Problem-solving by total productive maintenance swift teams: communication network structure, media choice and team effectiveness

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Colazo
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Communication Networks ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Media Choice ◽  
Male Participant ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Communication Structure ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Problem Solving Process

PurposeThis study aims to look at the performance, communication structure and media choice for swift teams (STs) formed with the purpose of recovering from operational emergencies in manufacturing. The problem-solving process associated with these ad hoc teams include an early stage, where the main goal is to restore the process to working conditions, and a later stage, longer in duration, where the root cause of the problem is found and eliminated.Design/methodology/approachBased on field data from an industrial manufacturing operation, the authors test hypotheses by means of regression models.FindingsIt was found that in the evolution from early to later stage, media usage shifts from highly synchronous to asynchronous and the structural characteristics of the teams' collaboration networks mutate as well. These effects are different when comparing high- vs low-performing teams.Research limitations/implicationsThe study contains data for only one company, limiting the external validity of the conclusions. The sample was predominantly male. Participant attrition and other potential covariates not included in the study can be additional limitations.Practical implicationsMore successful teams adapt their communication patterns more rapidly, going from an initially decentralized organization to a more centralized one. These changes in network patterns open a new view of ST’s success, based on network characteristics rather than on aggregate measures. The conclusions yield insights for interventions that may increase the success rates of these teams and reduce production line downtime.Originality/valueThe two stages in the operational emergency problem-solving process have to the authors’ knowledge not been addressed simultaneously in previous research, which is attempted in this paper as its main theoretical contribution. Moreover, previous studies dealing with ST’s success have only looked at aggregated measures impacting effectiveness and never to how their communication networks evolve along the path to problem resolution. The network view of the evolution of the ST from a relatively disorganized impromptu agglomeration of individuals to an effective problem-solving organization is to the authors’ knowledge first presented.

Key factors that improve knowledge-intensive business processes which lead to competitive advantage

2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 126-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Selena Aureli ◽  
Daniele Giampaoli ◽  
Massimo Ciambotti ◽  
Nick Bontis
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Business Processes ◽  
Partial Least Square ◽  
Direct Impact ◽  
Creative Problem Solving ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Creative Problem ◽  
Knowledge Intensive ◽  
Problem Solving Process ◽  
Positive Direct

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically test the knowledge-intensive process of creative problem-solving and its outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses survey data from 113 leading Italian companies. To test the structural relations of the research model the authors used the partial least square (PLS) method.FindingsResults show that work design and training have a positive direct impact on creative problem-solving process while organizational culture has a positive impact on both creative problem-solving process and its outcomes. Finally creative problem-solving process has a strong direct impact on its outcomes and this, in turn, on firms’ competitiveness.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that managers must highlight the problem-solving process as it affects a firm’s capability to find creative solutions and therefore its competitiveness. Moreover, the present paper suggests managers should invest in specific knowledge management (KM) practices for enhancing knowledge-intensive business processes.Originality/valueThe present paper fills an important gap in the BPM literature by empirically testing the relationship among KM practices, multistage processes of creative problem-solving and their outcomes, and firms’ competitiveness.

A problem-solving process for developing capabilities: the case of an established firm

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 713-727
Author(s):  
Ei (Emily) Shu
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
New Product Development ◽  
Dynamic Capabilities ◽  
Dynamic Capability ◽  
Capability Development ◽  
Unique Problem ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Problem Solving Process ◽  
Development Literature

Purpose Current research has theorized that developing dynamic capability can be viewed as a problem-finding and problem-solving process in terms of a firm’s resource reconfiguration. However, there continues to be a scarcity of empirical research on how firms and managers solve innovation problems to develop capabilities. Building on the theoretical lens of problem-solving perspective (PSP) and dynamic capability literature, the purpose of this paper is to address this gap by examining how a large automobile company developed different types of capabilities (combining capability, replacing capability and evolving capability) and their underlying problem-solving processes. Design/methodology/approach An inductive multi-case design was used to investigate the problem-solving process in different types of capability development in the context of NPD. This methodology has a number of benefits, including accommodation of the rich data used to compare the inferences among cases, thus enabling researchers to extend the emergent theory. Findings The findings of a multi-case study show that managers tend to direct their attentions to searching for solutions among external resources when the problem is framed as a combination of existing capabilities. Conversely, managers direct their attention to facilitating organizational learning when the problem is framed as an extension of an existing capability. However, managers need to direct more attention to gaining legitimacy when the problem is framed as a replacement of existing capabilities. The findings thus respond to increasing calls for more investigations into the microfoundations underlying firms’ capabilities, by revealing different instances of PSP, and their connections with different actions that take to capability development. Originality/value By comparatively examining the unique problem-solving process underlying an established firm’s innovative challenges in developing capabilities, the findings identify different instances of PSP, and their connections with different actions that take to capability development. Thus, the findings respond to increasing calls for more investigation into the microfoundations of dynamic capabilities for organizational outcomes. The findings also add to the new product development literature by examining how a product innovation can be framed differently depending on the attributes of an innovation problem. As PSP is particularly useful in offering guidance to firms’ innovative search, it is important for managers to pay attention to the attribute of each product and its domain of solution in considering the effectiveness of value creation.

How are universities supporting employers to facilitate effective “on the job” learning for apprentices?

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann Minton ◽  
Jane Lowe
Keyword(s):  
Workplace Learning ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Success Factor ◽  
Clear Understanding ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ongoing Support ◽  
Academic Programme

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review a range of mechanisms used by universities to support employers to facilitate effective “on the job learning” for apprentices. It reflects on how these mechanisms can be used to address some of the challenges, reported in the literature that employers face to in supporting apprentices in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach A short questionnaire administered to colleagues prior to attendance at a workshop, identified a range of activities, at various stages of engagement with employers that were used by universities to facilitate effective workplace learning and also to address some of the challenges faced by employers. These activities were then discussed and explored within the workshop to identify areas of best practice from the HEI sector to promote effective workplace learning. Findings Engagement with employers needs to occur from the outset of the development of the apprenticeship. Embedding the on the job learning within the design of the academic programme, with explicit links between the theoretical learning (knowledge element of the apprenticeship standard) and practical application of learning (skills and behaviours within the apprenticeship standard). Regular interactions with a range of staff within the employer ensure that there is a clear understanding throughout the apprentice’s journey, of how to promote an effective learning environment for the apprentice within the context of the organisation. The role of the workplace facilitator/mentor key. A range of approaches to providing training and ongoing support for facilitators/mentors was identified. Research limitations/implications The study was limited to the participants within the workshop at the conference, a self-selecting group from a relatively small number of HE providers. The HEIs represented provided apprenticeships in a range of subject areas, working with both public sector and private sector providers. Further studies are required to encompass a broader range of providers, including drawing on best practice from the FE and independent sector, and applying principles used there in the context of HE. Practical implications Engagement with employers from an early stage of the development of the apprenticeship is imperative, viewing the apprenticeship holistically, rather than as an academic programme with some work-based activities. Resources need to be devoted to regular and frequent contact with a range of personnel within the employer organisation, so that a partnership approach to supporting learning is developed. Training and ongoing support for work-based mentors/facilitators continues to be a key success factor. This needs to be managed to balance the learning needs of the mentors with the potential impact on workplace productivity. Social implications The paper identifies a range of approaches that will enhance the effectiveness of learning in the workplace. This will both enhance the apprentice’s learning experience and ensure that higher and degree apprenticeships are developed holistically, meeting the academic requirements of the university and the workplace needs of the employer. This, in turn, will enhance success rates and reduce attrition rates from apprenticeships, which, in turn, may encourage more employers to engage with higher and degree apprenticeships. Originality/value The paper collates a range of best practice from the sector to promote effective workplace learning.

Visualization in an early stage of the problem-solving process in GIS

2000 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas D Blaser ◽  
Monika Sester ◽  
Max J Egenhofer
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Problem Solving Process

scholarly journals Understanding the accelerator from resources-based perspective

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chul Hyun Uhm ◽  
Chang Soo Sung ◽  
Joo Yeon Park
Keyword(s):  
Early Stage ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Success Rates ◽  
Access To Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Start Up ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Start Ups

Purpose This study aims to explore Accelerators and their practices in sustaining start-ups within their innovative programs for these companies based on the resource-based perspective. Moreover, with an ever-increasing demand for Accelerators amongst start-up companies, this study also demonstrates the importance of Accelerators, as it pertains to new venture creation. Design/methodology/approach This research uses an exploratory case study approach to examine a comparative view of leading Accelerator companies in the USA and Korea based on resource support. Findings The results of this study show that there are a number of differences between Accelerators of the two countries in terms of the resources they support for early-stage start-ups. The findings also show some similarities. However, in Korea, the Accelerator landscape is limited, where mentorship, resources and investments are not readily accessible, resulting in low success rates for Korean start-up companies. These limitations have had a negative trickle-down effect when providing entrepreneurs with strong access to resources and investors, which highly affects the success rates of early-stage start-ups. Practical implications In terms of the resource-based theory, this study contributes to the growth of early start-ups by emphasizing the role of the accelerator and suggesting the extent and impact that entrepreneurs have access to resources and investors. Originality/value With significant growth in start-ups around the world, the necessity for start-up funding and mentorship has increased drastically. Start-up companies need various types of assets, systems, knowledge and information to achieve their goals. In Accelerators, start-ups receive all the aforementioned resources while also improving their entrepreneurial skills. Start-up companies have many options in seeking investors who support both tangible and intangible resources to boost growth. While there is a wealth of information on traditional funding methods, there are few studies that shed light on the role of Accelerators from the resource-based point of view.

scholarly journals Changes in communication patterns when implementing lean

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorge Colazo
Keyword(s):  
Communication Networks ◽  
Ordinary Least Squares ◽  
Communication Patterns ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Analytical Models ◽  
Male Participant ◽  
Least Squares Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Business Units

PurposeThis paper explores the changes in communication patterns when companies implement lean, and how those changes relate to implementation success.Design/methodology/approachThis is a multiple-site case study involving four business units of a manufacturing company in South America, including two repeated measurement instances separating 24 months for approximately 600 direct workers and 65 supervisors. The analytical models include social network analysis measures and Ordinary Least Squares regression.FindingsWhen companies implement lean, (1) teams have a higher frequency of communication among members; (2) teams become more decentralized; (3) teams communicate more with supervisors and (4) supervisors communicate more amongst themselves and collaborate more. Also, (5) better performing teams change more pronouncedly.Research limitations/implicationsThe study contains data for four business units but within only one company, limiting the external validity of the conclusions. The sample was predominantly male. Participant attrition and other potential covariates not included in the study can be additional limitations.Practical implicationsLean implementations could be practically helped by managers by embracing and supporting the more intense communication patterns associated with lean success, and alternatively, they could proactively detect barriers in communication by measuring how these patterns change or fail to change and try to unlock communication by working on those barriers and supply communications infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration to try to boost the chances of success.Originality/valueThis is to our knowledge the first study measuring communication networks from the point of view of team members and low-level supervisors in lean implementations. This is also the first study showing that communication patterns change more rapidly in more successful teams, and also that communication pattern changes when implementing lean can be an indicator of success.

scholarly journals Communication networks do not explain the growth or survival of early-stage peer production projects

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy Foote ◽  
Aaron Shaw ◽  
Benjamin Mako Hill
Keyword(s):  
Social Integration ◽  
Communication Networks ◽  
Group Performance ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Peer Production ◽  
Communication Structure ◽  
Group Outcomes ◽  
Shared Information ◽  
Prior Literature ◽  
Groups And Teams

Communication enables coordination and social integration in collaborative groups. In the contexts of work groups and teams, prior research finds that more dense and integrated communication structures support better performance. We explore the relationship between communication structure and group performance in a population of early-stage peer production wiki communities engaged in the collaborative production of shared information resources. We theorize that there is an especially strong need for coordination and social integration in small, newly formed online communities, and that communities with relatively more integrative communication networks will be more successful. We test this theory by measuring communication network structure and group outcomes in a population of 1,002 nascent wikis. Contrary to prior literature and our expectations, we find a very weak relationship between communication structure and collaborative performance. We suggest a number of explanations, including the role of shared artifacts in coordinating work and integrating newcomers.

scholarly journals Eye tracking and early detection of confusion in digital learning environments: Proof of concept

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariya Pachman ◽  
Amaël Arguel ◽  
Lori Lockyer ◽  
Gregor Kennedy ◽  
Jason Lodge
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Early Detection ◽  
Eye Tracking ◽  
Learning Environments ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Digital Learning ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Verbal Reports ◽  
Problem Solving Process ◽  
Digital Learning Environments

Research on incidence of and changes in confusion during complex learning and problem-solving calls for advanced methods of confusion detection in digital learning environments (DLEs). In this study we attempt to address this issue by investigating the use of multiple measures, including psychophysiological indicators and self-ratings, to detect confusion in DLEs. Participants were subjected to two intrinsically confusing insight problems in the form of visual digital puzzles. They were asked to solve problems while their eye trajectories were recorded and these data were triangulated with self-ratings of confusion and cued retrospective verbal reports. All participants had a significant increase in fixations on relevant (i.e., related to the solution) and not-relevant areas at an early stage of the problem-solving process. However, only fixations on not-relevant areas were positively correlated with confusion ratings. Moreover, participants who significantly solved the problem differed in their fixations duration on relevant and not-relevant areas from non-solvers. The importance of early detection of confusion and the affordances of emerging technologies for this purpose are discussed.

Moving to Solution

2013 ◽  
Vol 60 (6) ◽  
pp. 403-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Werner ◽  
M. Raab
Keyword(s):  
Problem Solving ◽  
Embodied Cognition ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Problem Space ◽  
Arm Swing ◽  
String Problem ◽  
Problem Solving Process ◽  
Problem Solving Task ◽  
Bodily Movements

Embodied cognition theories suggest a link between bodily movements and cognitive functions. Given such a link, it is assumed that movement influences the two main stages of problem solving: creating a problem space and creating solutions. This study explores how specific the link between bodily movements and the problem-solving process is. Seventy-two participants were tested with variations of the two-string problem (Experiment 1) and the water-jar problem (Experiment 2), allowing for two possible solutions. In Experiment 1 participants were primed with arm-swing movements (swing group) and step movements on a chair (step group). In Experiment 2 participants sat in front of three jars with glass marbles and had to sort these marbles from the outer jars to the middle one (plus group) or vice versa (minus group). Results showed more swing-like solutions in the swing group and more step-like solutions in the step group, and more addition solutions in the plus group and more subtraction solutions in the minus group. This specificity of the connection between movement and problem-solving task will allow further experiments to investigate how bodily movements influence the stages of problem solving.

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