Systems science serves enterprise integration: a tutorial

Enterprise integration is a major global challenge of these times. It is now possible for a new generation of practitioners to engage this challenge selectively by applying a recently articulated version of systems science (WSS). This tutorial paper argues that a half-century of disarray of the systems field can be seen as ending; and that the distillation of WSS to support a wide variety of application areas (in this instance, enterprise integration) can occupy practitioners as they harness the work program of complexity (WPOC) selectively. Carrying out the WPOC yields predictable portfolio components, consisting of a well-defined mix of tangible and intangible products. The three causes of poor intellectual productivity identified by Kenneth Boulding are nullified when appropriate role matching is achieved between WSS and enterprise integration.     

A study on X party material flow: the theory and applications

A thorough study of X party material flow (XPMF), its theory and its applications is conducted in this research. The X material flow concept is an extension of the material flow (MF) theory. To further elucidate that XPMF is one type of MF service model with PMF (party, material, flow) fractal structure and the characteristics of XPMF, we develop the three-pyramid synergetic operational model of XPMF. Through the analysis of several cases, we believe that OIR (Objective relational grade, Information sharing grade, and Resource complementary grade) is the set of order parameters that control and determine the formation of XPMF new structure and its degree of being ordered. Therefore it reveals the mechanism of XPMF formation and evolution. We also provide the principles and the methods for XPMF control.     

Contextual factors affecting the integration of enterprise systems in post-merger oil and gas companies

This study examines the contextual factors of the external business environment, organization, information systems, and enterprise system software as they affect integration of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems after a merger or acquisition in the oil and gas industry. A multiple case study method using primary and secondary data revealed: ERPs are operational necessities rather than strategic differentiators; best practice adoption is a viable alternative that supports successful integration of cultures and knowledge from two experienced organizations; schedules are extended when best practices from both companies are consolidated into a single instance; consolidation facilitates Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and lowers the cost of ownership; imposing acquirer systems on targets facilitates timely decision-making and shorter schedules.     

Downsizing and the changing role of HR

This paper examines the changing role of HR in the specific context of downsizing. It highlights the key dilemmas facing HR professionals - on the one hand, the contribution of HRM to the achievement of business results has come under increasing scrutiny and, on the other hand, most of the challenges of downsizing are people-related issues that require sophisticated HR interventions. The paper reports the key findings of a pilot study conducted in sixty organizations in the UK that downsized in the last three years. The key conclusion of the study is that the role of HR has become wide ranging, covering the strategic as well as implementation aspects. The clear message from the study suggests that, unless there is alignment between the two aspects, the envisaged benefits of downsizing are unlikely take place. Key challenges facing HR professionals are managing middle managers, managing careers and managing employee expectations. There are indications to suggest that the process role of HR is likely to become more important in the medium and longer terms.     

Performance Contracting In Practice: Experience and lessons from the water sector in Ghana

This article provides some insights into how performance contracting works in practice in a developing country context, using the case of the Ghana Water and Sewerage Corporation (GWSC). Performance contracting has been a useful instrument for restructuring the state-owned enterprises (SOE) sector in Ghana, and the GWSC has made some moderate improvements since its introduction. However, the article highlights some of the institutional constraints and capacity issues that reformers will have to pay attention to, including overstretched capacity of the monitoring agency, a weak information management system and inconsistent compliance to contract by government. The findings also highlight the difficulty of separating politics from operational/management issues, especially in politically sensitive public services, yet performance contracting relies on such separation to be effective. Also it shows how informal behaviour undermines the formality of performance contracting.     

保障性住房供给中民间资本引导--以天津市为例

民间资本具有逐利性,民间资本参与保障性住房供给必然要追逐利益,相应的制度设计必须尊重民间资本的逐利性,给予民间资本稳定、持续的利益激励,从而保证其稳定、持续地参与保障性住房供给。但基于民间资本的流动性,需要在制度设计中中断民间资本的逐利性,避免民间资本参与保障性住房过程中为追逐利益而偏离住房保障目标。对于具有较高获益性的保障性住房,天津市允许民间资本直接参与供给;而在获益性较低的保障性住房项目中,天津市采用保障性住房投资基金、保障性住房信托投资基金、住房公积金贷款等工具鼓励民间资本参与保障性住房供给,有效地兼顾了民间资本的逐利性和保障性住房的公益性,在结果上达到了双赢。     

国有垄断性资源产业与竞争性消费产业企业价值比较

本文构建了股权结构、市场结构和企业价值模型,分析十年横截面数据,证实了我国垄断和竞争两极并存、国有企业向资源产业集中的市场结构特征;得出资源产业的企业价值十年来迅速增加,并超过消费产业;发现股权和企业价值存在理论上的倒U型曲线,但资源产业的股权结构超过理论上的最优企业价值股权区间,而消费产业的股权结构低于最优企业价值区间,市场结构对企业价值存在负影响。本文政策建议是：政府降低对资源产业的垄断程度同时引入竞争机制、加强对消费产业的监管时增加集中度,促使我国的市场结构由垄断与竞争两极并存格局向垄断竞争市场结构转化,为技术创新提供最佳的产业组织形式。     

企业集团投资决策方法的发展趋势

在针对决策方法选择对企业集团投资的重要性上,本文主要阐述了企业集团投资决策方法的发展趋势。企业集团投资决策过程中所遵循的决策准则表现为多元化和核心性,更加突出了决策方法的战略性要求;而未来的企业集团投资决策方法,其主流趋势仍旧是以项目评价为基础。不以现金流量为基础的评价方法完善了传统投资决策方法,而且定性与定量方法相结合的趋势将企业集团投资管理推向了更高的发展阶段,使投资决策方法逐渐地向模拟化发展。     

企业集团财务集中管理的探索

随着WTO准入的完成,我国大部分企业均面临如何增强自身的核心竞争力的问题,组建企业集团正是向增强自身核心竞争力跨出的关键一步。然而,一个集团的内部结构可以是松散管理,也可以是集权管理,这两种管理的核心区别在于采取何种财务管理模式。而财务集中管理模式,不失为提高集团的整体运行效率及降低集团的总体运营成本的有效方法。本文指出了企业集团实施财务集中管理的必要性,并进行了可行性分析,提出了实现企业集团财务集中管理的几点设想,最后探讨了集团财务集中管理理念为中国企业带来的深远影响。     

论我国物流机械制造企业技术真空的形成及解决途径

阐述了当前我国物流机械制造业所面临的问题和现状,分析并提出了物流机械制造企业今后努力及其发展方向。