Understanding and improving the manufacturing and changeover process in Saudi Arabian business - a multiple case study approach

The importance of the changeover process in the manufacturing industry is becoming widely recognised. Changeover is a complete process of changing between the manufacture of one product to manufacture of an alternative product until specified production and quality rates are reached. The initiatives to improve changeover exist in industry, as better changeover process typically contribute to improved quality performance. A high-quality and reliable changeover process can be achieved through implementation of continuous or radical improvements. This research examines the changeover process of Saudi Arabian manufacturing firms because Saudi Arabia’s government is focused on the expansion of GDP and increasing the number of export manufacturing firms. Furthermore, it is encouraging foreign manufacturing firms to invest within Saudi Arabia. These initiatives, therefore, require that Saudi manufacturing businesses develop the changeover practice in order to compete in the market and achieve the government’s objectives. Therefore, the aim of this research is to discover the current status of changeover process implementation in Saudi Arabian manufacturing businesses. To achieve this aim, the main objective of this research is to develop a conceptual model to understand and examine the effectiveness of the changeover process within Saudi Arabian manufacturing firms, facilitating identification of those activities that affect the reliability and high-quality of the process. In order to provide a comprehensive understanding of this area, this research first explores the concept of quality management and its relationship to firm performance and the performance of manufacturing changeover. An extensive body of literature was reviewed on the subject of lean manufacturing and changeover practice. A research conceptual model was identified based on this review, and focus was on providing high-quality and reliable manufacturing changeover processes during set-up in a dynamic environment. Exploratory research was conducted in sample Saudi manufacturing firms to understand the features of the changeover process within the manufacturing sector, and as a basis for modifying the proposed conceptual model. Qualitative research was employed in the study with semi-structured interviews, direct observations and documentation in order to understand the real situation such as actual daily practice and current status of changeover process in the field. The research instrument, the Changeover Effectiveness Assessment Tool (CEAT) was developed to evaluate changeover practices. A pilot study was conducted by examining the CEAT, proposed for the main research. Consequently, the conceptual model was modified and CEAT was improved in response to the pilot study findings. Case studies have been conducted within eight Saudi manufacturing businesses. These case studies assessed the implementation of manufacturing changeover practice in the lighting and medical products sectors. These two sectors were selected based on their operation strategy which was batch production as well as the fact that they fulfilled the research sampling strategy. The outcomes of the research improved the conceptual model, ultimately to facilitate the firms’ adoption and rapid implementation of a high-quality and reliability changeover during the set-up process. The main finding of this research is that Quality’s factors were considering the lowest levels comparing to the other factors which are People, Process and Infrastructure. This research contributes to enable Saudi businesses to implement the changeover process by adopting the conceptual model. In addition, the guidelines for facilitating implementation were provided in this thesis. Therefore, this research provides insight to enable the Saudi manufacturing industry to be more responsive to rapidly changing customer demands.

Relationship fading in business-to-consumer context

The objective of this thesis is to develop a better understanding of the relationship fading phenomenon in business-to-consumer context. Fading relates to a gradual decline in consumer’s willingness to continue a relationship with a company. Therefore, understanding the fading process may help to elucidate the ‘unexplained’ relationship dissolution and customer defection. Led by an assumption that a relationship between a consumer and a brand is like the one between individuals, the thesis proposes that the trajectory of relationship fading reflects the disaffection processes similar to the ones suggested in marital and romantic relationships between individuals. The approach taken to answering this research question is a multi-study approach. This type of approach allows addressing each individual research question independently, using the most appropriate research methods. As a result, the thesis comprises three adjacent studies. All three studies are linked and together contribute to a better understanding of the relationship fading process, which is the main topic of the thesis. Based on the results from the first study, a set of boundary conditions of relationship fading is identified. The results of the second study suggest that predictors of relationship fading stage can be uncovered. Thirdly, different restoration techniques are explored, aiming to describe their effectiveness in various relationship fading stages. Individual objectives of the three studies are accomplished. All three studies contribute to achieving the overall objective of the thesis, namely to developing a better understanding of the phenomenon of relationship fading.

Business Value of IT Investment: The Case of a Low Cost Airline’s Website

Using the case of a low cost airline company’s website we analyze some special research questions of information technology valuation. The distinctive characteristics of this research are the ex post valuation perspective; the parallel and comparative use of accounting and business valuation approaches; and the integrated application of discounted cash flow and real option valuation. As the examined international company is a strategic user of e-technology and wants to manage and account intangible IT-assets explicitly, these specific valuation perspectives are gaining practical significance.

A kutatási és fejlesztési tevékenység lehetőségei és korlátai a kkv szektorban A vezető szerepe az innovációban és az innováció értelmezése a kkv szektorban = Opportunities and constrains in the r&d activities of the SMEs: The role of the entrepreneur in the innovation processes and how it is manifasted in their everyday activities

Jelen tanulmány arra keresi a választ, hogy a vállalkozónak milyen szerepe van az innovációban, és az innovációnak milyen különböző értelmezési lehetőségei fedezhetőek fel kis- és középvállalkozási szektorban. Kiindulási pontja a vállalkozó vezető személye és innovatív magatartása, mellyel folyamatosan keresi a fejlődés új lehetőségeit. A vállalkozó az erőforrások kreatív felhasználása és vállalkozói magatartása révén a vállalkozás motorjának tekinthető. A tanulmány alapját kvalitatív mélyinterjúkon alapuló, 14 interjúból álló kutatás képezi, melyek mélyreható elemzése alátámasztotta, hogy az innovációs hajlandóság erősen összefügg a vállalkozói magatartással, és mindkét tényező szorosan köthető a vállalkozás vezetőjéhez. / === / This paper focuses on the entrepreneur’s role in the innovation process and on the way the entrepreneurs interpret the phenomena of innovation and they perceive their role in this process. The paper begins with the presentation of different entrepreneurial models, focusing especially on entrepreneurial management and its linkages to variable forms of innovation. Based on the deep examination of 14 interviews made with Hungarian entrepreneurs, the paper identifies the entrepreneur’s decisive role in the innovation process, furthermore the article confirms the importance of entrepreneurial and risk-taking behavior in innovative organizations.

Marketing-szemléletmód és az üzleti kapcsolatok (Marketing-outlook and business relations)

A cikk az üzleti kapcsolatok marketingértelmezéséről szól. A marketing a piaci magatartás tudománya. A két vagy több partner között megvalósuló piaci tranzakció a marketing alapvető elemzési egysége. A piac dinamikáját a tranzakciók ismétlődései jelentik. Az ismétlődő tranzakciókból épülnek fel a piaci kapcsolatok.. A szervezetközi piac a gazdasági és nem gazdasági szereplők egymással kölcsönös függőségben lévő, a társadalmi környezetbe beágyazott kapcsolatrendszere, amelyben a tevékenységek és az erőforrások cseréje zajlik. A cikk kitér annak rövid bemutatására, hogy a különböző marketingterületek miként járulnak hozzá az üzleti kapcsolatok megismeréséhez. A szerző meghatározása szerint az üzleti kapcsolat az üzleti hálózatba ágyazott két szervezet közötti interaktív cserekapcsolatot jelent. A definíció kifejtése során bemutatásra kerülnek az üzleti kapcsolatok érintettjei, legfontosabb folyamatai, valamint a kapcsolat létének néhány következménye. __________ The article discusses the interpretation of business relations within the field of marketing. Marketing is the science of market behaviour. The basic segment of marketing analysis is the market transaction between two or more persons. The dynamics of the market is created by the repetition of transactions. Repeated transactions make market relations. Inter-organizational market is a network of interdependent relations among economic and non-economic actors embedded into the social environment, serving as a platform for the exchange of actions and resources. The article shortly describes how the different areas of marketing contribute to the knowledge of business relations. According to the author, business relations are interactive exchange relations between two organizations embedded in the business network. The detailed explanation of the definition introduces the parties involved in business relations, the most important processes, and some consequences of the existence of the relation.

Az üzleti kapcsolatok menedzsmentjének gondolati modellje. És ez miért lehet fontos a vállalati vezetők számára? (The conceptual model of management of business relations – and why it may be important for the corporate executives?)

A szerzők cikkükben az üzleti marketinget és a gazdaságszociológiai megközelítést ötvözve vizsgálják az üzleti kapcsolatok irányításának néhány problémáját. Gondolati modelljük figyelembe veszi a kapcsolatra vonatkozó külső és belső szabályokat, a kapcsolatban érintettek percepcióit és cselekvéseit. Az üzleti kapcsolat menedzsmentje alatt elsősorban tervező, szervező és ellenőrző tevékenységeket értenek, amelyek attól függően alakulnak, hogy egy kapcsolat létrehozása, fenntartása vagy változtatása-e a cél. Reményeik szerint az általuk javasolt gondolati modell alkalmazása a társadalmi összetevők világosabb felismerésében segítheti az üzleti élet résztvevőit. Dolgozatuk célja az üzleti kapcsolatok menedzsmentjét megkönnyítő gondolati modell felállítása. A modell operacionalizálása és empirikus tesztelése meghaladja jelen írásuk kereteit és egy esetleges jövőbeni kutatás témája lehet. ____________ The purpose of this article is to create and demonstrate such a conceptual model, which might assist in the more efficient management of business relationships. The peculiarity of the way of thinking proposed by the authors is that it takes into account the complexity of business relationships and its social embeddedness. Thus they make an attempt to systematize the key components of business relationships, their processes, economic and social characteristics. The authors would like to approach this from the point of view of the management of the business relationship, trusting that the deeper understanding of the complexity of business relationships and the consistent consideration of this complexity may contribute to the more successful management of relationships.

A marketing, a termelés és a logisztika hozzájárulása a vállalati eredményességhez (The Contribution of Marketing, Production and Logistics to Business Performance)

A Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem Versenyképességkutató Központjának 2004-ben lekérdezett kérdőíve alapján, ami 154 feldolgozóipari vállalat adatait tartalmazza, azt vizsgáljuk, hogy az ellátási lánc három lényeges vállalati funkciója, a marketing, a termelés és a logisztika milyen mértékben járul hozzá az üzleti eredményességhez. Az eredmények szerint a marketingnek és a termelésnek erősebb hatása van a vállalati teljesítményre, mint a logisztikának. A három funkció együttesen csekély, bár statisztikai értelemben szignifikáns szerepet játszik az üzleti sikerben. _____ Companies are complex organizations where a lot of activities and processes have to work properly in order to reach success. Depending on several factors, sometimes some activities get more emphasis while others work in the background. Since organizational functions have separate literature and practical knowledge, and transit between them is rare, we do have very little knowledge on how the various functions together contribute to company success. Based on a wide-scale empirical study on Hungarian competitiveness, which includes data on 154 companies from the process industry, we examine to what extent three functions of the supply chain, marketing, manufacturing and logistics, can contribute to business success. Results show that marketing and manufacturing have larger effect on company performance than logistics. However, the three functions together play a minor, although significant role in company success.

A közelség szerepének újraértelmezése az innovatív üzleti kapcsolatokban (Rethinking the role of the proximity in the innovative business relationships)

Az innovatív vállalati kapcsolatokkal foglalkozó vizsgálatok sokasága az innovációs folyamatok „kettősségéről” ad számot. Egyrészt felértékelődött a térbeli közelség szerepe, emiatt az innovatív vállalkozások, intézmények térben koncentrálódnak, főleg a nagyvárosokban. Másrészt szerteágazó hálózatok jöttek létre a különböző országokban működő innovatív vállalatok, intézetek között, amelyek többsége a nagy távolságok ellenére is sikeres. Mindezen megfigyelések arra utalnak, hogy pontosítani kell a közelség és távolság üzleti szerepéről vallott ismereteket a változó globalizációs feltételekhez igazítva. A szerzők tanulmányukban áttekintik a térbeli közelség szerepének főbb jellemzőit az innovatív tevékenységeken alapuló vállalati együttműködések kialakulásában és fenntartásában. A hagyományos felfogások rövid ismertetése után a „hálózati közelség”, másképpen „kapcsolati közelség” (relational proximity) egyes típusait elemzik. Részletesen kitérnek a regionális klaszterek és a lokális innovatív miliő főbb jellemzőire, amelyek a térbeli és a kapcsolati közelségekből eredő előnyöket egyaránt hasznosítják. Ezek a mérvadó nemzetközi tapasztalatok itthon is alkalmazhatók az egyetemi és vállalati együttműködések, illetve a helyi gazdaságfejlesztési és vállalkozásfejlesztési programok kidolgozásakor. ________ Multiple studies of innovative business relations give an account about „the double character” of innovative processes. On the one hand, the role of proximity has been appreciated, for this reason, the innovative companies, institutes are concentrated in space, especially in big cities. On the other hand extensive networks have been established among innovative companies, institutes operating in the different countries, most of which are successful in spite of the long distance. All these observations suggest there is a need to clarify business skills on the role of proximity and distance, tailored to the changing conditions of globalization. In their study the authors review the role of the main features of spatial proximity in formation and maintenace of corporate cooperation based on innovative activities. After a brief description of traditional concepts certain types of „network proximity” otherwise relational proximity are analyzed. They cover main features of regional clusters and the local innovative environment which utilize advantages coming both from spatial and relational proximities. This leading international experience are applicable at home as well when elaborating academic and corporate cooperation resp. local development programs for the economy and corporations.

eBEST platform a KKV-klaszterek operatív és együttműködési folyamatainak támogatására (eBEST platform for supporting operational and cooperative processes of SME's clusters)

Az Európai Bizottság jelentése szerint a magyar kis- és középvállalkozások helyzete 2005 óta stagnál. Bár ezek a vállalkozások adják a magyar vállalkozások 99%-át, mégis a közbeszerzési, valamint a növekvő piacokhoz való hozzáférés terén számos akadállyal kerülnek szembe. Az eBEST projekten (Empowering Business Ecosystems of Small Service Enterprises to Face the Economic Crisis) belül kialakított platform olyan funkcionalitással bír, ami mindamellett, hogy lehetővé teszi a vállalkozások szervezett csoportokba, azaz ökoszisztémákba rendeződését, hozzá tud járulni a fogyasztói igények kielégítése érdekében létrejövő ellátási lánc, illetve egyedi folyamatok mentén fellépő információszerzési, kommunikációs vagy együttműködési akadályok lebontásához. ____ It is widely recognised that the most important factor for increasing the productivity of small companies is a deep adoption of computer-based applications and services. The FP7 SME eBEST project proposed a new operational environment specifically conceived for net worked small companies, supported by an advanced suite of ICT services, the eBEST platform. The paper aims at presenting the projects achievements that are validated by a number of company clusters of different EU countries and industry sectors. The general objectives of the eBEST project are attracting customers to work with the clustered companies, facilitating companies to collaborate with each other, and enabling associations to foster the devised innovation.

Group presence in virtual worlds: Supporting collaborative e-learning

Even though e-learning endeavors have significantly proliferated in recent years, current e-learning technologies provide poor support for group-oriented learning. The now popular virtual world's technologies offer a possible solution. Virtual worlds provide the users with a 3D - computer generated shared space in which they can meet and interact through their virtual representations. Virtual worlds are very successful in developing high levels of engagement, presence and group presence in the users. These elements are also desired in educational settings since they are expected to enhance performance. The goal of this research is to test the hypothesis that a virtual world learning environment provides better support for group-oriented collaborative e-learning than other learning environments, because it facilitates the emergence of group presence. To achieve this, a quasi-experimental study was conducted and data was gathered through the use of various survey instruments and a set of collaborative tasks assigned to the participants. Data was gathered on the dependent variables: Engagement, Group Presence, Individual Presence, Perceived Individual Presence, Perceived Group Presence and Performance. The data was analyzed using the statistical procedures of Factor Analysis, Path Analysis, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA). The study provides support for the hypothesis. The results also show that virtual world learning environments are better than other learning environments in supporting the development of all the dependent variables. It also shows that while only Individual Presence has a significant direct effect on Performance; it is highly correlated with both Engagement and Group Presence. This suggests that these are also important in regards to performance. Developers of e-learning endeavors and educators should incorporate virtual world technologies in their efforts in order to take advantage of the benefit they provide for e-learning group collaboration.

Understanding China's climate change mitigation policy development: Structures, processes and outcomes

Climate change is one of the most important and urgent issues of our time. Since 2006, China has overtaken the United States as the world’s largest greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter. China’s role in an international climate change solution has gained increased attention. Although much literature has addressed the functioning, performance, and implications of existing climate change mitigation policies and actions in China, there is insufficient literature that illuminates how the national climate change mitigation policies have been formulated and shaped. This research utilizes the policy network approach to explore China’s climate change mitigation policy making by examining how a variety of government, business, and civil society actors have formed networks to address environmental contexts and influence the policy outcomes and changes. The study is qualitative in nature. Three cases are selected to illustrate structural and interactive features of the specific policy network settings in shaping different policy arrangements and influencing the outcomes in the Chinese context. The three cases include the regulatory evolution of China’s climate change policy making; the country’s involvement in the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) activity, and China’s exploration of voluntary agreement through adopting the Top-1000 Industrial Energy Conservation Program. The historical analysis of the policy process uses both primary data from interviews and fieldwork, and secondary data from relevant literature. The study finds that the Chinese central government dominates domestic climate change policy making; however, expanded action networks that involve actors at all levels have emerged in correspondence to diverse climate mitigation policy arrangements. The improved openness and accessibility of climate change policy network have contributed to its proactive engagement in promoting mitigation outcomes. In conclusion, the research suggests that the policy network approach provides a useful tool for studying China’s climate change policy making process. The involvement of various types of state and non-state actors has shaped new relations and affected the policy outcomes and changes. In addition, through the cross-case analysis, the study challenges the “fragmented authoritarianism” model and argues that this once-influential model is not appropriate in explaining new development and changes of policy making processes in contemporary China.

An integrated multi-agent framework for optimizing time, cost and environmental impact of construction processes

Environmentally conscious construction has received a significant amount of research attention during the last decades. Even though construction literature is rich in studies that emphasize the importance of environmental impact during the construction phase, most of the previous studies failed to combine environmental analysis with other project performance criteria in construction. This is mainly because most of the studies have overlooked the multi-objective nature of construction projects. In order to achieve environmentally conscious construction, multi-objectives and their relationships need to be successfully analyzed in the complex construction environment. The complex construction system is composed of changing project conditions that have an impact on the relationship between time, cost and environmental impact (TCEI) of construction operations. Yet, this impact is still unknown by construction professionals. Studying this impact is vital to fulfill multiple project objectives and achieve environmentally conscious construction. This research proposes an analytical framework to analyze the impact of changing project conditions on the relationship of TCEI. This study includes green house gas (GHG) emissions as an environmental impact category. The methodology utilizes multi-agent systems, multi-objective optimization, analytical network process, and system dynamics tools to study the relationships of TCEI and support decision-making under the influence of project conditions. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is applied to the evaluation of environmental impact in terms of GHG. The mixed method approach allowed for the collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data. Structured interviews of professionals in the highway construction field were conducted to gain their perspectives in decision-making under the influence of certain project conditions, while the quantitative data were collected from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) for highway resurfacing projects. The data collected were used to test the framework. The framework yielded statistically significant results in simulating project conditions and optimizing TCEI. The results showed that the change in project conditions had a significant impact on the TCEI optimal solutions. The correlation between TCEI suggested that they affected each other positively, but in different strengths. The findings of the study will assist contractors to visualize the impact of their decision on the relationship of TCEI.

Wage matters & globalization: South Florida's low-wage immigrant plant nursery workers and business protectionism in the age of neoliberalism

Ornamental plant production in the State of Florida is an anomaly with respect to current theories of globalization and particularly their explanation of the employment of low-wage, immigrant labor. Those theories dictate that unskilled jobs that do not need to be performed within highly developed countries are outsourced to where labor is cheaper and more flexible. However, the State of Florida remains an important site of ornamental plant production in the US amidst a global economic environment of outsourcing and transnational corporate expansion. This dissertation relies on 50 semi-structured interviews with insiders of the Florida plant nursery industry, focus groups, and participant observation to explain how US trade, labor, and migration policy-making at local levels are not removed from larger global processes taking place in the world since the 1970s. In Florida, elite market players of the plant nursery industry have been able to resist global trends in free trade, operating instead in a protected market. They have done this by appealing to scientific justifications and through arbitrary implementations of neoliberal ideology that keeps small and middle range business alive, while maintaining a seemingly endless supply of marginalized and exploited low-wage, immigrant workers.^

The impact of cross -training on team processes and performance

Recently, researchers have begun to investigate the benefits of cross-training teams. It has been hypothesized that cross-training should help improve team processes and team performance (Cannon-Bowers, Salas, Blickensderfer, & Bowers, 1998; Travillian, Volpe, Cannon-Bowers, & Salas, 1993). The current study extends previous research by examining different methods of cross-training (positional clarification and positional modeling) and the impact they have on team process and performance in both more complex and less complex environments. One hundred and thirty-five psychology undergraduates were placed in 45 three-person teams. Participants were randomly assigned to roles within teams. Teams were asked to “fly” a series of missions on a PC-based helicopter flight simulation. ^ Results suggest that cross-training improves team mental model accuracy and similarity. Accuracy of team mental models was found to be a predictor of coordination quality, but similarity of team mental models was not. Neither similarity nor accuracy of team mental models was found to be a predictor of backup behavior (quality and quantity). As expected, both team coordination (quality) and backup behaviors (quantity and quality) were significant predictors of overall team performance. Contrary to expectations, there was no interaction between cross-training and environmental complexity. Results from this study further cross-training research by establishing positional clarification and positional modeling as training strategies for improving team performance. ^

Seawater carbonate chemistry and biological processes during experiments with clownfish Amphiprion percula, 2009

The persistence of most coastal marine species depends on larvae finding suitable adult habitat at the end of an offshore dispersive stage that can last weeks or months. We tested the effects that ocean acidification from elevated levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) could have on the ability of larvae to detect olfactory cues from adult habitats. Larval clownfish reared in control seawater (pH 8.15) discriminated between a range of cues that could help them locate reef habitat and suitable settlement sites. This discriminatory ability was disrupted when larvae were reared in conditions simulating CO2-induced ocean acidification. Larvae became strongly attracted to olfactory stimuli they normally avoided when reared at levels of ocean pH that could occur ca. 2100 (pH 7.8) and they no longer responded to any olfactory cues when reared at pH levels (pH 7.6) that might be attained later next century on a business-as-usual carbon-dioxide emissions trajectory. If acidification continues unabated, the impairment of sensory ability will reduce population sustainability of many marine species, with potentially profound consequences for marine diversity.