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1 – 10 of 29Samuel Foli, Susanne Durst and Serdal Temel
Acknowledging, on the one hand, the increasing fragility of supply chains and the number of risks involved in supply chain operations and, on the other hand, the role of small…
Abstract
Purpose
Acknowledging, on the one hand, the increasing fragility of supply chains and the number of risks involved in supply chain operations and, on the other hand, the role of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in supply chains and the high exposure of these firms to risks of different types, this study aims to examine the relationship between supply chain risk management (SCRM) and innovation performance in SMEs. Furthermore, the impact of technological turbulence on this relationship was studied to take into account recent technological changes.
Design/methodology/approach
Structural equation modelling was carried out on a sample of Turkish SMEs to test the hypotheses developed.
Findings
The findings presented allow the authors to better understand the link between SCRM and innovation performance in SMEs. More precisely, empirical evidence is provided about the impact of SCRM components such as maturity and ability on innovation performance. Furthermore, the findings show the impact of technological turbulence on both SCRM and innovation performance.
Originality/value
By focusing on SCRM in SMEs, this paper contributes to the body of knowledge with regard to SCRM in general and with regard to SMEs in particular; research on the latter has only started recently. Moreover, by having studied SMEs from a developing country (other than China), this paper helps to develop a broader and more diverse perspective of SCRM.
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Lina Gharaibeh, Sandra Matarneh, Kristina Eriksson and Björn Lantz
This study aims to present a state-of-the-art review of building information modelling (BIM) in the Swedish construction practice with a focus on wood construction. It focuses on…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to present a state-of-the-art review of building information modelling (BIM) in the Swedish construction practice with a focus on wood construction. It focuses on examining the extent, maturity and actual practices of BIM in the Swedish wood construction industry, by analysing practitioners’ perspectives on the current state of BIM and its perceived benefits.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach was selected, given the study’s exploratory character. Initially, an extensive review was undertaken to examine the current state of BIM utilisation and its associated advantages within the construction industry. Subsequently, empirical data were acquired through semi-structured interviews featuring open-ended questions, aimed at comprehensively assessing the prevailing extent of BIM integration within the Swedish wood construction sector.
Findings
The research concluded that the wood construction industry in Sweden is shifting towards BIM on different levels, where in some cases, the level of implementation is still modest. It should be emphasised that the wood construction industry in Sweden is not realising the full potential of BIM. The industry is still using a combination of BIM and traditional methods, thus, limiting the benefits that full BIM implementation could offer the industry.
Originality/value
This study provided empirical evidence on the current perceptions and state of practice of the Swedish wood construction industry regarding BIM maturity.
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Linda Salma Angreani, Annas Vijaya and Hendro Wicaksono
A maturity model for Industry 4.0 (I4.0 MM) with influencing factors is designed to address maturity issues in adopting Industry 4.0. Standardisation in I4.0 supports…
Abstract
Purpose
A maturity model for Industry 4.0 (I4.0 MM) with influencing factors is designed to address maturity issues in adopting Industry 4.0. Standardisation in I4.0 supports manufacturing industry transformation, forming reference architecture models (RAMs). This paper aligns key factors and maturity levels in I4.0 MMs with reputable I4.0 RAMs to enhance strategy for I4.0 transformation and implementation.
Design/methodology/approach
Three steps of alignment consist of the systematic literature review (SLR) method to study the current published high-quality I4.0 MMs, the taxonomy development of I4.0 influencing factors by adapting and implementing the categorisation of system theories and aligning I4.0 MMs with RAMs.
Findings
The study discovered that different I4.0 MMs lead to varied organisational interpretations. Challenges and insights arise when aligning I4.0 MMs with RAMs. Aligning MM levels with RAM stages is a crucial milestone in the journey toward I4.0 transformation. Evidence indicates that I4.0 MMs and RAMs often overlook the cultural domain.
Research limitations/implications
Findings contribute to the literature on aligning capabilities with implementation strategies while employing I4.0 MMs and RAMs. We use five RAMs (RAMI4.0, NIST-SME, IMSA, IVRA and IIRA), and as a common limitation in SLR, there could be a subjective bias in reading and selecting literature.
Practical implications
To fully leverage the capabilities of RAMs as part of the I4.0 implementation strategy, companies should initiate the process by undertaking a thorough needs assessment using I4.0 MMs.
Originality/value
The novelty of this paper lies in being the first to examine the alignment of I4.0 MMs with established RAMs. It offers valuable insights for improving I4.0 implementation strategies, especially for companies using both MMs and RAMs in their transformation efforts.
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Subhanjan Sengupta, Sonal Choudhary, Raymond Obayi and Rakesh Nayak
This study aims to explore how sustainable business models (SBM) can be developed within agri-innovation systems (AIS) and emphasize an integration of the two with a systemic…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore how sustainable business models (SBM) can be developed within agri-innovation systems (AIS) and emphasize an integration of the two with a systemic understanding for reducing food loss and value loss in postharvest agri-food supply chain.
Design/methodology/approach
This study conducted longitudinal qualitative research in a developing country with food loss challenges in the postharvest supply chain. This study collected data through multiple rounds of fieldwork, interviews and focus groups over four years. Thematic analysis and “sensemaking” were used for inductive data analysis to generate rich contextual knowledge by drawing upon the lived realities of the agri-food supply chain actors.
Findings
First, this study finds that the value losses are varied in the supply chain, encompassing production value, intrinsic value, extrinsic value, market value, institutional value and future food value. This happens through two cumulative effects including multiplier losses, where losses in one model cascade into others, amplifying their impact and stacking losses, where the absence of data stacks or infrastructure pools hampers the realisation of food value. Thereafter, this study proposes four strategies for moving from the loss-incurring current business model to a networked SBM for mitigating losses. This emphasises the need to redefine ownership as stewardship, enable formal and informal beneficiary identification, strengthen value addition and build capacities for empowering communities to benefit from networked SBM with AIS initiatives. Finally, this study puts forth ten propositions for future research in aligning AIS with networked SBM.
Originality/value
This study contributes to understanding the interplay between AIS and SBM; emphasising the integration of the two to effectively address food loss challenges in the early stages of agri-food supply chains. The identified strategies and research propositions provide implications for researchers and practitioners seeking to accelerate sustainable practices for reducing food loss and waste in agri-food supply chains.
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Renata Konrad, Solomiya Sorokotyaha and Daniel Walker
Conflict and violence are the main drivers of globally escalating humanitarian needs. Local grassroots initiatives are pivotal in distributing humanitarian supplies in the acute…
Abstract
Purpose
Conflict and violence are the main drivers of globally escalating humanitarian needs. Local grassroots initiatives are pivotal in distributing humanitarian supplies in the acute response phase until more established humanitarian aid organizations can enter. Nevertheless, scant research exists regarding the role of grassroots associations in providing humanitarian assistance during a military conflict. The purpose of this paper is to understand the role of grassroots associations and identify important themes for effective operations.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts a case-study approach of three Ukrainian grassroots associations that began operating in the immediate days of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The findings are based on analyzing primary sources, including interviews with Ukrainian volunteers, and are supported by secondary sources.
Findings
Grassroots associations have local contacts and a contextual understanding of population needs and can respond more rapidly and effectively than large intergovernmental agencies. Four critical themes regarding the operations of grassroots associations emerged: information management, inventory management, coordination and performance measurement. Grassroots humanitarian response operations during conflict are challenged by personal security risks, the unpredictability of unsolicited supplies, emerging volunteer roles, dynamic transportation routes and shifting demands.
Originality/value
Grassroots responses are central to humanitarian responses during the acute phase of a military conflict. By examining the operations of grassroots associations in the early months of the 2022 war in Ukraine, the authors provide a unique perspective on humanitarian logistics. Nonetheless, more inclusive models of humanitarian responses are needed to harness the capacities and resilience of grassroots operations in practice.
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Aleš Zebec and Mojca Indihar Štemberger
Although businesses continue to take up artificial intelligence (AI), concerns remain that companies are not realising the full value of their investments. The study aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
Although businesses continue to take up artificial intelligence (AI), concerns remain that companies are not realising the full value of their investments. The study aims to provide insights into how AI creates business value by investigating the mediating role of Business Process Management (BPM) capabilities.
Design/methodology/approach
The integrative model of IT Business Value was contextualised, and structural equation modelling was applied to validate the proposed serial multiple mediation model using a sample of 448 organisations based in the EU.
Findings
The results validate the proposed serial multiple mediation model according to which AI adoption increases organisational performance through decision-making and business process performance. Process automation, organisational learning and process innovation are significant complementary partial mediators, thereby shedding light on how AI creates business value.
Research limitations/implications
In pursuing a complex nomological framework, multiple perspectives on realising business value from AI investments were incorporated. Several moderators presenting complementary organisational resources (e.g. culture, digital maturity, BPM maturity) could be included to identify behaviour in more complex relationships. The ethical and moral issues surrounding AI and its use could also be examined.
Practical implications
The provided insights can help guide organisations towards the most promising AI activities of process automation with AI-enabled decision-making, organisational learning and process innovation to yield business value.
Originality/value
While previous research assumed a moderated relationship, this study extends the growing literature on AI business value by empirically investigating a comprehensive nomological network that links AI adoption to organisational performance in a BPM setting.
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Italo Cesidio Fantozzi, Sebastiano Di Luozzo and Massimiliano Maria Schiraldi
The purpose of the study is to identify the soft skills and abilities that are crucial to success in the fields of operations management (OM) and supply chain management (SCM)…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to identify the soft skills and abilities that are crucial to success in the fields of operations management (OM) and supply chain management (SCM), using the O*NET database and the classification of a set of professional figures integrating values for task skills and abilities needed to operate successfully in these professions.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used the O*NET database to identify the soft skills and abilities required for success in OM and SCM industries. Correlation analysis was conducted to determine the tasks required for the job roles and their characteristics in terms of abilities and soft skills. ANOVA analysis was used to validate the findings. The study aims to help companies define specific assessments and tests for OM and SCM roles to measure individual attitudes and correlate them with the job position.
Findings
As a result of the work, a set of soft skills and abilities was defined that allow, through correlation analysis, to explain a large number of activities required to work in the operations and SCM (OSCM) environment.
Research limitations/implications
The work is inherently affected by the database used for the professional figures mapped and the scores that are attributed within O*NET to the analyzed elements.
Practical implications
The information resulting from this study can help companies develop specific assessments and tests for the roles of OM and SCM to measure individual attitudes and correlate them with the requirements of the job position. The study aims to address the need to identify soft skills in the human sphere and determine which of them have the most significant impact on the OM and SCM professions.
Originality/value
The originality of this study lies in its approach to identify the set of soft skills and abilities that determine success in the OM and SCM industries. The study used the O*NET database to correlate the tasks required for specific job roles with their corresponding soft skills and abilities. Furthermore, the study used ANOVA analysis to validate the findings in other sectors mapped by the same database. The identified soft skills and abilities can help companies develop specific assessments and tests for OM and SCM roles to measure individual attitudes and correlate them with the requirements of the job position. In addressing the necessity for enhanced clarity in the domain of human factor, this study contributes to identifying key success factors. Subsequent research can further investigate their practical application within companies to formulate targeted growth strategies and make appropriate resource selections for vacant positions.
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The purpose of this study is to contribute to the debate on the impact of organizational culture and national culture on green supply chain management (GSCM) adoption by…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to contribute to the debate on the impact of organizational culture and national culture on green supply chain management (GSCM) adoption by empirically testing the developed framework, and ultimately pave the way toward potential areas for future research.
Design/methodology/approach
Using survey data from a sample of Moroccan manufacturing firms, 130 responses were collected and analyzed using SPSS 25 and Smart PLS v 3.3.3 software. The paper used a convenience sample, as it is required by the quantitative method, which legitimate making generalization under certain conditions.
Findings
The research results indicated that the national culture does not influence the GSCM implementation. The results contradict a number of prior works. As for the second direct effect measured postulated that organizational culture has a direct and significant impact on the GSCM. The results indicate that adhocracy culture, clan culture and hierarchical culture have a positive impact on the implementation of GSCM initiatives. To assess the impact of ownership type on GSCM, we underlined the difference between local and foreign firms. In fact, as argued, the foreign firms are more implementing GSCM initiatives than local firms do. Based on the arguments advanced on prior literature, the firm size does, as expected, exert significant control over the adoption of GSCM initiatives.
Research limitations/implications
The paper here is a starting point to understand how environmental sustainability and culture are interlinked; further research might contribute to this topic by empirically testing the model in similar or different contexts, using different cultural frameworks.
Practical implications
The practical implications for the paper are related to the necessity of adopting adequate organizational culture to build responsible behaviors for GSCM adoption by Moroccan firms. Recognizing the powerful role of organizational culture as a crucial factor responsible for GSCM’s success beyond the well-defined corporate strategies, including market presence and technological advantages, etc.
Social implications
This paper contributes to the establishment of codependent links between sociology and management fields as it helps to update the social theories present in the operations management area.
Originality/value
To the best of the author’s knowledge, few works have pursued to review and bridge cultural theories with the GSCM implementation.
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Emilia Kääriä and Ahm Shamsuzzoha
This study is focused to support an ongoing development project of the case company's current state and the challenges of the order-to-cash (O2C) process. The O2C process is the…
Abstract
Purpose
This study is focused to support an ongoing development project of the case company's current state and the challenges of the order-to-cash (O2C) process. The O2C process is the most visible process to the customer, and therefore, its punctual and fluent order management is vital. It is observed that the high degree of manual work in the O2C process causes mistakes, delays and rework in the process. The purpose of this article is therefore to analyze the case company's current state of the O2C process as well as to identify the areas of development in this process by deploying the means of Lean Six Sigma tools such as value stream mapping (VSM).
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted as a mix of quantitative and qualitative analysis. Based on both the quantitative and qualitative data, a workshop on VSM was organized to analyze the current state of the O2C process of a case company, engaged in the energy and environment sector in Finland.
Findings
The results found that excessive manual work was highly connected to inadequate or incorrect data in pricing and invoicing activities, which resulted in canceled invoices. Canceled invoices are visible to the customer and have a negative impact on the customer experience. This study found that by improving the performance of the O2C process activities and improving communication among the internal and external stakeholders, the whole O2C process can perform more effectively and provide better customer value.
Originality/value
The O2C process is the most visible process to the customer and therefore its punctual and fluent order management is vital. To ensure that the O2C process is operating as desired, suitable process performance metrics need to be aligned and followed. The results gathered from the case company's data, questionnaire interviews, and the VSM workshop are all highlighted in this study. The main practical and managerial implications were to understand the real-time O2C process performance, which is necessary to ensure strong performance and enhance continuous improvement of the O2C process that leads to operational excellence and commercial competitiveness of the studied case company.
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Marcos Dieste, Guido Orzes, Giovanna Culot, Marco Sartor and Guido Nassimbeni
A positive outlook on the impact of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) on sustainability prevails in the literature. However, some studies have highlighted potential areas of concern that have…
Abstract
Purpose
A positive outlook on the impact of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) on sustainability prevails in the literature. However, some studies have highlighted potential areas of concern that have not yet been systematically addressed. The goal of this study is to challenge the assumption of a sustainable Fourth Industrial Revolution by (1) identifying the possible unintended negative impacts of I4.0 technologies on sustainability; (2) highlighting the underlying motivations and potential actions to mitigate such impacts; and (3) developing and evaluating alternative assumptions on the impacts of I4.0 technologies on sustainability.
Design/methodology/approach
Building on a problematization approach, a systematic literature review was conducted to develop potential alternative assumptions about the negative impacts of I4.0 on sustainability. Then, a Delphi study was carried out with 43 experts from academia and practice to evaluate the alternative assumptions. Two rounds of data collection were performed until reaching the convergence or stability of the responses.
Findings
The results highlight various unintended negative effects on environmental and social aspects that challenge the literature. The reasons behind the high/low probability of occurrence, the severity of each impact in the next five years and corrective actions are also identified. Unintended negative environmental effects are less controversial than social effects and are therefore more likely to generate widely accepted theoretical propositions. Finally, the alternative hypothesis ground is partially accepted by the panel, indicating that the problematization process has effectively opened up new perspectives for analysis.
Originality/value
This study is one of the few to systematically problematize the assumptions of the I4.0 and sustainability literature, generating research propositions that reveal several avenues for future research.
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