Capacity planning techniques for manufacturing control systems: Information requirements and operational features

Substantial interest has been focused on techniques that determine the amount and timing of work center capacity to satisfy the master production schedule. Although several techniques have been developed for preparing work center capacity plans, very little analysis of the operational features and the application of these techniques has been reported. Four techniques, capacity planning using overall factors (CPOF), capacity bills, resource profiles, and capacity requirements planning (CRP), vary substantially in their complexity and the level of detail required to plan work center capacities. All four procedures require the use of the master production schedule to develop a capacity plan, but some have much more demanding data requirements. Important differences are the means by which capacity requirements are estimated by the techniques and the manner in which the bill of material, manufacturing lead time and inventory status information are incorporated into the capacity plan. The purpose of this paper is to describe the operational features of the four capacity planning techniques, the underlying data base requirements, and some key managerial issues in choosing among these techniques.     

Using workplace population statistics to understand retail store performance

We explore the value of recently released workplace geographies and accompanying census-based workplace zone statistics (WZS) and an associated classification of workplace zones (COWZ). We consider how these data could support retailers in their operational and strategic decision-making, including the evaluation of retail demand and retail store performance in localities where trade is driven by non-residential demand. In collaboration with major UK grocery retailer The Co-operative Group we explore the relationship between workplace population composition and store trading characteristics using a series of case study stores within Inner London. We use empirical store trading data to identify store and product category level temporal sales fluctuations attributable to workplace populations. We also use census-derived flow data to identify the spatial origins of workplace population inflow. We identify that store performance exhibits characteristics attributable to demand driven by these populations. We conclude that workplace population geographies, WZS and the COWZ afford considerable potential for understanding drivers of store performance, observed store trading patterns and evaluation of retail store performance. We suggest that the next step is to build these populations and their micro geography spatial and temporal characteristics into predictive models and evaluate their potential for store performance evaluation and location-based store and network decision-making within this sector.     

Impact of Emotional Intelligence and Other Factors on Perception of Ethical Behavior of Peers

This study investigates factors impacting perceptions of ethical conduct of peers of 293 students in four US universities. Self-reported ethical behavior and recognition of emotions in others (a dimension of emotional intelligence) impacted perception of ethical behavior of peers. None of the other dimensions of emotional intelligence were significant. Age, Race, Sex, GPA, or type of major (business versus nonbusiness) did not impact perception of ethical behavior of peers. Implications of the results of the study for business schools and industry professionals are discussed.     

Multiproduct Outputs and Scale Economies in Electric Power Production: Some New Estimates

The present study offers an argument, through a technical exposition, which suggests that there are cost differences inherent in serving different types of buyers in the electric utilities industry. To this end, we employ a translog joint cost function (for electricity production) with three outputs, which allows for the examination of the cost differences between wholesale and retail trade for vertically integrated, investor-owned companies in the industry. The regression estimates suggest different costs at the means, however the estimated marginal cost curve for wholesale power is not as robust as those for low-voltage and industrial power.     

Managing technology and innovation: a review

This paper reports the first phase of a major study into the linkages between technology and strategy, with particular reference to smaller firms. As a preliminary step, a wide review of relevant literature was undertaken.
Two main strands of knowledge have been identified. First, a number of high profile issues have dominated the field of technology management starting with Schumpeter's 'creative destruction'. This seminal work has been refined, notably by Pavitt and Porter, culminating in the view that technology has become one of the principal determinants of competition. Second, a number of models were examined that assess development of technology within the firm over time.
The principal implication for R&D managers is the authors' conclusion that the various constructs must be used pro-actively in formulating technology strategy, thus providing a basis for better assessing acquisitions and disposals of technology-intensive operations.     

The Value Relevance of Oil and Gas Disclosures: An Assessment of the Market's Perception of Firms' Effort and Ability to Discover Reserves

The purpose of this study is to determine whether supplemental reserve disclosures contain value-relevant information by examining the extent to which they convey information regarding firms' effort and ability to discover reserves. Using Ohlson's (1995) model as a framework, two hypotheses were developed and tested. The empirical results indicate that both effort and ability to discover reserves are significant in explaining the market value of full cost firms. However, only effort is significant (marginally) in explaining the market value of successful efforts firms.     

Preservation of Open Space and the Concept of Value*

Abstract . This paper identifies and classifies six major kinds of values which people ascribe to areas of open space (utility, functional, contemplative, aesthetic, recreational, and ecological values), whether the open space is public or private, urban or rural, or large or small. These values are predominantly culturally-shaped attitudes. They are not mutually exclusive but nonetheless cannot be subsumed under just one notion of value such as trade-offs and, consequently, models for evaluating open space based on the familiar utility function are inadequate representations of human reasoning. Public policy concerned with preserving open space must incorporate a multidimensional set of noncommensurate values and one paradigm for doing so is discussed.