Kybernetes

Zhong, Zufeng; Duan, Yaoqing

doi: 10.1108/k-09-2017-0341pmid: N/A

The purpose of this paper is to study major influencing factors on public satisfaction with regard to information disclosure amid typhoon disasters. Internal latent variables, including disaster information quality, information disclosure channels and disaster perception levels, significantly affected the degree of public satisfaction, which was key factors in determining account consumer satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachBy conducting the questionnaire survey in typhoon-prone areas, 326 copies of the questionnaire about public satisfaction towards government information disclosure about typhoon were collected. An exponential model of satisfaction about information disclosure amid typhoon disasters was constructed and analyzed through the selection of latent variables, the hypotheses of the structural relationship and the establishment of measurable variables.FindingsDisaster information quality, disaster information disclosure channels and disaster perception levels were all positively correlated with the dimensions of information performance perception dimensions. Public expectations also made positive contributions to public satisfaction. These findings strongly support the hypothesis that public satisfaction affects the government image and public trust.Originality/valueWith the Leizhou Peninsula, China attacked by the typhoon disasters as an example, the SEM was adopted to simulate the routes and its feasibility and scientificity were validated. It is valuable to build and analyze an evaluation model based on a structural equation model underlying the public satisfaction towards information disclosure amid typhoon disasters.

Gunasekera, Vipula Sisirakumara; Chong, Siong-Choy

doi: 10.1108/k-10-2017-0378pmid: N/A

This paper aims to review the knowledge management (KM) processes, knowledge conversion modes and critical success factors (CSFs) and contextualise them to the construction setting to guide effective KM implementation.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is conceptual in nature. It begins with a review of issues faced by construction organisations, which led them to consider implementing KM. This is followed by a comprehensive review of KM processes, knowledge conversion modes, KM CSFs and their application to the construction industry.FindingsBased on the socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation (SECI) model, the knowledge conversion modes are discussed, linking them to the KM processes of knowledge creation, sharing, storage and application. The KM CSFs identified from construction literature suggest that they can be categorised into two groups, namely, factors within organisational control (managerial influence, technological influence and resource influence) and factors beyond organisational control (social influence, political influence, environmental influence, economic influence, industry influence and construction technology influence). The resulting review is discussed in terms of how construction organisations can implement KM effectively to achieve the desired project performance outcomes in terms of time, cost and quality.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough this paper has made some theoretical contributions, a quantitative analysis will further reinforce its value both in theory and practice, particularly in terms of applying the KM processes and CSFs to different organisational, industry and country settings. A quantitative research is being carried out in the major construction sector in Sri Lanka to establish the relationships between the KM processes, knowledge conversion modes and KM CSFs with project performance outcomes, which will be reported in a subsequent publication.Practical implicationsAs the construction industry uses a considerable number of knowledge workers, implementing KM for project planning and execution is the key to sustaining the growth of construction organisations and industry, particularly when KM implementation is linked to project performance outcomes. Practical implications are provided in terms of what successful KM implementation entails.Social implicationsEffective KM implementation can serve as a conduit for construction organisations to build capacity and develop the ability to react quickly to social challenges brought about by different stakeholders, even before the project commences, so that the project performance outcomes will not be affected. Another social implication is the role played by project team members, in which efforts have to be put in place to facilitate the use of KM processes, so that teams can align project activities to the general good of their organisations.Originality/valueA comprehensive KM framework that guides the construction industry on KM implementation is long overdue. This research represents the first of such attempts to view KM from a wider perspective, both in terms of internal and external influences affecting construction organisations. Once the conceptual framework developed is validated, it is expected to bring enormous benefits to different stakeholders.

Ghobakhloo, Morteza; Azar, Adel; Fathi, Masood

doi: 10.1108/k-09-2017-0343pmid: N/A

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the existing knowledge about the relationships between information technology (IT), lean manufacturing (LM), organizational environmental issues and business performance.Design/methodology/approachA questionnaire-based survey was conducted to collect data from 122 elite manufacturers, and the hypothesized relationships were tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling.FindingsIT competence in LM acts as a lower-order organizational capability, and its business value should be recognized through the intermediate roles of LM effectiveness and environmental management capability. Findings recommend that the net benefits of LM are mainly materialized through waste and pollution reduction and simplified implementation of proactive environmental practices.Research limitations/implicationsAmong other limitations, relying on a rather small sample size and cross-sectional data of this research, and lack of generalizability of findings, tends to have certain limitations. An interesting direction for future research would be to extend this research by assessing interaction of other types of IT resources with LM and organizational environmental issues.Practical implicationsBoth LM and proactive environmental management are information-intensive. Investment in both technological and human aspects of IT resource aimed at increasing the effectiveness of LM activities and proactive environmental practices is imperative for contemporary manufacturers.Originality/valueThis study introduces the IT capability of IT competence in LM and two organizational capabilities of LM effectiveness and environmental management capability. By doing so, the study highlights the significant role of organizational environmental issues in devising firms’ IT and advanced manufacturing technology investment strategies in LM context.

Bula, German Ulises; González, Sebastián Alejandro

doi: 10.1108/k-11-2017-0453pmid: N/A

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the role of academia in broader society. What is academia’s role beyond being a business and providing qualified professionals to other businesses? What kind of organization and ethos is consistent with academia’s proper role in society, considered as a higher-order cognitive system?Design/methodology/approachSociety as a whole is modeled as a viable system, with subsystems dedicated to self-production in the here and now (systems 1-3) and subsystems engaged in exploring the outside and future of the system and in consolidating an identity and an ethos (systems 4 and 5). The role, ethos and proper organization of academia are derived from this model and from cybernetic considerations on the proper architecture of system 4 and system 5 cognitive systems.FindingsTo fulfill its role as part of society’s system 4 and system 5, academia must include areas that are sometimes considered redundant or an expensive luxury, such as the humanities or basic research. The humanities must strive to catalyze broad community participation as part of their contribution to system 5 and must strive to produce bridge languages between communities and disciplines to increase the connectivity of the World Brain. The publish-or-perish ethos of academia must be replaced by an erotic spirituality, understood as desire for otherness.Originality/valueThis paper integrates broad philosophical considerations on the role of academia with the use of cybernetic models of viable systems and of distributed cognition, yielding practical guidelines for the organization of academia.

Altuntas, Serkan; Cinar, Omer; Kaynak, Selahattin

doi: 10.1108/k-10-2017-0380pmid: N/A

The purpose of this study is to find the relationships among advanced manufacturing technology (AMT), innovation, export and firm performance by using data obtained from 310 Turkish manufacturing firms.Design/methodology/approachA survey study was performed to obtain data from manufacturing firms. Multiple-item scales were adapted from the literature to conduct the survey in this study. Data were collected from five cities located in the Southeastern Anatolia Region in Turkey (Gaziantep, Adiyaman, Kilis, Diyarbakir and Sanliurfa). Structural equation modeling was utilized to investigate the relationships among AMT, innovation, export and firm performance in Turkish manufacturing firms operating in several industries. The direct and indirect relations between these variables are examined in the proposed conceptual model. In addition, the complex relations including in the proposed model are assessed in detail through the mediation analysis.FindingsSix of the proposed ten hypotheses related to manufacturers are validated by the empirical evidence from manufacturing companies in Turkey. Significant findings obtained in this study include the following: there are strong positive associations between the use of AMT and innovation and between export and firm performance. In addition, innovation mediates the relationship between AMT and firm performance and between AMT and export. Finally, export mediates the relationship between AMT and firm performance and between innovation and firm performance. It is expected that the results obtained from this empirical analysis will help decision makers and managers to construct a good technology and production management strategy for manufacturing systems.Originality/valueIn this study, a novel conceptual model is proposed to examine the relationships among AMT, innovation, export and firm performance via the use of survey responses from 310 Turkish manufacturing firms. To the authors’ best knowledge, this is the first study that proposes such a conceptual model in the literature.

Moe, Sverre; Kaivo-oja, Jari

doi: 10.1108/k-01-2018-0026pmid: N/A

The purpose of the paper is to present three different contributions to a general model theory which the authors think as relevant to systems research based on systems theory, cybernetics and constructivism. This also implies that the three contributions are shown to be of use both in the study of systems that operate by models, as well as in the practice of designing models.Design/methodology/approachThe text is conceptual and mainly of a descriptive and referring character. Besides the sections on the three contributions to a model theory, the authors have inserted sections that relate them to systems theory. This is also achieved by the help of some simple models.FindingsThe paper also points to models as important instruments in constructing and selecting information to observing systems, and the authors hope that the text can be helpful in developing better knowledge of how models work.Originality/valueThe text is about observing systems that observe by models, and that is probably a somewhat new perspective. It is hoped that the paper can be inspiring to further studies on this matter.

Perovic, Ðurdica; Moric, Ilija; Pekovic, Sanja; Stanovcic, Tatjana; Roblek, Vasja; Pejic Bach, Mirjana

doi: 10.1108/k-12-2017-0480pmid: N/A

Contemporary tourism product, in terms of its systemic understanding, consists of tangible and intangible elements. These two elements lead to the increase of tourist satisfaction in a way to provide tourism products and services that match tourist expectations. Finally, tourist satisfaction is considered as a key factor influencing repeat visit intention. In line with mentioned, this study aims to empirically test a model linking tangible and intangible elements, tourist satisfaction and revisit intention.Design/methodology/approachUsing data from the Montenegrin survey called Guest Survey 2010, structural equations modelling has been used to determine the impact of tangible and intangible constructs on tourist satisfaction and tourist repeat visit intention in Montenegro.FindingsWorking on a sample of 740 tourists, the results reveal that both tangible and intangible elements improve tourist satisfaction that influences tourist repeat visit intention. Noteworthy, the findings indicate that intangible elements have a stronger impact on tourist satisfaction than tangible elements have.Practical implicationsTangible and intangible elements as factors of satisfaction are analysed and evaluated so that they could be improved in a way that provides superior experience to tourists, which hopefully could result in repeat visitation that is considered as a tool for boosting destination competitiveness, thus indicating the need for the systemic approach to tourism management.Originality/valueThis paper extends earlier tourism research by empirically analysing separately both tangible and intangible elements and their association with repeat visitation that is mediated by the tourist satisfaction. Therefore, a more holistic approach relating the antecedents of tourist repeat visit intention is proposed.