The number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially those involved with research and development (R&D) programs and employed virtual teams to create the greatest competitive advantage from limited labor are increasing. Global and localized virtual R&D teams are believed to have high potential for the growth of SMEs. Due to the fast-growing complexity of new products coupled with new emerging opportunities of virtual teams, a collaborative approach is believed to be the future trend. This research explores the effectiveness of virtuality in SMEs’ virtual R&D teams. Online questionnaires were emailed to Malaysian manufacturing SMEs and 74 usable questionnaires were received, representing a 20.8 percent return rate. In order to avoid biases which may result from pre-suggested answers, a series of open-ended questions were retrieved from the experts. This study was focused on analyzing an open-ended question, whereby four main themes were extracted from the experts’ recommendations regarding the effectiveness of virtual teams for the growth and performance of SMEs. The findings of this study would be useful to product design managers of SMEs in order to realize the key advantages and significance of virtual R&D teams during the new product development (NPD) process. This in turn, leads to increased effectiveness in new product development's procedure.
The Effectiveness of Virtual R&D Teams in SMEs: Experiences of Malaysian SMEsNader Ale Ebrahim
The number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially those involved with research and development (R&D) programs and employed virtual teams to create the greatest competitive advantage from limited labor are increasing. Global and localized virtual R&D teams are believed to have high potential for the growth of SMEs. Due to the fast-growing complexity of new products coupled with new emerging opportunities of virtual teams, a collaborative approach is believed to be the future trend. This research explores the effectiveness of virtuality in SMEs’ virtual R&D teams. Online questionnaires were emailed to Malaysian manufacturing SMEs and 74 usable questionnaires were received, representing a 20.8 percent return rate. In order to avoid biases which may result from pre-suggested answers, a series of open-ended questions were retrieved from the experts. This study was focused on analyzing an open-ended question, whereby four main themes were extracted from the experts’ recommendations regarding the effectiveness of virtual teams for the growth and performance of SMEs. The findings of this study would be useful to product design managers of SMEs in order to realize the key advantages and significance of virtual R&D teams during the new product development (NPD) process. This in turn, leads to increased effectiveness in new product development's procedure.
Virtual R&D teams and SMEs growth: A comparative study between Iranian and Ma...Nader Ale Ebrahim
This paper explores potential advantages of using virtual teams for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a comprehensive review on various aspects of virtual teams. Based on the standing of the pertinent literatures, attempt has been made to study the aspects by online survey method in Iran and Malaysia. In both countries, SMEs play an important role in their economies, employments, and capacity building. Virtual R&D team can be one of the means to increase SMEs efficiency and competitiveness in their local as well as global markets. In this context, surveys have been conducted to evaluate the effects of virtuality to the growth of SMEs. The study addresses some differences between two countries in engaging virtual research and development (R&D) teams in their SMEs. It is observed that there is a significant difference between the SMEs turnover that employed virtual team and that did not employ the virtual team. The way for further studies and recommend improvements are proposed.
This document summarizes a study that examined the relationship between technological capabilities and service innovation in the service sector in Sudan. The study found:
1) A positive relationship between technological capabilities and incremental innovation, indicating that greater technological capabilities are associated with more incremental service innovations.
2) A positive relationship between technological capabilities and radical innovation, showing that greater technological capabilities are also associated with more radical service innovations.
3) The study recommends future research test these relationships in other settings like manufacturing and include more industries/regions to generalize the findings. This could provide managers with insights on how technological capabilities impact service innovation.
A study of corporatization of civic management (1)prj_publication
This document discusses the need to adopt corporate principles in civic management. It notes that ancient Indian cities like Harappa and Mohenjodaro were well developed due to principles of efficiency, effectiveness, and optimal resource use. However, modern civic management lacks professionalism and fails to optimally utilize resources. The paper argues for civic bodies to incorporate corporate objectives focused on issues like working culture differences, converging objectives, and processes. Specific recommendations include long-term city planning, adequate land allocation, improved transportation, efficient water management, and addressing rural-urban migration. The goal is for civic bodies to effectively serve citizens and improve quality of life, like corporate organizations.
Lavacon 2012: Building Profitability into your ProcessEmmelyn Wang
Technical content is a commodity that leads the post-capitalistic society. Technical Writers must think of themselves as Knowledge Brokers and communicate the value they provide which includes increased revenue and improved customer retention. Christopher Ward (WebWorks Software) and Emmelyn Wang (STC Austin / Hoover's Software) provide real world examples of business strategies and the procedures that can align. This presentation will help you build business cases for your company to invest in Technical Communication/Publications as a revenue generator.
This document summarizes a study that analyzed a survey of human resource practices from 83 chain stores in China. It differentiated between managerial staff and operating employees, and identified clusters of stores with high and low adoption of bundled HR practices. The impact of aligning HR practices on firm performance was evaluated using the high adoption cluster. The findings provide insights for executives on effective HRM strategies in China and advance the literature on high performance work systems.
How to Create an Authoring Infrastructure that Supports 24/7 Global Content D...Emmelyn Wang
The document discusses how to create an authoring infrastructure that supports 24/7 global content development through virtualization and desktop publishing tools in a virtual desktop infrastructure. It explains the benefits of virtualization for technical communication professionals working globally, including increased cost effectiveness, speed, security, and reduced complexity. The presentation provides an example use case of setting up a virtualized desktop publishing environment for global authoring teams.
Critical Factors for New Product Developments in SMEs Virtual TeamNader Ale Ebrahim
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are considered as an engine for economic growth all over the world and especially for developing countries. During the past decade, new product development (NPD) has increasingly been recognized as a critical factor in ensuring the continued survival of SMEs. On the other hand, the rapid rate of market and technological changes has accelerated in the past decade, so this turbulent environment requires new methods and techniques to bring successful new products to the marketplace. Virtual team can be a solution to answer the requested demand. However, literature have shown no significant differences between traditional NPD and virtual NPD in general, whereas NPD in SME’s virtual team has not been systematically investigated in developing countries. This paper aims to bridge this gap by first reviewing the NPD and its relationship with virtuality and then identifies the critical factors of NPD in virtual teams. The statistical method was utilized to perform the required analysis of data from the survey. The results were achieved through factor analysis at the perspective of NPD in some Malaysian and Iranian manufacturing firms (N = 191). The 20 new product development factors were grouped into five higher level constructs. It gives valuable insight and guidelines, which hopefully will help managers of firms in developing countries to consider the main factors in NPD.
The Effectiveness of Virtual R&D Teams in SMEs: Experiences of Malaysian SMEsNader Ale Ebrahim
The number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially those involved with research and development (R&D) programs and employed virtual teams to create the greatest competitive advantage from limited labor are increasing. Global and localized virtual R&D teams are believed to have high potential for the growth of SMEs. Due to the fast-growing complexity of new products coupled with new emerging opportunities of virtual teams, a collaborative approach is believed to be the future trend. This research explores the effectiveness of virtuality in SMEs’ virtual R&D teams. Online questionnaires were emailed to Malaysian manufacturing SMEs and 74 usable questionnaires were received, representing a 20.8 percent return rate. In order to avoid biases which may result from pre-suggested answers, a series of open-ended questions were retrieved from the experts. This study was focused on analyzing an open-ended question, whereby four main themes were extracted from the experts’ recommendations regarding the effectiveness of virtual teams for the growth and performance of SMEs. The findings of this study would be useful to product design managers of SMEs in order to realize the key advantages and significance of virtual R&D teams during the new product development (NPD) process. This in turn, leads to increased effectiveness in new product development's procedure.
Virtual R&D teams and SMEs growth: A comparative study between Iranian and Ma...Nader Ale Ebrahim
This paper explores potential advantages of using virtual teams for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with a comprehensive review on various aspects of virtual teams. Based on the standing of the pertinent literatures, attempt has been made to study the aspects by online survey method in Iran and Malaysia. In both countries, SMEs play an important role in their economies, employments, and capacity building. Virtual R&D team can be one of the means to increase SMEs efficiency and competitiveness in their local as well as global markets. In this context, surveys have been conducted to evaluate the effects of virtuality to the growth of SMEs. The study addresses some differences between two countries in engaging virtual research and development (R&D) teams in their SMEs. It is observed that there is a significant difference between the SMEs turnover that employed virtual team and that did not employ the virtual team. The way for further studies and recommend improvements are proposed.
This document summarizes a study that examined the relationship between technological capabilities and service innovation in the service sector in Sudan. The study found:
1) A positive relationship between technological capabilities and incremental innovation, indicating that greater technological capabilities are associated with more incremental service innovations.
2) A positive relationship between technological capabilities and radical innovation, showing that greater technological capabilities are also associated with more radical service innovations.
3) The study recommends future research test these relationships in other settings like manufacturing and include more industries/regions to generalize the findings. This could provide managers with insights on how technological capabilities impact service innovation.
A study of corporatization of civic management (1)prj_publication
This document discusses the need to adopt corporate principles in civic management. It notes that ancient Indian cities like Harappa and Mohenjodaro were well developed due to principles of efficiency, effectiveness, and optimal resource use. However, modern civic management lacks professionalism and fails to optimally utilize resources. The paper argues for civic bodies to incorporate corporate objectives focused on issues like working culture differences, converging objectives, and processes. Specific recommendations include long-term city planning, adequate land allocation, improved transportation, efficient water management, and addressing rural-urban migration. The goal is for civic bodies to effectively serve citizens and improve quality of life, like corporate organizations.
Lavacon 2012: Building Profitability into your ProcessEmmelyn Wang
Technical content is a commodity that leads the post-capitalistic society. Technical Writers must think of themselves as Knowledge Brokers and communicate the value they provide which includes increased revenue and improved customer retention. Christopher Ward (WebWorks Software) and Emmelyn Wang (STC Austin / Hoover's Software) provide real world examples of business strategies and the procedures that can align. This presentation will help you build business cases for your company to invest in Technical Communication/Publications as a revenue generator.
This document summarizes a study that analyzed a survey of human resource practices from 83 chain stores in China. It differentiated between managerial staff and operating employees, and identified clusters of stores with high and low adoption of bundled HR practices. The impact of aligning HR practices on firm performance was evaluated using the high adoption cluster. The findings provide insights for executives on effective HRM strategies in China and advance the literature on high performance work systems.
How to Create an Authoring Infrastructure that Supports 24/7 Global Content D...Emmelyn Wang
The document discusses how to create an authoring infrastructure that supports 24/7 global content development through virtualization and desktop publishing tools in a virtual desktop infrastructure. It explains the benefits of virtualization for technical communication professionals working globally, including increased cost effectiveness, speed, security, and reduced complexity. The presentation provides an example use case of setting up a virtualized desktop publishing environment for global authoring teams.
Critical Factors for New Product Developments in SMEs Virtual TeamNader Ale Ebrahim
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are considered as an engine for economic growth all over the world and especially for developing countries. During the past decade, new product development (NPD) has increasingly been recognized as a critical factor in ensuring the continued survival of SMEs. On the other hand, the rapid rate of market and technological changes has accelerated in the past decade, so this turbulent environment requires new methods and techniques to bring successful new products to the marketplace. Virtual team can be a solution to answer the requested demand. However, literature have shown no significant differences between traditional NPD and virtual NPD in general, whereas NPD in SME’s virtual team has not been systematically investigated in developing countries. This paper aims to bridge this gap by first reviewing the NPD and its relationship with virtuality and then identifies the critical factors of NPD in virtual teams. The statistical method was utilized to perform the required analysis of data from the survey. The results were achieved through factor analysis at the perspective of NPD in some Malaysian and Iranian manufacturing firms (N = 191). The 20 new product development factors were grouped into five higher level constructs. It gives valuable insight and guidelines, which hopefully will help managers of firms in developing countries to consider the main factors in NPD.
It’s high time to come to terms with hcm – the superset of hrm!prjpublications
This document summarizes a research study on measuring human capital management (HCM) in the IT industry in India. The study aims to determine if IT companies have measurement systems in place to optimize HCM and organizational performance. It reviews literature on measuring HR and human capital. The study measures HCM using 5 parameters (leadership practices, employee engagement, knowledge accessibility, workforce optimization, organizational learning capacity) and 20 factors within those parameters. Data was collected via survey from IT employees. The objectives are to characterize respondents, assess measurement systems, measure HCM value, and analyze correlations between human capital drivers. Results may show the level of focus on HCM among Indian IT firms and their understanding of its importance for knowledge-based industries
Enterprise resource planning (erp) system in higherprjpublications
This document provides a literature review on enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in higher education. It discusses key topics such as the benefits of ERP systems, factors that contribute to ERP implementation success or failure, and the need to minimize customization of ERP systems. The review finds that specific groups within an organization and third-party vendors/consultants play an important role in ERP implementation success. Checklists are also important to develop before and after procuring an ERP system to ensure requirements are met.
1) The study examines the antecedents that drive students' entrepreneurial identity aspiration by surveying 127 Austrian vocational college students.
2) It finds that risk-taking propensity, proactiveness, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and competitiveness positively influence entrepreneurial identity aspiration. Innovativeness and need for achievement were not found to be significant influences.
3) Gender was also found to be related to entrepreneurial identity aspiration, while previous entrepreneurship education and exposure showed no effect or adverse effects.
Management of working capital in national aluminium company 3 (1)prj_publication
This document analyzes working capital management in the National Aluminium Company (NALCO) over a 15-year period from 1995-1996 to 2009-2010. It aims to evaluate NALCO's management of cash, receivables, inventory, and the impact of working capital management on profitability. The author hypothesizes that cash balances affect operating expenses, provisioning for doubtful debts impacts receivables, inventory levels influence sales, and working capital management impacts profits. Statistical analysis is conducted to test these hypotheses using NALCO's annual reports and secondary data sources.
Knowledge and innovation as value drivers in professional services firmsAlexander Decker
This document summarizes a study on the role of knowledge and innovation in professional services firms in Central and Eastern Europe. The study found:
1) Knowledge networks are important for professional services firms as they enhance competitiveness by allowing experience gained in one country to be applied in another.
2) Senior management support for collaboration and communication over strict control encourages knowledge sharing and management.
3) Knowledge management provides benefits like cost cuts, innovation, learning, and reputation building, but requires investments of time, infrastructure, and system updates.
4) The regulatory environment in Central and Eastern Europe impacts professional services firms, with the Northern region generally more favorable than the Southern region. Innovation and knowledge management can help economic recovery
The digital transformation significantly changes
the traditional way of how organizations manage their
human resources. Besides the automation of HRM
processes, information technologies also have increasing
impact on the talent management process, such as
employee attraction, selection and hiring, workforce
planning, engagement and performance management,
training and development, health and safety, and retention
management, all prompting a focus on redesigning the
organization around teams, implementing analytics and
organizational network analysis and driving a global focus
on diversity, culture, learning, and careers. The aim of this
study is to get insights in the consequences of a digital
HRM solution for an organization and its business
performance. A structured questionnaire was used for the
study. Data was collected from 75 respondents. The
findings of the study conclude that on the 15 statements
which were identified the responses to majority of these
factors showed a significant difference.
Purpose – This study aims to analyze the relationship between Innovativeness to Firm
Performance, IT Capability to Innovativeness, IT Capability to Firm Performance. This study also tests whether
IT Capability can be an Innovativeness moderator of Firm Performance
1) The document discusses the relationship between capacity building, employee productivity, and organizational performance in cooperative banks in Nagpur, India.
2) Statistical analysis showed a strong positive correlation between high capacity building/employee productivity and high organizational performance. High levels of skills training, motivation, and satisfaction were linked to increased quality, profits, and efficiency.
3) Conversely, low capacity building/productivity correlated with low performance. Banks needed to boost training and motivation to remain competitive.
This document analyzes the impact of virtual teams on competitive advantage through a case study of research and development departments at Samsung, LG, Nissan, Toyota, and IBM. It finds that virtual teams increase innovation by facilitating knowledge sharing across geographic and organizational boundaries. Through parallel work and faster response times, virtual teams help reduce product development cycles and costs, improving competitiveness. However, virtual teams also face challenges like cultural differences, lack of face-to-face interaction, and difficulty monitoring performance. Overall, the document concludes that virtual teams have become essential for businesses seeking flexibility and responsiveness in a global environment.
Existence of and benefits from linkages between universityIAEME Publication
This document summarizes a research study on the linkages between universities and industry in Ethiopia. The study assessed the current status of partnerships by surveying staff from higher education institutions and industry in Dilla, Ethiopia. The study found that linkages existed in employment, academics/research, and business relationships. Both sectors benefited from these linkages. Higher education institutions benefited from producing industry-ready graduates, conducting applied research, and enhancing skills. Industries benefited from increased productivity, innovations, and reduced training costs. The study recommends strengthening these partnerships through industry experts advising universities, research collaborations, and government support like tax exemptions for industry contributions.
Validity and reliability analysis of the baldrige excellence framework scaleoon fok yew
This document examines the validity and reliability of the Baldrige Excellence Framework scale for use in Electrical and Electronics (E&E) manufacturing companies in Malaysia. It describes a study that administered a survey based on the Baldrige Framework criteria to 325 employees from four E&E subsectors. The analysis found the survey instrument to be valid and reliable for assessing business excellence in Malaysian E&E manufacturing based on the Baldrige Framework. However, the results may not be generalizable to other industries due to potential differences. The validated measures can guide future research and allow E&E managers to evaluate their organization's level of business excellence.
The document discusses knowledge shifting processes when an energy company changes its vision and mission to extend its business scope. It uses Pertamina, an Indonesian energy company, as a case study. The key points are:
1) Pertamina changed its vision from an oil and gas company to an energy company to include new and renewable energy due to environmental regulations.
2) This led to three phases - changing vision and mission, changing strategy/business processes/organization, and shifting knowledge.
3) Knowledge shifting involves managing existing employees' new knowledge and hiring new employees with knowledge matching the extended scope.
4) A knowledge shifting process model is proposed based on knowledge-based view theory to
Entrepreneurial learning from failure a systematic reviewYing wei (Joe) Chou
This document provides a literature review on entrepreneurial learning from failure. It systematically collects and organizes relevant research according to Kolb's model of experiential learning, which includes four stages: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. The review finds that existing research provides insights into all stages of learning from failure. Areas that have received significant attention include the nature of failure, factors influencing reflection like emotions and attributions, the content of learning, and applying learning in new ventures. However, other topics remain underexplored, such as alternative recovery modes, personal characteristics' impact on reflection, cognitive processes underlying reflection, transforming observations into concepts, and applying learning outside of entrepreneurship. This
EMPOWERING ORGANISATIONAL KNOWLEDGE CREATION AND PERFORMANCE: A MODERATING FO...IAEME Publication
This paper examined the role of dynamic capability as a moderator in explaining
knowledge creation processes and performance of Professional and TechnologyDriven Firms. The role of four ontological dimensions (socialization, externalization,
combination and internalization) of knowledge creation in a spiral model were
explored. A total of 424 out of 450 members of the sampled firms participated,
representing 94% response rate. The information was acquired through the use of an
organized questionnaire while the participant targets include managers,
administrators, supervisors, and other classes of employees who were entreated to
honestly answer items in the questionnaire. The study evaluated construct test validity
(measurement) and structural model to establish the factor structure and degree of
relationship of a number of observed variables. Our results indicate that ability to
creatively combine resources and competencies has significantly helped sampled firms
to create new knowledge and improving such knowledge in offering greater value to
satisfy customers’ requirements and enhance performance outcomes
Investigating the Influence of E-HRM Practices on Organizational Performance:...Dr. Amarjeet Singh
Electronic Human Resource Management (E-HRM) came into existence as a result of the evolution of new technology and it leads to eliminating the administrative burden on HR professionals. Financial institutions are the heart of the financial stability of the economy. Nowadays most financial institutions are widely adopting E-HRM practices in order to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. However, it has been observed that there is a lack of empirical studies regarding this phenomenon in the Sri Lankan context. The main contribution of this study is to enrich the knowledge and investigate the impact of E-HRM practices on organizational performance under the mediation role of organizational agility. Thus, the study focusses on to examine how E-HRM impacts organizational performance, and to determine the mediating role of organizational agility between E-HRM and OP. Questionnaires were distributed by using a convenience sampling method to collect primary data from 40 financial institutions in Sri Lanka. Data analysis was performed using Pearson correlation analysis, regression analysis, descriptive statistics, Baron and Kenny mediator analysis method, and Sobel test. Results of the analysis indicated that E-HRM practices significantly and positively impact organizational performance while organizational agility mediates the relationship between E-HRM practices and OP. Outcomes of this study provided implications like enhancing available literature, to understand the real impact of E-HRM on organizational performance to HR managers. This study also suggests some further research areas for future research.
Academic social networking (ResearchGate & Academia) and the research impactNader Ale Ebrahim
The document discusses academic social networking sites and their role in research visibility. It begins with an abstract explaining that academic social networks like ResearchGate and Academia.edu allow researchers to connect, share work, and stay up to date in their fields. These sites make work more discoverable and increase citations. The document then provides information on setting up profiles on these sites and using them to maximize research impact. It emphasizes networking, sharing publications, and tracking metrics to enhance visibility.
Conducting a Literature Search & Writing Review Paper, Part 2: Finding proper...Nader Ale Ebrahim
12- Evaluate a paper quality
13- H-index and g-index
14- Publish or Perish
15- Evaluate a journal quality
16- The Institute for Scientific Information (ISI)
17- Impact Factor-Journal Ranking
18- Keeping up-to-date (Alert system)
19- How to Read a Paper
20- Mind mapping tools
21- Indexing desktop search tool
How to write a bibliometrics paper, by nader ale ebrahimNader Ale Ebrahim
This document provides guidance on how to write a bibliometrics paper. It outlines the key steps, which include searching for keywords, creating a literature database, and writing a journal article based on the collected data. Examples are given of potential topics for bibliometric papers, such as analyses of global research trends in areas like stem cells, proteomics, and ocean circulation. The document also discusses tools for bibliometric analysis, including the Web of Science and keywords/keyword plus features. In under 3 sentences, it outlines the process for conducting a bibliometric study and analysis to write a journal article on the topic.
Enhancing Research Visibility and Improving Citations: Publication Marketing ...Nader Ale Ebrahim
Publishing a high quality paper in scientific journals is only the mid point towards receiving citation in the future. The balance of the journey is completed by advertising and disseminating the publications by using the proper “Research Tools”. Familiarity with the tools allows the researchers to increase their h-index in a short time. H-index shows the academicians influence in the specified field of research. Therefore, an academician with a higher level of h-index is deemed to have publications of higher quality resulting in higher citations.
The number of citations contributes to over 30% in the university rankings. Therefore, most of the scientists are looking for an effective method to increase their citation record. Nader has developed and introduced a method for increasing the visibility of the research which directly affects on the number of citations.
Does Criticisms Overcome the Praises of Journal Impact Factor?Nader Ale Ebrahim
This document discusses criticisms of using the journal impact factor (IF) as a measure of a journal's influence. It begins by explaining how IF is calculated based on the number of citations to articles published in a journal over the past two years. While IF is widely used, the document outlines several criticisms, including that IF is not a transparent measure, excludes some citation sources, does not account for article quality, and can be manipulated through self-citation. The document concludes that while IF is easy to measure, it has limitations and should not be used to evaluate individual articles or researchers.
How to increase h-index; “Advertise and disseminate publications” By: Nader A...Nader Ale Ebrahim
Publishing a high quality paper in scientific journals is a halfway of receiving citation in the future. The rest of the way is advertising and disseminating the publications by using the proper “Research Tools”. Familiarity with the tools allows the researcher to increase his/her h-index in the short time. H-index shows the academicians influences in the specified field of research. Therefore, a person with higher level of h-index has more high quality publications with high amount of citations. This presentation, covers the following topics: Why publish and increase h-index?, Definition of h-index and g-index, Importance of h-index, How to use “Research Tools” Mind Map, Paper title preparation, Selecting keywords, Select the proper journal, Advertise published article, and finally Trace published article citation.
It’s high time to come to terms with hcm – the superset of hrm!prjpublications
This document summarizes a research study on measuring human capital management (HCM) in the IT industry in India. The study aims to determine if IT companies have measurement systems in place to optimize HCM and organizational performance. It reviews literature on measuring HR and human capital. The study measures HCM using 5 parameters (leadership practices, employee engagement, knowledge accessibility, workforce optimization, organizational learning capacity) and 20 factors within those parameters. Data was collected via survey from IT employees. The objectives are to characterize respondents, assess measurement systems, measure HCM value, and analyze correlations between human capital drivers. Results may show the level of focus on HCM among Indian IT firms and their understanding of its importance for knowledge-based industries
Enterprise resource planning (erp) system in higherprjpublications
This document provides a literature review on enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems in higher education. It discusses key topics such as the benefits of ERP systems, factors that contribute to ERP implementation success or failure, and the need to minimize customization of ERP systems. The review finds that specific groups within an organization and third-party vendors/consultants play an important role in ERP implementation success. Checklists are also important to develop before and after procuring an ERP system to ensure requirements are met.
1) The study examines the antecedents that drive students' entrepreneurial identity aspiration by surveying 127 Austrian vocational college students.
2) It finds that risk-taking propensity, proactiveness, entrepreneurial self-efficacy, and competitiveness positively influence entrepreneurial identity aspiration. Innovativeness and need for achievement were not found to be significant influences.
3) Gender was also found to be related to entrepreneurial identity aspiration, while previous entrepreneurship education and exposure showed no effect or adverse effects.
Management of working capital in national aluminium company 3 (1)prj_publication
This document analyzes working capital management in the National Aluminium Company (NALCO) over a 15-year period from 1995-1996 to 2009-2010. It aims to evaluate NALCO's management of cash, receivables, inventory, and the impact of working capital management on profitability. The author hypothesizes that cash balances affect operating expenses, provisioning for doubtful debts impacts receivables, inventory levels influence sales, and working capital management impacts profits. Statistical analysis is conducted to test these hypotheses using NALCO's annual reports and secondary data sources.
Knowledge and innovation as value drivers in professional services firmsAlexander Decker
This document summarizes a study on the role of knowledge and innovation in professional services firms in Central and Eastern Europe. The study found:
1) Knowledge networks are important for professional services firms as they enhance competitiveness by allowing experience gained in one country to be applied in another.
2) Senior management support for collaboration and communication over strict control encourages knowledge sharing and management.
3) Knowledge management provides benefits like cost cuts, innovation, learning, and reputation building, but requires investments of time, infrastructure, and system updates.
4) The regulatory environment in Central and Eastern Europe impacts professional services firms, with the Northern region generally more favorable than the Southern region. Innovation and knowledge management can help economic recovery
The digital transformation significantly changes
the traditional way of how organizations manage their
human resources. Besides the automation of HRM
processes, information technologies also have increasing
impact on the talent management process, such as
employee attraction, selection and hiring, workforce
planning, engagement and performance management,
training and development, health and safety, and retention
management, all prompting a focus on redesigning the
organization around teams, implementing analytics and
organizational network analysis and driving a global focus
on diversity, culture, learning, and careers. The aim of this
study is to get insights in the consequences of a digital
HRM solution for an organization and its business
performance. A structured questionnaire was used for the
study. Data was collected from 75 respondents. The
findings of the study conclude that on the 15 statements
which were identified the responses to majority of these
factors showed a significant difference.
Purpose – This study aims to analyze the relationship between Innovativeness to Firm
Performance, IT Capability to Innovativeness, IT Capability to Firm Performance. This study also tests whether
IT Capability can be an Innovativeness moderator of Firm Performance
1) The document discusses the relationship between capacity building, employee productivity, and organizational performance in cooperative banks in Nagpur, India.
2) Statistical analysis showed a strong positive correlation between high capacity building/employee productivity and high organizational performance. High levels of skills training, motivation, and satisfaction were linked to increased quality, profits, and efficiency.
3) Conversely, low capacity building/productivity correlated with low performance. Banks needed to boost training and motivation to remain competitive.
This document analyzes the impact of virtual teams on competitive advantage through a case study of research and development departments at Samsung, LG, Nissan, Toyota, and IBM. It finds that virtual teams increase innovation by facilitating knowledge sharing across geographic and organizational boundaries. Through parallel work and faster response times, virtual teams help reduce product development cycles and costs, improving competitiveness. However, virtual teams also face challenges like cultural differences, lack of face-to-face interaction, and difficulty monitoring performance. Overall, the document concludes that virtual teams have become essential for businesses seeking flexibility and responsiveness in a global environment.
Existence of and benefits from linkages between universityIAEME Publication
This document summarizes a research study on the linkages between universities and industry in Ethiopia. The study assessed the current status of partnerships by surveying staff from higher education institutions and industry in Dilla, Ethiopia. The study found that linkages existed in employment, academics/research, and business relationships. Both sectors benefited from these linkages. Higher education institutions benefited from producing industry-ready graduates, conducting applied research, and enhancing skills. Industries benefited from increased productivity, innovations, and reduced training costs. The study recommends strengthening these partnerships through industry experts advising universities, research collaborations, and government support like tax exemptions for industry contributions.
Validity and reliability analysis of the baldrige excellence framework scaleoon fok yew
This document examines the validity and reliability of the Baldrige Excellence Framework scale for use in Electrical and Electronics (E&E) manufacturing companies in Malaysia. It describes a study that administered a survey based on the Baldrige Framework criteria to 325 employees from four E&E subsectors. The analysis found the survey instrument to be valid and reliable for assessing business excellence in Malaysian E&E manufacturing based on the Baldrige Framework. However, the results may not be generalizable to other industries due to potential differences. The validated measures can guide future research and allow E&E managers to evaluate their organization's level of business excellence.
The document discusses knowledge shifting processes when an energy company changes its vision and mission to extend its business scope. It uses Pertamina, an Indonesian energy company, as a case study. The key points are:
1) Pertamina changed its vision from an oil and gas company to an energy company to include new and renewable energy due to environmental regulations.
2) This led to three phases - changing vision and mission, changing strategy/business processes/organization, and shifting knowledge.
3) Knowledge shifting involves managing existing employees' new knowledge and hiring new employees with knowledge matching the extended scope.
4) A knowledge shifting process model is proposed based on knowledge-based view theory to
Entrepreneurial learning from failure a systematic reviewYing wei (Joe) Chou
This document provides a literature review on entrepreneurial learning from failure. It systematically collects and organizes relevant research according to Kolb's model of experiential learning, which includes four stages: concrete experience, reflective observation, abstract conceptualization, and active experimentation. The review finds that existing research provides insights into all stages of learning from failure. Areas that have received significant attention include the nature of failure, factors influencing reflection like emotions and attributions, the content of learning, and applying learning in new ventures. However, other topics remain underexplored, such as alternative recovery modes, personal characteristics' impact on reflection, cognitive processes underlying reflection, transforming observations into concepts, and applying learning outside of entrepreneurship. This
EMPOWERING ORGANISATIONAL KNOWLEDGE CREATION AND PERFORMANCE: A MODERATING FO...IAEME Publication
This paper examined the role of dynamic capability as a moderator in explaining
knowledge creation processes and performance of Professional and TechnologyDriven Firms. The role of four ontological dimensions (socialization, externalization,
combination and internalization) of knowledge creation in a spiral model were
explored. A total of 424 out of 450 members of the sampled firms participated,
representing 94% response rate. The information was acquired through the use of an
organized questionnaire while the participant targets include managers,
administrators, supervisors, and other classes of employees who were entreated to
honestly answer items in the questionnaire. The study evaluated construct test validity
(measurement) and structural model to establish the factor structure and degree of
relationship of a number of observed variables. Our results indicate that ability to
creatively combine resources and competencies has significantly helped sampled firms
to create new knowledge and improving such knowledge in offering greater value to
satisfy customers’ requirements and enhance performance outcomes
Investigating the Influence of E-HRM Practices on Organizational Performance:...Dr. Amarjeet Singh
Electronic Human Resource Management (E-HRM) came into existence as a result of the evolution of new technology and it leads to eliminating the administrative burden on HR professionals. Financial institutions are the heart of the financial stability of the economy. Nowadays most financial institutions are widely adopting E-HRM practices in order to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. However, it has been observed that there is a lack of empirical studies regarding this phenomenon in the Sri Lankan context. The main contribution of this study is to enrich the knowledge and investigate the impact of E-HRM practices on organizational performance under the mediation role of organizational agility. Thus, the study focusses on to examine how E-HRM impacts organizational performance, and to determine the mediating role of organizational agility between E-HRM and OP. Questionnaires were distributed by using a convenience sampling method to collect primary data from 40 financial institutions in Sri Lanka. Data analysis was performed using Pearson correlation analysis, regression analysis, descriptive statistics, Baron and Kenny mediator analysis method, and Sobel test. Results of the analysis indicated that E-HRM practices significantly and positively impact organizational performance while organizational agility mediates the relationship between E-HRM practices and OP. Outcomes of this study provided implications like enhancing available literature, to understand the real impact of E-HRM on organizational performance to HR managers. This study also suggests some further research areas for future research.
Academic social networking (ResearchGate & Academia) and the research impactNader Ale Ebrahim
The document discusses academic social networking sites and their role in research visibility. It begins with an abstract explaining that academic social networks like ResearchGate and Academia.edu allow researchers to connect, share work, and stay up to date in their fields. These sites make work more discoverable and increase citations. The document then provides information on setting up profiles on these sites and using them to maximize research impact. It emphasizes networking, sharing publications, and tracking metrics to enhance visibility.
Conducting a Literature Search & Writing Review Paper, Part 2: Finding proper...Nader Ale Ebrahim
12- Evaluate a paper quality
13- H-index and g-index
14- Publish or Perish
15- Evaluate a journal quality
16- The Institute for Scientific Information (ISI)
17- Impact Factor-Journal Ranking
18- Keeping up-to-date (Alert system)
19- How to Read a Paper
20- Mind mapping tools
21- Indexing desktop search tool
How to write a bibliometrics paper, by nader ale ebrahimNader Ale Ebrahim
This document provides guidance on how to write a bibliometrics paper. It outlines the key steps, which include searching for keywords, creating a literature database, and writing a journal article based on the collected data. Examples are given of potential topics for bibliometric papers, such as analyses of global research trends in areas like stem cells, proteomics, and ocean circulation. The document also discusses tools for bibliometric analysis, including the Web of Science and keywords/keyword plus features. In under 3 sentences, it outlines the process for conducting a bibliometric study and analysis to write a journal article on the topic.
Enhancing Research Visibility and Improving Citations: Publication Marketing ...Nader Ale Ebrahim
Publishing a high quality paper in scientific journals is only the mid point towards receiving citation in the future. The balance of the journey is completed by advertising and disseminating the publications by using the proper “Research Tools”. Familiarity with the tools allows the researchers to increase their h-index in a short time. H-index shows the academicians influence in the specified field of research. Therefore, an academician with a higher level of h-index is deemed to have publications of higher quality resulting in higher citations.
The number of citations contributes to over 30% in the university rankings. Therefore, most of the scientists are looking for an effective method to increase their citation record. Nader has developed and introduced a method for increasing the visibility of the research which directly affects on the number of citations.
Does Criticisms Overcome the Praises of Journal Impact Factor?Nader Ale Ebrahim
This document discusses criticisms of using the journal impact factor (IF) as a measure of a journal's influence. It begins by explaining how IF is calculated based on the number of citations to articles published in a journal over the past two years. While IF is widely used, the document outlines several criticisms, including that IF is not a transparent measure, excludes some citation sources, does not account for article quality, and can be manipulated through self-citation. The document concludes that while IF is easy to measure, it has limitations and should not be used to evaluate individual articles or researchers.
How to increase h-index; “Advertise and disseminate publications” By: Nader A...Nader Ale Ebrahim
Publishing a high quality paper in scientific journals is a halfway of receiving citation in the future. The rest of the way is advertising and disseminating the publications by using the proper “Research Tools”. Familiarity with the tools allows the researcher to increase his/her h-index in the short time. H-index shows the academicians influences in the specified field of research. Therefore, a person with higher level of h-index has more high quality publications with high amount of citations. This presentation, covers the following topics: Why publish and increase h-index?, Definition of h-index and g-index, Importance of h-index, How to use “Research Tools” Mind Map, Paper title preparation, Selecting keywords, Select the proper journal, Advertise published article, and finally Trace published article citation.
Problem statement: Although, literature proves the importance of the technology role in the effectiveness of virtual Research and Development (R&D) teams for new product development. However, the factors that make technology construct in a virtual R&D team are still ambiguous. The manager of virtual R&D teams for new product development does not know which type of technology should be used. Approach: To address the gap and answer the question, the study presents a set of factors that make a technology construct. The proposed construct modified by finding of the field survey (N = 240). We empirically examine the relationship between construct and its factors by employing the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). A measurement model built base on the 19 preliminary factors that extracted from literature review. The result shows 10 factors out of 19 factors maintaining to make technology construct. Results: These 10 technology factors can be grouped into two constructs namely Web base communication and Web base data sharing. The findings can help new product development managers of enterprises to concentrate in the main factors for leading an effective virtual R&D team. In addition, it provides a guideline for software developers as well. Conclusion: The second and third generation technologies are now more suitable for developing new products through virtual R&D teams.
Does it Matter Which Citation Tool is Used to Compare the h-index of a Group ...Nader Ale Ebrahim
1) The study compares the h-index of 12 Nobel Prize winning scientists as reported by Scopus, Google Scholar, and Web of Science citation indexes.
2) It finds the Google Scholar h-index is higher on average than the other two indexes.
3) There is a significant positive relationship between the h-indices reported by Google Scholar and Scopus.
Conducting a Literature Search & Writing Review Paper, Part 3: Writing Liter...Nader Ale Ebrahim
22- The paraphrasing & editing tool
23- Avoid plagiarism
24- Organize the references (Reference management) tool
25- Writing a Literature Review
26- A Structured Abstract
27- Integrating arguments in paragraphs
28- Verbs for referencing
Research tools can be defined as research and related tools as vehicles that broadly facilitate research and related activities. Scientific tools enable researchers to collect, organize, analyze, visualize, mobilize and creative outputs. Tools can be created as part of a research or related undertaking, or purchased off the shelf. They have been created by credible research Institutes to enable students to follow the correct path in research and to ultimately produce high-quality research papers.
Strategies to enhance research visibility, impact & citations by nader ale e...Nader Ale Ebrahim
Do you know “Over 43% of ISI papers have never ever received any citations?” (nature.com/top100, 2014). Now it’s time to start spreading the word around your findings and analysis. Publishing a high quality paper in scientific journals is only halfway towards receiving citation in the future. The rest of the journey is dependent on disseminating the publications via using the proper “Research Tools”. Proper utilization of the tools allows the researchers to increase the research impact and citations for their publications. This workshop will provide you various techniques on how you can increase the visibility and hence the impact of your research work.
Reference Management system offers an easy way of collecting references from online databases, organizing them in a database, and citing them in documents in Microsoft Word. Documents can be shared with colleagues/publish online. A reference management system can facilitate the keeping track of the literature.
"Research Tools": Tools for supporting research and publicationsNader Ale Ebrahim
“Research Tools” can be defined as vehicles that broadly facilitate research and related activities. “Research Tools” enable researchers to collect, organize, analyze, visualize and publicized research outputs. Dr. Nader has collected over 700 tools that enable students to follow the correct path in research and to ultimately produce high-quality research outputs with more accuracy and efficiency. It is assembled as an interactive Web-based mind map, titled “Research Tools”, which is updated periodically. “Research Tools” consists of a hierarchical set of nodes. It has four main nodes: (1) Searching the literature, (2) Writing a paper, (3) Targeting suitable journals, and (4) Enhancing visibility and impact of the research.
Academic leadership journal .management challengespdfNader Ale Ebrahim
This document discusses virtual teams and their management challenges. It begins by defining virtual teams as groups of geographically dispersed workers brought together through information technologies to accomplish organizational tasks. It then outlines some of the key advantages and disadvantages of virtual teams, such as reduced costs but also challenges with trust and cultural diversity. The document also compares virtual and traditional co-located teams. Finally, it discusses some of the main management challenges of virtual teams, such as effectively sharing knowledge, managing conflicts, and cultural differences across the dispersed team members.
N. Ale Ebrahim, “ How to write a Bibliometrics paper,” in Organized by: Moheb...Nader Ale Ebrahim
N. Ale Ebrahim, “ How to write a Bibliometrics paper,” in Organized by: Mohebban Scientific Committee, Jalan Muhibah 12, Serdang. Selangor, Malaysia, 2014, pp. 1-82
Online Repository: Improving the research visibility and Impact Nader Ale Ebrahim
Institutional repositories are platforms where a university’s faculty and graduate students can preserve their research outputs. Depositing papers in Open Access repositories will increase the visibility and citation of the article, due to removing barriers to knowledge sharing. It's highly recommended that documents without DOIs to be deposited in the repository that offer DOIs for documents you have deposited. There are several different types of repository that can host your research outputs depending upon your discipline. I will dig into some of them in this workshop.
Introduction to the “Research Tools” for Research Methodology courseNader Ale Ebrahim
“Research Tools” can be defined as vehicles that broadly facilitate research and related activities. “Research Tools” enable researchers to collect, organize, analyze, visualize and publicized research outputs. Dr. Nader has collected over 800 tools that enable students to follow the correct path in research and to ultimately produce high-quality research outputs with more accuracy and efficiency. It is assembled as an interactive Web-based mind map, titled “Research Tools”, which is updated periodically. “Research Tools” consists of a hierarchical set of nodes. It has four main nodes: (1) Searching the literature, (2) Writing a paper, (3) Targeting suitable journals, and (4) Enhancing visibility and impact of the research.
Create a publication database for enhancing research visibilityNader Ale Ebrahim
In a competitive research landscape, researchers can no longer afford to just publish and hope for receiving impact. To leave a mark, researchers have to take their impact into their own hands. Researchers need to keep all of their scholarly output in a database, to share through academic social networking sites. Researchers also, should create a "permalink" for each of their publications. A "permalink" is a stable, permanent (or persistent) link to an online journal article or subscription resource, that can be accessed from any computer at any time. It is often different to the URL that appears at the top of your browser - the link displayed there may be session dependent, and will only work for a particular person in a particular time period. This presentation provides guidelines on how to create a publication database for enhancing research visibility and citations.
This document discusses a study that explored knowledge creation processes in five small Canadian software firms. The researchers conducted interviews and analyzed multiple data sources for each case. They found that knowledge creation occurred through both interaction and action processes. Interaction processes included formal meetings, informal communities, project teams, external interaction, and information technology tools. These interactions allowed for the exchange of ideas and communication that contributed to knowledge creation. Rapid prototyping was identified as the core activity driving knowledge creation through action. The researchers developed a seven-point scale to assess and compare the intensity of different knowledge creation processes across the case firms. This study provides insights into how small innovative companies generate new knowledge.
A knowledge management-based conceptual model to improve the level of utiliza...IJAEMSJORNAL
The current commercial context for the Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is an ever-changing environment that is strongly influenced by the information and communication technologies (ICTs). This has led enterprises to implement these technologies as supportive tools for their business processes. Nevertheless, a vast number of SMEs have not obtained favorable results in implementing ICTs, since the lack of knowledge about the potential and application of these technologies has made this technological implementation activity prevail as an action oriented to the simple acquisition of equipment and informatic systems with a short-term vision without considering a business strategy. The aim of this paper is to perform a literature review that shows evidence of the low utilization of ICTs in SMEs, particularly in the Mexican environment, which leads to proposing a different approach where enterprises consider Knowledge Management (KM) in the implementation of the informatic technology, leading to a conceptual model to ensure human, organizational and relational capital provide the proper capabilities to complement a strategy that implies carrying out a correct acquisition and application of knowledge that contributes to improving the utilization of ICTs in the business processes.
KNOWLEDGE SHARING BEHAVIOR AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT CAPABILITY IN ENGINEERING...IAEME Publication
The document summarizes a research paper on knowledge sharing behavior and knowledge management capability in an engineering organization. It discusses several key points:
1) It examines the relationship between knowledge sharing factors, knowledge sharing intention, knowledge sharing behavior, and knowledge management capability.
2) A survey was conducted of 109 executive engineers in a leading engineering organization to understand these relationships.
3) The results showed that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control positively influence knowledge sharing intention, which then positively influences knowledge sharing behavior and the organization's knowledge management capability.
The document discusses virtual R&D teams as a potential avenue for increased collaboration between education and industry. It notes that information technologies now allow companies to coordinate activities across geographic locations through virtual teams. The purpose of the study is to examine virtual R&D team use among small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia and Iran. A survey found that over half of SMEs used virtual teams, with Iranian firms using them more often. The study concludes that virtual teams provide benefits for knowledge sharing and performance, and represent an opportunity for SMEs and education institutions to collaborate beyond traditional boundaries.
This study examines how corporate entrepreneurship, national policies, and supply chain collaboration impact innovativeness among LED manufacturers in Malaysia. It analyzes survey data from manufacturers using partial least squares. The study finds that corporate entrepreneurship plays a moderating role in the relationships between national policies, supply chain collaboration, and innovativeness. The study expands literature by providing empirical evidence on these relationships from the perspective of an emerging country and examining the moderating role of corporate entrepreneurship. It has implications for helping local companies understand how to enhance innovativeness and expand their role in global supply chains.
1) The study examines the relationship between network embeddedness and innovation performance in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana.
2) The researchers found that network embeddedness has a significant positive effect on innovation performance in SMEs.
3) Innovation openness, which refers to external knowledge sourcing, was found to further strengthen the relationship between network embeddedness and SME innovation performance. SMEs with both high network embeddedness and innovation openness had higher innovation performance.
Luận Văn The Role Of Participative Leadership, External Work Contacts And Self-Leadership Skills In Information Technology Service Industry In Vietnam. In the thesis, the information technology service trading in Vietnam was chosen to conduct in this study due to its highest potential dynamic market. Based on that situation, a pilot study was conducted firstly to examine the feasibility of an approach for better used in larger scale. Secondly, the main survey was conducted immediately after a pilot study checked successfully.
Exploring the Influence of Absorptive Capacity on Innovation: An Empirical St...AI Publications
This paper investigates the impact of absorptive capacity on exploratory innovation in large industrial companies in Syria. The study employs a sample of 278 managers, and utilizes multiple regression analysis for the investigation. The results reveal a significant positive relationship between absorptive capacity and exploratory innovation. These findings highlight the importance of absorptive capacity as a strategic tool for enhancing exploratory innovation, and offer valuable insights for managers and policy-makers in industries facing dynamic and complex environments.
Effects of the External (Macro) And Internal (Micro) Source (Factors) of Inno...inventionjournals
In an attempt to use the resource-based theoretical approach, this article tried to empirically investigate the influence and impact of theinternal (micro) and external (macro) environmental factors of innovation performance using a sample of small and medium sized firms in the telecommunication cluster in Ghana with the main focus on examining variables such as customer inputs, the intensive role of R&D, cooperative networks, the uncertain environment and the complex environment of the firm. A sample of 31 SMEs in the telecommunication cluster was selected with 109 questionnaires administered. The results indicate that the macro environmental sources as cooperative network and customer inputs actually impact positively on the innovation performance of SMEs in the communication cluster in Ghana. However, firm size, network size and complex environment were shown to be negatively related to firm innovation performance.
A business' choice for using an innovation depends on looking into the variables affecting this use and its favorable circumstances. Innovation deployment significantly influences the way business is led, the optimality of asset usage and increase in the organizations competitive advantage. This research is to identify the role Business Processing Management (BPM) play in selected SMEs in Ghana. The method utilized for this investigation was the descriptive research design. This research is exclusively embraced by the utilization of secondary data. The technique for data analysis will be by the utilization of content analysis. The study revealed that the main principles of BPM implementation in the selected SMEs are commitment from management, customer priority, teamwork, and continuous improvement. The study also showed that BPM has a direct relationship with the productivity of SMEs. The main challenges of BPM on the selected SMEs are the lack of resources, lack of experience in quality management, lack of objectives and strategies, Short term objectives concerns, lack of information technology (IT) experts. Since BPM is a broad and an intense concept that needs to be taken seriously when it comes to SMEs ensuring that the firm produces a high-quality goods and services, it was recommended that SMEs needs to have IT experts who can assist in the integration of BPM in all aspect of the business activities.
- The document discusses employee engagement and organizational performance in the IT industry in Bangalore, India.
- It analyzes how factors like training, communication, and co-working spaces influence employee engagement and performance.
- A survey of 189 IT industry employees in Bangalore found a positive relationship between co-working spaces and employee performance.
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE IN ENGINEERING ORGANIZATIONIAEME Publication
This document summarizes a research paper on the relationship between knowledge management practices and organizational performance in engineering organizations. The paper reviews literature on knowledge management and organizational performance. It develops a research model and hypotheses that knowledge management practices positively impact an organization's financial, non-financial, and operational performance. A survey was conducted of 125 engineers at an engineering organization to examine the effects of knowledge management practices on these three aspects of organizational performance. The findings of the study revealed relationships between knowledge management practices and improved organizational performance.
At present, the existing literature shows that the factors which influence the effectiveness of virtual teams for new product development are still ambiguous. To address this problem, a research design was developed, which includes detailed literature review, preliminary model and field survey. From literature review, the factors which influence the effectiveness of virtual teams are identified and these factors are modified using a field survey. The relationship between knowledge workers (people), process and technology in virtual teams is explored in this study. The results of the study suggest that technology and process are tightly correlated and need to be considered early in virtual teams. The use of software as a service, web solution, report generator and tracking system should be incorporated for effectiveness virtual teams.
This study examines knowledge transfer across boundaries within business incubation centers in China. Through interviews with employees at several incubation centers, the study identifies key boundary conditions and factors impacting knowledge transfer in the Chinese context. The results show that shared values and trust help knowledge transfer by reducing pragmatic boundaries between organizations. Additionally, entrepreneurial orientation and use of information-rich media within small-to-medium enterprises positively influence knowledge transfer across boundaries. The findings provide insights into knowledge management practices in emerging markets like China.
Modern work practices have changed as a result of growing Global virtual teams (GVTs) are becoming more and more important to organizations as new working models. However, it has been noted that the difficulties in configuring GVTs have a negative impact on staff engagement, particularly in multiethnic GVTs. This paper studies the factors impacting performance in virtual team in multinational companies.
Running Head Preliminary Research Design Preliminary Research D.docxtoltonkendal
Running Head: Preliminary Research Design
Preliminary Research Design 3
Preliminary Research Design
Part II
Literature Review
Collaborative technology in virtual business teams acts as a facilitator of corporate globalization. One of the most effective tools that is being embraced in contemporary organizations is the use of virtual teams as a way of encouraging corporate globalization (Beranek and Martz, 2005). In the current competitive market, virtual teams represent a growing response to address the need for fast time to market, as well as low-cost and rapid solutions, especially to complex corporate problems. The use of virtual teams through the advanced modern technologies enable corporates to pool talents and employee expertise by eliminating barriers of time and space (Beranek and Martz, 2005). This literature review focuses on the collaborative technology in virtual business teams that seems to facilitate corporate globalization on multiple dimensions.
According to Beranek and Martz (2005), generation diversity is one of the most essential strategies that can be used to realize fully the talents of this generation as they bring into the globalized workforce. As per Beranek and Martz, (2005), if the leadership is about getting results, it is the role of the leader to develop the optimum strategies to achieve the desired results, in what is regarded as winning strategies. It is these strategies that are considered more than intentions as they describe the process of an organization and means they will be employed to achieve the desired goal (Beranek and Martz, 2005). As a leader, it is highly important to understand the people of diverse cultures. As a result, a cultural adaptability is one of the core leadership imperative, which would guarantee the realization of a globalized workforce (Beranek and Martz, 2005). Such a leadership approach is essential in the modern business where organizations entail workforces from different cultural and regional backgrounds of the world.
As per Chudoba et al., (2005) innovation and sustainability are two elements of leadership that pair together to support leadership efforts yield more positive outcomes. It is essential to acknowledge that the role of sustainability in risk management has not yet been widely accepted. However, for the companies or organizations that have embrace sustainability, the results have always turned out to be tremendously promising, with major growth rates and huge profits being very much common. For example, a company that is based in Chile can be experimenting to expand its sustainably harvested wood across the entire South American region (Chudoba et al., 2005). On the other hand, innovation is another important aspect that involves the application of creativity in such a manner that business value is achieved. Leaders should embrace a culture that encourages thi ...
This paper explains a model for analyzing and measuring the propagation of order amplifications (i.e. bullwhip effect) for a single-product supply network topology considering exogenous uncertainty and linear and time-invariant inventory management policies for network entities. The stream of orders placed by each entity of the network is characterized assuming customer demand is ergodic. In fact, we propose an exact formula in order to measure the bullwhip effect in the addressed supply network topology considering the system in Markovian chain framework and presenting a matrix of network member relationships and relevant order sequences. The formula turns out using a mathematical method called frequency domain analysis. The major contribution of this paper is analyzing the bullwhip effect considering exogenous uncertainty in supply networks and using the Fourier transform in order to simplify the relevant calculations. We present a number of numerical examples to assess the analytical results accuracy in quantifying the bullwhip effect.
KNOWLEDGE SHARING, INNOVATION AND FIRM PERFORMANCE: EVIDENCE FROM TURKEYMesut DOĞAN
- The document analyzes the relationship between knowledge sharing, innovation, and firm performance based on a survey of 150 high-tech companies in Turkey.
- The results show that innovation speed and quality positively impact both operational and financial performance, and that explicit and tacit knowledge sharing also positively impact firm performance.
- Innovation encompasses new products, processes, and applications that can create competitive advantages by encouraging creativity and synergies within companies.
Knowledge sharing innovation_and_firm_performance_evidence_from_turkeyMesut DOĞAN
The aim of this study is to determine relationship between knowledge sharing, innovation and firm performance. In the current study, a survey was conducted on a total of 150 high-tech companies operating in Istanbul, Ankara and Antalya. In the analysis results, it is seen that innovation speed and quality affect both the operational and financial performance of firms. In other words, as innovation speed and quality increase, so does the operational and financial performance of firms. Another important finding obtained in the current study is that explicit knowledge sharing, and tacit knowledge sharing have a positive effect on firm performance. A high level of innovation encompasses new products, processes or applications in most company activities. As a result, innovation can create a competitive advantage by creating synergy in the activities of companies and encourage creativity. Keywords: Innovation Speed and Quality, Explicit and Tacit Knowledge Sharing, Firm Performance
JEL Classification: L25, O31, O33
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The Effectiveness of Virtual R&D Teams in SMEs: Experiences of Malaysian SMEs
1. IEMS Vol. 10, No. 2, pp. 109-114, June 2011.
The Effectiveness of Virtual R&D Teams in SMEs:
Experiences of Malaysian SMEs
NaderAle Ebrahim†
Department of Engineering Design and Manufacture, Faculty of Engineering,
University of Malaya Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Salwa Hanim Abdul Rashid
Centre for Product Design and Manufacturing, Faculty of Engineering,
University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Shamsuddin Ahmed
Department of Engineering Design and Manufacture, Faculty of Engineering,
University of Malaya Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Zahari Taha
Faculty of Manufacturing Engineering and Management Technology,
University Malaysia Pahang, 26300 Gambang, Pahang, Malaysia
Received, January 12, 2011; Revised,April 12, 2011;Accepted,April 19, 2011
Abstract. The number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially those involved with research and
development (R&D) programs and employed virtual teams to create the greatest competitive advantage from
limited labor are increasing. Global and localized virtual R&D teams are believed to have high potential for the
growth of SMEs. Due to the fast-growing complexity of new products coupled with new emerging opportunities of
virtual teams, a collaborative approach is believed to be the future trend. This research explores the effectiveness
of virtuality in SMEs’ virtual R&D teams. Online questionnaires were emailed to Malaysian manufacturing
SMEs and 74 usable questionnaires were received, representing a 20.8 percent return rate. In order to avoid
biases which may result from pre-suggested answers, a series of open-ended questions were retrieved from the
experts. This study was focused on analyzing an open-ended question, whereby four main themes were extracted
from the experts’ recommendations regarding the effectiveness of virtual teams for the growth and performance
of SMEs. The findings of this study would be useful to product design managers of SMEs in order to realize the
key advantages and significance of virtual R&D teams during the new product development (NPD) process. This
is turn, leads to increased effectiveness in new product development's procedure.
Keywords: Virtual Teams, New Product Development, Survey Finding, Small and Medium Enterprises.
1. INTRODUCTION
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are
major contributors for industrial economies (Eikebrokk
and Olsen, 2007). The significance of SMEs in economic
growth has rendered SMEs a central element in much
recent policymaking (Hoffman et al., 1998). SMEs
appear to be appropriate units as network nodes due to
their lean structures, adaptability to market evolution,
active involvement of versatile human resources, ability
to establish subcontracting relations and good technological
level of their products (Mezgar et al., 2000). SMEs
possess advantages with regards to flexibility, reaction
time and innovation capacity, and therefore SMEs play a
major role in the new economy (Raymond and Croteau,
2006). Gassmann and Keupp (2007) found that managers
of SMEs should invest less in tangible assets and more in
areas which would directly enhance their future competitive
advantage such as R&D, which would generate knowledge,
as well as in their employees’ creativity to stimulate
incremental innovations in existing technologies. A
crucial trend for enabling the creation and transfer of new
† : Corresponding Author
2. 110 Nader Ale Ebrahim ⋅ Salwa Hanim Abdul Rashid ⋅ Shamsuddin Ahmed ⋅ Zahari Taha
knowledge in and to SMEs is by the development of
virtual collaborative environments and networks to
increase their innovation abilities as a single unit and
capabilities of the network as a whole (Flores, 2006).
Virtuality has been presented as a solution for SMEs
aiming to increase their competitiveness (Pihkala et al.,
1999). Virtual teams reduce time-to-market for new
products (May and Carter, 2001). Lead time or time-to-
market has been generally accepted as one of the vital
keys for success in manufacturing companies (Sorli et al.,
2006).
Ale Ebrahim et al. (2009a, 2010) derived the
strengths and weaknesses of virtual teams in SMEs in
their recent comprehensive reviews. The effectiveness of
virtual teams in Malaysian manufacturing SMEs has not
been reported, and therefore, the main objective of this
study is to present the primary benefits of virtual teams
for the growth of SMEs. The scope of this study is
limited to the experiences of Malaysian manufacturing
SMEs’ expertise, which involve virtual teams. In this
paper, the effectiveness is related to the performance and
collaboration within virtual teams in order to reduce costs
and time of R&D projects. This paper presents a portion
of the results obtained from an empirical research carried
out during the past two years within manufacturing
SMEs in Malaysia. In moving towards virtual R&D
teaming, an understanding of existing practices is important.
In this paper, a review of recent literature pertaining to
virtual R&D teams is presented, whereby the primary
definition of virtual R&D teams and its relationship with
SMEs are introduced. Following this, the research
methodology and data analyses are detailed, and the
directions for future research are presented in the final
section of this paper.
2. VIRTUAL R&D TEAMS AND SMEs
Gassmann and Von Zedtwitz (2003) defined
“virtual team as a group of people and sub-teams, which
interact through interdependent tasks guided by
common purpose and work across links strengthened by
information, communication, and transport technologies.”
Another definition suggests that virtual teams are
distributed work teams whose members are geographically
dispersed and their works are coordinated mainly with
electronic information and communication technologies
(e-mail, video-conferencing, telephone, etc.) (Hertel et
al., 2005). Among the different definitions of virtual
teams, the following concept is one of the most widely
accepted definitions (Ale Ebrahim et al., 2009c): “Virtual
teams are small temporary groups of geographically,
organizationally and/or time dispersed knowledge workers
who coordinate their work, predominantly with electronic
information and communication technologies in order to
accomplish one or more organization tasks” (Ale
Ebrahim et al., 2009b). Virtual R&D team is a form of a
virtual team, which includes the features of virtual teams
and concentrates on R&D activities. The members of a
virtual R&D team utilize different degrees of communication
technology to complete the research without space, time
and organizational boundaries.
SMEs are not scaled-down versions of large com-
panies as they possess different characteristics which
distinguish them from large corporations. SMEs vary
across different countries and cultures, and they are
independent, multi-tasked and cash-limited as well as
based on personal relationships and informality.
Additionally, SMEs are managed actively by the owners,
highly personalized, largely localized within their areas
of operation and are largely dependent on internal
sources for financial growth (Perrini et al., 2007). In
order to survive in the global economy, SMEs have to
improve their products and processes by exploiting their
intellectual capital in a dynamic network of knowledge-
intensive relations inside and outside their borders
(Corso et al., 2003). Therefore, if small firms intend to
create a step change in their technological and
innovation base, they may have to rethink their approach
to cooperation (Hanna and Walsh, 2002). SMEs need to
cooperate with external partners to compensate for other
competencies and resources. This is especially the case
for R&D, in which SMEs face specific problems
compared with large firms (Pullen et al., 2008). Levy et
al. (2003) stated that SMEs are knowledge creators;
however, they are poor in knowledge retention. They
need to be proactive in knowledge sharing arrangements
to recognize that knowledge has value, and the value
added is derived from knowledge exchange (Egbu et al.,
2005). Virtual R&D teams can provide such knowledge
sharing. There is a general movement towards virtual
R&D teams, as virtual R&D teams facilitate the
spreading of risks and sharing or costs among a network
of companies (Gassmann and Von Zedtwitz, 1999,
Kratzer et al., 2005). Hence, virtual teams are important
mechanisms for organizations such as SMEs seeking to
leverage scarce resources across geographic and other
boundaries (Munkvold and Zigurs, 2007).
3. METHODOLOGY
The data for this research was gathered from desk
study and survey. Web-based questionnaires were
designed and delivered to Malaysian manufacturing SMEs,
which included close-ended and open-ended questions.
This study clustered one open-ended question. Clustering
involves searching the data for related categories with
similar meaning. This analysis is known as Thematic
Analysis since the main purpose during the start of the
analysis is to look for themes. When a set of themes is
formed, more advanced analyses can be employed to
look for clusters and patterns among them (Abdul
Rashid, 2009). In this analysis, any sentences which
provide significant meaning were extracted and organized
into different categories.
3. The Effectiveness of Virtual R&D Teams in SMEs 111
4. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSES
The research was targeted at manufacturing SMEs
within Malaysia, which employed virtual teams in their
organizations. Online questionnaires were sent to relevant
SMEs in order to obtain the viewpoints from experts
involved with virtual teams in SMEs. Denscombe (2006)
encouraged social researchers to use web-based
questionnaires with confidence, and therefore online
questionnaires were distributed to SMEs in Malaysia via
email. The participants were directed to a website, and
the surveys were completed online.
The questionnaires consisted of three sections, as
follows:
a) Demographic information: The results obtained
from this section enable the selection of suitable enterprises
which complied with the definition of SMEs.
b) Current status of virtual teams: The first
question in this section clarified the utilization of virtual
teams in the enterprises. Respondents who selected “No”
in answer to the question indicate that the organizations did
not possess experience with virtual teams, and were
directed to Section C in the questionnaires. The final
open-ended question which concerns the effectiveness
of virtual teams on the organization’s growth and
performance, were analyzed in this research.
c) Requirements for establishing virtual teams: The
results of this section was not included in this research.
The surveys were tested preliminarily among 12
experts, followed by improvements, modifications and
distribution. Finally, questionnaires consisting of open
and close-ended questions were distributed to 356
Malaysian manufacturing SMEs. The major target
groups with regards to the size of the organization and
industrial field were Managing Directors, R&D Managers,
New Product Development Managers, Project and
Design Managers as well as appropriate personnel who
were involved significantly with R&D issues in the
organizations. A total of 74 usable questionnaires were
received, which represented a 20.8 percent return rate.
The response rate was deemed satisfactory since accessing
high-rank personnel was difficult. Table 1. It was found
that a total of 42 SMEs fulfilled the criteria of this
research and therefore the remaining respondents were
dropped from the analysis. Descriptive statistics were
used to analyze the responses. Table 2 shows the frequency
of using virtual teams among the sampled Malaysian
SMEs. The results showed that 33.3% SMEs employed
virtual teams. This indicates that applications of virtual
teams in manufacturing SMEs are still in its infancy.
Table 1. Summary of online survey data collection.
Number of emails sent to Malaysian Firms 2068
Total Responses (Click the online web page) 356
Total Responses/Received questionnaire (%) 17.2
Total Completed 74
Total Completed/Received questionnaire (%) 20.8
It is known that open-ended questions provide
fewer prompts and impose the fewest limits. It is for
these reasons open-ended questions evoke the most
authentic possible responses from respondents (Bobrow,
1997). Open-ended questions are good for prompting a
respondent’s attitude or feelings, likes and dislikes,
memory recalls, opinions, or to request for additional
comments. However, open-ended questions are time-
consuming and particularly difficult to answer. After
considering all advantages and disadvantages, only a
few open-ended questions were used in the online
questionnaires. In this research, only one open-ended
question was considered, which was: Please explain the
total effectiveness of virtual team system/tool on the
company’s growth and performance, before and after
implementation?
Table 2. Cross-tabulation between country and virtual
teams.
Using Virtual Team
Yes NO
Total
Count 14 28 42
% 33.3% 66.7% 100.0%
5. RESPONDENTS’ COMMENTS
It was found that a great majority of the respondents
answered the open-ended questions. Summarizing the
results of open-ended questions was not simple due to
the different levels of management and individuals,
subjective wording and phrasing of the responses.
However, several good comments were selected, and are
shown as quotes in Table 3. The comments represent the
actual experiences of the respondents, which are in
accordance with (Ebrahim et al., 2010, May and Carter,
2001, Bouchard and Cassivi, 2004). The virtual teams’
managers were a good source to confirm the benefits of
virtuality due to their experiences. Since open-ended
questions provide a rather qualitative information,
simple thematic analysis was particular suitable to
extract information from such questions. In this research,
simple thematic analysis was performed by conducting
two levels of clustering analysis. Thematic analysis is
commonly used by qualitative researchers and is usually
recognized as a tool rather than a method (Abdul Rashid,
2009). In this analysis, the data were clustered into two
levels, whereby lower level is Level 2, and higher level
is Level 1. Level 1 was then identified as theme. Table 4
shows the clusters and theme generated from the simple
thematic analysis. From this analysis, it was found that
4. 112 Nader Ale Ebrahim ⋅ Salwa Hanim Abdul Rashid ⋅ Shamsuddin Ahmed ⋅ Zahari Taha
there are four main benefits of virtual team/tool on the
growth and performance of enterprises. These benefits are:
reduced R&D costs and time, more effective R&D, better
output and increased coordination.
6. CONCLUSIONS
Despite the enormous benefits of employing virtual
R&D teams in manufacturing SMEs, the application of
virtual teams by most enterprises is still in its infancy.
The study showed that one-third of Malaysian manufac-
turing SMEs have employed virtual R&D teams.
Competitive advantage is now becoming available to
SMEs through geographically open boundaries created
by virtual teams. Existing practices within Malaysian
manufacturing SMEs experts, who were involved with
virtual teams, proved four-fold benefiting from the
cross-functional virtual R&D teams, namely: 1-Reduced
R&D cost and time, 2-More effective R&D, 3-Better
output, 4-Increased coordination. Virtual R&D teams
give better team outputs, reduce time-to-market, reduce
travel costs and demonstrate the ability to tap selectively
into centers of excellence. Additionally, virtual R&D
teams enable the use of the best talents regardless of
location, giving a greater degree of freedom to individuals,
shorter development times, and quicker response to
changing business environments as well as higher team
effectiveness and coordination. Therefore, the decision
for setting up virtual R&D teams in SMEs is not a
choice, but a necessity.
This paper is probably the first to present an
empirical research on virtual R&D teams, which is
limited to Malaysian manufacturing SMEs. Future
research is needed to investigate the four-fold benefits of
virtual R&D teams by a larger sample from different
Table 3. Comments on the effectiveness of virtual teams for the company’s growth and performance (Compare before and
after implementation).
Case
No.
Respondents’comments
1
Cost saving, time saving, and great convenience. These will enhance the flow of the projects of a company and
speed up the progress of our work.
2 Reduce time consumption
3 Time and cost are saved.
4
Since we have different manufacturing location around the world, our marketing department is located away from
R&D, the virtual tools are the one that brings us closer and helps in decision making, faster product release and
meeting customer satisfaction.
5 Virtual team system/tool is merely ASSISTANCE to the current workload.
6 Save time, money and energy
7 In my opinion, virtual team can make a good connection between the entire assets of organization.
8 With start virtual team system we improved in my performance
9 The virtual team system/tool is effective and can be helpful
10 In both it is seriously important.
11
1) The company could growth faster, due to overcoming to distance and time by using virtual system
2) If system will be managed in an effective manner, the performance is increased due to power of the tools
12
We did some activities in our company to reduce costs as follows : 1-We arranged virtual network suppliers 2-They
arranged R&D teams for our orders 3-our R&D department manage overall activities then we can reduced employ-
ees from 50 to less than 20
13
1) Capable for attracting experts and knowledge workers
2) declining ineffectual face to face meetings-improving work environment-Reducing time of trips
14
After correct implementation and good training of users, the growth of company is about 6 from 10 (10 is excellent
and 0 is bad)
15 In my opinion it is impossible to work without such systems in the extremely mobile world we face these days.
16 Reduce unnecessary time waste and expedite product outcome
17 We demonstrate a positive annual trend in all factors important to us.
18
There is some effect but might be more effective while internal works are considered. In the case of international
cooperation it depends strongly on consortiums formed for project executions
5. The Effectiveness of Virtual R&D Teams in SMEs 113
sectors. Although several studies have been carried out
on the use of virtual R&D teams in large companies,
applications within SMEs remain undocumented. Hence,
future research should be focused on this gap and to
search for a virtual collaborative system for SMEs
which are dispersed geographically. Such a collaborative
system should virtually link SMEs to enable the
engaging members to focus on their specialized tasks as
well as share their knowledge and experience (information
resources). This will create agile manufacturing environments
and enterprises.
Table 4. Clustered theme and cluster extracted from
Table 3 (virtual team effectiveness).
No.
Cluster
Level 1
/Theme
Cluster Level 2
1
Reduced
R&D cost
and time
Cost saving, Time saving
Reduce time consumption
Faster product release
Reduced employees
Reducing time of trips
Reduce unnecessary time wastage
2
More effec-
tive R&D
Speeds up work progress
Great convenience
Facilitates decision-making
Assists the current workload
Improved performance
Virtual team system/tool is effective
Capable of attracting experts and
knowledge workers
3
Better out-
put
Enhances the flow of projects of a
company
Meets customer satisfaction
Increases performance
Improves work environment
Expedites product outcome
Demonstrates a positive annual trend
4
Increased
coordina-
tion
Brings us closer
Good connection between the entire
assets of organization
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