This book highlights innovative solutions together with various techniques and methods that can help support the manufacturing sector to excel in economic, social, and environmental terms in networked business environments. The book also furthers understanding of sustainable manufacturing from the perspective of value creation in manufacturing networks, by capitalizing on the outcomes of the European 'Sustainable Value Creation in Manufacturing Networks' project. New dynamics and uncertainties in modern markets call for innovative solutions in the global manufacturing sector. While the manufacturing sector is traditionally driven by technology, it also requires other managerial and organizational solutions in terms of network governance, business models, sustainable solution development for products and services, performance management portals, etc., which can provide major competitive advantages for companies. At the same time, the manufacturing industry is subject to a change process, where business networks play a major role in value-creating processes. By far the biggest challenge in this context is making value creation a sustainable process where economic, social, and environmental demands are met. Managing product and service-related business operations in manufacturing networks thus brings different challenges that cannot purely be resolved using traditional methods, and techniques. This book is an outcome of a European project funded by the European Commission, and performed by a dedicated R&D consortium comprised of some leading Research institutions and Industrial partners.

This book describes how a deeper knowledge and understanding of cultural differences represents a meaningful and useful tool for management of companies, and in particular SMEs, in the People's Republic of China. After introductory chapters on the internationalization of SMEs and the role played by management in this process, the authors explore the implications of academic discourses on culture and its dimensions for company management. The influence of Chinese cultural roots and the country's current cultural environment on management is then examined, with provision of guidance on response to the identified challenges. A key feature of the book is the presentation of important recent fieldwork in the main economic regions of China. This research further clarifies how business culture and cultural differences impact on company activities in China and casts light on various aspects of the adaptive capability of SMEs within the country, highlighting the value of cultural awareness and intelligence. The book will be of interest to academics and practitioners alike.

All global countries are interdependent and all aspects of the global economy operate synergistically. The COVID-19 pandemic gave a renewed sense of urgency to focus on the synergies between supply chain, climate change, COVID-19, and sustainable development as they affect business in Africa and how what occurs in one part of the world affects the whole world. This book examines this synergy and the reciprocal impact of businesses, government, and society. Featuring contributions presented at the 2022 Current Business Issues in African Countries (CBIAC) Conference held at Wagner College in Staten Island, NY, USA, this book explores topics such as agriculture, entrepreneurship, education, gender, and capital flows in Africa demonstrating the wealth of business opportunities across the continent.  

This book explores the philosophical understanding of the "energy consumption" in warehousing process that can be found in the literature. It presents known technical solutions that, if they are used in cold storage rooms, can effectively reduce energy consumption: through lower power consumption and/or energy recovery, such as the use of photovoltaic panels. The final part of the book explores the problems discussed on the basis of a concrete example - a project involving energy recovery in a refrigerated warehouse.This publication also describes the design of refrigerated warehouses, taking into account their energy intensity. In the case of logistic warehousing systems, the pallets in warehouses can offer a source of energy - namely of the potential energy stored in the loads on the shelves. Given that today's construction warehouses have heights on the order of several tens of meters, that energy can be considerable. In the case of refrigerated warehouses and cold storage facilities, it is necessary to monitor the stored goods in order to maintain a constant freezing temperature, in keeping with the requirements of the HACCP system. Inevitably, this calls for constant cooling of the air inside the warehouse, and thus produces a fixed, high and constant level of energy usage. And, just as in any other context, it becomes important to identify methods for reducing energy consumption.

Education and training are important in nation building and development. Properly articulated, implemented, and operated, educational and training programs can help develop the necessary human qualities and skills required for economic development. Although many African countries have paid a great deal of attention to and invested significant resources in these programs, they have been unsuccessful in developing the caliber of people needed. This failure is due to the fact that the programs pursued have focussed primarily on human capital acquisitions. Yet with human factor, human capital alone is not sufficient to make development happen. This work is an exploration of the reasons for the failure, and it discusses how African countries can develop the type of labor force needed to initiate and manage the development process.

This book explores how new and small ventures with comparatively fewer financial resources have been able to compete with big banks and financial institutions. It discusses entry, competition, and growth strategies based on new business models enacted by current FinTech ventures. An analysis of strategies for Fintech and of cases from banked as well as non-banked and underbanked customer segments produces a framework based on effectuation, resulting in a final discussion of the broad societal outcomes of FinTech related to financial inclusion, the digital divide, and the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. This book, linking theory with practical application, offers scholars a comprehensive strategic view on FinTech from effectual, causal, and entrepreneurial innovation standpoints.

Not only are performance and human resources management (HRM) bound tightly together, but Sims even goes so far as to say that the way people are managed in coming decades will be the most important determinant of organizational success. He shows how success is determined by a firM's skill in attracting, developing, and retaining its human capital; how a firM's people are what give it a measurable advantage over the competition; and how an organization's commitment to developing its people's abilities and skills is an obligation at all levels. Sims focuses on practical, real-world human resources problems and activities emphasize the need for managers to prove themselves excellent people managers as well, and covers the traditional HRM tasks and responsibilities in ways that will give them new meaning and urgency. By focusing on current challenges, emerging issues, and HRM innovations now on the horizon, Sims' book is essential for managers and executives throughout the organization, and indeed throughout all sectors of the economy.

Sims provides a firsthand understanding of the importance of HRM and lays out the tools to help managers do it well. He emphasizes repeatedly how important it is for organizations to understand that their success depends on their ability to attract and keep talented employees. With its persuasive discussion of the trends and emerging issues in the development of proactive human resources policies and practices, the book shows how to anticipate and work towards the development and retention of the right people. It emphasizes the importance of taking a strategic approach to all of the various human resources activities, and proves throughout that for an organization to prosper and earn a profit, goals must be set and initiatives taken in all areas of HRM and by all people, whatever their levels of responsibility may be.

This fully updated and expanded second edition of Human Resource Management examines the role of human resource management in the hospitality and tourism industry. The subject is approached from four perspectives: * the social psychology of managing people * the economics of labour * the practical techniques * strategy. The author argues that labour costs, labour utilisation, labour market behaviour and pay are inseparable from the skills of managing people. The book contains an important analysis of the labour market for this industry and now, in its second edition includes, among others, chapters on attitude measurement, customer-employee relations, questionnaire design and organizational change. Human Resource Management in the Hospitality and Tourism Industry is written in a clear, user-friendly style and offers a challenging view of the subject and an opportunity to learn an important aspect of management in an applied context. It is appropriate for degree level students and practitioners in the industry.

This book analyses the role of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Business Intelligence (BI) systems in improving information quality through an empirical analysis carried out in Italy. The study begins with a detailed examination of ERP features that highlights the advantages and disadvantages of ERP adoption. Critical success factors for ERP implementation and post-implementation are then discussed, along with the capabilities of ERP in driving the alignment between management accounting and financial accounting information.The study goes on to illustrate the features of BI systems and to summarize companies' needs for BI. Critical success factors for BI implementation are then presented, along with the BI maturity model and lifecycle. The focus of the research entails a detailed empirical analysis in the Italian setting designed to investigate the role played by ERP and BI systems in reducing information overload/underload and improving information quality by influencing the features of information flow. The practical and theoretical implications of the study are discussed and future avenues of research are suggested. This book will be of value for all those who have an interest in the capacities of ERP and BI systems to enhance business information quality.

Arogyaswamy and Simmons combine the technique of value analysis and the concept of the value chain to build a perspective on value that is at once comprehensive and practical. They provide a methodology for formulating value-based strategy as well as a system for managing the value-directed organization. The management system proposed is based upon the high value Just-in-Time (JIT) and Total Quality Control (TQC) principles successfully deployed by numerous Japanese (and more recently American) firms. In a sense, this book brings together the American and Japanese streams of value creation.

Essentially, the authors argue that accepting, and indeed increasing, interdependencies within activities (design, operations, marketing) is imperative in order not only to create value but also to build the value-creating organization. Effective integration among activities is the second key ingredient, while involvement by deemphasizing power-based relationships--by providing knowledge and information, as well as the opportunity and the desire to use both--is the third requirement, and one that makes the process of value creation self-sustaining. The authors discuss the cultural traits most conducive to value enhancement and specifically tackle the ingraining process. The measurement of improvements both in value-as received and in the process of value delivery itself is extensively discussed. Numerous practical value indicators to assess progress in value creation are proposed. Being a judicious how-to, why-to amalgam, the book will appeal equally to executives and managers seeking to install value as a guide to action, as well as to graduate and advance undergraduate students seeking the rationale underlying value management.

This book is one of the first to explore how Chinese companies are feeling the impulse of emerging business trends and seizing opportunities brought by technology innovation. It consists case studies of 7 Chinese companies: 3DMed, Wechat from Tencent, Shanghai GM, CP Group, Alibaba, AutoNavi, and ICBC. Each Chinese company has its unique perspectives and different ways to make transformation and business model adjustments. The book helps fill the gap between the global interest in "Innovate in China" and the limited availability of cases on innovations in the country. It is a valuable reference resource for readers in China and beyond wishing to address challenges in the context of growing digital technologies and overwhelming business trends.

This book constructs a multi-disciplinary interpretation of emotion, specifically applied and discussed within Organizational Change environments. Including a range of perspectives from Philosophy, Evolutionary Sciences, Psychology and Sociology, Emotion in Organizational Change also provides a historical picture of our knowledge of emotion. The author explores how this can contribute towards a novel understanding of a pervasive phenomenon in society and its organizations.

The book presents a critical framework for assessing whether organisational practice and function reinforces unseen potential differences amongst individuals in the workplace. It offers a comprehensive understanding and awareness of managerial and organisational practices that perpetuate social exclusion and discrimination towards individuals in the workplace. The book draws together themes of non-declared medical or physical conditions, voluntary and involuntary disclosure of difference, dietary requirements, lifestyle, organisational engagement and cognitive bias. As a result, the book provides a unique blend of scholarly and professional research, and brings those who have been affected by social stigmas and discrimination in the workplace to the fore. Hidden Inequalities in the Workplace also offers practical and strategic insights for practitioners, students and policy-makers, and delves the strategic nature of policy intervention and thought-provoking dialogue

"HR Global Challenges" offers a step-by-step plan for a developing nation to compete more effectively in an ever-changing global economy. The key is to create innovative strategies and seize the advantage of its most precious resource-its people. Drawing on more than twenty-eight years of experience in human resources, Syed Imtiaz Hussain addresses the economic hardships of unemployment in developing countries. Especially in Pakistan, HR departments in many organizations are small in size and low in status. Their functions are viewed as relatively unimportant. But as HR workers become increasingly vital in today's global economy, Hussain believes that this pattern will change. Hussain directly addresses the critical challenges that test CEOs in the following areas: Organization structure Technology Knowledge management Recruitment Performance appraisal Training and development This inspiring guide is a must-read for human-resource professionals, CEOs, and top-echelon business managers, academics, and political leaders in South and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and other developing nations worldwide. If you are a human resources practitioner, this upbeat advice will lead you to reevaluate your strengths, think outside the box, and shape the future.

With the proper management, knowledge-based resources (human capital, relational capital, structural capital) aim to contribute to the creation of a competitive advantage not only for companies and institutions, but also for nations and economic regions. Intellectual Capital Strategy Management for Knowledge-Based Organizations brings together new perspectives on the knowledge-based view of strategy management as it considers the role of companies, organisations, and nations in the storage and measurement of their knowledge. This book is useful for industry leaders, practitioners, academics and scholars interested in emerging aspects of knowledge management and industry services.

Uncovering the best methods for conducting and writing about research is vital to members of the academic community, especially to those just beginning their careers. In this regard, graduate and post-graduate degree programs are crucial in ensuring that future academic and professional progress will continue. Contemporary Approaches to Dissertation Development and Research Methods is a pivotal reference source that focuses on current models used for doctoral dissertations and how these techniques impact future research and knowledge in various scholarly fields. Featuring innovative perspectives on the design and function of doctoral programs, this book is ideally designed for practitioners, researchers, and academicians.

Despite the volumes of information they contain, few libraries, whose population at any given moment is as unpredictable as the weather, know how to prepare for, endure, and survive a disaster, whether natural or man-made, and even fewer put their know-how to paper. Emergency Preparedness for Libraries provides library management with a comprehensive guide to planning and executing emergency procedures. Based, in part, on an emergency preparedness seminar the author has presented for the American Library Association, Emergency Preparedness for Libraries provides library personnel with detailed instructions for protecting staff, patrons, and the facilities themselves, including Steps to take now, before disaster strikes People and procedures to include in an emergency/disaster action plan Practical ways to turn written plans into an instinctual team response Safety considerations to take into account when caring for people on-site during an emergency Information to provide to the umbrella organization and the media after a disaster Key things to do the first few days after an event Tips for getting back to business In addition, the author examines possible scenarios and provides step-by-step solutions for all types of libraries academic, school, public, and special and all types of disruptions, including floods, fires, civil disturbances, and theft.

This book focuses on the implementation of digital strategies in the public sectors in the US, Mexico, Brazil, India and Germany. The case studies presented examine different digital projects by looking at their impact as well as their alignment with their national governments' digital strategies. The contributors assess the current state of digital government, analyze the contribution of digital technologies in achieving outcomes for citizens, discuss ways to measure digitalization and address the question of how governments oversee the legal and regulatory obligations of information technology. The book argues that most countries formulate good strategies for digital government, but do not effectively prescribe and implement corresponding policies and programs. Showing specific programs that deliver results can help policy makers, knowledge specialists and public-sector researchers to develop best practices for future national strategies.

The study of Management Science, or Operations Research, looks at how mathematically-based models are used to generate optimal solutions for business problems. This text provides a brief introduction to these models and gives a concise and balanced view of the most widely used applications. The book shows how managers can use scientific ideas and methods to solve business problems, describing a range of examples in everyday use. Giving students plenty of practice and worked examples of a range of quantitative techniques, the text avoids formal proofs and derivations, concentrating instead on applications in a business context. Where software can assist managers in decision-making, Excel is the package that is most regularly used and therefore examples are given in this format.

This book explores new approaches and strategies that luxury fashion brands could adopt in their operations toward sustainability goals. It addresses the unique challenges faced by luxury fashion brands, given that concepts of luxury and sustainability may be conflicting. In doing so, it elaborates on how fashion brands need to manage their suppliers to comply with and improve social and environmental conditions, the pressure to fulfill the triple-bottom lines, consumer demands for transparency, and social media and its advantages in achieving sustainability goals. Exploring the notion that luxury fashion brands are in a better position to pursue superior sustainability performance, it presents research that highlights how the consequences of non-compliance could have more devastating effects on luxury brands than on mass-market brands. The book is a valuable resource for academics and practitioners in the field of business, sustainability, and fashion.

This book introduces the main concepts of manufacturing systems and presents several evaluation approaches for these systems' evaluation. The relevant macroergonomics methods are summarized and the theoretical framework for Macroergonomic Compatibility construct is explained. This book presents a Macroergonomic Compatibility Model which proposes an instrument in the form of a Macroergonomic. The authors introduce a methodology to obtain a novel Macroergonomic Compatibility Index that enables manufacturing companies to assess and follow their progress on the implementation of macroergonomics practices.

This book intersects the distributed ledger technology (DLT) community with the international security community. Given the increasing application of blockchain technology in the fields of business and international development, there is a growing body of study on other use cases. For instance, can blockchain have a significant role in preserving and improving international security? This book explores this question in the context of preventing the proliferation of some of the most dangerous materials in the world-items that if not secured can lend to the development of weapons of mass destruction. It considers how blockchain can increase efficiencies in the global trade of nuclear and chemical materials and technology, thereby increasing assurances related to compliance with international nonproliferation and disarmament treaties.

As evidence builds that the Theory Y model of management, built on commitment and involvement, is far more successful in the workplace than the bureaucratic and authoritarian Theory X model, organizations seek new and more specific guidance in how to reinvent themselves into the Theory Y mode. Schuster outlines a step-by-step process to transform management theory into practice--he calls it Strategy A. As proof that the process works, he describes one firM's five-year-long intervention, in which Strategy A was applied with dramatic success. Other examples of Strategy A's successes are recounted here: how it worked in companies like Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Disney, and elsewhere. Executives in the private and public sectors will find this a necessary resource to help them guide their organizations into this newly appreciated management style, while their academic colleagues will find new ways to communicate to their students its impressive benefits.

Part I delineates the foundation and definition of Strategy A. Chapter 1 describes organization culture and why it is an important determinant in organization performance. Schuster then explains the urgency of devising methods for improving productivity and competitiveness, summarizes results from his study of Fortune 1300 largest companies, and introduces Strategy A as an intervention process. Reviewing the work of other researchers, Schuster examines several successful contemporary American firms utilizing Strategy A, and then presents the results of his own research of one particular firM's performance. In Part II Schuster examines the principal steps in the application of Strategy A, discusses their rationale, and shows how other American firms have benefited from them.