Key issues on partial least squares (PLS) in operations management research: A guide to submissions

Purpose: This work aims to systematise the use of PLS as an analysis tool via a usage guide or recommendation for researchers to help them eliminate errors when using this tool. Design/methodology/approach: A recent literature review about PLS and discussion with experts in the methodology. Findings: This article considers the current situation of PLS after intense academic debate in recent years, and summarises recommendations to properly conduct and report a research work that uses this methodology in its analyses. We particularly focus on how to: choose the construct type; choose the estimation technique (PLS or CB-SEM); evaluate and report the measurement model; evaluate and report the structural model; analyse statistical power. Research limitations: It was impossible to cover some relevant aspects in considerable detail herein: presenting a guided example that respects all the report recommendations presented herein to act as a practical guide for authors; does the specification or evaluation of the measurement model differ when it deals with first-order or second-order constructs?; how are the outcomes of the constructs interpreted with the indicators being measured with nominal measurement levels?; is the Confirmatory Composite Analysis approach compatible with recent proposals about the Confirmatory Tetrad Analysis (CTA)? These themes will the object of later publications. Originality/value: We provide a check list of the information elements that must contain any article using PLS. Our intention is for the article to act as a guide for the researchers and possible authors who send works to the JIEM (Journal of Industrial and Engineering Management). This guide could be used by both editors and reviewers of JIEM, or other journals in this area, to evaluate and reduce the risk of bias (Losilla, Oliveras, Marin-Garcia & Vives, 2018) in works using PLS as an analysis procedure

Scientific publication for dummies. A critical vision of indexed citations

Si queremos hacer avanzar la ciencia, necesitamos comunicar y debatir nuestros resultados para ir construyendo, entre todos, el conocimiento científico. En esta charla me gustaría compartir con vosotros cómo entiendo el sistema de publicaciones científicas, dónde localizar revistas afines a vuestros temas y cómo seleccionarlas (en base a su comité científico, la calidad de sus revisiones o el impacto en vuestro currículum a partir de diversos índices de impacto). También me gustaría personalizar la charla para dar respuesta a vuestras dudas concretas sobe el proceso editorial o recomendaciones que puedo haceros desde mi rol como editor y revisor de diferentes revistas de impacto. If we want to advance the science, we need to communicate and discuss our results in order to build, together, scientific knowledge. In this talk I would like to share with you how to understand the scientific publication system, where to find journals related to your research lines and how to select (based on its scientific committee, the quality of their reviews or impact on your curriculum ). I also like to customize the chat to answer your specific questions about the editorial process or recommendations I can make you in my role as editor and reviewer for various journals of impact.Marín García, JA. (2013). Scientific publication for dummies. A critical vision of indexed citations. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/3200

New concepts in automation and robotic technology for surface engineering

Nowadays, the use of robots for the automation of process is very common. This is due to the advantages provided: cost reduction, quality increase, high reproducibility, etc. Nevertheless the robots have the disadvantage, that a high initial investment is necessary. Thermal spraying processes use industrial robots for many reasons, some of them are: high control of the process, quality increase, dangerous work environment, etc. The industrial robot can control many parameters during the process; like the trajectory and the velocity of the torch, which have a significant influence on the heat and mass transfer to the piece and coating. Properties such as coating thickness, porosity, micro hardness and thermal stress distribution are therefore significantly influenced by the spraying distance, velocity and trajectory. It is thus necessary to implement new tools, which support robot programming and fulfill the requirements of torch handling for thermal spraying and lacquered operation. Optimized robot programming is necessary for high quality products regarding coating properties and functionality. To optimize the robot programming, different off-line programming tools are used. The off-line programming has the advantages: increase of work safety and efficiency, low time to program, continuous production, etc.Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería IndustrialUniversidad Politécnica de CartagenaInstitute for Manufacturing Technologies of Ceramic Components and Composites (IMTCCC; University of Stuttgart

Deconstructing AMO framework: A systematic review

Purpose: The AMO framework has been widely accepted in HRM literature for explaining the linkage between human resources practices and performance. However, it remains unclear whether this model has been fully demonstrated or not. Hence, we propose a systematic review that aims at identifying those investigations that have thoroughly tested the model, as well as the approaches used by them. Design/methodology: Systematic literature review, filtering scientific papers published in journals indexed in Scopus, Web of Science or Google Scholar, from the year 1993 to 2016, in the field of Social Sciences and Humanities with research that indirectly apply the AMO model in their analysis. Findings: AMO model is an excellent and structured framework that provides a better understanding of the relationship between HRM and performance. Moreover, the effectiveness of the model's proposal appears to be beyond doubt. In fact, a well trained and skilled employee will perform better, and a motivated worker will be ready to "go the extra mile". Likewise, if the work environment does not provide adequate opportunities, both abilities and motivation might become meaningless. However, we consider that many other factors could influence the positive effects of HPWS. As a matter of fact, not only contextual factors, but also individual beliefs, personal affinities, or personal circumstances (among others) might affect the implementation of these practices and the subsequent outcomes. For this reason, we consider that developing an HRM model that perfectly fit any situation is a very complicated, if not impossible, task. Research limitations/implications: The results show a significant variability in both research approaches and variables taken into consideration. In addition, it seems that little research has been conducted to verify the AMO model directly. Therefore, we consider that there is a great need to study the model from a more systematic perspective. A thorough understanding of the model could lead to a better understanding of the problems that organizations face when implementing human resource practices. Originality/value: Our study shed light on some aspects of the AMO framework within the HRM context. Specifically, we aimed to identify whether or not it is possible to confirm the model as it was originally proposed. We also find out which HR practices and measures of performance were considered across investigations, to define a standard approach.Marín García, JA.; Martínez Tomás, J. (2016). Deconstructing AMO framework: A systematic review. Intangible Capital. 12(4):1040-1087. doi:10.3926/ic.838S1040108712

Validation of suply chain integration scales and the effect that size, level of vertical integration, industry and country have on their value

Academic literature would appear to indicate that supply chain integration is a major factor in explaining the performance of companies. The results are nevertheless inconclusive. Certain authors put forward the idea that the vast range of results obtained are due, amongst other things, to the fact that there is no exactness to the group of scales used, no-one has yet published an analysis of the measurement models nor clear benchmarks. In this paper, we present the theoretical definition of four supply chain integration scales (clients, suppliers, external and internal) and the convergent and discriminant validity of a measurement instrument based on a list of items taken from earlier papers. We also propose a benchmark to interpret the scales by percentiles, using a diverse international sampling broken down into sub-samples based on sector, type of company, size of company and degree of vertical integration.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación DPI2010-18243Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia DPI2006-0553

Producción ajustada y recursos humanos: resultados sobre la efectividad empresarial

Nuestro artículo permite comprobar las prácticas de recursos humanos (RRHH) que están asociadas a la implantación de la producción ajustada (PA) y la efectividad organizacional que se obtiene de la combinación de ambas. Incidiendo en este sentido, las empresas con un grado mayor de implantación de la PA se preocupan de formar a una cantidad superior de empleados en estas prácticas así como de desarrollar más ampliamente los procesos de promoción interna. Sin embargo, no sucede lo mismo con la remuneración variable que no se ve afectada por la introducción de la PA. Por otro lado, la combinación de PA y de algunas prácticas de RRHH ha demostrado que reduce el tiempo de fabricación, los niveles de inventario y el tamaño de lote económico, y aumenta los indicadores de productividad y productividad y calidad conjuntamente. Con esta investigación, extendemos el trabajo de otros autores centrándonos en un sector apenas estudiado. Nuestra muestra consiste en un conjunto de empresas bastante homogéneas, lo que permite examinar la relación entre nuestras variables al tiempo que mantenemos controladas otras. Estos resultados pueden ayudar a los responsables de los departamentos de recursos humanos y de producción a potenciar sus logros organizativos. This paper indicates the Human Resource Management (HRM) practices associated with the introduction of Lean Production (LP) and the organizational results obtained. Companies that make the most of LP practices are also those that take care to train workers in using these practices as well as improving their internal promotion. However, the same is not true for the pay for performance system. The combination of LP with some HRM practices reduce lead time, inventory and economic order quantity, and boosts productivity separately and jointly with quality. We extend the work of other researchers by focusing on a sector that has been very little studied to date. The sample consists of a set of plants that are fairly homogeneous, which facilitates the analysis of the relationships between the selected variables while keeping other variables controlled. These results can thus be used to help human resource and production departments in improving organizational performance

El efecto del tipo de producto fabricado y del tamaño de la empresa en los resultados productivos de las empresas de pavimentos y revestimientos cerámicos de la Comunidad Valenciana.

En este artículo, describimos los datos recogidos en las entrevistas realizadas a 101 directores de producción y en las visitas posteriores a sus plantas. En él, presentamos la importancia que tiene el tipo de producto fabricado y el número de trabajadores en plantilla, para explicar las diferencias que existen en los resultados productivos de las empresas. Algunos indicadores como el plazo de fabricación, la cantidad de inventario de producto terminado o la productividad por operario, son sensiblemente diferentes en las distintas agrupaciones de empresas. Sin embargo, la satisfacción percibida por el mando de producción apenas varía al agrupar las empresas por producto fabricado

Grado de uso y resultados de la producción ajustada en las empresas de pavimentos y revestimientos cerámicos

Este artículo presenta una investigación llevada a cabo en el sector cerámico español. Su objetivo radica en determinar el grado de uso de algunas de las prácticas más representativas de la producción ajustada (PA) y su efecto sobre los niveles de calidad y productividad de estas empresas. Se presentan los resultados de 76 plantas industriales (un 79,17% de la población total) dedicadas a la monococción: porosa, gres y gres porcelánico. La conclusión más destacada es que, contrariamente a lo esperado, apenas se utiliza la PA por parte de estas empresas, sin que ello sea obstáculo para que las plantas alcancen unos altos índices de calidad y productividad. Este trabajo se va a unir a otros que señalan que la PA no es un sistema universal, válido en cualquier circunstancia y para cualquier lugar. Por tanto, antes de descartar los sistemas de producción en masa por otros más innovadores (desde el supuesto punto de vista de su eficiencia productiva), se requiere un análisis más detallado, al menos, de las características propias de cada sector. This article presents research carried out in the Spanish ceramic tile industry. The aim focuses on determining the degree of use of some of the most representative Lean manufacturing practices and their effect on the productivity and quality levels of these companies. Results are presented from 76 plants (79.17% of the population) dedicated to single firing ceramics: porous tiles, stoneware floor tiles and porcelain stoneware. The most outstanding conclusion was that, contrary to what was expected, Lean manufacturing is hardly used at all by these companies. However, the plants achieve high rates of quality and productivity. This work falls into line with others that indicate that Lean manufacturing is not a universal system, valid in any circumstances and place. Therefore, before getting rid of mass production systems in favour of more innovative ones (from the point of view of their productive efficiency), a more detailed analysis is required, at least, of the characteristics of each industry

Protocol: How to deal with Partial Least Squares (PLS) research in Operations Management. A guide for sending papers to academic journals

This work protocol form part of a three-phase publication (Marin-Garcia, 2019). Its objective is to establish a work procedure to answer these questions: 1) in which journals have articles about Operations Management with Partial Least Squares (PLS) been published?; 2) Do the results of previous reviews on this topic still prevail based on the very limited set of journals that it have been conducted (and before substantial modifications were made to report methods of PLS-based studies)?; 3) Do recent articles fulfil report recommendations; 4) What kind of measurement model has been considered for the constructs most frequently used in the selected articles?; 5) What are the usual R2 values in the cross-sectional studies represented in the selected articles?; 6) Within what statistical power range do the relations analysed with PLS fall? The article summarises current recommendations to select the analysis procedures and to report the research works that have used structural equations with PLS. We believe that this is an excellent contribution for researchers because it helps to improve the analyses and reports that derive from using PLS to, thus, increase the probabilities of them being accepted in relevant journals. Another contribution made by the present work, apart from establishing the aforementioned protocol, is to provide a list of the recent articles about operations management that have used PLS and the coding procedure to conduct our systematic review (to be subsequently published).Este protocolo de trabajo se enmarca en el contexto de la publicación en tres fases (MarinGarcia, 2019). Tiene como objetivo establecer el procedimiento de trabajo para responder a las siguientes preguntas: 1) ¿en qué revistas han publicado entre 2014 y 2018 artículos de Dirección de Operaciones analizados con Partial Least Squares (PLS)?; 2) ¿Siguen vigentes los resultados de las revisiones anteriores sobre el tema, basadas en un conjunto muy limitado de revistas y realizadas antes de las modificaciones sustanciales en los métodos de reporte de estudios basados en PLS?; 3) ¿Cumplen los artículos recientes con las recomendaciones de reporte?; 4) ¿Qué tipo de modelo de medida se ha considerado para los constructos más frecuentes en los artículos seleccionados?; 5) ¿Qué valores de R2 son habituales en los estudios de campo transversales representados en los artículos seleccionados?; 6) ¿En qué rango de potencia estadística (statistical power) se han situado las relaciones analizadas con PLS? El artículo resume las recomendaciones actuales para seleccionar los procedimientos de análisis y hacer el reporte de las investigaciones que utilizan ecuaciones estructurales con PLS. Consideramos que ello supone una gran contribución para los investigadores, pues ayuda a mejorar los análisis y reportes derivados del empleo de PLS y, con ello, aumentar las probabilidades de aceptación en revistas relevantes. Otra contribución del presente trabajo, además de establecer el protocolo mencionado, es presentar una lista de los artículos recientes de Dirección de Operaciones que han usado PLS y el procedimiento de codificación para realizar nuestra revisión sistemática (que se publicará más adelante)

Integrating human resource management into lean production and their impact on organizational performance

Purpose: Firstly, to analyse the effects of lean production (LP) on the policy of human resource management (HRM). The second goal of this research is to determine whether or not implementation of HRM practices associated with LP explain the differences in organizational performance between manufacturing plants. Design/methodology/approach: We developed a questionnaire for data collection. Findings are presented from 76 establishments (79.17% of the total sample) that specialise in single-firing ceramic tiles in Spain. Findings: Companies that make the most of LP practices are also those that take care to train workers in using these practices as well as improving their employment security. However, the same is not true for the pay for performance system. The combination of LP with HRM practices reduces inventory and boosts productivity but does not appear to affect the other performance variables analysed. Research limitations/implications: For certain variables we found very little variation between the plants in our samples. The data are cross-sectional, so causality cannot be definitively determined. Practical implications: This paper indicates the HRM practices associated with the LP and the results obtained. It can thus be used to help human resource and production departments in improving organizational performance. Originality/value: We extend the work of other researchers by focusing on a sector and a country that have been very little studied to date. The sample consists of a set of plants that are fairly homogeneous, which facilitates the analysis of the relationships between the selected variables while keeping other variables controlled