scholarly journals Influence of Industry 4.0 technologies on corporate operation and performance management from human aspects

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nóra Obermayer ◽  
Tibor Csizmadia ◽  
Dávid Máté Hargitai
Keyword(s):  
Human Factors ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Human Aspects ◽  
And Performance

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discover how Hungarian manufacturing companies interpret technology and human resources as driving forces and barriers in terms of Industry 4.0 implementation. Design/methodology/approach The authors conducted 23 semi-structured interviews with corporate leaders and applied qualitative content analysis using Atlas.ti software. Findings The authors formulated a new definition of Industry 4.0 which emphasises the role of human factors. The authors identified driving forces (efficiency with speed/information flow/precision) and barriers (technology compatibility, human fears and lack of digital skills) in terms of Industry 4.0 implementation and developed the DIGI-TEcH performance management dimensions. Research limitations/implications Comparison with other countries is limited. Given the exploratory and qualitative nature, further quantitative research would be needed to generalise results. Finally, only manufacturing companies are examined. Practical implications It provides empirical evidence to practitioners to understand concerns about technology and human resource in terms of Industry 4.0 implementation. In addition, corporate performance management can be extended by the developed DIGI-TEcH dimensions. Originality/value This paper reveals key evidence for the uptake of technology and human factors in terms of Industry 4.0 implementation and their impacts on corporate operation and performance. It also provides an insight into a specific country context, which can be a useful benchmark for other Central and Eastern European countries.

The integration of risk and performance management: the role of boundary objects

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Enrico Bracci ◽  
Giorgia Gobbo ◽  
Luca Papi
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Knowledge Integration ◽  
Boundary Work ◽  
Boundary Objects ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Integration Mechanisms ◽  
And Performance

PurposeThis paper investigates the role of boundary objects and boundary work in the integration of risk management (RM) and performance management (PM) systems. In particular, the paper combines theoretical insights with an empirical focus to examine how shared contexts are created through the boundary work performed by key actors across knowledge boundaries.Design/methodology/approachThe paper develops an exploratory qualitative case study from a local government context. The methodology is based on document analysis and semi-structured interviews.FindingsBoundary objects can act as knowledge integration mechanisms, allowing key actors to understand the meanings and uses of RM and PM practices. The paper shows how collaborative versus competitive boundary work exerted by key actors can explain the creation of shared contexts leading to integration between RM and PM.Originality/valueThe results contribute to the debate about the integration of RM with other managerial systems. Differently from previous research, the integration theme is addressed in the present work by looking specifically to the integration between RM and PM. In doing so, the role of both boundary objects and the boundary work performed by relevant actors to demarcate their legitimacy and autonomy over preferred practices is portrayed.

Employee onboarding and satisfaction in US manufacturing companies

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Kirchner ◽  
Faith Stull
Keyword(s):  
Employee Satisfaction ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Middle Management ◽  
Performance Evaluations ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Contributing Factors ◽  
Content Type ◽  
New Employees ◽  
And Performance

Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify primary issues related to employee onboarding and satisfaction in US-based manufacturing companies. Design/methodology/approach In total, 19 focus groups using semi-structured interviews with senior management, middle management, tenured employees and new employees were conducted with personnel from five manufacturing companies located in the Midwest USA. Onboarding procedures, training manuals, employee satisfaction surveys and performance evaluations were subsequently reviewed. Findings Insufficient onboarding, poor communication and a perceived lack of support were reported as satisfaction concerns by manufacturing employees. In addition, management had vastly differing perspectives regarding the work environment when responses were contrasted with those from new or tenured employees. Originality/value This paper reveals contributing factors that influence satisfaction early and throughout an employee’s tenure with small- to medium-sized US manufacturing companies.

Frontline managers' implementation of the formal and informal performance management systems

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Yi Lee ◽  
Keith Townsend ◽  
Adrian Wilkinson
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Frontline Employees ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Management Systems ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Frontline Managers ◽  
Primary Contribution

PurposeThe implementation of performance management is the responsibility of managers; more importantly, a key part of a frontline manager's role is ensuring that frontline employees are performing by meeting organisational goals. Existing research has shown a lack of focus on the role of frontline managers in the implementation of performance management systems despite plenty of research on the separate topics of frontline managers and performance management. This article aims to understand how frontline managers connect the intended performance management system, through components and processes developed by the human resources department and higher levels of management, with their employees' performance.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a qualitative method, conducting semi-structured interviews with 57 participants from two Singapore public sector organisations to understand the interaction between the formal and informal performance management systems.FindingsThe authors found that frontline managers used the formal and informal performance management systems in the organisation to manage the demands of their role. Notably, the expectations that superiors and subordinates have heavily influences how the frontline managers choose to implement their performance management responsibilities.Originality/valueThe article uses systems theory to illustrate and explain the complex and dynamic nature of PM in practice through the FLM's implementation of the formal and informal PM systems. The primary contribution of the study is through demonstrating under what situations do frontline managers use the formal and informal performance systems in a complementary manner within the constraints placed on them.

Lessons learned from Industry 4.0 implementation in the German manufacturing industry

2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 977-997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johannes W. Veile ◽  
Daniel Kiel ◽  
Julian Marius Müller ◽  
Kai-Ingo Voigt
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Culture ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Manufacturing Enterprises

Purpose Industry 4.0 is assumed to yield extensive industry-spanning opportunities. However, exploiting these opportunities requires a targeted implementation of Industry 4.0. The purpose of this paper is to generate a deeper understanding of relevant implementation action. Existing recommendations are mostly general, highly aggregated and difficult to grasp. Yet, specific and concrete actions that need to be taken to accelerate the realization of Industry 4.0 are essential. Design/methodology/approach The article uses 13 semi-structured in-depth expert interviews as the source of empirical data. The interviews were conducted with managers from Industry 4.0-experienced German manufacturing companies. All interviews are analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Findings The study reveals relevant and targeted aspects for Industry 4.0 implementation: the development of Industry 4.0-specific know-how, securing financial resources, integrating employees into the implementation process and establishing an open-minded and flexible corporate culture. Further aspects include comprehensive planning processes, cooperation with external partners, proper handling of data interfaces, interdisciplinary communication, an adaptable organizational structure and data security. Research limitations/implications The paper is limited to German manufacturing enterprises and should be transferred to other industries and countries. Practical implications The study supports managers to effectively implement Industry 4.0 within their organizations and consequently benefit from Industry 4.0 and derives recommendations for future research. Originality/value The paper is among the first to give specific and concrete examples for lessons learned from Industry 4.0 implementation, directly obtained from industrial application.

Evaluating the usefulness of two proposed performance management frameworks: evidence from business practice

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amr Mohamed Said Abdel-Halim ◽  
Mirghani N. Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Performance Management ◽  
Management Accounting ◽  
Annual Reports ◽  
Performance Measurement System ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Theoretical Frameworks ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Management Systems ◽  
And Performance

Purpose This paper aims to evaluate the usefulness of two conceptual frameworks: levers of control (LOC) (Simons, 1995) and performance management systems (PMSs) (Ferreira and Otley, 2009) for studying PM practices using a case study. Design/methodology/approach A case study method is used whereby data are collected through semi-structured interviews, examination of the group’s annual reports and internal documents. Findings A key finding of this study is the use of a PMS at the case company which is formally structured and with objectives, mechanisms and processes designed beyond a mere “performance measurement system.” While the case analysis indicates that most of the key components of the two frameworks are featured in the company’s PMS design, the uses of Simons’ (1995) LOC, however, are not consistent with the notion of “balance” as advocated by the model. Research limitations/implications The evidence presented in this study is based on one large manufacturing company, and hence the findings cannot be generalized. Practical implications The findings of this study can be used in enriching the design of current proposed theoretical frameworks and also in encouraging management accounting researchers to continue the efforts of studying performance management (PM) practices. Originality/value A deeper understanding of PM practices using holistic frameworks has yet to receive more contested efforts from management accounting researchers. This paper attempts to contribute to this endeavor and fill in the gap in this area of research.

Public libraries digital services and sustainability issues

2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 34-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katarina Michnik
Keyword(s):  
Public Libraries ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Digital Services ◽  
Local Politicians ◽  
Physical Spaces ◽  
The Impact

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study how Swedish local politicians perceive the impact of public library digital services on public libraries and to discuss how this can affect the sustainable development of public libraries. Design/methodology/approach – Empirical data were collected through semi-structured interviews with local politicians from 19 different Swedish municipalities. Data were treated to qualitative content analysis and discussed based on the concept of sustainable organization. Findings – According to local politicians, public library digital services may affect public libraries through changes to libraries’ physical spaces, librarians’ tasks and competencies and libraries’ economic situations. Based on these findings, public library digital services can both strengthen and weaken public library sustainability through, for example, increased access and expenditures, the latter of which may threaten public library sustainability. Research limitations/implications – Interviews did not focus specifically on the politicians’ views on public library digital services but dealt generally with their views on public libraries. To identify reasons for variations in views on this topic, follow-up interviews should be done. Data on views from public library managers would also be of use to determine the degree to which they are shared with local politicians. Originality/value – When sustainability and public libraries are discussed, the focus is generally on the library’s contribution to a sustainable society. Here, the focus is instead on the sustainability of the public library itself.

Hybridization as practice: clinical engagement with performance metrics and accounting technologies in the English NHS

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Christos Begkos ◽  
Katerina Antonopoulou
Keyword(s):  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Performance Metrics ◽  
Healthcare Setting ◽  
Business Managers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Professional Boundaries ◽  
Care Outcomes ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Clinical Engagement

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the hybridization practices that medical managers engage with to promote accounting and performance measurement in the hybrid setting of healthcare. In doing so, the authors explore how medical managers enact and become practitioners of hybridity.Design/methodology/approachThe authors adopt a practice lens to conceptualize hybridization as an emergent, situated practice and capture the micro-activities that medical managers engage with when they enact hybridity. The authors conducted semi-structured interviews with medical managers, business managers and coding professionals and collected documents at an English National Health Service (NHS) hospital over the course of five years.FindingsThe findings accentuate two emergent practices through which medical managers instill hybridity to individuals who are hesitant or resistant to hybridization. Medical managers engage in equivocalizing and de-stigmatizing practices to broaden the understandings, further diversify or reconcile the teleologies of clinicians in non-managerial roles. In doing so, the authors signal the merits of accounting in improving care outcomes and remove the stigma associated to clinical engagement with costs.Originality/valueThe study contributes to hybridization and practice theory literature via capturing how hybridity is enacted in practice in a healthcare setting. As medical managers engage with and promote accounting information and performance measurement technologies in their practice environment, they transcend professional boundaries and hybridize the professional spaces that surround them.

Assessing Industry 4.0 readiness in manufacturing: a self-diagnostic framework and an illustrative case study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Krishnamurthy Ramanathan ◽  
Premaratne Samaranayake
Keyword(s):  
Diagnostic Tool ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Emerging Economy ◽  
Illustrative Case ◽  
Assessment Framework ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Readiness Assessment ◽  
Manufacturing Firm ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an Industry 4.0 Readiness Assessment Framework (I4.0RAF) and demonstrate its applicability and practical relevance through a case study of a large manufacturing firm in an emerging economy.Design/methodology/approachThe research firstly involved a synthesis of recent literature for the identification of important determinants, and their constituent criteria, for assessing the readiness of a manufacturing firm to transition to an Industry 4.0 setting and structuring them into a readiness assessment framework that can be used as a self-diagnostic tool. The framework was illustrated through a case study. The empirical findings of readiness assessment are validated using semi-structured interviews of senior management of the organization.FindingsThe proposed I4.0RAF was found to be a practically applicable self-diagnostic tool that can be used to assess a firm's readiness to transition to an Industry 4.0 setting with respect to eight important determinants. Cross-functional participation in the assessment helped the organization to determine priorities and interdependencies among the determinants.Research limitations/implicationsThe determinants and their constituent criteria can be further streamlined using inputs from practitioners, consultants and academics.Practical implicationsThe findings demonstrate the interdependencies between the determinants, help to delineate interventions that can lead to synergistic outcomes and enabls planning to achieve higher levels of Industry 4.0 maturity.Originality/valueA self-diagnostic tool as a basis for an informed discussion on transitioning to an Industry 4.0 setting is presented and illustrated through a case study in an emerging economy.

Receiving a national quality award three times

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-78 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paulo A. Cauchick Miguel
Keyword(s):  
Driving Force ◽  
Financial Analysis ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Performance Excellence ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
National Quality ◽  
Quality Award ◽  
And Performance ◽  
National Quality Award

Purpose – In recent decades, a framework for management performance has proven to be an important management practice for achieving organisational performance excellence. In this sense, the purpose of this paper is to analyse how a specific company manages to achieve performance excellence through the attainment of the Brazilian National Quality Award. Design/methodology/approach – The study adopts a case-based approach using a single unit of analysis that might be considered a revealing case. The company studied is one of the largest companies in the information and financial analysis sector in Latin America and is part of a major worldwide corporation. Semi-structured interviews with senior managers and document analysis were used for data collection, with content and inductive analysis performed a posteriori. Findings – The main results outline the approach adopted by the company for each performance excellence award criterion and highlight some of the relevant organisational practices, especially those related to the nature of the company’s businesses. The findings show that the top management has been an essential driving force in transforming the managers at all levels into agents of improvement at the studied company. Additional key points are the deployment of the company’s “shared values” throughout the company and the implementation of a medium- and long-term comprehensive strategic plan focused on the award criteria. The company’s strategic system has been a driving force of its success. Research limitations/implications – For a more extensive empirical validation, further replications using other samples are needed to ensure the external validity of these findings. Originality/value – This paper is one of the few published studies discussing business excellence in emerging economies, which is not observed very often in developing markets. In addition, the paper focuses on promoting a culture of quality, a less common phenomenon in the economies of developing countries than in those of developed nations. Finally, this paper may be useful for practitioners and academics interested in the subject of quality and performance excellence.

HR analytics and performance appraisal system

2017 ◽  
Vol 40 (6) ◽  
pp. 684-697 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anshu Sharma ◽  
Tanuja Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Framework ◽  
Performance Management ◽  
Performance Appraisal ◽  
Appraisal System ◽  
Improve Performance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Settings ◽  
Employees Satisfaction ◽  
Management Area ◽  
And Performance

PurposeThis paper aims to explore the role of human resource (HR) analytics on employees’ willingness to improve performance. In doing so, the paper examines issues related to the performance appraisal (PA) system which affect employees’ willingness to improve performance and how HR analytics can be a potential solution to deal with such issues. Design/methodology/approachThe paper develops a conceptual framework along with propositions by integrating both academic and practitioner literatures, in the field of HR analytics and performance management. FindingsThe paper proposes that the use of HR analytics will be negatively related to subjectivity bias in the PA system, thereby positively affecting employees’ perceived accuracy and fairness. This further positively affects employees’ satisfaction with the PA system, which subsequently increases employees’ willingness to improve performance. Research limitations/implicationsThe paper provides implications for both researchers and practitioners in the performance management area for improving employees’ performance by applying HR analytics as a strategic tool in the PA system. It also provides implications for future researchers to empirically test the conceptual framework in different organizational settings. Originality/valueThe paper offers insights into how the use of HR analytics can deal with issues of subjectivity bias in the PA system and positively affects employees’ willingness to improve performance.

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