Acceptability of Lean Six Sigma in a developing economy:results from exploratory research in Nigerian consulting companies

The application of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) varies in different regions of the world in terms of both level of understanding and acceptability. Employing a qualitative methodological approach, this paper aims to explore factors hindering the acceptability of the LSS initiative in organizations and list factors required for successful application and implementation in a developing economy from the perspective of LSS consultants. Using Nigeria as a case study, primary data were collected though a number of semi-structured interviews with representatives of leading continuous improvement consultancy firms in Nigeria. Finding draws out links between major factors such as drivers and motivation, LSS performance, marketability and challenges to the acceptability and applicability of LSS in Nigeria. Further findings highlight major factors such as lack of management buy-in, level of awareness, certification driven market, Nigerian environment and culture, etc as problems that hinder successful implementation of LSS in Nigeria. This paper contributes to the theoretical foundation of critical success factors required for the implementation of Lean Six Sigma, with results from the experience of a developing economy.

Üzleti teljesítménymérés a sportban, - avagy miként segítheti a sportszervezetek vezetőit a Balanced Scorecard koncepció a stratégia szerinti működésben = Measuring Business Performance in Sports - How the Balanced Scorecard approach can help sports organisations in operating along strategic objectives

Napjainkban egyre nagyobb figyelem fordul a sporttevékenység társadalmi hasznosságára, ugyanakkor számos sportszervezet a túléléséért küzd. A legtöbb sportszervezetnél a sportteljesítmény mérése dominál, s viszonylag kevés figyelmet fordítanak az üzleti teljesítmény és az ezt befolyásoló tényezők mérésére, annak ellenére, hogy a vezetők tudatában vannak a sportteljesítmény és az üzleti teljesítmény kölcsönös összefüggésével. A sportteljesítményt a fogyasztói elégedettségen keresztül bevételre kell váltani, illetve biztosítani kell a finanszírozási forrásokat (gondolhatunk akár a játékosok fizetésére) a megfelelő sportteljesítmény eléréséhez. A sportszervezetek vezetőinek át kell látniuk a sportteljesítmény és az üzleti teljesítmény összefüggéseit, és azonosítaniuk kell a kritikus értékteremtő tényezőket. Ehhez adhat egy megfelelő gondolkodási keretet a Balanced Scorecard alkalmazása. Tanulmányunkban egy rövid áttekintést adunk a Balanced Scorecard alkalmazásának előnyeiről és kihívásairól a non-profit szervezetek esetében, majd egy magyarországi kézilabda klubnál készített esettanulmány segítségével megvizsgáljuk a BSC alkalmazási lehetőségét a sportkluboknál. _____ While performance measurement in the sport industry has a traditionally strong focus on sports results, commercial success of sports clubs needs to gain more ground. Sports results should generate market revenues, by satisfying customer needs, and allow continued investment in the further improvement of sports success (i.e. more funds for player transfers and wages). Club managers need to understand the complex relationship between on-field and off-the-field success, and identify critical success factors for achieving strategic objectives. The Balanced Scorecard approach provides a plausible framework for such analysis. Our paper explains the challenges of and opportunities for implementing a Balanced Scorecard system in non-profit organisations, and provides insights into its application in professional sport through an in-depth case study of a handball club in Hungary. We conclude by providing a model for managing sports organisations in line with strategic objectives, balancing out stakeholder expectations for both sports results and commercial success.

Fatores críticos de sucesso como antecedentes da aceitação de um sistema de informação em uma universidade federal

In recent decades the public sector comes under pressure in order to improve its performance. The use of Information Technology (IT) has been a tool increasingly used in reaching that goal. Thus, it has become an important issue in public organizations, particularly in institutions of higher education, determine which factors influence the acceptance and use of technology, impacting on the success of its implementation and the desired organizational results. The Technology Acceptance Model - TAM was used as the basis for this study and is based on the constructs perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. However, when it comes to integrated management systems due to the complexity of its implementation,organizational factors were added to thus seek further explanation of the acceptance of such systems. Thus, added to the model five TAM constructs related to critical success factors in implementing ERP systems, they are: support of top management, communication, training, cooperation, and technological complexity (BUENO and SALMERON, 2008). Based on the foregoing, launches the following research problem: What factors influence the acceptance and use of SIE / module academic at the Federal University of Para, from the users' perception of teachers and technicians? The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of organizational factors, and behavioral antecedents of behavioral intention to use the SIE / module academic UFPA in the perspective of teachers and technical users. This is applied research, exploratory and descriptive, quantitative with the implementation of a survey, and data collection occurred through a structured questionnaire applied to a sample of 229 teachers and 30 technical and administrative staff. Data analysis was carried out through descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling with the technique of partial least squares (PLS). Effected primarily to assess the measurement model, which were verified reliability, convergent and discriminant validity for all indicators and constructs. Then the structural model was analyzed using the bootstrap resampling technique like. In assessing statistical significance, all hypotheses were supported. The coefficient of determination (R ²) was high or average in five of the six endogenous variables, so the model explains 47.3% of the variation in behavioral intention. It is noteworthy that among the antecedents of behavioral intention (BI) analyzed in this study, perceived usefulness is the variable that has a greater effect on behavioral intention, followed by ease of use (PEU) and attitude (AT). Among the organizational aspects (critical success factors) studied technological complexity (TC) and training (ERT) were those with greatest effect on behavioral intention to use, although these effects were lower than those produced by behavioral factors (originating from TAM). It is pointed out further that the support of senior management (TMS) showed, among all variables, the least effect on the intention to use (BI) and was followed by communications (COM) and cooperation (CO), which exert a low effect on behavioral intention (BI). Therefore, as other studies on the TAM constructs were adequate for the present research. Thus, the study contributed towards proving evidence that the Technology Acceptance Model can be applied to predict the acceptance of integrated management systems, even in public. Keywords: Technology

Promoting Investment and Increasing Employment among the Economically Inactive - A Review of Best Practice.

Final report to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Northern Ireland. This report sets out the findings from a study into strategies that link the promotion of investment and the employment of economically inactive groups. The aim is to ascertain current practice in 10 relevant countries (Australia; Belgium; Denmark; Finland; Germany; the Netherlands; New Zealand; Slovenia; Spain; USA plus Great Britain) and their transferability to the Northern Ireland (NI) policy and labour market context. The study was carried out by the Employment Research Institute at Edinburgh Napier University on behalf of the Department of Trade, Enterprise and Investment in NI (DETI). The study describes cases of good practice in securing investment in areas, sectors and occupations that provide accessible entry-level positions for economically inactive groups. It seeks to identify the ‘critical success factors’ common to effective strategies, drawing out lessons for future Northern Ireland policy. In this study ‘Investment’ includes foreign direct investment (FDI) and private investment that expands the ‘export’ capacity of the NI economy (i.e. excluding investment aimed at the NI market). ‘Economically inactive’ people are those excluded or seriously at risk of exclusion from the labour market.

Activity-based life cycle costing model for cost estimation and monitoring – Case: manned and autonomous dry bulk carrier

Recent developments in automation, robotics and artificial intelligence have given a push to a wider usage of these technologies in recent years, and nowadays, driverless transport systems are already state-of-the-art on certain legs of transportation. This has given a push for the maritime industry to join the advancement. The case organisation, AAWA initiative, is a joint industry-academia research consortium with the objective of developing readiness for the first commercial autonomous solutions, exploiting state-of-the-art autonomous and remote technology. The initiative develops both autonomous and remote operation technology for navigation, machinery, and all on-board operating systems. The aim of this study is to develop a model with which to estimate and forecast the operational costs, and thus enable comparisons between manned and autonomous cargo vessels. The building process of the model is also described and discussed. Furthermore, the model’s aim is to track and identify the critical success factors of the chosen ship design, and to enable monitoring and tracking of the incurred operational costs as the life cycle of the vessel progresses. The study adopts the constructive research approach, as the aim is to develop a construct to meet the needs of a case organisation. Data has been collected through discussions and meeting with consortium members and researchers, as well as through written and internal communications material. The model itself is built using activity-based life cycle costing, which enables both realistic cost estimation and forecasting, as well as the identification of critical success factors due to the process-orientation adopted from activity-based costing and the statistical nature of Monte Carlo simulation techniques. As the model was able to meet the multiple aims set for it, and the case organisation was satisfied with it, it could be argued that activity-based life cycle costing is the method with which to conduct cost estimation and forecasting in the case of autonomous cargo vessels. The model was able to perform the cost analysis and forecasting, as well as to trace the critical success factors. Later on, it also enabled, albeit hypothetically, monitoring and tracking of the incurred costs. By collecting costs this way, it was argued that the activity-based LCC model is able facilitate learning from and continuous improvement of the autonomous vessel. As with the building process of the model, an individual approach was chosen, while still using the implementation and model building steps presented in existing literature. This was due to two factors: the nature of the model and – perhaps even more importantly – the nature of the case organisation. Furthermore, the loosely organised network structure means that knowing the case organisation and its aims is of great importance when conducting a constructive research.

Fatores críticos de sucesso como antecedentes da aceitação de um sistema de informação em uma universidade federal

In recent decades the public sector comes under pressure in order to improve its performance. The use of Information Technology (IT) has been a tool increasingly used in reaching that goal. Thus, it has become an important issue in public organizations, particularly in institutions of higher education, determine which factors influence the acceptance and use of technology, impacting on the success of its implementation and the desired organizational results. The Technology Acceptance Model - TAM was used as the basis for this study and is based on the constructs perceived usefulness and perceived ease of use. However, when it comes to integrated management systems due to the complexity of its implementation,organizational factors were added to thus seek further explanation of the acceptance of such systems. Thus, added to the model five TAM constructs related to critical success factors in implementing ERP systems, they are: support of top management, communication, training, cooperation, and technological complexity (BUENO and SALMERON, 2008). Based on the foregoing, launches the following research problem: What factors influence the acceptance and use of SIE / module academic at the Federal University of Para, from the users' perception of teachers and technicians? The purpose of this study was to identify the influence of organizational factors, and behavioral antecedents of behavioral intention to use the SIE / module academic UFPA in the perspective of teachers and technical users. This is applied research, exploratory and descriptive, quantitative with the implementation of a survey, and data collection occurred through a structured questionnaire applied to a sample of 229 teachers and 30 technical and administrative staff. Data analysis was carried out through descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling with the technique of partial least squares (PLS). Effected primarily to assess the measurement model, which were verified reliability, convergent and discriminant validity for all indicators and constructs. Then the structural model was analyzed using the bootstrap resampling technique like. In assessing statistical significance, all hypotheses were supported. The coefficient of determination (R ²) was high or average in five of the six endogenous variables, so the model explains 47.3% of the variation in behavioral intention. It is noteworthy that among the antecedents of behavioral intention (BI) analyzed in this study, perceived usefulness is the variable that has a greater effect on behavioral intention, followed by ease of use (PEU) and attitude (AT). Among the organizational aspects (critical success factors) studied technological complexity (TC) and training (ERT) were those with greatest effect on behavioral intention to use, although these effects were lower than those produced by behavioral factors (originating from TAM). It is pointed out further that the support of senior management (TMS) showed, among all variables, the least effect on the intention to use (BI) and was followed by communications (COM) and cooperation (CO), which exert a low effect on behavioral intention (BI). Therefore, as other studies on the TAM constructs were adequate for the present research. Thus, the study contributed towards proving evidence that the Technology Acceptance Model can be applied to predict the acceptance of integrated management systems, even in public. Keywords: Technology

Logística humanitaria: seguridad agroalimentaria

Actualmente la relación que existe entre la logística humanitaria y la seguridad agroalimentaria es muy estrecha, estos dos conceptos constituyen un elemento sumamente importante en situaciones que se presentan hoy en día a nivel mundial, como por ejemplo en los diferentes tipos de desastres naturales como terremotos, tsunamis, sequías, hambrunas, entre otros, o simplemente, en zonas de alta pobreza. La logística humanitaria es hoy en día un concepto novedoso que nace de la necesidad de poder suministrar los recursos adecuados en zonas que han sido afectadas por desastres naturales, o situaciones de orden público, como por ejemplo los conflictos armados. Estos recursos deben asegurarle a la población afectada que puedan mantener a lo largo de un tiempo sus necesidades básicas, y así mismo, que estos recursos aseguren a la población afectada que puedan tener una vida digna y segura, lo que conlleva entre otras cosas, tener una seguridad agroalimentaria. A medida que se presentan diferentes escenarios de desastres naturales, la ayuda humanitaria a nivel mundial es necesaria, y el tiempo de respuesta juega un papel sumamente importante. En consecuencia, esta investigación presenta un enfoque que involucra los conceptos de logística humanitaria y de seguridad agroalimentaria, con el fin de contextualizar su evolución y los estudios que se llevan a cabo hoy en día.

Critical factors for successful housing reconstruction projects following a major disaster

Post–disaster reconstruction projects are often considered ineffectual or unproductive because on many occasions in the past they have performed extremely poorly during post-contract occupation, or have failed altogether to deliver acceptable outcomes. In some cases, these projects have already failed even before their completion, leading many sponsor aid organisations to hold these projects up as examples of how not to deliver housing reconstruction. Research into some previous unsuccessful projects has revealed that often the lack of adequate knowledge regarding the context and complexity involved in the implementation of these projects is generally responsible for their failure. Post-disaster reconstruction projects are certainly very complex in nature, often very context-specific and they can vary widely in magnitude. Despite such complexity, reconstruction projects can still have a high likelihood of success if adequate consideration is given to the importance of factors which are known to positively influence reconstruction efforts. Good outcomes can be achieved when planners and practitioners ensure best practices are embedded in the design of reconstruction projects at the time reconstruction projects they are first instigated. This paper outlines and discusses factors that significantly contribute to the successful delivery of post-disaster housing reconstruction projects.

Case study analysis of six sigma in Singapore service organizations

This paper presents a Six Sigma case study analysis involving three service organizations of Singapore. The organizations are a local hospital, a construction and related engineering service, and a consultancy service. These organizations embarked on their Six Sigma journey around 2003-2004. Though the hospital was slightly ahead than the other two in beginning Six Sigma. These organizations have since achieved significant service improvements through implementation of Six Sigma to their different divisions. Through a series of structured interviews with Six Sigma project champions, team leaders, and members; project reports; public archives; and observations; this study explores the Six Sigma journey of these organizations. The results portray a list of success factors which led to the Six Sigma initiatives, the process of Six Sigma implementation through proper identification of critical-to-quality characteristics, tools and techniques, and the performance indicators which display the improvements due to Six Sigma.

Success and failure factors of shared services : an IS literature analysis

Organizations seeking improvements in their performance are increasingly exploring alternative models and approaches for providing support services; one such approach being Shared Services. Because of the possible consequential impact of Shared Services on organizations, and given that information systems (IS) is both an enabler of Shared Services (for other functional areas) as well as a promising area for Shared Services application, Shared Services is an important area for research in the IS field. Though Shared Services has been extensively adopted on the promise of economies of scale and scope, factors of Shared Services success (or failure) have received little research attention. This paper reports the distillation of success and failure factors of Shared Services from an IS perspective. Employing NVIVO and content analysis of 158 selected articles, 9 key success factors and 5 failure factors are identified, suggesting important implications for practice and further research.

Critical factors for sustainable reconstruction of post natural disasters

While scientists are still debating the level of climate change impact to new weather patterns, there have been some devastating natural disasters worldwide in the last decade. From cyclones to earthquakes and from Tsunamis to landslides, these disasters occur with formidable forces and crushing effects. As one of the most important arrangements to erase the negative influence of natural disasters and help with the recovery and redevelopment of the hit area, reconstruction is of utmost importance in light of sustainable objectives. However, current reconstruction practice confronts quite a lot of criticisms for focusing on providing short-term necessities. How to conduct the post disaster reconstruction in a long-term perspective and achieve sustainable development is thereby a highlight for industry practice and research. This paper introduced an on-going research project which is aimed at establishing an operational framework for improving sustainability performance of post disaster reconstruction by identifying critical sustainable factors and exploring their internal relationships. The research reported in this paper is part of the project. After a comprehensive literature review, 17 potential critical sustainability factors for post disaster reconstruction were identified. Preliminary examination and discussion of the factors was conducted.

Incidence of febrile neutropenia and neutropenic infections in elderly patients receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy for breast cancer without primary prophylaxis with colony-stimulating factors

There is concern about the potential increase of hematological toxicity in elderly patients treated with chemotherapy. Recently, primary prophylaxis with colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) was proposed for elderly patients receiving moderately toxic chemotherapy. However, evidence for the benefits of this primary prophylaxis for elderly breast cancer patients is currently lacking. We retrospectively analyzed the incidence of febrile neutropenia (FN) and neutropenic infections in elderly breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy without primary prophylaxis with colony-stimulating factors. In addition, we assessed the direct costs of hospitalization for these complications. Febrile neutropenia or neutropenic infection occurred in 13% of the 46 patients. Further studies are needed to adequately evaluate the risk of neutropenic complications (NC) in elderly patients receiving standard-dose chemotherapy for breast cancer and the potential benefits of primary prophylaxis with colony-stimulating factors. © 2004 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of factors and drivers in graduates success among Portugal, India and Italy- extracurricular activities before university

Field lab: Business project

Exploration of relational factors: Sino-foreign joint-venture partnering

Purpose – Despite recent threats of economic contraction, China still offers attractive opportunities for foreign companies seeking to expand their business activities through joint venturing (JV) partnering entry strategies. Recent research has indicated a growing recognition of the importance of relational factors in JV partnering. The purpose of this paper is to build on recent research findings that identify critical relation success factors in JVs and explores these in the context of a Hong Kong-based civil aviation services company seeking to expand business activities in Greater China. Design/methodology/approach – While the extant management literature focuses primarily on factors relevant to the inter-partner relationship between partners in the formation stage of a joint venture, this research takes a dynamic stakeholder perspective in respect of the relevant relational factors over the evolution of a partnership. The research described in this paper is based on a case-based study that identifies and examines the relevance and importance of uniquely Chinese factors such as guanxi, renqing and mianzi in the specific context of a strategic partnering relationship. Findings – This phenomenological study provides empirical evidence of critical linkages of these to intrinsically Chinese notions of guanxi, mianzi and renqing – it links these to key strategic partnering success factors identified to be trust, conflict resolution, commitment and cooperation. This study thereby reinforces the importance of the uniquely Chinese relational context in cross-border JVs. Moreover, the research findings suggest that these factors underpin the dynamic bi-directional stakeholder relationship in a Sino-foreign strategic partnership. Originality/value – This study conceptually links the uniquely Chinese relational factors (guanxi, mianzi and renqing) to key success factors supporting the establishment of a strategic partnership in a Sino-foreign context; moreover, it contributes empirical evidence substantiating the proposed conceptual linkage.