Search results

Seismic isolation, as an effective risk mitigation strategy of building/bridge structures, is incorporated into AP1000 nuclear power plants (NPPs) to alleviate the seismic damage that may occur to traditional structures of NPPs during their service. This is to promote the passive safety concept in the structural design of AP1000 NPPs against earthquakes.

In conjunction with seismic isolation, tuned-mass-damping (TMD) is integrated into the seismic resistance system of AP1000 NPPs to satisfy the multi-functional purposes. The proposed base-isolation-tuned-mass-damper (BIS-TMD) is studied by comparing the seismic performance of NPPs with four different design configurations (i.e. without BIS, BIS, BIS-TMD and TMD) with the design parameters of the TMD subsystem optimized.

Such a new seismic protection system (BIS-TMD) is proved to be promising because the advantages of BIS and TMD can be fully used. The benefits of the new structure include effective energy dissipation (i.e. wide vibration absorption band and a stable damping effect), which results in the high performance of NPPs subject to earthquakes with various intensity levels and spectra features.

Parametric studies are performed to demonstrate the seismic robustness (e.g. consistent performance against the changing mass of the water in the gravity liquid tank and mechanical properties) which further ensures that seismic safety requirements of NPPs can be satisfied through the use of BIS-TMD.

This empirical study examines the psychometric comparability of Aaker's Brand Personality Scale (Aaker, 1997) in sponsorship matching. It employs a structural validation protocol - the congenerity test (Ohanion, 1990) - to investigate the extent to which sports events and sponsors can be psychometrically matched. The results show that sports events and sponsors are comparable only in terms of limited numbers of the dimensions of the a priori scale. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

One of the difficulties in developing a coherent operational strategy is to know how the various elements of a manufacturing system interact and to assess the relevant importance of each. Looks at the manufacturing systems and how complex they are. A measure which calculates the systems′ complexity and the contribution from each operational source has been developed. It thus provides a tool that can assist in a strategy development exercise by quantifying the problem areas on a common basis. The approach has been used at three manufacturing sites. The resulting analysis allowed the local management, in each case, to identify the key areas of weakness, in both the short and medium term. As such it gave each of them a possible starting‐point from which to formulate an operational strategy.

This study aims to examine the impact of balanced agile project management (balanced APM) on firm performance through the mediating role of market orientation and strategic agility of medium and large telecommunication technology providers in Indonesia.

Research data was collected from the executive management of telecommunication technology providers in Indonesia via a questionnaire survey to obtain 150 valid questionnaires for analysis. This study analyzed the overall model fit through confirmatory factor analysis and causal relationships through structural equation modeling.

The results indicate that market orientation mediates the link between balanced APM and strategic agility and that strategic agility mediates the link between market orientation and firm performance.

The choice of single telecommunication industry in a single country, Indonesia, provides a limitation on external validity. It is, therefore, suggested to extend the research efforts to other industry sectors in multi-country environments.

This study extends the knowledge about agile project management by embracing balancing control enforcement and tests it empirically. This study also re-conceptualizes strategic agility to embrace business partner switching capability and market orientation to embrace the inter-partner coordination dimension. Finally, the results highlight that agile project management needs to be framed by market orientation to create higher value for customers. However, market orientation alone is not enough and that the organization requires strategic agility to achieve firm performance.

This study aims to examine the joint impact of networking capability and agile project management on organizational agility of telecommunication technology providers' in Indonesia. The study also examines the moderating role of market orientation as a predominant strategic orientation on the relationship between agile project management and organizational agility.

Research data were collected via a questionnaire survey from the executive management of telecommunication technology providers in Indonesia to obtain 150 valid questionnaires for analysis. This study analyzed the overall model fit and causal relationship using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

The results indicate that networking capability positively affects organizational agility. However, agile project management's significant effect on organizational agility occurs only when the relationship is moderated by market orientation. The results of the study also demonstrate that organizational agility positively affects organizational performance.

This study is based on a cross-sectional nature and might fail to capture the studied variables' dynamic over an extended period.

The study enriches the previous literature in organizational agility by presenting the collective impact of networking capability and agile project management and the moderating role of market orientation. However, dissimilar with major prior studies, the results indicate that agile project management's direct effect on organizational agility is not significant. Agile project management needs to be moderated by market orientation to create exceptional customer values and overcome the competition for the organization to achieve organizational agility, responsiveness and adaptability to address customers' needs and requirements. Furthermore, the study's result corroborates the importance of organizational agility to achieve organizational performance in the highly dynamic telecommunication industry.

This study examines the collaborative impact of networking capability and balanced agile project management (APM) on firm performance through the mediating role of market orientation and business process agility of medium and large telecommunication technology providers in Indonesia.

Research data were collected from the executive management of telecommunication technology providers in Indonesia via a questionnaire survey to obtain 150 valid questionnaires for analysis. This study analyzed the overall model fit and causal relationship using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM).

The results indicate that market orientation fully mediates the link between networking capability-business process agility and balanced APM-business process agility. Furthermore, business process agility mediates the relationship between market orientation and firm performance.

This study is based on a cross-sectional nature and might fail to capture the dynamic of the studied variables over an extended period.

The study extends the knowledge that dynamic capabilities, represented by networking capability and balanced APM, must be framed by market orientation to create customer value and improve bargaining position. However, market orientation alone is not enough in a highly dynamic business environment. Organization also requires business process agility, responsiveness and adaptability to timely address customers' needs and requirements.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the thermal deformation effect of a machine tool frame on hole registration accuracy. Hole registration accuracy represents the drilling performance of a machine tool, and it greatly depends on the thermal deformation of the machine frame structures in practical engineering. Reducing thermally induced errors is crucial to improve the hole quality.

First, the thermal design of the machine frame was performed via an optimization procedure to reduce the thermal deformation at an early stage. Then, a thermal–mechanical coupling finite element method model was established to quantify the thermal deformation of the machine tool under environmental temperature fluctuations, and the validity of the presented model was confirmed experimentally using laser interferometry. Finally, a series of drilling tests, including micro-holes and medium holes, was carried out to practically investigate the hole drilling registration accuracy of the machine with a mineral casting frame under different thermal conditions.

Hole registration accuracy showed positional dependency and distinctly non-linear behaviour at different drilling axes which was closely related with the thermal conditions. The positional deviations of medium holes and micro-holes all showed an increasing trend in different degrees under the same temperature fluctuations, and the former were more sensitive to the latter. Therefore, keeping the drilling workshop under thermally stable conditions is crucial for improving the drilling performance of the machine.

The goal of this paper is to reveal the mechanism of hole registration accuracy variations with thermal fluctuations and to provide a strategy for the machine tool industry to further improve the drilling performance during the machining process.

Supply chain resilience capabilities are usually considered in light of some anticipated events and are as passive assets, which are “waiting” for use in case of an emergency. This, however, can be inefficient. Moreover, the current COVID-19 pandemic has revealed difficulties in the timely deployments of resilience assets and their utilization for value creation. We present a framework that consolidates different angles of efficient resilience and renders utilization of resilience capabilities for creation of value.

We conceptualise the design of the AURA (Active Usage of Resilience Assets) framework for post-COVID-19 supply chain management through collating the extant literature on value creation-oriented resilience and practical examples and complementing our analysis with a discussion of practical implementations.

Building upon and integrating the existing frameworks of VSC (Viable Supply Chain), RSC (Reconfigurable Supply Chain) and LCNSC (Low-Certainty-Need Supply Chain), we elaborate on a new idea in the AURA approach – to consider resilience as an inherent, active and value-creating component of operations management decisions, rather than as a passive “shield” to protect against rare, severe events. We identify 10 future research areas for lean resilience integrating management and digital platforms and technology.

The outcomes of our study can be used by supply chain and operations managers to improve the efficiency and effectiveness by turning resilience from passive, cost-driving assets into a value-creating, inclusive decision-making paradigm.

We propose a novel approach to bring more dynamics to the notion of supply chain resilience. We name our approach AURA and articulate its two major advantages as follows: (1) reduction of disruption prediction efforts and (2) value creation from resilience assets. We offer a discussion on ten future research directions towards a lean resilience.

Part of a research programme being undertaken in Italy on the applicability of the just‐in‐time (JIT) approach. The programme includes both the development of methodological concepts to evaluate JIT applicability and an extensive survey of the value of JIT implementation as seen by Italian industry. Two levels of performances are identified: o First, the various performances at system level (critical manufacturing tasks) where the dimensions and measurement of productivity, service, quality and flexibility are defined; o Second, “operating conditions” being the variables describing the characteristics of single production factors and their interconnection (such as efficiencies, capability, process flexibility and lead times) The set of JIT techniques in the area of product, process, organisation, planning and control and supply are classified, the ways the techniques impact on operating conditions and, through them, on performance at production system level are analysed. A paradigm of JIT approach results, which explains the changes in the traditional trade‐offs within overall performance.

DESIGN stage investigation of marine shaft systems usually comprises the evaluation of the following elements.