Innovative capabilities, operations priorities and corporate performance in manufacturing firms

The purpose of this paper is to explore the linkage between innovative capabilities and operations priorities and corporate performance and try to answer the question of how innovative capabilities support a manufacturing firm’s operations priorities and corporate performance. By using survey data from 184 manufacturing firms, firms are clustered according to their innovative capabilities. These clusters are explored in terms of operations priorities and corporate performance. The findings substantiate that manufacturing firms can be clustered according to their innovative capabilities. Each innovation cluster adopts and develops different operations priorities and they attain diverse financial performance levels implying that there are alternative ways to compete in the market even within the same industry. However, each alternative strategy provides diverse levels of benefits. The findings demonstrate further that high performing firms compete effectively on multiple operations priorities simultaneously. Hence, firms need to excel in multiple priorities and innovation types in their market

BENCHMARKING - A VALID STRATEGY FOR THE LONG TERM?

The present paper work deals with a popular method for developingrequirements and setting goals ââ¬â benchmarking. It contains general aspects about thispowerful performance improvement tool, including types of benchmarking, steps tofollow in Benchmarking analysis, its goals, the benefits in using it and some dangerscaused by using it, also; the whole paperwork can be considered as being a plea forcontinuous, ongoing, unending improvement in management context and sustains theidea that benchmarking enables decision-makers to understand exactly how muchimprovement they will need to accomplish in order to achieve superior performance. Wedecided to broach this issue because even if it is an actual one, none of the existingarticles did not attempt to answer whether or not benchmarking is a valid long-termstrategy that should be implemented by nowaday’s companies. The case study examinesthe benchmarking initiatives taken by Xerox, one of the world's leading copiercompanies, as a part of its 'Leadership through Quality' program; the case discusses thebenchmarking concept and its implementation in various processes at Xerox and it alsoexplores the positive impact of benchmarking practices on this company.benchmarking, management, strategy;

Supply Chain Collaboration and their Impact on Firm Performance: An Empirical Study

The purpose of this paper is to conceptualize the dimensions of supply chain management practices and their impact on firm performances. In this empirical paper, business competitiveness of the service provider’s logistics companies comprises facets relating to quality and delivery of their products to the customers. Besides, as far as faster product delivery to the customers is concerned, this can be ascribed to the extensive sales and distribution networks established by the top twenty service provider’s logistics companies in Indonesia. The methodology of this study depends on the Meta-analysis, whereby the results reveal a positive effect of supply chain management practices, as viewed by the respondents of the service provider’s logistics companies on business performance. Such positive effects of supply chain management practices on both business competitiveness and customer satisfaction are validated by prior studies as well, who observe that when activities are performed in sync with both suppliers and customers, it would significantly leverage firm business competencies as well as customer satisfaction. This also finds the echo in the study arguing that a long-term collaborative relationship with suppliers facilitate in garnering positive results in an array of activities as reflected in superior product quality, diminished length of lead time, prompt customer service

The Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility Activity Toward Customer Loyalty Through Improvement of Quality of Life in Urban Area

The success of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities can create competitive advantage by influencing customer responses to firms’ offering. Customer’s awareness of CSR activity will influence their loyalty through their perception that activity can improve society’s quality of life where the CSR activities were implemented. The objective of this study is to evaluate the relationship between CSR awareness and loyalty that mediated by CSR Belief, Company Ability Belief, Quality of Life, and Company Reputation using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The result shows little differrences among five firms/brands as the object of the research, that are beverage, soap, car, lubricant, and cigarette. This result has an implication for the firm that CSR activities are not just cost center activities, but also can create reputation, and in the long run can create customer loyalty that contributes to firm’s financial benefit

Mapping Client Expectations for Better Business Design Innovation

This paper looks at the impacts of customer centricity (business models focused on understanding customer needs) and pull orientation (value chains whose output is dictated by end-user demand rather than producer capacity) on business design innovation in a new economy context. The key concepts are represented as client expectations. These are mapped over a business design framework, showing how they impact all aspects of the business in various ways. The result is a rich yet simple semantic network yielding relations, dependencies and synergies at a glance, based on the co-authors’ Tetrahedral Business Design Framework

T-government for benefit realisation

This paper proposes a model for t-Government and highlights the research agenda needed to increase understanding of transformational government and the processes involved in furthering the agenda of the t-Government. In particular, both an operational and a conceptual model for the effective involvement of citizens and businesses in government functioning have been proposed. This will help to define an agenda for t-Government research that emerges from national UK strategy and policy for e-Government. The main threads of t- Government encompass: (1) A citizen-centric delivery of public services or e-inclusion, (2) A shared services culture to maximize value added to clients, (3) The effective delivery and management of resources and skills within government or professionalism. All three threads should be addressed principally from the perspectives of delivery, evaluation and participation in view of benefit realisation as envisioned by Government strategic planning and policy directives (CabinetOffice, 2005). The management of change dimension of these phenomena have been included in the research agenda. In particular, research is needed to reshape the discourse towards emphasising a citizen centric approach that defines, develops, and benefits from public service. Decision makers in Government will need models of Governance that fulfil transformational objectives. They will also need models of benefits realisation within a strategic Governance framework. It has been argued that t-Government research should be addressing these relative voids

Role ambiguity and job performance of employees in the service sector SMEs in Malaysia

Small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) play a crucial role in the economic development of Malaysia, of which the majority are in the service sector.Employees of the service sector SMEs have often been associated with low level of job performance and past research has shown that there are many factors that can contribute to employee poor performance such as role ambiguity.Thus the aim of this study was to examine the relationship between role ambiguity and job performance of employees in the service sector SMEs in Malaysia.1500 questionnaires were distributed and 300 were returned resulting in a 20% response rate.The result revealed that there was a significant relationship between role ambiguity and job performance of employees

Service Innovation: The New Paradigm for Sustainable Organisation Development

This study examined the influence of service innovation on organization development. Specifically it examined the relationship between service innovation and organization development metrics (operational efficiency, profitability, market share, customer loyalty). To achieve the objectives of this research, three service organisations were chosen as the case study. The research instrument (questionnaire) was administered on a total of one hundred and five (105) selected customers of First bank PLC , Mutual Benefit Insurance PLC and South-Western hotel, Ado Ekiti. Data obtained were coded and analyzed using multiple regressions. The research findings revealed that there is strong association between service innovation and the four organization development parameters. It was thus recommended that management of service organisations should do everything possible to improve their service quality by adopting emerging innovations which will be comparable with the best in the industry. Employers of service industry should engage in regular training of their staff in order to enhance their skills and efficiency. Furthermore, the policy makers in government should adopt a measure to regulate the quality of services in the service industry by setting minimum standard that must be adhered to by all service organizations. Keywords: Service innovation, Organisation Development, Sustainable Developmen