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Article
Publication date: 5 February 2018

Min Zhang, Xiande Zhao and Marjorie Lyles

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the mechanisms through which absorptive capacity (AC), trust and information systems jointly influence product innovation.

1552

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to empirically investigate the mechanisms through which absorptive capacity (AC), trust and information systems jointly influence product innovation.

Design/methodology/approach

This study proposes a research model to examine the mediating role of AC on the impacts of trust and information systems on product innovation and the moderating roles of trust and information systems on the relationship between AC and product innovation. The hypotheses are empirically tested using regression and bootstrapping methods and data collected from 276 manufacturing firms in China.

Findings

This study finds that trust and information systems positively affect product innovation and the effects are fully mediated by AC. AC also significantly enhances product innovation, and the effect is amplified by trust as well as information systems. In addition, the results show that trust and information systems improve AC both individually and interactively.

Originality/value

The findings extend existing knowledge on the antecedents of AC and the contingent conditions under which a manufacturer’s AC is more effective than that of its rivals. The results also clarify the mechanisms through which trust and information systems improve product innovation. This study provides insights into the complex relationships among a manufacturer’s sociotechnical systems, knowledge management processes and new product development, and reveals how to design organisational systems to fully capitalise the value of AC on product innovation.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 38 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 August 2007

Heping Chen, George Zhang, Hui Zhang and Thomas A. Fuhlbrigge

This paper aims to develop a strategy for high‐precision assembly in a semi‐structured environment based on vision and force control.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to develop a strategy for high‐precision assembly in a semi‐structured environment based on vision and force control.

Design/methodology/approach

The position and orientation of a part are identified using the vision system. The force/torque control algorithm is then applied to perform a tight‐tolerance assembly that is a high‐precision assembly.

Findings

The tight tolerance assembly in a semi‐structured environment is successfully implemented using vision guidance and force/torque‐control strategy.

Practical implications

The developed methodology can be applied to tight tolerance assembly, such as forward‐clutch assembly, torque‐converter assembly, etc.

Originality/value

An industrial assembly methodology has been developed and implemented for high‐precision assembly in a semi‐structured environment. This innovation has many potential applications in automotive manufacturing.

Details

Assembly Automation, vol. 27 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-5154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 May 2015

Wan Jiang and Qinxuan Gu

By integrating proactive perspective and person-environment fit (P-E fit) perspective, this study intends to examine a moderated mediation model of proactive personality to…

2807

Abstract

Purpose

By integrating proactive perspective and person-environment fit (P-E fit) perspective, this study intends to examine a moderated mediation model of proactive personality to investigate its effects on employee creativity. The current study proposes felt responsibility for change mediates the relationship between proactive personality and employee creativity. The purpose of this paper is to identify core self-evaluation (CSE) and developmental feedback received as personal and situational moderators on the relationship between proactive personality and felt responsibility for change.

Design/methodology/approach

A matched sample from 232 employees and their supervisors of software companies in China was used to test the hypotheses. Hierarchical regression analyses and moderated mediation approach were conducted to examine the proposed model.

Findings

The results indicate that felt responsibility for change mediates the positive relationship between proactive personality and employee creativity. CSE and developmental feedback received positively moderate the relationship between proactive personality and felt responsibility for change. In addition, CSE and developmental feedback received are two moderators in the path from proactive personality to employee creativity via felt responsibility for change such as the indirect relationship between proactive personality and employee creativity through felt responsibility for change is more pronounced when CSE and developmental feedback received are higher rather than lower, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

The paper contributes to creativity literature by identifying felt responsibility for change as the mediator on the relationship between proactive personality and employee creativity. The current study also contributes to proactive perspective and P-E fit theory by investigating the moderating roles of CSE and developmental feedback received on the relationship between proactive personality and felt responsibility for change. Although data were collected from multiple sources to avoid common method variance, the cross-sectional design cannot unequivocally examine the direction of causality in this study.

Originality/value

By examining both mediating and moderating effects, the paper contributes to uncovering the black box in which employees with proactive personality exhibit felt responsibility for change and creativity.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 28 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Content available
515

Abstract

Details

Assembly Automation, vol. 27 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-5154

Content available
Article
Publication date: 2 May 2023

Miao Hu, Shenyang Jiang and Baofeng Huo

Drawing on absorptive capacity theory, this study explores the impacts of supply visibility and demand visibility on product innovation (i.e. exploratory and exploitative…

Abstract

Purpose

Drawing on absorptive capacity theory, this study explores the impacts of supply visibility and demand visibility on product innovation (i.e. exploratory and exploitative innovation), and it examines how supplier integration, customer integration and internal integration mediate these impacts.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors employ empirical survey data from 200 Chinese manufacturers and use structural equation modeling to test the proposed relationships.

Findings

The results show that supply visibility is positively related to supplier integration and internal integration and that demand visibility is positively related to customer integration. Furthermore, only customer integration and internal integration positively relate to exploratory and exploitative innovation.

Originality/value

First, this study emphasizes that supply visibility and demand visibility are important sources of a firm's innovation performance and that supply chain integration increases focal firms' capability of exploiting information and facilitates product innovation. Second, the study shows that supply visibility and demand visibility have distinct effects on three dimensions of supply chain integration and exploratory and exploitative innovation. The study also provides significant managerial guidelines for effectively leveraging supply chain visibility and integration in the promotion of product innovation.

Article
Publication date: 31 July 2009

Heping Chen, George Zhang, William Eakins and Thomas Fuhlbrigge

The purpose of this paper is to develop an intelligent robot assembly system for the moving production line. Moving production lines are widely used in many manufacturing…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop an intelligent robot assembly system for the moving production line. Moving production lines are widely used in many manufacturing factories, including automotive and general industries. Industrial robots are hardly used to perform any tasks on the moving production lines. One of the main reasons is that it is difficult for conventional industrial robots to adjust to any sort of change. Therefore, more intelligent industrial robotic systems have to be developed to adopt the random motion of the moving production lines. This paper presents an intelligent robotics system that performs an assembly process while the object is moving, using synergic combination of visual servoing and force control technology.

Design/methodology/approach

The developed intelligent robotic system includes some rules to ensure the success of the assembly processes. Also visual servoing and force control are used to deal with the random motion of the moving objects. Since the objects on the moving production lines are moving with random speed, visual servoing is adopted to tracking the motion of the moving object. Force control is also integrated to control the motion of the robot and keep the robotic system compliant with the moving objects to avoid the damage of the whole system.

Findings

The developed intelligent robotic technology has been successfully implemented. The wheel loading process is used as example.

Research limitations/implications

Since the developed technology is based on the low‐level motion control, safety has to be considered. Currently, it is done by motion supervision.

Practical implications

The developed technology can be used to perform assemblies in the moving production lines. Since the developed platform is based on the synergic combination of visual servoing and force control technology, it can be used in other areas, such as seam tracking and seat loading, etc.

Originality/value

This paper provides a practical solution of performing assemblies on the moving production lines, which is not available on the current industrial robot market.

Details

Assembly Automation, vol. 29 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-5154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 August 2008

Han Z. Li, Zhi Zhang, Young‐Ok Yum, Juanita Lundgren and Jasrit S. Pahal

The purpose of this paper is to examine interruption patterns between residents and patients as well as the correlations between three categories of interruptions and patient…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine interruption patterns between residents and patients as well as the correlations between three categories of interruptions and patient satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 40 resident/patient consultations in a Canadian clinic were audiotaped, transcribed and analyzed for intrusive, cooperative and unsuccessful interruptions.

Findings

Residents made significantly more interruptions than patients, especially in the categories of intrusive interruptions. These findings provide support for situated identity theory. High correlations were found between residents and patients on all three categories of interruptions, providing unequivocal support for communication accommodation theory. Patient satisfaction was negatively correlated with residents' intrusive interruptions and positively correlated with residents' cooperative interruptions. Patient satisfaction was higher among patients those who inserted more cooperative interruptions; to increase patient satisfaction, it is necessary to raise patient participation in the medical consultation. In comparison with healthier patients, sicker patients were interrupted more frequently and were less satisfied with the way they were treated.

Originality/value

The negative correlations between residents' intrusive interruption and patient satisfaction, as well as the positive correlation between patient satisfaction and residents' cooperative interruption provides evidence that patients' perception of the medical consultation is shaped by the nature of interruptions.

Details

Health Education, vol. 108 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-4283

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 June 2012

Han Zao Li, Yu Zhang, Karen MacDonell, Xiao Ping Li and Xinguang Chen

The main purpose of this study is to determine the cigarette smoking rate and smoking cessation counseling frequency in a sample of Chinese nurses.

608

Abstract

Purpose

The main purpose of this study is to determine the cigarette smoking rate and smoking cessation counseling frequency in a sample of Chinese nurses.

Design/methodology/approach

At the time of data collection, the hospital had 260 nurses, 255 females and five males. The 200 nurses working on the two daytime shifts were given the questionnaires; none refused to participate, reaching a response rate of 100 percent. All the participants were females as the five male nurses were working in the operation rooms at the time of data collection, are were thus not accessible.

Findings

Some key findings include: only two nurses, out of 200, identified themselves as current cigarette smokers; all provided anti‐smoking counseling to patients, the majority of them did not think their efforts were successful; cigarette smoking is a problem in China: the nurses estimated that 80 percent of male and 10 percent of female patients were current smokers; in the opinions of the nurses, Chinese smokers used smoking as a stress reliever and a social lubricant; two methods may help smokers to quit or reduce smoking: using aids such as patches, acupuncture and nicotine gum, and counseling by health professionals; the nurses think that cigarette smoking is well accepted in the Chinese culture.

Practical implications

Findings of this research suggest that the Chinese Ministry of Health should take measures to change the cultural norms and values regarding cigarette smoking including strict rules be imposed on not passing/sharing cigarettes in the workplace.

Originality/value

In a collectivistic culture such as China where opinions of authorities are respected, the part of nurses, who represent health authority to their patients, in assisting patients to quit or reduce smoking cannot be overemphasized. This study adds to the scarce research on Chinese nurses' role in helping patients' smoking cessation efforts.

Details

Health Education, vol. 112 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0965-4283

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 February 2023

Dung Tien Luu

This study proposes a logic to enable strategic entrepreneurship for export firms through absorptive capacity and adaptive culture to capitalise on the knowledge intensity from…

Abstract

Purpose

This study proposes a logic to enable strategic entrepreneurship for export firms through absorptive capacity and adaptive culture to capitalise on the knowledge intensity from internationalisation.

Design/methodology/approach

The study sample comprises 422 key role employees at 98 export firms in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The data are analysed using a structural equation model.

Findings

The results reveal that the firm's knowledge intensity may serve as a reservoir, absorbing and reconciling knowledge acquired from internationalisation and redistributing it to strategic entrepreneurship. A firm's absorptive capacity and adaptive culture can act as buffers, allowing internationalisation knowledge to permeate and transfer to administrative bodies and fostering strategic entrepreneurship.

Originality/value

This study proposes an integrated model of the relationship between the degree of internationalisation and strategic entrepreneurship through novel lenses of knowledge-based perspective with the organisational capabilities.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 30 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 May 2023

Haytham Yaseen Alawi, Jayendira P. Sankar, Mahmood Ali Akbar and Vinodh Kesavaraj Natarajan

This study aims to examine the relationship between polychronicity, job autonomy, perceived workload, work–family conflict and high work demand on the health-care employee…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the relationship between polychronicity, job autonomy, perceived workload, work–family conflict and high work demand on the health-care employee turnover intention during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted quantitative research in private hospitals using a self-administered questionnaire, and 264 respondents participated. The authors also used an analysis of moment structures to determine the relationship between independent and moderating variables.

Findings

The results show a significant positive relationship between polychronicity, job autonomy, perceived workload, work–family conflict and high work demand, affecting turnover intention. This study also found the moderating effect of high work demand on work–family conflict and turnover intention.

Research limitations/implications

This research was limited to hospitals in Bahrain during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nevertheless, the findings highlight the factors associated with health-care employee turnover intention and only five factors were identified.

Practical implications

This study enhances the theoretical and practical effects of turnover intention. The results provide a competitive benchmark for hospital managers, administrators and governing bodies of employee retention.

Social implications

It advances economics and management theory by enhancing the understanding of health-care employees’ turnover intention in Bahrain. It serves as a basis for future large-scale studies to test or refine existing theories.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to adopt extrinsic variables in self-determination theory to measure the turnover intention of health-care employees. However, using resources in a crisis can be applied to any disaster.

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