Exploring dynamic natural-resource-based capabilities for sustainable agri-food chains

The natural-resource-based-view (NRBV) is positively presented in literature as a competitive approach to sustainable operations. In spite of this the theory has struggled to transition into industry; something which academics attribute to a lack of practical guidance and ill-defined capabilities. The purpose this study is to identify NRBV capabilities. This is done via review of seminal NRBV studies and exploration of a synergistic relationship with SSCM, permitting the identification of potentially relevant capabilities. Dynamic capabilities theory is then applied to categorize the capabilities and further enhance applicability. A qualitative multiple-interview methodological approach is employed to empirically investigate the capabilities within the context of the Scottish agri-food sector

Innovation of extraordinary chefs : development process or systemic phenomenon?

A highly rated current study on culinary innovation was found to be too product- and service-oriented and narrow, more appropriate to describe the culinary craft than the culinary art Creativity seems to be put into a box and is sold as a well-structured task. Creativity, however, is an ill-structured problem solving and a systemic phenomenon. It requires social validation from the gatekeepers of the domain and if accepted changes an existing domain or transforms an existing domain into a new one. These theoretical findings were supported by selected empirical data from 19 phenomenological interviews with extraordinary chefs from the UK, France, Spain, Austria and Germany. It emerged from the interview analysis that culinary innovation is more than just product or service development and that extraordinary chefs use ill-structured problem solving. Finally, it was shown that the field and the domain have significant influence on the individual chef and her/his creations

Operations management in high value manufacturing

This paper explores the issue of high value manufacturing from an operations management perspective and discusses the critical role that the operations management community must play in moving manufacturing organisations to 'higher value ground'. An exploratory study was carried out in two phases. In Phase 1 existing literature was examined following a systematic review process. This was followed by a stakeholder analysis that included manufacturing companies, government agencies and consultancies and case studies of three organisations that had recently repositioned their businesses. Phase 2 comprised of a focus group based industry consultation exercise. The aim of the second phase was to validate and refine the findings from the initial phase and to generate the key ideas that would inform a future research agenda. This paper provides the foundation for further research by identifying those operational issues that are affecting industry as it seeks to move to higher value ground

The role(s) of gamification in knowledge management

Gamification is a new, but an increasingly popular approach, which proved to be powerful in many areas, such as education and marketing, and has entered the area of internal corporate applications. This exploratory study is focused on a particular part of corporate environment – gamification being a medium of interactions of knowledge workers with each other. By providing a literature review of gamification and combining it with the exploratory case-study of an online retailer, Zappos, we demonstrate the ways in which gamification helps to identify various types of knowledge workers and influence their dynamics, as well as we open a wide range of areas for further research

Open innovation for new drug research in Indian pharmaceutical sector

The national environment in India for the pharmaceutical sector recently underwent changes with The Patents (Amendment)Act 2005, to comply with the TRIPS agreement leading to product patent protection.This has led to Government initiatives to support R&D and promote interlinkages between industry and academia. Globally, innovation ecosystem in recent years has morphed and seen a paradigm shift from a closed innovation in-house R&D model to more open approaches. In this context, the study aspires to gain an understanding of how the institutional and regulatory factors influence adoption of open innovation strategies at firm level and enables formation of innovation networks between universities, public research labs and firms in India

Manufacturing in Scotland

Set against the backdrop of current thinking that UK manufacturing needs to move into higher value, this report, commissioned on behalf of the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS) Board, set out to: Give an account of the current status of manufacturing SME’s in Scotland including current activities, aspirations, strategies and challenges facing them; Assess the progress Scotland has made towards high value manufacturing; Make recommendations as to the type of support needed to enable Scottish manufacturing SMEs invest in their long-term future. The resulting report is based on findings of a survey that delivered responses from 435 Scottish manufacturing companies and in-depth interviews with directors of 45 companies. This research was carried out during the period April to September 2008. Our research suggests that there have been significant shifts within manufacturing SMEs in Scotland. The most notable shifts include: A shift in the basis of competition. Our research suggests that the primary basis of competition for Scottish manufacturing SMEs is not price. Increasingly Scottish SMEs are adding value through quality and customer service. A shift in the nature and scope of operations. Whilst the primary business function of manufacturing companies remains production, there is evidence of increasing levels of design and service activity taking place. Companies reported they expected this trend to continue as the shift in the basis of competition away from price towards innovation and customer service gains pace. These changes suggest a move towards high value manufacturing. However there are major challenges facing Scottish SMEs if they are to compete on new value propositions. Of particular concern are: Lack of strategic vision and understanding of the capabilities and competencies needed to compete on the new value propositions. Whilst companies largely recognise the need to improve manufacturing efficiency, many have not embraced the need to develop and improve processes that deliver value to the customer (eg. Customer service processes, new product development processes etc). If customer service, innovation and quality are key differentiators and the way they add value, then companies need to ensure they have sustainable processes to deliver this value. Changes in operational activity have tended to be the result of evolution and opportunity rather than coherent operational strategy. Many companies need help in generating and enacting strategic change There is a lack of appreciation of the potential value of innovation in delivering value (and indeed the understanding of innovation in its many guises). Almost all companies interviewed reported some problems finding and retaining staff. Whilst in some cases labour shortages were due to specific skills and knowledge, there was also a general problem recruiting people with basic employability who had a desire to work in manufacturing. The poor image of manufacturing was a worry to the vast majority of interviewees. Many companies recognised the potential to exploit opportunities overseas. Some alluded to the fact that it might not be enough to market and export overseas, but that a manufacturing presence may be needed to fully exploit the opportunity. In terms of the support needed, companies stated that they would be looking increasingly for help and support in the areas of manufacturing efficiency and sales and marketing. Supply chain was also an area where companies reported they would be looking for help and support. Companies also suggested that they would like to see improvements in terms of “community”, with a number of interviewees looking for help in accessing not just help and support, but also introductions to other organisations. The research team believe that whilst not always recognised by the companies, support is also needed in the areas of strategy (and linked to this leadership) and in developing and improving processes that add value. Finally, the research suggests worryingly low levels of manufacturing entrepreneurship in Scotland, with only 3% of companies surveyed established within the past 5 years. This is worthy of further investigation. 4 Key findings and recommendations are expanded upon in Table 1. However the key recommendations can be summarised as: Manufacturing SMEs continue to require support in manufacturing efficiency, sales and marketing and supply chain. As companies move away from price as the main basis for competition and towards alternative value propositions, they also need support in developing and enacting strategy. Of particular urgency, companies need help in developing and improving the processes and capabilities that deliver value (beyond traditional manufacturing) Establishing processes that support innovation and product development will be central to the sustainability of many Scottish SMEs Further work needs to be done to investigate the apparent low levels of manufacturing start-ups Further work is needed to understand the areas where Scottish SMEs can actually compete on high volume /low complexity – often due to “localisation” factors Consideration should be given to supporting companies who wish to establish manufacturing overseas to exploit global opportunitiesA skills strategy must be created in line with the needs of manufacturing industry The poor image of manufacturing in Scotland needs to be addresse

Changing the Game : A Case for Gamifying Knowledge Management

Purpose: This exploratory paper investigates gamification as a medium for knowledge workers to interact with each other. The paper aims to open the discussion around the sustaining impact that gamification might have on knowledge management. Design/methodology/approach: The paper employs an exploratory literature review investigating the current state of the art in relation to knowledge management and gamification; this literature review serves as the starting point of subsequent theorizing. Findings: Based on the literature review we theorize that the use of gamification in knowledge management can go far beyond the motivational aspects. To name just a few uses of gamification, it can help in: supporting flexibility, facilitating transparency and therefore improving trust, visualizing skills and competences as well as generating requirements for new competences, and promoting a collaborative environment among the knowledge workers. Research limitations/implications: This paper opens the discussion around knowledge management and gamification and suggests a wide range of areas for further research. Practical implications: In this paper we argue that by looking at gamification as more than just a set of tools for improving motivation and engagement a company can address some pitfalls of a particular type of knowledge workers. Social implications: Originality/value: Gamification is a new, but increasingly popular approach, which has been shown to be to be powerful in many areas. This paper is novel in that it initiates a dialogue around the impact that gamification might have on knowledge management

Open innovation networks in Indian pharmaceutical sector

The Indian pharmaceutical sector grew spectacularly in a process patent regime, which enabled to entrench itself in the global market with generics and cost effective manufacturing processes. The legislative environment in India for the pharmaceutical sector underwent changes in 2005 leading to product patent protection. The sector was ready to embark on a smooth journey to path breaking innovation, equipped with enhanced process capabilities as well as expertise gained in modular aspects of drug innovation. Is innovation taking place in a manner as would have been expected? The aim of this paper is to understand how the changes in patent regime have influenced the scientific innovation networks, through the lens of national innovation system and open innovation. This study examines an important and unexplored facet of open innovation and the findings may have important implications for organizations to further their innovation agenda

Open innovation in new drug research : the Indian perspective

This article sketches open innovation strategies pursued by eight Indian pharmaceutical firms and provides an account of strategic flexibility charted by firms in the wake of changes in the legislative environment. The findings examined through the lens of open innovation and dynamic capabilities identifies ‘technological competencies’ and ‘funding’ as two very important reasons, which push the traditionally closed R&D firms to pursue open innovation. Within the dynamic capabilities framework, the findings suggest that resources and competencies play a vital role in enabling open innovation in the complex new drug research setting

Lean implementation in a service factory : views from the front-line

The deployment of Lean methods in service work is increasingly viewed as a legitimate response to the growing requirement for more efficient front-line service delivery. However, research investigating Lean implementations is reporting mixed results with process efficiency gains frequently marginalised by losses in employee satisfaction and customer focus. It has been suggested that these sub-optimal outcomes are the result of partial adoptions of Lean where the emphasis is placed on process efficiency with employee and customer outcomes neglected. Using an Action Research approach this paper investigates the outcomes of a Lean implementation within a UK call centre. The Action Research methodology used ensured that a holistic rather than a partial implementation of Lean was achieved and this research finds that Lean when implemented properly can lead to improved process efficiency, a better customer experience and increased employee satisfaction. It suggests that to achieve these optimum outcomes Lean implementations must as a priority be focused on creating customer satisfaction and be customised to fit with particular contingencies in the organisational context such as the nature of the interface between the front-line worker and the customer