFX sub‐strategy is to integrate capacity and product mix issues into design strategies so that it becomes possible to design new products which are more globally optimal from a systems standpoint. The result of using DFEE is that better product time‐to‐market targets can be established, and products can be designed to take advantage of existing slack manufacturing capacity, thus balancing assembly flow and reducing capital expenditures.

Suggests that there is justification for the use of a new methodology for process diagnosis which is simple to understand and realistic to implement. The control of quality of a process typically requires that multiple process variables be monitored simultaneously. Due to the multi‐dimensionality of the data collected, process diagnosis is complex and the data often are not efficiently integrated to capitalize on the wealth of available information. A two‐phased diagnostic approach for process diagnosis and identification of suspect causes for this multi‐dimensional problem is introduced in Krishnamurthi et al. (1993). Provides an in‐depth analysis of phase two of the statistical process control (SPC) diagnostic approach. Specifically, simulation is used to generate different cause and effect scenarios to determine the effectiveness of the SPC approach in correctly diagnosing a process disorder. The analysis utilizes analysis of variance to estimate the effect of various process variables, process steps, and associated out‐of‐control conditions on the performance of the SPC approach and its ability to diagnose correctly an out‐of‐control condition. As a result of these findings, the critical means are plotted and the findings are presented. Additionally, a comparison between the SPC approach and parsimonious covering theory (PCT) is made. Concludes that for the process scenarios considered, which are of practical size, the more simple approach of the SPC diagnostic approach is recommended.

The purpose of this paper is to examine whether or not driver life, carrier performance, and customer service can be improved as a result of the use of a technique called yard‐stacking in the truckload trucking industry. The technique seeks to find ways to provide level freight availability during normal weekly cycles in an effort to seek improvement relative to all constituencies.

Simulation is used to examine the use of yard‐stacking on Fridays to provide additional freight on weekends, which is generally much less available than on weekdays. In this technique, before being dispatched on Friday for a long‐haul, a driver initially picks up a load to make a short “dray” move from the customer site to the carrier's closest terminal yard. During the weekend, another driver picks up the drayed load. In this research, we evaluate the potential of weekend yard‐stacking under a variety of scenarios.

The paper shows that a carrier's adaptation of weekend freight leveling can be beneficial to both trucking companies and their customers, while remaining relatively neutral to drivers.

Carriers may be able to utilize Friday yard‐stacking to improve their cost efficiency, driver satisfaction and customer performance.

This research extends the knowledge base of truckload freight imbalance problems. It was industrially motivated by J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc., one of the world's largest truckload carriers, who provided freight data and conceptual guidance.

This paper describes the results of an effort to predict future freight volume in the truckload (TL) trucking industry. The approach involves the use of stepwise multiple linear regression models that relate freight volume to a variety of economic indicators. The models are built using a large set of actual freight data provided by J.B. Hunt Transport (JBHT), one of the world’s largest TL carriers. The data was first analyzed using the overall set of national data, and then for specific industrial and regional segments. The overall results of these analyses should prove useful to a wide variety of transportation and logistics operations.

In this paper, the authors describe a geographical information system (GIS)‐based software system for managing and integrating multi‐facility warehousing and production systems that are distributed within a relatively large geographical area. The development of the software system is motivated by a unique warehousing environment at the Pine Bluff Arsenal in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The arsenal scenario is characterized by a novel set of highly limiting warehouse constraints. Although motivated by this unique problem, the software system has been designed to maximize technology transfer capability into diverse general warehouse settings. The paper presents motivation, describes features, and demonstrates the efficacy of operations using the software system. The system is verified and validated in a case study setting. It is demonstrated that the GIS platform offers unique capabilities that enhance problem solutions. In conclusion, the paper offers a contribution to the literature by presenting the use of GIS as an integration strategy in an exciting new area of application.

Information and communications technology (ICT) offers enormous opportunities for individuals, businesses and society. The application of ICT is equally important to economic and non-economic activities. Researchers have increasingly focused on the adoption and use of ICT by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) as the economic development of a country is largely dependent on them. Following the success of ICT utilisation in SMEs in developed countries, many developing countries are looking to utilise the potential of the technology to develop SMEs. Past studies have shown that the contribution of ICT to the performance of SMEs is not clear and certain. Thus, it is crucial to determine the effectiveness of ICT in generating firm performance since this has implications for SMEs’ expenditure on the technology. This research examines the diffusion of ICT among SMEs with respect to the typical stages from innovation adoption to post-adoption, by analysing the actual usage of ICT and value creation. The mediating effects of integration and utilisation on SME performance are also studied. Grounded in the innovation diffusion literature, institutional theory and resource-based theory, this study has developed a comprehensive integrated research model focused on the research objectives. Following a positivist research paradigm, this study employs a mixed-method research approach. A preliminary conceptual framework is developed through an extensive literature review and is refined by results from an in-depth field study. During the field study, a total of 11 SME owners or decision-makers were interviewed. The recorded interviews were transcribed and analysed using NVivo 10 to refine the model to develop the research hypotheses. The final research model is composed of 30 first-order and five higher-order constructs which involve both reflective and formative measures. Partial least squares-based structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) is employed to test the theoretical model with a cross-sectional data set of 282 SMEs in Bangladesh. Survey data were collected using a structured questionnaire issued to SMEs selected by applying a stratified random sampling technique. The structural equation modelling utilises a two-step procedure of data analysis. Prior to estimating the structural model, the measurement model is examined for construct validity of the study variables (i.e. convergent and discriminant validity).

The estimates show cognitive evaluation as an important antecedent for expectation which is shaped primarily by the entrepreneurs’ beliefs (perception) and also influenced by the owners’ innovativeness and culture. Culture further influences expectation. The study finds that facilitating condition, environmental pressure and country readiness are important antecedents of expectation and ICT use. The results also reveal that integration and the degree of ICT utilisation significantly affect SMEs’ performance. Surprisingly, the findings do not reveal any significant impact of ICT usage on performance which apparently suggests the possibility of the ICT productivity paradox. However, the analysis finally proves the non-existence of the paradox by demonstrating the mediating role of ICT integration and degree of utilisation explain the influence of information technology (IT) usage on firm performance which is consistent with the resource-based theory. The results suggest that the use of ICT can enhance SMEs’ performance if the technology is integrated and properly utilised. SME owners or managers, interested stakeholders and policy makers may follow the study’s outcomes and focus on ICT integration and degree of utilisation with a view to attaining superior organisational performance.

This study urges concerned business enterprises and government to look at the environmental and cultural factors with a view to achieving ICT usage success in terms of enhanced firm performance. In particular, improving organisational practices and procedures by eliminating the traditional power distance inside organisations and implementing necessary rules and regulations are important actions for managing environmental and cultural uncertainties. The application of a Bengali user interface may help to ensure the productivity of ICT use by SMEs in Bangladesh. Establishing a favourable national technology infrastructure and legal environment may contribute positively to improving the overall situation. This study also suggests some changes and modifications in the country’s existing policies and strategies. The government and policy makers should undertake mass promotional programs to disseminate information about the various uses of computers and their contribution in developing better organisational performance. Organising specialised training programs for SME capacity building may succeed in attaining the motivation for SMEs to use ICT. Ensuring easy access to the technology by providing loans, grants and subsidies is important. Various stakeholders, partners and related organisations should come forward to support government policies and priorities in order to ensure the productive use of ICT among SMEs which finally will help to foster Bangladesh’s economic development.

This article, the first empirical study of its kind, presents findings from a larger qualitative study of principal mistreatment of teachers. A grounded theory method was used to study a sample of 50 US teachers who were subjected to long‐term mistreatment from school principals. The authors discuss descriptive, conceptual, and theoretical findings about principals’ actions that teachers define as mistreatment. In addition, the inductively derived model briefly looks at the harmful effects of principal mistreatment and abuse on teachers, psychologically/emotionally and physically/physiologically. Implications of study findings are discussed for administrator and teacher preparation, for school district offices, and for further research.