Exploring Lean deployment in New Zealand apple pack-houses

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-60 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans J.T. Doevendans ◽  
Nigel Peter Grigg ◽  
Jane Goodyer
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Financial Indicators ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current State ◽  
Level Of Knowledge ◽  
Rich Data ◽  
Single Question

Purpose – This paper aims to present findings from a research project that investigated the suitability of Lean in a seasonal horticultural setting, specifically the New Zealand (NZ) apple and pear (pipfruit) industry. The paper focusses on improvements made while deploying Lean elements in several apple pack-houses. Design/methodology/approach – The literature review discusses how common theoretical Lean themes are not industry or contextually bound and may be transferable to other industries. An industry-wide survey assesses the current state of knowledge and Lean deployment within the industry using a unique “single-question-per-day” approach. Two case studies and one action research study are used to obtain rich data from organisations that have implemented Lean in recent times. Reliability and validity is achieved by selecting representative samples, using a case study protocol, a single researcher for consistency, participant verification, multiple sources of evidence within cases and replication logic. Findings – The industry survey shows a low level of knowledge and applied Lean within the industry. Data demonstrate that significant progress is made, using different implementation approaches that lead to a measurable increase of Lean, supported by some positive financial indicators. Research limitations/implications – This research is restricted to NZ apple pack-houses, but indicates that Lean can contribute significantly to general horticultural pack house performance. Originality/value – Literature research shows that little research has been done to study Lean in the horticultural field generally and in the NZ pipfruit industry specifically. This paper contributes to filling that knowledge gap.

Heritage management and urban development in Iran, case study of Shiraz

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 343-357
Author(s):  
Azadeh Arjomand Kermani
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Heritage Management ◽  
City Centre ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Secondary Sources ◽  
Research Areas ◽  
Urban Intervention

PurposeLarge-scale interventions are still the dominant approach in dealing with historic cities in Iran; however, during the last decade there has been a shift towards integrated and decentralised policies and a series of locally based projects were initiated across the country. Political and ideological forces, population growth as well as cultural and heritage consensus are influencing approaches towards urban conservation and heritage management constantly. This paper opens up the urban intervention approaches in the historic core of Shiraz and provides a deeper insight and better understanding of heritage management and regeneration plans in Shiraz as a representative of historic Iranian cities.Design/methodology/approachThe study explains and analyses major urban transformations in Shiraz. The main approaches towards historical city core are identified and the mechanism that shaped these approaches in national and local scale is discussed. This investigation primarily uses qualitative data sources. The study relies on multiple sources of evidence which result in the reliability and validity of the investigation. Therefore, primary sources include original documents, maps and photographs published in documentation for the projects, published and unpublished materials and archives about case study city and secondary sources such as interviews with consultants and authorities as well as residents have been used.FindingsThis paper provides a more detailed explanation about several interrelated factors that affected the process of decision and policy making, planning and implementation of city centre interventions during the last two decades.Originality/valueThis paper anticipates consequent trends in heritage management in Shiraz and recommends further research areas. The paper can be used to develop a more practical set of recommendations for urban heritage management in Iran.

Cultural societies and information needs: Croats in New Zealand

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 652-673 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maja Krtalić ◽  
Ivana Hebrang Grgić
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Social Life ◽  
Information Dissemination ◽  
Home Country ◽  
Immigrant Communities ◽  
Technological Changes ◽  
Content Type

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to explore how small immigrant communities in host countries collect, disseminate and present information about their home country and their community, and the role of formal societies and clubs in it. Design/methodology/approach This paper presents the results of a case study of the Croatian community in New Zealand. To illustrate how cultural and technological changes affected information dissemination and communication within the community, the case study presents both historical and current situations. Methods used in this case study included a content analysis of historical newspapers published in New Zealand by the Croatian community, content analysis of current webpages and social networking sites, and interviews with participants who have management roles in Croatian societies and communities in New Zealand. Data were collected from December 2018 to February 2019. Findings Formally established clubs and societies, but also informal groups of immigrants and their descendants can play a significant role in providing their members with information about the culture, social life and events of the home country. They also play a significant role in preserving part of the history and heritage which is relevant, not only for a specific community but also for the history and culture of a home country. Originality/value The methodology used in the research is based on data from community archives and can be used for studying other small immigrant communities in New Zealand or abroad. The case study presented in the paper illustrates how the information environment of small immigrant communities develops and changes over the years under the influence of diverse political, social and technological changes.

Ascertaining the effectiveness of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in tackling corruptions in Nigeria

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 658-668 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ibrahim Umar ◽  
Rose Shamsiah Samsudin ◽  
Mudzamir bn Mohamed
Keyword(s):  
Poor Performance ◽  
Organizational Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Documentary Analysis ◽  
Current State ◽  
Financial Crimes ◽  
Lack Of Commitment ◽  
Depth Interviews

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to appraise the Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of their role in tackling systemic corruptions and to associate how institutional and organizational factors influence the performance of the EFCC. Design/methodology/approach Data were gathered through in-depth interviews, non-participatory observations and documentary analysis. Findings The results of the integrative analysis show that the EFCC has apparently been ineffective, and further improvization of the organization is needed. Poor performance of the EFCC was associated with factors such as lack of commitment, inefficient judiciary, insufficient budgets and incompetent personnel. Practical implications This study recommends further improvements in the form of a greater political will, improved legal process and also elevated budgetary funds and recruitment of personnel to the EFCC. Originality/value The study adopted a descriptive, qualitative case study approach to describe the current state of the EFCC in Nigeria.

scholarly journals Environmental Sustainability in New Zealand Museums: A Case Study of Te Manawa Museum, Gallery and Science Centre

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Nina Helen Finigan
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Staff Members ◽  
Current State ◽  
Science Centre ◽  
The Status ◽  
The Many

<p>Environmental sustainability is becoming an increasingly essential component of modern life. The contemporary museums’ role as public educators, and as guardians of tangible and intangible culture, places them in a unique position to address the various issues surrounding environmental sustainability, from climate change, to bio-diversity loss, to conservation. There is increasing momentum behind the idea that museums should not only engage with environmental sustainability, but that they indeed have a responsibility to. Although museums throughout New Zealand are addressing environmental sustainability, there is currently no thorough examination of how they are doing this. Therefore, the aim of this dissertation was so find out the current state of environmental sustainability in New Zealand museums, and specifically how staff are approaching it. Through engaging in a case study of Te Manawa Museum, Gallery and Science Centre, Palmerston North, and specifically the environmentally themed exhibition Te Awa/The River: Heart of the Manawatu, this dissertation analyses and discusses the realities of addressing institutional environmental sustainability. While the previous literature surrounding this topic has addressed the many reasons why museums should engage with environmental sustainability, this dissertation has expanded on this by analysing and discussing the realities of addressing environmental sustainability from a staff perspective. Through interviews with five Te Manawa staff members, this dissertation has revealed that while museum professionals agree that engagement with environmental sustainability should become part of bottom line holistic sustainable development, the status of museums as trusted democratic institutions can place them in a conflicted space ‘in-between’ when dealing with polarising issues such as the environment. This is particularly relevant to the discussion around new-museological theory, and the importance of local context and reflexive community engagement, where the community essentially help drive museological direction and content.</p>

Towards the development of a system-wide quality improvement maturity model: a synthesis using systematic review and expert opinion

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adeel Akmal ◽  
Nataliya Podgorodnichenko ◽  
Richard Greatbanks ◽  
Jeff Foote ◽  
Tim Stokes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
Maturity Model ◽  
True Nature ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current State ◽  
Full Control

Purpose The various quality improvement (QI) frameworks and maturity models described in the health services literature consider some aspects of QI while excluding others. This paper aims to present a concerted attempt to create a quality improvement maturity model (QIMM) derived from holistic principles underlying the successful implementation of system-wide QI programmes. Design/methodology/approach A hybrid methodology involving a systematic review (Phase 1) of over 270 empirical research articles and books developed the basis for the proposed QIMM. It was followed by expert interviews to refine the core constructs and ground the proposed QIMM in contemporary QI practice (Phase 2). The experts included academics in two academic conferences and 59 QI managers from the New Zealand health-care system. In-depth interviews were conducted with QI managers to ascertain their views on the QIMM and its applicability in their respective health organisations (HOs). Findings The QIMM consists of four dimensions of organisational maturity, namely, strategic, process, supply chain and philosophical maturity. These dimensions progress through six stages, namely, identification, ad-hoc, formal, process-driven, optimised enterprise and finally a way of life. The application of the QIMM by the QI managers revealed that the scope of QI and the breadth of the principles adopted by the QI managers and their HOs in New Zealand is limited. Practical implications The importance of QI in health systems cannot be overstated. The proposed QIMM can help HOs diagnose their current state and provide a guide to action achieving a desirable state of quality improvement maturity. This QIMM avoids reliance on any single QI methodology. HOs – using the QIMM – should retain full control over the process of selecting any QI methodology or may even cherry-pick principles to suit their needs as long as they understand and appreciate the true nature and scope of quality overstated. The proposed QIMM can help HOs diagnose their current state and provide a guide to action achieving a desirable state of quality improvement maturity. This QIMM avoids reliance on any single QI methodology. HOs – using the QIMM – should retain full control over the process of selecting any QI methodology or may even cherry-pick principles to suit their needs as long as they understand and appreciate the true nature and scope of quality. Originality/value This paper contributes new knowledge by presenting a maturity model with an integrated set of quality principles for HOs and their extended supply networks.

scholarly journals Record linking in the EHRI portal

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 363-378
Author(s):  
Sigal Arie Erez ◽  
Tobias Blanke ◽  
Mike Bryant ◽  
Kepa Rodriguez ◽  
Reto Speck ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Controlled Vocabularies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Historical Archives ◽  
Finding Aids ◽  
Rich Data ◽  
Significant Attention

Purpose This paper aims to describe the European Holocaust Research Infrastructure (EHRI) project's ongoing efforts to virtually integrate trans-national archival sources via the reconstruction of collection provenance as it relates to copy collections (material copied from one archive to another) and the co-referencing of subject and authority terms across material held by distinct institutions. Design/methodology/approach This paper is a case study of approximately 6,000 words length. The authors describe the scope of the problem of archival fragmentation from both cultural and technical perspectives, with particular focus on Holocaust-related material, and describe, with graph-based visualisations, two ways in which EHRI seeks to better integrate information about fragmented material. Findings As a case study, the principal contributions of this paper include reports on our experience with extracting provenance-based connections between archival descriptions from encoded finding aids and the challenges of co-referencing access points in the absence of domain-specific controlled vocabularies. Originality/value Record linking in general is an important technique in computational approaches to humanities research and one that has rightly received significant attention from scholars. In the context of historical archives, however, the material itself is in most cases not digitised, meaning that computational attempts at linking must rely on finding aids which constitute much fewer rich data sources. The EHRI project’s work in this area is therefore quite pioneering and has implications for archival integration on a larger scale, where the disruptive potential of Linked Open Data is most obvious.

INSPIRE sustainability internships

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 452-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Susan Hayles
Keyword(s):  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Student Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Life Context ◽  
The University

Purpose This paper aims to explore the outputs of an internship programme, one of a number of campus-based sustainability activities that have been introduced at the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, to encourage student-led campus-based greening initiatives. Design/methodology/approach A case study approach was undertaken, allowing the researcher to investigate the programme in its real-life context. The researcher used multiple sources of evidence to gain as holistic a picture as possible. Findings Interns report positive changes in their behaviours towards sustainability, s well as encouraging feedback on their experiential learning, the development of their soft skills and the creation of new knowledge. Moreover, students communicated perceived benefits for their future careers. The reported outcomes reflect mutually beneficial relationships for student and institution, for example, raising the profile of campus greening activities and supporting the University’s aim to embed sustainability throughout its campus, community and culture. Research limitations/implications The researcher recognises the limitations of the research, in particular, the small sample size, which has resulted primarily in qualitative results being presented. Practical implications Feedback from previous interns will be used to shape future internships. In particular, Institute of Sustainable Practice, Innovation and Resource Effectiveness (INSPIRE) will look for opportunities to work more closely with University operations, departments, faculties and alongside University staff, both academic and support staff. Social implications Following student feedback, INSPIRE will give students opportunities for wider involvement, including an opportunity to propose their own projects to shape future internships that meet the needs of student body on campus. Originality/value Despite being one case study from one institution, the research highlights the value of such programmes for other institutions.

Classification and relationships between risks that affect lean production implementation

2015 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuliano Almeida Marodin ◽  
Tarcísio Abreu Saurin
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Lean Production ◽  
Shop Floor ◽  
Management Support ◽  
The South ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Confirmatory Factor ◽  
South Of Brazil

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is twofold: to classify the risks that affect the lean production implementation (LPI) process, and to demonstrate how that classification can help to identify the relationships between the risks. Design/methodology/approach – Initially, a survey was conducted to identify the probability and impact of 14 risks in LPI, which had been identified based on a literature review. The sample comprised 57 respondents, from companies in the south of Brazil. An exploratory factor analysis was carried out to analyze the results of the survey, allowing the identification of three groups of risks in LPI. Then, a case study was conducted in one of the companies represented in the survey, in order to identify examples of relationships between the risks. Multiple sources of evidence were used in the case study, such as interviews, observations and documents analysis. Findings – The risks that affect LPI were grouped into three categories: management of the process of LPI, top and middle management support and shop floor involvement. A number of examples of relationships between the risks were identified. Research limitations/implications – The survey was limited to companies from the south of Brazil and therefore its results cannot be completelly generalized to other companies. Moreover, the results of the survey were not subjected to a confirmatory factor analysis. Originality/value – This study helps to improve the understanding of LPI, as: it re-interprets the factors, barriers and difficulties for LPI from the perspective of risk management, which had not been used for that purpose so far; it presents a classification of the risks that affect LPI, which can support the understanding of the relationships between the risks and, as a result, it can support the development of more effective methods for LPI.

scholarly journals The appropriation cycle: novice and expert consumers

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (9/10) ◽  
pp. 1886-1908 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georgia Stavraki ◽  
Emmanuella Plakoyiannaki ◽  
Jackie Clarke
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Capital ◽  
Performing Arts ◽  
Aesthetic Experience ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Aesthetic Experiences

Purpose Recognizing the value and limitations of current knowledge of the appropriation process in the consumption of aesthetic experiences, this research aims to generate a localized account for novice and expert consumers of the varying role of cultural capital in the appropriation cycles and interpretative responses of an aesthetic experience. Design/methodology/approach This research uses a single case study design of Miró’s blockbuster exhibition, and draws on multiple sources of evidence, notably 50 in-depth visitor interviews, observations and archival records. Findings An evidence-based framework of the appropriation process for novice and expert consumers of aesthetic experiences is offered. This framework highlights the significance of appropriation pace and personal versus communal interpretations – amongst other features – in distinguishing distinct versions of the appropriation process in accordance with the varied accumulation of consumer cultural capital. Research limitations/implications The transferability of the findings to other aesthetic or experience-based consumption contexts such as performing arts or sports is discussed, alongside the relevance of the proposed framework for researchers of aesthetic experiences. Practical implications The empirical investigation of the understudied connection between visitors’ cultural capital and their museum experiences provides insights into curatorial and marketing practices in terms of broadening, diversifying and engaging museum audiences. Originality/value This research provides new theoretical insights into the literature of appropriation process and consumption of art experiences by bringing together consumers’ cultural capital with the appropriation process and interpretive responses to an aesthetic experience.

Altice: creating a complex and constantly evolving empire

2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 545-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Whalley ◽  
Peter Curwen
Keyword(s):  
Mobile Networks ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Holding Companies ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
The Usa

Purpose This paper aims to shed light on the development of Altice, a French-based but multinational operator of cable and mobile networks. Design/methodology/approach A detailed longitudinal case study approach is adopted covering the period 2002 to 2018 (inclusive). Data are drawn from multiple sources, including the annual reports of Altice, its filings with the Securities & Exchange Commission, the prospectuses of Altice S.A. and Altice USA and the trade press. Findings The paper demonstrates how, until recently, Altice’s presence in France was relatively limited. This changed, however, with the acquisition of Numericable and SFR. These purchases, along with those of Suddenlink and Cablevision in the USA, were funded by a substantial increase in Altice’s debt burden. To address the negative consequences of this burden, Altice has retrenched through selling or planning to sell some of its operations and spinning-off Altice USA to its existing shareholders. Research limitations/implications The paper highlights the complexity of multinational telecommunication companies. The challenges of developing a longitudinal case study of a company that operates in multiple countries through cascading holding companies is also illustrated by the paper. Practical implications There is a need for more data to be available in the public domain. This will, amongst other things, facilitate the analysis of companies like Altice that operate internationally and bundle products together to enhance their competitiveness. Originality/value This paper charts the growth of Altice, highlighting the role played by frequent merger and acquisition activity and debt in shaping its development and strategy.

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