Ricardo Santa

Organisational learning as an antecedent of technology transfer and new product development: A study of manufacturing firms in Malaysia

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of organisational learning (comprising absorptive capacity, nature and type of alliances and learning environment) through strategic technology alliances on technology transfer and new product development. The paper is based on a larger research on alliances in the Malaysian manufacturing industry.Design/methodology/approach – The antecedents and outcomes of organisational learning were tested using structural equation modelling, based on data collected from 335 organisations through an online survey questionnaire.Findings – The findings depict that absorptive capacity, nature and type of alliances and learning environment significantly affect technology transfer in Malaysian manufacturers, but not necessarily new product development simultaneously. Nevertheless, the results establish technology transfer as an effective means for building innovative capabilities in developing new products. This is imperative for attaining Malaysias current g...

Contribution of cross‐functional teams to the improvement in operational performance

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the role of cross-functional teams in the alignment between system effectiveness and operational effectiveness after the implementation of enterprise information systems (EIS). In addition, it aims to explore the contribution of cross-functional teams to improvement in operational performance. ---------- Design/methodology/approach: The research uses a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, in a two-stage methodological approach, to investigate the influence of cross-functional teams on the alignment between system effectiveness and operational effectiveness and the impact of the stated alignment on the improvement in operational performance. ---------- Findings: Initial findings suggest that factors stemming from system effectiveness and the performance objectives stemming from operational effectiveness are important and significantly well correlated factors that promote the alignment between the effectiveness of technological implementation and the effectiveness of operations. In addition, confirmatory factor analysis has been used to find the structural relationships and provide explanations for the stated alignment and the contribution of cross-functional teams to the improvement in operational performance. ---------- Research limitations/implications: The principal limitation of this study is its small sample size. ---------- Practical implications: Cross-functional teams have been used by many organisations as a way of involving expertise from different functional areas in the implementation of innovative technologies. An appropriate use of the dimensions that emerged from this research, in the context of cross-functional teams, will assist organisations to properly utilise cross-functional teams with the aim of improving operational performance. ---------- Originality/value: The paper presents a new approach to measure the effectiveness of EIS implementation by adding new dimensions to measure it.

Technological innovation and operational effectiveness: their role in achieving performance improvements

The purpose of this article is to examine the role of the alignment between technological innovation effectiveness and operational effectiveness after the implementation of enterprise information systems, and the impact of this alignment on the improvement in operational performance. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine structural relationships between the set of observed variables and the set of continuous latent variables. The findings from this research suggest that the dimensions stemming from technological innovation effectiveness such as system quality, information quality, service quality, user satisfaction and the performance objectives stemming from operational effectiveness such as cost, quality, reliability, flexibility and speed are important and significantly well-correlated factors. These factors promote the alignment between technological innovation effectiveness and operational effectiveness and should be the focus for managers in achieving effective implementation of technological innovations. In addition, there is a significant and direct influence of this alignment on the improvement of operational performance. The principal limitation of this study is that the findings are based on investigation of small sample size.

Strategic supply chain management factors influencing agribusiness innovation utilization

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine empirically, an industry development paradox, using embryonic literature in the area of strategic supply chain management, together with innovation management literature. This study seeks to understand how, forming strategic supply chain relationships, and developing strategic supply chain capability, influences beneficial supply chain outcomes expected from utilizing industry-led innovation, in the form of electronic business solutions using the internet, in the Australian beef industry. Findings should add valuable insights to both academics and practitioners in the fields of supply chain innovation management and strategic supply chain management, and expand knowledge to current literature. Design/methodology/approach – This is a quantitative study comparing innovative and non-innovative supply chain operatives in the Australian beef industry, through factor analysis and structural equation modeling using PAWS Statistical V18 and AMOS V18 to analyze survey data from 412 respondents from the Australian beef supply chain. Findings – Key findings are that both innovative and non-innovative supply chain operators attribute supply chain synchronization as only a minor indicator of strategic supply chain capability, contrary to the literature; and they also indicate strategic supply chain capability has a minor influence in achieving beneficial outcomes from utilizing industry-led innovation. These results suggest a lack of coordination between supply chain operatives in the industry. They also suggest a lack of understanding of the benefits of developing a strategic supply chain management competence, particularly in relation to innovation agendas, and provides valuable insights as to why an industry paradox exists in terms of the level of investment in industry-led innovation, vs the level of corresponding benefit achieved. Research limitations/implications – Results are not generalized due to the single agribusiness industry studied and the single research method employed. However, this provides opportunity for further agribusiness studies in this area and also studies using alternate methods, such as qualitative, in-depth analysis of these factors and their relationships, which may confirm results or produce different results. Further, this study empirically extends existing theoretical contributions and insights into the roles of strategic supply chain management and innovation management in improving supply chain and ultimately industry performance while providing practical insights to supply chain practitioners in this and other similar agribusiness industries. Practical implications – These findings confirm results from a 2007 research (Ketchen et al., 2007) which suggests supply chain practice and teachings need to take a strategic direction in the twenty-first century. To date, competence in supply chain management has built up from functional and process orientations rather than from a strategic perspective. This study confirms that there is a need for more generalists that can integrate with various disciplines, particularly those who can understand and implement strategic supply chain management. Social implications – Possible social implications accrue through the development of responsible government policy in terms of industry supply chains. Strategic supply chain management and supply chain innovation management have impacts to the social fabric of nations through the sustainability of their industries, especially agribusiness industries which deal with food safety and security. If supply chains are now the competitive weapon of nations then funding innovation and managing their supply chain competitiveness in global markets requires a strategic approach from everyone, not just the industry participants. Originality/value – This is original empirical research, seeking to add value to embryonic and important developing literature concerned with adopting a strategic approach to supply chain management. It also seeks to add to existing literature in the area of innovation management, particularly through greater understanding of the implications of nations developing industry-wide, industry-led innovation agendas, and their ramifications to industry supply chains.

System and operational effectiveness alignment: The case of e-government in Saudi Arabia

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of the alignment between technological innovation effectiveness and operational effectiveness after the implementation of e-government applications in the government sector in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Quantitative data was gathered through a survey instrument in government organizations that have recently implemented e-government systems. The preliminary findings from the hypothesised theoretical model as results of the application of structural equation modelling suggest that there is no predictive relationship of the user satisfaction dimension on operational effectiveness. However, there is a significant predictive relationship of the qualities of the system, information and service on operational effectiveness. Another important finding of this research is that the quality of the system and the quality of information have no impact on user satisfaction. However, the quality of service scored the highest and had significant impact on user satisfaction.

The role of trust in e-Government effectiveness, operational effectiveness and user satisfaction: Lessons from Saudi Arabia in e-G2B

Abstract Electronic government (e-Government) systems are becoming an essential strategic tool in the delivery of e-Government-to-Business services (e-G2B). The purpose of this research is to explore direct and indirect effects of trust in online services on the satisfaction of the e-Government service users and other perceptions such as e-G2B system effectiveness and the operational effectiveness of organizations. Based on a sample of e-G2B service users from Saudi Arabia, our preliminary findings suggest that the effects of trust on user satisfaction are mediated by e-G2B system effectiveness measures (e.g., System Quality, Service Quality, and Information Quality) and by operational effectiveness. In addition, we find that operational effectiveness and information quality are the most important drivers of user satisfaction. In contrast to previous research, our results show a negative relationship between trust in online services and service quality and suggest that this finding may have important implications for theory and practice.

Is the Strategic Role of Large-Scale Information Systems an Essential Part of Quantitative Evaluation Process?

The purpose of this paper is trying to gain a better understanding of the role of strategies in the quantitative evaluation process of large-scale information systems and in the alignment between system effectiveness and operational effectiveness. Also, we explores the contribution of strategies to the improvement of operational performance after the implementation of large-scale systems. We uses the results of a survey in the service sector to investigate the stated issue. Initial findings from factor analysis indicated that dimensions such as quality of information and quality of the service stemming from system effectiveness, and performance objectives such as quality and speed stemming from operational effectiveness are important to quantitative evaluation of large-scale systems, and significantly well correlated factors that promote the alignment between system effectiveness and operational effectiveness. Multiple regression analysis provides an explanation of the role of strategy, in aligning large-scale information systems and operational effectiveness and their influence on the improvement of operational performance.

The impact of cross-functional teams on operational performance after the implementation of intelligent information systems

This study examines cross-functional teams and their impact in line with operational performance and system effectiveness after the implementation of intelligent information and retrieval systems in organisations. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the structural relationships and look for the phenomenon of cross-functional teams, operational effectiveness, and system effectiveness in the betterment of operational performance. Preliminary findings suggest that the quality and speed from operational effectiveness and the quality of information and quality of the services from systems effectiveness are the two key factors for cross-functional teams to enhance operational performance.