Nick Yip

An Extended Fuzzy-AHP Approach for the Evaluation of Green Product Designs

Environmental concerns, from consumers, governments, and academics, have encouraged businesses to incorporate more environmentally conscious designs in their new product development. However, selection of the best green design is a decision-making process that is not easy to address. Life cycle assessment (LCA) is a popular and comprehensive tool to accomplish the objective. Nevertheless, LCA is a time-consuming process that requires substantial resources and expertise. This research proposes an innovative approach to performing structured LCA in conjunction with the concept known as fuzzy analytical hierarchical process. In doing so, some of the disadvantages of LCA can be remedied and this provides a practical tool for performing LCA.

Eight challenges of servitisation for the configuration, measurement and management of organisations

Purpose There is an extensive research literature on servitisation and the related field of product-service systems that has emerged independently from different fields including engineering, management, design and environmental studies. The purpose of this paper is to conduct a structured literature review to explore, identify and synthesise the multi-disciplinary research challenges in the journey towards servitisation. Design/methodology/approach The research approach is a systematic literature review using key word searches and citation tracking for research reported between 1990 and 2013 in research databases that cover the fields which have generated the body of knowledge. Findings One of the key findings from the extant literature on servitisation is that it suffers from three fundamental weaknesses. First, numerous studies are conceptual in nature with limited practicality. Second, there are relatively few empirical studies, and often the findings relate to a single case study based on the insights of a limited number of senior managers. Third, often the dynamics are insufficiently studied in these organisations because data for most cases are collected post-event. Research limitations/implications Based on the literature review and its shortfalls, this paper proposes a holistic framework of eight themes that require further attention from academic researchers in order that a more complete conceptual understanding of servitisation is developed to support practice. Practical implications Each theme in the framework has an associated list of questions that can be addressed through research and presented to managers as a challenge agenda to improve their servitisation efforts. That servitisation is associated with differentiation and competitive advantage makes this a valuable approach for managing corporate performance. Originality/value Research from multi-disciplinary sources is synergised in order to develop an overarching servitisation agenda that transcends domain-based boundaries. This paves the way for an approach to servitisation that is coherent and harmonious.

Mechanism design in an integrated approach towards revenue management: the case of Empress Cruise Lines

This paper investigates an integrated form of revenue management through the case of Empress Cruise Lines (ECL). The case highlights a multidisciplinary approach towards how demand and supply factors should be integrated in the form of four decision sets in revenue management decisions – the value set, the segmentation set, the sensitivity set and the forecasting/allocation set. Also, the use of mechanism design allows the firm to separate markets for better forecasting of revenue from each segment. The case also shows that segments could be incentivized to behave differently, and to behave in alignment with ECLs policies so that capacity could be optimally allocated and revenue maximized.

The long-term impact of engaged scholarship: how do SMEs capitalise on their engagement with academics to explore new opportunities?

We investigate whether – and how – small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are able to capitalise on their engagement with academics in order to explore new opportunities beyond the achievement of the immediate objectives of their collaboration. Using empirical evidence drawn from academic–SME collaborations supported by the Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme in the United Kingdom, we find that for many SMEs, engagement with academics has led to new business opportunities, including new market creation, new project engagement, new venture creation and new strategic network development. The exploration of new business opportunities is facilitated when three overarching factors are present: (1) a capable boundary spanner, who creates bridges within the SME and between the SME and the university, and gains an in-depth knowledge of the collaboration’s content; (2) a committed SME leadership willing to allocate resources and permissions to the collaboration, and encouraging an open flow of communication; (2) a strong relationship, characterised by trust and cognitive proximity, between the collaboration’s partners, who engage in open discussions and acknowledge and respect their different roles and responsibilities. These findings offer suggestions to SMEs, universities and policymakers in relation to improving the generation of long-term impacts on SMEs through engaged scholarship.

Does Change of Cultural Environment Change Attitudes toward e-Commerce? New Research Method Investigating the Effect of Culture on e-Commerce Acceptance

Nowadays it seems that businesses have no other choice but to incorporate the e-commerce platform into their business operations if they wish to have unrestricted access to beyond national borders markets. Before they will do so they have to be careful as researchers revealed that due to culture and its effect on attitudes towards e-commerce some consumers willingly participate in online shopping environment while others seem to reject this convenient form of shopping. In the present-day global economy however, world researchers cannot follow traditional approaches and definitions of culture; instead they have to recognise many new multicultural aspects and dimensions and the effects of these on consumer processes. Consumers and their attitudes it seems are not only influenced these days by their native culture, but also by the culture where they temporarily reside. Therefore researchers are driven to provide comprehensive solutions to the challenges raised by globalisation, and to illustrate advanced research methods of cultural influences on behaviour. Hence, by investigating whether any change of cultural environment results in a change of consumer attitudes towards e-commerce, this research project aims to offer a fresh approach and method, which might guide and inform us in the face of such emerging challenges.

E-commerce Platform Acceptance: Suppliers, Retailers, and Consumers

This book aims to offer a comprehensive overview of the issues facing organizations when deciding whether to accept e-commerce as a platform for business. It provides a detailed evaluation of how the implementation of e-commerce may affect all parties within the supply chain: suppliers, retailers and consumers. It also compares various opportunities and threats of accepting e-commerce in order to conclude whether it might offer access to a new digital era, or whether it is an uncertain option yielding potential pitfalls. This book helps to reveal existing and future consequences of e-commerce acceptance, which are crucial for business decisions and operations in the present and going forward. It therefore provides a unique insight into emerging e-commerce platform acceptance and is one of the first to provide a holistic perspective of how each party in the supply chain is affectedby e-commerce acceptance. E-commerce is bringing into view more flexible, effective and efficient ways of conducting business activities among suppliers, retailers and consumers. It is not limited to time and space and therefore this digital platform has already established for itself a major role in todays world economy. Despite promised benefits however, threats emerge which need to be faced when turning to the virtual marketplace - all of which have to be acknowledged before businesses will shift and adapt to the e-commerce platform. This book is intended for postgraduate students, executive MBA students and researchers interested in information management, marketing and operations management.