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Manufacturing Companies (manufacturing + company)
Selected AbstractsDynamics of Capital Structure: The Case of Korean Listed Manufacturing Companies,ASIAN ECONOMIC JOURNAL, Issue 3 2006Hyesung Kim C33; D21; G32 In this paper, we develop a model of dynamic capital structure choice based on a sample of Korean manufacturing firms and estimate the unobservable optimal capital structure using a wide range of observable determinants. Unbalanced panel data of Korean listed firms for the period 1985,2002 is used. In addition to identifying and estimating the effects of the determinants of capital structure, we take into consideration some Korea-specific features, such as the structural break before and after the financial crisis and firms' affiliation to chaebol business groups. Our results indicate that the optimal capital structure has been affected by the financial crisis. Although the results suggest that chaebol-affiliated firms have higher optimal level of leverage and adjust their capital structure faster than non-chaebol firms, firms' leverage might be associated with factors other than chaebol-affiliation, such as size, profitability and growth opportunity. [source] Aroma volatiles of ,a la Piedra' TurrónFLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2008Laura Vázquez-Araújo Abstract ,A la piedra' turrón is a typical Spanish confection prepared from toasted almonds, sugar, lemon peel and cinnamon; it is the simplest version of turrón. To date, no information has been available on aroma profiles of any type of turrón. The aroma profiles of ,a la piedra' turrón from two different manufacturing companies were studied. A total of 66 compounds were detected, including terpenes (21), terpenoids (16), aldehydes (8), pyrazines (5), furans (3), pyrroles (2), aromatic hydrocarbons (7) and others (4). The predominant volatile compounds were those originated from the lemon peel (,30%), the most characteristic and important ingredient of this food from a flavour point of view. However, descriptive sensory analysis proved that other attributes, such as toasted, nutty, cinnamon, sweet and aftertaste, were also of importance. The low levels of pyrazines (the chemical group most characteristic of toasted nuts) were probably related to a deficient and not optimized toasting process. Thus, further studies are needed to optimize the roasting conditions of almonds. Finally, this study proved that the flavour of this type of turrón was dominated by the lemon peel and cinnamon notes, and that low-toasted almonds were used in its manufacture. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Change processes for attractive work in small manufacturing companiesHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 1 2009Mattias Ĺteg The article originates from research in interaction between researchers and companies in a network, which has led to an increasing awareness among managers on issues such as reasons behind difficulties in attracting competent labor. Particularly, attention has been directed toward the importance of work environment improvements that increase the attractivity of industrial work. To deal with such challenges, for more than 5 years a number of small engineering companies, with research support, have been engaged in change processes based on the concept of attractive work. The purpose of the article is to develop knowledge and understanding for how small engineering companies can create more attractive work. One goal is to make it possible to draw conclusions about the employees' experiences of changes in the attractivity of industrial work. Efforts in this direction have been conducted through work environment assessments (before and after the changes) and through administration of a questionnaire. The results show that it is possible to analyze how employees experience changes in the attractivity of work. This is most interesting from the perspective that the results can be used for assisting further improvements. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] How do employees perceive their organization and job when companies adopt principles of lean production?HUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 2 2004Pentti Seppälä The concept of lean production originally emerged in the beginning of the 1990s in the automobile industry, but its principles were adopted in other industries as well. According to the literature, the principles of lean production are controversial from the point of view of human well being. This study examined: 1) the extent to which lean production and related technologies were adopted in four Finnish manufacturing companies; 2) the way different occupational groups experienced their organization and work when principles of lean production had been implemented; and 3) which factors in the organization and change processes were associated with the employees' positive or negative perceptions of production, job satisfaction, and stress. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Hum Factors Man 14: 157,180, 2004. [source] HRM as a predictor of innovationHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Issue 1 2006Helen Shipton There is growing evidence available to suggest that HR practice is an important predictor of organisational performance. In this article, we argue that HR practices also have the potential to promote organisational innovation. We describe a longitudinal study of 22 UK manufacturing companies and examine the relationship between such practices and product and technological innovation. Results reveal that training, induction, team working, appraisal and exploratory learning focus are all predictors of innovation. Contingent reward, applied in conjunction with an exploratory learning focus, is positively associated with innovation in technical systems. Furthermore, training, appraisal and induction, combined with exploratory learning focus, explain variation between companies in product and technological innovation above and beyond the main effects observed. [source] Learning organization in mainland China: empirical research on its application to Chinese state-owned enterprisesINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 4 2004De Zhang This paper examines the applicability of the learning organization concept and its measurement in a Chinese context. Based on the theoretical framework proposed by Watkins and Marsick (1993, 1996, 1997), this paper identifies the differences in seven of the Dimensions of Learning Organization Questionnaire (DLOQ) between traditional state-owned enterprises (SOEs) versus independent listed companies and companies in service versus manufacturing industries in China. Results indicate that the Chinese version of the DLOQ demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties. Service companies exhibit better learning practices than manufacturing companies; however, the independently listed companies failed to show better learning practices than their unlisted counterparts. Implications for practice and future research are discussed. [source] High-Technology Intangibles and Analysts' ForecastsJOURNAL OF ACCOUNTING RESEARCH, Issue 2 2002Orie E. Barron This study examines the association between firms' intangible assets and properties of the information contained in analysts' earnings forecasts. We hypothesize that analysts will supplement firms' financial information by placing greater relative emphasis on their own private (or idiosyncratic) information when deriving their earnings forecasts for firms with significant intangible assets. Our evidence is consistent with this hypothesis. We find that the consensus in analysts' forecasts, measured as the correlation in analysts' forecast errors, is negatively associated with a firm's level of intangible assets. This result is robust to controlling for analyst uncertainty about a firm's future earnings, which we also find to be higher for firms with high levels of internally generated (and expensed) intangibles. Given that analyst uncertainty increases and analyst consensus decreases with the level of a firm's intangible assets, we also expect and find that the degree to which the mean forecast aggregates private information and is more accurate than an individual analyst's forecast increases with a firm's intangible assets. Finally, additional analysis reveals that lower levels of analyst consensus are associated with high-technology manufacturing companies, and that this association is explained by the relatively high R&D expenditures made by these firms. Overall, our results are consistent with financial analysts augmenting the financial reporting systems of firms with higher levels of intangible assets (in terms of contributing to more accurate earnings expectations), particularly R&D-driven high-tech manufacturers. [source] EVIDENCE THAT GREATER DISCLOSURE LOWERS THE COST OF EQUITY CAPITALJOURNAL OF APPLIED CORPORATE FINANCE, Issue 4 2000Christine A. Botosan The effect of corporate disclosure on the cost of equity capital is a matter of considerable interest and importance to both corporations and the investment community. However, the relationship between disclosure level and cost of capital is not well established and has proved difficult for researchers to quantify. As described in this article, the author's 1997 study (published in The Accounting Review) was the first to measure and detect a direct relationship between disclosure and cost of capital. After examining the annual reports of 122 manufacturing companies, the author concluded that companies providing more extensive disclosure had a lower (forward-looking) cost of equity capital (measured using Value Line forecasts with an EBO valuation formula that derives from the dividend discount model). For companies with extensive analyst coverage, differences in disclosure do not appear to affect cost of capital. But for companies with small analyst followings, differences in disclosure do appear to matter. Among this group of companies, the firms judged to have the highest level of disclosure had a cost of equity capital that was nine-percentage points lower than otherwise similar firms with a minimal level of disclosure. Closer analysis of some of the specific disclosure practices also suggests that, for small firms with limited analyst coverage, there are benefits to providing more forward-looking information, such as forecasts of sales, profits, and capital expenditures, and enhanced disclosure of key non-financial statistics, such as order backlogs, market share, and growth in units sold. In closing, the article also discusses an interesting new study (by Lang and Lundholm) that suggests there is an important distinction between effective corporate disclosure and "hyping the stock." The findings of this study show that while higher levels of disclosures are associated with higher stock prices, sudden increases in the frequency of disclosure are viewed with skepticism. [source] Trade Credit Management and the Decision to Use Factoring: An Empirical StudyJOURNAL OF BUSINESS FINANCE & ACCOUNTING, Issue 1-2 2000Barbara Summers This paper examines the firm's decision to use factoring amongst a cross-sectional sample of 655 manufacturing companies using a rich firm-level database. The paper develops and tests hypotheses that explain this particular choice of credit and financial management policy. We find strong evidence of a ,financing demand' explanation for the use of factoring, and also some support for theories which relate the decision to use a factor to the firm's product characteristics, to market characteristics and to the preferences of the factor (supply constraints). The motivation to use factoring, however, appears to be related more to a demand for asset-based finance from small companies than to firm-level choices about organisational structure. [source] The Persistence and Forecast Accuracy of Earnings Components in the USA and JapanJOURNAL OF INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT & ACCOUNTING, Issue 1 2000Don Herrmann Not all components of earnings are expected to provide similar information regarding future earnings. For example, basic financial statement analysis indicates that the persistence of ordinary income should be greater than the persistence of special, extraordinary, or discontinued operations. Because the market assigns higher multiples to earnings components that are more persistent, differentiating earnings components on the basis of relative persistence would appear to be useful. A focus on relative predictive value is consistent with research findings and user recommendations on separating earnings components that are persistent or permanent from those that are transitory or temporary. This paper examines the persistence and forecast accuracy of earnings components for retail and manufacturing companies listed in the world's two largest equity markets; the USA and Japan. We find the forecast accuracy of earnings in both the USA and Japan increases with greater disaggregation of earnings components. The results further indicate that the improvements in forecast accuracy due to earnings disaggregation are greater in the USA than in Japan. The greater emphasis and more detailed guidelines for reporting earnings components in the USA produce a better differentiation in the persistence of earnings components resulting in greater forecast improvements from earnings disaggregation. [source] Supplier Selection and Assessment: Their Impact on Business PerformanceJOURNAL OF SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT, Issue 4 2002Vijay R. Kannan SUMMARY Increasingly, firms are allocating more resources to their core competencies and encouraging the outsourcing of non-core activities, which increases their reliance and dependence on suppliers. This increases the importance of effective supplier selection and assessment. Sparse evidence exists regarding the impact of supplier selection and assessment on a buying firm's business performance. This research describes an empirical study of the importance of supplier selection and assessment criteria of American manufacturing companies for items to be used in products already in production. Moreover, it identifies relationships between criteria and a buying firm's business performance. Results indicate that soft, non-quantifiable selection criteria, such as a supplier's strategic commitment to a buyer, have a greater impact on performance than hard, more quantifiable criteria such as supplier capability, yet are considered to be less important. Assessment of a supplier's willingness and ability to share information also has a significant impact on the buying firm's performance, yet is again considered to be relatively unimportant. [source] Job strain and the risk for occupational injury in small- to medium-sized manufacturing enterprises: A prospective study of 1,209 Korean employeesAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 4 2009Hwan-Cheol Kim MD Abstract Background The aim of this study was to investigate whether job strain had an effect on the risk of occupational injury of workers at small- to medium-sized manufacturing companies. Methods We conducted a prospective follow-up survey and finally 1,209 workers in South Korea were included in this study. At time X1, we measured job stress with the Job Demand and Decision Latitude Questionnaire; and at time X2 (after 6 months), we evaluated occupational injuries through a single question. Occupational injuries were assessed using the question "Have you ever been injured at work, including minor scratches and cuts, in the previous four-month period" by self-reporting in the previous 4-month period. Results For men, the high job-demand group (OR,=,1.71, 95% CI,=,1.13,2.59) and high strain group (OR,=,1.79, 95% CI,=,1.02,3.14) showed the increased risk of occupational injury. For women, high job-demand (OR,=,2.11, 95% CI,=,1.18,3.78), low job control (OR,=,1.80, 95% CI,=,1.02,3.17), and high job strain (OR,=,3.57, 95% CI,=,1.62,7.86) were significantly associated with occupational injury. Conclusion Workers under high job strain showed higher risk for occupational injury. The efforts to minimize stress-related occupational injuries should be required. Am. J. Ind. Med. 52:322,330, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] An analysis of the effect of a reliability paradigm shift on leading British aerospace companiesQUALITY AND RELIABILITY ENGINEERING INTERNATIONAL, Issue 4 2002J. A. Jones Abstract The aerospace industry is moving towards a new paradigm for the statement of reliability specifications. This paradigm is not a technical metric inherent to a system in isolation, but rather encompasses the wider objectives, operational profile and logistic priorities of its customer. This customer focus is encapsulated in the metrics Failure Free Operating Period and Maintenance Free Operating Period. These metrics describe the duration of effective system operation, in the first case for systems where faults and maintenance are permitted and in the second for systems where faults may not be repaired. As part of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) funded Aerospace Project for Insertion of Reliability (ASPIRE) research programme, which itself is part of the Ultra Reliable Aircraft (URA) programme, representatives of leading aerospace companies were interviewed about their opinion n how this new reliability paradigm and associated concepts would affect their way of doing business and their engineering processes. It would appear that the aerospace industry is ready for a move to a more realistic set of reliability metrics and away from the old style MTBF based metrics. This sea change would most likely be welcomed by customers, but as yet the manufacturing companies are unconvinced that such a radical move would be a good thing. Much of the resistance to change is due to old-fashioned, but well entrenched, beliefs in the traditional way of doing things. A move away from this would bring freshness to the industry and lead to cost and time savings as the traditional approach is dropped in favour of a more planned and thought out approach. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Interventions for replacing missing teeth: bone augmentation techniques for dental implant treatmentAUSTRALIAN DENTAL JOURNAL, Issue 1 2009M Esposito Background:, Dental implants require sufficient bone to be adequately stabilized. For some patients implant treatment would not be an option without bone augmentation. A variety of materials and surgical techniques are available for bone augmentation. Objectives:, General objectives: To test the null hypothesis of no difference in the success, function, morbidity and patient satisfaction between different bone augmentation techniques for dental implant treatment. Specific objectives: (A) to test whether and when augmentation procedures are necessary; (B) to test which is the most effective augmentation technique for specific clinical indications. Trials were divided into three broad categories according to different indications for the bone augmentation techniques: (1) major vertical or horizontal bone augmentation or both; (2) implants placed in extraction sockets; (3) fenestrated implants. Search strategy:, The Cochrane Oral Health Group's Trials Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched. Several dental journals were handsearched. The bibliographies of review articles were checked, and personal references were searched. More than 55 implant manufacturing companies were also contacted. Last electronic search was conducted on 9 January 2008. Selection criteria:, Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of different techniques and materials for augmenting bone for implant treatment reporting the outcome of implant therapy at least to abutment connection. Data collection and analysis:, Screening of eligible studies, assessment of the methodological quality of the trials and data extraction were conducted independently and in duplicate. Authors were contacted for any missing information. Results were expressed as random-effects models using mean differences for continuous outcomes and odd ratios for dichotomous outcomes with 95% confidence intervals. The statistical unit of the analysis was the patient. Main results:, Seventeen RCTs out of 40 potentially eligible trials reporting the outcome of 455 patients were suitable for inclusion. Since different techniques were evaluated in different trials, no meta-analysis could be performed. Ten trials evaluated different techniques for vertical or horizontal bone augmentation or both. Four trials evaluated different techniques of bone grafting for implants placed in extraction sockets and three trials evaluated different techniques to treat bone dehiscence or fenestrations around implants. Authors' conclusions:, Major bone grafting procedures of resorbed mandibles may not be justified. Bone substitutes (Bio-Oss or Cerasorb) may replace autogenous bone for sinus lift procedures of atrophic maxillary sinuses. Various techniques can augment bone horizontally and vertically, but it is unclear which is the most efficient. It is unclear whether augmentation procedures at immediate single implants placed in fresh extraction sockets are needed, and which is the most effective augmentation procedure, however, sites treated with barrier plus Bio-Oss showed a higher position of the gingival margin when compared to sites treated with barriers alone. Non-resorbable barriers at fenestrated implants regenerated more bone than no barriers, however it remains unclear whether such bone is of benefit to the patient. It is unclear which is the most effective technique for augmenting bone around fenestrated implants. Bone morphogenetic proteins may enhance bone formation around implants grafted with Bio-Oss. Titanium may be preferable to resorbable screws to fixate onlay bone grafts. The use of particulate autogenous bone from intraoral locations, also taken with dedicated aspirators, might be associated with an increased risk of infective complications. These findings are based on few trials including few patients, sometimes having short follow up, and often being judged to be at high risk of bias. [source] Rhetoric and reality of corporate greening: a view from the supply chain management functionBUSINESS STRATEGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT, Issue 2 2005Lutz Preuss Abstract The increasingly important economic role of supply chain management provides the backcloth against which this article examines what contribution the function can make to environmental protection. Theoretical perspectives on greener supply are developed and then tested against a sample of manufacturing companies. Environmental policy documents published by the sample companies seem to offer surface evidence for a proactive supply chain management role in environmental protection. Yet a more detailed examination of the three elements that constitute supply chain management , the management of the transformation of materials, the management of information flows and the management of supply chain relationships , finds a suboptimal situation for all three areas. In part this gap can be explained by limits in the technical capabilities of the supply chain. More important, however, are structural constraints that prevent the supply chain manager from actively searching for environmentally friendlier alternatives. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Characterization of the Surface Properties of Commercially Available Dental Implants Using Scanning Electron Microscopy, Focused Ion Beam, and High-Resolution Transmission Electron MicroscopyCLINICAL IMPLANT DENTISTRY AND RELATED RESEARCH, Issue 1 2008Tobias Jarmar PhD ABSTRACT Background:, Since osseointegration of the respective implant is claimed by all manufacturing companies, it is obvious that not just one specific surface profile including the chemistry controls bone apposition. Purpose:, The purpose was to identify and separate out a particular set of surface features of the implant surfaces that can contribute as factors in the osseointegration process. Material and Methods:, The surface properties of several commercially available dental implants were extensively studied using profilometry, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. Ultrathin sections prepared with focused ion beam microscopy (FIB) provided microstructural and chemical data which have not previously been communicated. The implants were the Nobel Biocare TiUnite® (Nobel Biocare AB, Göteborg, Sweden), Nobel Biocare Steri-Oss HA-coated (Nobel Biocare AB, Yorba Linda, CA, USA), Astra-Tech OsseoSpeedÔ (Astra Tech AB, Mölndal, Sweden), Straumann SLA® (Straumann AG, Waldenburg, Switzerland), and the Brĺnemark Integration Original Fixture implant (Brĺnemark Integration, Göteborg, Sweden). Results:, It was found that their surface properties had differences. The surfaces were covered with crystalline TiO2 (both anatase and rutile), amorphous titanium oxide, phosphorus doped amorphous titanium oxide, fluorine, titanium hydride, and hydroxyapatite, respectively. Conclusion:, This indicates that the provision of osseointegration is not exclusively linked to a particular set of surface features if the implant surface character is a major factor in that process. The studied methodology provides an effective tool to also analyze the interface between implant and surrounding bone. This would be a natural next step in understanding the ultrastructure of the interface between bone and implants. [source] Design for usability on supply chain management systems implementationHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 5 2009Chao-Hsien Lin Supply chain management (SCM) systems implementation has become a fashion due to advances in information technology and pressures of market competition. Unfortunately, successful implementation was rare. In this article, the concept of usability was extended in an explorative case study to crystallize design for usability (DFU) principles in a large-scale SCM systems implementation project at a leading semiconductor manufacturing company in Taiwan. Proposed was a holistic usability framework to guide the analysis of DFU as well as the compilation of an evidence database composed of design documentation, post hoc evaluation, semistructured interviews, and participant observation. This research revealed a set of usability needs and coping strategies found throughout a series of systems design and redesign processes at the case company. As a result, an emergent usability framework in the form of ICOM (Input, Control, Output, and Mechanism) dimensions was proposed to guide the implementation of SCM systems. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Ergonomics interventions for wafer-handling task in semiconductor manufacturing industryHUMAN FACTORS AND ERGONOMICS IN MANUFACTURING & SERVICE INDUSTRIES, Issue 3 2002Hsiu-Chen Chung This article presents the ergonomic interventions in a semiconductor manufacturing company, with a focus on evaluating the effect of pod (wafer container) type and carrying distance on participants' maximal acceptable weight of lift (MAWL), heart rate (HR), wrist posture, and perceived exertion rating. Sixteen field operators participated in this study. The results indicate using the new pod with power grip handles produced greater MAWL than the old pod with pinch grip handles. On the other hand, the new pod also induced greater radial deviations than the old type. Recommendation for improving pod handle design is provided. Further, the increased carrying distance caused a decrease in MAWL and an increase in HR. Thus, using cart for intrabay pod transfer and minimizing manual carrying is also recommended. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] How newcomers learn the social norms of an organization: A case study of the socialization of newly hired engineersHUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT QUARTERLY, Issue 3 2009Russell F. Korte Current scholarship views organizational socialization as a learning process that is primarily the responsibility of the newcomer. Yet recent learning research recognizes the importance of the social interactions in the learning process. This study investigated how newly hired engineers at a large manufacturing company learned job-related tasks and the social norms of the organization. From the perspective of social exchange theory, two major findings emerged from the data: (1) relationship building was the primary driver of socialization, and (2) the work group was the primary context for socialization. These findings challenge the current views of organizational socialization by accentuating the relational processes that mediate learning during socialization. [source] FINANCIAL STRATEGY FOR MIDDLE MARKET COMPANIES: a ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSIONJOURNAL OF APPLIED CORPORATE FINANCE, Issue 4 2000Article first published online: 5 APR 200 Dennis Soter begins with the provocative observation that "U.S. companies, private as well as public, are systematically underleveraged," and goes on to suggest that debt-financed stock repurchases may help address the current valuation problems faced by many middle market companies (and by many larger firms in basic industries as well). Soter makes his case by presenting two case histories. In the first, Equifax, the Atlanta-based provider of credit information services, combined a leveraged Dutch auction stock repurchase with a multi-year series of open market repurchase programs and an EVA incentive plan to produce large increases in operating efficiency and shareholder value. In the second, FPL Group (the parent of Florida Power and Light) became the first profitable utility to cut its dividend, substituting a policy of ongoing stock repurchase for its 33% reduction in dividend payments. Following Soter, John Brehm, the CFO of IPALCO Enterprises (the parent of Indianapolis Power and Light), explains the rationale for his company's decision to become the first utility to do a leveraged recap (while also cutting its dividend by a third). As in the case of Equifax, IPALCO's dramatic change in capital structure (also combined with an EVA incentive plan) was associated with major operating improvements and a positive stock market response. But, of course, high leverage is not right for all companies. And, to reinforce that point, James Perry, CEO of Argosy Gaming, recounts his harrowing experience of having to raise new equity shortly after taking charge of his overleveraged company. By arranging an infusion of convertible preferred, Argosy was able not only to stave off bankruptcy, but to fund major new investment and engineer a remarkable turnaround of its operations. Finally, William Dutmers, Chairman of Knape & Vogt, a small midwestern manufacturing company, discusses the role of debt-financed stock repurchases and an EVA management approach in his company's recent operating improvements. [source] Factory Innovations And Management Machinations: The Productive And Repressive Relations of PowerJOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT STUDIES, Issue 7 2000Darren McCabe This article explores how power is exercised by managers in both ,repressive' ways so as to chase out or deny alternative interests/subjectivities and in ways which are ,productive' of the subjectivity of those they employ and indeed their own subjectivity. Rather than necessarily an intention of managers, exercising power in productive and repressive ways, is a condition and consequence of the strategies they deploy. Nonetheless, the concern here is to question the totalizing effects of power whether in relation to management strategy, total quality management, business process reengineering or culture change. Through exploring innovation in an established automobile manufacturing company, it is argued that a necessary though not sufficient condition of such a prospect, is that managers reconstitute themselves. It is demonstrated that such a reconstitution is problematic when one considers managers as thinking, social beings, situated in a historical context of power and inequality rather than structural automatons or agents that are free of power. [source] Validity of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale as a screening instrument of major depressive disorder among Japanese workersAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 1 2007Koji Wada MD Abstract Background The Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) is used at workplaces to screen depressive disorders. The aim of this study was to examine the validity of the CES-D for depression in a workplace. Methods The CES-D was administered to 2,219 workers (84.2% men; age 21,68 years) at a manufacturing company in Japan. Concomitantly all workers had an interview with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) as a gold standard for diagnosing major depressive disorder (MDD). The validity was evaluated by a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. Results The area under the ROC curve of the CES-D was 0.96 [95% Confidence Interval (CI): 0.94,0.99]. The optimal cut-off score of MDD was 19 for screening. Conclusions The validity of CES-D is confirmed and it is a valid instrument for detecting MDD in working populations in Japan. Am. J. Ind. Med. 50:8,12, 2007. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The effects of creative problem solving training on creativity, cognitive type and R&D performanceR & D MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2002Ching, Wen Wang The effects of Creative Problem Solving (CPS) training on creativity, cognitive type, and R&D performance were investigated with 106 R&D workers of a large government,owned manufacturing company in Taiwan. Seventy,one of them volunteered to participate in the CPS training and were divided into three groups. Each group received 12 hours of CPS training and two follow,up training sessions over a one,year long period in a time,series design. The ,Circle Test of the Torrance Test of Creative Thinking', and the ,Myers,Briggs Type Indicator' were administered before and after the CPS training. R&D performance averaged over the past three years before the CPS training and one year after the pretest were obtained from the company. Results showed that participant's scores on fluency and flexibility of ideas were higher after the CPS training. There was also an increase in the number of persons being classified as extrovert or feeling type of cognition. In terms of R&D performance, the participants' number of co,authored service projects increased significantly from pretest to posttest, whereas no such change was observed among those 35 R&D workers who did not participated in the CPS. [source] Developing a process for the relative valuation of R&D programmesR & D MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2000Clare Farrukh This paper addresses the issue of R&D programme prioritisation within a manufacturing company in the aerospace industry, in the context of an overall framework for technology management. A review of approaches to R&D project selection leads into a recent case, which describes how the company developed a practical methodology. The benefits of the process and the relevance of the academic contribution are discussed, leading to a practical checklist for in-company development of a prioritisation process. [source] Reducing Ongoing Product Design Decision-Making Bias,THE JOURNAL OF PRODUCT INNOVATION MANAGEMENT, Issue 6 2008Michael Antioco The objective of this exploratory study is to add to our understanding of ongoing product design decision-making to reduce eventual decision-making bias. Six research questions are formulated with the aim to establish if and how functional membership and informal patterns of communication within an organization influence whether and why employees are willing to engage in product design modifications. We selected as a field site for our study an industrial company that had an internal research and product development operations and where the employees were located on the same site. A three-step approach within the manufacturing case company was designed: (1) In-depth interviews were carried out with managers and employees; (2) a survey questionnaire was sent out to all employees involved with a specific product that is subject to potential design modifications; and (3) a post hoc group feedback session was organized to further discuss our findings with the management. First, analysis of the nine in-depth interviews establishes a taxonomy of product design decisions involving four types of criteria; product-related, service-related, market-related, and feasibility-related criteria explain why employees would engage or not in product design modifications. Second, it is demonstrated that functional membership has a significant influence on the concern for these decision-making criteria as well as on the decision to proceed or not with product design modifications. In other words, functional membership influences whether and why employees are more or less willing to make product design modifications. In this manufacturing company, a global industrial player, the differences in concern appear especially for service- and market-related criteria and pertain particularly to the research and development (R&D) and service function. Overall, even though the perceived performance of the specific product under study did not differ significantly among the different departments, it is observed that R&D employees were significantly less in favor of proceeding with product design modifications than other employees were. Third, using UCINET VI software, we provide some explanations for this finding. It is shown that informal patterns of communication (i.e., employee degree centrality) operate a situational opportunity to make modifications to an existing product and a cognitive opportunity influencing the decision to modify product design following an inverted U-shaped function. Ultimately, we derive practical guidelines for an ideal product,team composition to reduce product design decision-making bias. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||