Matthew H. Roy

An investigation of the status of the Malaysian construction industry

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to understand the production processes utilized by the Malaysian construction industry (MCI).Design/methodology/approach – The paper follows an earlier work published in this journal in which the authors analyze the global construction industry focusing on the evolution of lean production systems.Findings – The future of construction is exciting. International markets, innovations in technology, and techniques of construction project management, new relationships across disciplines are all avenues of development. To make the best use of their opportunities, the MCI must invest in research and development (R&D), undertake public education about the field and develop new methodologies to improve operational performance in construction.Originality/value – This paper provides a detailed analysis of the MCI, its impact on the economy, key success factors, struggles and problems that the industry currently faces. Analysis of key functional areas like operations management...

Critical success factors for successful implementation of enterprise resource planning systems in manufacturing organisations

This study examines the impact of the Critical Success Factors (CSFs) on the successful implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems in Malaysian manufacturing organisations. The ERP system is an integrated package of business software that enables companies to manage their resources efficiently (Nah, Zuckweiler and Lau, 2003). The effect of organisational resistance on the aforementioned relationship was also studied, along with user satisfaction and pre-determined goals to evaluate the degree of success of ERP system implementation. Top management involvement, business plans, vision, vendor support, change readiness, teamwork, team composition and communication were found to be critical factors to ensure a smooth introduction for successful ERP implementation. In addition, organisational resistance was found to moderate the relationship between CSFs and user satisfaction.

Analyzing the dynamics of the global construction industry: past, present and future

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the production processes utilized by the global construction industry.Design/methodology/approach – This paper discusses the history of the construction industry with a specific focus on the evolution of lean production systems (LPSs) that has a significant impact in reduction of waste in the light of operational performance. The paper proceeds through a comparison of the differences between construction and manufacturing processes.Findings – The construction industry consumes large amounts of natural resources along with wastage due to inefficient and improper utilization. Numerous factors contribute to this poor performance, but an efficient means of identification and reduction of waste has always been left aside. A fully integrated LPS is a way to eliminate much waste in the construction process.Originality/value – This paper has developed an instrument to measure degree of integration of LPS principles in the construction industry that can be used glo...

Small group communication and performance: do cognitive flexibility and context matter?

Global competition and its resultant product proliferation have left a multitude of organizations scrambling to deal with their oft‐chaotic environment. Many organizations have responded to the changing nature of international business by developing new cooperative forms (joint ventures, self‐managed work teams, virtual corporations, etc.). The success of these relatively new organizational forms depends on clear communication between co‐workers. However, business practitioners and theoreticians have insufficiently researched the question “How do we group people to improve communication and performance?” This study seeks to fill that void by analyzing therelationship between individual cognitive flexibility, cooperative context, and communication competence. Results show that groups comprising individuals with similar cognitive processes outperform diverse thinking groups. Additionally, collaborative exercises appear to be an important precursor to the establishment of perceptions of communication competence. Recommendations for managers include front loading activities with collaborative exercises and evaluating cognitive flexibility prior to assigning individuals to groups.

Benchmarking the human capital strategies of MNCs in Singapore

Singapore’s economic success has largely been fueled by foreign direct investment from multinational corporations (MNCs). These companies brought with them not only their capital and technology, but also their managerial prowess. The latter has been a key ingredient in propelling Singapore to its current economic success. New competition and rising costs are forcing local businesses to look for new strategies to succeed. One way is to benchmark the human capital strategies of MNCs. This study employs a survey of the human resource policies of both MNCs and promising Singaporean enterprises. The results show stark contrasts in the philosophical and practical applications of human resource strategies. Insights into Singapore’s human resource practices are uncovered and key success factors for promising local companies are discussed.

Using employee gainsharing plans to improve organizational effectiveness

Purpose – To introduce a conceptual model for increasing the likelihood that gainsharing plans will be successfully implemented.Design/methodology/approach – The literature on gainsharing plans is rich in descriptions of how individual cases were successful or unsuccessful owing to various situational variables. Research on the effects gainsharing plans have on organizational effectiveness is much needed. The present paper builds on current research by providing a general model of factors that determine whether a particular gainsharing effort will increase organizational effectiveness. A review of the empirical literature provides support for the model presented.Findings – Gainsharing can be an important and successful intervention for many organizations. The keys to success are involving all stakeholders in the development of the plan, developing an easy to understand formula for sharing gains, maintaining transparency, and ensuring that the plans goals are in line with the organizations goals.Original...

How employees learn about corporate strategy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to assess which communication channels are most frequently used by employees to gain corporate strategic information and the impact of seniority on communication channel chosen.Design/methodology/approach – A Saudi Arabian manufacturing company employing a wide range of both professionals and rank and file workers was used as the source of data. A total of 187 responses (85 per cent response rate) to an empirical questionnaire provided the data for analysis.Findings – There are indications that employees are not satisfied with what they currently know and are eager to learn more about strategic direction. Results also show that rich communication channels such as one‐on‐one dialog and group meetings are preferred to lean ones such as bulletin boards, memos, and newsletters. Finally, more experienced employees utilize a wider variety of communication channels in garnering strategic information.Research limitations/implications – Findings may not be generalizable to ot...

Performance measures and metrics for the creative economy

Purpose – Creativity is becoming one of the most powerful sources of competitive advantage in the modern economy. As more developed economies progress from the tertiary (or service-based) level to the quaternary (or knowledge-based) level, successful nurturing of creativity and innovation provides competitive advantages for industries and countries alike. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – Based on the extant literature, a set of performance measures and metrics for the creative economy is proposed. Findings – A conceptual framework for developing a creative economy is presented, and measures and metrics to be used as a managerial tool for controlling performance in creative economies are provided. Research limitations/implications – Although the measures and metrics presented are based on the best available research, they are not empirically tested. Thus, the measures and metrics must be considered speculative and descriptive research is needed to validate their utility...

Analyzing student satisfaction with instructional technology techniques

Corporate universities, higher educational institutions, and training professionals have been using instructional technology (IT) tools and techniques for years. Institutions spend heavily to constantly update their instructional resources, computer labs, and library holdings. Unfortunately, most institutions have not studied the effectiveness of these investments in terms of student satisfaction or learning outcomes. This empirical analysis of 215 student responses provides some insights into the effectiveness of various IT tools and techniques. The findings show that some tools are more effective than others in achieving student satisfaction and positive behavioral outcomes. This study may be useful as a pedagogical tool for instructors planning learning ventures or to justify technological expenditures at the administrative level.

An empirical analysis of favoritism during business training

There is a paucity of information on student perceptions of favoritism in a training setting. The purpose of this study is to explore specific individual, situational, and relationship variables associated with student perceptions of favoritism in the business classroom. Respondents were asked to react to a series of vignettes involving student‐initiated and trainer‐initiated comparisons. Other relationships analyzed include the correlation between student self‐esteem and favoritism, grade point average and perceived favoritism, etc. The study concludes with an assessment of the extent and magnitude of favoritism in the business classroom with recommendations for eliminating perceptions of partiality.