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1 – 10 of over 1000
Article
Publication date: 4 April 2016

Ghazal Bargshady, Seyed Mojib Zahraee, Mohammad Ahmadi and Ali Parto

An agile supply chain (ASC) includes companies that are operationally linked to each other, such as supply, design, manufacturing and distribution centers that respond and react…

1289

Abstract

Purpose

An agile supply chain (ASC) includes companies that are operationally linked to each other, such as supply, design, manufacturing and distribution centers that respond and react quickly and effectively to change markets. Information systems and technology have a main role in achieving this objective. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between information integration, information infrastructure flexibility and the ASC in the Iranian power plant industry (IPPI).

Design/methodology/approach

The quantitative method was employed in this study. Survey questionnaires were sent to 87 managers in the IPPI to examine the relationship between information integration, information infrastructure flexibility, and the ASC.

Findings

The final results indicated that information sharing and responsibility were strongly related with the ASC; accessibility and connectivity had important relations with the ASC; while the relationships between compatibility and adaptableness as IT flexibility variables and ASC were positive but not significant.

Research limitations/implications

This study focussed on the impact of IT on the IPPI specifically companies that manufacture boilers, electronic control tools, turbines, turbine blades, generators and other power plant-related components.

Practical implications

A new research model was developed to assess the impact of the interrelationships among IT capabilities and the ASC and results should assist managers as well as academicians.

Originality/value

An investigation was carried out through this study based on the current situation in IPPI to empirically examine and evaluate the effect of IT integration and flexibility on ASC. Besides, a very limited number of studies have been done on the implementation of information technology in the IPPI.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 27 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 April 2018

Yao-yao Song, Hui-hui Liu, Xiao-xiao Liu and Guo-liang Yang

This paper aims to measure Chinese regional thermal industries’ evolution.

164

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to measure Chinese regional thermal industries’ evolution.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses data envelopment analysis (DEA) and global Malmquist–Luenberger productivity (GMLP) index.

Findings

The results reveal that the development of Chinese thermal power industry varies significantly in different regions, and it is highly correlated with the level of local economic development. Although the change of technical efficiency and scale efficiency had different impacts on different regions from year to year, the overall GMLP index change shows a close relationship with the contemporaneous frontier shift.

Practical implications

The results indicate that the Chinese Government should make efforts to promote its policy implementations and regulations in thermal industries so that the contemporaneous frontier will shift toward the global technology frontier with more desirable outputs and less undesirable outputs.

Originality/value

As an application, this study uses DEA and GMLP index to measure the productivity of Chinese thermal industries in 30 Chinese provinces from 2006 to 2013. The results have the meaningful policy implications for decision makers in charge of Chinese thermal industries.

Details

International Journal of Energy Sector Management, vol. 12 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6220

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 August 2013

Dorina Maria Buda and Alison Jane McIntosh

The purpose of this paper is to propose voyeurism as one possible lens to analyse the experiential nature of dark tourism in places of socio‐political danger, thus expanding…

10758

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to propose voyeurism as one possible lens to analyse the experiential nature of dark tourism in places of socio‐political danger, thus expanding psychoanalytic understandings of those who travel to a “dark” place.

Design/methodology/approach

Freud's and Lacan's theories on voyeurism are used to examine the desire to travel to and gaze upon something that is (socially constructed as) forbidden, such as a place that is portrayed as being hostile to international tourists. A qualitative and critical analysis approach is employed to examine one tourist's experience of travelling to Iran and being imprisoned as a result of taking a photograph of what he thought was a sunrise but also pictured pylons near an electrical plant.

Findings

The authors' analysis of the experiences of this tourist in Iran reveals that tourism, in its widest sense, can be experienced as “dark” through the consumption and performance of danger. This finding moves beyond the examination of dark tourism merely as “tourist products”, or that frame a particular moment in time, or are merely founded on one's connection to or perception of the site.

Research limitations/implications

Whilst the authors recognise the limitations of the case study approach taken here, and as such, generalisations cannot be inferred from the findings, it is argued that there is merit in exploring critically the motivational and experiential nature of travel to places that may be considered forbidden, dangerous or hostile in an attempt to further understand the concept of dark tourism from a tourist's lived perspective.

Originality/value

As the authors bring voyeurism into the debate on dark tourism, the study analyses the voyeuristic experiences of a dark tourist. In short, the authors argue that the lived and “deviant” experiential nature of tourism itself can be included in the discussion of “dark tourism”.

Details

International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6182

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 May 2020

Felipe Pathe Duarte

This paper aims to understand whether Portugal, being a relatively peripheral country – in political, economic and military terms – of Southwest Europe, was recently a target of…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to understand whether Portugal, being a relatively peripheral country – in political, economic and military terms – of Southwest Europe, was recently a target of hybrid threats. The prevalence of a specific type of threat was found. Thus, this paper analyses the non-kinetic hybrid threats in Portugal, in a temporary hiatus of two years (2017-2018).

Design/methodology/approach

This study has two parts: a conceptual analysis of hybrid threats created by us and, based on the typology previously presented, an analysis of the hybrid threats in Portugal between 2017 and 2018. The first part relied on source analysis, as the result of a desk review methodology, supported by monographs, declassified official documents and reports. The second part is also the result of source analysis, but more extensive. In addition to the desk review methodology, the study included semi-structured interviews with different stakeholders from the Portuguese security and armed forces, who asked not to be quoted. Media content analysis was also carried out – for trends and fact-check – mostly for the events related to the “narratives led operations” (for propaganda, misinformation, counter-information and strategic leaks).

Findings

To date, Portugal – compared with other European states – has not been a significant target for hybrid threats. It is diluted in the Portuguese geopolitical dimension. Nevertheless, not escaping what is happening in Europe, it has also been the target of non-kinetic hybrid threats, especially in cyberspace. In the field of so-called “narrative-driven operations”, there have been some occurrences – whether related to fake news, far-right movements or strategic leaks. In addition, cyberattacks from foreign groups for information and data gathering have increased in recent years, making governmental and private critical infrastructures more vulnerable.

Research limitations/implications

One of the characteristics of hybrid threats is their difficult identification. Therefore, information is scarce, which has complicated the research, leading us to assume, in many cases, speculation about the threat. It should also be taken into account that, in the case of cyberspace, until 2018, 90% of the occurrences were not reported, and the study has dealt with only official numbers.

Originality/value

It is not a policy paper. Although it neither points out national vulnerabilities to this type of threat nor makes procedural recommendations or considerations, it is fundamental in identifying the peculiarity of hybrid threats in a democratic state.

Details

Transforming Government: People, Process and Policy, vol. 14 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6166

Keywords

Expert briefing
Publication date: 11 October 2018

Aviation cybersecurity.

Details

DOI: 10.1108/OXAN-DB239115

ISSN: 2633-304X

Keywords

Geographic
Topical
Article
Publication date: 11 March 2019

Uchenna Daniel Ani, Hongmei He and Ashutosh Tiwari

As cyber-attacks continue to grow, organisations adopting the internet-of-things (IoT) have continued to react to security concerns that threaten their businesses within the…

2195

Abstract

Purpose

As cyber-attacks continue to grow, organisations adopting the internet-of-things (IoT) have continued to react to security concerns that threaten their businesses within the current highly competitive environment. Many recorded industrial cyber-attacks have successfully beaten technical security solutions by exploiting human-factor vulnerabilities related to security knowledge and skills and manipulating human elements into inadvertently conveying access to critical industrial assets. Knowledge and skill capabilities contribute to human analytical proficiencies for enhanced cybersecurity readiness. Thus, a human-factored security endeavour is required to investigate the capabilities of the human constituents (workforce) to appropriately recognise and respond to cyber intrusion events within the industrial control system (ICS) environment.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative approach (statistical analysis) is adopted to provide an approach to quantify the potential cybersecurity capability aptitudes of industrial human actors, identify the least security-capable workforce in the operational domain with the greatest susceptibility likelihood to cyber-attacks (i.e. weakest link) and guide the enhancement of security assurance. To support these objectives, a Human-factored Cyber Security Capability Evaluation approach is presented using conceptual analysis techniques.

Findings

Using a test scenario, the approach demonstrates the capacity to proffer an efficient evaluation of workforce security knowledge and skills capabilities and the identification of weakest link in the workforce.

Practical implications

The approach can enable organisations to gain better workforce security perspectives like security-consciousness, alertness and response aptitudes, thus guiding organisations into adopting strategic means of appropriating security remediation outlines, scopes and resources without undue wastes or redundancies.

Originality/value

This paper demonstrates originality by providing a framework and computational approach for characterising and quantify human-factor security capabilities based on security knowledge and security skills. It also supports the identification of potential security weakest links amongst an evaluated industrial workforce (human agents), some key security susceptibility areas and relevant control interventions. The model and validation results demonstrate the application of action research. This paper demonstrates originality by illustrating how action research can be applied within socio-technical dimensions to solve recurrent and dynamic problems related to industrial environment cyber security improvement. It provides value by demonstrating how theoretical security knowledge (awareness) and practical security skills can help resolve cyber security response and control uncertainties within industrial organisations.

Details

Journal of Systems and Information Technology, vol. 21 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1328-7265

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 March 2017

Bharat Singh Patel, Cherian Samuel and S.K. Sharma

The purpose of this paper is to report a case study carried out to assess the agility and identify obstacles to agility in a supply chain. A human perception-based framework is…

1435

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report a case study carried out to assess the agility and identify obstacles to agility in a supply chain. A human perception-based framework is used for the calculation of agility. The case study was carried out in a North India-based manufacturing organization.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the concept of a multi-grade fuzzy logic approach is used. Using this concept, the overall agility index has been determined. The fuzzy logic approach has been used to overcome the disadvantages such as impreciseness and vagueness using a scoring method.

Findings

From the analysis, it is observed that the organization on which the study was performed is “very agile.” After evaluating the agility level, the fuzzy performance importance index is calculated, which helps to identify the barriers of agility in the supply chain. These barriers help decision makers to implement appropriate improvement measures for improving agility level. Overall, 11 barriers were identified in the study.

Research limitations/implications

Managers of the contemporary manufacturing organization have to measure the agility level of the organization and identify barriers to agility in order to survive in a competitive environment. The obstacles identified in this study are used to improve the performance of the organization. The enterprise should improve on the weak areas in order to achieve the highest agility level.

Originality/value

The agile supply chain (ASC) enablers proposed by previous researchers are not sufficient for the evaluation of agility of a supply chain. There are a few more ASC enablers such as customer satisfaction, flexibility and adaptability that also play a vital role in making a supply chain agile. Adding these three ASC enablers, a total of seven ASC enablers along with their attributes are being considered for the development of a conceptual model.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 28 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 February 2020

Rahul Kumar, Kanwarpreet Singh and Sanjiv Kumar Jain

The concept of agile manufacturing is becoming critically important to manufacturing industry due to rapid industrialization, fluctuating customer demand, and turbulent business…

Abstract

Purpose

The concept of agile manufacturing is becoming critically important to manufacturing industry due to rapid industrialization, fluctuating customer demand, and turbulent business environment. The aim of this study is to prioritize the attributes for successful implementation of agile manufacturing using a combined analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) approach in Indian manufacturing industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study identifies eight agile manufacturing attributes through literature review and discussion with subject experts. The experts from different manufacturing industry have been asked to provide data for pairwise comparison of attributes. Afterward, an integrated AHP and TOPSIS approach is employed. The AHP is used to drive the priority weights of the attributes, and TOPSIS is used for prioritizing the attributes for successful implementation of agile manufacturing.

Findings

“Information technology,” “human resource management-related issues,” “customer-related issues,” “leadership support,” and “organizationalc related-issues” have been ranked as the top five significant and contributing attributes, which can pave the path for top management to concentrate on the critical areas and allocate significant resources to ensure successful implementation of agile manufacturing.

Originality/value

This research integrates AHP and TOPSIS to prioritize the attributes for successful implementation of agile manufacturing, which are further validated by comparing the ranks obtained through respective approach and sensitivity analysis.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 69 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 January 2017

Mehdi Fakheri

Selected countries in the world have the technical capability of creating nuclear energy. Iran has striven to acquire the know-how to harness nuclear power and has been…

Abstract

Purpose

Selected countries in the world have the technical capability of creating nuclear energy. Iran has striven to acquire the know-how to harness nuclear power and has been scientifically successful. However, it was sanctioned by the foremost world powers for doing so. The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the Iranian nuclear dossier came about and how it became a global issue, how it was resolved and who will benefit from its resolution.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is designed to review the antecedents, to study the international community’s position, to analyze the outcomes and to make some recommendations. The study’s methodology is therefore analytical.

Findings

Access to nuclear technology is a political matter and those who are allowed to use it might be subject to the ideological preferences of those that have long had it. The holders of nuclear technology normally interact with allies to provide them with help to fulfill a nuclear power program under certain circumstances. If an individual country decides to go its own way and develop an indigenous technical capability, it will come under scrutiny and measures will be taken to control it. If those measures fail, sanctions and pressures will be employed to hamper the achievement of nuclear independence. In the absence of tangible results, negotiations will start and agreement may be reached based on the expertise of the two sides’ negotiators. A peaceful agreement could be a win-win solution if it respects the rights and responsibilities of the parties involved. Iran’s nuclear deal, if implemented properly, would be a success story and will shape future policies in the Middle East.

Research limitations/implications

The first prerequisite for research is to have access to credible literature. When dealing with a new phenomenon, researchers face the challenge of not having sufficient material to develop a hypothesis or respond to all the questions that they have to pose. For Iran’s nuclear deal hundreds of articles have been written, but few books. Furthermore, because of the delicacy and confidentiality of the negotiations undertaken, one cannot interview the authorities involved either.

Practical implications

There are some Asian, Latin American and African countries with similar plans concerning nuclear energy. The paper will provide food for thought to evaluate the cost of their decisions and make suggestions for how they should proceed so that they can be perceived to be acting properly.

Social implications

Although nuclear themes are largely political and a part of the security arena internationally, access to nuclear technology as a power source could have a significant impact on the social development of the countries pursuing nuclear energy programs. The paper studies the effect of the Iranian deal on health, education, social networks and civil society.

Originality/value

The author has been involved in part of the negotiating process and has, thus, been in a position to verify different information discussed in the global mass media. The subject is also a brand-new issue in international relations, since a peaceful solution was found for a scenario that had previously been solved by military intervention, without exception. Finally, it is interdisciplinary research with an innovative analysis approach.

Details

Asian Education and Development Studies, vol. 6 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-3162

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 October 2021

Dong-Young Kim and Bruce Fortado

The importance of supply chain network centrality has been widely recognized in the manufacturing literature. This study extends this literature by investigating the relationship…

Abstract

Purpose

The importance of supply chain network centrality has been widely recognized in the manufacturing literature. This study extends this literature by investigating the relationship between network centrality and innovation value. “Innovation value” refers to an innovation's impact, quality and potential future contribution to technological development in a business community. This study also aims to examine whether the relationship between supplier centrality and innovation value is contingent upon supplier acquisition.

Design/methodology/approach

The study hypotheses are tested with archival data collected from US high-tech manufacturing industries over the 17-year period. Negative binomial regression analysis was used to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The authors found that supplier centrality has a significant positive relationship with innovation value. Moreover, an increase in supplier acquisition activities makes the relationship between supplier centrality and innovation value more positive.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the manufacturing and technology management research by exploring the impact of supplier centrality on innovation value. The results of this study shed light on the importance of a firm's central network position in enhancing the impact and quality of innovation. This study uncovers contingencies that help realize the potential benefits of holding a central network position.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 33 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

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