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Articles 61 - 86 of 86
Full-Text Articles in Business
A Dynamic It Adoption Model For The Soho Market: Pc Generational Decisions With Technological Expectations, Namwoon Kim, Jin K. Han, Rajendra K. Srivastava
A Dynamic It Adoption Model For The Soho Market: Pc Generational Decisions With Technological Expectations, Namwoon Kim, Jin K. Han, Rajendra K. Srivastava
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
The small-office/home-office (SOHO) professionals comprise the fastest growing segment in the labor force today. Typically being a one-person business based at home, SOHO owners mostly rely on office information technology to single handedly run their entire operation. Despite the segment's ostensibly growing dependence and influence on the information technology industry, still very little is known about the dynamics between SOHO and IT products. With the purpose of addressing this void, the SOHO professionals' adoption patterns of multigenerational IT products are ivestigated. Accordingly, an individual SOHO-level initial- and repeat-purchase logit model that captures the procurement patterns for successive generations of technological …
A Note On The Paper “Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling: Notation, Classification, Models And Methods” By Brucker Et Al., Willy Herroelen, Erik Demeulemeester, Bert De Reyck
A Note On The Paper “Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling: Notation, Classification, Models And Methods” By Brucker Et Al., Willy Herroelen, Erik Demeulemeester, Bert De Reyck
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
The great variety of project scheduling problems studied in the ever growing literature motivated the recent development of classification schemes. In a recent paper (European Journal of Operational Research 112 (1999) 3–41), Brucker et al. make the claim that, so far, no classification scheme exists which is compatible with what is commonly accepted in machine scheduling and introduce a new classification. In this note, we critically review major shortcomings of the suggested scheme which place heavy limitations on its potential use.
The Multi– Mode Resource– Constrained Project Scheduling Problem With Generalized Precedence Relations, Bert De Reyck, Willy Herroelen
The Multi– Mode Resource– Constrained Project Scheduling Problem With Generalized Precedence Relations, Bert De Reyck, Willy Herroelen
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
In this paper, we tackle the challenging problem of scheduling activities to minimize the project duration, in which the activities (a) are subject to generalized precedence relations, (b) require units of multiple renewable, non-renewable and doubly constrained resources for which a limited availability is imposed, and (c) can be performed in one of several different ways, reflected in multiple activity scenarios or modes. These multiple modes give rise to several kinds of tradeoffs (time/resource, time/cost and resource/resource trade-offs) which allow for a more effcient allocation and use of resources. We present a local search-based solution methodology which is able to …
Using Strategic Partnerships To Create A Sustainable Competitive Position For Hi-Tech Start-Up Firms, Arnoud De Meyer
Using Strategic Partnerships To Create A Sustainable Competitive Position For Hi-Tech Start-Up Firms, Arnoud De Meyer
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
In most cases these companies chose or were forced to engage in a technology partnership in order to develop and survive. As one would expect, some of these partnerships succeeded whilst others failed. With hindsight it occurred to the author that success or failure was not necessarily a random event, or idiosyncratic to one particular company, but that there seemed to be a pattern. Some partnerships failed because they were a strategic misfit, others probably because they were badly implemented. Based on these clinical case studies, The author addresses these questions: when and under what conditions a partnership is needed; …
Phase Transitions In Project Scheduling, Willy Herroelen, Bert De Reyck
Phase Transitions In Project Scheduling, Willy Herroelen, Bert De Reyck
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Researchers in the area of artificial intelligence have recently shown that many NP-complete problems exhibit phase transitions. Often, problem instances change from being easy to being hard to solve to again being easy to solve when certain of their characteristics are modified. Most often the transitions are sharp, but sometimes they are rather continuous in the order parameters that are characteristic of the system as a whole. To the best of our knowledge, no evidence has been provided so far that similar phase transitions occur in NP-hard scheduling problems. In this paper we report on the existence of phase transitions …
A Classification Scheme For Project Scheduling Problems, Willy Herroelen, Erik Demeulemeester, Bert De Reyck
A Classification Scheme For Project Scheduling Problems, Willy Herroelen, Erik Demeulemeester, Bert De Reyck
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
The basic concern of scheduling is commonly described as the allocation of limited resources to tasks over time (Lawler et al. 1993, Pinedo 1995). The resources and tasks may take many forms. In project scheduling the tasks refer to the activities belonging to one or more projects. The execution of project activities may require the use of different types of resources (money, crews, equipment, …). The scheduling objectives may also take many forms (minimizing project duration, minimizing project costs, maximizing project revenues, optimizing due date performance,…). The result is a wide and steadily growing variety of problem types which motivates …
Algorithms For Scheduling Projects With Generalized Precedence Relations, Bert De Reyck, Erik Demeulemeester, Willy Herroelen
Algorithms For Scheduling Projects With Generalized Precedence Relations, Bert De Reyck, Erik Demeulemeester, Willy Herroelen
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
The problem of scheduling projects under various types of resource constraints constitutes an important and challenging problem which has received increasing attention during the past several years. The bulk of the models and procedures designed for coping with these problem types aim at scheduling project activities to minimize the project duration subject to constant availability constraints on the required set of resources and precedence constraints that indicate that activities can only be started when all of their predecessors have already been finished. However, real-life project scheduling applications often involve more complicated types of precedence relations such as arbitrary minimal and …
Local Search Methods For The Discrete Time/Resource Trade-Off Problem In Project Networks, Bert De Reyck, Erik Demeulemeester, Willy Herroelen
Local Search Methods For The Discrete Time/Resource Trade-Off Problem In Project Networks, Bert De Reyck, Erik Demeulemeester, Willy Herroelen
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
In this paper we consider the discrete time/resource trade-off problem in project networks. Given a project network consisting of nodes (activities) and arcs (technological precedence relations), in which the duration of the activities is a discrete, nonincreasing function of the amount of a single renewable resource committed to it, the discrete time/resource trade-off problem minimizes the project makespan subject to precedence constraints and a single renewable resource constraint. For each activity, a work content is specified such that all execution modes (duration/resource requirement pairs) for performing the activity are allowed as long as the product of the duration and the …
A Branch-And-Bound Procedure For The Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem With Generalized Precedence Relations, Bert De Reyck, Willy Herroelen
A Branch-And-Bound Procedure For The Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem With Generalized Precedence Relations, Bert De Reyck, Willy Herroelen
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
We present an optimal solution procedure for the resource-constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) with generalized precedence relations (RCPSP-GPR) with the objective of minimizing the project makespan. The RCPSPGPR extends the RCPSP to arbitrary minimal and maximal time lags between the starting and completion times of activities. The proposed procedure is suited for solving a general class of project scheduling problems and allows for arbitrary precedence constraints, activity ready times and deadlines, multiple renewable resource constraints with time-varying resource requirements and availabilities, several types of permissible and mandatory activity overlaps and multiple projects. It can be extended to other regular and …
New Computational Results On The Discrete Time/Cost Trade-Off Problem In Project Networks, Erik Demeulemeester, Bert De Reyck, Bram Foubert, Willy Herroelen
New Computational Results On The Discrete Time/Cost Trade-Off Problem In Project Networks, Erik Demeulemeester, Bert De Reyck, Bram Foubert, Willy Herroelen
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
We describe a new exact procedure for the discrete time/cost trade-off problem in deterministic activity-on-the-arc networks of the CPM type, where the duration of each activity is a discrete, nonincreasing function of the amount of a single resource (money) committed to it. The objective is to construct the complete and efficient time/cost profile over the set of feasible project durations. The procedure uses a horizon-varying approach based on the iterative optimal solution of the problem of minimising the sum of the resource use over all activities subject to the activity precedence constraints and a project deadline. This optimal solution is …
Manufacturing Operations In Europe: Where Do We Go Next?, Arnoud De Meyer
Manufacturing Operations In Europe: Where Do We Go Next?, Arnoud De Meyer
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Extrapolating from the results of a 10-year INSEAD Survey, the author offers some views on the future for manufacturing in Europe. The model on which the Survey was based indicates that competitive priorities and action plans in manufacturing changed over the 10-year period. Taking lessons from these, the author makes some 'informed guesses' on the future implications for European manufacturers in the form of seven normative features: innovation in the value package; close integration between manufacturing and service; the importance of internationalism; flexible project-based organisation; more integrated management of the value added chain; successful transformation of operational programmes into strategic …
Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling: A Survey Of Recent Developments, Willy Herroelen, Bert De Reyck, Erik Demeulemeester
Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling: A Survey Of Recent Developments, Willy Herroelen, Bert De Reyck, Erik Demeulemeester
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
We review recent advances in dealing with the resource-constrained project scheduling problem using an efficient depth-first branch-and-bound procedure, elaborating on the branching scheme, bounding calculations and dominance rules, and discuss the potential of using truncated branch-and-bound. We derive conclusions from the research on optimal solution procedures for the basic problem and subsequently illustrate extensions to a rich and realistic variety of related problems involving activity preemption, the use of ready times and deadlines, variable resource requirements and availabilities, generalized precedence relations, time/cost, time/resource and resource/resource trade-offs and non-regular objective functions.
An Optimal Procedure For The Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem With Discounted Cash Flows And Generalized Precedence Relations, Bert De Reyck, Willy Herroelen
An Optimal Procedure For The Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling Problem With Discounted Cash Flows And Generalized Precedence Relations, Bert De Reyck, Willy Herroelen
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
In this paper, we consider the resource-constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) with discounted cash flows and generalized precedence relations (RCPSPDC-GPR). The RCPSPDC-GPR extends the RCPSP to (a) arbitrary minimal and maximal time lags between the starting and completion times of activities and (b) the non-regular objective function of maximizing the net present value of the project with positive and/or negative cash flows associated with the activities. To the best of our knowledge, the literature on the RCPSPDC-GPR is completely void. We present a depth-first branch-and-bound algorithm in which the nodes in the search tree represent the original project network extended …
Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling: A Survey Of Recent Developments, Willy Herroelen, Erik Demeulemeester, Bert De Reyck
Resource-Constrained Project Scheduling: A Survey Of Recent Developments, Willy Herroelen, Erik Demeulemeester, Bert De Reyck
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Resource-constrained project scheduling involves the scheduling of project activities subject to precedence and resource constraints in order to meet the objective(s) in the best possible way. The area covers a wide variety of problem types. The objective of this paper is to provide a survey of what we believe are the important recent developments in the area. Our main focus will be on the recent progress made in and the encouraging computational experience gained with the use of optimal solution procedures for the basic resource-constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) and important extensions. We illustrate how the branching rules, dominance and …
On The Use Of The Complexity Index As A Measure Of Complexity In Activity Networks, Bert De Reyck, Willy Herroelen
On The Use Of The Complexity Index As A Measure Of Complexity In Activity Networks, Bert De Reyck, Willy Herroelen
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
A large number of optimal and suboptimal procedures have been developed for solving combinatorial problems modeled as activity networks. The need to differentiate between easy and hard problem instances and the interest in isolating the fundamental factors that determine the computing effort required by these procedures, inspired a number of researchers to develop various complexity measures. In this paper we investigate the relation between the hardness of a problem instance and the topological structure of its underlying network, as measured by the complexity index. We demonstrate through a series of experiments that the complexity index, defined as the minimum number …
Rivalry And The Industry Model Of Scottish Knitwear Producers, Joseph F. Porac, Howard Thomas, Fiona Wilson, Douglas Patton, Alaina Kanfer
Rivalry And The Industry Model Of Scottish Knitwear Producers, Joseph F. Porac, Howard Thomas, Fiona Wilson, Douglas Patton, Alaina Kanfer
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
In this paper we argue that market boundaries are socially constructed around a collective cognitive model that summarizes typical organizational forms within an industry. This model is produced when firms observe each other's actions and define unique product positions in relation to each other. Our study examines the question of how firms define a reference group of rivals when market cues are ambiguous and interorganizational variety is high and identifies the industry model underlying rivalry among Scottish knitwear producers. The data suggest that a six-category model of organizational forms best describes the common sense of competition in the industry and …
R&D-Marketing Integration Mechanisms, Communication Flows, And Innovation Success, Rudy K. Moenaert, William E. Souder, Arnoud De Meyer, Dirk Deschoolmeester
R&D-Marketing Integration Mechanisms, Communication Flows, And Innovation Success, Rudy K. Moenaert, William E. Souder, Arnoud De Meyer, Dirk Deschoolmeester
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
The authors report the results of their study of forty technologically innovative Belgian companies to examine the interaction between marketing and R&D. They studied one commercially successful and one commercially unsuccessful technological product innovation project in each participating company and collected data from one marketing and one R&D respondent per project. Communication flows between marketing and R&D are increased under conditions involving formalization of projects, decentralization, positive inter-functional climate, and role flexibility.
Interpreting And Responding To Strategic Issues: The Impact Of National Culture, Susan C. Schneider, Arnoud De Meyer
Interpreting And Responding To Strategic Issues: The Impact Of National Culture, Susan C. Schneider, Arnoud De Meyer
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Perceptions of environmental uncertainty and organizational control influence strategic behavior. As national culture influences these perceptions we expect to find cultural differences in interpretation and response to strategic issues. Given a case describing an issue concerning deregulation of the U.S. banking industry, managers completed questionnaires rating interpretations and responses to that issue. National culture was found to influence interpretation and responses. In particular, Latin European managers when compared with other managers were more likely to interpret the issue as a crisis and as a threat. Latin Europeans were also more likely to recommend proactive behavior. This study indicates that different …
Managing Expert Systems: A Framework And Case Study, Rob R. Weitz, Arnoud De Meyer
Managing Expert Systems: A Framework And Case Study, Rob R. Weitz, Arnoud De Meyer
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
This paper addresses the problem of managing the development and implementation of a large expert system in an organization. A traditional systems analysis and design methodology is used as a framework to highlight similarities and differences in managing large scale traditional computer based projects and large expert systems. As a non-technical, prescriptive guide, this article focusses on defining at each stage in the project, the tasks to be accomplished, resources required, impact on the organization, likely benefits and potential problems. The case of a large expert system implemented by a multinational corporation across several European sites is used to clarify …
Lasting Improvements In Manufacturing Performance: In Search Of A New Theory, Kasra Ferdows, Arnoud De Meyer
Lasting Improvements In Manufacturing Performance: In Search Of A New Theory, Kasra Ferdows, Arnoud De Meyer
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Is there a way to avoid trading off one capability for another in manufacturing? The prevailing wisdom says no. But some manufacturers seem to have been able to defy that: compared to their competitors, they have better quality, are more dependable, respond faster to changing market conditions, and in spite of all that, achieve lower costs. How can this be explained? Our aim here is to provide an explanation. We contend that the nature of the trade-offs among manufacturing capabilities is more complex than has been assumed. Depending on the approach taken for developing each capability, the nature of the …
Flexibility: The Next Competitive Battle: The Manufacturing Futures Survey, Arnoud De Meyer, Jinichiro Nakane, Jeffrey M. Miller, Kasra Ferdows
Flexibility: The Next Competitive Battle: The Manufacturing Futures Survey, Arnoud De Meyer, Jinichiro Nakane, Jeffrey M. Miller, Kasra Ferdows
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Over the past 4 years research teams from INSEAD (Fontainebleau), Boston University and Waseda University (Tokyo) have administered a yearly survey on the manufacturing strategy of the large manufacturers of the three industrialized regions of the world. In this paper the results for the 1986 survey are compared. One of the most striking results of that year’s survey is the emphasis some of the more advanced manufacturers put on their efforts to overcome the trade-off between flexibility and cost efficiency. In particular for the Japanese respondents these attempts become clear. Europeans and North Americans are not yet seizing the opportunity …
European Manufacturers: The Dangers Of Complacency, Kasra Ferdows, Arnoud De Meyer
European Manufacturers: The Dangers Of Complacency, Kasra Ferdows, Arnoud De Meyer
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Recent trends in the activities of a sample of European manufacturers are analysed in this paper. The data have been collected through annual surveys in the last five years, and in particular, the results of the 1987 survey (222 responses received in the first trimester of 1987) have been analysed in more depth. The priorities set for the development of varions types of capabilities in manufacturing (related to quality, delivery, flexibility, cost, etc.), and the specific programmes under implementation for improvement of manufacturing performance which are receiving highest attention are described. Through correlation analyses, statisically significant associations between specific improvement …
German, French And British Manufacturing Strategies Compared: A Growth Towards Each Other, Arnoud De Meyer
German, French And British Manufacturing Strategies Compared: A Growth Towards Each Other, Arnoud De Meyer
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Manufacturing has gained over the last years in attention as a tool to create competitive advantage. For four years now a survey has been carried out by a research team at Insead to build a database on the manufacturing strategies as they are defined and implemented by large European companies. In this paper some of the 1987 data are presented, and a comparison of manufacturing strategies of large companies in the three most important European countries is made. Though the most important conclusion is that there are only slight differences between the three countries, one can see some difference in …
Managerial Focal Points In Manufacturing Strategy, Arnoud De Meyer
Managerial Focal Points In Manufacturing Strategy, Arnoud De Meyer
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
Through analysis of specific decisions in the management of manufacturing in 163 companies, we have identified the key dimensions along which mort of the differences among manufacturing strategies can be explained. Previous research—mostly based on clinical observations—has focused on describing the typical decision categories in manufacturing strategy. Our large sample has allowed us to move beyond that and focus on the differences among manufacturing strategies. Data were collected by mailed questionnaires as a part of a large research project ‘Manufacturing Futures’. The responses to a list of 35 specific current action programmes in manufacturing were reduced through a principal component …
European Manufacturing: A Comparative Study (1985), Arnoud De Meyer
European Manufacturing: A Comparative Study (1985), Arnoud De Meyer
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
One of the striking events of the eighties in the field of management is the increase in attention paid to the role of manufacturing and technology in the determination of a firm’s competitive position. Traditionally, corporate policy and strategic decisions were defined on the basis of a financial and marketing analysis of the company’s strengths, weaknesses and competitive environment. The contribution of the technology function and more in particular the production and operations function was often limited to implementation and a marginal adaptation of a course set by financial and marketing considerations. Some of the world’s excellent competitors have, however, …
The Flow Of Technological Innovation In An R&D Department, Arnoud De Meyer
The Flow Of Technological Innovation In An R&D Department, Arnoud De Meyer
Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business
The flow of technological information, in particular the type of sources and transfer channels for technological information has been a focus of research interest since the very first studies concerning management of research and development. However, the results of these empirical studies, although encouraging and useful to managers, leave several questions unanswered, and even worse, contain some contradictions. In this paper we will try to explain some of these contradictions using the technology characteristics as a contingency factor. The model, which we will present has been tested in a twofold way: questionnaires were used to provide insight into the importance …