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1 – 10 of 28Vagner Batista Ribeiro, Julio Cesar Melo, Jorge Muniz Jr., Fernando Bernardi de Souza and Renato Cardoso Canever
This paper aims to investigate the impacts of Industry 4.0/5.0 (I4.0/5.0) on the glass manufacturing workplace. Specifically, it studied the workplace, which represents complex…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the impacts of Industry 4.0/5.0 (I4.0/5.0) on the glass manufacturing workplace. Specifically, it studied the workplace, which represents complex manufacturing lines of high variety and volume of products.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study based on semi-structured interviews was conducted with managers responsible for I4.0 implementation, and the responses were treated by content analysis.
Findings
Findings reinforce I5.0 aspects to be considered in terms of work organization. The interviewees highlight work and human factors as important for technology implementation, which includes workers tasks, skills, nature of work, human resources development, hiring process and organizations strategies. It was also found that knowledge sharing poses a huge challenge.
Originality/value
In lieu of gaps in the literature, this research further discusses management challenges to support digital transformation and impacts on workers and organizations.
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Jorge Muniz Jr., Fernando Ramalho Martins, Daniel Wintersberger and João Paulo Oliveira Santos
This paper aims to discuss how trade union leaders deal with the implementation of Industry 4.0 (I4.0). The study is circumscribed to the Brazilian automotive sector and came from…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss how trade union leaders deal with the implementation of Industry 4.0 (I4.0). The study is circumscribed to the Brazilian automotive sector and came from a human-centric (Industry 5.0) concern related to issues such as organisational learning, knowledge, innovation and workplace learning.
Design/methodology/approach
Case studies in two truck plants related to union participation during new product and process implementation based on Industry 4.0. Semi-structured interviews with union leaders from both plants were conducted to determine the subtle similarities and differences between the two polar types.
Findings
The findings pointed out that human resources and workplace learning must be reviewed to prepare workers to face I4.0. Four themes are explored: modernisation origins; negotiation process; workers’ concerns; and results and lessons learned. The findings highlight concerns about employees and job loss; replacement of workers by technological devices; workplace learning and the trade union perspective; and influence of the country’s economic situation on I4.0 implementation in social systems dependent on worker tacit knowledge.
Originality/value
This paper presents labour union leaders’ perspectives related to the impact of I4.0 and contributes to a better understanding of industry-worker workplace learning.
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Diogo Almeida, Ninad Pradhan and Jorge Muniz Jr
The purpose of this paper is to discuss factors to support ISO 9001:2015 implementation. A framework for identification and prioritization of factors is applied in Brazilian power…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss factors to support ISO 9001:2015 implementation. A framework for identification and prioritization of factors is applied in Brazilian power train suppliers (Tier 1). Brazil is the eighth largest vehicle manufacturer in the world.
Design/methodology/approach
The data analysis presented in this paper is grounded in an empirical study involving ISO 9001 certified Brazilian companies (47 plants) that supply auto parts to power train assembly plants. They represent almost 50 percent of the Tier 1 Brazilian power train suppliers. Data collection and analysis is performed with the participation of managers who are experts in quality management systems and ISO 9001. Analytic hierarchy process (AHP) supports the mixed methods approach. The data analysis is broken down by electrical components, machining, sub-components and small parts manufacturers.
Findings
The factors assessed are top management commitment, team commitment, training, responsibilities and authorities defined, schedule for implementation, quality culture, resource availability, integration between departments, level of bureaucracy as well as level of awareness regarding the ISO 9001 significance. A new factor was identified, which was not cited in the literature, quality staff reliability.
Research limitations/implications
The research is applied to suppliers of powertrain manufacturers and could reflect other sectors. It is important observe that the automotive sector represents a microcosm of the organization in general and many production models stem from there.
Practical implications
Understanding the critical factors is important to ensure that managers allocate resources appropriately during implementation and maintenance of ISO 9001:2015.
Social implications
Organizations around the world have, until 2018, to upgrade their quality systems to ISO 9001:2015 and the results of this paper can support strategies and decision making about that.
Originality/value
This paper evidences the relative importance among factors and ranks item in order of importance for ISO 9001:2015 implementation. Prior studies indicate the need to develop a mixed methods study to examine the role of the critical factors to support the ISO 9001:2015 implementation as done in this paper.
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Davi Nakano, Jorge Muniz and Edgard Dias Batista
The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that facilitate tacit knowledge sharing in unstructured work environments, such as those found in automated production lines.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify factors that facilitate tacit knowledge sharing in unstructured work environments, such as those found in automated production lines.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on a qualitative approach, and it draws data from a four‐month field study at a blown‐molded glass factory. Data collection techniques included interviews, informal conversations and on‐site observations, and data were interpreted using content analysis.
Findings
The results indicated that sharing of tacit knowledge is facilitated by an engaging environment. An engaging environment is supported by shared language and knowledge, which are developed through intense communication and a strong sense of collegiality and a social climate that is dominated by openness and trust. Other factors that contribute to the creation of an engaging environment include managerial efforts to provide appropriate work conditions and to communicate company goals, and HRM practices such as the provision of formal training, on‐the‐job training and incentives.
Practical implications
This paper clarifies the scope of managerial actions that impact knowledge creation and sharing among blue‐collar workers.
Originality/value
Despite the acknowledgement of the importance of blue‐collar workers' knowledge, both the knowledge management and operations management literatures have devoted limited attention to it. Studies related to knowledge management in unstructured working environments are also not abundant.
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Jorge Muniz, Edgard Dias Batista and Geilson Loureiro
This paper aims to propose a model of production management that integrates knowledge management, as a third dimension, to the production and work dimensions and to identify…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose a model of production management that integrates knowledge management, as a third dimension, to the production and work dimensions and to identify factors that promote a favorable context for knowledge sharing and results achievement in the production operations shop floor environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The model proposed is built from opportunities identified in the literature review.
Findings
The factors in the model integrate its three main components: knowledge management, production organization and work organization, providing a representation of the dynamics of the workplace and shop floor environment.
Practical implications
The proposed model and its factors allow managers to better understand and to improve the organization activities, because it integrates knowledge management with the production organization and work organization components of traditional models.
Originality/value
Literature acknowledges the role of knowledge as competitive advantage, but it is still dealt in an implicit way within the traditional models of production management. This paper proposes a model and factors that provide a favorable context for tacit knowledge sharing and results achievement in the production operations shop floor environment. The model explicitly integrates knowledge management with traditional models' components.
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Ann Svensson, Ulrika Lundh Snis and Irene Cecilia Bernhard
Ana Nunes de Almeida, Diana Carvalho and Ana Delicado
Inspired by the debates on participatory methods and drawing from research on “digital childhoods” in Portugal, this chapter aims to address the methodological innovations and…
Abstract
Inspired by the debates on participatory methods and drawing from research on “digital childhoods” in Portugal, this chapter aims to address the methodological innovations and challenges in collecting visual and digital data with children at their homes. As one of the stages of a research project on internet use, children were asked to take photos of their favorite objects at home and to collect screenshots of their most used webpages, followed by a conversation with the researcher. The use of photography allowed children greater expression and autonomy and gave researchers access to the children’s own perspectives on their home environment. It also provided unique information about the arrangement of digital objects at home and their different appropriations by girls and boys. Screenshots showed creative uses of the internet by children and gender differences. Ethical concerns were raised, due to the specific nature of working with children and with visual material (anonymization and dissemination). Entering the domestic setting provided a privileged access to children’s private sphere and to the in situ observation of their use of technology. However, the home is not a neutral place for a researcher and crossing the border into the private domain involves risks. These findings, illustrated by empirical examples from the research field, stress the importance of reflecting on and discussing the potentials, limitations, and ethical considerations of different methodologies, as well as their suitability to specific research objects, subjects, and contexts.
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Barbara de Lima Voss, David Bernard Carter and Bruno Meirelles Salotti
We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in…
Abstract
We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in the construction of hegemonies in SEA research in Brazil. In particular, we examine the role of hegemony in relation to the co-option of SEA literature and sustainability in the Brazilian context by the logic of development for economic growth in emerging economies. The methodological approach adopts a post-structural perspective that reflects Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory. The study employs a hermeneutical, rhetorical approach to understand and classify 352 Brazilian research articles on SEA. We employ Brown and Fraser’s (2006) categorizations of SEA literature to help in our analysis: the business case, the stakeholder–accountability approach, and the critical case. We argue that the business case is prominent in Brazilian studies. Second-stage analysis suggests that the major themes under discussion include measurement, consulting, and descriptive approach. We argue that these themes illustrate the degree of influence of the hegemonic politics relevant to emerging economics, as these themes predominantly concern economic growth and a capitalist context. This paper discusses trends and practices in the Brazilian literature on SEA and argues that the focus means that SEA avoids critical debates of the role of capitalist logics in an emerging economy concerning sustainability. We urge the Brazilian academy to understand the implications of its reifying agenda and engage, counter-hegemonically, in a social and political agenda beyond the hegemonic support of a particular set of capitalist interests.
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Jorge Matute, Ramon Palau-Saumell and Nicoletta Occhiocupo
The purpose of this study is to provide a better understanding of customer brand engagement (CBE) by proposing and empirically testing a model of antecedents and consequences of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to provide a better understanding of customer brand engagement (CBE) by proposing and empirically testing a model of antecedents and consequences of CBE for user-initiated online brand communities (OBCs).
Design/methodology/approach
The model is tested using a sample of 584 participants in two relevant OBCs created and managed by brand fans. Specifically, data were collected from two communities in the photography products category: Nikonistas and Canonistas.
Findings
The results indicate that community and brand identification positively and significantly influence CBE. Furthermore, the supporting role of OBCs’ moderators facilitates CBE and moderates the influence of community identification on CBE. Regarding the outcomes of CBE, the results show that higher levels of engagement are positively, directly and significantly associated with favorable intentions towards the brand and the community. These effects are then mediated by brand affective commitment.
Research limitations/implications
The study has been conducted in two Spanish OBCs of two specific high-involvement products category: it is cross-sectional and focuses on a limited number of antecedents and consequences.
Practical implications
Evidence from this research supports and emphasizes the potential that these platforms have for brand management such that firms’ resources could be best allocated on those elements that lead to superior CBE.
Originality/value
The study endorses the role of CBE in fostering brand and community-related favorable outcomes in the context of user-initiated OBCs. It shed lights on the potential that these online platforms have for brands and on the role that brand management should play in digital contexts that are outside the direct control of the company.
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