Operations Research, Systems Engineering and Industrial Engineering Commons^™

Assessment And Comparison Of Aviation Manufacturing Industries Throughout Mexico And Brazil, Omar E. Morsi, Kelly A. Whealan-George, Aaron D. Clevenger

Aaron D. Clevenger

This literature review serves to provide insight and understanding in regards to the evolving aviation manufacturing industry throughout the globe and more specifically, Mexico and Brazil. Increased demand for aircraft units both in the commercial and private sectors have led to unprecedented expansions in aircraft manufacturing across the industry. In order to illuminate certain potentials and current growth levels of such industries, this review will delve into an array of information and specifications in regards to economic, political, and cultural influences throughout both Mexican and Brazilian markets respectively. In conclusion, the review will identify the transformation of an aviation manufacturing …

Advances In Composite Manufacturing Of Helicopter Parts, Tobias A. Weber, Hans-Joachim K. Ruff-Stahl

Hans-Joachim Ruff-Stahl

This study investigates and compares different methods for improving standard autoclave composite manufacturing in order to find suitable approaches to a more efficient composite production. The goal is not only a reduction in manufacturing times and costs but also quality enhancement. Improved part quality while decreasing costs enables a manufacturer of composite parts to expand its market share, especially in the helicopter market, which has been constantly shrinking over the last two years. Various approaches such as improved tooling technology, the use of automated systems for lamination as well as outsourcing are examined to provide an overview of possible advancements …

Managing Strategic Intellectual Property Assets In The Fuzzy Front End Of New Product Development Process, Yonghee Cho, Tugrul U. Daim

Joseph Cho

Structuring Financial Incentives For Residential Solar Electric Systems, Kevin C. Van Blommestein, Yonghee Cho, Tugrul U. Daim, Paul Sklar

Joseph Cho

Iterated Weaker-Than-Weak Dominance, Shih-Fen Cheng, Michael P. Wellman

Shih-Fen CHENG

We introduce a weakening of standard gametheoretic δ-dominance conditions, called dominance, which enables more aggressive pruning of candidate strategies at the cost of solution accuracy. Equilibria of a game obtained by eliminating a δ-dominated strategy are guaranteed to be approximate equilibria of the original game, with degree of approximation bounded by the dominance parameter. We can apply elimination of δ-dominated strategies iteratively, but the for which a strategy may be eliminated depends on prior eliminations. We discuss implications of this order independence, and propose greedy heuristics for determining a sequence of eliminations to reduce the game as far as possible …

Virtual Teams And E-Entrepreneurship, Nader Ale Ebrahim

Nader Ale Ebrahim

The advent of the virtual teams has facilitated the emergence and formation of new companies within the Net Economy which called e-Entrepreneurship. The terms of e-Entrepreneurship and virtual teams still are new in the scholarly papers. Therefore, this introductory presentation focuses on different aspects of virtual teams and e-entrepreneurship.

Ict For Poverty Alleviation In Pacific Island Nations: Study Of Icts4d In Fiji, Deogratias Harorimana, Opeti Rokotuinivono, Emali Sewale, Fane Salaiwai, Marica Naulu, Evangelin Roy

Dr Deogratias Harorimana

ICT for Poverty Alleviation in Pacific Island Nations: Study of ICTs4D in Fiji There has been a vague and little knowledge on the role or potential of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) in relation to addressing poverty in Fiji. This may be probably due to the newness of the technology in the South Pacific Region as a whole but also probably due to the fact that only 9.7% of the current Fiji 931,000 populations are internet users (ITC Figures 2011). This paper reports on finding how ICTs is contributing towards poverty alleviation in Fiji. On the basis of reviewed best …

Practical Guide To Write A Phd Thesis, Nader Ale Ebrahim

Nader Ale Ebrahim

This presentation is a practical guide on how to write a PhD thesis based on personal experiences and existing literature . It is aimed at all PhD students. A thesis writing may be falling into six rules: Identifying the research problem Start thesis writing from a day after registration Writing a Thesis Plan Ask your supervisors: What are their expectations? and maintain regular contact with your supervisors directly/indirectly Expand networking Continuously write/revise and Publish Besides of the six rules, the thesis structure, logical coherence and style are also important. This presentation lead how to consider reader’s expectations during the writing …

Approach To Conduct An #11;Effective Literature Review, Nader Ale Ebrahim

Nader Ale Ebrahim

This presentation introduces a guideline for conducting an effective literature review. The target audience is research based postgraduate students, researchers who are constantly struggling with the development of an effective literature review. The proposed guideline follows: 1- Find literature associated with the topic. 2- Search and analyze the literature. 3- Evaluate the paper before reading. 4- Cite literature properly. 5- Make a summary table of reviewed papers. 6- Avoid plagiarism. 7- Write a journal article based on literature review.

Publication Marketing Tools - “Enhancing Research Visibility And Improving Citations”, Nader Ale Ebrahim

Nader Ale Ebrahim

Research needs to be explained clearly to others to colleagues, to educational bodies, and to the public by publications. There are various reasons for publication: 1- Publications help in spreading your knowledge and experience, 2- It gives you an academic profile and raises the profile of your institution, 3- Research publications create income for the University, ….. and 4- Publications strengthen your CV. Publishing a high quality paper in scientific journals is a halfway of receiving citation in the future. The rest of the way is advertising and disseminating the publications by using the proper “Research Tools”. Familiarity with the …

An Introduction To The Effective Use Of Research Tools Box, Nader Ale Ebrahim

Nader Ale Ebrahim

This presentation is prepared to assist students who seek to reduce the search time by expanding the knowledge of researchers to more effectively use the “Research Tools" that are available through the Net. The presentations objectives 1- To reduce the search time by expanding the knowledge of researchers to more effectively use the "tools" that are available through the Net. 2- To evaluate the types of literature that researchers will encounter. 3- To convert the information on the search for a written document. 4- Help researchers learn how to search and analyze the right journal to submit. 5- To promote …

Virtual R&D Teams Definition, Nader Ale Ebrahim

Nader Ale Ebrahim

Introduction: The literature related to virtual R&D teams reveals a lack of depth in the definitions (Ale Ebrahim et al., 2010). Although virtual teamwork is a current topic in the literature concerning global organizations, it is problematic to define the meaning of 'virtual teams' across multiple institutional contexts (Chudoba et al., 2005). The concept of a "team" is described as a small number of people with complementary skills who are equally committed to a common purpose, goal, and working approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable (Zenun et al., 2007). It is worth mentioning that virtual teams (VTs) are …

Effective Virtual Teams For New Product Development, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Salwa Hanim Abdul Rashid, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

At present, the existing literature shows that the factors which influence the effectiveness of virtual teams for new product development are still ambiguous. To address this problem, a research design was developed, which includes detailed literature review, preliminary model and field survey. From literature review, the factors which influence the effectiveness of virtual teams are identified and these factors are modified using a field survey. The relationship between knowledge workers (people), process and technology in virtual teams is explored in this study. The results of the study suggest that technology and process are tightly correlated and need to be considered …

Social Networks And Web2.0 Among Youth: Lessons For Pacific Island Nations, Deogratias Harorimana Sr

Dr Deogratias Harorimana

This study is on social networks and web2 among youths and the lessons for Pacific Island nation. This study defines commonly used social networking sites used by the Pacific youths, average time spent, reasons behind the use of social networking sites and how social networking sites can be used as a development tool for Pacific Island nation. It was found that the popularity of social networking amongst youths in Pacific Island Countries is fast growing, increasing more than three folds year on year in the last 3years. Social Networks are a vital part of life for PIC youths, where, now …

Technology Use In The Virtual R&D Teams, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Salwa Hanim Abdul Rashid, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

Problem statement: Although, literature proves the importance of the technology role in the effectiveness of virtual Research and Development (R&D) teams for new product development. However, the factors that make technology construct in a virtual R&D team are still ambiguous. The manager of virtual R&D teams for new product development does not know which type of technology should be used. Approach: To address the gap and answer the question, the study presents a set of factors that make a technology construct. The proposed construct modified by finding of the field survey (N = 240). We empirically examine the relationship between …

Virtual Collaborative R&D Teams In Malaysia Manufacturing Smes, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Salwa Hanim Abdul Rashid, Zahari Taha, M. A. Wazed

Nader Ale Ebrahim

This paper presents the results of empirical research conducted during March to September 2009. The study focused on the influence of virtual research and development (R&D) teams within Malaysian manufacturing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The specific objective of the study is better understanding of the application of collaborative technologies in business, to find the effective factors to assist SMEs to remain competitive in the future. The paper stresses to find an answer for a question “Is there any relationship between company size, Internet connection facility and virtuality?”. The survey data shows SMEs are now technologically capable of performing …

Issues In Human Capital Development : Lessons For Public Administration And Governance, Deogratias Harorimana Mr

Dr Deogratias Harorimana

With few minerals or other natural resources, Rwanda believes that she can still achieve her ambitions by investing in human capital - her unique resource. If this ambition can be achieved, then is this the next role model for international development? We used a case study design and analysis methods to examine development models used elsewhere in recent decades, using both qualitative and quantitative data on Rwanda to establish the comparative advantages in relation to Singapore’s economic development model. The implications for international development are that (1) an effective human capital development strategy should be inclusive enough to respond to …

Collaboration Tools For Education - "Learn And Teach Online”, Nader Ale Ebrahim

Nader Ale Ebrahim

No abstract provided.

Managing Communication In New Product Development Process: Virtual R&D Teams And Information Technology, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Salwa Hanim Abdul Rashid, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

Literature proves the importance of the role of information technology in increasing the effectiveness of virtual R&D teams’ communication for new product development. However, the factors that make information technology construct in a virtual R&D team are still ambiguous. Managers of virtual R&D teams for new product development do not know “which type of technology should be used”. To address the gap and answer the question, the paper presents a set of factors that make a construct that contribute to effective communication strategy for virtual R&D teams. The proposed construct has been modified based on the findings of a field …

The Effectiveness Of Virtual R&D Teams In Smes: Experiences Of Malaysian Smes, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Salwa Hanim Abdul Rashid, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

How To Increase H-Index#11;, Nader Ale Ebrahim

Nader Ale Ebrahim

Publishing a high quality paper in scientific journals is a halfway of receiving citation in the future. The rest of the way is advertising and disseminating the publications by using the proper “Research Tools”. Familiarity with the tools allows the researcher to increase his/her#11; h-index in the short time. H-index shows the academicians influences in the specified field of research. Therefore, a person with higher level of h-index has more high quality publications with high amount of citations. This presentation, covers the following topics: Why publish and increase h-index?, Definition of h-index and g-index, Importance of h-index, How to use …

Virtual Collaborative R&D Teams In Malaysia Manufacturing Smes, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Salwa Hanim Abdul Rashid, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

This paper presents the results of empirical research conducted during March to September 2009. The study focused on the influence of virtual research and development (R&D) teams within Malaysian manufacturing small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The specific objective of the study is better understanding of the application of collaborative technologies in business, to find the effective factors to assist SMEs to remain competitive in the future. The paper stresses to find an answer for a question “Is there any relationship between company size, Internet connection facility and virtuality?”. The survey data shows SMEs are now technologically capable of performing …

Virtual R&D Teams: A Potential Growth Of Education-Industry Collaboration, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

Introduction: With the advent of the global economy and high-speed Internet, online collaboration is fast becoming the norm in education and industry [1]. Information technology (IT) creates many new inter-relationships among businesses, expands the scope of industries in which a company must compete to achieve the competitive advantage. Information systems and technology allow companies to coordinate their activities in distant geographic locations [2]. IT is providing the infrastructure necessary to support the development of new collaboration forms among industry and education. Virtual research and development (R&D) teams represent one such relational form, one that could revolutionize the workplace and provide …

Virtual Teams And Management Challenges, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

Introduction: Collaboration is becoming increasingly important in creating the knowledge that makes business more competitive. Virtual teams are growing in popularity [1] and many organizations have responded to their dynamic environments by introducing virtual teams. Additionally, the rapid development of new communication technologies such as the Internet has accelerated this trend so that today, most of the larger organization employs virtual teams to some degree [2]. A growing number of flexible and adaptable organizations have explored the virtual environment as one means of achieving increased responsiveness [3]. Howells et al. [4] state that the shift from serial to simultaneous and …

How To Conduct A Literature Review, Nader Ale Ebrahim

Nader Ale Ebrahim

No abstract provided.

The Effectiveness Of Virtual R&D Teams In Smes: Experiences Of Malaysian Smes, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Salwa Hanim Abdul Rashid, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

The number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), especially those involved with research and development (R&D) programs and employed virtual teams to create the greatest competitive advantage from limited labor are increasing. Global and localized virtual R&D teams are believed to have a high potential for SMEs growth. Due to the fast growing complexity of the new product, coupled with new emerging opportunities of virtual teams, a collaborative approach is believed to be the future trend. This research explores the effectiveness of virtuality in SMEs virtual R&D teams. An online questionnaire emailed to Malaysian manufacturing SMEs and 74 usable questionnaires …

Virtual R&D Teams: A Potential Growth Of Education-Industry Collaboration, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Salwa Hanim Abdul Rashid, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

In this paper, we present our more than two years research experiences on virtual R&D teams in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and draws conclusions, giving special attention to the structure of virtual teams required to support education-industry collaboration. We report the relevant results of an online survey study. The online questionnaire was emailed by using a simple random sampling method to 947 manufacturing SMEs. The findings of this study show that SMEs in Malaysia and Iran are willing to use virtual teams for collaboration and the platform for industry-education collaboration is ready and distance between team members or differences …

Benefits And Pitfalls Of Virtual R&D Teams: An Empirical Study, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

In this paper, advantages and drawbacks of virtual teams in research and development (R&D) are studied. With the globalization of commercial practices and advances in information and communication technologies, increasing numbers of enterprises are establishing cross-functional, geographically distributed virtual teams. Virtual teams in R&D are designed to access external resources and knowledge to maximize the competitive advantage from limited labor and resources. A survey has been conducted on 210 Malaysian and Iranian manufacturing companies, aimed to investigate the characteristics of R&D collaborations and extract the main advantages/disadvantages’ factors of virtual teams. These factors can be a guide line for R&D …

From Automatic Identification And Data Capture (Aidc) To “Smart Business Process”: Preparing For A Pilot Integrating Rfid, S. F. Wamba, E. Lefebvre, Y. Bendavid, L.. A. Lefebvre

Dr Samuel Fosso Wamba

This paper examines the underlying logic behind the rules configured in a RFID middleware to support “smart business processes” in one retail supply chain. Through a detailed investigation of the underlying business processes, we will demonstrate how businesses rules can be defined, configured and refined in a RFID middleware. The results confirm that RFID technology is not a “Plug and Play” solution. RFID middleware configuration will require a high level of customization. Finally, this study allows the improvement of our understanding of the real potential of RFID technology in the supply chain context.

Smes And Virtual R&D Teams: A Motive Channel For Relationship Between Smes, Nader Ale Ebrahim, Shamsuddin Ahmed, Zahari Taha

Nader Ale Ebrahim

This paper explores potential advantages and barriers of virtual teams toward making an interrelation between small and medium-sized firms (SMEs) with a comprehensive review on different aspects of virtual teams in SMEs based on authentic and reputed publications. The purpose of the state-of-the-art literature review is to provide an overview of what is known about the structure and dynamics of virtual collaboration in SMEs which they are the back bone of the world business. This study seeks to address some of the advantages of virtual R&D team in the existing extensive literature on the increase SMEs interrelations. Besides of identify …