Product strategies for growth in niche food firms

2014 ◽  
Vol 116 (4) ◽  
pp. 723-732 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gunn-Turid Kvam ◽  
Trine Magnus ◽  
Egil Petter Stræte
Keyword(s):  
Growth Processes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Market Communication ◽  
Perception Of Quality ◽  
Important Quality ◽  
Handicraft Production ◽  
Product Strategies

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to contribute to a better understanding of growth processes of speciality food firms and how these processes influence the producers' perception of quality demands of the products. Design/methodology/approach – A case study approach was chosen covering four specialty food companies in Norway. This explorative study was conducted from the producer's perspective. Findings – Results show that, as part of growth processes, firms invest in different activities to strengthen the quality of their products to achieve distinctiveness in more competitive markets. The most important quality that contributes to distinctiveness and increased value seems to be traditional handicraft production processes. In some cases, expensive and time-consuming processes are invested in developing qualities that are not transformed into higher value in the market. Research limitations/implications – The number of cases is too small for statistical analysis, but this explorative case study may provide a basis for a survey of a larger sample of firms. Practical implications – The study indicates a need for companies to gain more knowledge about consumers' preferences and behaviour, and to develop product qualities and market communication accordingly. Originality/value – Research is scarce on obstacles to growth in specialty food firms. This study contributes important knowledge to enhance further development of the industry.

Do sustainability practices influence university quality? A Colombian case study

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 1525-1543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula M. Hernandez-Diaz ◽  
Jorge-Andrés Polanco ◽  
Sandra Milena Castaño
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Social Impact ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Study Results

Purpose This paper aims to know how university’s strategic managers, from botacademic and administrative systems, perceive the relationship between sustainability and accreditation as sustainability incorporation and the quality of their processes are amongst the actual challenges of universities. Design/methodology/approach This paper opted for an inductive, exploratory study using the case study approach, including 19 in-depth interviews to administrative and academic managers in a private, high-quality certified university in Colombia. The data were assessed using the content analysis methodology. The Colombian accreditation guidelines were the base to analyse the data as accreditation is part of the quality assurance system. Findings This paper provides empirical insights into how the implementation of sustainability in universities relates to the Colombian accreditation factors. The main links found were in the areas of the university’s social impact and organisational responsibility, which are highly relevant to graduates, external stakeholders and sustainability skills. Sustainable campus operation was associated with environmental management and improvement of the quality of the physical plant, with social and economic benefits in the long-term. Additionally, this research found a need for administrative and academic managers to understand and increase their commitment to sustainability. Research limitations/implications Because it was a case study, results are not generalisable. Consequently, further research on similar lines is required to universalise the mentioned observation and results. Practical implications The accreditation factors related to sustainability, inductively defined and exposed in this paper, provide an idea of how sustainability implementation could contribute to higher education quality assurance. Originality/value This paper contributes to filling the knowledge gap about embedding sustainability in Latin-American universities. This paper postulates a starting point considering accreditation standards and the link of the strategic manager’s perceptions of sustainability.

Process mining and lean six sigma: a novel approach to analyze the supply chain quality of a hospital

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Francisco Ramires ◽  
Paulo Sampaio
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Six Sigma ◽  
Process Mining ◽  
Lean Six Sigma ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Novel Approach

PurposeThis paper aims to depict the practical execution of the problem-solving structure provided by the define, measure, analyze, improve and control (DMAIC) framework in combination with the analytical power provided by process mining capabilities, to improve the supply chain quality of a health-care provider. Design/methodology/approachPrior to the study, a literature review was conducted to identify existing frameworks combining six sigma with process mining. The authors use a descriptive case study approach to explain how the two methodologies blend across the different phases of DMAIC in a health-care setting. FindingsThis case study describes how analyzing data extracted from core information systems has significant value to improvement initiatives when complemented by traditional quality methods. By intersecting process mining techniques with lean six sigma tools, the researchers found 65% of orders not complying with the target ordering time and 200 redundant purchases with high operational costs. Research limitations/implicationsBy depicting how the two methodologies can be intertwined, this paper complements existing research by presenting it as a viable quality improvement approach. Practical implicationsThis paper provides insights for six sigma and process mining practitioners on the benefits of combining both methodologies within the DMAIC structure. Implementing this blended approach can bring visibility to operations and accelerate process improvement initiatives. Originality/valueThe prime value of this paper lies in the integration of traditional six sigma methods with process mining as a technological approach in a health-care context, going beyond existing research, which, to the best of the knowledge, lacks descriptive case studies.

A research template to evaluate the degree of accountability of integrated reporting: a case study

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 675-704 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonella Silvestri ◽  
Stefania Veltri ◽  
Andrea Venturelli ◽  
Saverio Petruzzelli
Keyword(s):  
Stakeholder Involvement ◽  
Integrated Reporting ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Research Framework ◽  
Specific Research ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Interpretative Approach

Purpose The scope of the study is to analyze an Italian family firm operating in the transformation and marketing of durum wheat to investigate the degree of accountability of the integrated reporting (IR) disclosed by the organization. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses a case study approach proposing a specific research template to evaluate the implementation of IR depicting the role of three main dimensions: stakeholder involvement, business model and integration. Findings The paper enriches theoretical conceptualization of the implementation of IR proposing a new conceptual model that adds empirical findings to the literature on IR and at the same time addresses the call for studies of Dumay et al. (2016) to engage more with practice and development on IR. Research limitations/implications The use of a specific research framework constitutes both the main strength of the paper and also its main limit, as the dimensions of the framework have been chosen by the authors, and the observations and conclusions are based on the authors’ analysis under an interpretative approach. Practical implications The implementation of the same research framework to other organizational IR documents could allow comparisons to be expressed on the quality of the IR disclosed by different organizations and on the same organization in different periods of time. Originality/value The main originality of this paper is the creation and the employment of a specific template to analyze the degree of accountability of the case study selected representing a non-listed Italian company operating in the food industry.

scholarly journals Cultural tourism investment and resident quality of life: a case study of Indianapolis, Indiana

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 184-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Gullion ◽  
Sotiris Hji-Avgoustis ◽  
Yao-Yi Fu ◽  
Soonhwan Lee
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Cultural Tourism ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Resident Perception ◽  
Sports Tourism ◽  
Perception Of Quality ◽  
Good For

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore cultural tourism investment and resident quality of life in the Midwestern city of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is important to understand from a cultural tourism perspective how further attempts to grow and invest in tourism will affect resident perception of quality of life and future cultural tourism investment. Design/methodology/approach – To achieve this goal, data from the 2012 Indianapolis Quality of Life survey was statistically analyzed to specifically examine how residents’ perceived quality of life affects cultural tourism investment. This allows for the study of what city-service attributes (i.e. safety, attractions, transportation, etc.) identify as potential indicators of whether residents’ perception of quality of life affects cultural tourism investment and if there were any correlations between demographic factors of age, gender, ethnicity, and household income with the perception that investing in cultural events and attractions for tourists is good for residents. Findings – Results indicated that several key city-service attributes identify as potential indicators of whether residents’ perception of quality of life in Indianapolis affects residents’ perceptions that investing in cultural tourism for tourists is good for residents. Furthermore, excluding perceptions of cultural tourism investment, several key city-service attributes identified as potential indicators of residents’ perception of quality of life in Indianapolis. Finally, results indicated that demographic factors of gender, age, ethnicity, and income were not significant when it came to affecting the perception that investing in cultural events and attractions for tourists is good for residents. Research limitations/implications – The findings of this study have unique academic and applied implications in the continued study of tourism in Indianapolis, Indiana. This study provided research related to the study of quality of life in Indianapolis and reported statistics for the 2012 Indianapolis Quality of Life survey. The data and statistical analysis reported in this study will serve as valuable information for future endeavors concerning cultural tourism and quality of life in Indianapolis. The identification of city-service attributes that significantly impact resident perception of quality of life and city-service attributes that, in conjunction with resident perception of quality of life, affect how residents perceive cultural tourism investments is important information that can be utilized by future researchers, tourism planners, and policymakers in Indianapolis. The analysis revealed what city-service attributes are important to residents of Indianapolis and demographic factors that affect resident perception of quality of life. The continued examination of these city-service attributes may help to identify areas of public service that need to be improved. Practical implications – This study demonstrates that resident level of awareness pertaining to the benefits of cultural tourism investment are relatively low. Tourism planners, officials, and researchers can utilize this knowledge to better facilitate methods to gain resident support for cultural tourism investment and development. In addition, this research can be utilized to better understand the needs of residents and how tourism and various city-services impact their quality of life. If cultural tourism planners and other tourism officials better understand methods to gain resident support for cultural tourism investment then they can maximize economic and cultural tourism gains for the city. Originality/value – This case study specifically focussed on cultural tourism to better present data regarding this issue; however, the authors believe future studies that examine both cultural and sports tourism could be beneficial. Aspects such as city-services and resident perception of quality of life could be examined from both cultural and sports tourism perspectives. This approach could produce beneficial results regarding cultural and sports tourism investment and potentially highlight demographic characteristics unique to cultural tourism and sports tourism supporters in the city of Indianapolis.

Deconstructing quality in South African higher education

2018 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kehdinga George Fomunyam
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Staff Development ◽  
South African ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
South African Universities ◽  
South African Higher Education

Purpose This study aims to examine six South African universities with a particular focus on the quality of teaching and learning. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative case study approach was adopted and data were mainly generated by means of open-ended questionnaires. The questionnaire was circulated to approximately 1,800 students and 746 completed it. The data were categorized and analysed thematically, using both national and international benchmarks for quality teaching and learning. Findings The findings reveal that teaching and learning in South African universities is marred by a plethora of challenges. Lecturers lack basic skills and essential resources to effectively facilitate teaching and learning. Furthermore, quality benchmarks set by the Council on Higher Education are only met on paper and little or nothing is done to translate this into practice. Originality/value The study proposes among others that clearer policies on funding are recommended to ensure proper allocation of resources, staff development and institutional comeliness. Finally, to enhance transformation, universities should prioritize teaching and learning and take steps to ensure that those teaching in the classroom are qualified to do so.

Corporate governance code comparison for South Asian emerging economies

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
pp. 250-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mubashir Hassan Qurashi
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Investment Decision ◽  
Exploratory Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
International Investors

Purpose The purpose of this study is to compare the corporate governance (CG) codes of Pakistan, India and Bangladesh with the CG guide of United Nations (UN) and to identify the similar points of these codes with the requirements of Combined Code (CC) that are not included in the CG guide of UN. Design/methodology/approach This study is based on the qualitative data, while content analysis is used for the analysis. For this exploratory research, different documents have been reviewed and consulted and qualitative data are collected from those. A multiple case study approach is adopted because the codes of three countries (four CG codes used for the analysis) have been reviewed. Findings This study has presented that the Pakistani and Bangladeshi (issued by Bangladesh Enterprise Institute) CG code has approximately 77 per cent convergence (40 out of 52), Indian CG code has 50 per cent convergence (26 out of 52), whereas the Bangladeshi (issued by Bangladesh Security and Exchange Commission) CG code has approximately 41 per cent convergence (21 out of 52) to CG guide of UN. Seven similar points to CC have been found out in all four or few of the codes that were used in this study. Originality/value This study has explored the convergence of CG codes of Pakistan, Bangladesh and India with the CG guide of UN. Furthermore, this study has highlighting the similar mechanisms presented in CC and the codes of selected countries so international investors get clear information about the quality of these codes and take informed investment decision.

– The contribution of satisfaction antecedents to the satisfaction rate of the beneficiaries and the rate of their confidence in banking services – A comparative study: إسهام مسيرات الرضا في معدل رضا المستفيدين ومعدل ثقتهم في الخدمات المصرفية – دراسة مقارنة بين فرع بنك المزارع التجاري السوداني بشارع القصر بالخرطوم وفرع حي العرب بأم درمان –

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (20) ◽  
pp. 89-66
Author(s):  
Mohamed Sielkhatim Mohamed Mohamed Sielkhatim Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Service Quality ◽  
Commercial Bank ◽  
Satisfaction Level ◽  
Banking Services ◽  
Bank Branch ◽  
Bank Branches ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Perception Of Quality

    This study aims to determine the contribution of satisfaction antecedents (the level of expectations of the beneficiaries of the service before benefiting from it, the level of their perception of quality, the level of their perception of the value of the services, the level of quality of service elements dimensions) to the level of the beneficiaries' satisfaction with the services of each branch of the Sudanese Farmer Commercial Bank in Al- Qasr Street in Khartoum and in Hay Al Arab district in Omdurman. Also determining the contribution of the beneficiaries' satisfaction level to their loyalty to the services of both the Sudanese Farmer commercial Bank branches in Al Qasr Street in Khartoum and in Hay Al arab district in Omdurman. In this study, the descriptive and analytical approach was used with regard to the theoretical side, while the case study approach was adopted with regard to the field side, by applying the theoretical study on the case of the Sudanese Farmer commercial Bank both branches, Al Qasr Street in Khartoum and Hay Al arab district in Omdurman. The data were analyzed using the (SPSS) (Statistical Packages for Social Sciences) program. The study reached several results, the most important of which are: The contribution of the service quality components to the beneficiaries ’satisfaction level with the services of Sudanese Farmer Commercial Bank branch of Hay Alarab district in Omdurman, with a low rate (30.2%) compared to the contribution of the service quality components to the beneficiaries’ satisfaction level with the services of Sudanese Farmer Commercial Bank branch of Al- Qasr Street in Khartoum, which showed a high percentage (60.4%).Several recommendations emanated from these results, the most important of which are: Making this research guide to create models for measuring levels of satisfaction and confidence in banking services in all branches of the Sudanese Farmer Commercial Bank, as well as implementing an effective monitoring system and writing reports on the implementation of the results and recommendations aimed at improving services and ensuring that they are applied as recommended.    

scholarly journals Simulation of vehicle movements for planning construction logistics centres

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fei Jin Ying ◽  
Michael O’Sullivan ◽  
Ivo Adan
Keyword(s):  
Construction Projects ◽  
Construction Project ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Bay Area ◽  
Small Footprint ◽  
Construction Operation ◽  
The Ideal

Purpose Materials supply is one of the important elements in construction operation and a major factor affecting the quality of construction projects. Many industries look to manage materials effectively by attempting to integrate logistics processes into logistics chains of suppliers and customers. Logistics processes, being crucial for successful completion of construction projects, but in fact, auxiliary, are often entrusted to external professionals specialised in logistic services, such as logistics centres. However, this tendency is yet to be developed in construction. The purpose of this paper is to develop a simulation framework for the examination of potential improvements of logistics performance using logistics centres. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach was adopted with computer simulation using Flexsim. Data of vehicle movements were collected during construction on-site from the start of construction to “hand-over” to the building owner. Findings The ideal location of a logistics centre is identified using vehicle movements data collected on the site. The potential improvements of the planned centre are then evaluated by simulating various scenarios of vehicle movements. The enclosed results from the simulations indicate that using a logistics centre will reduce waste for the construction project considered. Originality/value The paper emphasises that creating a logistics centre for a project can improve construction logistics performance, by consolidating and optimizing both off-site and on-site logistics, especially when the site condition is prohibitive (small footprint with limited loading bay area). Establishing logistics centres may help find ways of making the overall construction project more effective by improving the management of materials.

Translating the EFQM model into the courts

2015 ◽  
Vol 7 (2/3) ◽  
pp. 230-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrícia Moura e Sá ◽  
António Albuquerque
Keyword(s):  
Self Assessment ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Process Indicators ◽  
Efqm Model ◽  
Quality Principles ◽  
European Foundation ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop an assessment guide based on the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model criteria. Courts have been under pressure to become more accountable and responsive organisations. In this context, self-assessment models that drive attention to the way resources are being used and to the results that are being achieved, incorporating the views of different stakeholders, are of particular interest. Design/methodology/approach – A case study approach was used. The meaning of the quality principles that underline the EFQM model was discussed with the court administrator, judges, prosecutors and justice officers. Those perspectives were taken into account when translating the criteria and criterion parts of the EFQM model. The assessment guide was validated by an experts’ panel. Findings – The EFQM model captures the essential features of a court even if the courts terminology and governance models challenge the translation of some criteria. The resulting guide includes a description of the various criteria and criterion parts and the identification of key focus areas, while giving some illustrative examples of initiatives and indicators that could be looked at under each model dimension. Practical implications – The assessment guide can be used to undertake self-assessment exercises in different courts. Originality/value – There is a lack of studies on the measurement of courts’ performance apart from the publication of simple lists of process indicators. The assessment guide developed in this study is perhaps one of the most comprehensive resources for assessing the quality of a court.

KURIKULUM DAN TANTANGANNYA Studi Kasus Jurusan Perbankan Syariah di SMK Ibnu Sina

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eny Puspita Ningrum
Keyword(s):  
Curriculum Reform ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Educational Curriculum ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Life Education ◽  
Real Picture ◽  
In The Beginning

Education is an important thing that has become a necessity for every human being in order to achieve a better quality of life. Education cannot be separated from the educational curriculum, which is where the curriculum continues to develop following every development of society and technological advances. The curriculum is the heart of education and is dynamic in nature where the curriculum must always be updated or changed. From this curriculum reform and change, it is a challenge for teachers to continue to innovate to improve the quality of education. By using a qualitative research method a case study approach, it is hoped that it can explain the real picture that is being experienced by the teacher at SMK Ibnu Sina. which focuses on the Sharia Banking major due to changes in the adjusted curriculum because the world is being faced by COVID-19. In the era of COVID-19, the educational curriculum must be adjusted, which in the beginning learning can be face-to-face now has turned into a distance learning online learning model.

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