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1 – 10 of 323The use of innovation to achieve a competitive advantage is notnew. What is of current interest is how some manufacturing organizationshave used the speed of product innovation to…
Abstract
The use of innovation to achieve a competitive advantage is not new. What is of current interest is how some manufacturing organizations have used the speed of product innovation to gain competitive edge. To implement such a competitive strategy effectively, many firms have applied the technique of simultaneous engineering. The most common subject of previously published research on simultaneous engineering has been its application to product innovation. The article focuses on simultaneous process engineering. It explains how the principles of quality function deployment, which are used for product design, can be applied to manufacturing process design. It details the lessons learned from adopting such an approach for simultaneous process design.
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Michael T. Sweeney and Marek Szwejczewski
Details the findings of a search for manufacturing “strategic groups” in the engineering industry, that is a set of firms competing within an industry on the basis of similar…
Abstract
Details the findings of a search for manufacturing “strategic groups” in the engineering industry, that is a set of firms competing within an industry on the basis of similar combinations of business scope and resource commitments. The research methodology used was to adopt stockturns (excluding work in process), as a measure of manufacturing scope. Manufacturing throughput efficiency was selected as a measure of production engineering resource commitment. An initial grouping of companies was accomplished by using these two manufacturing performance variables. Comparisons were then made of the manufacturing practices and performances of the firms in the four strategic groups that were formed. The results show statistically significant differences in the performance of each of the strategic groups formed. They can also serve as benchmarks for the evaluation of manufacturing management performance. The proposed manufacturing strategy and performance matrix provides a practical framework for strategic planning.
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Benchmarking to improve strategic manufacturing management seems to be alogical extension to benchmarking to improve operating systemperformance. This assumption is, however…
Abstract
Benchmarking to improve strategic manufacturing management seems to be a logical extension to benchmarking to improve operating system performance. This assumption is, however, untested. The research objective for this study was to learn how to benchmark the strategic manufacturing management process. The experiences of a consortium of non‐competing firms struggling with the problems of benchmarking implementation constitute the base data for this research. The study has found that inappropriate choices of key manufacturing performance indicators were made by 50 per cent of the business units studied and this is because of poor strategic vision for manufacturing operations. Also evidence was found to show that 70 per cent of the firms studied needed a better understanding of their own processes before they could benefit from benchmarking other organizations.
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Little previous research has been carried out on the issues to be considered when choosing between manufacturing at home, offshore or sourcing from an offshore third party…
Abstract
Little previous research has been carried out on the issues to be considered when choosing between manufacturing at home, offshore or sourcing from an offshore third party supplier. As a consequence, few concepts or frameworks have been developed to help determine how the manufacturing and sourcing resources of a business should be configured to create or sustain a competitive advantage. The offshore production or sourcing of manufactured products is usually organized to lower costs. However, such a strategic move can constrain an organization's capability to satisfy other critical market needs. Many manufacturing companies must now adopt strategies that deliver both a time‐based and a price competitive advantage. There is therefore a need to develop strategic management frameworks for determining how the use of both international production and sourcing resources can enable the adoption of both least cost and differentiation competitive strategies. This was the objective of the study detailed in this paper.
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Nguyen-Hau Le, My-Quyen Thi Mai and Tram-Anh Pham
Mindfulness, while being suggested as an important psychological cognitive capability of customers, has received insufficient attention in studies of transformative services…
Abstract
Purpose
Mindfulness, while being suggested as an important psychological cognitive capability of customers, has received insufficient attention in studies of transformative services characterized by challenging cocreation behaviors. It is unclear about the contributions of mindfulness to customers’ cocreation and transformative outcomes. This study aims to investigate the direct, indirect, mediating and moderating relationships to explain how mindfulness sustains cocreation effort, increases perceived service value and ultimately enhances the diffusion from the service value to customer well-being.
Design/methodology/approach
A structural model was developed and tested using the CB-SEM method. Data were surveyed from two transformative service industries, yoga training and higher education (N = 283 and 273 cases, respectively).
Findings
Customer mindfulness has a positive relationship with cocreation effort, which in turn positively associates with perceived value. Additionally, mindfulness has a direct relationship with perceived value, which then is the full mediator in the relationships between mindfulness, cocreation effort and life satisfaction. Mindfulness also moderates the transformation from service value (immediate outcome) to life satisfaction (long-term outcome).
Practical implications
Transformative service providers and policymakers should acknowledge and develop strategies to cultivate customers’ mindfulness, which subsequently fosters their value cocreation effort and enhances their well-being.
Originality/value
This research puts forward the concept of mindfulness, a trainable cognitive capability of customers, and shows its importance in transformative service cocreation. This paper provides a full structural mechanism explaining how mindfulness helps cocreate a transformative service and diffuse its immediate value to customer life satisfaction.
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Marek Szwejczewski, Michael T Sweeney and Alan Cousens
The purpose of this paper is twofold; first, to investigate whether the manufacturing specializations of network plants fulfilling similar strategic plant roles (Ferdows, 1997…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is twofold; first, to investigate whether the manufacturing specializations of network plants fulfilling similar strategic plant roles (Ferdows, 1997) are common in type. Second, to examine current strategic manufacturing network management practice and develop a map of this process.
Design/methodology/approach
Three multisite manufacturing businesses participated in this case research. The first phase of the study consisted of an initial visit made to the headquarters of each firm to be briefed on its manufacturing network strategy and to collect company manufacturing performance data. Visits were then made to 11 network plants to collect site manufacturing performance data and to research the manufacturing specialization of each site and the degree of autonomy of its management team. The second phase of the research comprised a number of additional visits to the headquarters of one of the three case study firms to investigate the process employed to downsize its existing manufacturing network capacity in response to a significant decline in customer demand.
Findings
Three common types of manufacturing specialization have been identified in the networks of plants studied and the case research findings have enabled the development of a process for manufacturing network strategy deployment.
Research limitations/implications
The proposed process for the strategic management of a manufacturing network is based upon the findings of a single case study and thus the generalizability of the findings is limited.
Practical implications
Auditing the manufacturing specialization of network sites is an essential preparatory procedure for determining a manufacturing network strategy. How this information is used to facilitate the management of manufacturing network configuration and coordination and for manufacturing network strategy deployment is detailed in the paper.
Originality/value
A process map has been developed that includes a review of current network configuration and coordination policies, in combination, as these underpin manufacturing network strategy deployment. Such a process map has not been detailed previously in the literature.
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Clive Bingley, Edwin Fleming, Allan Bunch, Sarah Lawson and Kate Hills
NEXT JANUARY, it will be ten years since I acquired The library world from W H Smith & Son Ltd. Next July, NEW LIBRARY WORLD may be ten years old.
John M. Violanti and Andrea Steege
The purpose of this paper is to update the assessment of national data on law enforcement worker suicide based on the National Occupational Mortality Surveillance database (NOMS…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to update the assessment of national data on law enforcement worker suicide based on the National Occupational Mortality Surveillance database (NOMS, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
Design/methodology/approach
Death certificate data for 4,441,814 decedents, age 18–90 who died in one of the 26 reporting states were the source of NOMS data. Utilizing proportionate mortality ratios (PMRs), the ratio of suicides in law enforcement occupations in those who are 18–90 years old with a designated usual occupation was calculated.
Findings
Findings indicate a significantly higher proportion of deaths from suicide for law enforcement officers (PMR = 154, 95% CI = 147–162), compared to all the US decedents in the study population who were employed during their lifetime. Law enforcement personnel are 54% more likely to die of suicide than all decedents with a usual occupation. PMRs were highest for African-Americans, Hispanic males and for females. PMRs were similar for detectives, corrections officers and all law enforcement jobs, when not stratified by race, ethnicity and sex.
Research limitations/implications
Bias may arise because a PMR can be affected by disproportionate increased or decreased mortality from causes of death other than suicide.
Practical implications
A better understanding of the scope of law enforcement suicide can inform policy focused on the planning and initiation of prevention programs.
Originality/value
The use of a national database to study law enforcement worker suicide adds to other information available on law enforcement worker suicide in specific geographic areas. The discussion on prevention in this paper presents ideas for policy.
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Sophie Dennard, Derek K. Tracy, Aaron Beeney, Laura Craster, Fiona Bailey, Anisah Baureek, Michael Barton, Jeanette Turrell, Sarah Poynton, Vafo Navkarov and Radha Kothari
Prisons are uniquely challenging working environments. Staff are often exposed to direct and indirect trauma, impacting negatively on their mental well-being. Due to the limited…
Abstract
Purpose
Prisons are uniquely challenging working environments. Staff are often exposed to direct and indirect trauma, impacting negatively on their mental well-being. Due to the limited research into prison staff experience, this paper aims to explore what staff find most challenging, how they cope, what support they would like and rewarding aspects of their work.
Design/methodology/approach
This service development project was facilitated through a staff well-being event. A qualitative approach was used and 74 staff members provided anonymised responses. An inductive and data-driven approach was used to analyse the data, and the trustworthiness of the analysis was considered using criteria established by Lincoln and Guba (1985).
Findings
Thematic analysis identified six themes, namely, the challenging nature of the work, interactions with prisoners, staff interactions, inadequate resources, staff support and development and coping strategies. Key findings include managing distress, self-harm and violence and limited resources presenting challenges. Role variety and opportunities to support prisoners were reported as positive. A variety of coping strategies were identified. Wider availability of supervision and reflective practice was suggested by staff.
Practical implications
Recommendations for increased staff support are made. Suggestions for future research investigating methods to increase rewarding aspects of work within prisons are given.
Originality/value
This analysis adds to the limited body of qualitative research investigating prison staff experiences; in particular, aspects of the work that they find rewarding such as the role variety and opportunities to make positive changes to prisoners’ lives. Novel coping strategies were identified, including cognitive reframing and behavioural strategies for managing stress, which could be encouraged to increase resilience.
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