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The purpose of this study is to determine the extent to which line managers in manufacturing companies value six attributes related to business knowledge and competence in their information technology (IT) personnel.

Managers in manufacturing organizations located in the Southwestern United States (USA) were interviewed about their perceptions regarding the IT staff and these six attributes. The methodology utilized in this study is survey research, with personal interviews as the principal method of gathering information.

The results support the importance of these six attributes related to business knowledge and competence in IT personnel to the line managers interviewed.

The research was limited to a small number of manufacturing companies. The size of the sample should be increased.

For practicing managers, these findings may have important implications. The results of this study indicate that the hiring manager should assess the candidates’ business knowledge, especially industry‐specific experience, as well as technical IT expertise.

This study fulfils its purpose – to support the importance of the six attributes related to business knowledge and compentence in IT personnel.

Many studies have developed the corporate sustainability topic. The United Nations has implemented the 2030 Agenda and has brought “quality education” and “industry, innovation, and infrastructure” as two of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The educational processes in higher education can be focused on adding brand value and social value, and they can be promoting the social inclusion. In this sense, the purpose of this study is to answer some questions related to the corporate sustainability practices under the 2030 Agenda lenses in the Latin American higher educational scenario. After the literature review analysis, a conceptual framework was developed.

This exploratory research study proposes an educational conceptual framework, improving the corporate sustainability under the 2030 Agenda lenses. A literature review was developed, involving the seven variables: “Latin America,” “higher education,” corporate social responsibility,” “personal social responsibility,” “corporate sustainability,” “governance” and “sustainability.” A matrix was developed with 25 variable combinations, connecting the seven variables. Three questions have been proposed and answered: “How much research has been developed in the Latin American higher education?” “How can the corporate social sustainability be applied in higher education?” and “Which perspectives can be considered?”

The results of the literature review are presented through the number of papers found with the analysis of the year of publication and the conceptual background. A total of 524 papers were found. Of these studies, 49 addressed the Latin American panorama, 33 had a general approach and 16 promoted interactions between Latin American and European countries, as well as between regions and continents. Six topics emerged from the literature analysis: digital inclusion, internationalization, innovation, research, servitization and social inclusion. These topics are connected in the “discussion” section, and the educational conceptual framework shows the corporative perspectives on sustainability in higher education.

This research study presents “A conceptual framework for the corporate sustainability higher education in Latin America” and it brings some discussion topics: digital inclusion, internationalization, innovation, research, servitization and social inclusion. These topics were identified through the literature analysis, and they were applied in the conceptual framework to improve the quality of education. The implications of this study are connected with the conceptual framework to promote the discussion topics. The implications involved the public and private governance spheres, third sector, as well as the professors, students and other stakeholders of higher educational institutions. These implications can represent an agent of positive change in the Latin American scenario.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the barriers and motivations for adopting radio frequency identification (RFID), the level of RFID implementation, the processes RFID is utilized in, and issues in the deployment of RFID.

A survey instrument was developed based on a literature review. The survey was then distributed to the members of the Association for Operations Management Rhode Island and Boston chapters. The results were then analyzed.

It was found that the majority of the surveyed firms are not considering RFID implementation. Lack of a business case and lack of understanding were cited as their main concerns. For firms considering RFID implementation and firms that had implemented RFID, better inventory management, obtaining competitive advantage, and cost reduction were the three most important motivations for adopting RFID. Financial concerns and the lack of a business case were the most prevalent issues. In addition, product tracking (pallets, cases, and items) in shipping was the most cited RFID application. It was also found that considering firms are facing less pressure from customers to adopt RFID and reported a much higher degree of apprehension regarding potential issues than implementing firms reported for actual difficulties faced.

One of the limitations is the small sample size (n = 49) which may limit the generalizability of the results.

By identifying barriers, motivations, and issues in the implementation of RFID, this study further educates practitioners on the challenges and opportunities of RFID, as well as providing direction to academicians for further research on this area.

The purpose of this paper is to help managers determine whether RFID is appropriate for their particular organizational needs and to give them some guidelines for implementing an RFID solution.

This paper is a general review of RFID and offers instructions to managers who are in a dilemma as to whether RFID is right for their organization or application.

The results of this study provide managers with procedures to follow that will enable them to minimize RFID implementation problems.

For practicing managers, these implementation procedures have important implications. As with any technological implementation, the needs of the organization, its personnel, and customers must be at the forefront of the process.

This paper offers managers a valuable perspective on the RFID implementation process for their organization.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a conceptual overview of the relationship between knowledge management, supply chain technology investments, and overall firm performance. Additionally, a historical review of supply chain development is offered along with a comprehensive list of supply chain measures currently in use and a discussion of how those measures align within the overall firm strategy.

Building on knowledge management theory, the paper argues herein that the transitory nature of firm‐level differentiation and the ease with which competitors gain access to each others' business strategies demand that firms stay flexible. It is also argued that translating firm knowledge resources into useable knowledge management capabilities may enable firms to enhance their likelihood of competitive advantage.

Many leading firms drive towards new advantages through supply chain information capturing investments. By capturing data and mining that information, firms are better equipped to identify impending changes in the environment and to adjust their strategies accordingly.

Firms that have a developed sense of competiveness are more likely to capture and utilize the increased datum provided by IT investments and more likely to implement that knowledge in a way that leads to operational improvements. As firms pursue global markets, supply chain complexity grows exponentially. Firms will need to respond and operations managers will need to find ways to empirically measure their performance to find improvements. Every investment in supply technology should be driven by an understanding of the inextricably inter‐connectedness of knowledge management capabilities and the firm's ability to effectively implement its corporate strategies. By emphasizing the inter‐connection between knowledge management and supply chain technology investments, firms improve their potential for developing a competitive advantage.

This paper provides a unique conceptual framework intended to aid researchers and managers develop a more thorough understanding of the linkages between knowledge management capabilities, supply chain technology investments, and overall firm performance.

B2B e‐hubs have been studied by IS researchers for close to a decade, and supply chain integration is a critical topic for supply chain management. However, the interface of the two topic areas has not received adequate attention from both researchers and practitioners. This paper aims to examine the impact of B2B e‐hubs on supply chain integration, with particular emphasis on information integration, B2B e‐hub architecture, and enabling technologies.

General system theory (GST) provides the theoretical framework. The main approach is theoretical analysis of information integration and development of e‐hub architecture. The paper discusses how information integration can be achieved through B2B e‐hubs and explores extensible markup language e‐hub architecture and technologies.

GST could provide the theoretical framework of integration, whereas information integration is the foundation of broader supply chain integration. E‐hubs open up communication and enlarge networking opportunities and thus tremendously affect information integration. By analyzing B2B e‐hubs, this paper explores the mechanism of information integration and points out managerial and technical limitations. Although there are many challenges, e‐hubs create value by aggregating and matching buyers and sellers, creating marketplace liquidity, and reducing transaction costs. E‐hubs could be a crucial solution to supply chain integration.

The paper uses GST as the theoretical foundation to analyze information integration in supply chain operations. The paper explores how e‐hubs can support supply chain integration, examines the design and development of B2B e‐hub architecture, and compares some enabling technologies. The research provides an understanding of how data interchange solutions can be implemented in supply chain operations.

The purpose of this research is to focus on the most basic of relationships – the impact of radio frequency identification (RFID) technology utilization on operational performance. An RFID‐performance model is theorized and tested with data collected from a sample of manufacturing organizations using a structural equation methodology. The structural model incorporating RFID technology utilization as antecedent to operational performance is assessed.

Survey data from a sample of 122 manufacturing sector organizations were collected and the model was assessed following a structural equation methodology.

The measurement scales assess as unidimensional, reliable, and valid. The theorized structural model fits the data relatively well. RFID technology utilization directly and positively impacts operational performance.

Interpretation of the results should be tempered in light of this early stage of adoption of RFID technology in the manufacturing sector. Also, this study is limited only to the operational level benefits of RFID technology utilization. It does not assess the impact of the technology on business and supply chain level performance.

Manufacturing managers can expect improved operational performance to result from the implementation of RFID technology. RFID utilization should not be seen by the practitioner simply as a cost of doing business but rather as a way to improve efficiency and effectiveness which ultimately will lead to increased profits.

The study offers empirical support for the adoption of RFID technology for the purpose of improving operational performance within the manufacturing sector.

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it aims at defining the concept of the downstream shift in the context of the machinery manufacturers. The second aim of the paper is to analyze the potentially enabling role of remote technologies in that shift.

Besides examining the development of the supply chains based on the literature and a case company, the paper refers to the case of the remote technologies developed and used by the case company for the years of 2003‐2008.

The key finding of this paper is that no consensus exists on the favourable scope and content of the downstream shift aimed at by the machinery manufacturers. Respectively, the potential role of the technologies in the shift can also vary on a case‐by‐case basis. Based on the case study, instead of new sources of service revenues, the information processed with the help of the remote technologies may provide an opportunity for the machinery manufacturer to learn from its customers, thus offering a sound basis for various R&D and sales and marketing activities.

This paper can be considered as a pre‐study towards understanding about the true drivers of the downstream shift and their success factors. Technologies constitute one enabler in the shift, and its potential roles, together with the context specific factors, require further attention.

The paper offers valuable insights into the development of the supply chains. Moreover, it takes a critical perspective on the positive expectations connected with the downstream shifts by the machinery manufacturers.

The longitudinal perspective to the case environment provides a sound basis for analyzing the development of the supply chain at hand.