scholarly journals Unlocking innovation in the sport industry through additive manufacturing

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 456-475 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marlon Meier ◽  
Kim Hua Tan ◽  
Ming K. Lim ◽  
Leanne Chung
Keyword(s):  
Additive Manufacturing ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
New Products ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Small Range ◽  
Content Type

Purpose Fast-changing customer demands and rising requirements in product performance constantly challenge sports equipment manufacturers to come up with new and improved products to stay competitive. Additive manufacturing (AM), also referred to as 3D printing, can enhance the development of new products by providing an efficient approach of rapid prototyping. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the current adoption of AM technologies in the innovation process of the sports industry, i.e. level of awareness; how it is implemented; and it impact on the innovation process. Design/methodology/approach This work followed a qualitative research approach. After conducting a research of the current literature, this paper presents findings that include case studies from different companies, as well as a semi-structured interview with an outdoor sports equipment manufacturer. Companies from all over the world and of different sizes from under 100 employees to over 70,000 employees were considered in this research. Findings Literature research shows that AM brings many possibilities to enhance the innovation process, and case studies indicated several obstacles that hinder the technology from fully unfolding. AM is still at the early stage of entering the sports equipment industry and its potential benefits have not been fully exploited yet. The findings generated from the research of real-life practices show that AM provides several benefits when it comes to the innovation process, such as a faster development process, an optimised output, as well as the possibility to create new designs. However, companies are not yet able to enhance the innovation process in a way that leads to new products and new markets with AM. Limitations, including a small range of process able material and an inefficient mass production, still restrain the technology and lead to unused capability. Nevertheless, future prospects indicate the growing importance of AM in the innovation process and show that its advancement paves the way to new and innovative products. Research limitations/implications Limitations exist in the qualitative approach of this study, which does not include the quantitative verification of the results. Originality/value Very few studies have been conducted to investigate how firms can harvest AM to increase their innovation capabilities. How firms can use AM to shorten product development time is an emerging topic in business and operations but has not been studied widely. This paper aims to address this gap.

Internal auditing and assurance of corporate social responsibility reports and disclosures: perspectives of some internal auditors in Ghana

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 706-718 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Nana Yaw Simpson ◽  
Francis Aboagye-Otchere ◽  
Ruby Lovi
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Internal Audit ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Internal Auditors ◽  
Changing Roles ◽  
Corporate Social

Purpose This study aims to examine the nature and extent of internal auditors’ (IAs) involvement in corporate social responsibility (CSR) assurance. It also ascertains the capacity building requirements to legitimise the role of IAs as a credible form of providing CSR assurance. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative research approach was adopted, where data were collected through semi-structured interview of IAs of companies in Ghana that produce CSR reports. Findings Findings suggest that companies appreciate the fact that the internal audit function could provide independent assurance on CSR reports. However, there is limited information on the nature and scope of the assurance procedures. Moreover, most IAs seem to lack the requisite knowledge and skills needed to effectively carry out CSR assurance engagements. These evidences suggest a relatively low level of reliance being placed on CSR assurance services provided internally. Research limitations/implications Findings are purely based on the perceptions of IAs. Future studies may include the views of those who appoint IAs (i.e. management). Practical implications Findings engender discussions on the need for IAs and regulators of IAs (e.g. the Institute of Internal Auditors), particularly those in developing countries to begin to conscientise practitioners on the changing roles of the IA in the areas of CSR and CSR assurance. Originality/value This study is one of the very few studies on CSR assurance from the perspective of IAs and it also based on evidence from an African context. Also, the study provides evidence on the need for a deliberate effort to equip internal audit practitioners to provide at least some minimal assurance on CSR disclosures and reports.

Fueling Spin-offs: Case Studies of University-based Technology Start-up Funding

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-40
Author(s):  
Julie Lenzer ◽  
Piotr Kulczakowicz
Keyword(s):  
Product Development ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
New Products ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Private Investment ◽  
Building Relationships ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Single Path

The new technologies born from academic research can be very promising, yet they are often very early stage. University spin-off companies are uniquely positioned to tackle the risks associated with new technologies emerging from academia by developing proofs of concept, functioning prototypes, and new products. While these enterprises start from a solid research and development foundation, they face their own unique set of challenges—they are strongly anchored in the scientific and technological expertise that is typically backed by intellectual property but often lack the business experience needed to develop and market products demanded by customers. University spin-offs have access to substantial non-dilutive funding that can be utilized for advancing product development. While the relentless pursuit of these funds builds a company's credibility and improves its position for negotiating future private investment, university spin-offs would greatly benefit from an early focus on complementing their technology teams with their business teams. These new enterprises should consider pursuing private investment in parallel to utilizing sources of non-dilutive funding. Timing of private investment is extremely important to maximize the value of the opportunity, and, therefore, building relationships with investors early on and getting ready for executing an investment round can greatly increase odds for success. While there is no single path to formulate, pursue, and adapt successful financing strategies, lessons can be learned from real-life cases of university spin-offs that continue their journeys towards ultimate success.

Viewing organised crime and terrorist organisations through the financial threats they pose to society

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 940-950
Author(s):  
Thomas Ren
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Conceptual Models ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Organised Crime ◽  
Meaningful Difference ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Financial Perspective ◽  
Enterprise Theory

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine whether there is a meaningful difference, viewed from a financial perspective, in distinguishing between organised crime and terrorist organisations, with regard to the control and mitigation of the threats that they pose to society. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses conceptual models obtained from enterprise theory and economics, as well as criminology, and makes use of case studies through the application of these models. Findings The paper finds that when viewed from a financial perspective, there is no meaningful difference in distinguishing between the groups because many have undergone processes of convergence and transformation, such that they assume each other’s operational and motivational characteristics. However, the answer also depends on how precisely one defines each type of illicit group as well as the transitions they undergo. Originality/value The value of this paper is that it applies two separate models on interactions between organised crime and terrorist organisations, the terror–crime continuum and interaction spectrum, to real life situations. After assessing their validity for more recent examples of such illicit groups, it then provides a balanced argument as to distinguishing between organised crime and terrorism. One limitation towards the paper’s originality, however, is that it draws mainly from pre-existing literature.

scholarly journals Hand-arm vibration management: an operational health and safety strategy framework

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
David John Edwards ◽  
Igor Martek ◽  
Obuks Ejohwomu ◽  
Clinton Aigbavboa ◽  
M. Reza Hosseini
Keyword(s):  
Critical Realism ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Opportunity To Learn ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Work Place ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Philosophical Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Action Research Approach

PurposeHuman vibration exposure from hand-operated equipment emissions can lead to irreparable and debilitating hand-arm vibration syndrome (HAVS). While work-place health and well-being (H&WB) policies, strategies and procedures have been extensively researched and documented, little has been done to develop a specific strategic framework tailored to the management of hand-arm vibration (HAV). This study fills that gap.Design/methodology/approachA mixed philosophical approach of interpretivism and critical realism is adopted within a case study of a utilities contractor. Within this overarching epistemological design, action research approach is implemented via a three-stage investigation, namely, relevant company H&WB documents and procedures were examined, leading to the formulation of semi-structured interview questioning of the H&WB team. Their responses informed the next line of questions, delivered to middle-management responsible for overseeing H&S.FindingsThe findings are instructive in revealing that while substantial documentation management (augmented with protocols and checks) was in place, the system fell short of implementation within the workforce and thus failed to preserve worker H&WB. The investigation generated recommendations for shoring up H&WB deficiencies observed and developed a theoretical model to represent these. Though these recommendations were developed in response to a specific case, they form the core of a HAV operational H&WB strategy framework with applicability over a broader context.Originality/valueThis research provides unique insight into contemporary industry practices employed to manage HAV in the workplace and represents an invaluable opportunity to learn from prevailing practices and rectify deficiencies observed.

Ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction concept for forest and land fire disaster

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Philein Hafidz Al Kautsar ◽  
Nur Budi Mulyono
Keyword(s):  
Law Enforcement ◽  
Disaster Management ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Technical Problems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Economic Problems ◽  
Technology And Innovation ◽  
Management Of Technology ◽  
Management Context

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to develop an ecosystem-based DRR concept and explore how far the concept can be applied in a disaster-management context.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used the ecosystem concept established by Tsujimoto et al. (2018) as the foundation of this study. They then conducted a literature search to adapt the ecosystem concept to fit the context of disaster management. Thus, they developed an ecosystem-based DRR concept. They used a case study method to test whether the adapted ecosystem concept can be applied to examine a real-life case of disaster management. For data collection, they used qualitative methods; a semi-structured interview with practitioners and other actors involved in disaster-management practice as well as document review. For data analysis, they used thematic analysis to find themes within the data.FindingsBy using this concept, the authors found some actors fulfil their role in the ecosystem toward the DRR effort, some actors are ill-equipped, and some actors are actively working against DRR effort. There are also implementation challenges, as numerous programs are only halfway done due to a lack of resources. However, the main problems of this disaster can be summarized into three categories: technical problems, socio-economic problems and law-enforcement problems. All three problems need to be addressed altogether because even neglecting only one problem would lead to a flawed solution.Research limitations/implicationsOne of the limitations is the respondents' bias. This research aims to find out their part, or more accurately what they are representative of, regarding disaster management for forest and land fire case. As some of the questions may reveal unflattering action or may even hurting their credibility, respondents might not have provided an entirely honest answer. Another limitation is the differing respondents' roles within the disaster. As each of the respondents is a representative of an actor in disaster management, they all have different traits. Thus, this situation makes it challenging to produce similar quality and quantity data for each of them.Practical implicationsAs concluded, the ecosystem-based DRR concept can be used as a framework to examine a real-life case of disaster management. It can be utilized to explain roles, relationships and the whole network of disaster-management actors. The authors hope that this concept could help decision-makers in designing their policies.Social implicationsThe main problems of this disaster can be summarized into three categories: technical problems, socio-economic problems and law-enforcement problems. All three problems need to be addressed altogether for even neglecting only one problem would lead to a flawed solution. However, the yearly reoccurrences of fires and the widespread of illegal and dangerous practice, slash and burn agriculture, are evidence that the government mishandles the other two problems. There is a need for reform within legal institutions and government's treatment regarding local farmers. There is a need for trust, cooperation and synergy between disaster-management actors.Originality/valueThe ecosystem concept has been used widely in the field of management of technology and innovation. However, while ecosystem concept is commonly used in the management of technology and innovation, it is rarely used in a disaster-management context.

Sustaining Organizational Innovativeness

2012 ◽  
pp. 99-117
Author(s):  
Hannu Kivijärvi ◽  
Kalle Piirainen ◽  
Markku Tuominen
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Personal Knowledge ◽  
Conceptual Basis ◽  
Theoretical Discussion ◽  
Organizational Innovativeness ◽  
Knowledge Convergence ◽  
Knowledge Creation And Sharing

This paper aims to provide a conceptual basis for creating semi-virtual communities that facilitate knowledge creation and sharing that seeks to promote organizational innovativeness. In addition, based on the theoretical discussion, the paper proposes a concrete context that supports and stimulates the conversion of personal knowledge into new innovations and organizational decisions. As a methodological means, scenario driven innovation process is employed as a way to enhance creativity and knowledge convergence within an organization. The authors discuss that in its deepest sense knowledge is the capability to make decisions. Scenarios aim to increase that capability, and are thus a piece of organizational knowledge. The practical implementations of the contexts and the experiences with these implementations are evaluated by two real case studies in real life contexts.

State ownership, firm innovation and the moderating role of private-sector competition: the case of China

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongyan Yang ◽  
H. Kevin Steensma ◽  
Ting Ren
Keyword(s):  
Private Sector ◽  
Market Competition ◽  
New Products ◽  
Economic Value ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
State Ownership ◽  
The State ◽  
Innovation Performance ◽  
Firm Characteristics ◽  
Content Type

Purpose This paper aims to study how state ownership influences the innovation process in terms of allocating resources toward searching for new solutions and converting these efforts into economic value. On one hand, deep pockets of the state provide slack resources that may facilitate risk taking and innovation. On the other hand, soft budgets can create incentive problems and dampen the efficient use of resources. The authors suggest how accounting for competitive context can disentangle these countervailing forces. Design/methodology/approach The authors use a panel of over 240,000 Chinese firms over the years 2004–2008. The broad sample and period afforded substantial variability in terms of state ownership within and across firms. The authors use a two-stage model and a within-firm (i.e. fixed-effects) design, controlling for all time-invariant firm characteristics and the problematic unobserved heterogeneity that can often lead to erroneous inferences. Furthermore, the relatively short window limits the likelihood of time-varying unobserved firm characteristics biasing the empirical results. Findings The authors found that private-sector competition has the opposite effect on the relationship between state ownership and the second step of the innovation process. In industries where there is robust private-sector competition, state ownership diminishes the firm’s ability to convert R&D efforts into economic value. Private-sector competition competes away any advantages state-owned firms may have in terms of developing or accessing the complementary resources needed for commercialization. Ultimately, the inefficiencies of state ownership in terms of relatively undisciplined selection and monitoring of R&D activities outweigh any potential resource advantages derived from state ownership. Originality/value The state remains a prominent player in many economies throughout the world. The authors explored how state ownership of firms influences the resources they expend in searching out new solutions, and their success in converting such resources into economically valuable new products and services. State ownership has potentially countervailing effects on innovation. The authors disentangle these countervailing effects through consideration of how accounting for competitive context could determine whether the beneficial effects of state ownership dominate its detrimental effects for both searching for new solutions and converting these efforts into economically valuable new products. With a focus of market competition as an external force that drives the difference in innovation between SOEs and the private-sector, this study serves as a parallel effort to Jia et al. (2019) who investigate the joint effect of public and corporate governance on SOEs’ innovation performance, and Zhou et al. (2017) who concern the balance of the institution and efficiency logics on the comparative advantage of SOEs over privately owned enterprises in innovation performance.

Coping mechanisms among Palestinian refugee families in Malaysia during the transition period

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 191-200
Author(s):  
Iyad M. Eid ◽  
Nurazzura Bt Mohamad Diah
Keyword(s):  
Transition Period ◽  
Tertiary Education ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Educational Background ◽  
Arab Countries ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Conflict Zones ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Refugee Families ◽  
Palestinian Refugee

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how Palestinian refugee families in Malaysia cope with the challenges they face during their transitional destination. These families have recently fled from conflict zones in various Arab countries and moved to Malaysia where they registered in the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kuala Lumpur, waiting for resettlement in a third country. Design/methodology/approach The paper utilizes the qualitative research approach, drawing descriptive analysis (thematic analysis technique) of data collected by semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 30 Palestinian families. For sample selection, the author used purposive sampling and employed the Snowball technique to select the families who have experienced refuge life for the second time. Then the sample was equally divided into three groups to include ten families moving from Iraq, Syria and the Gaza Strip. The interviews were conducted with the head of the families who varied in terms of gender and age composition. The study involved 9 female participants and 21 males. They are all Muslims and aged between 24 and 80 years old. In terms of educational background, all of the participants are literate with formal school education, diploma or tertiary education. Findings The study shows that refugee families adopt four main ways of coping commonly used to improve the quality of their life during their transition in Malaysia. They turn to religion and spirituality, keep in touch with relatives and friends in the diaspora and conflict zones, develop a positive image about their present situation by comparing it to worse living conditions of others living in conflict zones and plan to migrate to Europe to hold a European passport which will give them the opportunity to visit their original country, Palestine. Originality/value The paper tackles the Palestinian refugee family life and explores their real-life stories and experiences during transition in Malaysia. It provides them with an opportunity to speak up their suffering and reveal the various strategies they adopt to cope with life challenges. Besides, the result of the study will be a fruitful addition to the corpus of sociological knowledge as well as an important contribution to the families that stay in transition in different societies around the world.

Site planning and design of green residential building projects: case studies in China

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 525-543
Author(s):  
Xiaosen Huo ◽  
Ann Tit Wan Yu ◽  
Wu Zezhou ◽  
Wadu Mesthrige Jayantha
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Questionnaire Survey ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Green Building ◽  
Green Buildings ◽  
Building Projects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Planning And Design ◽  
Site Planning

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present site planning and design (SPD) relevant variables and items in practice for practitioners to better understand and implement SPD in green building projects. Design/methodology/approach The research methods include questionnaire survey and case studies in the context of China. A questionnaire survey was adopted to identify the importance of 13 variables and the corresponding 38 items in SPD of green residential buildings. Three green residential projects including one in Hong Kong and two in Mainland China were selected to investigate the SPD considerations in practice and to discuss the necessary improvement. Findings The results show that 12 out of the 13 variables of SPD in green buildings are involved in the three case projects to some extent, thereby underscore the importance of these variables. The potential improvement in real-life SPD of green buildings is also discussed such as adopting design-build and integrated project delivery methods and preserving and protecting cultural characteristics on site. Originality/value The research findings may serve as a reference for practitioners to better conduct SPD in green building projects.

scholarly journals Case study research: opening up research opportunities

2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adriana Roseli Wünsch Takahashi ◽  
Luis Araujo
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Case Study Research ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Case Study Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
The Social ◽  
Internal Coherence ◽  
Opening Up

Purpose The case study approach has been widely used in management studies and the social sciences more generally. However, there are still doubts about when and how case studies should be used. This paper aims to discuss this approach, its various uses and applications, in light of epistemological principles, as well as the criteria for rigor and validity. Design/methodology/approach This paper discusses the various concepts of case and case studies in the methods literature and addresses the different uses of cases in relation to epistemological principles and criteria for rigor and validity. Findings The use of this research approach can be based on several epistemologies, provided the researcher attends to the internal coherence between method and epistemology, or what the authors call “alignment.” Originality/value This study offers a number of implications for the practice of management research, as it shows how the case study approach does not commit the researcher to particular data collection or interpretation methods. Furthermore, the use of cases can be justified according to multiple epistemological orientations.

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