Business Commons^™

A Simulation-Based Tdabc Model To Manage Supply Chain Costing: A Case Study, Siham Rahoui, John Crowe, Amr Mahfouz

Conference Papers

Effective management of supply chain costing is crucial for decision-making during times of disruption. It provides accurate cost indicators, enabling organizations to adapt to the risks of disruptions and mitigate their adverse effects. The supply chain costing literature has shown that traditional cost accounting approaches are inadequate in addressing the dynamic and complex nature of supply chain performance and the nonlinear behavior of the involved processes. Consequently, this paper presents a simulation-based supply chain costing framework that integrates discrete event simulation and time-driven activity-based costing to explore the dynamics of management accounting tools in a real context with all their …

Capturing Sustainability Goals In City Logistics: A Delphi Approach To Develop Sustainability Indicators, Xu Zhang, Eoin Plant, Nikolaos Valantasis Kanellos

Conference Papers

Purpose of this paper: ‘Sustainability’ as a phenomenon is difficult to define and sense (Meadows,1998). Sustainable city logistics is a concept with many subjective interpretations by different actors in the urban freight transport ecosystem (Behrends et al., 2008). Developing useful metrics to measure sustainability performance and impact in city logistics is challenging as there are many uncertainties and multiple stakeholders’ interests to consider. Selecting the indicators is also a complicated task because of the numerous variables used in literature and the variety of KPIs reported by logistics companies in their sustainability reports.

Extant research studies have proposed different frameworks …

Determinants For The Uptake Of Alternatively Fuelled Hgvs: Towards A Maturity Framework, Nikolaos Valantasis Kanellos, Xu Zhang

Conference Papers

Purpose of this paper: Alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs) have received increasing attention from policy makers and industry practitioners because they are perceived as a silver bullet for decarbonising freight transport (Mohammed et al., 2020; ITF 2021). However, the uptake rate of AFVs by heavy goods vehicle (HGV) freight operators in Europe remains low. With 97.8% of all trucks in the EU running on diesel, only 0.04% of trucks are zero-emission vehicles (ACEA, 2021). Price, technology maturity, infrastructure, and government policy support are factors examined by freight transport operators who consider the switch to AFVs as a low-carbon option (Mohammed et …

Growing Niche Business Through Innovation: A Family Run Open Farm In Ireland, Trudie Murray, Fred Creedon, Aisling Conwaylenihan

Conference Papers

This case study presents an analysis of Leahy’s Open Farm, a family business that has continuously reinvented itself, since its launch in 1996. The open-farm industry in Ireland is a niche that faces many regulatory, organisational and economic challenges. This case study presents an overview of the challenges and potential for this growing market. Challenges include; rising insurance costs (33% increase) and dealing with (50% reduction in revenue in 2020) and recovering from the economic impact of COVID-19 restrictions. Leahy’s have been able to develop the business by adding new revenue streams, nurturing employee skills, harnessing their competency base and …

Firms’ Awareness And Opportunities Of An Ageing Population, Helen Mcguirk, Aisling Conwaylenihan, Niamh Lenihan

Conference Papers

Europe’s population is getting older; dependency ratios are set to double by 2060 and almost a fifth of the total population living in Europe are aged over 65. Such transformations and demographic change pose major challenges and potential benefits for the economy. Addressing the call in the literature for further research into the supply side of the silver economy, this research contributes to our understanding of firms’ awareness of this growing market and its economic potential. This research employs primary qualitative and quantitative data from eight regions in Europe to study how aware businesses are of the silver economy. In …

Port Supply Network Strategies: An Erbv Perspective, Nikolaos Valantasis Kanellos, Nigel Caldwell

Conference Papers

Increasingly supply networks are recognised as the most meaningful level of analysis in many industries. Yet few studies examine the additional capabilities and revenue options generated by such alliancing. ERBV is one perspective that addresses how these alliancing related opportunities can create competitive advantage. The ERBV perspective and notion of relational rents is used empirically to understand three distinct port supply network strategies. Whilst this study is confirmatory regarding the basic tents of ERBV, beyond studying ERBV in a new context the study contributes to theory by reporting that, paradoxically, temporary relational rents can be generated without close partnerships.

Environmental Sustainability Of Logistics Service Providers: A Systematic Literature Review On Indicators For City Logistics, Xu Zhang, Nikolaos Valantasis Kanellos, Eoin Plant

Conference Papers

The increasing logistics and transport activities in the city significantly impact on the environment we live in. Providing green and sustainable logistics services is at the top of the logistics service provider’s agenda. Both academics and industry have shown increasing attention to measuring sustainability in logistics operations in the recent decade, yet LSPs' sustainability performance measurement methods and relevant indicators need to be assessed and updated particularly in the context of city logistics. This paper identifies and evaluates the current frameworks and indicators that reflect the performance of LSPs’ environmental sustainability using a systematic literature review. A total of 61 …

A Multi-Method Scheduling Framework For Medical Staff, Wael Rashwan, John Fowler, Amr Arisha

Conference Papers

Hospital planning teams are always concerned with optimizing staffing and scheduling decisions in order to improve hospital performance, patient experience, and staff satisfaction. A multi-method approach including data analytics, modeling and simulation, machine learning, and optimization is proposed to provide a framework for smart and applicable solutions for staffing and shift scheduling. Factors regarding patients, staff, and hospitals are considered in the decision. This framework is piloted using the Emergency Department(ED) of a leading university hospital in Dublin. The optimized base staffing patterns and shift schedules actively contributed to solving ED overcrowding problem and reduced the average waiting time for …

A Hybrid Process-Mining Approach For Simulation Modeling, Waleed Abo-Hamad, Ahmed Ramy, Amr Arisha

Conference Papers

This paper presents a hybrid Modeling and Simulation framework to address business process challenges. The framework has integrated process mining techniques in the conceptual modeling phase to support developing simulation models that are unbiased and close reflection of reality in a timely manner. The hybrid approach overcomes the pitfalls of traditional conceptual modeling by using process mining techniques to discover valuable process knowledge from the analysis of event logs. The proposed hybrid framework has been applied to an Emergency Department (ED) in order to identify performance bottlenecks and explore improvement strategies in an attempt to meet national performance targets. A …

Elements Of Individual Knowledge : A Practitioner's Perspective, Mohamed Ragab, Amr Arisha

Conference Papers

No abstract provided.

Be An Advocate For Others, Unless You Are A Man: Backlash Against Gender-Atypical Male Job Candidates, Janine Bosak, Clara Kulich, Laurie Rudman, Mary Kinahan

Conference Papers

Previous research shows that gender vanguards (individuals who demonstrate gender-atypical skills and behavior) suffer backlash in the form of social and economic penalties (Rudman & Phelan, 2008). This study examined backlash against female and male job applicants who were either gender-atypical or typical. Professionals (N = 149) evaluated female or male managerial applicants for internal promotion described in their performance review as showing either self-advocacy or advocacy on behalf of their team. Atypical, other-advocating men were judged to be low on agency and competence and penalized with job dismissal. Serial mediation analysis demonstrated that, compared with other-advocating women, other-advocating men …

An Exploration Of Higher Education Engagement With Small And Medium Enterprise In Ireland, Irene Sheridan, Margaret Linehan

Conference Papers

Higher education institutions are increasingly expected to support regional economic development through knowledge generation and exchange in collaboration with enterprise and industry. In many geographies small and medium industries form the backbone of regional economies and present best opportunities for employment and export growth. While it is understood that working with higher education learning and research expertise can contribute to competitiveness and success for small enterprises, the reality is that many enterprises experience barriers to these partnerships (Collier, Grey, & Ahn, 2011). Barriers relating to cultural differences, inaccessibility, resources and funding availabilities have been reported. Dadameah & Costello (2011) report …

Connected: An Enhanced Online Interface For Engagement Between Industry And Academia, David Kirk, John J. Keogh, Terry Maguire

Conference Papers

The drive for third level education institutes to engage with industry, enterprise and the community recognises their interdependence and need for continuous knowledge exchange. The extent to which students are capable of embracing their post-qualification roles, may be determined by the currency of the curriculum and work-readiness, which is informed by the context of the ‘real-worlds’ however they are shaped. Similarly, the activities that challenge industry, enterprise and the community could find support in the broad the spectrum of knowledge, skills and expertise that resides in the domain of formal education.

A key obstacle to collaboration between higher education institutes …

Facilitating External Engagement And Developing Industry-Focused Programmes In Cork Institute Of Technology, Irene Sheridan, Deirdre Goggin, Daithí Fallon

Conference Papers

As organisations focus on economic indicators and return on investment their approaches to learning and development opportunities are transformed. In a challenging, competitive climate there is a need to ensure that long and short term benefits are maximised. While engagement is often presented as a third mission of universities, encompassing the full range of external interactions with enterprises, individuals and communities, separate and distinct from the first two missions of teaching and research, is only effective if it is closely interlinked with them.

Vorley and Nelles (2008) describe the third mission as a ‘thread that has the capacity to weave …

Breaking Down Barriers To University-Business Cooperation In The University: Change Through Incentivisation, Lyndsey El Amoud, Séamus Ó’Tuama

Conference Papers

Irish universities are currently engaged in a process of shifting their reliance on state subvention as their primary source of income to one that includes developing new streams of non-exchequer funding. This scenario emerges from a long-term trend of reduced state subvention which was dramatically accelerated by the virtual collapse of the Irish economy, which required an external rescue package brokered with the European Commission, the European Central Bank and the International Monetary Fund (which became know as the Troika) from November 2010. While Ireland has officially exited this arrangement, its public finance will remain severely constrained for an extended …

Dealing With The Need Of Greek Ports Expansion: A Public-Private Partnership Opportunity?, Dimitrios Dalaklis, Petros Siousiouras, Antonios Maniatis

Conference Papers

Greece, located at the eastern portion of the Mediterranean Sea (Med) and a country with an enormous number of islands, is a shipping superpower. The Med is amongst the world’s busiest waterways. It provides access to the Black Sea and quite often it is characterized as the most important element of the transport chain between Asia and Europe. The Greek Prime-Minister himself has openly declared his strategic vision to transform the country into a major hub for Europe's commerce; numbers of port-visits in the country under discussion are extremely high and expectations are that with the upcoming recovery of the …

How Creative Professional Service Firms Internationalize: A Business Model Portfolio Approach, Deirdre Mcquillan, Pamela Sharkey Scott, Vincent Mangematin

Conference Papers

Traditional theory of firm internationalization assumes all firms are homogeneous in their approach to managing uncertainties and implementing business strategies when internationalizing. A business model portfolio approach articulates a more complex process and suggests that firms adopt a portfolio of business models to balance uncertainties. Combining these two perspectives, this multiple case study research design explores how creative professional service firms (creative PSFs) internationalize. Creative PSFs such as architects are embedded in their local cultures, operating at the intersection of business and art. Our study reveals the complexities of creative PSF internationalization, showing that in contrast to existing explanations, multiple …

Do Middle Managers Contribute To Their Organisation's Strategy?, Tony Kealy

Conference Papers

This paper presents an empirical study on the contribution made by middle managers to the development of strategy in an organisation. The data was collected using semi-structured interviews with four managers in randomly-chosen companies. Two of the participant managers held senior management positions while the other two held middle manager positions. The data was analysed using a qualitative approach. Previous studies in this field were found to be wide and varied. An early study by Mintzberg (1978) found that strategy mainly forms from emergent influences at middle and lower levels of the organisation, as well as from deliberate influences emanating …

Increasing Value Generation Using A Hierarchical Simulation-Based Scor Framework, John Crowe, Amr Arisha

Conference Papers

We are part of extraordinary times, global recession coupled with increased competition; high costs and decreasing demand have changed the dynamics of supply chain management (SCM). In response, many organizations have fast-tracked changes to corporate-level strategies to reduce costs and maintain profit margins and have not considered the long-term impact these decisions have on more operational-level SCM activities. This has resulted in a renewed focus on customer value and the economic and behavioral systems of the supply chain, or more accurately, the value chain. The Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) model increases the integration organizations have within their supply chains …

Developing Strategy From The Middle:Subsidiary Strategy And The Role Of The Subsidiary General Manager, Donal O'Brien

Conference Papers

The multinational subsidiary is a unique context to study management processes relating to strategy but so far, there has not been a coherent approach identifiable in the literature. It is recognised that subsidiaries evolve over time and through their own actions and initiatives have the potential to modify the power structures of the Multinational Enterprise (MNE) but little is known about the role of the subsidiary manager in this process. We
suggest that the tensions between the headquarters perspective and the subsidiary perspective have resulted in the application of inappropriate frameworks to the study of subsidiary managers. This proposal presents …

Developing Strategy From The Middle:Subsidiary Strategy And The Role Of The Subsidiary General Manager, Donal O'Brien, Pamela Sharkey Scott, Patrick Gibbons

Conference Papers

The multinational subsidiary is a unique context to study management processes relating to strategy but so far, there has not been a coherent approach identifiable in the literature. It is recognised that subsidiaries evolve over time and through their own actions and initiatives have the potential to modify the power structures of the Multinational Enterprise (MNE) but little is known about the role of the subsidiary manager in this process. We suggest that the tensions between the headquarters perspective and the subsidiary perspective have resulted in the application of inappropriate frameworks to the study of subsidiary managers. This proposal presents …

Towards Leaner Healthcare Facility: Application Of Simulation Modelling And Value Stream Mapping, Waleed Abo Hamad, John Crowe, Amr Arisha

Conference Papers

Recently, the application of lean thinking in healthcare has grown significantly in response to rising demand caused by population growth, ageing and high expectations of service quality. However, insufficient justifications and lack of quantifiable evidence are the main obstacles to convince healthcare executives to adopt lean. Therefore, this paper presents a methodology that integrates lean tools with simulation to enhance the quality of patient care in healthcare facilities. This enables healthcare organisations to dedicate more time and effort to patient care without extra cost to the organisation or to the patient. Value stream mapping is used to identify value-added and …

Strategic Activity In The Today’S Multinational Subsidiaries, Donal O'Brien, Pamela Sharkey Scott, Patrick Gibbons

Conference Papers

This working paper presents an ongoing empirical study into strategy development at the subsidiary management level of the Multinational Enterprise (MNE). The multinational subsidiary is a unique context to study management processes relating to strategy but so far, despite the emergence of the concept, there has not been a coherent approach identifiable in the literature. It is recognised that subsidiaries evolve over time and through their own actions and initiatives have the potential to modify the power structures of the Multinational Enterprise (MNE) but little is known about the role of the subsidiary manager in this process. We suggest that …

Sensitivity Studies Of A Low Temperature Low Approach Direct Cooling Tower For Building Radiant Cooling Systems, Medhi Nasrabadi, Donal Finn, Ben Costelloe

Conference Papers

Recent interest in cooling towers as a mechanism for producing chilled water, together with the evolution of radiant cooling, have prompted a review of evaporative cooling in temperate maritime climates. The thermal efficiency of such systems is a key parameter, as a measure of the degree to which the system has succeeded in exploiting the cooling potential of the ambient air. The feasibility of this concept depends largely however, on achieving low approach water temperatures within an appropriate cooling tower, at acceptable levels of energy performance. Previous experimental work for a full scale evaporative cooling system has shown that it …

Mathematical Modelling Of A Low Approach Evaporative Cooling Process For Space Cooling In Buildings, Medhi Nasrabadi, Donal Finn, Ben Costelloe

Conference Papers

This paper describes a mathematical model of a low approach open evaporative cooling tower for the production of high temperature indirect cooling water (14-16°C) for use in building radiant cooling and displacement ventilation systems. There are several potential approaches to model evaporative cooling, including: the Poppe method, the Merkel method and the effectiveness-NTU (ε-NTU) method. A common assumption, applied to the Merkel and ε-NTU methods, is that the effect of change in tower water mass flow rate due to evaporation is ignored, which results in a simpler model with reduced computational requirements, but with somewhat decreasedaccuracy. In this paper, a …

Serious Gaming Learning: Supply Chain Multi-Agent Web-Based Simulation Game, Ayman Tobail, John Crowe, Amr Arisha

Conference Papers

High levels of complexity and uncertainty, and various sources of risks, create challenges for supply chain networks in achieving satisfactory performance, but advances in Information Technology can help supply chain decision makers predict the magnitude and impact of the risks related to their decisions. The framework proposed in this paper offers a solution that integrates intelligent-agents, simulation modelling, and optimisation. Its friendly, animated, interactive web-based interface is especially designed to engage the user in a ‘serious game’ environment. Each user plays a specific role in the supply chain network, and encounters the consequences of their decisions. The optimisation engine embedded …

The Use Of Audio Feedback To Develop Deeper Learning In Business Education, Daire Hooper

Conference Papers

It is widely regarded that providing students with feedback is central to their learning (Biggs & Tang, 2007). Traditionally feedback has been given to students either in person or in writing, however, due to advancements in technology, audio is now employed by a small minority of educators in Higher Education (Ice et al., 2007; Merry & Orsmond, 2007; Middleton, 2007; Nortcliffe & Middleton, 2007). Audio feedback is a feedback mechanism whereby feedback is given to students via mp3. To date, research on audio feedback has focused on students’ perceptions of audio as a feedback mechanism, and its ability to increase …

Strategic Discourse Across Organizational Meetings:Towards A Systems Perspective., Brendan K. O'Rourke, Martin Duffy

Conference Papers

Strategic Discourse across Organizational meetings: Towards a Systems Perspective Abstract This paper presents a tentative theoretical conception of how organizational meetings may be viewed as a system rather than as individual events. Perspectives from process metaphysics(Langley and Tsoukas, 2010), meso-discourse analysis (Alvesson and Karreman, 2000, 2011) and systems thinking (von Bertalanffy, 1969) are adopted, to explore and expand the theoretical resources available to conceptualise a ‘system of meetings’. The primary data draws from 130+ hours of recorded meeting proceedings, spanning 58 meeting events, from multiple sub-groups within a medium sized company.

Making Sense Of Health Care Planning In Ireland; The Street Level Public Organization (Slpo)., Vivienne Byers

Conference Papers

One of the central mechanisms of the Strategic Management Initiative (SMI) (Government of Ireland 1996) is the devolution of accountability and responsibility from the centre to executive agencies. Service planning was introduced in the Irish health care sector as part of this strategic planning ethos. This paper reports on a study that examined both the intent and the consequences of implementing legislatively mandated planning in the Irish health services, in the context of significant organizational change. In an effort to draw broader lessons, a comparison is drawn with the Canadian experience of service planning.

The choice was made to study …

In Search Of Theory: Towards An Integrating Conceptual Framework For Subsidiary Research, Donal O'Brien, Pamela Sharkey Scott, Patrick Gibbons

Conference Papers

Despite the importance of the strategic choices taken by subsidiary managers to the long terms survival of their unit, little is known about the phenomenon. (Dörrenbächer & Geppert, 2009, Scott, Gibbons, & Coughlan, 2010). This paper analyses and synthesises the research streams on subsidiary management to date to provide critical conceptual insights and proposes a new theoretical approach to subsidiary analysis, applied to the critical routine of subsidiary strategy. The adoption of more global business structures by MNEs has led to additional strategic constraints on subsidiary managers (Buckley, 2009, Buckley & Ghauri, 2004, Mudambi, 2008), which we categorise as the …