Using Partial Least Squares in Operations Management Research: A Practical Guideline and Summary of Past Research

The partial least squares (PLS) approach to structural equation modeling (SEM) has been widely adopted in business research fields such as information systems, consumer behavior, and marketing. The use of PLS in the field of operations management is also growing. However, questions still exist among some operations management researchers regarding whether and how PLS should be used. To address these questions, our study provides a practical guideline for using PLS and uses examples from the operations management literature to demonstrate how the specific points in this guideline can be applied. In addition, our study reviews and summarizes the use of PLS in the recent operations management literature according to our guideline. The main contribution of this study is to present a practical guideline for evaluating and using PLS that is tailored to the operations management field. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

(Dimeth­oxy­phosphor­yl)(furan-2-yl)methyl 2-(2,4-dichloro­phen­oxy)acetate

In the title compound, C15H15Cl2O7P, the benzene and furan rings form a dihedral angle of 73.54 (1)°. In the crystal, weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into layers parallel to (100)

Antecedents and Consequences of New Product Development Practices and Software Tools: An Exploratory Study

Many development practices and software tools enable new product development (NPD), yet few empirical studies shed light on the project characteristics and project contexts driving their use. Using a cross-sectional sample of NPD projects, this study examines how project characteristics and availability of information technology (IT) infrastructure relate to the use of NPD practices and software tools. We also examine how the extent of their use is associated with NPD project performance. The results indicate that different project characteristics influence the use of NPD practices and software tools, with project complexity associated with software tool use, but project uncertainty associated with NPD practice use. Also, customer facing IT infrastructure is associated with the use of NPD practices, while manufacturing plant IT infrastructure is associated with the use of design/validation software tools. Moreover, use of NPD practices has a positive association with all project-level performance metrics examined in this study, and as a result, a greater impact on overall market success. In comparison, the performance impacts of software tools appear relatively limited, with only design/validation software tools exhibiting a strong positive association with product performance quality and a weak positive association with time-to-market and responsiveness. Communication/teamwork software tools exhibit no such impact

(S)-2-[(2,4-Dichloro­phen­yl)(hy­droxy)meth­yl]-5,5-dimethyl-1,3,2-dioxa­phosphinane 2-oxide

In the title mol­ecule, C12H15Cl2O4P, the cyclic dioxaphosphinane ring adopts a chair conformation. In the crystal, inter­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol­ecules into chains propagating along the b axis

Analyzing and modeling the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban expansion: a case study of Hangzhou City, China

Understanding the spatiotemporal characteristics of urban expansion is increasingly important for assisting the decision making related to sustainable urban development. By integrating remote sensing (RS), spatial metrics, and the cellular automata (CA) model, this study explored the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban expansion and simulated future scenarios for Hangzhou City, China. The land cover maps (2002, 2008, and 2013) were derived from Landsat images. Moreover, the spatial metrics were applied to characterize the spatial pattern of urban land. The CA model was developed to simulate three scenarios (Business-As-Usual (BAU), Environmental Protection (EP), and Coordination Development (CD)) based on the various strategies. In addition, the scenarios were further evaluated and compared. The results indicated that Hangzhou City has experienced significant urban expansion, and the urban area has increased by 698.59 km2. Meanwhile, the spatial pattern of urban land has become more fragmented and complex. Hangzhou City will face unprecedented pressure on land use efficiency and coordination development if this historical trend continues. The CD scenario was regarded as the optimized scenario for achieving sustainable development. The findings revealed the spatiotemporal characteristics of urban expansion and provide a support for future urban development