Jane Goodyer

An approach to the EuP directive and the application of the economic eco-design for complex products

Current changes in European Union legislation forces design engineers to incorporate sustainable thinking, environmental protection and eco-design into their design considerations. Many companies are concerned that integrating the eco-design principle into their product design process could result in increasing product cost and a loss of their competitive edge. Within this paper recent and possible future developments of the ‘eco-design of energy using products’ (EuP) Directive are discussed as well as the effects this has on companies. The main outcome of this research is the development of a design decision methodology that helps the design engineer of complex products to apply the eco-design principles without a trade-off on economic issues. The paper explains how the framework takes into account the product hierarchy and supports changes to the product design. Furthermore the paper presents an example of how the basics of the methodology are applied to a small household item.

Exploring Lean deployment in New Zealand apple pack-houses

Purpose – This paper aims to present findings from a research project that investigated the suitability of Lean in a seasonal horticultural setting, specifically the New Zealand (NZ) apple and pear (pipfruit) industry. The paper focusses on improvements made while deploying Lean elements in several apple pack-houses. Design/methodology/approach – The literature review discusses how common theoretical Lean themes are not industry or contextually bound and may be transferable to other industries. An industry-wide survey assesses the current state of knowledge and Lean deployment within the industry using a unique “single-question-per-day” approach. Two case studies and one action research study are used to obtain rich data from organisations that have implemented Lean in recent times. Reliability and validity is achieved by selecting representative samples, using a case study protocol, a single researcher for consistency, participant verification, multiple sources of evidence within cases and replication lo...

Learning organisation in Malaysian manufacturing companies

This paper presents an empirical study of the learning organisation culture in Malaysian manufacturing companies. A survey, called the Dimensions of Learning Organisation Questionnaire (DLOQ), was used to collect data from employees of selected manufacturing companies. The data were analysed to assess the reliability and validity of the score of the DLOQ. The data were also analysed to determine the differences between large and small/medium (SME) sized companies with respect to the presence of a learning organisation-oriented culture. Results of the analysis indicated that the DLOQ is valid for measuring the learning organisation culture in the Malaysian manufacturing context. The results also suggest that Malaysian companies can use the DLOQ to assess their learning culture as part of operations management analysis before embarking on any organisational changes or improvements. Finally, it was found that the presence of a learning organisation culture was more prevalent within large companies than within SME.

Professional Practice and Design: Key Components in Curriculum Design

This paper describes the development of a new engineering curriculum at Massey University. The new curriculum is an innovative approach to engineering education in New Zealand and will be a point of difference from other providers of engineering qualifications. A comprehensive curriculum architecture has been developed around a project based spine allowing appropriate technical disciplinary linkages to be made through design and build activities and where professional skills are emphasised. Active learning experiences are developed throughout the integrated curricula. The CDIO Standards are used as a benchmark for this new curriculum and provides an opportunity for reflection and improvement. Through an effective redesign it is envisioned that the new degree will be attractive to prospective students, will enable more engagement and retention during their education and will produce graduates that are highly sought after by industry.

Sustaining lean in SMEs: key findings from a 10-year study involving New Zealand manufacturers

Productivity growth is an on-going challenge facing New Zealand’s (NZ) manufacturing sector. To help boost productivity, the Government attempted to implement lean through a targeted investment programme. We evaluate the effectiveness and success of this strategy, with reference to a sample of small to medium-sized manufacturers. Using the Sustainable Lean Iceberg Model [Hines, P. (2010). How to create and sustain a lean culture. Development and Learning in Organizations: An International Journal, 24(6), doi:10.1108/dlo.2010.08124fad.0072010] as a theoretical basis, we developed a case study protocol based around key constructs for sustainability of lean, and tested this using a sample of 20 manufacturers that had been part of the Government lean programme. Data were collected at two points in time; at least two, and at least eight years after the initial lean implementation. In the second round, we found that lean was being sustained in only one of the organisations as per our prediction following the first round. Two were attempting to sustain, and two were attempting to ‘re-implement’ lean. Four had abandoned lean altogether, and several had gone out of business entirely. Our study reinforces the vital importance of ‘strategy and alignment’, ‘leadership’ and ‘behaviour and engagement’. The tendency to focus on ‘quick win’ implementations of tools and techniques does not create the necessary cultural shift to permit sustainable lean.

Learning organization in New Zealand and Malaysian manufacturing companies

This paper presents a comparison between learning organization culture in New Zealand and Malaysian manufacturing companies. Learning organization was measured by using Watkins and Marsicks Dimension of Learning Organisation Questionnaire (DLOQ) survey questionnaire. The collected data were analysed to assess the reliability and validity of the measurement score of the DLOQ. The data were further analysed so as to determine the differences between New Zealand and Malaysian companies with respect to the presence of a learning organisation-oriented culture. Results of the analysis show that DLOQ are equally reliable and valid in both New Zealand and Malaysian manufacturing context. It was also found that there are significant differences between New Zealand and Malaysia in several dimensions of learning organisation; namely team learning, dialogue inquiry and empowerment. The differences may be attributed to cultural differences between New Zealand and Malaysia.