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Article
Publication date: 7 September 2021

Érico Marcon, Marlon Soliman, Wolfgang Gerstlberger and Alejandro G. Frank

As the level of implementation of Industry 4.0 increases, misalignments between adopted technologies and organizational factors may result in benefits below expected. This paper…

1631

Abstract

Purpose

As the level of implementation of Industry 4.0 increases, misalignments between adopted technologies and organizational factors may result in benefits below expected. This paper aims to analyze how organizational factors can contribute to a higher level of adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies. The paper uses a sociotechnical perspective lens to achieve this aim.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a sample of 231 manufacturing companies in Denmark, a leading country in Industry 4.0 readiness, the paper analyzes through cluster analysis and logistic regression whether the development of four sociotechnical dimensions – that is, Social, Technical, Work Organization and Environmental factors – in these companies can benefit the achievement of higher levels of Industry 4.0 technology adoption.

Findings

The results show that companies focused on the development of sociotechnical aspects generally present higher Industry 4.0 adoption levels. However, some sociotechnical factors are less supportive than others.

Originality/value

Based on these results, practitioners can plan the adoption of advanced technologies, using a systemic organizational view. This study provides evidence on a growing field with few empirical studies available. The paper contributes by providing an analysis of a leading country in Industry 4.0 implementation, presenting a systemic view on technology adoption in the Industry 4.0 context.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 33 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 August 2018

Néstor F. Ayala, Wolfgang Gerstlberger and Alejandro G. Frank

The purpose of this paper is to study service innovation in product companies (servitization) by considering the relationship (moderation) between product companies and service…

2358

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study service innovation in product companies (servitization) by considering the relationship (moderation) between product companies and service suppliers.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a relational view of the firm, the authors propose that there are three main business dimensions that product companies have to manage in servitization and that the support of service suppliers can moderate the effects of these dimensions on the benefits obtained from the product–service system (PSS) delivered. To test these hypotheses, the authors perform a cross-sectional quantitative survey in 104 Brazilian and Italian product companies.

Findings

The findings show that the three business dimensions are important for servitization while there is a trade-off decision regarding service suppliers’ support since suppliers act differently depending on the PSS orientation (product- or service-oriented).

Research limitations/implications

The work is limited to the analysis of what should change in a company during servitization and the impact of supplier’s support. Further research is needed to complement this study by analyzing the process and context of the organizational change.

Practical implications

The research contributes an understanding about how the benefits practitioners can obtain from servitization are strongly influenced by the support of service suppliers and how this influence depends on the PSS orientation of the product company.

Originality/value

This is one of the first quantitative studies to provide evidence of how service suppliers’ involvement affects different servitization business dimensions and the obtained benefits for both product- and service-oriented outputs.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 39 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 September 2011

Maria Urbaniec and Wolfgang Gerstlberger

The purpose of this paper is to outline and analyze the influence of environment‐oriented cooperation on innovations as the important factor for sustainable development. The…

1041

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to outline and analyze the influence of environment‐oriented cooperation on innovations as the important factor for sustainable development. The research question is how could environment‐oriented cooperation contribute to innovations in enterprises?

Design/methodology/approach

For empirical research, a mix of methods is to be selected. At first, the results are obtained qualitatively and validated quantitatively afterwards. Two cooperation cases are selected: industry‐related and intersectoral cooperation.

Findings

The paper explains the contribution of environment‐oriented cooperation to realize innovations by identification of the innovation‐relevant cooperation factors such as: heterogeneous constellation of the cooperation partners; specialist know‐how exchange; coordination; and importance of industry orientation. These factors are also necessary for the implementation of sustainability‐oriented innovation practices in a wider (economical, ecological and social) understanding.

Practical implications

The paper shows that an environment‐oriented cooperation with different actors – which is coordinated by experts and concentrated on industry specific as well as oriented on the interests of all actors – can definitely help to realize potentials of innovation.

Originality/value

Concerning the increasing role of cooperation for the creation and implementation of environmental innovations, substantial awareness gaps are still observed. The paper has tried to identify and analyze cooperation characteristics which influence the implementation of environmental innovations and therefore the sustainable development.

Details

Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, vol. 22 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7835

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 September 2013

Wolfgang Dieter Gerstlberger and Karsten Schneider

The purpose of this paper is to reduce the research gap in private sector participation in the Danish and German health systems, where empirical evidence is still very scarce…

1213

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to reduce the research gap in private sector participation in the Danish and German health systems, where empirical evidence is still very scarce compared with the impressive accumulation of similar literature in Anglo-Saxon countries.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on the findings of two case studies – one Danish and the other, a German hospital – the paper assesses the future potential of different private sector participation strategies in health care.

Findings

The assessment is that low-level private sector participation approaches such as outsourcing and concession models remain limited and specialised financing instruments for health care in Denmark and Germany due to legal restrictions and lesser importance being placed on operational financial savings and improved management than on achieving strategic goals. Furthermore, existing approaches do not necessarily prepare the ground for public-private partnerships.

Research limitations/implications

To date, longitudinal studies of private sector participation in health care are almost non-existent for continental Europe, yet critical for the assessment of the outcomes of long-term projects of ten to 40 years' duration. In addition, there is still a need for more international comparisons, especially for studies comparing more than two countries.

Originality/value

Case studies about private sector participation in health care with transnational European or international comparisons are very scarce. The paper, which compares two cases of a Danish and a German hospital, is therefore a contribution to reducing a relevant research gap. To date, private sector participation in the German health system, in particular, has rarely been discussed in international journal publications.

Details

International Journal of Public Sector Management, vol. 26 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3558

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 March 2022

Neeraj Sharma, Garima Sharma, Mahesh Joshi and Sharad Sharma

This study aims to examine the challenges posed by COVID-19 restrictions for audit processes in India and explore the perceptions of the profession on how technology was leveraged…

1922

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the challenges posed by COVID-19 restrictions for audit processes in India and explore the perceptions of the profession on how technology was leveraged to conduct audits during this period. The opinions of auditors on future changes in post-COVID-19 audit practices and processes are also explored.

Design/methodology/approach

Semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior auditors working in various audit firms in major business centers in India and subjected to content and thematic analysis using the institutional theory perspective.

Findings

The auditing profession used technology to respond to COVID-19-imposed disruptions of established audit process and practices while maintaining the legitimacy of audit reports. The findings indicate that auditors now seem to strongly support the integration of emerging technologies into their auditing practices post-COVID to ensure data accuracy and transparency. The interviewees displayed keen interest in continuing remote and in-person audits to maintain audit quality in the future. The experience of COVID-19 appears to have forced the auditing profession to overcome their reluctance to adopt technologies that were previously used by only Big 4 and large audit companies.

Practical implications

The results will be of particular interest to various stakeholders concerned with aspects of the acceptance of technology-assisted audit reports such as legitimacy, required infrastructure, cost involvement and resistance to change. The findings will also assist professional bodies and policymakers in both developed and developing economies in devising useful strategies to promote technology-aided auditing during and after COVID-19. Limitations posed by inadequate infrastructure and resistance to changes must be overcomed before implementation of technology-aided audits.

Originality/value

As COVID-19 pandemic is a recent phenomenon, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is one of the first few studies that have examined the use of technology to facilitate audits during the COVID-19 period, more specifically from a developing economy perspective.

Details

Managerial Auditing Journal, vol. 37 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0268-6902

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 February 2024

Emanuele Gabriel Margherita and Alessio Maria Braccini

This paper uses dialectical inquiry to explore tensions that arise when adopting Industry 4.0 technologies in a lean production system and their reconciliation mechanisms.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper uses dialectical inquiry to explore tensions that arise when adopting Industry 4.0 technologies in a lean production system and their reconciliation mechanisms.

Design/methodology/approach

We conducted an in-depth qualitative case study over a 3-year period on an Italian division of an international electrotechnical organisation that produces electrical switches. This organisation successfully adopted Industry 4.0 technologies in a lean production system. The study is based on primary data such as observations and semi-structured interviews, along with secondary data.

Findings

We identify four empirically validated dialectic tensions arising across different Industry 4.0 adoption stages due to managers’ and workers’ contrasting interpretations of technologies. Consequently, we define the related reconciliation mechanisms that allow the effective adoption of various Industry 4.0 technologies to support a lean production system.

Originality/value

This is the first empirical investigation of tensions in the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in a lean production system. Furthermore, the paper presents four theoretical propositions and a conceptual model describing which tensions arise during the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in a lean production system and the reconciliation mechanisms that prevent lean production system deterioration.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

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