Analysis of sourcing and procurement practices : a cross industry framework

Thesis (M. Eng. in Logistics)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Engineering Systems Division, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 159-161).This thesis presents and analyzes the various practices in the functional area of Sourcing and Procurement. The 21 firms that are studied operate in one of the following industries: Aerospace, Apparel/ Footwear, Automotive, Computers, Communications Equipment, Consumer Packaged Goods, Pharmaceuticals, Petroleum and Retail. Those firms have been chosen for their overall supply chain excellence and the research builds on empirical data from case studies, literature survey and interviews with industry experts. By assessing the empirical data and the various practices, a framework is proposed to address the different options that the firms can use relative to the organizational structure of the Procurement Department. These options are based on a combination of the importance of the inputs and the supplier/buyer power differential. Lastly, this thesis identifies the factors that affect these options. Key Words: Procurement, Sourcing, Organizational Architecture, Corporate Strategy.by Ioannis G. Koliousis.M.Eng.in Logistic

Strategic correlations for maritime clusters

Maritime clusters formulate appealing objects of study, for many viewpoints. At the same time, the theory is not homogenous nor compartmentalized, although some main themes do seem to be prevalent. The latter include innovation, competitiveness, strategy, and policy. Through an inclusive analysis of the literature, data mining is attempted within this body of knowledge. A dominant instance within the literature is the existence of a strategic case, along with the fact that this is rooted within a recurring constellation of topics vested within strategic management. These occurrences are categorized per generic premise, according to a coding protocol. The data is then adjusted into dichotomous variables, to investigate dependent samples' correlation. The aim of this methodology is to examine association between the categorical variables of academic impact and the presence of a strategic case. The results of the analysis are statistically significant. This research can provoke novel directions with respect to strategic and tactical decision making, for academia and practice. In addition, this work provides a rudimentary inventory of the literature of maritime clusters, that can aid the formulation and investigation of further statistical hypotheses

Strategy, policy, and the formulation of maritime cluster typologies

In recent years, clusters of industry have attracted multilateral attention, from academia and practice, alike. Clusters of industry relate to harbouring regional competitiveness; as such, they have come to be considered as important constructs for strategy and policy, that can be deemed as complementary domains. At the same time, maritime clusters are regarded as dynamic cases from a multitude of viewpoints. The concepts of strategic policy, particularly as they pertain to maritime clusters, require deeper understanding and more thorough analysis. In this context, cluster typologies surface as a useful instrument that can offer valuable insight. While this field instils the eventuality of facilitating policy and strategy within clusters, it remains relatively barren. This instance may present the opportunity to better elaborate on the formulation of models and frameworks that address the intricacies within maritime clusters. The research conducted introduces a three-tier framework for the generation of maritime duster typologies, that bears the potential to enrich strategic management and its eventual policy implications, towards a more streamlined and informed manifestation

Exploratory spatial analysis of maritime clusters

For decades, maritime clusters have been relishing distinct attention from policy, practice, and academia. The regional phenomenon coined as a cluster has been found to provide an excellent framework for the formulation of a competitive advantage for not only the firms situated within, but also the region, and in many cases, the nation harbouring the cluster altogether. Despite the attention directed towards maritime clusters, their body of knowledge is still crystallizing. Within this body of research, a definitive allocation, categorization, and classification of the different geographical stances with reference to the strategic elements of clusters, is absent. This work introduces a topology of the governing constructs within maritime clusters and provides a rudimentary, yet conclusive, classification of the different locational approaches in the strategic maritime clusters of the world. In addition, this research provides indications as per the tone of regional culture that dictates the competitiveness of maritime clusters. These indications are fostered through exploratory factor analysis on a dataset compiled of Likert-type questionnaire data. Structure detection based on the locational origin of the responses is conducted, contributing to a pertaining research gap in the literature, as studies providing geographical classification of maritime cluster competitiveness' factors are scarce. Various reliability statistics calculated validate both the quality of the dataset and the methodology applied

Strategic competitiveness in maritime clusters

For decades, research into the domain of maritime clusters has provided interesting results, for practice and academia alike. The body of knowledge has crystalized into the conclusive importance of these types of clusters for regional and even national competitiveness, rendering lateral implications for strategy and policy. Even though the general premise of the literature has been founded, research into distinctive facets of these industrial entities is sparse. The latter includes quantitative analysis of variables that hold a definitive impact for strategic management within clusters. The objective of the present work is to address this gap in the research, through exploratory data mining among the factors that affect competitiveness in maritime clusters. Within a structured review of the body of knowledge concerning maritime clusters, an inventory of strategic factors is extracted. These factors are sorted per Likert-type importance and exploratory cluster analysis is conducted. Through this methodology, items with strong correlations are grouped and an importance-based narrative for the competitiveness of maritime clusters is developed. The results of this research can be further utilized for benchmarking purposes within the realm of managerial practice, inclusive of the fields of policy and strategy. In addition, this work can provide a stepping-stone for future research, as many qualitative and quantitative instruments may be utilized to validate or challenge the results generated herein

Hiding Digital Data in Music Scores Using Musical Features

Organisational issues of safety in healthcare: A teleonic stud