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1 – 10 of over 28000Sabrina Bonomi, Francesca Ricciardi, Cecilia Rossignoli and Alessandro Zardini
This study investigates (1) the processes through which social enterprises develop resilient organizational logics and (2) the key resilience factors in the organizational logics…
Abstract
Purpose
This study investigates (1) the processes through which social enterprises develop resilient organizational logics and (2) the key resilience factors in the organizational logics of successful social enterprises. The organizational logic is conceptualized here as the dynamic system of roles, rules and social expectations that result from the organization's business model, impact model and organizational form.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts an inductive approach to identify emerging resilience factors and processes in an exemplary case of social entrepreneurship (a work integration venture). The longitudinal data collection on this case took place from 2011 to 2016, based on approximately 440 h of participant observation and 10 semi-structured interviews.
Findings
The inductive analysis suggests that social enterprises develop resilient organizational logics through multi-level recursive processes of bridging institutional work. These processes enable the development of an organizational logic that is internally robust while linking distant practices, needs and expectations. The authors conceptualize these characteristics into a novel construct, the organizational logic's bridging power, which is operationalizable through two dimensions (hybridity-based and cocreation-based bridging power) and five sub-dimensions.
Research limitations/implications
Like in all inductive studies, further research is needed to validate the proposed model. The new proposed construct “organizational logic's bridging power” is, interestingly, a meta-theoretical concept encouraging cross-fertilization between the literature on institutional logics and that on value cocreation.
Originality/value
The process development model proposed by this study highlights the importance of network-level institutional work for developing cocreation-based resilience. Furthermore, this study shows how institutional theories could be complemented with other bodies of knowledge in order to understand social enterprise resilience.
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Mahmoud Oukati Sadegh and K.L. Lo
This paper seeks to propose a systematic method to design multi fuzzy FACTS based stabilizers in a multi‐machine power system.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to propose a systematic method to design multi fuzzy FACTS based stabilizers in a multi‐machine power system.
Design/methodology/approach
Conventional FACTS based stabilizers are decentralized controllers that adopt local measurements and operate in closed loop. To improve overall system dynamic performance, a coordinating application of FACTS based stabilizer is essential. Although, numerous researches have indicated the effectiveness and superiority of fuzzy logic controllers in comparison with the conventional linear controllers in power system application but researchers have not adequately investigated coordination of multi fuzzy controllers in multi‐machine power systems to provide optimal performance. Genetic algorithm is used to determine optimum values of controllers' parameters.
Findings
The search space of the optimisation procedure is decreased to a smaller one, design and computation time can be reduced significantly and the design process becomes more systematic.
Originality/value
A systematic method is introduced to coordinate multi fuzzy FACTS based stabilizers in multi‐machine power systems.
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Dr Dongmei Zha, Pantea Foroudi and Reza Marvi
This paper aims to introduce the experience-dominant (Ex-D) logic model, which synthesizes the creation, perceptions and outcomes of Ex-D logic. It is designed to offer valuable…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to introduce the experience-dominant (Ex-D) logic model, which synthesizes the creation, perceptions and outcomes of Ex-D logic. It is designed to offer valuable insights for strategic managerial applications and future research directions.
Design/methodology/approach
Employing a qualitative approach by using eight selected product launch events from reviewed 100 event videos and 55 in-depth interviews with industrial managers to develop an Ex-D logic model, and data were coded and analysed via NVivo.
Findings
Results show that the firm’s Ex-D logic is operationalized as the mentalizing of the three types of customer needs (service competence, hedonic excitations and meaning making), the materializing of three types of customer experiences and customer journeys (service experience, hedonic experience and brand experience) and the moderating of three types of customer values (service values, hedonic values and brand values).
Research limitations/implications
This study has implications for adding new insights into existing theory on dominant logic and customer experience management and also offers actionable recommendations for managerial applications.
Originality/value
This study sheds light on the importance of Ex-D logic from a strategic point of view and provides an organic view of the firm. It distinguishes firm perspective from customer perspective, firm experience from customer experience and firm journey from consumer journey.
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Gabriel Burstein and Constantin Virgil Negoita
This paper seeks to lay the computational and mathematical foundations for a “postmodern cybernetics” based on ancient Kabbalah. This new Kabbalistic cybernetics is introduced to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to lay the computational and mathematical foundations for a “postmodern cybernetics” based on ancient Kabbalah. This new Kabbalistic cybernetics is introduced to act as an unifying science addressing simultaneously, in a common language and framework the triple nature of human, psychological, social, economic, financial, political, cultural systems and their present multi‐faceted crises and conflicts: cognitive objective level of attaining knowledge; subjective emotional level and physical action and behavioral level.
Design/methodology/approach
Feedback, hierarchical control and other system and control theoretic features in the Tree of Life (TL) of Kabbalah were identified. These were used to develop a general system theoretic framework of a new type to address human and societal system dynamics, evolution, interaction and feedback control by simultaneously taking into account their triple nature.
Findings
The postmodern cybernetics of the TL introduced here as a general system framework, exhibits feedback control with internal model principle, hierarchical control, system multi‐valued logic, category theory pullback and pushout mechanisms, advanced knowledge engineering to aggregate, learn, evolve and solve problems and crises in an integrated way.
Practical implications
“Kabbalistic postmodern cybernetics” proposed here for human and societal systems is the unified scientific framework to solve problems that led to or are just related to economic, financial, political, cultural, societal and human crises and conflicts by addressing their triple intertwined human nature.
Originality/value
Computational foundations for a postmodern cybernetics based on Kabbalah are introduced, where the cognitive, emotional and behavioral and physical action facets of human systems are dealt with in a unified integrated framework to address global problems and crises.
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Xuemou Wu, Xiangjun Feng and Dinghe Guo
A new expression of the philosophy framework of pansystems theory is stated. Some generalized quantification formulae are developed. Concrete contents include: new forms of…
Abstract
A new expression of the philosophy framework of pansystems theory is stated. Some generalized quantification formulae are developed. Concrete contents include: new forms of panderivative and pansymmetry, meta‐equation, eight‐counter methodology, pansystems relativity, dialectical logic, panbox principle, complex systems, systems engineering, analytic hierarchy process, general living systems, economy‐sociology, clustering, topology, morphology, master equation, approximation‐transforming theory, equivalence theory of dynamics of electromagnetic media, etc.
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Moustafa Elnadi and Essam Shehab
Numerous leanness assessment models were developed for both manufacturing and service sectors. However, little research effort was made to provide an instrument that can be used…
Abstract
Purpose
Numerous leanness assessment models were developed for both manufacturing and service sectors. However, little research effort was made to provide an instrument that can be used to measure the leanness level of the product-service system (PSS). This paper aims to propose an index to assess the leanness of PSS in a UK manufacturing company.
Design/methodology/approach
The development of the assessment model was carried out through an iterative process. Commencing from existing literature on lean manufacturing assessment and lean service assessment, the initial model for assessing PSS leanness was developed. This initial model was refined via two consecutive phases. The first one includes semi-structured interviews with academic researchers involved in lean projects where their comments were considered. In the second phase, semi-structured interviews with several experts working in different UK manufacturing industries and involved in lean and continuous improvement projects were conducted to reach the final assessment model. After developing the model, the next step was identifying a suitable company for applying the model. The case company was selected because of its commitment to implement lean practices and its ability to participate in this study. After that, data was collected from the case company and the PSS leanness index was calculated using a multi-grade fuzzy approach. Finally, areas for further improvement were identified and the results obtained were validated.
Findings
The PSS leanness index computed for the case company indicates that the service offering process provided by the company is generally lean. Areas for further improvement were identified.
Research limitations/implications
This study focussed on a single case company and is based on the experts’ opinions; this may tend to be biased. However, future studies will be performed to multiple-case studies to enhance findings and more empirical research will be conducted to catch more insights into PSS leanness.
Practical implications
This paper provides guidelines to manufacturing companies’ managers for measuring the PSS leanness index and planning for the future. This index gives information regarding the degree of lean adoption in the service offering process and identifying the gap between the current PSS leanness level and the desired state.
Originality/value
The proposed model has been developed by the opinion of academicians and industry experts. The proposed model can provide guidelines and directions for managers for PSS leanness assessment.
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Douglas P. Hannah, Robert P. Bremner and Kathleen M. Eisenhardt
This paper addresses resource redeployment in ecosystems. Prior research examines the value of resource redeployment across product markets in multi-business firms. In contrast…
Abstract
This paper addresses resource redeployment in ecosystems. Prior research examines the value of resource redeployment across product markets in multi-business firms. In contrast, resource redeployment across ecosystems is an important corporate strategy employed by both single- and multi-business ecosystem firms that has received little attention. To address this gap, we present a case study of resource redeployment by an entrepreneurial firm in the US residential solar industry. We propose that the value creation mechanisms (i.e., improving capabilities, bottleneck relief) are fundamentally different when resources are redeployed in ecosystems. We identify “consumption-side” interdependence of components and “production-side” resource relatedness as playing critical roles in both types of value creation and propose conditions under which resource redeployment is most valuable. Overall, we contribute insights into the literatures on resource redeployment and strategy in business ecosystems.
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Hongze Ma, Ziqiong Deng and Wei Deng Solvang
When an enterprise wants to design its distribution chain, it needs first to assess all possible distributors, then select the eligible ones to form the design model. This…
Abstract
When an enterprise wants to design its distribution chain, it needs first to assess all possible distributors, then select the eligible ones to form the design model. This assessing process can be finished by distributor benchmarking. In this paper, a new approach is developed to benchmark distributors. The benchmarking process is done by the following three steps. First, all factors needed for benchmarking a distributor are identified by a systematic analysis. Second, an internet‐based information acquisition module is developed to get all needed information from possible distributors. Third, an inference module based on the combination of fuzzy logic and array‐based logic is developed to benchmark a distributor. As the information acquisition module is implemented via Internet, and the inference process for benchmarking a distributor is executed by computer applications, it is possible to realize online distributor benchmarking by the approach provided in this paper.
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Francesco Tajani, Francesco Sica, Pierfrancesco De Paola and Pierluigi Morano
The paper aims to provide a decision-support model to ensure a proper use of the limited resources, financial and not, for the enhancement of the cultural heritage and…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper aims to provide a decision-support model to ensure a proper use of the limited resources, financial and not, for the enhancement of the cultural heritage and comprehensive development of small towns from sustainable perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
The assessment model is set up using a multi-criteria method that combines elements of linear planning with a performance indicators system that may represent the complexity of the territory’s cultural identity as a result of existing cultural-historical assets.
Findings
The model reliability is tested in a case study in a Municipality in southern Italy. The case study’s findings highlight the advantages for the public/private operators, who can consciously choose which preservation and restoration projects to fund while taking into account the effects those decisions will have on the economic, social and environmental context of reference.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the suggested operational approach and the selection of variables for accounting economic, social and environmental impacts by the renewal project, the research findings may not be generalizable. Therefore, it is recommended that researchers look into the suggested theories in more detail.
Practical implications
The study offers implications for designing a user-friendly tool to help decision-making processes from a private–public viewpoint in a reasonable allocation of financial resources among investments for cultural property asset enhancement.
Originality/value
The suggested operational approach provides a reliable information apparatus to depict the decision-making process under small-town development in accordance with sustainability dimensions.
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Nicola Costantino, Mariagrazia Dotoli, Marco Falagario and Maria Pia Fanti
The paper addresses supplier selection in the public procurement sector. The motivation is providing a decision-making tool that mimics the intuitive behavior of the public tender…
Abstract
The paper addresses supplier selection in the public procurement sector. The motivation is providing a decision-making tool that mimics the intuitive behavior of the public tender committee in evaluating the bid according to predefined (quantitative and qualitative) criteria by a strict and transparent procedure, in accordance with governmental procurement regulations and requirements. To this aim, we address the supplier selection decision problem in the public procurement sector by a well-known fuzzy multiple criteria decision- making approach. Using the presented technique enables evaluation of both imprecise information and quantitative data in vendor selection, while keeping the transparency features requested in public procurement. We show the effectiveness and efficiency of the approach with a case study involving an Italian public administration.