A holistic review and framework for sustainable business models for assisted living technologies and services

Despite heavy investment in health and social care sectors in the UK, large scale deployment of assisted living technologies and services (ALTS) continues to face significant obstacles, and the lack of sustainable business models (BM) is widely regarded as one of the greatest hindrances. Based on a systematic review of previous studies, this paper identifies current trends in digital technologies and how they are used in assisted living. We categorise and analyse these technologies and through the lens of diffusion of innovation theory (DOI), we review the concepts and frameworks of BM as used in the literature to suggest conceptual frameworks for sustainable BMs for scalable ALTS in digital economy. This is expected to help in reducing the pressure on the already stretched health and social care services in the UK and other similar economies. Our approach suggests that BM canvas and DOI innovation diffusion characteristics are complements, not substitutes

Application of strategic fuzzy games to wage increase negotiation and decision problems

We propose a flexible decision support scheme which could be used in managing the wage negotiation between employers and employees. This scheme uses fuzzy inference systems and game theory concepts in arriving at decisions on future wage increase which could be more mutually agreeable. For example, rather than specifying 5% yearly increase of wages, we propose that the uncertain factors which are mostly difficult to predict and that could affect wage decisions need to be taken into consideration by the wage formula. These include business revenues or (profit), inflation rate, number of competitors, cost of production, and other uncertain factors that may affect business operations. The accuracy of the fuzzy rule base and the game strategies will help to mitigate the adverse effects that a business may suffer from these uncertain factors. Based on our scheme, we propose that employers and employees should calculate their future wage by using a fuzzy rule base and strategies that take into consideration these uncertain variables. The proposed approach is illustrated with a case study and the procedure and methodology may be easily implemented by business organizations in their wage bargaining and decision processes. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

How Smart Cities Transform Operations Models: A New Research Agenda for Operations Management in the Digital Economy

The notion of smart cities is growing in prominence in the digital economy. The integration of urban infrastructures with information and communication technologies (ICT) enables the development of new operations models. Digitised infrastructures offer opportunities for public and private organisations to design and deliver more customer-centric products or services, particularly for those that require geographical proximity with consumers in the O2O (online to offline) context. A framework is developed and used to analyse three case examples. These cases illustrate the emergence of new operations models and, demonstrate how smart cities are re-defining the characteristics of operations models around their scalability, analytical output and, connectivity. We also explore the feasibility, vulnerability and acceptability of each new operation. This paper contributes to our understanding of how smart cities can potentially transform operational models, and sets out a research agenda for operations management in smart cities in the digital economy

Exploring the relationship between knowledge network/ mobilisation and lean performance in agri-food chain context: A fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis.

Knowledge network/mobilisation and lean performance have been discussed separately and in generic contexts in previous studies. However, limited studies exist that focus on their relationship in supply chain management. This study applies fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) technique to explore the relationship between knowledge network types and knowledge mobilisation approaches to lean performance and successful lean performance outcomes. Based on empirical data collected and analysed from 32 cases in agri-food supply chains (SCs), the results show model routes to each specific measure for lean performance. The findings also indicate that no one simple antecedent is sufficient or necessary for high lean performance. The implications of the findings are discussed to understand the importance of mature and reliable knowledge communication channels and mobilisation strategies and to make the right SC decisions for improving lean performance in agri-food industry

Fuzzy inference game approach to uncertainty in business decisions and market competitions

The increasing challenges and complexity of business environments are making business decisions and operations more difficult for entrepreneurs to predict the outcomes of these processes. Therefore, we developed a decision support scheme that could be used and adapted to various business decision processes. These involve decisions that are made under uncertain situations such as business competition in the market or wage negotiation within a firm. The scheme uses game strategies and fuzzy inference concepts to effectively grasp the variables in these uncertain situations. The games are played between human and fuzzy players. The accuracy of the fuzzy rule base and the game strategies help to mitigate the adverse effects that a business may suffer from these uncertain factors. We also introduced learning which enables the fuzzy player to adapt over time. We tested this scheme in different scenarios and discover that it could be an invaluable tool in the hand of entrepreneurs that are operating under uncertain and competitive business environments.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio