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Article
Publication date: 14 February 2024

Ryan Atkins, Kim Deranek and Robert Sroufe

Research and interest in food loss and waste (FLW) have increased, but barriers stand in the way of firms engaging in food recovery efforts. The purpose of this study is to gain a…

Abstract

Purpose

Research and interest in food loss and waste (FLW) have increased, but barriers stand in the way of firms engaging in food recovery efforts. The purpose of this study is to gain a better understanding of how firms overcome these barriers.

Design/methodology/approach

This study followed a qualitative, field-study-based research design in which 23 decision-makers at food-based organizations were interviewed. Quotes were extracted and categorized to develop a conceptual model of the food recovery process.

Findings

The conceptual model that evolved helps to explain decision-making related to FLW across the following dimensions: barriers to food recovery, incentives to overcome the barriers, internal processes for engaging in food recovery and external relationships influencing internal incentives and processes. In addition, the barriers and incentives were divided into operational and managerial issues.

Originality/value

Building on the barriers to food recovery in prior research, we explored the processes that help firms overcome these barriers. The model developed in this study is an important step toward addressing these processes and relationships. It can serve as a foundation for a variety of future studies of food recovery.

Details

Supply Chain Management: An International Journal, vol. 29 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1359-8546

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 January 2021

Kimberly Deranek, Steven Kramer and Sharon Siegel

This research compared the efficacy of process outcomes leveraging lean methods versus traditional pedagogy applied to dental education dependent on emerging technology. The…

Abstract

Purpose

This research compared the efficacy of process outcomes leveraging lean methods versus traditional pedagogy applied to dental education dependent on emerging technology. The pedagogical objective was to improve system efficiency without compromising traditional outcomes of effectiveness (quality).

Design/methodology/approach

The research team tested the efficacy of a lean A3 framework to identify, remove waste and redesign a technology-dependent simulation laboratory course (CAD/CAM/IR Restorative Dentistry). Students were also sensitized to time-in-chair to introduce a stronger patient focus. Baseline data collected from a control group were statistically compared to the research group's data after the course redesign. In addition, course time allocations were measured and then compared.

Findings

The results showed the interventions significantly reduced procedure cycle times without compromising quality. Additionally, the course was more efficiently conducted as measured by course time allocations.

Practical implications

This research demonstrated that the use of the A3 framework enhanced learning through process documentation, reengineering and systems optimization resolving issues of inefficiency associated with the CAD/CAM/IR pedagogy. This work is significant because it demonstrates the practice of using lean interventions to redesign and improve a technology-based healthcare course to maximize benefits.

Originality/value

This research is the first to examine how to leverage lean methods in a healthcare simulation laboratory, dependent on innovative technology, to educate and train future practitioners. This research applied statistical rigor in a controlled experiment to maximize its applicability and generalizability.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 38 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 February 2019

Zauwiyah Ahmad, Thian Song Ong, Tze Hui Liew and Mariati Norhashim

The purpose of this research is to explain the influence of information security monitoring and other social learning factors on employees’ security assurance behaviour. Security…

2207

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to explain the influence of information security monitoring and other social learning factors on employees’ security assurance behaviour. Security assurance behaviour represents employees’ intentional and effortful actions aimed towards protecting information systems. The behaviour is highly desired as it tackles the human factor within the information security framework. The authors posited that security assurance behaviour is a learned behaviour that can be enhanced by the implementation of information security monitoring.

Design/methodology/approach

Theoretical framework underlying this study with six constructs, namely, subjective norm, outcome expectation, information security monitoring, information security policy, self-efficacy and perceived inconvenience, were identified as significant in determining employees’ security assurance behaviour (SAB). The influence of these constructs on SAB could be explained by social cognitive theory and is empirically supported by past studies. An online questionnaire survey as the main research instrument is adopted to elicit information on the six constructs tested in this study. Opinion from industry and academic expert panels on the relevance and face validity of the questionnaire were obtained prior to the survey administration.

Findings

Findings from this research indicate that organisations will benefit from information security monitoring by encouraging security behaviours that extend beyond the security policy. This study also demonstrates that employees tend to abandon security behaviour when the behaviour is perceived as inconvenient. Hence, organisations must find ways to reduce the perceived inconvenience using various security automation methods and specialised security training. Reducing perceived inconvenience is a challenge to information security practitioners.

Research limitations/implications

There are some limitations in the existing work that could be addressed in future studies. One of them is the possible social desirability bias due to the self-reported measure adopted in the study. Even though the authors have made every effort possible to collect representative responses via anonymous survey, it is still possible that the respondents may not reveal true behaviour as good conduct is generally desired. This may lead to a bias towards favourable behaviour.

Practical implications

In general, the present research provides a number of significant insights and valuable information related to security assurance behaviour among employees. The major findings could assist security experts and organisations to develop better strategies and policies for information security protection. Findings of this research also indicate that organisations will benefit from information security monitoring by encouraging security behaviours that extend beyond the security policy.

Social implications

In this research, the social cognitive learning theory is used to explain the influence of information security monitoring and other social learning factors on employees’ security assurance behaviour; the finding implies that monitoring emphases expected behaviours and helps to reinforce organisational norms. Monitoring may also accelerate learning when employees become strongly mindful of their behaviours. Hence, it is important for organisations to communicate the monitoring practices implemented, even more imperative whenever security monitoring employed is unobtrusive in nature. Nonetheless, care must be taken in this communication to avoid resentment and mistrust among employees.

Originality/value

This study is significant in a number of ways. First, this study highlights significant antecedents of security assurance behaviour, which helps organisations to assess their current practices, which may nurture or suppress information security. Second, using users’ perspective, this study provides recommendations pertaining to monitoring as a form of information security measure. Third, this study provides theoretical contribution to the existing information security literature via the application of the social cognitive learning theory.

Details

Information & Computer Security, vol. 27 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4961

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 September 2020

Man Lai Cheung, Wilson K.S. Leung and Haksin Chan

Young consumers have increasingly adopted wearable health-care technology to improve their well-being. Drawing on generation cohort theory (GCT) and the technology acceptance…

1987

Abstract

Purpose

Young consumers have increasingly adopted wearable health-care technology to improve their well-being. Drawing on generation cohort theory (GCT) and the technology acceptance model (TAM), this study aims to illuminate the major factors that drive the adoption of health-care wearable technology products by Generation Z (Gen-Z) consumers in Hong Kong.

Design/methodology/approach

A self-administrated online survey was used to collect data from a sample of Gen-Z consumers in Hong Kong with experience in using health-care wearable technology. Data analysis was performed using partial least-squares-structural equation modeling to verify four hypotheses.

Findings

The results reveal that consumer innovativeness (CI) and electronic word-of-mouth referral (EWOM) are significant predictors of perceived credibility, perceived ease of use and perceived usefulness, which subsequently drive online engagement intention and adoption intention (AI).

Practical implications

This research provides practical guidance for marketers of health-care wearable technology products. In particular, CI and EWOM hold the key to young consumers’ product perceptions (and thereby their online engagement and AIs).

Originality/value

This research leverages the insights of GCT to enrich the TAM, specifically by including CI and EWOM as antecedents and online engagement as a consequence in the context of health-care wearable technology. The results of an empirical study enhance theoretical understanding of Gen-Z consumers’ perceptions and behavioral intentions toward health-care wearable technology. They also point to actionable recommendations for marketing this new technology to young consumers.

Article
Publication date: 29 April 2021

Ajay Noronha, Shreeranga Bhat, E.V. Gijo, Jiju Antony and Suma Bhat

The article evaluates the obstacles, lessons learned and managerial implications of deploying Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in a dental college hospital in India.

Abstract

Purpose

The article evaluates the obstacles, lessons learned and managerial implications of deploying Lean Six Sigma (LSS) in a dental college hospital in India.

Design/methodology/approach

The work adopts the action research (AR) methodology to establish a case study, which is carried out using the LSS define–measure–analyze–improve–control (DAMIC) approach in a dental college. It uses LSS tools to enhance the productivity and performance of the Conservative Dentistry Department of a dental college and to unravel the obstacles and success factors in applying it to the education and healthcare sector together.

Findings

The root cause for high turn-around time (TAT) is ascertained using LSS tools and techniques. The effective deployment of the solutions to the root causes of variation assists the dental college to reduce the TAT of the Conservative Dentistry process from an average of 63.9 min–36.5 min (i.e. 42.9% improvement), and the process Standard Deviation (SD) was reduced from 2.63 to 2 min. This, in turn, raises the sigma level from 0.48 to 3.23, a noteworthy successful story for this dental college.

Research limitations/implications

While the results and recommendations of this research are focused on a single case study, it is to be noted that the case study is carried out with new users of LSS tools and techniques, especially with the assistance of interns. This indicates the applicability of LSS in dental colleges; thus, the adopted modality can be further refined to fit India's education and hospital sector together.

Originality/value

This article explains the implementation of LSS from an aspiring user viewpoint to assist dental colleges and policymakers in improving competitiveness. In addition, the medical education sector can introduce an LSS course in the existing programme to leverage the potential of this methodology to bring synergy and collaborative research between data-based thinking and the medical field based on the findings of this study. The most important contribution of this article is the illustration of the design of experiments (DOE) in the dental college process.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 34 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 18 September 2019

Nilda Tri Putri and Lora Seprima Dona

The purpose of this paper is to redesign the layout of production floor by considering lean manufacturing in order to eliminate the waste and using Block Layout Overview with…

2462

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to redesign the layout of production floor by considering lean manufacturing in order to eliminate the waste and using Block Layout Overview with Layout Planning (BLOCPLAN) algorithm to attain new layout of facilities in Indonesian home-food industry.

Design/methodology/approach

The common problems that might be appearing in home-food industry, especially in the developing countries like Indonesia are unstandardized production process and unorganized work environment which could produce the waste. One of many solutions to handle this problem is improving the work area (work station) in production floor by rearranging and designing standard operating procedure (SOP) by using lean manufacturing concept. The initial data to minimize the waste is motion time study (data) to identify production standard time. The next step is identifying the common waste(s). Meanwhile, the production floor layout used in this research is designed by using BLOCPLAN algorithm.

Findings

The recommendation of shop floor facility layout is based on identified waste, which is excess transportation. Subsequently, standard operational procedure (SOP) is developed to support the recommended facility layout as the reference for cookie production process so it can minimize the waste.

Research limitations/implications

Lean concept is one of method that is widely implemented to reduce the occurrence of defective products and waste that do not provide added value. Based on previous researches, it was found that the concept of lean manufacturing can be applied in various types of service and manufacturing industries, both large companies and small and medium enterprises. Home-food industry competition nowadays is getting intense. This condition makes the stakeholders (of home-food industry, especially in Indonesia) need high performance and productivity to keep their business stable in winning the competition. The new layout can reduce the disadvantages of actual condition.

Practical implications

This research is useful for small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Indonesia especially for home-food industry. The BLOCPLAN layout (as the recommendation) has displacement moment with reduction of 40 percent.

Social implications

This research believed that it can help SMEs improve their productivity in producing cake and cookies in terms of better layout which can reduce worker movement and standardized working procedure. The design of the production facility layout is a method used to rearrange the production process area so that the distance between processes can be minimized. SOPs was provided as the direction and supervision of workers to work according to standards.

Originality/value

SOP design can support recommended layout as the reference on making the cake (product) to eliminate wastes, which are motion/movement (alternating in production process flow) and long waiting time due to process delays.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 31 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 November 2021

Ajay Noronha, Shreeranga Bhat, E.V. Gijo, Jiju Antony, Alessandro Laureani and Chad Laux

The article intended to excavate the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) deployment challenges, Critical Success Factors (CSF), tools and techniques, and managerial implications in an Indian…

1818

Abstract

Purpose

The article intended to excavate the Lean Six Sigma (LSS) deployment challenges, Critical Success Factors (CSF), tools and techniques, and managerial implications in an Indian healthcare setting.

Design/methodology/approach

The article illustrates a case study established using Action Research (AR) approach. Further, the case study is based on the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Control (DMAIC) phases of LSS. The performance and service quality of the Endodontics department of a dental college attached to a hospital is enhanced and sustained through the LSS strategy.

Findings

The processing time of Root Canal treatment is reduced by determining the root causes for delay and implementing sustainable solutions. The structured deployment of the LSS strategy helped the Endodontics department to reduce the processing time from an average of 116 min–84 min. Thus, the process's sigma level is enhanced from 0.06 to 4.17 and assisted in sustaining the results.

Research limitations/implications

The case study's findings are based on the single AR carried out at an Endodontics department of a dental college hospital based on LSS strategies. Even though this study's results cannot be generalized, the deliverables of the case study can be used to develop the LSS roadmap for the dental colleges to enhance the service quality and safety of the patients.

Originality/value

The article provides step-by-step details for implementing LSS in dental college hospitals with critical analysis based on robust statistical tools and techniques. The case study provides evidence of the adoption of LSS in medical college education and provides the confidence to adopt the same through novice users. The study's findings may persuade the policymakers to add LSS in the medical education curriculum to reinforce safety and reduce errors in the healthcare system.

Details

International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, vol. 40 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-671X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 March 2021

Nadine Kafa and Anicia Jaegler

The purpose of this paper is to systematically review and critically examine food losses and waste quantification in supply chain, especially in studies that tackle all the supply…

1182

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to systematically review and critically examine food losses and waste quantification in supply chain, especially in studies that tackle all the supply chain activities in a real context.

Design/methodology/approach

This work employed a systematic literature review methodology on the extant literature focusing on peer-reviewed journal articles published from 2000 to 2019.

Findings

A systematic analysis of 117 articles reveals that downstream supply chains are studied to a greater extent than upstream supply chains, with an emphasis on consumer waste. The findings also highlight more than half of the articles focus on only one supply chain activity. In terms of the methodologies, surveys and modelling methods are the most used to measure food losses and wastes, adopt monetary, carbon emission and calorific metrics. This study highlights that while food losses and waste research remains a relevant field of study, it has yet to been fully explored.

Research limitations/implications

The main limit is the adoption of a systematic review method for food losses and waste quantification in supply chain.

Practical implications

The results suggest that supply chain managers should invest in acquiring more knowledge about food losses in the global network. Upstream supply chains should be more studied and integrated with the downstream supply chains. Using combined direct and indirect methods has the potential to deal with the contradictions of quantification, the lack of data and reduce losses over time and space.

Originality/value

Based on this review as the first one focusing exclusively on quantification of food losses and waste in supply chain context, the authors develop an aspiring research agenda that proposes opportunities for future research.

Headings

  1. We analyse 117 studies addressing food losses and waste quantification.

  2. Downstream food supply chains are more studied than upstream food supply chains.

  3. Case studies of food supply chains in developed countries are more prolific.

  4. The main metric to quantify food losses and waste is weight.

We analyse 117 studies addressing food losses and waste quantification.

Downstream food supply chains are more studied than upstream food supply chains.

Case studies of food supply chains in developed countries are more prolific.

The main metric to quantify food losses and waste is weight.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 123 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

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