The purchasing market entry process—A study of 10 Swedish industrial small and medium-sized enterprises

While an area of importance and concern to managers, international purchasing remains an under researched phenomenon, especially in the context of small and medium-sized firms. Therefore, this article presents a study of the international purchasing market entry processes of 10 industrial SMEs. The findings indicate that managers of SMEs are often reluctant to source abroad. Purchasing markets entries are generally more reactive than proactive, occurring as a consequence of needs for certain products that cannot be found domestically, high domestic costs, unsolicited opportunities and pressures from owners and customers. Nearby purchasing markets typically dominate throughout the process unless cost savings motivate firms to explore more remote markets.     

Stochastic analysis of a hospital's X-ray filing system—A case study

This paper reports some work done on the problem of predicting the total size and constitution of files of X-ray film in a major hospital, though the results apply in other situations. Results are derived for a steady-state file which show how the size and constitution of the file would change if the characteristics of the system's patients were to change.

In particular, the space demands associated with different filing policies are examined.     

Stability in the inefficient use of forecasting systems: A case study in a supply chain company

Computer-based demand forecasting systems have been widely adopted in supply chain companies, but little research has studied how these systems are actually used in the forecasting process. We report the findings of a case study of demand forecasting in a pharmaceutical company over a 15-year period. At the start of the study, managers believed that they were making extensive use of their forecasting system that was marketed based on the accuracy of its advanced statistical methods. Yet most forecasts were obtained using the system’s facility for judgmentally overriding the automatic statistical forecasts. Carrying out the judgmental interventions involved considerable management effort as part of a sales & operations planning (S&OP) process, yet these often only served to reduce forecast accuracy. This study uses observations of the forecasting process, interviews with participants and data on the accuracy of forecasts to investigate why the managers continued to use non-normative forecasting practices for many years despite the potential economic benefits that could be achieved through change. The reasons for the longevity of these practices are examined both from the perspective of the individual forecaster and the organization as a whole.     

Supplier development and cost management in Southeast Asia—Results from a field study

This paper is about supplier development when international companies have production sites in Southeast Asia and look for opportunities to switch from international suppliers to local suppliers. We conducted a field study involving site visits to companies in Thailand and Vietnam, and interviews at corporate supply chain departments. Some key observations are: cost management was a dominant motive for taking local supplier development initiatives. Furthermore, local sourcing and local supplier development were important for international companies to improve access to local customer markets. Firms deliberately assessed whether a particular supplier would likely be able to improve sufficiently to warrant investing in supplier development, which typically involved a combination of initiatives, requiring the international firm to take considerable efforts. Local sourcing strategies and priorities for supplier development initiatives tended to focus on items with low supply risk and low volume. These findings are discussed based on transaction cost economics, and we suggest that firms use several ways to reduce the risk of transaction-specific investments in supplier development initiatives.     

Jackknife estimators of a relative risk in 2×2 and 2×2×K contingency tables

Several jackknife estimators of a relative risk in a single 2×2 contingency table and of a common relative risk in a 2×2× K contingency table are presented. The estimators are based on the maximum likelihood estimator in a single table and on an estimator proposed by Tarone (1981) for stratified samples, respectively. For the stratified case, a sampling scheme is assumed where the number of observations within each table tends to infinity but the number of tables remains fixed. The asymptotic properties of the above estimators are derived. Especially, we present two general results which under certain regularity conditions yield consistency and asymptotic normality of every jackknife estimator of a bunch of functions of binomial probabilities.     

Lock-in situations in supply chains: A social exchange theoretic study of sourcing arrangements in buyer–supplier relationships

Social exchange theory is used to gain a better understanding of the relationship between a buyer and a supplier that is characterized by lock-in situations. We begin by reviewing the theoretical foundations of social exchange theory. Next, we use an illustrative multinational business example from a Danish Business Group to demonstrate the complexities of the lock-in situation. Conjectures related to lock-in behaviors are initially developed and then examined by means of a game-theoretic model. The analysis provides a basis for the development of propositions which are examined employing a behavioral experiment. The results indicate that the optimal pricing strategy of the supplier is to lower the price with increasing demand and the optimal investment intensity of the buyer decreases with increasing demand. The paper concludes by presenting directions for future research.     

Entrepreneurial orientation and social capital as small firm strategies: A study of gender differences from a resource-based view

Women entrepreneurs have recently been the subject of many studies which have revealed that though women possess some of the same resources as male entrepreneurs, success levels are not the same. The current study looks at the resources utilized by small business owners within downtown business districts. Using a sample of 467 small business owners, we test differences in entrepreneurial orientation and social capital between men and women entrepreneurs. Though women actually reported higher levels of entrepreneurial orientation and social capital, there were no differences in their abilities to utilize these two resources in achieving firm performance. We offer discussion of why these findings are relevant, as well as research implications.     

The effect of performance measurement systems on firm performance: A cross-sectional and a longitudinal study

Performance measurement (PM) systems have been popularized over the last 20 years and the operations management literature is replete with discussion of metrics and measurement systems. Yet, a comprehensive nomological network relating types of PM system uses to organizational capabilities and performance is lacking. Furthermore, there is scant empirical evidence attesting to the explanatory efficacy of PM systems as it relates to organizational performance. We view PM system uses through the lenses of the Resource Orchestration Theory (ROT) and explore specific relationships of underlying variables by relying on the Organizational Information Processing Theory (OIPT). Resting on the extant literature, we identify two types of uses which include Diagnostic Use (the review of critical performance variables in order to maintain, alter, or justify patterns in an organizational activity) and interactive use (a forward-looking activity exemplified by active and frequent involvement of top management envisioning new ways to orchestrate organizational resources for competitive advantage) and relate them along with their interaction (i.e., dynamic tension) to organizational capabilities. We further link capabilities to target performance, which subsequently impacts organizational performance (operationalized through both perceptual and objective financial performance measures). The nomological network is tested via a cross sectional study (386 Italian firms) while the efficacy of PM systems to explain organizational performance is examined by using longitudinal panel data approaches over a 10 year period. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that the use of PM systems leads to improved capabilities, which then impact performance. Contrary to the extant literature, however, we discovered that Diagnostic Use appears to be the most constructive explanatory variable for capabilities. On the other hand, in light of a longitudinal study, we also uncovered that Diagnostic Use experienced depreciating returns as far as objective financial measures are concerned. Also, when high levels of Diagnostic Use were coupled with low levels of Interactive Use, they produced the lowest levels of organizational capabilities. Conversely, high levels of both types of PM system use generated extraordinary high levels of capabilities. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that organizations cannot rely merely on Diagnostic Use of PM systems. We also learned that the effects of PM systems (measured via adaptation) fade unless high learning rates are applied. We offer detailed recommendations for future research which have theoretical as well as empirical implications.     

Business behaviour and management structure—2: A case study comparison of managerial initiative in four industrial enterprises

Four large UK firms, Cadbury Schweppes, Manganese Bronze, Tube Investments and Thomas Tilling, were asked to provide detailed comments on their company's evolution and management styles. This paper reports in detail on the interviews.     

推进我国农民工社会保障与市民化制度创新问题研究

分析我国农民工社会保障不利于促进农民工市民化问题的现状、农民工社会保障与农民工市民化二者之间的关系,提出推进农民工社会保障与市民化的制度创新措施,加快农民工社会保障制度的建立和完善,促进农民工市民化.     

浦东新区极化开发的负社会外部性研究

当前中国正处于工业化和城市化加速发展时期,城市规模和数量在不断增长,对于城市未来和城市居民福利的关注,已经使人们在最近几年对于城市问题引发了许多的关注.过去人们只关注于极化开发的经济功能,而忽视极化开发造成人口大量流入、快速城市化造成的城市社会结构和城市功能结构转变引发的负社会外部性问题.本文探索了极化开发造成负社会外部性的机理,并利用人口普查资料及其它社会经济统计资料,分析浦东新区极化开发的集聚效应和负社会外部性.当前浦东新区极化开发引发的负外部性问题如社会极化、社区重组、社会隔离、就业压力已经开始显现,并对浦东新区的社会稳定和可持续发展产生一定的影响.浦东新区极化开发产生的负社会外部性问题在中国其它许多大城市也开始凸显,因此,如何最大限度地减少极化开发的负社会外部性问题应引起重视.     

Business behaviour and management structure—1: A case study comparison of managerial initiative and control in four industrial enterprises

This is the first of two papers in this issue on how business decisions are made. The origins of corporate strategy and policy and the involvement of senior and junior management in such activities are theoretically difficult to generalize about. In these papers four well-known British firms are examined in depth. Their evolution over time is analysed and how managerial behaviour and perceptions changed is discussed. The conclusion is drawn that firms have been decentralizing in the last two decades in order to provide greater scope for managerial initiative, training and entrepreneurship at all levels. Part 2 contains the detailed evidence: some readers may prefer to consider it immediately after Section 1 below.     

Critical success factors for mutual collaboration with suppliers in IT outsourcing industry: a case study of a top IT outsourcing company in Korea

ABSTRACT

Nowadays, information technology (IT) outsourcing companies face enduring demands to reduce cost while increasing productivity. This pressure leads many IT outsourcing companies to rely on outsourcing arrangements with IT personnel suppliers. In order to maximise efficiency, outsourcing companies have focused on fostering high-performing suppliers through improved collaboration and mutual relations. However, it is very difficult to advance to a long-term partnership using the existing outsourcing process because of insufficient collaboration between IT outsourcing companies and their suppliers. Based on collaboration perspective of supply chain management (SCM), this study identifies the critical success factors for collaborative strategic partnerships and presents an evaluation framework for assessing and managing suppliers. We have developed an organisational process model for Supplier relationship management (SRM)-based collaboration which includes some of the key constructs from the previous studies and interviews with the IT outsourcing industry people. In this study, we will identify four types of strategic suppliers and suggest approaches for improving collaborative relationship between an IT outsourcing company and its partner companies. In addition, to validate the feasibility of the proposed model, we applied it to a well-known Korean IT outsourcing company ‘A’.     

Corporate Responsibility Reporting and its Determinants in Comparative Perspective – a Review of the Empirical Literature and a Meta‐analysis

For four decades, reporting on corporate responsibility by businesses has been the subject of empirical research. In the 1970s and 1980s, studies mostly originated from Anglo‐Saxon and Western European countries. During the last two decades research on responsibility reporting was increasingly undertaken in emerging and developing countries as well – always following the reporting practices of the respective businesses. Consequentially, a very large number of studies exist today. Many of these have empirically investigated the determinants of responsibility reporting and examined whether internal factors like size and industry or external factors like stakeholder pressures have an impact on disclosure. Thus, the purpose of the following paper is twofold. First, it seeks to provide an overview of the existing literature in order to facilitate further research. Overall, 186 studies have been examined for the determinants which they considered and have been grouped according to their geographical origin. This provides for an analysis of whether academics from different regions have taken different approaches to the empirical examination of responsibility reporting and if their results differed. The findings show that scholars across regions have taken different paths in empirical research, but indications for a variation in the impact of specific determinants on reporting are weak. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

New public stock issues by seasoned and unseasoned firms: A comparative analysis in a turbulent environment—the case of israel

This study presents and examines new evidence on the relationship between financial structure and ownership in New and Veteran Public firms (sometimes known as unseasoned or seasoned firms, respectively). The major findings are: (1) the cost of capital and the cost of equity increased with financial leverage, but at a different magnitude in new and veteran public firms reflecting different risk conceptions; and (2) management and administration costs for new public firms are indicated to be higher than for veteran public firms. Reasons for and implications of these findings are subsequently discussed.     

A multiple group analysis of the training transfer model: exploring the differences between high and low performers in a Korean insurance company

This study suggests an integrative transfer of training model and examines the influence of pre-training performance on the relationship between work environment variables and transfer-related variables. Structural equation modeling was conducted with data collected from 365 Korean employees of a large general insurance firm. They were all participants in a leadership development program. The results of multi-group analyses revealed that the influence of work environment variables on transfer-related variables was moderated by employees' pre-training performance. The findings of the study imply that a more elaborate training transfer model that considers performance not just as an outcome variable, but also as an antecedent variable is required. Also, it is proposed that different strategies should be applied to promote transfer of training based on the employee's level of pre-training performance.     

A study of proportionality and robustness in economies with a commonly owned technology

Abstract. Studying one-input one-output economies, we say that an allocation is proportional if the input-output ratio is identical among agents and if each agent maximizes her welfare given this ratio. We propose three equity axioms based on this definition, and we use them to compare the main solutions to this simple equity problem. We also combine efficiency, robustness axioms and our proportionality axioms to characterize two solutions. Received: 11 June 1997 / Accepted: 26 May 2000     

Determinants of price mark‐up tolerance for green electricity – lessons for environmental marketing strategies from a study of residential electricity customers in Germany

This paper develops hypotheses on the effects of various attitudinal and perceptual variables as well as socio‐demographic characteristics of residential electricity customers on an individual's willingness to pay a mark‐up for electricity generated from renewable energy sources compared with the price due for electricity from conventional sources. The hypotheses are tested with data from a standardized telephone survey of 238 household electricity consumers in Germany. 53.4% of the participants are willing to pay a mark‐up for green electricity. 26.1% report a price tolerance equal to a 5–10% increase in their current electricity bill. Binary logistic and ordinal regression analyses indicate that price tolerance for green electricity is particularly influenced by attitudes (1) towards environmental issues and (2) towards one's current power supplier, (3) perceptions of the evaluation of green energy by an individual's social reference groups, (4) household size and (5) current electricity bill level. The findings are used to derive suggestions for energy related informational activities of public institutions, green marketing strategies of energy companies and future consumer research regarding demand for pro‐environmental goods. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.     

轻轨对中小城镇商业发展的影响——以中山市为例

作为一种大运量、快捷、准点的交通方式,轻轨的建成运营将对相关城镇的客流量在数量、空间分布等方面产生深刻影响,并对城镇发展产生积极的作用.在商业发展方面,轻轨交通的影响主要体现在市场因素、空间因素、竞争因素等方面.在深入剖析轻轨交通对商业发展的影响因素、借鉴地铁商业经验、分析相关预测数据的基础上,就广珠轻轨对中山市城镇商业发展的商业格局、商业规模、商业网点空间分布和商业业态结构等多方面的影响进行了探析.     

Minimisation of uncertainty in decision-making processes using optimised probabilistic Fuzzy Cognitive Maps: A case study for a rural sector

Several studies have focused on methods of increasing system and uncertainty knowledge for socio-economic and environmental policies; however, the nonlinearity and dynamism of real world increase the gap between uncertainty depiction and its evaluation in policy strategies. This work attempts to implement a methodology that is able to minimise uncertainty in decision support tools related to rural planning and management. Fuzzy Cognitive Maps, the Dempster–Shafer theory and nonlinear optimisation were applied to achieve the above-mentioned goal. The method was tested to describe suitable policies and intervention strategies to address the effects of the recent economic crisis in the agricultural sector.