Using site-specific optimization approaches in international manufacturing networks is increasingly proving insufficient. To solve this problem, several holistic and integrated alternatives have been developed to reflect a global perspective. This book presents advances in the St. Gallen Global Manufacturing Network Model and its application in numerous industry-, benchmarking- and research projects. The contents combine data-driven solutions with qualitative management frameworks for the strategic optimization of international manufacturing networks. In the first part, the book addresses the foundation of manufacturing network management and further describes the St. Gallen Operational Excellence approaches to manage plant performance. On this basis, the authors show how plant- and network-level performance can be enhanced via key improvement domains (e.g., strategy, configuration, coordination, performance management, digitalization). In turn, the second part demonstrates the application of the constructs in manufacturing companies from various industries. By combining research and practice, the book offers unique perspectives on the management of global production striving toward higher performance on manufacturing site and network level.

This is the first book that deals with technological innovation in Japanese animation industry from a management perspective. In reviewing prior research and explaining the history of the technology, the author raises the difficulty of dealing with new technologies. In particular, the focus is on systems that combine analog technology (drawing by hand) and digital technology (3D computer graphics or 3DCG) to create a product. This combined technology is referred to as "hybrid technology" in this book, and the development and management of "hybrid products" using this technology are studied. The study was conducted in two stages. The first stage was to determine the engineers' (animators') perception of hybrid technology. The results showed that in terms of potential, the hybrid technology of hand-drawn animation combined with 3DCG was rated more highly by engineers than hand-drawn alone. However, in terms of the assessment at that time, hybrid technology was rated higher than 3DCG alone but lower than hand-drawn. Therefore, it was assumed that hybrid technology, while useful, would pose challenges with respect to systematic implementation. The second stage was the development management of hybrid products. The results showed that the "adaptive engineer," who openly accepts other new technologies in the early stages of their emergence contributed to the integration of new and existing technologies.

Continuous improvements in digitized practices have created opportunities for businesses to develop more streamlined processes. This not only leads to higher success in day-to-day production, but it increases the overall success of businesses. Always-On Enterprise Information Systems for Modern Organizations is a critical scholarly resource that examines how EIS implementations support business processes and facilitate this in today's e-business environment. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as customer relations management, supply chain management, and business intelligence, this book is geared towards professionals, researchers, managers, consultants, and university students interested in emerging developments for business process management.

The yard block of a container terminal is the central point of synchronisation for asynchronous container flows between deep-sea vessels and transport to the hinterland. The structure of the block stipulates that containers are stacked on top of each other with only the topmost container directly accessible by a yard crane. This book describes a holistic and integrative approach to container handling in yard blocks to optimise productivity by minimising re-handling operations. The results provide insights for academic scholars as well as for experts from practical terminal planning and operations. The approach presented is two-fold: first, a theoretical foundation of the interdependencies in decision-making is established using mathematical programming. Secondly, operations involving uncertain container arrival information are examined on the basis of a simulation with a rigorous experimental design and statistical evaluation. In this context, the book develops container-handling strategies and analyses the impact of a system for vehicle arrival management - the "Terminal Appointment System". The findings presented in this book are the result of a close cooperation with experts at the port of Hamburg and build on previous research.

This book introduces readers to the main traffic flow modelling approaches and discusses their features and applications. It provides a comprehensive and cutting-edge review of traffic flow models, from their roots in the 1930s to the latest developments in the field. In addition, it presents problem sets that offer readers further insights into the models and hands-on experience with simulation approaches. The simulations used in the exercises can be built upon for readers' own research or other applications. The models discussed in this book are applied to describe, predict and control traffic flows on roads with the aid of rapid and accurate estimations of current and future states. The book shows how these models are developed, what their chief characteristics are, and how they can be effectively employed.

South Africa, its economy and its consumers are different in many ways. Feedback from both the academic world and the marketplace points to the fact that marketing strategies cannot simply be transposed from one country to the next. Accepted approaches to marketing in developed and other developing countries often do not achieve the same success here. Marketing in South Africa provides a window into the South African consumer landscape, approaching marketing concepts in a distinctly South African way. For the first time, Marketing in South Africa gives specific details of the UCT Unilever Institute of Strategic Marketing's consumer segmentation model. This feature is supported by almost 30 top academic and marketing practitioners who give a unique and innovative look at some of South Africa's most challenging marketing issues. In addition, over 20 case studies, many of which emanate from the UCT Unilever Institute's ongoing research over the last 17 years, allow students and practitioners to appreciate how best to apply principles to this diverse market. The book includes many video clips from the UCT Unilever Institute as well as other advertisements and YouTube clips. Marketing in South Africa can be used by undergraduate students, postgraduate students and practitioners in the arenas of strategic marketing, consumer behaviour, marketing communications, salesmanship and market research.

This contributed volume focuses on the management and governance of international business networks (IBN). Specifically, the chapters refer to theoretical, conceptual, empirical, and case study papers from all areas in economics and management of IBN. These include cooperatives, franchising, retail chains, strategic alliances, public-private partnerships and new network forms in the digital economy. This book is ideal for researchers and strategists who are keen to improve their understanding of the latest developments in the field.

This book offers a political analysis and sociological critique of the UK government's response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, interpreting the inadequacies of government policy with regard to COVID-19 as the results of neoliberal ideology, the protection of corporate interests, Brexit nationalism, and the peculiarities of a British model of capitalism based on international trade and labour market precarity. Arguing that institutionalised corporate-capitalist control of state and science generates new and growing public health risks, and that consumer-driven individualism has eroded community life and the protections this might offer against pandemics, it contends that the UK government's catastrophic response to the COVID-19 pandemic was the result of peculiarly British socioeconomic and political phenomena. The Pandemic in Britain will appeal to scholars of sociology, philosophy and politics with interests in the COVID-19 pandemic as well as neoliberal ideology and its manifestation in political life.

This book offers a political analysis and sociological critique of the UK government's response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, interpreting the inadequacies of government policy with regard to COVID-19 as the results of neoliberal ideology, the protection of corporate interests, Brexit nationalism, and the peculiarities of a British model of capitalism based on international trade and labour market precarity. Arguing that institutionalised corporate-capitalist control of state and science generates new and growing public health risks, and that consumer-driven individualism has eroded community life and the protections this might offer against pandemics, it contends that the UK government's catastrophic response to the COVID-19 pandemic was the result of peculiarly British socioeconomic and political phenomena. The Pandemic in Britain will appeal to scholars of sociology, philosophy and politics with interests in the COVID-19 pandemic as well as neoliberal ideology and its manifestation in political life.

How do firms from emerging economies strive for the internationalization of their business? This comprehensive two-volume collection tackles this question by taking a closer look at underexplored issues, including bottom of the pyramid (BoP) business models, value creation and co-creation, employee commitment and the 'born global' concept. Taking both a geographic and thematic approach to the topic, the first volume addresses universal challenges such as inclusive innovation, the ethics of corporate leadership, and knowledge management, and also places a special emphasis on China. Providing an overview of the strategies and operations involved in internationalizing Chinese firms, this book is an essential read for those researching emerging markets and globalization in general, as well as Asian Business more specifically.

For undergraduate and graduate courses in technology strategy, management of innovation and technology, technology entrepreneurship, and engineering management. This book emphasizes how the future manager or entrepreneur can use strategic management of innovation and technology to enhance firm performance. It helps students to understand the process of technological change; the ways that firms come up with innovations; the strategies that firms use to benefit from innovation; and the process of formulating technology strategy.

How Entrepreneurs Do What They Do presents 13 case studies of knowledge intensive entrepreneurship. The book focuses on 'doing', in essence, what happens when entrepreneurs are engaging practically in venture creation processes.Case studies can be used as a key element in learning and understanding what really occurs, as well as for illustrating theoretical points. This insightful book provides a series of in-depth case studies of knowledge intensive entrepreneurship from different industries to elucidate relevant phenomena and topics. They focus upon the venture creation process, involving close interactions between the individual, the company, and the external eco-system and environment. The cases primarily provide a managerial perspective on the process, from the sources of ideas, through opportunities and strategies, to outcomes and interactions with external networks. This enriching book will be relevant to academics and practitioners, as well as advanced students. The suggestions for further reflections can be used as inspiration for class discussions, Master thesis projects, academic research projects or stimulating successful entrepreneurship. Contributors: A.-S. Axelsson, R. Bekkers, L. Bordoli, J. Brink, O. Broberg, M.M. Godinho, J. Laage-Hellman, A.H. Lassen, D. Ljungberg, R. Mamede, M. McKelvey, C.R. Ostergaard, E. Park, A. Rosa, G. Sjoeblom, D. Slepniov, S. Szucs, B. Timmermans, B.V. Waehrens, O. Zaring, Y. Zhu

This book is in honor of Yasuhiko Takahara, a first-class researcher who has been active for some 50 years at the global level in systems research. Researchers and practitioners from Japan and other countries who have been influenced by Takahara have come together from far and wide to contribute their major research masterpieces in the field of systems research in the broadest sense. While the roots of Takahara's systems research are in general systems theory and systems control theory, he developed his research and teaching in diverse directions such as management information science, engineering, social simulation, and systems thinking. As a result, many of the researchers and practitioners he supervised or influenced have established their own positions and are now active around the world in a wide range of systems research. Volume II is a collection of their masterpieces or representative works in the fields of systems management theory and practice.

In "The 707 Revolution," author Harvey Stump examines the economic impact that this phenomenon has had on the economy of the United States. During our country's early years, corporate America had no major competition. It thrived, helping to create one of the greatest and wealthiest countries in the world.

In 1955, the Boeing 707 passenger jet was commissioned. This sparked what Stump calls the 707 Revolution, created by jet cargo transports and semiconductor technology that changed our economic globe. Suddenly, everyone was closer, and purchasing goods from other countries became much easier. In the sixties, a country's cost of doing business became the most important element in its playing field.

The 707 Revolution has changed our globe as much or more than any war, the Industrial Revolution, any natural disaster, any culture, any religion, or any movement. Today, the United States is no longer competitive in enough markets to have good jobs for our work force. It is essential that we, as a country, do whatever is necessary to get our economy healthy.

Stump offers his thoughts on how we can reclaim our place in the global marketplace and work our way back to a healthy economy in "The 707 Revolution."

Until now, change leadership has lacked a theoretical basis for use by leaders as a starting point when implementing change processes. This tactical text addresses this. Think of the tightrope walker; they must constantly change the position of their arms and legs to remain 'stable' on the tightrope. Stability depends on change, and change depends on the existence of a stable core. If everything is in a state of flux, the result will be chaos. If everything is stable, the result will be rigid. Rigid systems will collapse if there is the slightest change. Meanwhile, chaotic systems use all their energy to maintain stability. This book is split into two parts. In the first part, we consider our theoretical basis. In the second part, we describe the leadership tools we have developed for use in change processes. We have designed a leader's toolbox for planned change processes. This toolbox consists of 18 leadership tools. These can be used by any leader to ensure the effective communication and implementation of planned change processes. Perfect for undergraduate and postgraduate students who wish to expand their knowledge of change leadership focusing on both the theory and the tools needed to implement changes.

This book provides a systematic view of current and future research perspectives on intercultural knowledge sharing and offers a model for the growth of organizational knowledge in the digital age. The author puts forward multidisciplinary and multi-paradigmatic approaches to offer an updated view on the best practices towards international management. With insights on the opportunities and limitations of the use of digital and social media to facilitate intercultural knowledge sharing in business, the book explores the evolution of research on the topic, taking into account the consequence of "glocalization" as well as technological innovation and the evolution of organizational strategies and structures. Intercultural Knowledge Sharing in MNCs will be of use to scholars of management and organizational studies, as well as managers of international businesses interested in knowledge sharing, as it delivers an invaluable model which aims to conciliate diversity and inclusion, global and local knowledge, technological innovation and humanism.

This book focuses on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) models on supply chain operations in industry 4.0. The chapters illustrate the AI and ML models for all functional areas of operations in SCM. The book also includes examples using ML models like handling supply-to-demand imbalances, triggering automated responses, and reinforcing customer relationships. It describes the evolution of blockchain technology coupled with the ability to automate business logic for the transparency of goods, infrastructure, products, and licenses in software. The book also includes case studies that provide a problem statement and industry overcome by applying ML and AI technologies. This book is suitable for undergraduates, postgraduates, industrial professionals, business executives, entrepreneurs, and freelancers to encourage practical learning on AI and ML algorithms in SCM 4.0. Additionally, this book will provide computer science and information system professionals with the latest technologies embedded in the corporate world.

Open innovation is about firms' external relations with other firms and organizations. It is a topic which has attracted an immense amount of attention, but which has also been heavily criticized due to the diversity of the ideas and fuzziness of its key concepts. To date, the bulk of the literature on open innovation draws on case study material to illustrate the operation of firms in an anecdotal way. By contrast, this book examines open innovation practices by using large-scale data sets and stresses their impact on firm performance. The authors examine four key issues: differences between firms in open innovation practices, public funding to enhance external relations, R&D outsourcing of firms, and the role of human resources in R&D and innovation. The conceptual and measurement issues attached to open innovation explored in this timely book will prove essential to academics. Practitioners from large firms who are closely engaged in the practical organization of open innovation will benefit from the authors insights on outsourcing R&D and the need for the right kinds of human resources.

This book provides state-of-the-art descriptions of smart service innovations in the industry, supported by novel scientific approaches. It gathers findings and insights presented at the fourth Smart Services Summit, held in Zurich, Switzerland, in October 2021, which primarily focused on how smart services have enabled companies to adapt during and to the COVID-19 pandemic. The book includes examples of remote and collaborative working that actively involve customers in service processes, requiring a change in mindset for more traditional firms. Moreover, it explores how services can be delivered faster and more affordable with the aid of new technologies and in collaboration with the customers, leading to new value propositions and business models and thus an evolution of smart services. Given its scope, the book offers an essential guide for practitioners and advanced students alike.

Your Complete Guide to Digital Transformation A Field Guide to Digital Transformation is the definitive book on digital transformation. Top-selling IT author Thomas Erl and long-time practitioner Roger Stoffers combine to provide comprehensive, yet easy-to-understand coverage of essential digital transformation concepts, practices, and technologies in the format of a plain-English tutorial written for any IT professionals, students, or decision-makers. With more than 160 diagrams, this guide provides a highly visual exploration of what digital transformation is, how it works, and the techniques and technologies required to successfully build modern-day digital transformation solutions. Learn from the experts and: Discover what digital transformation is, why it emerged and when to apply it Identify the significant business benefits that successful digital transformations can deliver and how to turn your organization into a "disruptive" force Prepare for and overcome the common challenges associated with digital transformation initiatives Understand the data-driven nature of digital transformation solutions and how they use and continually accumulate data intelligence Understand how digital transformation solutions can utilize AI technology for intelligent automated decision-making Gain insight into customer-centricity and how its practices are applied as part of digital transformations Explore key digital transformation automation technologies, such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA), Internet of Things (IoT), Blockchain. and Cloud Computing Explore key digital transformation data science technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, and Big Data Analysis and Analytics The book concludes with a uniquely detailed and highly visual real-world business scenario that provides step-by-step insights into how a digital transformation solution works, how it utilizes data intelligence to improve customer relationship building, and how it collects new data intelligence in support of enhancing future business capabilities.

This book analyses mergers and acquisitions within the broader framework of strategic decisions. Existing studies on corporate acquisitions have produced a variegated and inconclusive spectrum of findings on the strategic mechanisms that contribute to value creation. By building on the widespread recognition that firms substantially differ in their ability to carry out successful acquisitions, this book focuses on the diverse effects of experiential learning. A unique systematic literature review is provided, which thematically highlights the connections between various streams of research. The author aims to systematise our knowledge on experience and learning dynamics in corporate acquisitions, providing a detailed analysis of conceptual implications and presenting potential avenues for future exploration.

In the aftermath of the Global Financial Crisis, corporate collapses, accounting scandals and concerns around competition and auditor choice, the European Commission (EC) promoted the preparation of various reports on audit policy to support a harmonisation process of European auditing regulation. Consequently, the European Union Audit Regulation and Directive was implemented from 2016. This book provides a timely picture of the audit sector and how it responds to regulatory and technological challenges. It analyses the impact of EU reforms on audit practices by comparing the U.K. and Italy, which, representing two very different regulatory and cultural contexts, will offer insight into how the efforts at standardising audit regulation may lead to very different organisational firm responses within Europe. It addresses issues relating to public policy work and the concerns faced by the market for audit and assurance services, in promoting audit quality, better communication about the role of the auditor, capital market stability and confidence, and auditor independence. Moreover, it highlights what the future of auditing might look like in the EU particularly after the U.K. has left, and how meeting public expectations will continue to be a struggle for the accounting profession given the many problems ahead. The book encourages a deeper awareness of the challenges faced by those that monitor and certify the financial statements of the world's largest public companies and contributes to the general understanding of this controversial industry. It will serve as a useful guide to the recent EU audit reforms, not only for academics, and research students but also to regulators, policymakers, standard setters, industry professionals, and business executives worldwide.

This book provides a detailed theoretical background of Logistics 4.0 using real-world examples and case studies and proposes a methodological framework to understand the technological revolutions happening in the present day from the perspective of logistics management. With the fourth industrial revolution, new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, cloud computing, 3D printers and the Internet of Things started to take greater prominence in the world of business. One of the sectors most affected by changes brought on by this Industry 4.0 is logistics, which has given rise to the concept of Logistics 4.0. Covering a wide range of topics on Logistics 4.0, such as warehousing, big data, 3D printing, robotics and cloud computing, this book would be a valuable read for those involved in logistics management, academics and students in the areas of supply chain management, logistics, industry 4, and big data. .