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This study, based on construal level theory, aims to examine the influential mechanism of leader empowerment behaviour on employee creativity. Specifically, it examines the mediating role of cognitive flexibility between leader empowerment behaviour and employee creativity, along with the moderating effect of consideration of future consequences (CFC) on this linkage.

A two time-point survey study (n = 214) was conducted to collect information from leaders and employees in terms of mutual evaluation in several Chinese industries. To effectively avoid common source bias, this survey was conducted through pairing leaders and employees. During the survey, the supervisors and subordinates were double-blinded. Correlation analysis and hierarchical regression analysis were used to test the research hypotheses.

Firstly, leader empowerment behaviour can significantly predict employee creativity. Second, cognitive flexibility plays a partial mediating role in the linkage between leader empowerment behaviour and employee creativity. Thirdly, CFC moderates the relationship between leadership empowerment behaviour and cognitive flexibility. The mediating role of cognitive flexibility underlies the overall moderating effect of CFC on the relationship between leader empowerment behaviour and employee creativity.

We used construal level theory to explain the influence of the mechanism of leader empowerment behaviour on employee creativity. In this manner, this study bridges the gap between theory and practice, as well as enriching the research on leader empowerment behaviour and employee creativity, especially in the Chinese context. Moreover, our study has several practical managerial implications, based on the importance of employee creativity. It inspires the implementation of leader empowerment behaviour, cultivation of employee creativity and introduction of several procedures.

This paper discusses the influential mechanism of leader empowerment behaviour on employee creativity from a new perspective and explains the process of encouraging employee creativity through information-processing methods. It mainly highlights the application of construal level theory to discuss employee creativity and develops a new research frame for employee creativity. Leaders can raise employee creativity through leader empowerment behaviour.

This article has been withdrawn as it was published elsewhere and accidentally duplicated. The original article can be seen here: 10.1108/02635579410063252. When citing the article, please cite: Zhiwei Zhu, Paul H. Meredith, Supin Makboonprasith, (1994), “Defining Critical Elements in JIT Implementation: A Survey”, Industrial Management & Data Systems, Vol. 94 Iss: 5, pp. 3 - 10.

Outsourcing has become an important strategic tool in today’s competitive business environment. This paper describes the steps within four stages of outsourcing process: planning, developing, implementing and evaluation. The role of outsourcing being not only a cost‐saving method but also part of the overall management strategy to focus on core competitiveness is emphasized in the discussion. Additionally, the detailed steps and considerations that are required for successful implementation of an outsourcing effort are also addressed.

Total quality management is an approach to continuous organizational improvement, the goal of which is meeting customers’ needs. Two major TQM components are the use of statistical tools to help abolish non‐value‐added activities, and a change in managers’ behaviour, and from those who direct, are competitive, rely on rules, towards managers who lead, guide, co‐operate, focus on the process, view people as assets, and encourage variety, flexibility, etc. TQM programmes are not always effective; some focus more on statistical issues while others focus on more people issues. Examines the association of several variables used in TQM implementations in hospitals, manufacturing, and service organizations. Examines variables against two groupings of qualitative measures of TQM and quantitative measures of TQM. Depicts the successfulness of TQM and whether qualitative or quantitative measures are a determinant of this success. The research hypothesis is: TQM programmes are successful in organizations when their approach to TQM is based on the application of statistical process control tools/principles rather than solely on qualitative measures.

An extensive search of the literature showed no data on the payback times associated with moving to a total quality management (TQM) style of management. Given the company‐wide nature of the undertaking, and the fact that TQM conversion is generally considered to be a long‐term, difficult process, this finding was unexpected. A survey of manufacturing companies showed that the initial investment associated with shifting to TQM was recouped in one year for 42.3 per cent of the responding companies. Payback times were two years or less for 65.4 per cent of the companies and three years or less for 80.8 per cent of the companies. All companies that reported quantitative data expected their TQM efforts to be profitable eventually, if not already so. Thus, despite the substantial training, reorganization and systems modification costs, initial TQM investments are being paid back within a time frame similar to that for other large financial undertakings. The lack of financially unfavourable TQM programmes among the survey respondents suggests that the probability of financial success is high.

The paper aims to illustrate the business process of reverse logistics by focusing on studying the business activities of the distribution center of a major department store.

The case study methodology is used to explore three questions: what are the essential characteristics and associated requirements underlying reverse logistics?, how should the practices underlying reverse logistics be adjusted to address cost minimization and value generation?, and what role does information sharing play in defining the reach, range and cohesiveness of central returns center (CRC) of supply chain members in reverse logistics?

The paper finds that the biggest problem a CRC is facing is the time required for managing damages when no return authorization is forthcoming from the vendor. The goal of the CRC is to maximize the amount of merchandise, which is shipped back to the vendor for full recovery. While information flow within the firm seems to be more than adequate, information flow to supply chain partners, especially where decisions need to be made, is not always adequate.

The paper provides the detailed description of the business process in reverse logistics practiced by a major retailer. The outcome of this study contributes to the understanding of what has been done in reverse logistics and what needs to be done in future.

Describes the application of the Group Technology concept in scheduling industrial bag production in a woven products division of a bag manufacturer. The labour assignments, determined through a linear goal programming model, minimize unbalanced workloads among the operations. This study shows a new application area of the Group Technology concept which leads to a better solution of labour assignments and provides management with valuable information essential to the development of a strategic competitive advantage.

The banking and thrift industries are experiencing a technological metamorphosis. New technologies such as advanced computer operating systems, wide and local area networks (WAN, LAN), and the Internet, are becoming significant strategic areas for financial institutions. The impact, composition, and trends of information technology on the banking and thrift institutions within a seven‐state region of the southeastern United States are examined. Bank characteristics such as asset size, number of employees, number of full service locations, areas of lending, and return on assets are evaluated in relation to the status, scope, and experience with computer network systems. Research indicates that a number of bank composition and operations variables behaved statistically independent between size variables (assets, number of employees, and number of branches) and WAN access. The survey data also indicate that return on assets and network system variables are independent. Therefore, networks systems have not had a direct impact on the bottom line.

Several studies indicate that a JIT implementation process is contingent and a kind of “do‐it‐yourself‐procedure”. Addresses the issue of JIT implementation by integrating the findings from recently published articles from a number of professional journals. The conclusion strongly supports the notion that a JIT implementation process is contingent in nature. Despite a great diversity of elements mentioned in the JIT implementation articles, the quality‐related, the vendor‐related, and the production‐related practices seem to play an important role in JIT implementation. Also, there is an increasing number of articles that specifically deal with the human‐related practices such as communication and co‐worker relations.

Provide a new technique for forecasting parts usage in remanufacturing operations and describe its application to oil field equipment operations.

New “correlated forecasting preprocessing” equations were derived for extracting additional information from a matrix of historical parts usage data. They were applied to both synthetic data and actual data from a large oil field remanufacturer.

The new equations were effective in extracting the necessary pre‐forecasting data from both synthetic and actual data sets. The key to effective preprocessing is using the correlation information from the entire parts usage matrix rather than just rely on bill of materials relationships.

Accurate forecasting is vital to manufacturing at all levels of aggregation from the smallest part to the entire facility and for all planning horizons from days to years. Forecasting is an operations manager's first line of defense in inventory control. The addition of a preprocessing step makes the application of traditional forecasting methods yield significantly better results.

The concept of using the partial correlations present in a parts usage matrix, instead of attempting to apply bill of material relationships, is new. The resulting preprocessing equations are new. The value of improved forecasting is that it directly impacts manufacturing profitability.