Simon Snowden

Technology acceptance and m‐commerce in an operational environment

Purpose – To provide a case study in the implementation of mobile technologies in an operations management environment, and viewed through a model for technology acceptance.Design/methodology/approach – This is an assessment of the technology acceptance model (TAM) through action research, a practical implementation based upon understandings developed in the TAM.Findings – Provides fresh data to further develop the TAM, shedding light on some of the factors expounded within TAM, and their relationships.Research limitations/implications – This is not the empirical research required to fully validate the TAM, but is useful in terms of investigating its various features within a detailed case study. It is also useful in terms of the project management implications for the implementation of new technologies.Practical implications – Useful for those looking at the practical implementation of mobile technologies in an operations environment, and highlights the role of technology acceptance in the project manage...

Agile manufacturing framework and practice

This paper presents a framework for the implementation of agile manufacturing. The framework employs a bottom-up approach taking the company through three iterative implementation phases of robustness of operation, responsiveness to customers and proactive growth tactics. The framework incorporates a detailed assessment of the level of business environment turbulence and the impact of this turbulence on the enterprise. The results of this assessment are used to identify and customise an implantation plan as well as select the required tools and those measures of performance necessary to monitor the plans progress. This is carried while aligning any action to the company strategy.

Growth Rates of Global Energy Systems and Future Outlooks

The world is interconnected and powered by a number of global energy systems using fossil, nuclear, or renewable energy. This study reviews historical time series of energy production and growth for various energy sources. It compiles a theoretical and empirical foundation for understanding the behaviour underlying global energy systems’ growth. The most extreme growth rates are found in fossil fuels. The presence of scaling behaviour, i.e. proportionality between growth rate and size, is established. The findings are used to investigate the consistency of several long-range scenarios expecting rapid growth for future energy systems. The validity of such projections is questioned, based on past experience. Finally, it is found that even if new energy systems undergo a rapid ‘oil boom’-development—i.e. they mimic the most extreme historical events—their contribution to global energy supply by 2050 will be marginal.

Hydrocarbon Liquefaction: Viability as a Peak Oil Mitigation Strategy

Current world capacity of hydrocarbon liquefaction is around 400 000 barrels per day, providing a marginal share of the global liquid fuel supply. This study performs a broad review of technical, economic, environmental and supply chain issues related to coal-to-liquids (CTL) and gas-to-liquids (GTL). We find three issues predominate. First, significant amounts of coal and gas would be required to obtain anything more than a marginal production of liquids. Second, the economics of CTL plants are clearly prohibitive, but are better for GTL. Nevertheless, large-scale GTL plants still require very high upfront costs, and for three real-world GTL plants out of four, the final cost has been so far approximately three times that initially budgeted. Small-scale GTL holds potential for associated gas. Third, both CTL and GTL incur significant environmental impacts, ranging from increased greenhouse gas emissions (in the case of CTL) to water contamination. Environmental concerns may significantly affect growth of these projects until adequate solutions are found.

Nexus Between Energy Consumption and Economic Growth in China: From the Perspective of Embodied Energy Imports and Exports

ABSTRACT The nexus between energy consumption and economic growth in China is analyzed from the perspective of embodied energy imports and exports in this article. The research results suggest that China is a net embodied energy exporter and it is the inevitable result of China’s present economic development model. Exporting embodied energy contributes significantly to China’s economic development, and the trade-off costs of employment, trade surplus and government tax for China to reduce embodied energy exports are very high. China is bound by its own policies and unable to radically change its embodied energy exporting position within the foreseeable future.