Kalinga Jagoda

Key issues in managing technology transfer projects

Purpose – This paper aims to explore and illustrate the technology transfer (TT) experiences of a small to medium‐sized enterprise (SME), Rayton Packaging, using the stage‐gate approach to TT as an inquiry lens.Design/methodology/approach – The approach described in this case conceptualizes TT as a process consisting of a set of stages and decision gates.Findings – A TT project cannot be considered to be effective unless it also leads to profitability and growth for the firm. In todays global business setting, TT should be seen only as a component of business strategy and not in isolation as a technology project.Originality/value – This paper describes the stage‐gate approach which has been successfully used for managing new product development programs in large firms.

A bottom‐up approach for productivity measurement and improvement

Purpose - The steady incline in oil prices combined with the recent credit crisis and downturns in financial markets has driven organizations to re-evaluate their manufacturing processes and bottom line. The purpose of this paper is to suggest a bottom-up approach that may be used by firms in planning, managing and forecasting productivity improvements. Design/methodology/approach - A multiple-case study approach was used: two comprehensive cases and seven short cases were used to illustrate the model. Findings - The lack of understanding of the relationship between productivity, profitability and performance has led to the application of piece-meal solutions for problems in productivity. Bottom-up approach in improving productivity will provide better results than top-down approach. Originality/value - This paper describes the bottom-up approach which has been successfully used for managing productivity improvement initiatives.

Effective management of international technology transfer projects: Insights from the Brazilian textile industry

Purpose – The Brazilian textile industry has been facing fierce competition from low-cost imports from China and other Far East countries. To maintain their competitiveness in the local market, Brazilian companies have been adopting the product differentiation strategy. By using new technologies, they are able to develop new products with better quality at lower costs. With regard to new technologies, companies in the Brazilian textile industry have been using get-some and buy-some strategy, and international technology transfer (TT) has become an important part of their business strategies. However, due to lack of planning, many projects failed to achieve the desired results. This paper aims to provide theoretical insights and practical guidance on how textile firms could use a stage-gate model to enhance the effectiveness of their TT projects. Design/methodology/approach – In order to investigate the TT practices in the Brazilian context, three issues are assessed. First, the paper evaluates the possibi...

Operations strategy processes and performance: insights from the contract apparel manufacturing industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the significance and dynamics of alternative operations strategy (OS) processes towards developing a more complete picture of the strategy process-context-performance nexus. The findings are based on the statistical analysis of empirical evidence drawn from the contract apparel manufacturing industry in a developing country. Design/methodology/approach – Using a structured questionnaire and the key-informant approach data were collected from 109 contract apparel manufacturing firms in Sri Lanka. Cluster analysis was used to identify alternative configurations of strategy process modes. Findings – The analyses confirmed that the existence of alternative forms of OS development is statistically significant and that the alternative configurations of strategy process modes tested can all lead to superior performance, under certain circumstances. Research limitations/implications – The generalizability of these findings to other industry sectors within developi...

Deer Creek Land Development (DCLD)

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe and analyse the experiences of a small business, Deer Creek Land Developments (DCLD), which has been very successful in negotiating the competitive pressures in a mature industry over time and has built sustainable competitive advantage. The firm has been quite successfully navigating the ups and downs of the market. The case provides an excellent example of how small businesses can open their business models to respond to changes in the external environment, such as an economic downturn, and/or simply to grow.Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a single case study approach. Detailed interviews of the owner and the manager were used to collect data for the case study.Findings – DCLDs success is found to be hinged on its ability to consistently enhance operational efficiencies, move to higher valuations by adopting an open business model that exploits core in‐house capabilities and those acquired through contractors and partner organizations.Prac...

Acquisition of additional debt capital by small and medium enterprises (SMEs): evidence from Canada

The purpose of this research was to investigate the availability and acquisition of additional debt capital by small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Newfoundland, to observe the constraints they encounter in securing debt capital, and to suggest measures to eliminate those constraints and enhance enterprise development. Data were collected from a sample of 79 SMEs that were operating in the area surrounding the city of Corner Brook, in Newfoundland. The findings indicated that a significant number of SMEs have experienced problems accessing debt financing, and the majority of firms rely on government as an alternative source of debt financing.

Developing social entrepreneurs through business curriculum: a Canadian experience

The authors propose a theoretical model suggesting that social entrepreneurial behaviours for business students may be developed through sequential exposure and experiential learning. It argues that by exposing students to CSR and sustainability in multiple functional classes, then enabling the development of creativity and innovation through projects with community organisations, that students will develop a predisposition to social entrepreneurship. Initial results indicate the leap to socially responsible actions is facilitated by coop terms whereby students create ventures, and that the students exhibit social entrepreneurship by creating ventures that require innovative solutions, while pursuing a social mission, with limited financing.

Alternative operations strategy processes: do they matter?

Abstract With the increasing significance of business model innovation, and due to the ongoing difficulties encountered in executing formally developed strategies, there is a strong case for studying the functional-level strategy processes from fresh perspectives. This paper examines the significance of alternative operations strategy (OS) processes and organisational context and explores how they relate to operations performance. The empirical evidence was drawn based on the statistical analysis of data collected through 242 survey responses from the senior management staff of the Canadian oil and gas industry. The evidence drawn from the empirical study confirmed that alternative forms of OS development do indeed exist in practice and that certain organisational factors have a direct influence on OS processes. The analysis discerned four strategy process configurations representing singular and multiple combinations of the three process modes identified through the literature review. The results explain the differences between these process configurations in terms of certain contextual factors and operations performance. The findings of this study help advance the understanding of OS processes and may contribute to theory building, particularly what is known as ‘mid-range’ theory, as the evidence was built through the analysis of a relatively large sample of data drawn from an industry sector that has not been reported on in previous studies.

Creating An Independent Music Business In Canada: A Case Study

The goal of this research is to contribute to a pragmatic knowledge of building a Canadian small business for an independent music artist who does not know where to start in creating a business. It is meant to be an initial guide for musicians planning to consider this form of business development, as opposed to signing with a label, or as a way to increase the likelihood of becoming noticed by a label. This research paper is initial and exploratory in nature.

A DEA approach for improving productivity of packaging production lines: a case study

The rapid changes in the competitive landscape forced the manufacturing companies find ways to improve the productivity of their production lines. As the results of one initiative are linked to the outcome of another initiative, combined effect of all initiatives should be carefully evaluated prior to their implantation. This paper discusses such a situation by using a case study from the Canadian packaging industry. Data envelopment analysis is used to evaluate three productivity improvement initiatives used by this company. The detailed analysis shows that doing all three options simultaneously provides the highest productivity.