We examine the trade credit linkages among firms within a supply chain to reckon the effect of such linkages on the propagation of liquidity shocks from downstream to upstream firms. We choose a sample appropriate for this task, consisting of a large data set of Italian firms from the textile...

Various models for predicting discharge rates have been developed over the last four decades by many research workers (notably Beverloo [1], Johanson [2], Brown [3], Carleton [4], Crewdson [5], Nedderman [6], Gu [7].). In many cases these models offer comparable approaches to the prediction of...

Purpose – This paper aims to draw attention to the weakness inherent in the current theoretical model underpinning built asset maintenance and to propose a new performance based model that aligns maintenance/refurbishment expenditure to corporate performance. Design/methodology/approach – An...

Business Environments need to react more efficiently and quickly to demand in today’s global markets. Previous research by the authors entailed reviewing the current understanding of the different types of generic business improvements that are applicable to the production environment through...

This paper challenges the critical articles that have classified thematic initiatives as 'fads' or 'fashions' of their period with little real value. Using business process reengineering (BPR) as an example, the paper suggests that it is important to 'unpack' thematic initiatives into their key...

To make rapid progress in manufacturing business processes have to be rigorously designed by teams of people with a passion for how they will operate. Businesses are dependent on operating systems, but many companies have never designed the fundamental business processes defining how the company...

Manufacturing organisations recognise that the business environment has varying levels of unpredictability. To serve such unpredictability, they utilise forecasting and decision modelling techniques at all levels (strategic to operational), but with business and customer demands intensifying,...

This paper presents a model, which allows managers to identify the influence of their decisions to the potential innovation activity of the firm by simulation. Systems Thinking methodology has been used to understand the framework of innovation systems and to design and run the simulation model....

The aims of this research were to investigate TQM success factors by review of the available literature and then perform two surveys. The first postal survey by questionnaire was carried out on the winning organisations of the European Quality Award (EQA) and the Malcolm Baldrige National...

The successful implementation of international quality standards and models can be viewed as an important key for contemporary SMEs to maintain competitive advantage. One of the most influential factors in ensuring ISO 9000 adoption is the development of a management-driven, implementation...