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Evolvable production systems enable fully reconfiguration capabilities on the shop floor through process‐oriented modularity and multi‐agent‐based distributed control. To be able to benefit architectural and operational characteristics of evolvable systems, there is a need of a new planning approach which links shop floor characteristics and planning operations. This paper seeks to address these issues.

Evolvable production system has a structured methodology in itself. Consistent to this, a reference planning architecture is developed aiming to achieve agility on planning activities. Besides a workload control method is proposed and implemented as a part of the planning architecture.

First applications of evolvable systems have been implemented through European research projects. Shop floor working principles and architectural characteristics are consistent to facilitate more agility on planning activities which are framed at a planning reference architecture called demand responsive planning. As an implementation case, an agent‐based workload control method is proposed and implemented. The characteristics of EPS and proposed planning architecture enable continuous and dynamic workload control of the shop floor to be implemented.

This paper presents a new planning model compatible with evolvable production systems targeting to agility to demand on planning and control activities benefiting shop floor enhancements of a fully reconfigurable system which enables to relax constraints imposed from production systems to planning. In addition, a continuous and dynamic workload control method is proposed and implemented.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the microfoundations of innovation-enabling dynamic capabilities in Latin American firms and, in particular, their processes to: sense and shape opportunities; seize opportunities; and maintain competitiveness through reconfiguring assets.

The authors carried out a confirmatory factor analysis of survey data obtained from a sample of 721 firms located in Latin America, and employed a hierarchical analysis of linear regressions with robust standard errors to test the hypotheses.

The authors found that when firms manage their innovation processes based on sensing opportunities and reconfiguring their tangible and intangible assets, they are more likely to improve on four innovation-related outcomes: development of new products and services; profitability; market share; and diversification.

The findings are limited to the specific context of Latin American countries. In particular, the authors took a random sample of firms from a business directory built by prestigious Latin American business schools, but that may not be representative. Therefore, the generalizability of the results is limited beyond the type of companies that are represented in that sampling frame.

Contributions are twofold. First, the authors test the applicability of an orchestration model of dynamic capabilities to the Latin American context. And, second, the authors relate specific microfoundations of dynamic capabilities to the ability of firms to innovate successfully.

El objetivo de este documento es explorar las micro-fundaciones de las capacidades dinámicas que hacen posible la innovación en las empresas latinoamericanas. En particular, sus procesos para: (1) detectar y dar forma a las oportunidades, (2) aprovechar las oportunidades y (3) mantenerse competitivas a través de la reconfiguración de sus activos.

Realizamos un análisis factorial confirmatorio con datos de una encuesta que hicimos a una muestra de 721 empresas en Latinoamérica, y empleamos un análisis jerárquico de regresiones lineales con error estándar robusto para probar nuestras hipótesis.

Encontramos que cuando las empresas administran sus procesos de innovación basándose en (1) la detección de oportunidades y (2) la reconfiguración de sus activos tangibles e intangibles, es más probable que mejoren en cuatro objetivos relacionados a innovación: (1) desarrollo de nuevos productos y servicios, (2) sus retornos, (3) participación de mercado y (4) diversificación.

Nuestros hallazgos están limitados al contexto específico de los países de América Latina. Específicamente, tomamos una muestra aleatoria de empresas de un directorio de negocios creado por prestigiosas escuelas de negocios latinoamericanas, pero que puede no ser representativo. Entonces, la generalizabilidad de nuestros resultados es limitada más allá del tipo de empresas que están representadas en este marco muestral.

Las contribuciones son dobles. Primero, probamos la aplicabilidad de un modelo de orquestación de capacidades dinámicas en el contexto latinoamericano. Y, segundo, relacionamos micro-fundaciones específicas de capacidades dinámicas con la habilidad de las empresas para innovar exitosamente.

Platinised Titanium Anodes. Platinised titanium anodes have been developed and introduced for protection of condenser water boxes and the internal protection of pipelines.

IN 1968, Dowry Rotol Ltd., Staverton, Gloucester, were awarded a contract by McDonnell Douglas Corporation to implement a surface stress survey on the DC‐10 Nose Undercarriage Assembly.

Epikote Resin Enamels. The manufacturers state that Epinamel A/C forced drying lining material has been subjected to a very wide range of chemicals. So far, approximately 50 different solutions have been used in testing the material over both short and long term immersion, and, although in some cases the results have proved unsatisfactory, in the majority they have proved very good. Amongst other things, this material has been used successfully to protect road tankers for petrol, oil and foodstuffs, rail tank cars for the same materials, marine tankers, static storage tanks for glucose, fruit juices, soaps and wine, pumps handling acids and alkalis, chemical pipework etc.

This chapter develops and tests a theory on relationships between perceptions of ability and adherence to rules, guidelines, and tradition. Drawing from theory and research on status processes in groups, the theory proposes that adherence to rules can provide an alternative to task ability in demonstrating competence at a group task and that persons who perceive themselves to be low in ability will become especially likely to strictly adhere to rules.

In an experimental study, participants received feedback that they had high or low ability at a group task that involved making judgments about bonuses in a fictitious organization.

Supporting the theory, participants who perceived themselves to be low in ability gave less money to employees technically ineligible for raises, even when the reason for the ineligibility was arguably trivial.

The proposed theory and supportive results have a number of theoretical implications for how status processes shape individual behavior in groups. For example, the theory might help explain collective enforcement against free riding, with people low in ability being motivated to enforce norms against free riding to compensate for their perceived lack of ability to contribute.

It is easy to conjure examples in which persons who are seen as exceptionally competent also seem to be given wide leniency in adhering to rules. The theory and experimental test presented here can help in understanding the extent to which the following of rules may be seen as the domain of the incompetent.

VINE is produced at least four times a year with the object of providing up‐to‐date news of work being done in the automation of library housekeeping processes, principally in the UK. It is edited and substantially written by Tony McSean, Information Officer for Library Automation based in Southampton University Library and supported by a grant from the British Library Research and Development Department. Copyright for VINE articles rests with the British Library Board, but opinions expressed in VINE do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the British Library. The subscription to VINE is £10 per year and the subscription period runs from January to December.

IN a recent address Mr. S. J. Noel‐Brown, a work study consultant who is frequently called in by local authorities, said that 209 such bodies, out of a total of 1,800, had shown a lively interest in the subject. Of these many used outside consultants or had joined in group schemes. Some authorities, however, were still living in the quill pen era, scarcely having heard of typewriters. They were struggling along with laborious, out‐of‐date equipment.