This book provides support to academics and researchers, as well as those operating in the management and engineering fields that need to deal with policies and strategies that allow to move towards a more sustainable paradigm, a greener economy that guarantees economic development and the improvement of living and working conditions. Drawing on the latest developments, ideas, research and best practice, this book examines the new advances in the subjects of circular economy.

This book provides a knowledge-based view to the dynamic capabilities in an organization. The author integrates two existing views on gaining competitive advantage: the Knowledge View which suggests that the capability of organizations to learn faster than competitors is the only source of competitiveness; and the Dynamic Capability View which speculates that a firm's competitive advantage rests on dynamic capabilities which enable a firm to constantly renew the stock of ordinary organizational capabilities in accordance with the changes in the business environment. Using the IT sector in India as a case study, this book provides and tests a new framework--Knowledge-Based Dynamic Capabilities-in the prediction of competitive advantage in organizations.

This book provides advanced analytics and decision management techniques and tools for developing sustainable competitive advantages in the studied target context. In order to achieve sustainable economy, the capacity to endure, it is essential to understand and study the mechanisms for interactions and impact from and among these perspectives.

Although much has been written about the economy of the Soviet Union, little attention has been given to its insurance system. Providing a unique introduction to the topic, Insurance in the Soviet Union examines whether socialist ideology changes the legal foundations and implementation of insurance. The book describes the administrative structure, market, extent of protection, types of policies, and the place of insurance in the general structure of Soviet finance.

This book describes how a model for optimizing the energy supply system in Germany can be implemented. It focuses on the open energy modeling framework (Oemof) program for modeling energy supply systems. The individual elements of Oemof are described, as well as the model's structure. The technical components of Oemof are subsequently demonstrated in mathematical calculations, along with sufficient Python code to begin basic modeling. The book will appeal to anyone with an interest in optimization models for energy supply systems, or in the mathematical description of the technical components of such systems in practical implementation, using a real example, Oemof. Thermodynamic descriptions of combustion are provided, so that readers can focus on modeling aspects. Researchers and practitioners will also find the book useful, as it expands on their knowledge of the technical components of energy supply systems, supported with detailed mathematical calculations.

This handbook is a unique, comprehensive resource for professional project managers and students in project management courses that focuses on the integration between baseline scheduling, schedule risk analysis and project control, also known as Dynamic Scheduling or Integrated Project Management and Control. It contains a set of more than 70 articles. Each individual article focuses on one particular topic and features links to other articles in this book, where appropriate. Almost all articles are accompanied with a set of questions, the answers to which are provided at the end of the book. This book is accompanied by and is based on the Project Management Knowledge Center (www.pmknowledgecenter.com), an online learning platform for Integrated Project Management.

Knowledge Management in the Construction Industry: A Socio-Technical Perspective presents a portfolio of concepts, methods, models, and tools supported by real life case studies from various corners of the globe providing insights into the management of knowledge in the construction industry. Untangling the hype from the reality, practical means of implementing knowledge management in the construction industry through various mechanisms and tools are demonstrated. For the practitioner, it provides practical insights and experiences from real life cases, for the researcher and academic, it provides current and state-of-the-art undertakings in this emerging area for the construction industry.

This book analyzes the underlying theoretical principles of multi-objective linear programming problems with multi-choice parameters. It studies transportation problems on the same domain with extension to fuzzy stochastic criteria, and offers insights into sensitivity analysis through symmetric duality and complementarity using non-convex programming. These analytical presentations provide ample scope for researchers to contemplate real-world problems with an innovative vision. The formulation, analysis and solution procedures on inventory control models in the book use both deterministic and fuzzy parameters, and provide novel optimal inventory policies. The book discusses a wide range of optimal operational techniques for policy makers, government and private agencies in the fields of e-governance and agricultural crop insurance, which are crucial for developing countries. The recommendations address the gaps and remedies in various schemes that influence decision-making in the context of the economic development of such countries.

This third edition provides operations management students, academics and professionals with a fully up-to-date, practical and comprehensive sourcebook in the science of distribution and Supply Chain Management (SCM). Its objective is not only to discover the roots and detail the techniques of supply and delivery channel networks, but also to explore the impact of the merger of SCM concepts and information technologies on all aspects of internal business and supply channel management. This textbook provides a thorough and sometimes analytical view of the topic, while remaining approachable from the standpoint of the reader. Although the text is broad enough to encompass all the management activities found in today's logistics and distribution channel organizations, it is detailed enough to provide the reader with a thorough understanding of essential strategic and tactical planning and control processes, as well as problem-solving techniques that can be applied to everyday operations. Distribution Planning and Control: Managing in the Era of Supply Chain Management, 3rd Ed. is comprised of fifteen chapters, divided into five units. Unit 1 of the text, The SCM and Distribution Management Environment, sets the background necessary to understand today's supply chain environment. Unit 2, SCM Strategies, Channel Structures and Demand Management, reviews the activities involved in performing strategic planning, designing channel networks, forecasting and managing channel demand. Unit 3, Inventory Management in the Supply Chain Environment, provides an in-depth review of managing supply chain inventories, statistical inventory management, and inventory management in a multiechelon channel environment. Unit 4, Supply Chain Execution, traces the translation of the strategic supply chain plans into detailed customer and supplier management, warehousing and transportation operations activities. Finally Unit 5, International Distribution and Supply Chain Technologies, concludes the text by exploring the role of two integral elements of SCM: international distribution management and the deployment of information technologies in the supply chain environment. Each chapter includes summary questions and problems to challenge readers to their knowledge of concepts and topics covered. Additionally supplementary materials for instructors are also available as tools for learning reinforcement.

This book is open access under a CC BY-NC 4.0 license. This volume presents several case studies highlighting the latest findings in Industry 4.0 projects utilizing S-BPM features. Their potential is explored in detail, while the limits of engineering a company from a communication-centred perspective are also discussed. After a general introduction and an overview of the book in chapter 1, chapter 2 starts by condensing the industrial challenges driven by the German "Industry 4.0" trend to form a concrete vision for future production industries. Subsequently, chapter 3 introduces the basic concepts of S-BPM and its capabilities, in particular for supporting the restructuring of processes. The next three chapters then present various case studies, e.g. at an SME offering the production of atypical, unique and special purpose machinery, equipment and technologically complex units particularly useful in the automotive and electronic industries; and at a further SME producing highly-customized floor cleaning machines. Rounding out the coverage, the last two chapters summarize the achievements and lessons learned with regard to the road ahead. Overall, the book provides a realistic portrait of the status quo based on current findings, and outlines the future activities to be pursued in order to establish stakeholder-centred digital production systems. As such, developers, educators, and practitioners will find both the conceptual background and results from the field reflecting the state-of-the-art in vertical and horizontal process integration.

Information is considered both an essential element of organizational design and an asset to be processed and managed. Further research on and application of topics relating to the architecture, management, and use of information is imperative to organizational success. The Handbook of Research on Information Architecture and Management in Modern Organizations focuses on information as an essential element of organizational design and emphasizes the strategic role of knowledge transfer and management in organizations across industries. Taking a cross-disciplinary approach to information architecture and management, this publication draws on research essential to diverse organizations and is designed for use by business professionals, researchers, academicians, and upper-level students. This comprehensive reference work features key research and concepts on topics related to information functionality, information modeling, information overload, information retrieval, innovation management, organizational architecture, informed governance, and relevant applications across industries.

This book assesses Chinese acquisitions in developed countries, evaluates the drivers and opportunities and, above all, explores the major operational challenges. It discusses topics such as cross-cultural issues, integration strategies, risk and resilience, the influence of emerging technologies, servitization, impacts on reshoring, corporate social responsibility, branding strategies, knowledge management, and transfer of best practices. While emerging market multinational corporations' (EMNCs) use of mergers and acquisitions as a strategic vehicle has received considerable attention, much less is known about their post-entry activities, such as the implementation of post-acquisition and integration strategies. It can be expected that, compared with their Western counterparts, EMNCs will face radically different challenges that may undermine the success of their products, brands and marketing. Addressing these issues by means of a case study approach, this book is an ideal teaching resource for a variety of courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. It also appeals to academics, researchers, and practitioners with a keen interest in manufacturing industry.

This book offers an insight into the complications higher education is currently facing in the Arab world. It discusses whether governance in international higher education is of particular importance in Arab countries when considering their difference in political systems, cultures, interests, concerns and numerous conflicts. Arab society needs more than ever to strengthen its higher education governance in order to meet current challenges and demands. Higher Education Governance in the Arab World includes insights from the real world and is written by international professionals with the aim of providing a spark of hope for a better future with a clearer understanding on how to move forward.

The global market is constantly evolving and it has become essential for organizations to employ new methods of appealing to customers in order to stay abreast on current trends within the world economy. The Handbook of Research on Driving Competitive Advantage through Sustainable, Lean, and Disruptive Innovation features theoretical development and empirical research in social media platforms, internet usage, big data analytics, and smart computing, as well as other areas of organizational innovation. Highlighting implementation challenges facing innovative processes, this publication is a critical reference source for researchers, students, professionals, managers, and decision makers interested in novel strategies being employed by organizations in an effort to improve their standings on the global market.

Organizations of all types are consistently working on new initiatives, product lines, or implementation of new workflows as a way to remain competitive in the modern business environment. No matter the type of project, employing the best methods for effective execution and timely completion of the task at hand is essential to project success. The implementation of computer technology has provided further opportunities for innovation and progress in the daily operations and initiatives of corporations. Knowledge Management and Innovation in Network Organizations: Emerging Research and Opportunities is an essential scholarly resource that explores the use of information communication technologies in management models and the development of network organizations operating in various sectors of the economy. Highlighting coverage on a wide range of topics such as cloud computing, organizational development, and business management, this book is ideal for business professionals, organizational researchers, and academicians interested in the latest research on network organizations.

To survive and thrive in the competition, firms have strived to achieve greater supply chain collaboration to leverage the resources and knowledge of suppliers and customers. Internet based technologies, particularly interorganizational systems, further extend the firms' opportunities to strengthen their supply chain partnerships and share real-time information to optimize their operations. "Supply Chain Collaboration: Roles of Interorganizational Systems, Trust, and Collaborative Culture" explores the nature and characteristics, antecedents, and consequences of supply chain collaboration from multiple theoretical perspectives.

"Supply Chain Collaboration: Roles of Interorganizational Systems, Trust, and Collaborative Culture" conceptualizes supply chain collaboration as seven interconnecting elements including information sharing, incentive alignment, goal congruence, decision synchronization, resource sharing, as well as communication and joint knowledge creation. These seven components define the occurrence of collaborative efforts and allow us to explain supply chain collaboration more precisely. Collaborative advantages are also divided into five components to capture the joint competitive advantages and benefits among supply chain partners.

The definitions and measures developed here examine some central issue surrounding supply chain development but this is also followed up with real-life managerial practicalities. This balance of theory and practical application makes "Supply Chain Collaboration: Roles of Interorganizational Systems, Trust, and Collaborative Culture" a strong resource for industry practitioners and researchers alike.

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The decision to engage in corporate social action (CSA), and the debates regarding its costs, benefits and implications to corporate performance represent a demanding issue for scholars and managers. Research is inconclusive regarding the causal relations between CSA, corporate social performance (CSP) and corporate financial performance (CFP), despite numerous empirical and theoretical studies devoted to the issue. This book presents an in-depth study of corporate social action and the factors influencing a decision to engage in it. Going beyond the causal relationship between CSA and firm performance, the book stresses the link between CSA and a firm's core managerial policies and practices, reflecting the complexity and varied facets of CSA and the numerous internal and external factors that influence its outcomes. The book draws on the experiences of various industrial sectors to reveal the importance of a range of issues such as top management pay dispersion and ownership structure, which may influence the firm's decision to engage in CSA. It also explores some of the external influences on firms, such as institutional norms, the geopolitical environment and the industrial sector. The first part of the book provides an overview of the thematic issues of CSA and performance. The second part presents a series of empirical studies that examine factors and determinants of CSA. The third part presents case studies to illustrate the processes and outcomes of CSA policy and strategy in environmentally hazardous industries.

Globalized marketing strategies continue to increase the development of global business through its latest advances in technology. The adoption of new technologies for businesses and organizations fluctuate throughout different regions of the world. Global Diffusion and Adoption of Technologies for Knowledge and Information Sharing provides diverse insights from researchers and practitioners around the world to offer their knowledge on the comparisons of international enterprises. This book is useful to managers and practitioners to improve business practices and keep an open dialogue about global information management.

Technological advancements have become an integral part of life, impacting the way we work, communicate, make decisions, learn, and play. As technology continually progresses, humans are being outpaced by its capabilities, and it is important for businesses, organizations, and individuals to understand how to optimize data and to implement new methods for more efficient knowledge discovery and information management and retrieval. Innovative Applications of Knowledge Discovery and Information Resources Management offers in-depth coverage on the pervasiveness of technological change with a collection of material on topics such as the impact of permeable work-life boundaries, burnout and turnover, big data usage, and computer-based learning. It proves a worthy source for academicians, practitioners, IT leaders, IT professionals, and advanced-level students interested in examining the ways in which technology is changing the world.

This book accomplishes an analysis of critical aspects of managerial implications on the business with information. The business dealing with information is spreading in the service market; and, an efficient management of informational processes, in order to perform successful business with them, is now crucial. Besides, economical/business, technological or any other kind of information, organized in a variety of forms, can be considered as an 'informational product'. Thus, creating a business value out of information is challenging but vital, especially in the modern digital age. Accordingly, the book covers the methods and technologies to capture, integrate, analyze, mine, interpret and visualize information out of distributed data, which in turn can help to manage information competently. This volume explores the challenges being faced and opportunities to look out for in this research area, while discussing different aspects of this subject. The book will be of interest to those working in or are interested in joining interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary work in the areas of information management, service management, and service business. It will also be of use to young generation researchers by giving them an overview on different aspects of doing business with information. While introducing them to both technical and non-technical details, as well as economic aspects, the book will also be extremely informative for professionals who want to understand and realize the potential of using the cutting-edge managerial technologies for doing successful business with information/ services.

This book illustrates the Chinese wisdom hidden behind the project governance which is called "Taiji logic". "Taiji logic" is a set of dialectical ideals and approaches that are unique in the Chinese culture. The three pillars of "Taiji logic" are: identifying the conflicts based on the principle that Yin - Yang are not only opposite but also unitary, capturing the best time to reconcile conflicts with the laws of transformations of Yin - Yang, and finally, symphonizing conflicts with "Zhong-Yong" ideas to balance the needs of various stakeholders. This book aims to solve key issues in project governance from a special Chinese perspective: What is the essence of "Taiji logic"? How should one identify the major conflicts across various phases of project governance and the best time to reconcile them? What are the essential forces that help one to reconcile major conflicts? The fusion and collision of various cultures has made our world full of variety and conflicts. "Taiji logic" offers philosophical ideas and practical approaches to reconcile conflicts in project management.

This book offers a thorough and systematic introduction to the modified failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) models based on uncertainty theories (e.g. fuzzy logic, intuitionistic fuzzy sets, D numbers and 2-tuple linguistic variables) and various multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) approaches such as distance-based MCDM, compromise ranking MCDM and hybrid MCDM, etc. As such, it provides essential FMEA methods and practical examples that can be considered in applying FMEA to enhance the reliability and safety of products and services. The book offers a valuable guide for practitioners and researchers working in the fields of quality management, decision making, information science, management science, engineering, etc. It can also be used as a textbook for postgraduate and senior undergraduate students.

A volume in The Entrepreneurship SIG at European Academy of Management: New Horizons with strong Traditions Series Editors Luca Gnan, University of Rome Tor Vergata; Hans Lundberg, Linnaeus University; Lucrezia Songini, Eastern Piedmont University; and Massimiliano Pellegrini, Princess Sumaya University The objective with the Strategic Interest Group in Entrepreneurship (SIG Entrepreneurship) of the European Academy of Management (EURAM) is to be the leading research community for engaged entrepreneurship scholars in Europe. The SIG Entrepreneurship aims at promoting research and networking interests for individuals and research groups focused on entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial styles of management. This is done by providing a wide-ranging, engaged and internationally-focused forum to discuss and develop research and practice in the field. We put a distinct focus on the key European feature - 'context matter' - why we try in all activities to promote and stimulate what 'European' might mean in any given context. It means different things in different contexts - and that is the whole point - and thereby the key strength of the European takes on the matter as we see it. This is our idea of the European perspective on entrepreneurship. The tradition of European scholars on entrepreneurship and SMEs system has been consolidated during the last three decades and an increasingly distinct European school of thought has emerged as a consequence. This development provides a solid base for the future development of the field where Europe and its entrepreneurship scholars will play an increasingly prominent role. With this concern, this book has been managed, gathering the best contributions of our annual meeting re-edited and improved. The central theme is presenting entrepreneurship understood as a working attitude, a mode of thinking, a concrete everyday practice and increasingly an identity marker for ways of being and living within liquid modernity. Entrepreneurship is nowadays a broadly endorsed and accepted signifier for forms of organizing that targets human, organizational and economic renewal and growth.