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This paper aims to draw on know-how from the study of Team and Project Management, to seek insights into enhancing the effectiveness of supply chain management (SCM) ventures, with the aim of contributing to their effective and efficient decision-making and operation processes.

Based on an analysis of the obstacles that may stand in the way of the efficient implementation of SCM processes, six specific conditions for such mega-projects’ success are proposed. A couple of practical tools for their attainment are presented.

The article suggests that the construction of the teams involved, as well as the working procedures that may render their work effective, should be flexible and made adaptable to the specific assignment or case, which is handled by each team, at the time; and that the optimal set of procedures to adopt, throughout the working sessions of the teams, which are involved in the process, are those which will gear the team with the means to contribute to the eventual materializing and finalization of a quality and practical set of decisions for the benefit of the overall SCM process.

The article offers a practical step-by-step set of six guidelines to lead executives and managers of SCM processes toward a relatively high level of control in the establishment of effective and efficient team-decision-making and implementation processes within SCM inter-and intra-organizational teams.

Limited attention has been given in the literature to the studying of practical and applicable managerial techniques for successful decision-implementation processes in SCM teams. This article focuses on this neglected domain, proposing a solution, in the form of an integrative micro-level SCM operational strategy.

This paper aims to advance a theoretical framework that integrates knowledge management, change management and “soft” issues, focussing on uncovering the nature of “soft” issues embedded in knowledge management and change management processes.

Both empirical work (case study at an electronics contract manufacturing plant) and literature review were used in order to build the proposed theoretical framework.

It argues that the “soft” dimension assists in better understanding the process of organizational knowledge transfer. In this context, “soft” issues refers to the mutual understanding – of both sender and receiver units – of underlying assumptions, the role of macro‐institutional factors affecting firm level actions (the macro‐micro link) and interpretative aspects that permeate the process of organizational knowledge transfer, including knowledge management and change management issues.

Guidelines for managerial action were formulated in order to make explicit, be aware of and understand embedded “soft” issues. Presented guidelines represent an attempt to uncover the crucial “soft” issues that are usually overlooked by the conventional literature.

This paper offers an alternative framework for guiding both practical intervention and further research on knowledge management‐related issues. It contributes to a better understanding of the process of organizational knowledge transfer.

The chapter aims to bridge theory-practice by proposing an in-depth examination of three cases of companies accused of greenwashing, namely Volkswagen for Dieselgate, Nestlè and Golden Agri-Resources (a palm oil plantation company included in DJSI). The chapter thus reflects on deliberate communicative practices and organisational processes that lie beyond the most visible manifestations of greenwashing. Drawing on these cases, common communication errors and practices of corporate misconduct in corporate sustainability are disclosed. Readers, such as practitioners, who are not interested in academic mechanisms and more in the practical effects of the phenomenon can appreciate the analysis of the cases linked with the presentation of a series of principles and guidelines. Managerial solutions to contrast the different types of greenwashing risks, and to reduce associated negative effects on corporate image and reputation, are presented.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of environmental uncertainty (EU) on supply chain management (SCM) in Korea, and assess the moderating role of organizational culture.

Quantitative data analysis was conducted on data that were collected from 125 Korean manufacturing firms listed on the Korean Stock Exchange. First, structural equation modeling was employed to test the hypothesized paths. Second, multi-group analysis was used to explore the possibility of differences between groups with diverse organizational cultures. Before testing the measurement model, confirmatory factor analysis was run to test the reliability and validity of the measurement items.

The findings indicate that all the hypotheses on the relationships between EU, SCM antecedents and SCM activities are supported except the relationship between commitment and cooperation. The outcome of the multi-group analysis shows that the impact of EU on SCM antecedents varies across organizational cultures.

This study proposes managerial guidelines for implementing effective SCM in response to EU and emphasize that these are consistent with organizational culture.

Globalization and accelerating product life cycles require use of time‐based manufacturing practices (TBMP) accompanied by organizational integration. Evidence has suggested that cultural integrative beliefs (IB) influence the presence of TBMP but research has not investigated two alternative theory‐based views: TBMP influences the formation of integrative beliefs; and TBMP and integrative beliefs interact to enhance performance. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between espoused values, TBMP and performance.

The authors empirically re‐analyze work carried out in 2004 by Nahm et al., using structural equations modeling and factor scores regression.

Support is found for the competing model that implies IB is a consequent of TBMP rather than an antecedent. This new theoretical perspective is not reconciled via the interaction model.

The authors' re‐examination suggests TBMP and IB are mutually reinforcing, implying that resources can be devoted to simultaneously implementing TBMP and IB, rather than a time‐consuming sequential strategy.

The paper is the first to empirically test three perspectives on how organizational culture and operations management practices interrelate. Conventional conceptions of cultural beliefs' role are questioned and a new perspective is offered. Additionally, the FSR method gives a structured approach to latent variable interaction modeling.

study aims to investigate the implementation and impact of a just-in-time (JIT) system in a food manufacturing and exporting company in Thailand.

At the company, the authors used an anomaly case study. The authors performed content analysis on the data collected through semi-structured interviews and direct observations to determine operational flows through customer order, production and delivery. The authors constructed a framework that helped in mapping current operations and subsequently assessing JIT’s impacts; the authors reported the best practices to the company’s owner. Based on the follow-up after a year, the authors used an abductive approach to refine the JIT theory using data from case organizations and relevant studies.

The company encountered errors and delays in international delivery owing to inadequate inputs resulting from uncertain agricultural production, delayed contact with freight forwarders, improper documentation and insufficient staffing. Besides the highly centralized system, the limitations of the JIT philosophy contributed to the issues, thereby increasing mental and physical health problems and turnover rate. Owing to these paradoxical effects, the authors extended the JIT theory. Of the study’s several recommendations, the company observed only the following: contacting the freight forwarder after the purchase order confirmation, not production completion. The authors observed increased customer satisfaction, despite the additional cost of booking containers early.

This research presents a balanced JIT that can minimize JIT’s impacts and resource shortage, owing to demand-supply uncertainties and sustain competitiveness.

This paper seeks to analyse social report guidelines and practices within Italian local governments (ILGs). First, it compares the contents of the two Italian governmental guidelines for developing social reports in public sector organisations with the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guideline, to determine similarities and differences in disclosures. Second, it examines a group of social reports issued by ILGs, to explore the incidence, frequency, and quality of disclosure, as against the GRI guideline.

The study uses content analysis to test the nature/content of the governmental guidelines, and to determine what was disclosed in a group of ILGs' social reports. The paper analyses the social reports by applying the Guthrie and Farneti coding instrument, extended by including the Italian governmental guidelines.

Several observations emerge from the present study. First, from the comparison of the GRI and the Italian governmental guidelines, it emerges that only a few categories of the latter are similar to the GRI and these concern mainly general aspects. Second, the disclosure of categories and elements in the social reports, as against the coding instrument, was found to be fragmentary. The paper concludes that the Italian governmental guidelines are of a managerial nature, and they have little to do with sustainability, except for aspects related to labour.

Little research has been published on social reporting practices within the public sector, unlike the private sector. In Italy social reports are an emerging practice, with a growing interest paid by the government and academia. Nevertheless, published research is mainly of a normative nature, and there is a gap on what actually is in social reports.

As the pandemic begins to ease, many companies are figuring out that working remotely is the future of work and “a new normal”. This research focuses on strategic planning and practices inherent in remote work, and aims to identify the optimal balance between virtual and on-site working. Specifically, the authors investigate the moderating effects of managerial ability and Hofstede's cultural factors.

The authors build a mathematical model to locate the optimal balance between virtual and on-site working. A numerical study is presented, and additional sensitivity analysis is conducted to validate the proposed model.

This model provides organizations with a general guideline with recommended optimal percentages of remote workforce based on specific Hofstede's national scores. The authors also find that organizations with varying levels of managerial ability exhibit different adoption rates of remote working.

Because of the chosen research approach, the proposed model may lack empirical verification and require further adjustment of parameters. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to empirically and statistically test the proposed model further.

This model equips organizations and practitioners with a general guideline to identify their desired portion of remote workforce. The incorporation of managerial ability and cultural factors makes our model applicable to various business structures across different sectors.

This proposed model addresses this optimization problem from a mathematical perspective with an interdisciplinary approach. The model also considers the moderating effects of managerial ability and Hofstede's cultural factors.

1. The main contribution of this study is the theoretical development of our mathematical model that identifies the optimal balance between remote and on-site workforce in the context of managerial ability and Hofstede's cultural factors.

2. A numerical study is presented, and additional sensitivity analysis is conducted to validate the proposed model and highlight the moderating effect of managerial ability and cultural influence on the adopted percentages of remote working.

3. Our study suggests that organizational capabilities, managerial skills, and culturally suitable work arrangement are vital in successful development and implementation of remote working policy.

4. Practical managerial implications and general guidelines are offered to organizations and practitioners.

The main contribution of this study is the theoretical development of our mathematical model that identifies the optimal balance between remote and on-site workforce in the context of managerial ability and Hofstede's cultural factors.

A numerical study is presented, and additional sensitivity analysis is conducted to validate the proposed model and highlight the moderating effect of managerial ability and cultural influence on the adopted percentages of remote working.

Our study suggests that organizational capabilities, managerial skills, and culturally suitable work arrangement are vital in successful development and implementation of remote working policy.

Practical managerial implications and general guidelines are offered to organizations and practitioners.

The purpose of this paper is to create a managerial framework for selecting the most effective bank advertisement appeal for different financial services. Financial services were classified based on the FCB grid: high/low involvement and think/feel decision.

The data were collected from 62 banks with content analysis based on 1,514 unique print advertisements, published between 2006 and 2014 in national newspapers in Romania and Hungary. The ads were coded, based on Pollay’s appeals, and then a cluster analysis was performed to identify appeal and financial service clusters.

The results revealed ten bank-specific appeals which can be used for advertising four different banking services categories. All type of savings and loans for B2B are advertised with quality appeals (safety, productivity); current account and card, personal/home loans are advertised with financial value appeals (convenient, cheap); corporate branding with emotional appeals (affiliation, distinctive, enjoyment); and services with mixed appeals.

The study could be extended for different target market, creative strategy, other media and more countries.

The paper provides guidelines on how the FCB grid could be extended for bank services to recommend specific appeals for each category.

The financial service literature proposes guidelines regarding bank advertisements. However, the recommended advertisement appeals were not linked to different bank services. This paper creates a comprehensive managerial framework in order to match the bank’s specific appeals with different bank services.