Analysing the Adoption of Energy-Saving Technologies in Manufacturing Firms

The present book chapter aims to (i) map the adoption of energy-saving technologies (EST) in manufacturing and (ii) identify structural and operational characteristics that are expected to correlate with EST implementation. The empirical evidence is collected through the European Manufacturing Survey. The analysis presented corresponds to the Spanish subsample 2012 edition. Our main result points to a relatively low implementation of EST, also interpretable as a still unexploited potential these technologies have for manufacturers. Other main findings show (i) a relatively still modest implementation of most EST and (ii) a possible relationship between high implementation of EST and perceived energy efficiency as a consequence of implementation. The chapter draws implications for practice and research

ISAC6+ Delivering Smarter Administration through innovation - a Benefits Realisation approach to ensuring success.

The paper describes how the Project Management discipline of benefits realisation has been applied to an EU funded E-government initiative. It explores the benefits of using this approach, the challenges to be addressed, and suggest a framework for applying the approach to other local and national e-government initiatives. One of the key project objectives is to demonstrate through the pilot that implementation of the iSAC6+ system will provide value for money by delivering the desired benefits both to government office users and citizens. The approach described here focuses on costs and benefits generated by use of the system. There are staff costs for training, support and operation, technical costs for integrating iSAC6+ in to existing systems and websites, and more significantly organisational costs for designing and implementing new procedures and working practices. Citizens too will incur costs to access and use the service. In iSAC6+ we have created a model of costs and benefits which can be applied in the short term to the pilot, and in the longer term to a much larger number of public organisations. The aim of the Benefits Realisation model is to demonstrate that iSAC6+ is capable of delivering value for money, and thus to justify the investment needed for expanding its use. Information Technology project success or failure is traditionally judged against objectives set during initial project planning. Enterprises, both public and private sector, have found this approach inadequate because long term costs and benefits do not occur until after the project has completed. Benefits Realisation emerged in the 1990s and developed two roles: a discipline for anticipating and quantifying the expected value of a project in terms of the costs and benefits which will accrue after the project itself is complete; and an over-arching project management philosophy. The paper uses the case study experience to comment upon these two different perspectives. The model developed within the project is based upon the recognised public sector costing formula, the Standard Cost model (SCM) but goes much further by integrating it into a Benefits Realisation tool which creates an audit trail from organisational strategic aims through to detailed cost measures for both quantitative and qualitative incidences

Clustering product innovators: a comparison between conventional and green product innovators

[EN] This paper aims at analysing firms implementing new products. Based on a cluster analysis, three types of manufacturers have been identified representing different types of product innovators according to the competitiveness factors important for their business, environmentally sensitive new products, and a performance indicator, such as the share of turnover from new products.Pons, M.; Bikfalvi, A.; Llach, J. (2018). Clustering product innovators: a comparison between conventional and green product innovators. International Journal of Production Management and Engineering. 6(1):37-46. doi:10.4995/ijpme.2018.8762SWORD37466

Competence assessment in higher education: A dynamic approach

Advances in the implementation of the European Higher Education Area have had a great impact on university environment and the process of design, evaluation, and implementation of new curricula. Identifying competence levels among students can help course organizers to improve both academic content and teaching/learning processes. The present study addresses this issue by examining the implementation of an Internet-based competency assessment tool. We analyze the status and evolution of soft skills among students on the Official Masters program Creating and Managing Innovative Technology-Based Companies at the University of Barcelona, using a tool known as Tricuspoid, specifically designed for evaluating entrepreneurial competences. The results show that the tool, first, enables students to identify their strong and weak points and to develop personal strategies for improvement; second, provides teachers with additional information about the effects of their input on student competences; and third, supplies useful information for quality management of the Master's programs, because it can detect trends in the training needs of new students and help to enhance content accordingly, and therefore match the design of the academic program to the requirements of labor market

Orientaciones, dinámicas organizacionales y motivaciones para la obtención del producto innovador verde

As a result of the concerning current global environmental situation, companies in the manufacturing sector and their customers have reflected on the need to develop and purchase, respectively, Innovative Green Products (IGPs). Consumers are motivated to do so by a greater environmental awareness, ethical concerns, moral reasons, and a sensitivity about the planet that will be provided to future generations. Nevertheless, many companies are not convinced of the benefits they would obtain if they started to develop green products. As a result, beyond protecting the environment, companies require other motivations to devote resources and efforts to eco-innovation. This paper aims (1) to expand the understanding of companies and customers in order to articulate their requirements and wishes and (2) to encourage other authors to conduct further research into IGPs. This article explores the literature about several approaches to address the paradigm of IGPs in organizational environments, as well as what inspires companies and customers to develop and purchase them. The results reveal a set of four drivers of the development and purchase of IGPs: conceptual approaches to understanding the needs of green consumers, organizational dynamics, corporate motivations, and customer motivations. This study found a relationship between these four drivers, which was used to propose a connection circle of the factors involved in the development and purchase of IGPs. Based on these results, other authors and operations and corporate managers can make significant contributions to this field in academic as well as managerial environments.La preocupante situación ambiental actual a nivel mundial ha puesto a reflexionar a empresas del sector manufacturero, al igual que a sus clientes, sobre la necesidad de desarrollar y adquirir, respectivamente, un producto innovador verde (PIV). Algunas de las razones por parte de los consumidores están sustentadas en una mayor conciencia ambiental, preocupaciones éticas, motivos morales, así como la sensibilización sobre qué planeta se proveerá para las futuras generaciones. Por parte de las empresas, muchas aún no se encuentran convencidas de los beneficios que obtendrían al incursionar en el desarrollo de productos verdes. Del mismo modo, más allá de contribuir al cuidado del medio ambiente, las empresas también requieren de otras motivaciones que las impulse a destinar recursos y esfuerzos en innovación ecológica. Con la intensión de avanzar en la comprensión de las empresas y de los clientes con relación a la necesidad de articular tanto sus requerimientos como sus deseos, a la vez, como un impulso a los académicos para el progreso de la investigación del PIV. En este artículo, sobre la base de la literatura, se exploran alternativas sobre cómo abordar en el ámbito organizacional el paradigma del PIV, así como qué inspira a las empresas y a clientes para su obtención. Los resultados del estudio detectaron una serie de impulsores relacionados con orientaciones en función comprender las necesidades del cliente ecológico, dinámicas para llevar a cabo a nivel de la organización y motivaciones tanto del cliente como de las empresas en procura del alcance del PIV, presentando una asociación, que establece la propuesta de un marco orientado la consecución y compra del PIV. En virtud de lo anterior, los investigadores y los gerentes corporativos y operativos tienen la oportunidad para generar aportes importantes en esta temática bajo sus diferentes líneas de actuación, tanto en el ámbito académico como en el gerencial

Innovation, entrepreneurship and outsourcing: essays on the use of knowledge in business environments

Innovació, emprenedoria i subcontractació són els pilars temàtics de la present tesi doctoral. L'ús del coneixement per part de les empreses representa l'element comú d'aquestes temàtiques. Les evidències empíriques provenen principalment del món empresarial, però es complementen amb les del món acadèmic com a principal proveïdor de coneixement a la societat actual, la finalitat de la qual és crear riquesa i benestar socioeconòmic. L'objectiu principal d'aquesta tesi doctoral és contribuir a les diferents àrees de recerca. La primera, gestió de la innovació, més concretament innovació organitzativa, reflexionant sobre la seva importància i monitorització a través d'enquestes. Tot seguit, un exemple d'innovació organitzativa -treball en equip- s'analitza en profunditat, així com també els seus determinants. La segona, analitza el procés de transició d'una universitat tradicional cap a una universitat emprenedora, començant per la fase de disseny fins a l'actualitat contemplant la seva funcionalitat i eficiència en el marc de les institucions públiques de recerca d'Europa. I la tercera, descriu les barreres que les empreses han de fer front a l'hora de cooperar, en general, i amb universitats, en particular. La mateixa mostra d'empreses gasela també serveix per analitzar la decisió de fer-o-comprar. El resum d'aquests resultats, les conclusions, així com les futures línies de recerca finalitzen el treball.Innovation, entrepreneurship and outsourcing represent the backbone of the present dissertation. The use of knowledge in business environments symbolizes the overlapping area of these concepts. Empirical evidences come mainly from business world, but they are complemented with academia as one of the main scientific knowledge provider in current society whose final objective is wealth creation and socioeconomic welfare. The main objective of the present work is contributing to different areas of research. First, innovation management in terms of organizational innovation, contemplating its importance and challenges for its measurement on large scale surveys. Then, a particular example of organizational concept - teamwork - in production is analyzed and the matter of its determinants is tackled. Second, the entrepreneurial transformation of a non-elite university is followed up, since its beginnings including the design phase up to present contemplating its functionality and efficiency, compared to other European public research institutions. Third, the difficulties and barriers in terms of R&D outsourcing, in general, and with universities, in particular are analyzed on a sample of gazelle companies, as well as their decision to make-or-buy. Finally, a summary of the results, conclusions and particular implications end this work