Alan Simon

Adoption and diffusion in technology implementation: a supply chain study

A survey of 553 Australian companies was conducted for the purpose of determining some of the primary characteristics of organisations actively implementing supply chain management enabling technologies. Three groups of organisations were identified based on the extent to which these technologies and methods have been adopted and used in dealings with trading partners. These groups have been labelled “strategic”, “tactical” and “reactive”. the results clearly indicate that the “tactical” and “strategic” groups derive significantly greater business benefit from the use of the EAN (European article numbering) system, are more knowledgeable of the techniques and implications of use, and perceive implementation to deliver significantly greater benefits over time relative to the cost of implementation. There is a significant relationship recorded between company size, industry sector and the extent of implementation. This indicates that “strategic” implementers are more likely to be larger organisations in the retail or wholesale distribution sectors. Organisations implementing more extensively are more proactive in their planning, more focused on the need to change and realign processes, and more likely to be investing in supporting infrastructure rather than just technology. Between the “strategic” and “tactical” groups, there is also a clear indication that the “strategic” group perceive all of these outcomes to be central to the effective operations of their organisations. By contrast, the “reactive” group can be characterised as at best ambivalent, and at worst extremely negative about the techniques and methodologies, and the contribution of the system to potential and/or real business outcomes.

Clients' views on strategic capabilities which lead to management consulting success

This article summarises the findings of a study which canvassed clients’ views of strategic capabilities which lead to management consulting success. The survey was undertaken among 171 executives in the top 500 companies in Australia. The major elements that were investigated were the reasons for hiring the consultants and the strategic capabilities related to successful performance indicators as identified by clients. The findings show that the main reasons consultants are hired are insufficient in‐house expertise, independent/objective advice, gaining additional help/resources, insufficient manpower in‐house and quick resolution of issues. The top five strategic capabilities which clients identified as important to success, in order, were ability to listen to and comprehend the client, quality of service, client‐consultant communication, integrity and honesty and technical knowledge. All the strategic capabilities were related to one or more performance indicators. The top five performance indicators were achieving objectives agreed upon, customer/client satisfaction, timeliness of service delivery, recommendations actually implemented and achieving measurable results. Therefore the contemporary management consultant needs to be multi‐skilled and technically competent and, should have excellent people skills. Consultants also need to note that their view on what constitutes successful performance is not quite the same as that of their clients.

Strategic capabilities which lead to management consulting success in Australia

Reports the findings of a study which aimed to identify the strategic capabilities which lead to management consulting success. The study also aimed to find out what management consultants consider to be performance indicators of consulting success and whether these were related to the strategic capabilities. The research design for this study was a modified generative strategy. Several data collection methods, namely, interviews, content analysis and questionnaire surveys, were used to generate both quantitative and qualitative data. Twenty‐one strategic capabilities were identified. These were subsumed under the broad categories of (1) functions and (2) skills and values. The three most critical functions identified, in descending order, were quality of service, setting objectives and solving problems. The three most crucial skills/values were integrity and honesty, client‐consultant communication and credibility. Ten performance indicators were identified. Of these, the three most critical, as identifi...

Prioritised best practices in a ratified consulting services maturity model for ERP consulting

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors that lead to consulting success in the enterprise software environment and thereby develop a refined consulting services maturity (CSM) model which includes prioritised best practices grouped under eight key focus areas (KFAs).Design/methodology/approach – The research is conducted among Tier‐1 enterprise resource planning (ERP) vendors using interviews, focus group sessions, and a web survey. Based on the findings of the survey, the CSM model is improved, refined, and ultimately ratified by a number of experienced ERP sector practitioners.Findings – The fundamental basis of the CSM model is that an enterprise software company will be able to improve the maturity level of its consulting services operations by focusing on certain key areas and adopting prioritised best practices in each of the key areas. These key areas include leadership, values, consulting skills, consulting success factors, adaptability, project management practices, profitab...

An analysis of the impact of the first phase of South Africa's motor industry development programme (midp), 1995–2000

The South African motor vehicle industry is an important branch of the local manufacturing sector, contributing significantly to manufacturing value added and employment. Over the last decade, the local industry has undergone a series of policy reforms, and in recent years has increasingly been exposed to globalisation. This article reviews the role of government policy in shaping the industry, and examines the impact of the first phase of the Motor Industry Development Programme on the industry for the period 1995–2000 in respect of domestic production, automotive industry employment, export performance and the automotive trade balance. The article concludes that even though the industry registered strong export growth that contributed to improving the automotive trade deficit, it was deficient in sustaining domestic production and employment levels. The imminent challenge for the local industrys development is to maintain its export growth trajectory in the long term in the absence of costly government protective incentive mechanisms.

Strategic capabilities and their relationship to organisational success and its measures: Some pointers from five Australian studies

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to determine the strategic capabilities that are related to success in five disparate Australian industries.Design/methodology/approach – Five studies were conducted using a generative multi‐stage research approach in order to determine the capabilities that are related to success in the management consulting, advertising and IT industries, legal profession and top 500 listed companies.Findings – There is a clear commonality of capabilities across all studies. These are quality of service, particularly customer service; good leadership and vision, which encourages innovation and creativity; selection and retention of excellent staff with good technical skills; credibility, integrity and honesty; excellent differentiated product(s) or service(s); and adaptability and flexibility. In general the capabilities were significantly related to the organisational success measures.Research limitations/implications – The study could be extended to other Australian and internati...

A Focus on gender similarities in work experiences in senior management: a study of an Australian bank builds the case

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to propose a shift in emphasis from gender differences to gender similarities in the explanations of the findings of future gender in management research. The results from a study in a major Australian bank help build the case. Such a focus on gender similarities (FGS) hopefully will bring about positive organizational change that might stimulate an increase in womens representation in senior management in the future.Design/methodology/approach – To make a case for the proposed FGS approach the paper uses results from a survey of 178 senior managers and interviews with 14 executives in one Australian bank. The paper draws on the masculine culture and organizational silence literatures to explain how women and men in senior management can have similar work experiences and hold similar views of their organizations.Findings – The paper finds that male and female respondents held similarly unfavorable views of the organizations culture, but men felt constrained in rais...

Store owner's reactions to a corporation's takeover of a shopping centre in an Australian city

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the effect that the acquisition of a shopping centre by a corporation had on individual retailers in the complex. It examines how imposed directive change impacted on the internal customers, namely the retailers operating within the shopping centre.Design/methodology/approach – Four methods are used to procure the data, namely, observations, content analysis, interviewing and a questionnaire survey.Findings – Key findings are that the majority of retailers feel that the nature of the change is transitional or transformational, are negative about it and many do not resist it because they feel helpless to do so. However, some resistance to the acquisition, cynicism and rumours about it, are present. Retailers feel that communication, education, participation and negotiation would help to reduce these negative reactions to change.Practical implications – To improve the outcome of a similar acquisition in the future, The paper recommends extensive consultation...

THE RELATIONSHIP OF HYGIENE, MOTIVATOR AND PROFESSIONAL STRATEGIC CAPABILITIES TO THE PERFORMANCE OF AUSTRALIAN MUSIC FESTIVAL EVENT MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS

The Australian music festival event management (AMFEM) industry is situated in a highly competitive industry and dynamic environment. Thus, the purpose of this article is to explain if and how Motivator, Hygiene, and Professional (MHP) strategic capabilities (SCs) are positively associated with the performance of AMFEM companies. A mixed-methods research design comprising a case study of a Western Australian event management company and 12 in-depth interviews with, and a questionnaire survey of, a sample of AMFEM organizations was used to develop and test our proposed MHP model. Fifteen SCs were identified from the academic literature and qualitative research, which were used to construct and measure the variables in the MHP model. The questionnaire survey (sent by e-mail/post to 238 organizations, of which 48 responses were usable) canvassed opinions about the relationships between the MHP SCs and the performance of AMFEM organizations. It was found that all the SCs were related to AMFEM performance; however, only Motivator and Hygiene groupings of strategic capabilities were directly related to organizational performance, while grouped Professional strategic capabilities were indirectly related. Overall, the participants and respondents validated the MHP model. Therefore, managers of events organizations should develop Motivator and Hygiene SCs first and foremost for increased performance of their companies. They should also engage distinguished artists and direct careful attention to planning, customer satisfaction, and innovation in order to ensure a successful outcome. Our findings add to the festival event management literature by demonstrating the importance of Motivator, Hygiene, and additional Professional SCs for the successful performance of music festival event management organizations. All three groups were found to play important, though not equal roles.

Towards an adapted MHP strategic capabilities model for moderating challenges to quality music festival management

Purpose The music festival industry is challenged by intense competition and financial exigency. As a result, many festivals have either folded or are currently struggling. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to show that motivator-hygiene-professional (MHP) strategic capabilities (SCs) are positively associated with quality music festival management thereby providing a playbook for potentially mitigating these challenges. Design/methodology/approach The mixed methods research design comprised a case study of a leading event management company as well as nation-wide in-depth interviews and questionnaire survey. The authors initially confirmed the nature of the challenges to the industry from the case study and the in-depth interviews. The authors then developed an MHP Model of 15 SCs that were identified from the literature and the qualitative research. The relationship of the MHP SCs model to quality music festival management was tested in the questionnaire survey. Findings The respondents suggested that all the SCs were related to quality music festival management. However, Professional SCs were considered comparatively less important than motivator and hygiene SCs. Across all three groups, interviewees highlighted the significance of artists, site and operational planning, financial and stakeholder management and ticket pricing. In addition, careful planning, delegation and quality focus, problem solving, resolve and flexibility, leadership and vision, communication and innovation were considered conducive to the quality management of music festival organisations. Practical implications The MHP SCs model and dimensions of quality management offer music festival event managers a detailed practical playbook for moderating challenges to music festival management. In essence the authors provide the specific drivers that festival managers should best focus their attention upon. Visionary leadership, artist differentiation, innovation, customer service and flexible management have priority. Originality/value The findings add to the festival management literature by demonstrating the importance of motivator, hygiene and additional professional SCs for moderating challenges to the music festival industry. To the best of authors’ knowledge, no previous studies have directly investigated specific SCs critical for quality event and festival management. In particular, the academic significance of this paper is that the authors have combined Herzberg’s motivator and hygiene factors with SCs, which are in essence success drivers, to create a novel holistic MHP SCs model for quality music festival management. Further explanatory insight is gained by the addition of a third factor of professional SCs.