Richard A. Reid

Software Piracy: Is It Related to Level of Moral Judgment?

The possible relationship between widespread unauthorized copying of microcomputer software (also known as software piracy) and level of moral judgment is examined through analysis of over 350 survey questionnaires that included the Defining Issues Test as a measure of moral development. It is hypothesized that the higher ones level of moral judgment, the less likely that one will approve of or engage in unauthorized copying. Analysis of the data indicate a high level of tolerance toward unauthorized copying and limited support for the hypothesis. The most plausible explanation for these findings is that software copying is perceived as an issue of low moral intensity. This study calls into question the software industrys strategy of concentrating exclusively on institutional compliance with copyright rules, rather than working to raise the perceived moral intensity about software piracy at the individual level. As long as the issue remains low in moral intensity, the industry cannot expect significant shifts in copying behaviors. Individuals must become more aware of and concerned about the nature and magnitude of harm to society and to the rightful copyright owners from unauthorized copying before their attitudes and behaviors come to reflect higher levels of moral judgment.

Productivity and quality improvement: an implementation framework

Most managers realise that their success is directly related to effective and continual implementation of process improvements in their organisations. A major managerial problem has been the inability to successfully implement change in many firms. Research shows that the effective application of team-oriented and data-focused total quality (TQ) improvement tools is not sufficient to assure the efficacious implementation of change. Nor were teams that utilised solely the logic tools of the theory of constraints (TOC) totally successful in implementing change in their organisations. Firms were more likely to achieve their improvement goals when they used a structured and repeatable method, rather than an ad hoc approach, for continuous improvement (CI). Viewing the situation from an operations management perspective, this paper presents a logical and well-structured framework for implementing the CI managerial philosophy to improve the productivity and quality of the organisation as a whole, as well as its work-performing processes.

Applying the TOC five‐step focusing process in the service sector

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a comprehensive descriptive analysis of the sequential application of the Theory of Constraints (TOC) five‐step focusing process in improving the effectiveness of a service process that was limiting the performance of the entire service system.Design/methodology/approach – The five‐step approach is schematically presented with each step being described and evaluated relative to its role in effective constraint management. A detailed example provides additional insights and nuances into its use in managing the constraint within a banking organizations subsystem, namely, the loan application and approval process. This hypothetical, realistic, and comprehensive illustration iterates through several cycles of the five‐step focusing process to demonstrate how managers are able to address different types of constraints.Findings – The paper provides a detailed description on how each of the five‐steps can be used to improve the organizations performance relativ...

Applying the TOC TP: a case study in the service sector

An increasingly utilized framework for implementing the continuous improvement management philosophy is the Theory of Constraints (TOC). Although this systemic managerial approach was initially developed and applied in the manufacturing sector, its underlying philosophy has been expanded to address three basic questions: What to change?; What to change to?; and How to cause the change? Demonstrates how a manager could apply the TOC thinking process (TP) logic tools to answer the first two questions for a small service organization. In regard to the first query, uses a relatively new procedure called the “three‐cloud approach” to determine the core problem or root cause responsible for the majority of the problems currently faced by management. By using this approach, a manager creates a current reality tree (CRT) that uses sufficiency logic to document the cause‐effect relationships responsible for a system’s current state. In regard to the second query, develops another TOC logic tool, a future reality tree (FRT), to help construct and evaluate planned interventions for resolving the core conflict and improving effectiveness. Draws conclusions relative to the feasibility and utility of using TOC TP logic tools to help managers of service organizations improve their overall system performance.

Walk‐through audit provides focus for service improvements for Hong Kong law firm

This paper describes and illustrates the application of a relatively new approach to assessing the operations management aspects of providing customer service. It presents the results of a customer‐based assessment, the walk‐through audit (WTA), administered on new clients at a recently established law firm. Although the clients rated their services above satisfactory in general, relatively poor performance was noted in four areas. While using the same evaluation instrument, the firm’s senior partners identified a set of like deficiencies, yet consistently ranked the firm’s performance higher than did their clients. Next, the WTA was administered to small samples of new clients at four of Hong Kong’s most highly‐respected and well‐established law firms. Although the benchmarked firms’ received higher ratings for all audited areas, the ratings were statistically significantly higher (p < 0.01) in the four areas of concern. The benchmark results were successful in attracting the attention of the study firm’s partners who agreed that corrective action needed to be initiated relative to the four problem areas.

Toward a comprehensive conceptual framework for computer integrated manufacturing

Abstract Effective Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) requires computer software to control automated processes, regulate production facilities, and generate information to support operational, tactical, and strategic decision making. An analysis of decision problems, managerial functions, and information systems is a prerequisite for the design of a CIM system. Four basic types of IS are analyzed as potential components in a CIM design methodology which seeks to integrate computerized manufacturing systems and management information systems.

Validating a manufacturing paradigm: a system dynamics modeling approach

Logic tools from the Theory of Constraints (TOC) provide the ability to descriptively characterize the entity relationships responsible for a typical, although somewhat chaotic, manufacturing environment. Basically through one-to-one mappings, System Dynamics (SD) models are created from the TOC logic diagrams. Insights gained from exercising the SD models are used to establish a new managerial conceptual framework. This structure guides managers through the continuous improvement process relative to addressing either a physical, policy, or paradigm constraint in their production system.

Managing hospital-physician relations: a strategy scorecard.

Since the initiation of prospective payment, hospitals have been struggling to develop strategies that improve their prospects for long-run viability. Foremost among these strategy formulations have been efforts to build hospital-physician relations. This article reviews several popular strategies designed to achieve mutually satisfying hospital-physician relations.

THE DEMING CYCLE PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK FOR MANAGING ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE PROCESS IMPROVEMENTS

A structured approach, namely the Deming plan-do-check-act cycle, to managing improvement projects is proposed for adding discipline to and maintaining focus on contamination control and reduction efforts. This managerial framework is used to help guid..

Managing medical supply logistics among health workers in Ecuador.

Operations research techniques are being used to solve business and government problems throughout the world. This paper discusses the use of an analytical technique--the location set covering algorithm--to determine placement of medical supply centers in Ecuador. By establishing the optimum location of supply centers it is possible to effectively utilize scarce health care resources in a developing country and to help community level health workers be better prepared to deliver primary health care services.