The Configuration of Supply Chain Concentration and Staff Structure in Intelligent Manufacturing: A Fuzzy Sets Qualitative Comparative Analysis

In traditional manufacturing enterprises, there are common problems of low added value of products, low profit, and poor business performance. As a result, they endeavor to transform themselves into intelligent manufacturing. To help with their transformation, this paper proposes a decision support model for managers to improve the business performance under different configurations of supply chain concentration and staff structure. Through the fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis, the membership degree is given to the variables, and then the configuration analysis is carried out. We find that, to facilitate intelligent manufacturing, the concentration degree of supply chain or the structure of employee education should be adjusted according to the results from the qualitative comparative analysis of fuzzy sets. Two configuration paths to improve business performance are found. When the supply chain concentration degree is relatively decentralized, manufacturing enterprises should expand the proportion of sales personnel and production personnel. In other words, when the sales personnel and production personnel reach the saturation state, low concentration of suppliers and customers is more conducive to the improvement of business performance. The configuration of high proportion of production personnel and low customer concentration tends to lock enterprises in the lower end of the value chain. Therefore, it is critical for enterprises to improve the education level of employees to transform into intelligent manufacturing and improve their business performance.

Verification of educational effect for innovation practice on electrical technology

There is a need to develop human resources who can play an active role in the intense competition of international society. We created a practice in which students acquire fundamental competency by working on electrical technologies in a virtual company. By starting a mock company on their own, the first aim for students is to learn basic company management, the second aim is for them to acquire the skills required as a member of society, and the third aim is for them to gain knowledge about the latest technology in the field of electrical technology. Students learn about company management systems through participation in administrative procedures such as manufacturing, sales, personnel and accounting practices. In order to establish a company related to electrical technology, it is necessary to analyze cutting-edge technologies in each field (electric power, electronics, robots, AI, IoT, entertainment, etc.), and second-year students can begin their investigation, which is the same as learning about research backgrounds previously conducted primarily in graduation research. The mock company requires a collection of capital and performs all costs related to the business using a virtual currency called ANET Coins. Teachers make investments as shareholders or request proposals from the students' company as virtual currency holders. All information related to this practice is managed on the LMS (Learning Management System). This practice is a chance to recognize and act in various situations and will become an opportunity for reflection. The results of the student surveys regarding the improvement of competency, which working adults are required to have, showed that this practice is more effective than any prior experiences. In this paper, we show the contents of the innovation practice on electrical technologies and describe the verification of the educational effect from student surveys. This practice can be widely applied in the field of Education.

Solving Tourism Management Challenges by Means of Mobile Augmented Reality Applications

The purpose of the present article was to examine the use of mobile augmented reality technologies in the process of planning and organizing tourist activities. The analysis of the attitude of TUI Showroom’s clients and managers of Russian travel agencies to the application of immersive technologies in travel consulting unveiled several possibilities for the practical use of mobile augmented reality applications in the travel business. The study concludes with the opinion that stimulation of the client's interest in the historical and cultural context of the tour by providing additional argumentation and high-quality information on the marketing proposal in a new, unusual manner forms the cultural, epistemic, and educational values of augmented reality, necessary in sales, personnel training and interaction with business partners.

THE ROLE OF KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS IN LABOR STIMULATION

The problem of choosing tools to improve labor efficiency has always been and remains one of the most important and relevant in the modern theory and practice of personnel management. A well-designed system of personnel incentives as a method of improving work efficiency contributes to increasing productivity and improving the effectiveness of the organization as a whole [1]. In the context of digital transformation and the introduction of lean management principles, managers are making increasingly high demands on their staff. Against this background, the search for optimal methods of financial incentives is becoming more relevant than ever [2]. Today, in the Russian business practice, one of the most popular tools for improving the performance of personnel is the system of material incentives based on the developed system of key performance indicators (KPIs) [3]. This article reveals the essence and meaning of key performance indicators; considers the results of sociological research on the effectiveness of the system of material incentives for personnel working in sales, its shortcomings, the factors affecting the labor activity of the personnel. The author offers an easy and understandable for employees way of formation and introduction of KPI system taking into account specifics of sales personnel activity, details main stages of KPI system introduction, considers criteria of sales managers evaluation, gives a specific example of payroll calculation taking into account KPIs.

Politeness as normative, evaluative and discriminatory: the case of verbal hygiene discourses on correct honorifics use in South Korea

This paper uses the concept of “verbal hygiene” (Cameron, Deborah. 1995. Verbal hygiene. Abingdon, UK: Routledge) to analyze metadiscourses in South Korea regarding a recent innovation in the use of subject honorific markers in the service industry. This innovation, commonly referred to as samwul contay ‘inanimate object respect’ involves using honorifics when the grammatical subject of the sentence is an inanimate object, typically the products or services being offered to the customer. Critical discourse analysis was conducted of materials produced by language authorities and mainstream media, as well as layperson-produced blogs and reader comments. The analysis shows that the materials mobilized discourses of ungrammaticality and immorality to delegitimize samwul contay, and stigmatize the sales personnel who used it. By applying the concept of “verbal hygiene” to politeness-related metadiscourses, the current paper advances the perspective that politeness is occasioned through the recursive evaluation of linguistic behavior. Rather than being idiosyncratic, these evaluations appeal to established language norms and moral orders. The way that verbal hygiene discourses promote the language usage of the powerful while stigmatizing the powerless demonstrates that politeness relies inherently on socio-historically imbedded discriminatory practices of placing value on the language usage of certain groups, while delegitimizing that of others.

Online versus offline: preferred retail choice for premium brand purchase

PurposeThis exploratory study aims to examine the prevalent triggers that motivate a premium brand purchase in an online vs offline retail format.Design/methodology/approachA binary logit analysis is used to build a predictive model to assess the likelihood of the premium brand consumer seeking an online or an offline platform. Demographic and usage-based profile of the two set of consumers is established through a chi-square analysis.FindingsThree hundred and forty six urban consumers of premium branded apparels residing in two Indian Metros were studied. A predictive model with 89.6% accuracy was validated for distinguishing premium brand buyers who shop at brick-and-mortar store or online platforms. Quality and finish were factors sought by the online buyer, whereas autotelic need, pleasurable shopping experience and social approval were important triggers for an in-store purchase.Research limitations/implicationsThe study posits divergent demographics and motivational drivers that led to an online vs offline purchase. Though interesting and directional, the study results need to be examined across geographies and categories for establishing the generalizability of the findings.Practical implicationsThe study findings indicate that premium brand manufacturers can devise an omni-channel strategy that is largely tilted toward the online platform, as the quality conscious and brand aware consumer is confident and thus open to an online purchase. The implication for the physical outlet on the other hand is to ensure exclusive store atmospherics and knowledgeable but non-intrusive sales personnel.Originality/valueThe study is unique as it successfully builds a predictive model to forecast online vs offline purchase decisions among urban millennials.

Buying behaviour model of early adopting organizations of radical software innovations

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the dynamics of the organizational buying process of radical software innovations. Acquisition of technology innovations by early adopting organizations has been studied previously with scant attention being given to the actual buying process and the risk mitigation mechanism. This paper addresses these gaps in the literature and this paper finds evidence to support that the organizational buying process of radical software innovations is different from the general models of organizational buying. Design/methodology/approach Methods from the grounded theory approach were used to conduct 20 in-depth interviews with senior industry practitioners. Purposive sampling was used to identify the participants. Findings A theoretical model of the organizational buying process of radical software innovations emerged with themes and concepts that explain the dynamics of the buying and adoption processes. The paper challenges the fundamental tenet of organizational buying that needs recognition triggers the buying process. An interesting nuance was found that risk is mitigated within the buying action itself. Practical implications An understanding of the buyer behaviour process will help marketers of radical software innovations to formulate the appropriate marketing response. Sales personnel can attune their customer interactions when helping customers to acquire a radical software innovation. Firms that want to be early adopters and innovate can tune their buying process in line with the findings. Originality/value This paper develops a typological buying model. It unravels the dynamics of the adoption process by discussing how early adopting organizations buy radical software innovations. New concepts with rich explanatory powers are discussed.

The impact of servitization of manufacturing on the human capital

This paper uses the PSM-DID method to investigate the impact of servitization of manufacturing on enterprises’ human capital based on Chinese listed manufacturing corporations’ financial data. The empirical results show that servitization of manufacturing has a negative impact on the proportion of production and sales personnel, but has a positive influence on the proportion of technical personnel and highly educated personnel, which both by increasing path variables productivity and capital-intensity.