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This paper seeks to describe the development of the fuzzy logic model approach to decision making and its value for managers by illustrating its application to employee performance appraisals.

An extensive literature review provided the framework for the model development in this research. Performance evaluations represent a critically important decision that often involves subjective information. Models and heuristic techniques that focus on the use of different types of information are available; however, with few exceptions, the models are not robust enough to be applied in a practical, managerially useful manner. Fuzzy logic models provide a reasonable solution to these common decision situations.

Fuzzy logic can be a powerful tool for managers to use instead of a traditional mathematical model when evaluating the performance of personnel or teams. The flexibility of the model allows the decision maker to introduce vagueness, uncertainty, and subjectivity into the evaluation system.

This research calls attention to an alternative method of the performance evaluation system as opposed to the traditional quantitative methods. Future research in this area is needed to develop a method for relating membership values to linguistic variables in performance evaluation, as well as testing the sensitivity of membership values and their impact on the outcome.

This paper provides a simple‐to‐use fuzzy logic model for establishing a more meaningful evaluation system.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between integrative technologies and the corporation's ability to remain or gain a competitive advantage in today's fast‐paced global economy.

The authors' professional experience, extensive literature review, and personal communications on the subject provided the foundation for this research.

The global business environment requires corporations to use a variety of information and communications technologies in order to coordinate and control all activities in its global operations. In order to be competitive, firms are implementing new technologies such as enterprise resource planning (ERP), ERP II, and radio frequency identification to reduce the cost of doing business by improving operational efficiencies, establish better relationship with their business partners, as well as effectiveness by quickly responding to changes in the marketplace. Challenges and benefits of implementing these technologies by both manufacturing and service organizations are explored and examined in this paper.

Low‐cost and differentiation strategies require corporations to integrate information and communications technologies to streamline processes both within the firm and between business associates. A considerable amount of time and capital is required for acquisition and implementation of the new technology but the return on the investment is significant in the long run. Top management participation, change in management, and employee training are critical success factors in successful utilization of technology.

The paper provides useful information with regards to the importance of technology in sustaining or gaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate factors that contribute to the successful implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in manufacturing firms.

The qualitative research method was used to study six diverse manufacturing firms in Virginia. A semi-structure method of data collection was used for the analysis.

The ERP software has emerged as a key enabler of system integration in organizations to reduce redundancy, improve efficiency, productivity and performance. Firms implement ERP not only to improve operations efficiency but to be more responsive to the customer needs in the global economy. The findings provide insights on the factors that these large and global manufacturing firms consider to be important to the success of ERP implementation and utilization.

The study is limited to large manufacturing firms and does not consider service industries or small and medium enterprises.

A considerable amount of time and capital are required for the acquisition and implementation of ERP systems. The results are useful to managers of manufacturing companies who are interested in using, modifying or upgrading an integrative technology software system, such as ERP.

This empirical study provides an in-depth analysis of factors that motivate firms to consider ERP systems, factors that are important when acquiring the system, key factors to implementation and cultural adjustments following implementation. To the best of our knowledge, no single study has examined all of these issues in one report.

The purpose of this paper is to develop an agility evaluation approach to determine the most suitable agile system for implementing mass customization (MC) strategies. Evaluating the alternatives and comparing across them, the best practices of the efficient organization can be identified and transferred to different organizations.

Grey relation approach is a simple mathematical technique useful in situations where the information is not known precisely. Grey relation approach has been applied to measure the agility of various organizations based on agile entities and accordingly the organizations are ranked. The ranking so obtained is compared with the ranking obtained by a popular multi‐attribute decision making (MADM) process known as Fuzzy TOPSIS (technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution) to test the robustness of the proposed method. It is to be noted that grey theory considers the condition of the fuzziness and can deal flexibly with the fuzziness situation.

It is demonstrated that the grey approach is an appropriate method for solving MADM problems in an uncertain situation with less computational efforts. The alternatives can easily be benchmarked and the best agile system can be selected. As the ranking obtained through grey relation approach closely agree with the ranking found from Fuzzy TOPSIS method, the robustness of the proposed approach is validated. Both the methods lead to choosing a suitable agile system related to mass customization.

In this paper, the proposed approach has been compared with Fuzzy TOPSIS method to test the robustness of the method. Other MADM approaches may be used for comparison purpose to gain insight into the methodology of the proposed approach.

An alternative approach for MADM is proposed to obtain good decisions in an uncertain environment and used for agility evaluation in selected organizations. As agile manufacturing is relatively a new concept, certain and complete information on systems are not available. In such situations, the proposed method can deal with the issue conveniently and results in workable solutions.

The Society is a non‐profit professional and educational association formed in 1966. Today membership exceeds 1,600 individuals interested in improving their competence as planners and increasing the use of planning in corporations and institutions throughout North America.

The purpose of this study is to examine how a service provider’s offer quality is evaluated (OQ).This study shows that attitude toward the salesperson in a service context (AS) is an important antecedent to OQ.

This study involves three studies, first is a dyadic data analyzed with HLM, second is an experiment and the third an IAT.

The findings of this study show that active empathetic listening increases offer quality evaluations, regardless of the AS level. However, at lower levels of AS, sales perseverance negatively affects offer quality evaluations.

While research suggests that listening is extremely important, there is also research that suggests that perseverance is more important. Considering data from sales people and from consumers, the authors examine when listening and when perseverance is important.

Considering that little is known on market orientation at the individual level, this study investigates the effects of individual market orientation on proactive service behavior, and subsequently, sales performance among business-to-business salespeople. Based on social cognitive theory and competing values framework, this paper also examines the interaction effects of organizational culture on the link between individual market orientation and proactive service behavior.

The study sampled 539 business-to-business salespeople from 18 corporate banks in Kuala Lumpur by using a questionnaire survey.

The results of the study show that adhocracy culture strengthens the effects of information acquisition on proactive service behavior, while at the same time weakens the impact of coordination of strategic response on the same outcome. Meanwhile, rational culture displayed negative contingent effects of information dissemination on proactive service behavior.

Given its link to sales performance and proactive service behavior, banks should motivate their employees to embrace market orientation as individual competencies. This research outcome will aid managers in developing strategies and inculcating the right culture to ensure the market-oriented behaviors are internalized and transpired into positive outcomes.

This paper contributes to the enrichment of the existing market orientation frameworks by offering underlying mechanisms (cultural environment and proactive service behavior) through which market-oriented behaviors contribute to the sales performance of business-to-business salespeople within the financial service industry. It is also among the earliest studies that examine the influence of individual market orientation and organizational culture on proactive service behavior.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the relationship between some main characteristics of different living arrangements and the quality of life (QoL) of their users with severe intellectual disability and low-functioning autism spectrum disorders.

Study participants were assessed for ASD severity through the Childhood Autism Rating Scale or the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales (VABS): for behavioral problems with the aberrant behavior checklist (ABC); for perception of efficacy and satisfaction with care, through an adapted Visual Analogue Scale; and for QoL with the QoL inventory in residential environments (validated in French as Inventaire de la Qualité de Vie en Milieu Résidentiel). Because the goal was to define a “residential profile (RP),” the authors evaluated each participating residence with the Working Methods Scale and the questionnaire on residential parameters.

The RP allowed for the classification of the residences into three clusters. The authors found no clear relationship between QoL and the RP clusters, but the authors found the RP clusters to be significantly correlated with ABC factors F1 (irritability, agitation, crying) and F2 (lethargy, social withdrawal), and VABS scores for living, socialization, and motor skills.

RPs were more strongly correlated with ABC items and the ability to cope with everyday life than with QoL. The authors hypothesize that RP is correlated with both aberrant behavior and the autonomy of residents and that QoL remains relatively stable. Therefore, RP is correlated with the status of the residents; however, this appears not to be correlated with their QoL.