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Despite the general consensus regarding the critical role of top management in the information systems (IS) implementation process, the literature reveals a lack of understanding of top managers' supportive actions. There are also conflicting findings, which, based on the review, are the result of unexamined perspectives (deterministic, contingent, and dynamic perspective) of the impact of top management support (TMS). The purpose of the study is to compare the applicability of the three perspectives to enrich the understanding of TMS under the context of enterprise systems (ES) implementation.

Case studies were conducted in two Canadian universities which have implemented a large‐scale ES to examine the applicability of the three perspectives. About 19 interviews were conducted with top managers, department managers, project managers, users and trainer.

Results reveal that the deterministic and contingent perspective may be a simplified version of a complex picture and may not reflect how top management actions affect implementation outcomes. The case study indicates that top managers followed the dynamics of the IS implementation process.

The case studies offer several important findings to practitioners. For example, top managers need to constantly obtain feedback from users and adjust their supportive actions and the level of these supportive actions accordingly.

Despite the consensus on the importance of TMS, TMS studies hold different perspectives of the impact of top managers' supportive actions on IS implementation outcomes. By comparing the three perspectives, the study makes important contributions to both academic researchers and practitioners.

How to minimize risks involved in enterprise systems (ES) implementation while maximizing benefits has become a challenge for top management. This article proposes a conceptual model exploring impacts of top management on ES implementation effectiveness. Taking a perspective of innovation implementation, this paper addresses two research questions: what influences does top management exercise on the ES implementation? Second, what does top management contribute to a successful ES implementation under different implementation modes? Based on Klein and Sorra’s model, this paper develops a research model and identifies three top management influences. The paper concludes with potential contributions to IS researchers and business practitioners.

This paper aims to present an optimal trajectory planning for industrial MOTOMAN MA1440A gas metal arc welding system. A new and efficient evolutionary algorithm, enhanced multi-objective teaching learning-based optimization (EMOTLBO) method, i.e. TLBO with non-dominated sorting approach has been proposed to obtain the optimal joint trajectory for the defined weld seam path.

The joint trajectory of the welding robot need to be computed in an optimal manner for proper torch orientation, smooth travel of the robot along the weld path and for achieving higher positional accuracy. This can be achieved by limiting the kinematic and dynamic variations of the robot joints like joint jerks, squared acceleration and torque induced in the joints while travel of the robot along the weld path. Also, the robot travel should be done within minimum possible time for maintaining productivity. This leads to a multi-objective optimization problem which needs to be solved for maintaining proper orientation of the robot end effector. EMOTLBO has been proposed to obtain the Pareto front consisting of optimal solutions. The fuzzy membership function has been used to obtain the optimal solution from the Pareto front with best trade-off between objectives.

The proposed method has been implanted in MATLAB R2017a for simulation results. The joint positions have been used to program the robot for performing welding operation along the weld seam. From the simulation and experimental results, it can be concluded that the proposed approach can be effectively used for optimal trajectory planning of MOTOMAN MA 1440 A arc welding robot system as a very smooth and uniform weld bead has been obtained with maximum weld quality.

In this paper, a novel approach for optimal trajectory planning welding arc robot has been performed. Though trajectory planning of industrial robots has been done before, it has not been done yet for welding robot. The objectives are formulated taking in consideration of requirement of welding process like minimization of joint jerks and torques induced during welding operation due to travel of robot with the effect of arc spatter, minimization of squared acceleration for maintaining constant joint velocity and finally minimization of total travel time for maintaining productivity.

This articles provides a managerial framework to examine and analyse factors that may influence government decision making in less developed countries. In order to market successfully to these buyers, a series of hurdles has to be cleared. These include meeting eligibility, following procedures, establishing critical linkages, developing competitive offers and exerting appropriate influence. International firms can enhance their success and profits by taking a serious, long‐term approach to these markets.

Presents over sixty abstracts summarising the 1999 Employment Research Unit annual conference held at the University of Cardiff. Explores the multiple impacts of globalization on work and employment in contemporary organizations. Covers the human resource management implications of organizational responses to globalization. Examines the theoretical, methodological, empirical and comparative issues pertaining to competitiveness and the management of human resources, the impact of organisational strategies and international production on the workplace, the organization of labour markets, human resource development, cultural change in organisations, trade union responses, and trans‐national corporations. Cites many case studies showing how globalization has brought a lot of opportunities together with much change both to the employee and the employer. Considers the threats to existing cultures, structures and systems.

The purpose of this paper is to conduct the synthesization of LiFePO₄-C (LFP-C) with fine particle size and enhanced electrochemical performance as the positive electrode material for Li-ion capacitors (LICs) with neutral aqueous electrolyte.

LFP-C was prepared by using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a grain growth inhibitor, and the effects of the calcination temperature and PEG content on the structure and morphology of LFP-C were investigated. LICs using environment-friendly, safe and low-cost LiNO₃ aqueous electrolyte were assembled with LFP-C as the positive electrode and active carbon as the negative electrode. The electrochemical performances of LFP-C and LICs were studied.

The results show that the particle size of LFP-C decreases significantly through the introduction of PEG. Cyclic voltammetry results show that the LFP-C prepared at 550°C with 1.0 g PEG exhibits the highest C_pe of 725 F/g at the scanning rate of 5 mA/s. Compared to LFP prepared without PEG, the electrochemical performance of optimized LFP-C dramatically increases due to the decrease of the particle size. Moreover, the LIC assembled with the optimized LFP-C exhibits excellent electrochemical performances. The LIC maintains about 91.3 per cent of its initial C_ps after 200 cycles which shows a good cycling performance.

The LFP-C is the suitable positive electrode material for LICs with neutral aqueous electrolyte. LICs can be used in the field of automobiles and can solve the problems of energy shortage and environmental pollution.

Both the LFP-C with fine particle size and its optimal LIC using environment-friendly, safe and low-cost LiNO₃ aqueous electrolyte own good electrochemical performances.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the economic relationship with recent changes in China’s land use policy and rural development through innovation and entrepreneurship.

The first issue of economic importance is in understanding the market value of land use rights (LUR) transactions. To examine this, the authors build an argument around the idea of economic and marginal rents from Ricardo. The second issue relates to the extent by which deepening the rural financial landscape by allowing the mortgaging of LUR will promote and advance much needed entrepreneurial activity. To explore this issue, the authors draw on Schumpeter. The empirical contribution is based on a survey of 1,465 farm households in Gansu, Henan, Shaanxi and Shandong provinces.

In an endogenous Two-Stage Least Squares model, the authors find a positive and significant relationship between a willingness to mortgage LUR and entrepreneurship, which suggest that the new policy may well meet that objective. However, the authors do not find that entrepreneurs alone will have a willingness to mortgage LUR; non-entrepreneurs – traditional farmer types – would also be willing to mortgage LUR, but with a caveat that either group already has a disposition or demand for credit.

The value of the analysis is to provide an evidence to understand the market value of LUR transactions and to study the relationship between mortgage of LUR and entrepreneurial activity.