scholarly journals Measuring resource efficiency and resource effectiveness in manufacturing

2018 ◽  
Vol 67 (9) ◽  
pp. 1854-1881 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mangesh Gharfalkar ◽  
Zulfiqur Ali ◽  
Graham Hillier

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to identify and analyse existing resource efficiency (RE) and resource effectiveness measures and indicators (REMIs); and second, to identify gaps and develop a new indicator of “operational resource effectiveness” (OREft) suitable for manufacturing units. Design/methodology/approach Research methodology consists of three stages: gap identification, development and testing. Through review of academic literature, 40 REMIs are identified and analysed. A survey of manufacturers is carried out to validate the hypothesis and seek inputs on the development of the new indicator. The proposed indicator is tested by comparing OREft index of two manufacturing units with each other, with resource intensity per unit (RIPU), waste intensity per unit (WIPU) and with four other REMIs. Findings Analysis of 40 REMIs clearly points towards the absence of a hypothesised REMI. In total, 78 per cent of manufacturers surveyed in north England substantiate the hypothesis. Inverse correlation established between the proposed OREft indicator, RIPU, WIPU and other comparisons is likely to validate the output generated by the proposed indicator. Research limitations/implications Testing of this indicator is limited to two dissimilar manufacturing units that shared data. Practical implications The proposed indicator is useful for comparing the operational resource effectiveness of individual factories over a period as well as with other factories. RIPU and WIPU captured in this indicator also represent operational RE that can be used to initiate improvement action. Originality/value Inclusion of both, the resource consumption and the waste generation along with discount/multiplying factors that capture the circularity aspects is likely to be the distinguishing feature of this indicator.

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Foteini Valeonti ◽  
Melissa Terras ◽  
Andrew Hudson-Smith

Purpose In recent years, OpenGLAM and the broader open license movement have been gaining momentum in the cultural heritage sector. The purpose of this paper is to examine OpenGLAM from the perspective of end users, identifying barriers for commercial and non-commercial reuse of openly licensed art images. Design/methodology/approach Following a review of the literature, the authors scope out how end users can discover institutions participating in OpenGLAM, and use case studies to examine the process they must follow to find, obtain and reuse openly licensed images from three art museums. Findings Academic literature has so far focussed on examining the risks and benefits of participation from an institutional perspective, with little done to assess OpenGLAM from the end users’ standpoint. The authors reveal that end users have to overcome a series of barriers to find, obtain and reuse open images. The three main barriers relate to image quality, image tracking and the difficulty of distinguishing open images from those that are bound by copyright. Research limitations/implications This study focusses solely on the examination of art museums and galleries. Libraries, archives and also other types of OpenGLAM museums (e.g. archaeological) stretch beyond the scope of this paper. Practical implications The authors identify practical barriers of commercial and non-commercial reuse of open images, outlining areas of improvement for participant institutions. Originality/value The authors contribute to the understudied field of research examining OpenGLAM from the end users’ perspective, outlining recommendations for end users, as well as for museums and galleries.


2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-204 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erika Altmann

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the rise of strata manager as a newly emergent profession and note their impact on the governance within medium and high density, strata titled housing such as flats, apartments, town-houses and CIDs. Design/methodology/approach – This research presents finding from a small scale, qualitative research project focused on the interaction between the owner committee of management and strata managers. Findings – The introduction mandatory certification is championed by industry bodies. The strata managers considered they already demonstrated valuable attributes desired by committees of management. These differed to the attributes targeted by the new training regime, and the attributes valued by the committees of management. Research limitations/implications – This is a small scale pilot study. A larger study will need to be undertaken to confirm these results. Practical implications – There is a disjunct between the training and what strata managers consider relevant to undertaking their duties. This has significance for the ongoing governance of these properties and industry professionalisation. The resilience of Australia’s densification policies will depend on how learning will translate into better governance outcomes for owners. Social implications – One in three people within Australia’s eastern states lives or owns property within strata titled complex (apartments, flats and townhouse developments). The increasing number of strata managers and professionalisation within their industry has the ability to impact an increasing number of people. Originality/value – The impact of this new profession, and their requirements in terms of expertise has not been fully considered within existing academic literature.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 158-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Whisker ◽  
Mark Eshwar Lokanan

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the various characteristics of mobile money transactions and the threats they present to anti-money laundering (AML) and counter terrorist financing regimes. Design/methodology/approach A thorough literature review was conducted on mobile money transactions and the associated money-laundering and terrorist financing threats. Four key themes were identified in relations to the three stages of money laundering and effective law enforcement. Findings The findings indicate that as money laundering and terrorist financing transactions continue to gravitate towards the weaknesses in the financial system, mobile money provides yet another avenue for criminals to exploit. Risk factors associated with anonymity, elusiveness, rapidity and lack of oversights were all integral considerations in building an effective AML regime. The use of cash is considered a higher threat than mobile money prior to implementation of systems and controls. Practical implications This rapidly changing environment of how individuals manage their money during transactions is set to further explode globally, which poses new problems for regulators and governments alike. Unless there is a unified concentration to heighten global awareness, the imposing threat of mobile money is set to increase at a rapid rate if appropriate actions are not taken. Originality/value The findings from this study can be used to gain greater insights on mobile money transactions and raise further awareness of the ever-increasing threat to global financial integrity.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 1080-1104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaganpreet Singh ◽  
Neeraj Pandey

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore green packaging from the process dimension. Specifically, it focuses on understanding the behavior of costs associated with installing green packaging infrastructure. Design/methodology/approach The study used system dynamics to design the model. The model was tested on three industries employed in manufacturing glass bottles to generalize the result. Findings The study concludes that cost of remanufacturing which initially is higher because of recollection phases and reverse logistics costs eventually becomes lower than new manufacturing as soon as system achieves stability and continues to follow the same trend over the period of time. Practical implications The study put forwards an explanation to the concerns of manufacturers who were unwilling to install green packaging or remanufacturing infrastructure into their operations because of several cost- and risk-related dilemmas. Originality/value The study extends the academic literature by answering the queries raised by Kassaye and Holloway (2015).


2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-116
Author(s):  
Berendien Lubbe

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a brief perspective on the growth of business travel over the past 60 years and how it may unfold in the future, highlighting certain themes and noting limitations in the research. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on selected academic literature and industry sources on business travel which briefly reviews its growth and directions of research in this field. Practical implications The paper distinguishes between different types of business travel and provides a bird's eye view of the future. Originality/value The review distinguishes between different forms of business travel and concludes that greater clarity of the business travel concept will enable research to be conducted within a properly defined theoretical framework.


2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 234-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex Maritz ◽  
Christopher R. Brown

PurposeThe aim of this paper is to explore the components of entrepreneurship education programs (EEPs) and their interrelationships to develop a conceptual framework through which entrepreneurship education may be contextually evaluated and developed.Design/methodology/approachThe paper presents an extensive literature review of the entrepreneurship education literature which is used to inform a comprehensive framework for entrepreneurial education; based upon contextualisation, outcomes, objectives, audience, assessment, content and pedagogy.FindingsThe paper develops a comprehensive and parsimonious framework for understanding and evaluating entrepreneurship education programs based on and adapted from the extended conceptualisations and contextualisation of previous research on entrepreneurship education programs.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper presents preliminary conceptualisation and as such requires subsequent testing in various entrepreneurship contexts.Practical implicationsThe framework elaborated upon can provide a comprehensive view of entrepreneurship education programs by examining and describing the relationships between the components. In so doing, the paper illuminates for educators and researchers a comprehensive view of an entrepreneurship education program which can be used by contextualising the components of outcomes, objectives, assessment and pedagogy.Originality/valueThe value of this work lies in its responsiveness to the calls in the academic literature for more appropriate evaluations of entrepreneurship programs and greater contextualisation of the programs to facilitate research into the effectiveness of such programs. The paper proposes that EEPs have to be developed, not only with objectives in mind, but in the context within which they operate.


2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
David William Stoten

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is viewed by students and teachers and its value as a vehicle to promote self-directed independent learning. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed methods approach was adopted in three stages. Stages 1 and 2 structured questionnaires were issued to students and teachers were interviewed in a third and final stage. The second questionnaire relating to students’ views were analysed for statistical reliability using the χ2-test. Findings – The research suggests that EPQ is a possible vehicle to promote independent learning and negates some of the more negative aspects associated with classroom-based learning. Research limitations/implications – This research was based on research undertaken at two Sixth Form Colleges (SFCs). Although insightful and a useful description, it cannot claim to reflect the experience of EPQ at every institution in the SFC sector. Originality/value – The SFC sector is rarely reported on in the academic literature. This paper also reports on a relatively new and important initiative within the sector and offers a possible view of the future in the classroom.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-323
Author(s):  
Mohamed Benaicha

Purpose This study aims to define the parameters of the reward-risk principle in Islamic finance as established in the literature and discuss propositions that are presented on how such a principle is to be applied to Islamic banking products. Design/methodology/approach A descriptive approach is used to explore the normative parameters and criticisms of the application of reward-risk in Islamic finance. Findings The study finds that the principle of reward-risk is embodied in the multi-component concept of ʿiwaḍ (counter value) which must be evident in market transactions that involve commercial exchanges. The components include risk, costs, effort, value-adding and capital, all of which apply uniquely to different contractual forms of financing. Research limitations/implications The study uses academic literature and industry documents along with modest contact with prominent practitioners who provided general feedback on prevalent Islamic finance industry practices. Practical implications This study exposits the variety of approaches in applying the reward-risk principle and sheds light on the primary elements of the principle which will facilitate its greater consideration by the Islamic finance industry. Originality/value This study is a meaningful attempt at conveniently summing up and applying the parameters that are considered when discussing the scope of the reward-risk principle in Islamic finance.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 750-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinicius Ferreira de Castro ◽  
Enzo Morosini Frazzon

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to overview the academic literature on benchmarking of best practices tracking the most important articles and understanding the similarity between studies. Design/methodology/approach The most relevant articles were identified using techniques such as the PageRank algorithm and co-citation maps. An analysis of the most relevant articles presents the main concepts, methods and updated discussions on this research field. Findings The analysis of academic output substantiates the increase in the production of articles on this research topic. There were identified two main clusters of co-cited articles, one related to data envelopment analysis (DEA) and other that presents a wide variation of methods for benchmarking. There are important critiques towards the past research on benchmarking of best practices, yet, new DEA approaches seem to address most of the criticized issues. Practical implications From time to time, a review of the literature of a certain field of knowledge is useful for other researchers to identify and organize its main theories, new trends, most relevant works, influent authors and important publications. Originality/value This paper delivers two important values: the updated discussion on benchmarking of best practices, clearing both DEA and non-DEA studies; and the methods adopted to systematically review the literature, which is original on this field of research.


2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 187-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anthea Tinker ◽  
Nesar Gilani ◽  
Isabella Luthra ◽  
Olivia Richardson ◽  
Alexander Howells ◽  
...  

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to start a debate about older people who are in groups that are not readily visible to policy makers and practitioners. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on information obtained from academic literature, government statistics and other publications from relevant organisations. The authors investigated one “invisible” group each and comparisons and conclusions were then made collaboratively. Findings – Many groups of older people seem to be absent from statistics and from policy making. The paper suggests that there needs to be more research to identify the scale of any problems and how they may be solved. Research limitations/implications – This is not a systematic review but a preliminary account of the problem. Practical implications – There are practical implications for health and social care professionals if they do not recognise that there are groups in society about whom little is known. Lack of knowledge and empathy may affect their approach to these groups. Social implications – There are implications for society if these groups are not taken into account in decision making and especially over the allocation of resources. Originality/value – There is little written which brings together the lack of attention paid to these groups as a whole.


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