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The purpose of this paper is to investigate how local supply chains prepare for and respond to the threats and opportunities presented by constitutional change, thereby building resilience.

Multiple case study analysis of 14 firms in the food sector is presented in the context of the UK’s impending exit from the European Union (Brexit). Organisations studied include farmers, processors, retailers and non-government organisations (NGOs). Data from interviews and roundtable discussions has been interpreted using the dynamic capabilities perspective, covering the sensing, seizing, and transforming stages.

The data highlights the importance of both vertical and horizontal collaboration between supply chain actors as they seek to anticipate the impact of the disruption and influence the future shape of the constitution. There is also evidence to suggest firms in possession of dynamic capabilities can innovate to build resilience and enhance their competitive position. Characteristics of the disruption posed by constitutional change are identified and contrast with those of many other threats more typically described in the literature. As a result, the process of building resilience is different.

The study could be extended to include post-Brexit interviews to further understand the seizing and transforming stages whilst the impact of Brexit on actors that remain within the EU could also be considered.

Practitioners need to work together to influence the future shape of the constitution; and they need to reconfigure their operations and supply chains where necessary to become more resilient to the threat posed by Brexit, such as by reducing their reliance on EU funding streams and trade. The study also has policy implications.

The first study of supply chain resilience to constitutional change and a rare empirical study of resilience across multiple supply chain tiers.

Analyses some of the main ways in which microporous membranes can play a role in the efficient functioning of sensors. These devices are used to detect a property of, or component in, a fluid in contact with the sensor. As used in this article, the term “sensor” is intended to cover the broadest range of optical, optoelectronic or electronic devices used to detect a component of a fluid in contact with the sensor as part of a detection system.

The purpose of this paper is to understand the under life of Indonesian academics during ongoing implementation of government-driven policy enacted in higher education instititutions in Indonesia. The attention was specifically focused on the new programme of accountability and quality assurance moderated by the implementation of online assessment system to monitor and evaluate the perfromance of lecturers directly and how this system impacted upon the meaning of academic identity perceived by them.

This study was drawn from a qualitative research of case study approach. Semi-structured interviews were utilised to collect data and conducted with 30 academics from three state universities.

This study revealed that academics were grappling to balance their schism between keeping their existing identity tenable and excercising new prescribed roles from external environment. However, academics were still able to practice their preceived identity through their principled personal project that legitimate them to become academics and pursue their success rather than use instrumental means.

The results of this study will be expected to contribute to a better understanding on the dynamics of academics’ world as it is encountered against government-driven policy, and provide indications for policy makers to take into account this issue in the formulation and enactment of their policy.

A new aspect of identity in academic profession was found, that is to say religion.

Volume 25 celebrates the 25th year of publication for the American Journal of Business (AJB). Launched by eight MAC schools of business in March 1986, the Journal has featured more than 700 authors who have contributed more than 330 research articles at the intersection of theory and practice. From accounting to marketing, management to finance, the Journal prominently covers the breadth of the business disciplines as a general business outlet intended for both practitioners and academics. As the Journal reaches out beyond the MAC in sponsorship, authorship, and readership, we assess the Journal’s first quarter century of impact.

The purpose of this research is to capture organisational barriers that can inhibit energy reduction in manufacturing. Energy consumption is a significant contributor to the economic and environmental components of industrial sustainability, and there is a significant body of knowledge emerging on the technical steps necessary to reduce that consumption. Achieving technical success requires organisational alignment, without which barriers to energy efficiency can be experienced.

The research uses a theory building–theory testing cycle to propose and then verify existence of barriers to industrial energy efficiency. Literature review is used to build potential organisational barriers that can arise. The existence of barriers is then verified in industrial energy reduction projects using interview, observation and document analysis. Findings are validated by company staff.

From the literature barriers that can be related to energy reduction, projects are uncovered. The generic and energy reduction-specific barriers are confirmed and two new barriers are identified. A cognitive map linking the relationships between all the barriers is proposed.

The research is built on detailed examination of a number of projects in a single company and work is needed to verify the findings in companies of different size and different industrial sector.

The list of barriers created can support industry in preparing for and undertaking energy efficiency projects. The cognitive map proposed will help industry and academia understand why removing current prominent barriers can lead to surfacing of new barriers.

The novelty of this research is in both the creation of a list of organisational barriers for energy efficiency as well as identifying the relationships between them. The work brings generic change management barriers to enhance the specific energy reduction barriers together into a broader collation of barriers as well as uncovering new barriers. The work proposes a cognitive map of industrial energy efficiency barriers to demonstrate their interrelationships.

This paper reports on the experimentation of an integrated manufacturing and building model to improve energy efficiency. Traditionally, manufacturing and building-facilities engineers work independently, with their own performance objectives, methods and software support. However, with progresses in resource reduction, advances have become more challenging. Further opportunities for energy efficiency require an expansion of scope across the functional boundaries of facility, utility and manufacturing assets.

The design of methods that provide guidance on factory modelling is inductive. The literature review outlines techniques for the simulation of energy efficiency in manufacturing, utility and facility assets. It demonstrates that detailed guidance for modelling across these domains is sparse. Therefore, five experiments are undertaken in an integrated manufacturing, utility and facility simulation software IES < VE > . These evaluate the impact of time-step granularity on the modelling of a paint shop process.

Experimentation demonstrates that time-step granularity can have a significant impact on simulation model results quality. Linear deterioration in results can be assumed from time intervals of 10 minutes and beyond. Therefore, an appropriate logging interval, and time-step granularity should be chosen during the data composition process. Time-step granularity is vital factor in the modelling process, impacting the quality of simulation results produced.

This work supports progress towards sustainable factories by understanding the impact of time-step granularity on data composition, modelling, and on the quality of simulation results. Better understanding of this granularity factor will guide engineers to use an appropriate level of data and understand the impact of the choices they are making.

This paper reports on the use of simulation modelling tool that links manufacturing, utilities and facilities domains, enabling their joint analysis to reduce factory resource consumption. Currently, there are few available tools to link these areas together; hence, there is little or no understanding of how such combined factory analysis should be conducted to assess and reduce factory resource consumption.

Rising energy costs and potential scarcity are driving energy reduction initiatives in manufacturing companies. The reduction in energy use is complementary to the classic lean production philosophy and the lean and green literature implies that reducing energy waste supports lean objectives. The purpose of this paper is to examine this perceived positive correlation and identify the impact level of energy reduction of lean product flow.

To achieve this, published case studies and practices from interview were gathered and categorised against a waste management hierarchy.

Energy reduction activities implicitly reduce waste which is compatible with the lean waste objective, however, when applying the waste hierarchy principle to energy efficiency practice, lean product flow is progressively constrained or compromised towards the lower levels of the hierarchy.

The hierarchical classification seeks to communicate how reported energy efficiency improvements will/will not impact on flow. The research focuses on the modification of existing discrete part production facilities towards greater energy efficiency and neglects alternative production technologies and new build. The results suggest that as manufacturers seeking to be more energy efficient move away from preventative actions to more reduce and reuse actions then production flexibility could become restricted and the design of production facilities make re-think the fast, linear and short flow of product.

Examples of industrial practices are provided to show the implications of energy reduction practice on production flow.

Categorises the relationship between classic lean and industrial low-energy initiatives to provide insight to how higher energy cost could impact on production.

Despite many Maintenance Repair and Overhaul (MRO) organisations alluding their positive business performances to the adoption Lean initiatives, there is a paucity of direct literature that validates this assertion. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to study empirically via the use of an industry-wide survey to establish and extent of Lean adoption and to verify its suitability in mitigating prevalent MRO challenges.

The empirical study contained in this paper is facilitated by an industry-wide survey to collect data from several firms across the MRO spectrum. The analysed responses from industry leaders, professionals and executives synthesised with existing literature was used in ascertaining the extent of Lean adoption within the operational framework of the industry.

The empirical study helped in validating the suitability of Lean in MRO context. However, it was also observed that the focus of its application was skewed towards its production-orientated functions more than its service-orientated functions. Nonetheless, this paper presents results of the positive influence of Lean in MRO context.

This empirical study presented in this paper was carried out within a framework of key characteristics of operation. Although this approach is sufficient in assessing the industry’s Lean status, further assessment can also be achieved within the context of relevant performance metrics which was not included in this paper.

By exploring the industry’s Lean status within the context of operational characteristics of operation, this study provides MRO practitioners with more awareness into some of the critical factors required for successful holistic Lean realisation.

The state-of-the-art of Lean within the aviation MRO context established through this research also contributes to the wider product-centric service environment by providing a platform that facilitates strategy development which ensures Lean success within this environment.

Apart from validating the suitability of Lean in MRO contexts, by establishing the extent of Lean adoption within the context of the operational framework, this paper provides a clearer insight as to how successful Lean implementation can be achieved via a holistic implementation strategy balanced between the product-centric and service-centric aspects of the industry.

The purpose of this paper is to contribute a broader understanding of the complexity in relationships of power and responsibility in employability in higher education contexts and posits a conceptual framework for employability as a process, something to be achieved.

This conceptual paper arises from experience of and research into placement practices and draws upon Joan Tronto’s feminist epistemology (1993, 2012) to argue for a critical understanding of employability.

There is little in the literature that discusses employability as a process involving moral and political work. The conceptual framework offers a process of five phases to provide a foundation for understanding employability that moves beyond a focus on skills and attributes.

The conceptual framework enables all employability professionals, including researchers, to think beyond skills and attributes for employment to explore the implications of the relations that shape the need for employability within and outside their sphere.

Developing a conceptual framework enables employability professionals to evaluate their practices and assess: if practices are inclusive or excluding; the implications of power and responsibility; the tensions arising from the diverse nature of need in employability work.

This paper posits a conceptual framework for understanding the process of employability work as something to be achieved.