E. James Flynn

Empirical research methods in operations management

Abstract This paper discusses the need for more research in operations management which is based on data from the real world. Tying operations management theory in with practice has been called for over a long period of time, however, many P/OM researchers do not have a strong foundation in gathering and using empirical data. This paper provides a starting point that encourages operations management researchers to use empirical data and provides a systematic approach for conducting empirical studies. Empirical research can be used to document the state of the art in operations management, as well as to provide a baseline for longitudinal studies. It can also be invaluable in the development of parameters and distributions for mathematical and simulation modeling studies. A very important use for empirical data is in theory building and verification, topics which are virtually ignored in most P/OM research. Operations management researchers may be reluctant to undertake empirical research, due to its cost, both in dollars and time and the relative risk involved. Because empirical research may be considered “soft,” compared with mathematical modeling, it may be perceived as risky. This paper attempts to provide a foundation of knowledge about empirical research, in order to minimize the risks to researchers. It also provides a discussion of analytical techniques and examples of extremely rigorous empirical P/OM research. Although operations management researchers may not recognize it, all research is based on theory. The initial step in conducting empirical research deals with articulating the theoretical foundation for the study. It also includes determining whether the problem under investigation involves theory building or theory verification. In the second step, a research design should be selected. Although surveys are fairly common in empirical P/OM research, a number of other designs, including single and multiple case studies, panel studies and focus groups, may also be used, depending on the problem being studied. Third, a data collection method should be selected. One method, or a combination of several data collection methods, should be used in conjunction with the research design. These include historical archive analysis, participant observation, outside observation, interviews, questionnaires and content analysis. The implementation stage involves actually gathering the data. This section of the paper focuses on using questionnaires as the method of data analysis, although some of the concepts discussed may be applicable to other data collection methods, as well. A brief overview of data analysis methods is given, along with documentation of the types of data analysis which have been used in various types of empirical research conducted by operations management researchers over the past ten years. Potential outlets for publication of empirical P/OM research are discussed and their history of publishing such research is documented. Underlying every step of the process are considerations of reliability and validity. Conducting empirical research without considering its reliability and validity is pointless, because the researcher will not be able to generalize from the results. This should be considered in each of the four stages listed in the approach described above. A number of conclusions are discussed. These include the need for more empirical research and the need for P/OM researchers to become more critical readers of the empirical research done by others. Colleagues in the social sciences can be a valuable source of information about conducting empirical research. Industry contacts can be useful, as well, in pilot testing, finding industry sites and determining consensus on the definition of terms. Finally, researchers in operations management need to be more aware of the theory which underlies their work. Empirical research can be highly useful in both theory building and theory verification.

World-class manufacturing project: Overview and selected results

A number of authors have used terms such as “world‐class manufacturing”, “high performance manufacturing” and others to describe comprehensive approaches to manufacturing performance improvement. They have broken new ground by introducing the notion of broad, organization‐wide improvement approaches, involving many complex interrelationships. However, testing the associated relationships is just beginning. The WCM Project seeks to articulate the practices which are associated with world‐class manufacturing and their interrelationships. In this attempt, a number of studies have been conducted, using the comprehensive database developed for the project. Provides a detailed examination of the development and verification of the database, which contains perceptual and objective information about quality, JIT, technology, strategy, organization characteristics and human resource management practices of 42 plants in the machinery, electronics and transportation components industries. It also provides a brief overview of three of the studies conducted as part of this project, dealing with: manufacturing process innovation; the relationship between quality practices and performance; and the relationship between TQM and JIT. Each of these highlights specific practices which are related to performance, as well as relevant infrastructure characteristics.

The linkage among management systems, practices and behaviour in successful manufacturing strategy

Examines the role and influence of management systems, practices and behaviour in successful manufacturing strategy, based on the development of manufacturing strategy into a comprehensive concept which contains three paradigms: manufacturing as a source of competitive advantage, that the choices of manufacturing processes and other related characteristics are contingent on one another, and there is a relationship between best practice and performance. The study employed a survey of 46 Japanese factories in the machinery, electronics and automotive industries, with 26 people in each factory. The factories were examined on how closely they used “best practices” management. In addition, factor analysis, cluster analysis, t‐tests on differences between the groups and correlations among clusters, practices and performance were conducted. The results supported the study’s three hypotheses: factories report different levels of use of the best practices; best practices are linked into certain sets of practices; and the use of best practices is related to performance. The discussion and conclusions address these findings and are used to offer support for Voss’s recent claim that manufacturing strategy should be considered “a continuous loop” among the three paradigms of manufacturing strategy.

Japanese plants in the U.S.: How good are they?

According to this study, Japanese transplants may be good, but they are not invincible. I L L the United States (Japanese transplants) superior to U.S.owned plants? Many people today would say yes to this question, but we say no-not necessarily! Those who argue in favor of their superiority point to the highquality products, lower costs, and market success of the Japanese. Some argue that the success of Japanese-owned plants is based on their use of “Japanese management practices.” The question of whether they really are superior to U.S. plants, however, has not been systematically examined. To do this, we 1 A re Japanese plants located in

Supporting strategic information needs: an empirical assessment of some organizational factors

Abstract This study examines the direct and indirect impact of organizational context factors (strategy and environment) on the emphasis placed by firms on strategic information support. Data from a questionnaire survey of 167 banking institutions in mid-Western USA are used; analysis of the results shows that firms adopting marketing and service differentiation strategies place greater emphasis on strategic information. Results also indicate that firms facing diverse and volatile environments perceive a greater need for strategic information than firms facing less dynamic ones. Additionally, an analysis of indirect effects suggests that a firms environment influences its choice of competitive strategy, which, in turn, affects the emphasis placed on strategic information support.

Performance implications of congruence between product-market strategy and marketing structure: an exploratory investigation

This study examines the performance implications of fit between the product-market strategy of a firm and its structure. The theoretical fit relationships between strategy and structure are developed on the basis of the Miles and Snow strategy framework (Organizational Strategy, Structure and Process. New York: McGraw Hill, Inc.) The study utilizes a novel measurement procedure that not only evaluates the match of several organizational structure elements for a given strategy, but also allows for aggregation of these matches. The procedure involves development of measurement scales that help identify the strategic orientation of a firm on each of its structural elements. Using a sample of 148 firms from the banking industry, the study provides evidence for the impact of strategy-structure fit on firm performance.