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1 – 10 of over 73000
Article
Publication date: 5 October 2012

Samuel Forsman, Niclas Björngrim, Anders Bystedt, Lars Laitila, Peter Bomark and Micael Öhman

The construction industry has been criticized for not keeping up with other production industries in terms of cost efficiency, innovation, and production methods. The purpose of…

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Abstract

Purpose

The construction industry has been criticized for not keeping up with other production industries in terms of cost efficiency, innovation, and production methods. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the knowledge about what hampers efficiency in supplying engineer‐to‐order (ETO) joinery‐products to the construction process. The objective is to identify the main contributors to inefficiency and to define areas for innovation in improving this industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Case studies of the supply chain of a Swedish ETO joinery‐products supplier are carried out, and observations, semi‐structured interviews, and documents from these cases are analysed from an efficiency improvement perspective.

Findings

From a lean thinking and information modelling perspective, longer‐term procurement relations and efficient communication of information are the main areas of innovation for enhancing the efficiency of supplying ETO joinery‐products. It seems to be possible to make improvements in planning and coordination, assembly information, and spatial measuring through information modelling and spatial scanning technology. This is likely to result in an increased level of prefabrication, decreased assembly time, and increased predictability of on‐site work.

Originality/value

The role of supplying ETO joinery‐products is a novel research area in construction. There is a need to develop each segment of the manufacturing industry supplying construction and this paper contributes to the collective knowledge in this area. The focus is on the possibilities for innovation in the ETO joinery‐products industry and on its improved integration in the construction industry value chain in general.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 27 July 2020

Fusheng Xie, Ling Gao and Peiyu Xie

This paper examines the different features of China's economic development in different stages of economic globalization. The study finds that the investment- and export-based…

1473

Abstract

Purpose

This paper examines the different features of China's economic development in different stages of economic globalization. The study finds that the investment- and export-based growth model drove China's high-speed economic growth between 2000 and 2007, which came into existence around 2000 when China plugged into the global production network.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper also finds that China slowed down to the New Normal because of the disruption to the socio-economic underpinnings of this growth model. As China adapts to and steers the New Normal, supply-side structural reforms can channel excess capacity to the construction of underground pipe networks in rural areas of central China and fix capital while advance rural revitalization.

Findings

At the same time, enterprises must strive to build a key component development platform for key component innovation and the standard-setting power in global manufacturing.

Originality/value

The establishment of a domestic production network integrating the integrated innovation-driven core enterprises and modular producers at different levels can satisfy the dynamic demand structure of China in which standardized demands and personalized demands coexist.

Details

China Political Economy, vol. 3 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2516-1652

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 11 April 2023

Jean Pierre Seclen-Luna, Pablo Moya-Fernandez and Christian A. Cancino

This paper aims to study whether Peruvian manufacturing firms that implement innovation have positive performance and whether R&D activities moderate these relationships.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to study whether Peruvian manufacturing firms that implement innovation have positive performance and whether R&D activities moderate these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a data set of Peruvian manufacturing firms from the 2018 National Survey of Innovation, a LOGIT model analysis was applied to 774 companies. In addition, the authors fitted different models into subsamples to explore the moderating effects of R&D on manufacturing firms. Finally, the regression models were computed using R software.

Findings

The results indicate that product, service and marketing innovation are associated positively with an increase in market share, while process and organizational innovations are associated positively with productivity. Moreover, companies with R&D are more productivity-oriented than companies without R&D.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to the literature on innovation management by supporting the assumption that innovation results in increased productivity and expands market demand. In addition, findings highlight that R&D is essential for boosting firms’ productivity.

Practical implications

Managers should consider an appropriate combination of the innovation portfolio and R&D investments to make progress and increase performance in the company. In addition, policymakers should consider that investments to promote the development of R&D activities in manufacturing companies will likely lead to médium- or long-term returns.

Social implications

The correct use of indicators to measure these relationships could help the policymaker to design and measure policy instruments more efficiently.

Originality/value

These results provide a deeper understanding of how the effects of innovations implemented by manufacturing firms, especially service and process innovation, improve their performance.

Details

RAUSP Management Journal, vol. 58 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2531-0488

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 September 2021

Paola Paoloni, Giuseppe Modaffari, Niccolò Paoloni and Federica Ricci

Recent socioeconomic events, not least the Covid-19 pandemic, have led farms to rethink their traditional production methods. Innovation, new technologies and the establishment of…

Abstract

Purpose

Recent socioeconomic events, not least the Covid-19 pandemic, have led farms to rethink their traditional production methods. Innovation, new technologies and the establishment of relationships could be crucial for farms to remain competitive and sustainable over time. These factors can be assumed as structural and relational capital, two of intellectual capital's components. In this stream, the aim of this paper is to analyze how structural and relational capital could contribute to farm's sustainability in terms of competitiveness during its normal life cycle and in terms of resilience during an uncertain period, such as the coronavirus emergency.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is supported by the qualitative methodology of a single case study. To reach the declared goal, the paper applies the C.A.O.S. (Characteristics, Ambience, Organizations, Start-up) model, an interpretative model for analyzing the small and medium enterprise dimension. In this way, the main aspects that allowed the farm to be competitive and to react at the emergency period were described.

Findings

The findings show that innovation technology involved the farm's internal processes, improving execution, control and feedback phases. Thanks to the two main introduced innovations, the farm reduced staffing costs and minimized cultivation risk related to climatic factors. These innovations are the main factors allowing the farm to increase its efficiency. Moreover, the proactive and reactive roles of the structural and relational capital to face the emergency period are confirmed.

Originality/value

The paper contributes to the literature in several ways. Regarding innovation literature, the paper shows how technology helps farms to improve their performance and their global competitiveness. Insight into structural and relational capital enhances the knowledge of intangible assets, such as intellectual capital. In the light of the Covid-19 emergency, the work demonstrates how the main resilience factors (proactive, i.e. structural capital, and reactive, i.e. relational capital) ensure the farm's survival.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 124 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 February 2019

Moema Pereira Nunes and Ana Paola Russo

This paper aims to analyze the business model innovation in medium and large Brazilian manufacturing companies located in Rio do Sul State.

16485

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the business model innovation in medium and large Brazilian manufacturing companies located in Rio do Sul State.

Design/methodology/approach

A holistic multiple case study in five companies was developed. Data were collected through interviews and analyzed according to the content analysis technique.

Findings

The main motivation to business model innovation was the innovation in products and services, while the difficulties were the factors relating to the cost. The most common practice among cases was innovation in value proposition and the most widely used method was learning-by-searching. While part of the theory was demonstrated in the case studies, new motivations and practices were identified. The investigation of the learning process on business models’ innovation is pioneered in this study. Further studies on this subject are required.

Originality/value

New business models are likely to provide new opportunities to better address customer needs, generating differentiating itself from its competitors. It is a subject little investigated in the international context, and there are no studies to investigate the experience of Brazilian companies.

Details

Innovation & Management Review, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2515-8961

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 June 2018

Wajda Wikhamn, John Armbrecht and Björn Remneland Wikhamn

The purpose of this paper is to assess innovation in the hotel sector in Sweden and to investigate how structural and organizational factors influence hotel’s likelihood of…

2091

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to assess innovation in the hotel sector in Sweden and to investigate how structural and organizational factors influence hotel’s likelihood of producing service/product, process, organizational and marketing innovations.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on responses from 174 hotels with membership in the Swedish hotel association. Responses were collected via a web-based survey.

Findings

This paper provides insights about the nature and extent of innovations in the hotel sector. Although traditionally considered rigid and non-innovative, around half of the responding hotels produced at least one type of innovation. Most common are service/product and marketing innovations. A hotel’s likelihood of innovating depends largely on structural independence (non-chain), having an explicit innovation strategy and investing in non-traditional R&D.

Research limitations/implications

Because of the chosen design (convenience sampling), the results of this paper may lack generalizability. Therefore, future research is encouraged to test the hypotheses further.

Practical implications

Managers in the hospitality industry can influence the production of innovations in the hotel sector. By promoting flexibility, defining and communicating an innovation strategy, and engaging in non-traditional R&D activities, practitioners can better respond to the changing business environment.

Originality/value

This paper presents a systematic, and internationally recognized, method for assessing four types of innovation in the hotel sector. Its originality stems also from its approach to investigating how key structural and organizational factors, when considered in the same analysis, predict service/product, process, organizational and marketing innovations.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 30 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 January 2018

Florian J. Zach, Dejan Krizaj and Brian McTier

The purpose of this study is to test the usefulness of the literature-based innovation output (LBIO) approach to identify innovation types from press releases of hospitality firms…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to test the usefulness of the literature-based innovation output (LBIO) approach to identify innovation types from press releases of hospitality firms and to evaluate if the typology captures the effect of innovation on firm value.

Design/methodology/approach

The LBIO approach was applied to three years of press releases from two publicly traded lodging firms in the USA announcing innovations. A database of lodging and innovation relevant terms was compiled. Starting with classifications found in the innovation literature, the researchers coded each announcement. Coded announcements were clustered into innovation types using pairwise similarity analysis. Event study analysis assessed the efficacy of the overall method to find types that were useful to measure the impact on firm value from the company’s adoption of an innovation.

Findings

Cluster analysis identified four lodging innovation types: property and location, marketing, strategic development and guest experiences. These types corresponded closely with the innovation classification suggested by the Oslo Manual. The event study found that the typology was useful in determining the market value effects of an innovation.

Research limitations/implications

This study focused on innovation; future studies might test other organizational factors. The study uses data from two large, publicly traded hospitality firms and may not extend to smaller, privately held businesses. A key implication is that human coding is sufficient to identify innovation types that correspond closely with existing classifications and affect firm value.

Originality value

This study successful learns from hospitality press releases to identify a hospitality innovation typology and tests type impact on firm value.

Details

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, vol. 30 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0959-6119

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 January 2011

M.L. Emiliani and P.J. Seymour

The purpose of this paper is to introduce management historians to the long‐forgotten work of Frank George Woollard (1883‐1957), who in the mid‐1920s established flow production

1340

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce management historians to the long‐forgotten work of Frank George Woollard (1883‐1957), who in the mid‐1920s established flow production in the British motor industry, and its remarkable similarity to current‐day production principles and practices used by Toyota Motor Corporation, also known as lean production.

Design/methodology/approach

Overview of Frank Woollard's life and work obtained from newly discovered journal papers, his 1954 book, Principles of Mass and Flow Production, newly discovered archives, and new first‐hand testimony from a close friend and from a long‐time family friend.

Findings

Frank Woollard was a pioneer in the establishment of flow production in the British motor industry in the mid‐1920s and the principal developer of automatic transfer machinery. His accomplishments are comparable to Taiichi Ohno, regarded as the architect of Toyota's production system.

Research limitations/implications

Woollard's accomplishments in flow production are a fruitful area for future research given the speed and completeness with which flow production was established at Morris Motors Ltd, Engines Branch. Newly discovered papers describing his flow production system have yet to be studied in detail by academics.

Practical implications

Woollard's application of flow production beginning in 1923 means that timelines for discoveries and attributions of key accomplishments in lean management must be reexamined and revised.

Originality/value

Woollard's work fills important gaps in the literature on the history of flow production generally and in the British motor industry in particular. His work constitutes an early application of current‐day lean principles and practices, and is therefore noteworthy and relevant to management historians and the operations and production management community. It is hoped that this paper will inspire management historians to study Woollard's work and place him in the context of other early twentieth‐century pioneers in industrial management and flow production.

Details

Journal of Management History, vol. 17 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1751-1348

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 March 2015

Haim Hilman and Narentheren Kaliappen

The purpose of this paper is to test the linkage between innovation strategies (process innovation and service innovation) and organizational performance in the context of…

2038

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to test the linkage between innovation strategies (process innovation and service innovation) and organizational performance in the context of Malaysia hotel industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 475 sets of questionnaires administrated through mail to all three star and above rating hotel managers in Malaysia, and only 24 percent of it, which is 114 were usable. Regression was utilized to test the link of innovation strategies and performance.

Findings

The results showed that hotels in Malaysia used process innovation and service innovation as their functional-level strategy. Specifically, both process innovation and service innovation strategies positively linked with performance. But, the paired sample t-test result indicated that process innovation has slightly greater effect on performance than service innovation. In addition, this study found that hotel size significantly affected the performance.

Research limitations/implications

This study is one of the limited number of studies which has empirically addressed the effect of innovation strategies on performance in hotel industry. Additional researches are needed to address effect of potential mediators or even moderators in innovation strategies and performance linkage.

Practical implications

This study found that implementation of process innovation and service innovation as their functional strategy could assist to attain better performance in Malaysia hotel industry. Entirely the findings provided new insight to the hotel management in understanding the role of innovation strategies in generating enhanced performance.

Originality/value

Process innovation and service innovation in the service industry have received very limited empirical attention in current innovation literature. This study extended the body of knowledge in innovation literature, particularly in hospitality sector in Malaysia.

Details

World Journal of Entrepreneurship, Management and Sustainable Development, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-5961

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 October 2018

Mir Dost and Yuosre F. Badir

Innovation is critical for the firms to gain competitive advantage and improve performance. Such innovation stems from process innovation generation (PIG) and/or process innovation

Abstract

Purpose

Innovation is critical for the firms to gain competitive advantage and improve performance. Such innovation stems from process innovation generation (PIG) and/or process innovation adoption (PIA). PIG vs PIA motivates firms for cutting development cost, reducing development time, improving product quality, saving energy, preventing or mitigating pollution and recycling waste. Various factors have been identified as the determinants of PIG and PIA. One of them is social capital. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to analyze the effects of social capital on PIG and/or PIA, and second, to analyze whether the moderation of human capital strengthens/weakens this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of 318 Pakistani chemical companies was collected for examining the hypotheses. Using hierarchical multiple regression, it relates to the effects of social capital and PIG and PIA; and moderation of human capital. The paper also discusses the theoretical and managerial implications.

Findings

The results confirm the hypotheses. The paper finds that social capital ambidextrously impacts on both PIG and PIA. However, this relationship strengthens when there is an interaction of human capital.

Practical implications

Social capital appears to be a powerful driver for generation and adoption of process innovation. Such innovation is a collaborative effort, with social capital assuming a central role. It follows that management would be well served by encouraging communication, flexible dissemination of information integration and sharing of knowledge.

Originality/value

The main value of this paper is in its analysis and testing of the relation of social capital and PIG and PIA. The majority of the literature underlines the paper’s seeking after social capital for product innovation. However, this topic has not been studied in depth and requires more attention, as processes are different and have different antecedents and outcomes.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 57 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

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