Using sensory sciences help products succeed

2017 ◽  
Vol 119 (10) ◽  
pp. 2130-2144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Talavera ◽  
Edgar Chambers IV

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show how sensory science can be used as a valuable tool to help develop products with a higher chance of long-term market success by reducing uncertainty during the development process. Future trends are discussed. Design/methodology/approach The description and case study approach highlight how sensory scientists must be involved during development as a research partner to develop appropriate study objectives, comprehensive research plans, and conduct studies in collaboration with other groups. This approach shows ways to deliver deeper understanding of the product and category through appropriate study execution and development of actionable insights. Findings The present review demonstrates ways that sensory scientists, including those focused mainly on consumer evaluation, interact with other groups within the research and development organization. This paper is focused on providing information about sensory science to non-sensory scientists and developers. Examples are shown. Practical implications This paper presents a guide for applying sensory and consumer science in an industrial setting that can be used by both industry and educational institutions who train students. It refers to current literature, presents real case studies in an abbreviated form, and traces the use of sensory in ways that may not usually be covered in some guides and books that focus on the more traditional uses of sensory in areas such as quality control. Originality/value This paper fulfills an identified need for contributions of sensory scientists to the product success continuum and the influence of getting appropriate sensory data to support research, development, and marketing decisions. The use and reference to specific examples make an original contribution to the journal.

Author(s):  
Rizwan Akbar Ali ◽  
Sandeeka Mannakkara ◽  
Suzanne Wilkinson

Purpose This paper aims to describe an in-depth study conducted on transition of recovery into subsequent recovery phases after the 2010 super floods in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The objectives of this research were to examine the post-disaster activities after the floods and highlight the critical areas hindering the transition into an effective recovery phase. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach based on literature reviews with semi-structured interviews with disaster management stakeholders were applied as the primary source of data. Findings The study found that long-term recovery was the most neglected phase of post-disaster recovery (PDR). The factors hindering successful transition following short-term recovery activities are lack of following: community-level involvement, local administration and community capacity, disaster governance, different stakeholders and coordination, information and knowledge management. Research limitations/implications This paper examines the long-term disaster recovery after the 2010 super floods in three districts of Sindh. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to investigate the factors in other areas for different types of disasters. Practical implications These findings are critical to planning future post-disaster recoveries in the region. It also provides a basis to investigate other types of disasters. Originality/value The transition of recovery into long-term phase has never been investigated before. The recovery phase is an opportune time to incorporate strategies for building back better, resilience, mitigation and preparedness. A PDR that does not incorporate these strategies in the long-term leaves affected communities in more vulnerable conditions for future disasters.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lizzie Hehir ◽  
Jerome Carson

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of Lizzie Hehir. Lizzie tells her own story and is then interviewed by Jerome. Design/methodology/approach This series of papers used the case study approach. However, each paper is written collaboratively, using the person’s own words. The deeply individual nature of each person’s story reminds us of the complexities of working in mental health. Findings In her account, Lizzie tells us of her long-term battles with self-harm. It was a struggle that she eventually won. Research limitations/implications Individual stories allow us to access people’s lived experience with mental illness. No diagnostic manual can ever truly categorise this uniqueness. Practical implications Lizzie shows it is possible to overcome self-harm though she still experiences something of the trauma she went through when she has triggers. Social implications When we see burns victims, we seldom approach them asking them how they sustained their injuries, but as Lizzie points out, many people feel able to ask people who have self-harmed about their injuries. Originality/value Lizzie writes with conviction and humility. Now working in mental health, she is able to reach out to others who are as troubled as she once was.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerome Carson ◽  
Robert Wright

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a profile of Rob Wright. Design/methodology/approach Using a case study approach, Rob gives a short account of his background and is then interviewed by Jerome. Findings Rob’s is an amazing account of surviving a harrowing upbringing, which fortunately few of us reading this piece will have had to endure. Research limitations/implications Rob’s story perfectly illustrates why first-person accounts are so powerful. It is hard to imagine a statistical paper having the same impact as this description of one person’s lived experience. Practical implications Suicide is the greatest danger for anyone with a long-term mental health problem. Rob has faced this decision many times and has courageously battled on. Social implications Rachel’s simple, yet profound mantra, of “someone to love, something to do, somewhere to live,” is vital for all of our well-being. As Rob also points out, you still need money to put into the electric meter! Originality/value Some people have tough upbringings and some have cruel upbringings. Rob had both. His survival is a testament to the uncrushable nature of the human spirit.


Kybernetes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (7) ◽  
pp. 1376-1397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Schwaninger

Purpose This study aims to explore an exemplar of the design and application of a systemic framework for higher education. The field of application is in the social sciences and the perspective long-term, covering three generations of faculty and many generations of students. Design/methodology/approach This study is exploratory. It contains a conceptual component and an empirical component with a long-term case study from a European university. Findings A cybersystemic approach to higher education has been shown, at the focal university, to be a powerful amplifier of individual and institutional capabilities, and it still has great potential. The crucial prerequisite is that the approach is virtuously designed and implemented. Originality/value A case study ranging over 50 years is presented. The respective university has been a role model for other educational institutions for many years. Its influence in the German-speaking countries, and more recently also internationally, has become significant.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 337-347
Author(s):  
Wilson Kia Onn Wong

PurposeThis paper establishes the “Rules of Engagement” (i.e. being “Long-Term Greedy”, adopting a “Caesar's Wife Approach” and promoting “Inclusive Growth”), which aim to strengthen the chances of success of “Belt and Road Initiative” (“BRI”) projects.Design/methodology/approachThis study deploys a case-study approach, supported by research on the economic and political development of developing countries.FindingsDespite the professed altruism of BRI projects, many of these projects have been bedevilled by corruption scandals, financial overruns and spurious accusations of them being used as politically driven “debt-traps”. These problems present an urgent need for an overarching overseer to implement the “rules of engagement” needed to enhance the prospect of long-term success in BRI projects.Originality/valueThis study is one of the few academic research papers on the BRI.


foresight ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (5/6) ◽  
pp. 671-687
Author(s):  
Jan Klakurka ◽  
Bill Irwin

Purpose Over the past seven years within a small, liberal arts (LA) Canadian university, significant paradigm shifts in students’ programmatic choices have occurred reflecting student preference for business-related programs versus traditional LA offerings. Grounded in strategic foresight (SF) practices, this paper aims to investigate drivers of declining traditional LA enrolment that are currently a boon for management studies, positing implications for long-term futures of the LA Academy. Design/methodology/approach This paper lays out foundational research exploring phenomena in the academy, including disruptive forces, and explores how SF can clarify and shape long-term choices. Seeking to answer what paradigm-shifting forces really mean for the future of the academy, a case study approach is used to interpret disruptions to a Canadian institution facing present challenges and an uncertain future. Scenarios are developed for the broader academy using an environmental understanding to better inform predictive actions envisioned in academic institutional future planning. Findings The outcome of this research, including four scenarios, will be used to better understand student and stakeholder motivations informing future academic planning. As institutional paradigms appear resistant to change, these foresight-inspired findings are valuable considerations for institutional administrators, particularly those at stressed organizations facing unsettling realities. Originality/value The case study identifies that for the LA Academy, myriad future unknowns exist, including its continued existence in today’s form. Institutions are generally unresponsive to the precursors of future change and are not systematically exploring future options.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary Pan ◽  
Poh-Sun Seow ◽  
Venky Shankararaman ◽  
Kevin Koh

Purpose One of the main obstacles facing project-based learning (PBL) adoption relates to a lack of understanding by teachers and students in the roles they are required to play in the learning process. This study aims to address this obstacle, so as to better promote regular adoption of PBL pedagogy in educational institutions. Design/methodology/approach The strategy was to undertake an in-depth case study of PBL courses taught in UNI-X’s undergraduate curriculum. The case study approach is particularly appropriate for this exploratory study because it allows to capture the organizational dynamics of the phenomenon better and also its ability to explain the phenomenon based on interpretation of data. Findings This paper presents an empirical study on the role perspective of PBL in a collaborative project environment. By drawing upon a case study of UNI-X, the authors argue that a teacher plays the roles of a designer, champion, facilitator and manager in a PBL course. To ensure that learning is effective, students should play the roles of a self-directed learner and a warrior when completing their projects. It is clear that role ambiguity and role conflict could occur in PBL courses and might even impact the effectiveness of student learning. Originality/value For researchers, this paper contributes to the PBL literature by introducing a role perspective of PBL. This study identifies a list of roles a teacher and a student could potentially play in a PBL setting. Such understanding could serve as a reminder for a teacher and a student for the roles they need to play in achieving learning outcomes of a PBL course.


2015 ◽  
Vol 115 (3) ◽  
pp. 402-418 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas Myrelid ◽  
Jan Olhager

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the applicability of lean accounting and throughput accounting in a company with considerable investments in advanced manufacturing technology (AMT). Design/methodology/approach – The paper compares lean accounting and throughput accounting with the traditional accounting system the company is using today. The authors investigate the differences between the three alternative approaches and use a case study approach to illustrate the effects of applying different modern accounting approaches in a complex manufacturing setting. Findings – Pair-wise comparisons of the three approaches provide some interesting cost information as to the role of bottlenecks and value streams. Research limitations/implications – The specific results of this study are limited to the case company, but can hopefully contribute to further research on how to combine lean and throughput accounting for mixed manufacturing environments, involving both value streams and bottlenecks. Practical implications – Lean and throughput accounting provide other perspectives on cost information to traditional accounting, and can therefore be used in combination. The authors identify some issues and challenges involved in using lean accounting and throughput accounting in an AMT company. Originality/value – This paper contributes with a comparison of traditional, lean, and throughput accounting in a specific industrial setting characterized by AMT and complex manufacturing.


Author(s):  
Mittul Vahanvati ◽  
Beau Beza

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify “key processes” during the owner-driven reconstruction (ODR) process by implementing agencies, to enhance the long-term disaster-resilience of housing and community. Design/methodology/approachA mixed methods methodology and “case-study” approach is adopted to compare good practice reconstruction projects in India in the past 15 years. This paper discusses findings from investigations conducted in two settlements of Bihar – Orlaha and Puraini, after major flooding in 2008. The sites were visited during 2012 and 2014. FindingsOne of the key processes that lead to the success of the ODR process in terms of its effect on the long-term disaster-resilience in Bihar is community mobilisation it functions primarily as an information and communication device promoting the success (or otherwise) of the reconstruction project. Originality/valueThe findings are based on empirical evidence gathered during in-field investigations and interviews to post-disaster reconstructed villages. While these findings represent a snapshot of diverse and complex disaster experiences in the Indian context, the comparison offers insight on how to turn the rhetoric surrounding “owner-driven” or “built back better” into positive long-term community outcomes.


2014 ◽  
Vol 17 (4) ◽  
pp. 373-392 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Veg-Sala

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to define and understand the different models of brand development, according to the evolution of a brand’s identity and the introduction of brand extensions, starting from the premise that brands must be managed in a consistent way over time, but also need to be expanded. The second aim of this article is to introduce a specific methodology for studying the development of brands with a long-term approach. Design/methodology/approach – The concepts of assimilation and accommodation as defined by Piaget (1983) provide an in-depth understanding of how and why brands evolve. This article is based on a multiple case study approach. Four luxury brands were studied longitudinally. Brand chronologies were drawn and images of brand communications and brand extensions were gathered. Structural semiotic analysis was then used to highlight the different processes of brand development. In addition, qualitative interviews with two experts were conducted. Findings – Hermès and Louis Vuitton develop their brands according to the assimilation model. Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana follow the accommodation model. There is a link between the brand’s identity type (symbolic/functional) and the model used for brand development. A detailed analysis of each model is presented highlighting the main features. Research limitations/implications – To reinforce the distinction between the two models of brand development, it would be interesting to look at other brands. The choice of these brands depends on their country of origin and their age. Originality/value – The main contributions of this paper are the dynamic and longitudinal analyses of brand development and the introduction of the assimilation and accommodation concepts. The use of semiotics constitutes another original feature of this research.


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