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1 – 10 of over 128000Diego Augusto de Jesus Pacheco and Thomas Schougaard
This study aims to investigate how to identify and address production levelling problems in assembly lines utilising an intensive manual workforce when higher productivity levels…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate how to identify and address production levelling problems in assembly lines utilising an intensive manual workforce when higher productivity levels are urgently requested to meet market demands.
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-methods approach was used in the research design, integrating case study analysis, interviews and qualitative/quantitative data collection and analysis. The methodology implemented also introduces to the literature on operational performance a novel combination of data analysis methods by introducing the use of the Natural Language Understanding (NLU) methods.
Findings
First, the findings unveil the impacts on operational performance that transportation, limited documentation and waiting times play in assembly lines composed of an intensive workforce. Second, the paper unveils the understanding of the role that a limited understanding of how the assembly line functions play in productivity. Finally, the authors provide actionable insights into the levelling problems in manual assembly lines.
Practical implications
This research supports industries operating assembly lines with intensive utilisation of manual workforce to improve operational performance. The paper also proposed a novel conceptual model prescriptively guiding quick and long-term improvements in intensive manual workforce assembly lines. The article assists industrial decision-makers with subsequent turnaround strategies to ensure higher efficiency levels requested by the market.
Originality/value
The paper offers actionable findings relevant to other manual assembly lines utilising an intensive workforce looking to improve operational performance. Some of the methods and strategies examined in this study to improve productivity require minimal capital investments. Lastly, the study contributes to the empirical literature by identifying production levelling problems in a real context.
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Temitayo Seyi Abiodun, Giselle Rampersad and Russell Brinkworth
The internationalization of business has grown the production value chains and created performance challenges for industrial production. Industry 4.0, the digital transformation…
Abstract
Purpose
The internationalization of business has grown the production value chains and created performance challenges for industrial production. Industry 4.0, the digital transformation of industrial processes, promises to deliver performance improvements through smart functionalities. This study investigates how digital transformation translates to performance gain by adopting a systems perspective to drive smartness.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses qualitative research to collect data on the lived experiences of digital transformation practitioners for theory development. It uses semi-structured interviews with industry experts and applies the Gioia methodology for analysis.
Findings
The study determined that enterprise smartness is an organizational capability developed by digital transformation, it is a function of integration and the enabler of organizational performance gains in the Industry 4.0 context. The study determined that performance gains are experienced in productivity, sustainability, safety and customer experience, which represents performance metrics for Industry 4.0.
Research limitations/implications
This study contributes a model that inserts smartness in the linkage between digital transformation and organizational outcomes to the digital transformation and production management literature.
Practical implications
The study indicates that digital transformation programs should focus on developing smartness rather than technology implementations, which must be considered an enabling activity.
Originality/value
Existing studies recognized the positive impact of technology on performance in industrial production. The study addresses a missing link in the Industry 4.0 value creation process. It adopts a systems perspective to establish the role of smartness in translating technology use to performance outcomes. Smart capabilities have been the critical missing link in the literature on harnessing digital transformation in organizations. The study advances theory development by contributing an Industry 4.0 value model that establishes a link between digital technologies, smartness and organizational performance.
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Hosni Shareif Hussein Shanak and Ahmad Saifalddin Abu-Alhaija
Based on recent government reports, the manufacturing industry is considered one of the most important sectors in Palestine. In this sense, this empirical study aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
Based on recent government reports, the manufacturing industry is considered one of the most important sectors in Palestine. In this sense, this empirical study aims to investigate the influence of production performance on financial and market performances, assess the influence of market performance on financial performance and test the mediating role of market performance on the relationship between production and financial performances.
Design/methodology/approach
A convenience sampling method was applied. Accordingly, a set of questionnaires was distributed to 384 managers at Palestinian manufacturing enterprises. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to analyse the collected data.
Findings
The study findings unveiled that production performance directly positively has a positive and direct influence on the financial and market performances. Furthermore, the result revealed that financial performance is positively affected by market performance level, whereas market performance has a partial mediation role in the relationship between financial and production performances.
Research limitations/implications
The study designs are restricted to the manufacturing companies. Hence, the empirical results may not generalise to the other industries.
Practical implications
The findings of this study can draw responsible parties and firms’ top management attention in developing countries to the importance of market performance as a key pillar of firm performance.
Originality/value
To the best of authors’ knowledge, most of the prior contemporary studies have been restricted to examine the direct relationship and have not considered the mediating influence of market performance. Besides, this study emphasised the inter-relationships between the firms’ performance dimensions. This study contributes to manufacturing firms’ performance literature by providing further validation of the performance scales from a developing countries “Palestine” with unique business environment because it is under ongoing occupation.
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Levente Szász, Krisztina Demeter and Harry Boer
The purpose of this paper is to seek remedy to two major flaws of the production competence literature, which concern: the way the production competence construct is…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to seek remedy to two major flaws of the production competence literature, which concern: the way the production competence construct is operationalized and the way its effects on performance are measured.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper proposes to measure production competence as the two-dimensional operational level construct it actually is, and to use Slack’s (1994) importance-performance matrix to study its business level performance effects. The three hypotheses developed are tested using a subsample of the International Manufacturing Strategy Survey database, which includes 465 manufacturing companies from 21 countries.
Findings
The study offers additional empirical support for production competence theory. Going beyond supporting existing theory, the results give more detailed insight by indicating that low operational performance on even one important competitive factor leads to lower business performance (order-losing effect); excessive investment in increasing operational performance on any less important competitive factor does not necessarily lead to higher business performance.
Practical implications
Using a large empirical dataset, the study shows that the importance-performance matrix is a useful tool for decision makers to assess and improve their company’s manufacturing strategy: it indicates how to prioritize between improvement efforts to positively contribute to business performance.
Originality/value
The paper offers a novel approach to operationalize production competence. The importance-performance analysis approach adopted in this study avoids the two major drawbacks of previous production competence studies and offers an appropriate method to assess the impact of production competence on business performance.
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Fatma Sonmez Cakir, Zafer Adiguzel, Songul Yesilot Zehir and Cemal Zehir
The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of production capabilities, competition intensity and marketing and sales capabilities on the export and production performances…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of production capabilities, competition intensity and marketing and sales capabilities on the export and production performances of textile companies engaged in export-oriented production return to normal life from the pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
Within the scope of the research, a sample of 683 white-collar expert participants was taken and a scale consisting of 29 statements in total was presented to them. The structural equation modeling (SEM) model was analyzed with the study SmartPLS. At the first stage, the relations between the scale expressions and the variables were given with factor loads and weights, validity/reliability analyzes were made for the model, and finally, the research model was tested.
Findings
As a result of the analysis in the research, it can be explained that the production capabilities and marketing and sales capabilities are important for the performance of the companies, at the same time the intensity of competition keeps the companies in a dynamic structure and the intensity of competition is also important for the companies to develop themselves.
Research limitations/implications
Considering the limitations of the research, data were collected from white-collar employees working in export-oriented textile companies in Istanbul. Because in order to answer the questions about the variables representing the research model, expert and authorized employees were required.
Practical implications
It can be explained that the performance of companies in the production sector is positively affected if they discover opportunities in risky environments so that they can gain an advantageous position over their competitors in an intense competitive environment. Because it can be assumed as a result of the analysis that textile companies want to evaluate the opportunities in the competitive environment by using their production, marketing and sales abilities during the pandemic process.
Originality/value
The research is unique in that it sets an example for future studies by examining the effects of production capabilities, competitive intensity and marketing and sales capabilities, which are likely to affect the performance of textile companies in the return of normal life from pandemic conditions.
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Xuechang Zhu and Yu Lin
The purpose of this paper is to revisit causal effects and investigate hysteresis effects of lean production on performance. With a focus on firm heterogeneity, this paper…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to revisit causal effects and investigate hysteresis effects of lean production on performance. With a focus on firm heterogeneity, this paper explores the role of organization ownership structure in shaping the relationship between lean production and performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The propensity score matching (PSM) model combined with difference-in-difference (DID) estimation is applied to minimize selection bias caused by firm heterogeneity and endogeneity problems derived from unobserved fixed variables that could potentially affect the desired causal relationship.
Findings
Results show that lean production has no significant effect on business performance; however, the relationship between lean production and operations performance is positive and significant, especially for non-state-owned firms. Furthermore, the non-significant effect of lean production on performance of state-owned firms is largely due to the failure of lean production implementation. Meanwhile, lean production can only improve operations performance of non-state-owned firms in the short term due to their inability to continuously implement lean production.
Research limitations/implications
This paper only covers manufacturing listed firms in China. Further studies are needed to test the wide implications of this paper in other countries.
Practical implications
This paper may help managers to identify problems in the implementation of lean production for different organization ownership structure firms, thus providing new insight into the implementation of lean production.
Originality/value
This paper appears to be the first one to examine causal effects of lean production on performance in China by applying the PSM model combined with DID estimation.
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Ebenezer Afum, Ran Zhang, Yaw Agyabeng-Mensah and Zhuo Sun
This study aims to investigate the interactions between lean production, internal green practices, green product innovation and sustainable performance metrics. The study further…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the interactions between lean production, internal green practices, green product innovation and sustainable performance metrics. The study further looks at the mediation effect of internal green practices and green product innovation between lean production and sustainable performance dimensions.
Design/methodology/approach
The questionnaire was used to glean data from 209 manufacturing firms. All the hypothesized relationships were processed by using partial least square-structural equation modelling.
Findings
The results suggest that lean production significantly leads to the implementation of internal green practices and the production of quality products with eco-oriented features that meet customers’ needs. Further, while lean production and internal green practices were found to significantly influence sustainability performance, green product innovation significantly influences only financial performance. Besides, the mediation analysis shows that internal green practices mediate the relationship between lean production and sustainable performance dimensions but green product innovation mediates the relationship between lean production and financial performance only.
Research limitations/implications
The study is limited to firms from Ghana, a developing country; hence, the results cannot be imported to reflect other geographical contexts.
Practical implications
The results of the study provide sufficient justifications for managers, (especially Ghanaian managers and those from other similar environs) to commit their financial resources towards implementing lean production and internal green practices so as to achieve sustainability excellence.
Originality/value
This study magnifies and provides new insight on lean and green literature by developing a comprehensive research model that concurrently tests the direct and indirect effects between lean production, internal green practices, green product innovation and sustainable performance dimensions.
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This research paper analyses the link between manufacturing proactivity, understood as the tendency of a company to implement the most modern and advanced production management…
Abstract
Purpose
This research paper analyses the link between manufacturing proactivity, understood as the tendency of a company to implement the most modern and advanced production management practices and business performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Over a sample of 186 industrial companies, two dimensions of proactivity were identified; one reflecting a cultural orientation and the other denoting a technical approach to progress.
Findings
Both dimensions, especially the cultural one turned out to have a positive effect on financial and operational performance. Among other things, these results point out the potential of the production and operations function as a source of competitive advantage for the company.
Originality/value
The aggregated analysis of several advanced production management practices, the proposal of different causal explanation of the relationship between manufacturing proactivity and business performance, and the combination of primary (postal questionnaires) and secondary (financial databases) data sources can be considered distinguishing features of this research.
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Laura Macchion and Rosanna Fornasiero
Supply chain (SC) configuration has gained increased acceptance as an important issue when evaluating new customization possibilities and this evidence has contributed to the…
Abstract
Purpose
Supply chain (SC) configuration has gained increased acceptance as an important issue when evaluating new customization possibilities and this evidence has contributed to the strengthening of the debate between global vs local production locations. This work contributes in enrichment of this topic by studying how local or global SC location decisions influence performances by considering a SC point of view, in terms of cost and time, in traditional and customized productions.
Design/methodology/approach
A discrete event simulation approach, based on experimentation through executable configurations, was used to evaluate different SC scenarios for customized as well as traditional products within the footwear industry.
Findings
The results indicated that to identify proper SC locations, existing trade-offs between the time and cost performances should be studied, avoiding the evaluation of a single performance independently and, instead, adopting a complete SC point of view while considering these performances.
Research limitations/implications
This evidence has contributed to the reinforcement of the discussion between far-shore destinations vs near-shore production locations. Further studies are encouraged to adopt the present model, in which addition of other variables such as specific manufacturing competences to differentiate suppliers, both local and global suppliers, or the possibility of realizing special types of product customization required by final consumers can be done.
Practical implications
The paper contributes to the academic and practitioners' debate by proposing a systemic approach to assess SCs’ performances in customized contexts and to compare them to traditional collections. Results indicate that cost and time performance must find a balance that does not necessarily correspond to an exclusively local or global production.
Originality/value
This work contributes to the SC configuration issue by considering the trade-off between efficiency and effectiveness (i.e. SC costs and SC times) for customized productions by reviving and enriching it with an SC perspective in customization contexts.
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Muhammad Asif, Prem Chhetri and Rajiv Padhye
This paper explores the interaction and impact of political disruptions on textile supply chain performance in Pakistan. A qualitative approach is adopted to explore the linkages…
Abstract
This paper explores the interaction and impact of political disruptions on textile supply chain performance in Pakistan. A qualitative approach is adopted to explore the linkages and relationships between political disruptions and supply chain disruptions and performance. Semi-structured interviews were conducted at 25 different textile manufacturing firms. This study confirmed the prevalence of severe and variegated impacts of political disruptions on the textile supply chain. Supply chain disruption is found to be a key mediating factor that directly and indirectly affect supply chain performance through an increased production and delivery lead-time, transportation delays, interruptions of raw material supplies to plants and distributors and the restricted access to workplaces for suppliers and workers. The linkages are represented through vicious circles that illustrate the interactions and inter-relationships between disrupted supply chain and performance. This study provides empirical evidence to help government to formulate pertinent labour laws and industrial policy to mitigate political disruptions and minimise deleterious effects of supply chain disruption on production and distribution networks whilst respecting and protecting the democratic rights of people.
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