Supply Chain Practices and Marketing Performance of SMEs: A Field Study on Furniture Manufacturing in Egypt

The study aimed to investigate the effect of supply chain practices on the marketing performance of small and medium-sized furniture manufacturing enterprises in Egypt. The study applied to 67 enterprises in Damietta, Egypt. Accordingly, the study population was represented by two top directors of furniture companies either. Two 39-item- questionnaires of a five-point Likert-type scale were used for each enterprise with a total of 134 questionnaires. Internal consistency of 120 valid questionnaires by using Pearson correlation revealed that the questionnaire was stable and valid. Descriptive statistics for all items of the questionnaire were carried out. The relationship between supply chain practices and marketing performance by Pearson correlation revealed there was a positive relationship between supply chain practices parameters; (supplier relationship management, intermediaries and distributers' relationship management, and customer relationship management) and marketing performance. The correlation coefficients of marketing performance were 0.609, 0.539, and 0.794, respectively. Estimation of differences in supply chain practices and marketing performance by one-way ANOVA and T-test revealed significant differences (p < 0.05) in age and size of the capital of supply chain and job title and experience of marketing performance. In conclusion, this study provides the top managers in SMEs the power to make decisions under normal and abnormal circumstances, as in the COVID 19 crisis, which may be crucial in the survival and existence of SMEs.

(Re)layout as a Strategy for Implementing Cleaner Production: Proposal for a Furniture Industry Company

This article includes the proposal of a (re)layout project as a strategy to implement Cleaner Production (CP) practices, with a furniture manufacturing company in the Brazilian municipality of Palhoça (Santa Catarina, Brazil) as a case study. This work is characterized as applied research, using a multi-methodological approach, being subdivided into two different steps: literature review and case study. The (re)layout project led to an increase of the administrative area by 25.18%, having had a positive impact on the management areas, aiming towards the integration of Environmental Management, ecodesign, Production Planning and Control sectors. The project led to a decrease of the total stock area of raw materials/storage by 70.01 m2, representing a reduction of 25.59% when compared to the previous area. The project resulted in an increase of the plant production capacity, increasing the production area by 33.33%, thus optimizing areas and sectors, combining those which are inter-related. The byproducts also stood out in the layout mapping, with the areas allocated to byproducts being reduced by 51.69%. Therefore, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) were fulfilled. The removal of physical waste and production losses can be achieved from a (re)layout project integrated with CP by optimizing, areas, sectors, flows and processes.

SITUATION ANALYSIS OF YACHT FURNITURE SECTOR BUSINESSES

Yacht Industry is one of the important and developing sectors and yacht furniture manufactory is a branch of this sector those are growing day by day. Important that yacht and yacht furniture are both as status symbols and integrate each other. Seeing yachts and furniture as status symbols is important for these two complementary sectors. This importance is even more significant as yacht furniture manufacturing is the second largest cost item in yacht building after engine equipment.Yacht furniture manufactoring has important position in the yacht industry, in the future this importance will be understood better. It is significant to make researches on yacht furniture manufactoring’s technology use, quality, institutionalization, efficiency, employment, added value, branding and design will help to develop and improve our economy. When The Turkish Yacht Furniture Sector is compared to its competitors it has a cheap but qualified workforce and a central location close to all markets. Using results obtained from this study; although companies mostly solve their design and production drawings with architects and engineers in their own design offices, the most important problem is production managment and planning. Also the most crucial problem about production side is that qualified workers do not have sufficient skills. For those problems, the sector should be introduced correctly and yacht educational schools should be increased. In our country, yacht furniture sector which is sub-sector under the yacht building industy that is dynamicly developing in last decate despite the contraction in developed countries.

INTERNATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS OF THE FURNITURE MANUFACTURING– LESSON FROM THE SELECTED EU COUNTRIES

ThisstudyaimstocompareandevaluatetheinternationalcompetitivenessofthefurnitureindustryintheselectedEuropeanUnion(EU)countriesusingchosenresult-orientedindicators.TheresultsfoundthatcountrieswiththehighestlevelsofinternationalcompetitivenessofthefurnitureindustryincludedPoland,RomaniaandItaly.Incontrast,thecomparativeadvantageofGermany,whichisthelargestfurnitureexporterintheEU,wasnotassignificant.NocomparativeadvantageinthefurnituretradewasobservedinFranceandUnitedKingdom,whichisconfirmedbythenegativevaluesoftheRelativeTradeAdvantage(RTA)indexandbyunfavorablevaluesoftheexportspecializationindex.Theresultspresentedinthearticleexpandtheexistingknowledgeintheareaofassessingtheinternationalcompetitivenessofthelargestfurnitureexporters.

Green Human Resource Management and Environmental Innovativeness

Drawing upon the resource-based view and the situated learning theory, this study examined the effect of green human resource management (HRM) practices on the firm environmental innovativeness. The moderating role of organizational innovative culture on the relationship between green HRM and firm environmental innovativeness was also assessed. A survey of 212 furniture manufacturing companies in Malaysia was analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results from the data analysis suggest that green HRM practices are positively associated with the firm environmental innovativeness. The positive effect of green training and green compensation on firm environmental innovativeness was found to be increased by moderating the role of organizational innovative culture. The present study clarifies key green HRM practices that can assist the environmental innovativeness in Malaysian furniture manufacturing firms and advances related research by proposing and examining an overarching model to enlighten such synergies and the moderating role of organizational innovative culture. The findings further extend the scope of green HRM research to promote innovation in the manufacturing firms. The theoretical and practical implications of green HRM are presented to enhance the environmental innovativeness.

Factor Determinants on Availability and Consumption of Rubberwood in Peninsular Malaysia

Rubberwood sawntimber has become one of the major contributors to the Malaysian furniture export and economic growth in the past two decades as its demand from wooden furniture manufacturing has increased tremendously. Factors affecting availability and consumption of rubberwood sawntimber are identified through the multiple regression models. The results of the regression analyses have been statistically diagnosed and modified to generate the best models. Availability of rubberwood sawntimber is influenced by replanted area, price of rubberwood log, latex price and previous production of rubberwood sawntimber. Consumption of rubberwood sawntimber is influenced by national income and prices of other light hardwood species that are mainly consumed by sawmills, i.e. Dark Red Meranti and Red Meranti. The findings could be used as a guideline for the policy maker to develop strategies for further strengthens the wood based industry as a whole.

Monitoring Consumer Purchasing Behavior for Wood Furniture before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Monitoring consumer buying behaviors in terms of their preferences and attitudes has been known as an important driver for the success and development of various industries, including a wood furniture manufacturing. The aim of this study was to identify and compare the purchasing behaviors of furniture consumers in the period before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two surveys were conducted in Croatia, the first in April and May 2020 with the assumption that consumer purchasing behaviors will change during the COVID-19 pandemic in the following year and the second one during March 2021. Differences regarding consumer purchasing behaviors and preferences for wood furniture between respondents regarding demographic and economic factors before and during the pandemic were found. The coronavirus pandemic is teaching us all hard lessons about resilience and adaptability, and new opportunities and solutions are essential. Nowadays, it is becoming increasingly important to produce information. Research offers insights into future design and building communication to better meet the information needs of different types of consumers and to more broadly increase the acceptance and appeal of wood furniture in society in the spirit of sustainable and bio-based circular economy.