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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the elements of user manual quality and its influences on perceived product quality and customer satisfaction in an integrated model structure.

Survey method was used to evaluate user manual quality and its influences on perceived product quality and customer satisfaction. Electrical appliances consumers were chosen in our sample. Factor analysis and structural equation modeling were performed to introduce, test and validate the user manual quality dimensions and also test the hypotheses.

The findings show a positive significant relation between user manual quality and perceived product quality, and this result demonstrates that consumers perceive user manual quality as a part of their quality evaluation related to the product. The results point out that user manual quality is essential for both low- and high-value products regarding customer satisfaction. The findings also reveal that perceived product quality mediates the influence of user manual quality on customer satisfaction.

This study reveals that providing a high-quality user manual should be an essential element of product management and development strategies. The findings also highlight the need for companies that particularly sell complex products with long product life cycles must invest in providing high-quality user manuals. This will enhance perceived product quality and in turn customer satisfaction.

Although some prior studies address user manuals in the relevant literature, these studies did not examine the elements of user manual quality and their impact on consumers’ perceptions of the product quality and their satisfaction evaluations in a research model. This paper attempts to fill this gap in the literature. In addition, the authors found two major dimensions of user manual quality as content-related elements and representational/format-related elements of the user manual.

With the development and growth of the Washington Library Network Computer System in recent years, it has emerged as an effective and efficient automated system to support acquisitions, cataloging and other technical processing functions in libraries of all types and sizes. The online union catalog and COM catalog production has greatly expanded the effectiveness of reference and interlibrary loan services. This article covers all features of the computer system. It outlines system hardware, software, and the file structure as well as providing a description of the use of the system. Also discussed are system features such as authority and bibliographic quality control, precision database searching, and automated fund accounting for acquisitions and fiscal management. Other areas covered in this paper are: governance, administration, training, research and development, and types of users, both online and those which want to transfer software as in the recent successful installation of WLN software at the National Library of Australia.

As traditional paper manuals and step-by-step instructions have shown to discourage new product learning because of a lack of exploration, the purpose of this paper is to investigate consumer learning from an online and andragogical, that is, adult learning, perspective by identifying relevant consumer e-learning processes in new product learning.

This paper uses thematic and trace analyses on a multi-method data collection, that is, extant e-learning courses, in-depth interviews and non-participant observations.

Emerging findings give light on customized, interactive and iterative e-learning processes depending on consumers’ previous experiences, their learning orientation as adult learners and the characteristics of the online environment. Results provide evidence for the existence of three learning strategies and show how the online environment comes shifting traditional consumer learning paradigms.

This paper contributes to the literature on consumer behavior on two levels. First, the findings highlight the importance of taking an andragogical standpoint to provide a more nuanced and realistic view on consumers’ learning processes in new product learning. Second, the results show how the exploration and interactivity provided by the online environment present beneficial prerequisites for effective consumer learning. More than just being an alternative, online learning is complementary to offline modes of learning to improve consumers’ overall learning experience.

In retail, product fitting is a critical operational practice. For many products, the operational outcome of the retail supply chain is determined by the customer physically fitting products. Digital product fitting is an emerging operational practice in retail that uses digital models of products and customers to match product supply to customer requirements. This paper aims to explore potential supply chain outcomes of digitalizing the operational practice of product fitting. The purpose is to explore and propose the potential of the practice to improve responsiveness to customer requirements and the utilization of existing variety in mass-produced products.

A maturity model of product fitting is developed to specify three levels of digitalization and potential outcomes for each level. Potential outcomes are developed based on empirical data from a case survey of three technology-developing companies, 13 retail cases and a review of academic literature.

With increasing maturity of digital product fitting, the practice can be used for more purposes. Besides matching product supply to customer demand, the practice can improve material flows, customer relationship management, assortment planning and product development. The practice of digital product fitting is most relevant for products where the final product configuration is difficult to make to order, product and customer attributes are easily measurable and tacit knowledge of customers and products can be formalized using digital modeling.

Potential outcomes are conceptualized and proposed. Further research is needed to observe actual outcomes and understand the mechanisms for both proposed and surprising outcomes in specific contexts.

The maturity model helps companies assess how their operations can benefit from digital product fitting and the efforts required to achieve beneficial outcomes.

This paper is a first attempt to describe the potential outcomes of introducing digital product fitting in retail supply chains.

This paper aims to show that current Industry 4.0 maturity models primarily focus on manufacturing processes. Until now, research has been lacking with regard to outbound logistics, that is, the delivery process. This paper develops such a model.

Methodologically, this paper is grounded in design science research (DSR) and rigorously follows the model development guidelines presented by De Bruin et al. (2005). This work builds on current maturity models and original empirical research to populate and test the model.

The model appears to be applicable to describing the status quo of the digitization efforts in outbound logistics, developing a corporate vision for delivery logistics excellence and providing guidance on the development path.

Thus far, the model has been applied only for a development stakeholder. For further validation, the authors are currently working on additional case studies to demonstrate the model’s applicability.

The developed model provides guidance for the digitization of an important value-adding activity in supply chain management: the delivery process.

To the authors’ knowledge, the proposed model is the first to explicitly consider the delivery process; therefore, it complements available approaches that focus on the manufacturing process. Moreover, the results show that the widely used Supply Chain Operations Reference model can serve as the basis for additional process maturity models.

The purpose of this study is to describe latent classes explaining the innovation logic in the Finnish construction companies. Innovativeness is a driver of competitive performance and vital to the long-term success of any organisation and company.

Using finite mixture structural equation modelling (FMSEM), the authors have classified innovation logic into latent classes. The method analyses and recognises classes for companies that have similar logic in innovation activities based on the collected data.

Through FMSEM analysis, the authors have identified three latent classes that explain the innovation logic in the Finnish construction companies – LC1: the internal innovators; LC2: the non-innovation-oriented introverts; and LC3: the innovation-oriented extroverts. These three latent classes clearly capture the perceptions within the industry as well as the different characteristics and variables.

The presented latent classes explain innovation logic but is limited to analysing Finnish companies. Also, the research is quantitative by nature and does not increase the understanding in the same manner as qualitative research might capture on more specific aspects.

This paper presents starting points for construction industry companies to intensify innovation activities. It may also indicate more fundamental changes for the structure of construction industry organisations, especially by enabling innovation friendly culture.

This study describes innovation logic in Finnish construction companies through three models (LC1–LC3) by using quantitative data analysed with the FMSEM method. The fundamental innovation challenges in the Finnish construction companies are clarified via the identified latent classes.

The main objective of this paper is to investigate the role of knowledge management in aerospace industries and to provide a framework for knowledge management efforts specially designed for aerospace industries towards a knowledge‐based organization.

This is a conceptual article examining current perspectives of knowledge management regarding aerospace industries requirements. It provides a general framework for knowledge management applied in Iran Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO).

Providing a conceptual knowledge management framework can be applied to organizations practically. This framework has been applied in a large case study in Iran and is supported by practical implementation in AIO, one of the most important high‐tech industries in Iran.

This paper provides a very helpful guideline for practitioners in implementing knowledge management throughout the organizations and especially in large scale ones.

The paper may be of high value to researchers in the knowledge management field and to practitioners involved with KM adoption in the organizations. This study further opens up new lines of research and highlights implications for knowledge management efforts, including change management programs through KM tools. The paper also provides a synthesis and analysis of the viewpoints and the main factors as reflected in the literature on various dimensions of knowledge management.

The Great Benchmarking Scam? Time was, in management circles, that the term “benchmarking” would induce none‐too‐disguised yawns in recognition of it “being something to do with computers or job evaluation”. Not today; those yawns have been replaced with the excited management‐blabber of a new fad. You can benchmark anything these days; I encountered recently a guide to benchmarking employee attitudes.

The purpose of this article is to propose a standardization model that contributes to the creation of organizational knowledge in the paper industry. This study was oriented to answer the question: how to create organizational knowledge through the standardization model of the paper industry’s production system?

This research was applied in the main production unit of the paper organization. The data were collected through the analysis of documents, systems and routines of the researched unit. In the research, the observation technique and direct documentation were used. For the operationalization of the research, the following phases were carried: understanding of the applied standardization model, literature review on the research topics, formulation of a standardization model and application of the model.

A model of standardization of production processes that contributes to the creation of organizational knowledge, in which a correlation of all its stages with the Knowledge conversion modes was found and validated through an applied research in the industry.

This study is applied in a paper industry. In the survey, there is no comparison with other companies. The adaptation of the study in other industries and organizations can increase knowledge about the connection of standardized systems with knowledge conversion modes, adjusting them to other environments or other situations.

This study stands out for empirically testing, a standardization model that favors the creation of knowledge through the analysis of the various activities in a paper industry, providing a real connection between the knowledge management literature and the organizational environment. Standardization can represent an instrument of innovation in the most diverse types of industry, as long as it comes with a proposal for something new and better than the existing model.

Shari'ah governance is a major part of governance of Islamic banking institutions (IBIs). Pakistan is the country where pioneering work on Islamic banking and finance has been conducted since 1970s. Major changes were made in 2002 and then in 2015 in the Islamic banking governance framework. This chapter critically analyses as to what extent the ‘shari'ah governance framework’ (SGF) introduced by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) in 2015 could be able to ensure compliance of Islamic banks' practices with the principles of shari'ah. The SBP, the regulator of banking system, has been doing its intensive efforts to ensure shari'ah compliance, and as such the SGF introduced by it is a good ‘case study’ on the subject. By applying the descriptive and analytical methodology, it examines the strengths and weaknesses and suggests how the gaps could be filled to make the SGF really effective for achieving the objective.