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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on a research project, using intervention research (IR), which aims to identify how a higher education institution could develop process improvement (PI) capability. Design/methodolog...
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to report on a research project, using intervention research (IR), which aims to identify how a higher education institution could develop process improvement (PI) capability. Design/methodology/approach The paper adopts a practice perspectives of routines, and classifies and catalogues the potential routines that could form PI capability. The development of these routines are investigated using the constructive research approach, a form of IR), in the action research mode. Within this approach, the methodology of mediated discourse analysis was employed to trace the empirical trajectory of the routine development, in a student management office within the context of an improvement project by the institutions PI unit. Findings Of relative significance is the implication that there is a small group of initialising PI practices which are accessible to practitioners, in contrast to a large set of critical success factors. Second, these PI practices transcend particular methodologies, meaning their development can be incorporated into customised, contextualised methodologies, by individual organisations. Practical implications - The set of PI practices identified are able to be enacted by practitioners and are not dependent on macro-management factors. Second they are relatively simple to understand and are not associated with any particular improvement fad or fashion. Originality/value The study contributes to the appreciation of PI in higher education as a capability, and outlines the potential array of routines that could constitute that capability. It provides a theoretical view on how key PI routines are developed in an organisational field, and a more nuanced and richer view of "process mapping" and its effect on other PI practices.
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This study focuses on CSR communication using the example of Corporate-NGO partnership between British supermarket chain Sainsbury's and Comic Relief. Questionnaires were distributed to 40 participants asking them about their cons...
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This study focuses on CSR communication using the example of Corporate-NGO partnership between British supermarket chain Sainsbury's and Comic Relief. Questionnaires were distributed to 40 participants asking them about their consumer behaviour and opinion on partnerships. Using thematic analysis, two main themes have been identified in the data set: some consumers are sceptical towards cross-sector partnerships because they assume selfish reasons behind the collaboration and view them as corporate PR tool. On the other hand, the majority of consumers evaluate Corporate-NGO Partnerships as appropriate and a gain for society at large. The analysis showed that Sainsbury's customers know about the partnership with Comic Relief while non-customers lack awareness and that the most successful means of communication of partnerships is the supermarket promotion.
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Objective: To explore the #SugarTax debate on Twitter to assess actors involved, their connections and the topics being discussed during the implementation and first anniversary of the UK Soft Drink Industry Levy. Design: The stru...
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Objective: To explore the #SugarTax debate on Twitter to assess actors involved, their connections and the topics being discussed during the implementation and first anniversary of the UK Soft Drink Industry Levy. Design: The structure of the #SugarTax debate on Twitter was assessed using social network analysis. The actors involved, their connections and the topics of discussion taking place were also explored using content, sentiment and thematic analyses. Setting: Twitter between 2017 and 2019. Participants: Twitter users engaging in discussions relating to the hashtag 'SugarTax'. Results: Tweets (n 5366) posted between 5 August 2017 and 7 May 2019 containing #SugarTax were downloaded from Twitter using Network Overview for Discovery and Exploration in Excel. The network included 1883 users, with 686 unique edges and 4679 edges with duplicates. The majority of tweets were negative in sentiment, when assessed by both automatic (64 %, n 141) and manual sentiment analysis (52 %, n 115) methods. Nine key themes were identified and grouped into two groups according to 'support for a sugar or SSB tax' or 'opposition for a sugar or SSB tax'. Conclusions: Twitter was used as a platform for debating the benefits and limitations of sugar-sweetened beverage taxes. The findings indicate that numerous actors are involved in the debates on Twitter, with advocates and lobbyists using the platform to raise support for their campaigns and reshape public perceptions. The findings and the methods used may be of interest to policymakers as well as to academics and members of the public looking to explore and engage in policy debates.
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This systematic review quantifies methods used to measure the 'retail food environment' (RFE), appraises the quality of methodological reporting, and examines associations with obesity, accounting for differences in methods. Only ...
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This systematic review quantifies methods used to measure the 'retail food environment' (RFE), appraises the quality of methodological reporting, and examines associations with obesity, accounting for differences in methods. Only spatial measures of the RFE, such as food outlet proximity were included. Across the 113 included studies, methods for measuring the RFE were extremely diverse, yet reporting of methods was poor (average reporting quality score: 58.6%). Null associations dominated across all measurement methods, comprising 76.0% of 1937 associations in total. Outcomes varied across measurement methods (e.g. narrow definitions of 'supermarket': 20.7% negative associations vs 1.7% positive; broad definitions of 'supermarket': 9.0% negative associations vs 10.4% positive). Researchers should report methods more clearly, and should articulate findings in the context of the measurement methods employed.
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Increasing global competition on product quality and production costs, and the need for flexibility in production petition for transformed production processes which enable high level of connectivity and integration between busine...
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Increasing global competition on product quality and production costs, and the need for flexibility in production petition for transformed production processes which enable high level of connectivity and integration between business processes and systems. Much of the conventional computer-integrated efforts and advanced manufacturing technologies are limited in scope and restricted to only some organisational areas. Such limited scope, which stems from limited connectivity and integration between manufacturing and enterprise systems, confines the achievement of full potential of these systems within manufacturing. Industry 4.0, characterised by computing developments, can create a platform for addressing integration challenge through enabling comprehensive connectivity. Hence, this paper, through following deductive research paradigm and using systems theory as the theoretical base, aims to investigate recent academic research and industrial reports in the area of Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing to provide detailed insights on execution of Industry 4.0, and to propose a theoretical framework for operationalisation of Industry 4.0 in manufacturing.
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Purpose - Foreign market entry is considered as a key strategy to grow and survive over longer period of time for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The decision to enter a foreign market is not a straightforward story. Consider...
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Purpose - Foreign market entry is considered as a key strategy to grow and survive over longer period of time for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The decision to enter a foreign market is not a straightforward story. Considering resource limitation, SMEs need to analyse the key barriers to entry in foreign markets very carefully. The purpose of this paper is to identify these barriers for the SMEs in a developing country.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the current state of the management of traditional retail markets (TRM) in the UK. TRM are indoor and outdoor markets located in town and city centres across the UK, selling food, ho...
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the current state of the management of traditional retail markets (TRM) in the UK. TRM are indoor and outdoor markets located in town and city centres across the UK, selling food, household goods, clothing and the like. Design/methodology/approach The paper employs a comparative analysis approach of multiple cases using an analytical framework drawn from place management and retail business management literature. The study investigates 11 retail markets in the UK, including 7 run by Local Councils, 2 privately run and 2 operated by Charity Trusts. Findings The paper identifies the management challenges of TRM lying at the intersect between its private-like business entity and the management overseen by local authorities, whose roles and functions are mainly on delivering public services. Although some council markets struggle, it remains a popular model for TRM because it offers social space and inclusion which other types of markets lack. The study also highlights that the environment within which TRM operate, such as policy, infrastructure, business and entrepreneurial aspects play an important role in influencing the performance of the markets. Originality/value The paper contributes to the retail literature's conceptual and empirical understanding of TRM management - the area which has been mostly neglected and under-researched. It offers an integrated analytical framework, including four dimensions of policy, infrastructure, business and entrepreneurial environment to advance the current limited understanding of this traditional form of retailing and sheds light on future research in this area.
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Integrating foresight into corporations has proved to be challenging. This account of practice reports on the introduction of futures and foresight (FF) teaching content into an executive Masters programme. The FF contentwas furth...
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Integrating foresight into corporations has proved to be challenging. This account of practice reports on the introduction of futures and foresight (FF) teaching content into an executive Masters programme. The FF contentwas further linked to and provided a background for action learning sets. The purpose was to identify how introducing distant time horizons would help participants to adapt and change their perspectives in problem solving and professional development. The report describes how FF was incorporated across the programme and used to develop insightful conversations in the action learning sets. Citing two case examples, the authors reflect on how participants responded to these new elements and offer insights into the value of introducing FF as an interdisciplinary element in a programme.
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