Pharmaceuticals supply chain management:buffering & bridging response strategies in shortage management

There exists a growing and tenacious challenge in the medicine supply chain, to manage the consequences of supply chain disruptions. Hospitals experience frequent shortages, in a European based study, 45% of respondents indicated that life preserving drugs were affected by shortages (Pauwels 2015). This research seeks to augment theoretical understanding underlying this significant issue and provide advice in the management of shortages which is a critical issue within the pharmaceutical industry. Previous research has focused on the antecedents of supply chain disruptions; what happens after a disruption has received scant attention. This research acknowledges that gap and seeks to build on the Bode et al. (2011), model of organisational responses to supply chain disruptions. This study uses a research onion design as a stencil to guide the pluralistic methodological approach chosen to release the multifaceted dimensions of the problem under consideration. Data collection instruments were interviews, an online survey, and focus groups. It was based on 318 acute care hospitals in the UK and Ireland. Findings indicate there are patterns of responses, and shortage performances vary depending on the length of time since the disruption and response mixture chosen. This research gives new insights into the impact of supply chain disruption response behaviour and supply chain performance in shortage management. It provides additional empirical tests to the Bode et al. (2011) normative model, providing insights into the underlying balanced theories, through examination of three constructs: supply chain disruption orientation; supply chain disruption performance and organisational response. It extends the concept of supply chain disruption orientation and highlights how response behaviour can feed back into the dynamic decision-making process, augmenting the Bode et al. (2011) framework. It provides insights to managers taking a system-wide view on drug delivery performance

Electronic information sharing model for Yemen education sectors based on layered behaviour model

Electronic Information Sharing (EIS) is a proof of the advancement of ICT that supports daily transaction and decision making, including in the higher education sector. In the higher education system in the Republic of Yemen, EIS brings benefits to the Yemen Center for Information Technology in Higher Education (YCIT-HE) and Yemen public universities in many aspects including enhancing information accuracy and timeliness while providing fast services at minimal costs to students and employees of public universities. Albeit a high degree of information sharing, there are limited electronic information sharing between Yemen public universities and YCIT-HE. This limitation creates difficulties and delays in getting services and making decisions. The majority of the previous frameworks and models had concentrated on EIS in the government sector, while very few had focused on the higher education sector. There were also very minimum utilization of the Layer Behavior Model (LBM) in Information Sharing studies in the context of understanding the different situations of EIS at different levels of an organization. Thus, this study aims to develop an EIS model based on Social Exchange Theory, Information Sharing Theory and Layered Behavior Model (LBM). This model combines individual, environment, organization and technology factors which influence EIS. In order to validate the model, Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was applied. A purposive sampling was applied to collect data involving deans of the faculties, engineers responsible for the system, Director of the computer centre, Vice-Chancellor of the University, the senior management of the universities, and the Student Affairs from each of these six universities. A total of 260 questionnaires were distributed to six universities in Yemen via email and face-to-face meeting with 173 (66.53%) returned response. The model demonstrates three dimensions and ten influential factors that can essentially increase the electronic information sharing between Yemen public universities and YCIT-HE. The significant technological factors include IT capability, information quality, IT compatibility, cloud computing, and social media. As for the significant environment factors, they include upper-level leadership as well as policy and law. Organization factors include top management support, interagency trust and Financial Capability. The model can assist the management of university in planning and managing technological, organizational and environmental aspects of the universities in their way forward to improvise and enhance EIS in the future

Compliance framework for change management in cloud environments

Mención Internacional en el título de doctorThe Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) area is one of the critical management areas for every organization. This is particularly the case for information technology (IT) departments where both human resources and technical infrastructures (software and hardware) need to work seamlessly in order to provide the expected benefits. The study of the literature shows that sound GRC methods are key to running and maintaining secure and compliant computing infrastructures. An important and particularly challenging aspect of the IT landscape is its constant and perpetual evolution in order to keep pace with new and emerging technologies that find their way faster and faster into the organizational infrastructure. Since assessments of risks and compliance aspects always refer to a certain (more or less static) situation, such frequent changes pose a real danger to the overall relevance of these assessments in the mid and longterm perspective. So, a sound approach to ensuring compliance not only punctually (both in time and space) but holistically – considering the complete IT landscape in a continuous way – needs to integrate with the change management function of the organization. Another important development in the last eight to ten years was the emergence of Cloud Computing (CC) as a straightforward and efficient way of providing IT functionality to organizations. While it poses many various challenges to IT management in general, CC is particularly relevant for GRC as it makes an IT provision approach that was previously sometimes applied – outsourcing – to a predominant approach to provide infrastructure (called Infrastructure‐as‐a‐Service or IaaS), platforms (called Platform‐as‐a‐Service or PaaS), and software (called Software‐as‐a‐Service or SaaS) within an organization. CC and outsourcing entail wider challenges for GRC as it involves the inclusion of an external party as a service provider within an organization reflecting specific aspects of provider selection, contract management, service level agreements (SLAs), and monitoring. They become even more challenging in the context of frequent and interdependent changes. Therefore, this thesis is aimed at the definition and validation of a Compliance Framework for Change Management in Cloud Environments (short: CFC MCC). The proposed solution of the problem has been approached from a multidisciplinary point of view taking in consideration aspects from computer science, IT management and IT governance, but also such aspects as legal and cultural dimensions. The proposed solution provides a framework to support the solicitation of requirements from different subject areas (e.g., organizational, technological, cultural) and their subsequent consideration within the change management process of established IT management frameworks such as ITIL. It can be tailored to the specific situation of most organizations and provides a consistent approach to address GRC aspects in rapidly evolving cloud‐based organizational IT landscapes. The scientific discourse within the thesis has been structured following best academic practices and recommendations. In the last phase of the research methodology an empirical validation has been performed to verify the applicability of the framework. The data obtained from the validation indicate that the application of the framework for ensuring compliance in CC environments constitutes a relevant improvement of the change management process.El área de gobernanza, riesgo y cumplimiento (por sus siglas en inglés GRC) es una de las áreas de gestión clave en todas las organizaciones. En el caso de los departamentos de Tecnología de la Información (por sus siglas en inglés IT de Information Technology) el área cuenta con una importancia igualmente crucial. Estos departamentos deben orquestar los recursos de capital intelectual y las infraestructuras hardware y software para contribuir a la generación de beneficios empresariales. La literatura ha demostrado que un conjunto de procedimientos en el área GRC es clave para prestar el servicio de forma eficiente a partir del mantenimiento de una infraestructura tecnológica segura y compatible. Un aspecto importante y particularmente retador en el entorno IT es su constante evolución con el propósito de habilitar la adopción de nuevas tecnologías en apoyo de los procesos corporativos. Dado que la evaluación de riesgos y los aspectos de cumplimiento se refieren a una determinada situación que se puede considerar más o menos estática, los continuos cambios en el entorno IT representan una amenaza para la incorporación de nuevas tecnologías en ámbitos corporativos desde el punto de vista GRC. Por ello, un enfoque sólido para garantizar el cumplimiento no sólo de forma puntual en tiempo y espacio sino de forma integral, considerando el entorno IT en una forma continua e integrada con la gestión del cambio corporativa. Otro desarrollo importante y modificador de la situación actual es la emergencia de la computación en la nube (CC, siglas en inglés de Cloud Computing) como una forma efectiva y eficaz de proporcionar la función IT en las organizaciones. Pese a que CC suscita diversos desafíos para la administración IT, es en particular relevante para GRC ya que habilita la externalización del servicio como una aproximación predominante para proporcionar infraestructura (llamado Infraestructure‐as‐a‐Service o IaaS), plataformas (llamado Platformas‐ a‐Service o PaaS) y software (llamado Software‐as‐a‐Service o SaaS) dentro de una organización. CC y la externalización suponen retos más amplios para GRC, ya que implican la inclusión de un proveedor de servicios externo dentro de una organización. Esta circunstancia aflora cuestiones relativas a la selección de proveedores, la gestión de contratos, los acuerdos de nivel de servicio (por sus siglas en inglés SLA), y el seguimiento de las relaciones y los servicios prestados. Estos aspectos, se convierten en un reto aún mayor en el contexto de los cambios frecuentes e interdependientes en el ámbito IT. Por lo tanto, esta tesis está dirigida a la definición y validación de un marco de cumplimiento para la gestión del cambio en entornos relativos a la nube (abreviatura: CFC MCC). La solución propuesta del problema ha sido abordada desde un punto de vista multidisciplinar, tomando en consideración aspectos de la informática, la gestión de IT y el gobierno de IT pero incorporando también aspectos tales como las dimensiones legales y culturales. La solución propuesta proporciona un marco para apoyar la solicitud de requisitos de diferentes áreas (por ejemplo, organizativos, tecnológicos, culturales) y su posterior consideración en el proceso de gestión del cambio de los marcos establecidos de gestión de TI como pueda ser ITIL. EL marco puede ser adaptado a la situación específica de las organizaciones y proporciona un enfoque coherente para abordar los aspectos de GRC en rápida evolución entornos de TI de la organización basados en la nube. El discurso científico dentro de la tesis se ha estructurado siguiendo las prácticas académicas y recomendaciones de investigación. En la última fase de la metodología de la investigación empírica una validación se ha realizado para verificar la aplicabilidad del marco. Los datos obtenidos de la validación indican que la aplicación del marco para garantizar el cumplimiento en entornos CC constituye una mejora relevante del proceso de gestión del cambio de las organizaciones.Programa Oficial de Doctorado en Ciencia y Tecnología InformáticaPresidente: Antonio de Amescua Seco.- Secretario: José Antonio Manzano Calvo.- Vocal: Ahmed Barnaw

The hotel guest questionnaire: an assessment of its role as a service encounter interface

This exploratory study on hotel stakeholder behaviour uses a \u27service innovation\u27 approach to investigate how the hotel guest questionnaire can function in a way not previously considered in the hospitality management literature. viz as a remote service encounter interface between the hotel management and guest. The paper-based guest questionnaire. also commonly known as comment card. is an old hotel tradition that is the most widely used method or guest feedback elicitation by hotels. Primarily a method of measuring guest satisfaction. studies show that its inherent limitations as a survey Instrument result in inaccurate and ungeneralisable data. The trend for e-based questionnaires as a complement to or even a replacement of. The paper questionnaire provides timely impetus for re-evaluation of its role in contemporary hotel management

Exploring the link between ICT intervention and human development through a social capital lens : The case study of a wireless project in the mountain region of Nepal

While it is generally accepted that information and communication technology (ICT) can lead to development, the process through which this may happen remains unclear. At the core of this debate is the very definition of the term ‘development’. In this thesis, I adopted Amartya Sen’s definition. According to Sen (1999), human development is built upon a particular capability approach. He inferred that human development is the enhancement of human capabilities (freedom of choice) in order that people can live a life which they value and have reasons to value. The capability approach has, however, been criticized for its individualistic stance. In responding to this criticism, this thesis integrated the societal level by adding collective capabilities to conceptualize development. Such capabilities, which are not simple aggregates of individual capabilities, are built on collective action that can be fostered through social capital. Social capital is characterized as shared norms or values that promote social cooperation within and between communities. It can be further categorized into three forms: bonding, bridging, and linking social capital. Bonding refers to networks between homogeneous groups of people, bridging refers to networks between socially heterogeneous groups, and linking refers to vertical ties between different hierarchies of power and social status

The performance of the internationalization process of Mexican manufacturing firms : an empirical study

L'étude scientifique de l'internationalisation de la firme est sur le point d'arriver à ses cinquante ans de recherche, toutefois durant tout ce temps, un volume et une variété de matériel considérables ont été réalisés. Il est clair que la recherche réalisée et celle qui est en cours, visent à expliquer, démontrer et créer une nouvelle théorie autour de l'activité internationale des entreprises dont les centres de décisions se situent dans les pays du « monde occidental développé ». Ce qui signifie que presque tout le travail académique, autant la partie théorique qu'empirique, s'efforce de remplir les vides perçus dans les différentes explications de l'internationalisation de la firme de ces pays, à supposer que n'importe quelles généralisations obtenues soient applicables dans le monde, autant développé que non développé. En tout cas, de cet effort de la communauté académique ressort une concurrence fermée afin de réussir à imposer une théorie générale d'internationalisation de la firme, tout en créant dans le processus « écoles de pensée » qui prétendent apporter « la » théorie générale et qui explique le phénomène de l'internationalisation de la firme. Il est indubitable que les apports en matière d'internationalisation, venant des pays appelés « pays développés », ont été diffusés, avec une certaine réussite, tout en impliquant que ces apports sont universellement éminents et applicables. Ceci n'est pas du tout passé inaperçu et de cette manière, des organisations comme la Conférence des Nations Unies pour le Commerce et le Développement (CNUCED) a lancé un appel pour une rencontre d'experts afin d'explorer l'élargissement de la capacité des « pays en voie de développement » à travers l'internationalisation de leurs compagnies (CNUCED, 2005). Cette thèse argumente que la théorie de l'internationalisation de la firme a besoin d'une recherche scientifique du phénomène dans des contextes alternatifs, comme dans les pays appelés « pays non développés ». Une telle activité de recherche doit éclairer la discussion sur le fait que pour être comprise, il faut que l'internationalisation soit d'abord mise en contexte. En suivant cette réflexion, nous avons étudié l'internationalisation de la firme mexicaine. Le Mexique fait partie des quinze plus grandes économies mondiales, c'est aussi un participant actif dans le commerce et les investissements mondiaux et le Mexique, en collaboration avec le Canada et les États-Unis, a fondé le Traité de Libre Commerce d'Amérique du Nord (A.L.E.N.A) et pourtant la communauté académique des affaires internationales a travaillé de manière limitée sur une théorie de l'internationalisation de la firme mexicaine. Dans ce projet de recherche, nous nous sommes concentré sur la firme mexicaine manufacturière internationalisée et en voie de l'être car cela représente un des secteurs économiques qui possède l'information statistique disponible la plus sophistiquée et complète (Holtbrügge, 2003 ; INEGI, 2005). Nous avons vérifié la littérature correspondante dans le but de positionner notre projet et nous avons développé un cadre conceptuel préliminaire. De la même manière, nous en avons déduit une série de propositions théoriques ou d'hypothèses à démontrer par rapport à ces entreprises mexicaines. Il est utile de mentionner que notre recherche a été éminemment empirique, y compris l'application d'un sondage à partir de bases de données nationales de firmes manufacturières mexicaines. De même, une série d'entretiens a été réalisée auprès de cadres et de chefs d'entreprises en voie d'internationalisation. Ce travail de recherche a eu pour but de produire de nouvelles perspectives théoriques et pratiques sur le phénomène de l'internationalisation de la firme manufacturière mexicaine. Il s'avère que cette recherche a signalé une zone d'études dans laquelle nos travaux de recherche s'inscrivent et qui devraient produire de nombreux résultats.\ud ______________________________________________________________________________ \ud MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Internationalisation de la firme, firme industrielle, firme mexicaine, intensité des ventes étrangères, satisfaction avec la performance, entreprenariat

Management: A bibliography for NASA managers (supplement 21)

This bibliography lists 664 reports, articles and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system in 1986. Items are selected and grouped according to their usefulness to the manager as manager. Citations are grouped into ten subject categories: human factors and personnel issues; management theory and techniques; industrial management and manufacturing; robotics and expert systems; computers and information management; research and development; economics, costs, and markets; logistics and operations management; reliability and quality control; and legality, legislation, and policy

Persuasive trust building in oral financial presentations: An analysis of a narrative Investor Relations genre

The aim of this study is to better understand the nature and role of oral financial presentations (OFP) in listed companies' Investor Relations (IR) communication activities. Combining existing literature from two disciplines, accounting and business communication research, it identifies two different types of OFP: On the one hand, Earnings Calls (EC) which are closely related to mandatory Earnings Releases and can be seen as 'norm-based', and on the other, Analyst Presentations (AP) which are fully voluntary. Whereas the first group of OFP or EC has been studied to some extent, the voluntary form has received little attention. The present study is thus motivated by asking why and how listed companies present themselves to the financial community voluntarily. The main reason is seen in the necessity to promote the company's shares in the competitive markets. Moreover, the existing literature on EC has regarded them as a genre but has only analyzed different detail questions in presentations held in English without providing any theoretical framework. Therefore, by combining literature from different disciplines about IR and corporate communication, the present study develops a comprehensive genre framework for companies' IR activities and shows within this framework the nature and role of OFP focusing on the AP type or OFP(AP). On the other hand, however, the framework reveals the financial community's need of trustworthy information. The question is thus how listed companies solve this dual goal, share promotion and delivering trustworthy information, in their oral presentations with the help of the strategic reputational story, the Equity Story. This empirical study analyzes 17 recorded and transcribed OFP(AP) held in two European languages, German and Finnish. In order to describe the genre context of the companies' IR efforts, two surveys and six expert interviews were also conducted and analyzed. The findings show that there is a border crossing professional financial marketing rhetoric, which is, however, combined with local rhetorical features in practice. Due to the investors' specific need of trust, also the ethics of such rhetoric is discussed, with the conclusion that in AP, the genre rules make it a shared practice and thus help to share the meaning of these presentations well within the financial community

Risks in new product development (NPD) projects

New product development (NPD) is vulnerable to a wide variety of risks arising from within the firm or from the external environment. Existing categorizations of NPD project risks are partial or ill-defined and consequently there is no clear consensus among researchers and practitioners about what constitute NPD project risks. To address this gap, this thesis deploys a systematic literature methodology to inductively develop a comprehensive risk taxonomy from a review of 124 empirical studies. This taxonomy is then empirically validated through a survey capturing data from 263 NPD projects conducted by UK firms. The thesis further investigated the moderating effect of NPD project type (incremental or radical), firm size (SMEs and large firms) and industry sectors on the proposed risk taxonomy. Variation in the perceptions of NPD risk by different members of the team was explored as well. The findings revealed that the principal risk factors affecting NPD projects are technological rapidity risk, supply chain risk, lack of funding and resource risk. The risk profile of radical NPD projects differed to that of incremental projects. SMEs were more vulnerable to NPD project risks than large firms. Most risks influenced NPD projects equally across industrial sectors. Members of NPD project teams from different backgrounds or with different roles perceived risks differently. The proposed taxonomy and its subsequent empirical validation provides a comprehensive and robust taxonomy for identifying and managing risks associated with different types of NPD project conducted by firms of varying sizes from different industrial sectors