Presents the introductory editorial for this issue of the publication.
Soft-systems methodology (SSM) has been recommended as a tool for scientifically evaluating complex environments. One such environment is the development of organizational processes and products delivered by organizations. This paper proposes a methodology for organizational product and process innovation based on SSM theory incorporating quality function deployment (QFD) and IDEF0 (integrated definition functional modelling tool) techniques. The methodology relies on a series of phases that elicit information from complex and amorphous real-world practices, processes, and information, and develops models of these systems. The paper illustrates the utility of the methodology and tools using a case example: development of an organizational decision support system used to justify strategically important technologies for the enterprise.
The circular economy (CE) is an emergent concept to rethink and redesign how our economy works. The concept recognizes effective and efficient economic functioning at multiple scales—governments and individuals, globally and locally; for businesses, large and small. CE represents a systemic shift that builds long-term resilience at multiple levels (macro, meso and micro); generating new business and economic opportunities while providing environmental and societal benefits. Blockchain, an emergent and critical technology, is introduced to the circular economy environment as a potential enabler for many circular economic principles. Blockchain technology supported information systems can improve circular economy performance at multiple levels. Product deletion, a neglected but critical effort in product management and product portfolio management, is utilized as an illustrative business scenario as to blockchain’s application in a circular economy research context. Product deletion, unlike product proliferation, has received minimal attention from both academics and practitioners. Product deletion decisions need to be evaluated and analyzed in the circular economy context. CE helps address risk aversion issues in product deletions such as inventory, waste and information management. This paper is the first to conceptualize the relationships amongst blockchain technology, product deletion and the circular economy. Many nuances of relationships are introduced in this study. Future evaluation and critical reflections are also presented with a need for a rigorous and robust research agenda to evaluate the multiple and complex relationships and interplay amongst technology, policy, commerce and the natural environment.
The issue of green supply chain management (GSCM) has received increased attention in recent years among manufacturing practice and research. Yet, the corporate and environmental manufacturing issues in developing countries have not been as well investigated. This paper compares drivers and practices of GSCM in one developing country, China, focusing on three typical sectors, the automobile industry, the thermal power plants and the electronic/electrical industry. We sought to determine where the differences occur and which industries are further along. This study indicates that Chinese companies in different industries have differing drivers and practices. We tend to confirm that globalization and China's entry into the world trade organization have helped promote GSCM practices in manufacturing enterprises.
Agility and agile manufacturing are recent organizational development philosophies that industry and academia are studying. Benchmarking is a business practice that will aid in the study, refinement, and application of agility principles. This paper focuses on two issues, benchmarking agile environments and agile benchmarking requirements. Benchmarking process, tools and metrics issues are discussed within the perspective of agility requirements. The process, tools and metrics discussion allows for a simultaneous study of the two major issues in integrating benchmarking and agility. In this paper a need for a developmental evolution in benchmarking is also observed. A number of potential directions and enablers are defined based on current practice and emerging mechanisms for agility and benchmarking.
Green supplier development (GSD) is an important operational strategy to improve supply chain environmental performance. The emergent field of GSD has been evolving. However, few GSD reviews have been published on this topic. The purpose of this chapter is twofold: to identify areas of current research interests, and potential directions for future research in green supplier development. Findings show that advancing knowledge into how multiple tiers, broadersocial dimensions, technology and other supply chain management activities can be further integrated into GSD. Overall, these areas are fertile for further investigation as refinements in the research occur.
This article presents a supply chain planning model that can be used to investigate tradeoffs between cost and environmental degradation including carbon emissions, energy consumption and waste generation. The model also incorporates other aspects of real world supply chains such as multiple transport lot sizing and flexible holding capacity of warehouses. The application of the model and solution method is investigated in an actual case problem. Our analysis of the numerical results focuses on investigating relationship between lean practices and green outcomes. We find that (1) not all lean interventions at the tactical supply chain planning level result in green benefits, and (2) an agile supply chain is the greenest and most efficient alternative when compared to strictly lean and centralized situations.
Supplier selection and partnership formation is greatly influenced by how inter-organizational practices and organizational forms have evolved. Organizations can be in a number of stages in terms of their organizational practices. These stages and how they manage their relationships will be integral in deciding how they should be formed. One of the important and growing roles of this formation has to do with the introduction of third-party mechanisms or brokers to aid in this formation. These brokers and the roles they play, depending on the organizational form of the proposed inter-organizational relationship, will be defined. Supporting tools, practices and technology are then discussed. The major focus of these support items will be on agent and agent technology. Initially the paper provides a foundational discussion on the corporate (manufacturing) perspective on various practices and the evolving relationships among organizations. The paper concludes with some possible directions available to both managers and researchers in this important and growing area.
Escalating global demand for high-performance computing and smart devices has driven rapid expansion in the semiconductor industry. This expansion raises environmental and societal sustainability concerns among stakeholders. Although there is a growing commitment to environmental and social responsibilities by semiconductor companies, the impact of these responsibilities and initiatives on corporate performance remains unclear—especially with respect to general firm operational efficiency. Thus, this study employs a sample of 129 listed Chinese semiconductor companies and a slack-based data envelopment analysis (SBM-DEA) methodology to examine the relationship between corporate environmental and social performance and firm efficiency. We also investigate how supply chain position—an important industrial characteristic—moderates these relationships. The findings reveal that: (1) China's semiconductor industry efficiency is relatively low, particularly in the chip design sub-sector; (2) there is a positive relationship between corporate environmental performance and firm efficiency; and (3) supply chain position moderates the relationship between both corporate environmental and social performance and firm efficiency. These findings offer important implications for managers and researchers aiming to foster greater semiconductor industry sustainable development.
It is widely acknowledged that China’s economic miracle has been achieved at the expense of its natural capital and environment. In order to deal with this problem, the circular economy (CE) has been chosen as a national policy for sustainable development. National laws and regulations have been enacted to facilitate the implementation of CE and national CE demonstration projects have been initiated such that national benchmarking activities could be completed. China is the first country to release nationally focused CE indicators so that objective and credible information on the status of CE implementation can be recognized. These CE indicators are valuable metrics for policy and decision-makers and can help achieve CE goals and outcomes. This unique indicator system has not been communicated to international communities. This paper aims to more broadly introduce this unique national CE indicator system. China’s CE efforts are first detailed with various provisions of the national indicator system. A critical analysis of such an indicator system is presented. We show that certain benefits can be gained, but substantive revision is also needed due to the lack of a comprehensive set of sustainability indicators which should include social, business indicators, urban/industrial symbiosis, absolute material/energy reduction, and prevention-oriented indicators. Concerns related to barriers on implementation are also presented in this paper. The knowledge gained from Chinese efforts on CE indicators are valuable to both developed and developing nations seeking to implement sustainable development measures within their regulatory policies.
Environmentally conscious manufacturing (ECM) has been a mainstay of sustainable organizational practices for at least two decades. The adoption of ECM practices needs to overcome a variety of barriers. To overcome these barriers and adopt these crucial practices, understanding their structure and relationship is needed. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM), can help us do this. ISM has been applied to a number of organizational decision problems. It is a technique that is helpful to managers in organizing the relationships among a series of factors that may influence their decision. The decision support technique has a long history dating back to the late 1960's and early 1970's. Yet, its application and investigation by researchers to a variety of topical areas has not occurred until very recently. This lack of application is especially true for investigation into topics related to ECM. We find that the barriers to this organizational practice can be further investigated and analyzed with ISM. This paper seeks to provide and overview of major barriers and an illustrative example of this procedure with initial insights. More complete evaluation and implementation of this technique is recommended for its validation.
Presents a listing of the editorial board, board of governors, current staff, committee members, and/or society editors for this issue of the publication.
Impact of information technology on firm productivity has received significant attention in information systems literature. Although many studies were performed to investigate this effect, the results were not conclusive in supporting a systematic effect. This study investigates this phenomenon in both manufacturing and service industries by considering a sample of 85 manufacturing and 77 service firms. Our research methodology utilizes a combination of various data envelopment analysis models and non‐parametric statistical techniques in testing for the influence of information technology investment on firm productivity. We investigate this effect under conditions of both constant and non‐constant returns to scale assumptions. Our results provide some very interesting insights and recommendations.
No abstract is provided for this article.
At a time when many companies are embarking on enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementations, despite the belief among CEOs that approximately two-thirds of such systems are said to be failures, Texas Instruments’ (TI) multi-stakeholder ERP system offers many lessons for future adopters. A constancy of vision, providing visibility of the ERP system to external constituents via Web linkages, and standardization of internal processes and important information technology systems to support market needs, were the foundation for the success of this implementation. In this paper, we detail the management of this implementation from a process-oriented perspective. The lessons learned from this effort help to support and further the academic and practitioner literature especially in the area of large-scale information systems management.
