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Implementation of product-service systems (PSS) requires structural changes in the way that business in manufacturing industries is traditionally conducted. Literature frequently mentions the importance of human resource management (HRM), since people are involved in the entire process of PSS development and employees are the primary link to customers. However, to this day, no study has provided empirical evidence whether and in what way HRM of firms that implement PSS differs from HRM of firms that solely run a traditional manufacturing based business model. The aim of this study is to contribute to closing this gap by investigating the particular HR components of manufacturing firms that implement PSS and compare it with the HRM of firms that do not. The context of this study is the fashion industry, which is an ideal setting since it is a mature and highly competitive industry that is well-documented for causing significant environmental impact. PSS present a promising opportunity for fashion firms to differentiate and mitigate the industry’s ecological footprint. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was conducted to analyze data of 102 international fashion firms. Findings reveal a significant higher focus on nearly the entire spectrum of HRM components of firms that implement PSS compared with firms that do not. Empirical findings and their interpretation are utilized to propose a general framework of the role of HRM for PSS implementation. This serves as a departure point for both scholars and practitioners for further research, and fosters the understanding of the role of HRM for managing PSS implementation.
Product-Service Systems (PSS) in the fashion industry : an analysis of intra-organizational factors
(2018)
The fashion industry is a vast industry that has grown tremendously over the last decades. This growth causes significant environmental impact since the production of clothes involves high input of energy, water, chemicals and generates great volumes of waste. Even though fashion firms have started to address this challenge by adopting environmental standards, it has turned out that the sole use of eco-friendly material and new manufacturing techniques is insufficient. Instead, sustainable business models are increasingly gaining attention to solve the environmental problems. Offers to rent, swap, repair or redesign clothes are among the most prominent and promising examples. For analytical purposes, these concepts can be assigned to the growing research stream of Product-Service Systems (PSS) that shift the focus from the pure sale of a product toward complementary or substitutional service offers. This decouples customer satisfaction from material consumption, prolongs the garments' lifetime and thus diminishes both material input and appertaining waste. Besides environmental sustainability, PSS imply potential economic benefits for organizations. Particularly in highly competitive industries like the fashion industry, PSS allow firms to differentiate, better compete with cost pressure and mitigate the risk of being imitated by rivels since service is more difficult to replicate. However, fashion PSS are still mainly operated in a niche market by small firms and have yet to be anchored in the mainstream fashion industry.
Venture capital and the innovative power of a state : econometric study including Google data
(2015)
This article focuses on venture capital investments and the innovative power of a state defined by its public infrastructure. The economic implications are evaluated by estimating several panel regression models. The novelty is twofold: on the one hand the research approach and on the other hand the new data set. The data ranges from 1995 to 2014 and consists of 10 European countries plus the US and Canada. For the first time we include Google search data on Venture Capital. The results show a significant increase in Venture Capital is mainly determined by economic conditions such as real GDP growth. The impact of the innovative power of a state is not significant. We find that Google data is positively related and significant in respect to Venture Capital investments too. Consequently, we confirm that private business investments cannot be created by government policy alone rather via solid macroeconomic conditions.
User innovators follow multiple diffusion and adoption pathways for their self-developed innovations. Users may choose to commercialize their self-developed products on the marketplace by becoming entrepreneurs. Few studies exist that focus on understanding personal and interpersonal factors that affect some user innovators’ entrepreneurial decision-making. Hence, this paper focuses on how user innovators make key decisions relating to opportunity recognition and evaluation and when opportunity evaluation leads to subsequent entrepreneurial action in the entrepreneurial process. We conducted an exploratory study using a multi-grounded theory methodology as the user entrepreneurship phenomenon embodies complex social processes. We collected data through the netnography approach that targeted 18 entrepreneurs with potentially relevant differences through crowdfunding platforms. We integrated self-determination, human capital, and social capital theory to address the phenomena under study. This study’s significant findings posit that users’ motives are dissatisfaction with existing goods, interest in innovation, altruism, social recognition, desire for independence, and economic benefits. Besides, use-related experience, product-related knowledge, product diffusion, and iterative feedback positively impact innovative users’ entrepreneurial decision-making.
Being exposed to compulsory religious education in school can have long-run consequences for students’ lives. At different points in time since the 1970s, German states terminated compulsory religious education in public schools and replaced it by a choice between ethics classes and religious education. This article shows that the reform not only led to reduced religiosity in students’ later life, but also eroded traditional attitudes towards gender roles and increased labor-market participation and earnings.
Es gibt viele und teilweise sehr unterschiedliche Vorgehensweisen für die Planung von Materialflusssysstemen in der Produktionslogisitk. Ein spezifisches Vorgehensmodell für die Planung der Produktionsversorgung in der Montage im engeren Sinne existiert nicht. Im Folgenden wird ein solches Vorgehensmodell dargestellt, das sich auf die Planung der Produktionsversorgung fokussiert.
Die Digitalisierung vrändert die Arbeitsweisen in Unternehmen und damit auch bei der Planung von Fabriken. Am Markt verfügbar sind vielfältige Soft- und Hardwaresysteme für die Digitale Fabrik, die die Fabrikplanung unterstützen und teilweise revolutionieren können. Um dieses Potential zu nutzen, muss aber bekannt sein, was diese Systeme können und wie sie sinnvoll genutzt werden können. Bisherige Fabrikplanungssystematiken haben hierzu keine Unterstützung angeboten, da sie nur das generelle Vorgehen der Fabrikplanung beschreiben, ohne den Zusammenhang zu den sich rasch entwickelnden Soft- und Hardwaresystemen herzustellen. Im Folgenden wird die Entwicklung und Umsetzung eines Planungsvorgehens für die Digitale Fabrikplanung dargestellt, das die Potentiale der Soft- und Hardwaresysteme für die Digitale Fabrik aufgreift und in ein passendes Planungsvorgehensmodell integriert.
An die Produktionslogistik werden komplexe
Anforderungen gestellt, so dass eine systematische Vorgehensweise zu deren Planung erforderlich ist. Aufgrund der Abhängigkeiten in der Supply Chain muss die Produtkionslogistik immer vom Lieferanten beginnend geplant werden. Trotz der Vielfalt an Planungssystematiken bieten diese alle nur sehr wenig Unterstützung bei der Gestaltung der einzelnen Planungsobjekte in der Logistikkette an, sodass die Planung und Lösungsfindung häufig intuitiv erfolgt und sehr stark vom individuellen Erfahrungswissen des Logistikplaners abhängt. Im Folgenden wird eine Planungssystematik, die auf Morphologien basiert, vorgestellt, die eine durchgängige Planung von Produktionslogistiksystemen ermöglicht und den Planer umgfangreich mit Informationen zu Gestaltungsmöglichkeiten und praktischen Umsetzungen unterstützt.
This booklet will give you an overview of the development of CSR from a (brief) historic point of view and will examine the underlying concepts and research. Furthermore, examples of contemporary CSR management will be explored to show how companies Interpret the issue and how they face the challenges of managing the new demands placed upon them. Business, in the end, comes down to figures and numbers which give management, shareholders and stakeholders a chance to measure a company’s success. Therefore, modern methods and approaches for measuring, rating and ranking a company’s CSR management will be presented. Finally, an attempt will be made to evaluate CSR as a tool for increasing global welfare and as a business and management strategy for companies and entrepreneurs.
Changing requirements and qualification profiles of employees, increasingly complex digital systems up to artificial intelligence, missing standards for the seamless embedding of existing resources and unpredictable return on investments are just a few examples of the challenges of an SME in the age of digitalisation. In most cases there is a lack of suitable tools and methods to support companies in the digital transformation process in the value creation processes, but also of training and learning materials. A European research project (BITTMAS - Business Transformation towards Digitalisation and Smart systems, ERASMUS+, 2016-1 DE02-KA202-003437) with international partners from science, associations and industry has addressed this issue and developed various methods and instruments to support SMEs. Within the scope of a literature search, 16 suitable digitalisation concepts for production and logistics were identified. In the following, a learning platform with a literature database with multivariable sorting options according to branches and keywords of digitalisation, a video gallery with basic and advanced knowledge and a glossary were created in order to provide the user with consolidated and structured specialist knowledge. The 16 identifying concepts for transforming value-added processes in the context of digitalisation were transferred to a learning platform using developed learning paths in coaching and training to online course modules including test questions. A maturity model was developed and implemented in a self assessment tool for the analysis to identify the potential of digitalisation in production and logistics in relation to the current technological digitalisation level of the company. As a result, the user receives one or more of the 16 potential digitalisation concepts suggested or the delta for the necessary, not yet available enabler technologies is presented as a spider diagram. For a successful implementation of the identified suitable digitalisation concepts in production and logistics, a further tool was developed to identify supplementary requirements for all company divisions and stakeholders in relation to the "digital transformation" in the form of a self-evaluation. This paper presents the methods and tools developed, the accompanying learning materials and the learning platform.
Machine learning (ML) techniques are rapidly evolving, both in academia and practice. However, enterprises show different maturity levels in successfully implementing ML techniques. Thus, we review the state of adoption of ML in enterprises. We find that ML technologies are being increasingly adopted in enterprises, but that small and medium-size enterprises (SME) are struggling with the introduction in comparison to larger enterprises. In order to identify enablers and success factors we conduct a qualitative empirical study with 18 companies in different industries. The results show that especially SME fail to apply ML technologies due to insufficient ML knowhow. However, partners and appropriate tools can compensate this lack of resources. We discuss approaches to bridge the gap for SME.
Die Dynamik der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung und deren Abhängigkeit von globalen Wechselwirkungen wachsen heute schneller denn je. Das macht Zukunftsprognosen besonders schwierig. Dennoch bietet der Blick auf langfristig prägende Trends die Chance, eine Diskussion darüber zu eröffnen, welche Realität uns morgen erwarten könnte und wie wir damit umgehen wollen.
Dieses Impulspapier stellt aus Sicht der Mitgliedsinstitute des Fraunhofer Verbunds Innovationsforschung eine Auswahl derjenigen Trends dar, die Innovationssysteme im Zeitraum bis 2030 wesentlich beeinflussen werden. Auf dieser Grundlage werden Thesen für Innovation im Jahr 2030 abgeleitet und beschrieben, welche Aufgaben sich daraus für Wirtschaft, Politik, Wissenschaft und Gesellschaft ergeben.
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the value of the web representation of certain fashion hot spots and how these results can be shown on fashion maps in an illustrated way.
Design/methodology/approach: A new ranking was created, which was evaluated with a self-instructed index, to gain solid results. Numbers were collected from Google, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and web.alert.io. Additionally, fashion maps were created for an illustrative visualization of the results.
Findings: Compared with the ranking of a trend forecasting agency, called Global Language Monitor, which concepted a ranking of non-virtual fashion cities, the web representation and therefore the ranking of the research project, differs mainly in the situation of the cities among the first 10, viz. the rank on which a city occurs, but fewer in the actual cities mentioned.
Research limitations: The research was limited to subjective analysis of data, leading to partly subjective results, as well as the selected number of social media platforms, that had been used.
Originality/value: This is the first study to explore the web representation value of fashion metropolises in comparison to their non-virtual ranking. The results are partly based on results that already existed, concerning transformations of fashion cities or in general which cities own the status of a fashion city.
Sowohl die Zahl als auch die Relevanz gemeinnütziger Vereine in und für Deutschland ist immens. Gleichwohl erstaunt, dass die Rechnungslegung gemeinnütziger Vereine nur rudimentär geregelt ist und in der Forschungspraxis bisher eher wenig beleuchtet wird. Vor allem für die oftmals nur ehrenamtlich tätigen Vereinsvorstände stellt dies eine Herausforderung dar. Der vorliegende Beitrag schafft einen Überblick über die aktuelle Situtation der Vereinsrechnungslegung in Deutschland und erhebt im Rahmen einer empirischen Untersuchung die aktuellen Herausforderungen. Aus den Ergebnissen lassen sich wichtige Implikationen für die rechnungslegenden Vereine, die Adressaten dieser Rechnungslegung, den Gesetzgeber und die Prüfer der Berichte ableiten.
Der Zusammenbruch des Systems der Arbeiterselbstverwaltung und der sich daran anschließende Transformationsprozess zogen einen sektoralen Strukturwandel der kroatischen Volkswirtschaft nach sich. Die forcierte Deindustrialisierung und Tertiarisierung führte allerdings zu massiven Fehlentwicklungen, die bis eute die wirtschaftliche Lage des Landes bestimmen.
In der Untersuchung wird daher der Frage nachgegangen, inwieweit ein Tertiarisierungsprozess für ein Transformationsland wie Kroatien als Option für eine erfolgreiche wirtschaftliche Entwicklung zu bewerten ist. Dafür müssen zunächst grundlegende theoretische Ansätze zu den Themengebieten Wachstum und Strukturwandel beschrieben, beurteilt und systematisiert werden. Hierbei zeigt sich, dass neuere modelltheoretische Untersuchungen weiterhin an der demand bias- und productivity bias-Hypothese gemäß Fourastié (1949) und Baumol (1967) ansetzen, um die Triebkräfte der wirtschaftlichen Entwicklung hin zu einer Dienstleistungsgesellschaft zu erklären. Die Autorin identifiziert dabei zwei Theoriestränge: Einerseits wird in der Literatur versucht, die Überlegungen zum strukturellen Wandel mit der Wachstumstheorie "zu versöhnen", d. h. zu verbinden. Andererseits werden "Heilungschancen" der Baumolschen Kostenkrankheit auf Basis der Determinanten der Endogenen Wachstumstheorie und der Innovationsmerkmale von Dienstleistungen formuliert. Empirische Untersuchungen zum sektoralen Strukturwandel in ausgewählten europäischen Wohlfahrtsstaatssystemen zeigen weiterhin auf, dass die wirtschaftliche Entwicklung eines Landes zudem von gesellschaftlichen und politischen Faktoren bestimmt wird.
Im zweiten Teil der Studie werden mithilfe des theoretischen Instrumentariums die drei Entwicklungsstufen der kroatischen Volkswirtschaft seit dem Zweiten Weltkrieg nachgezeichnet. Dabei zeigt sich, dass in der ersten Phase die Mängel der Arbeiterselbstverwaltung einen strukturellen Wandel und Produktivitätswachstum behinderten, während in den 1990er Jahren insbesondere die verfehlte Wirtschafts- und Sozialpolitik zu negativen volkswirtschaftlichen und gesellschaftlichen Folgen führte. Während des forcierten Integrationsprozesses in die EU wirkte sich die in der zweiten Hälfte der 2000er-Jahre einsetzende Wirtschaftskrise negativ auf den kroatischen Arbeitsmarkt aus. Die Analyse der Innovationsfähigkeit der kroatischen Wirtschaft sowie die Zusammenfassung der zentralen Erkenntnisse im letzten Teil der Studie zeigen auf, dass Wachstum und Beschäftigung zukünftig gefördert werden können, wenn in Kroatien der strukturelle und gesellschaftliche Wandel weiter fortgesetzt wird.
Auch das Liquiditäts- und Working Capital Management unterliegt einem ständigen Wandel. So hatte die Liquiditätssicherung nach Ausbruch der Finanzkrise 2008/09 in vielen Unternehmen höchste Priorität. In Zeiten niedriger Zinsen können die Kapitalkosten vernachlässigt werden, wodurch die Notwendigkeit sinkt, Bestände des Working Capital zu reduzieren. Bei steigenden Zinsen und/oder einer schwachen konjunkturellen Entwicklung verschärft sich dagegen der Zielkonflikt zwischen Sicherheit und Rentabilität.
Mögliche Verbesserungen ergeben sich beim Liquiditäts- und Working Capital Management durch die Digitalisierung, die den Informationsaustausch zwischen dem Unternehmen und seinemn Supply-Chain-Partnern beschleunigt. Damit lässt sich an vielen Stellen des Wertschöpfungsprozesses die Effizienz steigern.
This article studies the effects of reverse factoring in a supply chain when the buyer company facilitates its lower short-term borrowing rates to the supplier corporation in return for extended payment terms. We explore the role of interest rate changes, rating changes, and the business cycle position on the cost and benefit trade-off from a supplier perspective. We utilize a combined empirical approach consisting of an event study in Step 1 and a simulation model in Step 2. The event study identifies the quantitative magnitude of central bank decisions and rating changes on the interest rate differential. The simulation computes with a rolling-window methodology the daily cost and benefits of reverse factoring from 2010 to 2018 under the assumption of the efficient market hypothesis. Our major finding is that changes of crucial financial variables such as interest rates, ratings, or news alerts will turn former win-win into win-lose situations for the supplier contingent to the business cycle. Overall, our results exhibit sophisticated trade-offs under reverse factoring and consequently require a careful evaluation in managerial decisions.
This study analyses the impact of Basel III on the fair pricing of bank guarantee facilities.Guarantees are an important risk mitigation instrument between exporters and importers in international trade and regularly a prerequisite for cross border sales contracts to be closed. Basel III – which shall be introduced from 2013 onwards - is a new regulation stipulating higher capital requirements for banks compared to the predecessor Basel II. It will therefore have an impact on the pricing of guarantee facilities which banks provide to exporting companies, making it also a crucial regulation for the cost of exportation overall. The study compares those contents of Basel III and Basel II which are particularly relevant for guarantees in order to identify and crystallize pricing-relevant changes in the regulations and their respective impact potential. The Basel frameworks are analyzed part by part and reviewed in terms of relevance for guarantees. In case of ambiguity the analysis is verified by complementary expert interviews. References and examples are mainly focusing on the German banking system but the basic conclusions can be generalized for those countries adopting Basel III.1 As the result, a case study expresses the quantitative outcomes of different scenarios and the impact of the different price determining factors on the overall fair pricing of bank guarantee facilities.
This article reviews the literature on Christmas economics. First, we present an overall picture of the debate on the potential welfare loss of gift-giving and we show strategies that reduce the potential welfare loss and might increase the number of presents received. Second, we discuss the effect of Christmas on prices and the business cycle. We provide evidence that at Christmas stock prices and airfares increase, while food prices decrease.
Human Digital Twin
(2022)
Man stelle sich vor, man könnte mit Unterstützung von künstlicher Intelligenz Spielabläufe von Bundesligaspielen oder sogar ganze WM-Partien simulieren. Oder der Trainer würde die Mannschaft im Endspiel anhand von Daten über den Gegner aufstellen und entsprechend psychologisch und physiologisch verschiedene Spielertypen auf den Platz schicken (vgl. Jahn). Ist das reine Fiktion? Nicht wirklich. Bereits heute werden die Leistungen von Sportlern immer häufiger digital analysiert und bewertet. Beispielsweise hat SAP eine Plattform entwickelt, die ein digitales Datenbild von Fußballspielern erstellt (vgl. SAP). Bei der letzten WM erhielt jeder Spieler über die neue Fifa Player App kurz nach der Begegnung präzise Statistiken zu seinen Leistungen während des Spiels (vgl. FIFA). Noch bessere Informationen sollen in Zukunft virtuelle Abbilder der Fußballspieler, digitale Zwillinge, liefern. Die dafür notwendigen Daten werden mithilfe von Sensoren im Trikot, in den Schuhen oder im Ball gewonnen. Durch erfassten Bewegungs- und Positionsdaten sowie Ballkontakten entsteht ein präzises Datenbild des Spielers. Solche Simulationen, die auf einem Modell des Menschen in der digitalen Welt beruhen, erfahren derzeit große Aufmerksamkeit in Wissenschaft und Praxis (vgl. van der Valk et al.). Nicht nur in der Fußballwelt, auch in der Medizin und im Kontext von Industrie 4.0 und Produktdesign, haben digitale menschliche Zwillinge das Potenzial, zu einer Schlüsseltechnologie zu werden.
Learning factories on demand
(2021)
Learning Factories are research and learning environments that demonstrate new concepts and technologies for the industry in a practical environment. The interaction between physical and virtual components is a central aspect. The mediation and presentation usually occur directly in the learning factory and are thus limited in time and concerning the user group. A learning factory- on-demand- can be provided by dividing and virtualizing the individual components via containers and microservices. This enables both local operation and operation hybrid cloud or cloud systems. Physical components can be mapped either through standardized interfaces or suitable emulators. Using the example of the Learning Factory at Reutlingen University (Werk150), it will be shown how different use cases can be made available utilizing software-based orchestration, thus promoting broader and more independent teaching.
Das Internet der Dinge verändert die Customer-Experience nachhaltig, beispielsweise indem neue Dienste die Konsumenten kognitiv entlasten. Das Management sollte die neuen Interaktionsmöglichkeiten mit den Konsumenten nutzen und leistungsfähige Benutzerschnittstellen entwickeln sowie analytisches Know-how und Partnerschaften aufbauen.
Der Kundenservice bietet für das Marketing umfangreiche Ansätze zur Differenzierung. Dabei zahlen positive Serviceerlebnisse der Kunden auf unterschiedliche Marketingziele ein. Durch Social Media stehen darüber hinaus neue Möglichkeiten für den Servicedialog zur Verfügung. Der vorliegende Beitrag beschreibt die Umsetzung dieser Möglichkeiten bei der Telekom Deutschland GmbH.
This research is about Omnichannel Retailing and addresses the question how the omnichanneling of retailers in the fashion market can be measured. Our sources will include books, interviews, newspapers and scientific databases.
Omnichanneling is a current topic in the fashion market, retailers all over the world face the question on how to adapt to the challenges Omnichannel Retailing sets. We are going to define what Omnichanneling is by explaining the differences between Multiple-, Multi-, Cross- and Omnichannel Retailing. After we defined omnichanneling itself, we took a set of 26 retailers to evaluate regarding their Omnichannel capabilities. Then we create an index with criteria that can measure the Omnichannel capability of each retailer.
The Omnichannel Score is based on 31 criteria, which analyze the retailers in offline, online, mobile and social aspects enables to see differences between retailers. Our findings were that retailers in the US fashion market are more advanced in Omnichannel Retailing than retailers in the German fashion market. Our top three Omnichannel retailers were Sears with an Omnichannel Score of 91, followed by KOHL’S and Marks&Spencer, both with a Omnichannel Score of 88. The best Omnichannel Retailer from Germany was Adidas with the fourth place and an Omnichannel Score of 81.
Due to the consequential impact of technological breakdowns, companies have to be prepared to deal with breakdowns or even better prevent them. In today's information technology, several methods and tools exist to downscale this concern. Therefore, this paper deals with the initial determination of a resilient enterprise architecture supporting predictive maintenance in the information technology domain and furthermore, concerns several mechanisms on how to reactively and proactively secure the state of resiliency on several abstraction levels. The objective of this paper is to give an overview on existing mechanisms for resiliency and to describe the foundation of an optimized approach, combining infrastructure and process mining techniques.
Gender pay gaps are commonly studied in populations with already completed educational careers. We focus on an earlier stage by investigating the gender pay gap among university students working alongside their studies. With data from five cohorts of a large-scale student survey from Germany, we use regression and wage decomposition techniques to describe gender pay gaps and potential explanations. We find that female students earn about 6% less on average than male students, which reduces to 4.1% when accounting for a rich set of explanatory variables. The largest explanatory factor is the type of jobs male and female students pursue.
Der spartenübergreifende BDI-Arbeitskreis Internet der Energie hat voraussichtliche Veränderungen durch Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) auf die Bereiche Energie und Klima analysiert und den möglichen Beitrag von KI zur Lösung anstehender Herausforderungen in diesen Bereichen erörtert. KI kann einen wesentlichen Beitrag zum Gelingen der Energiewende in Deutschland leisten. Der Energiesektor ist ein zentraler Bestandteil der deutschen Wirtschaft und daher auch in diesem Kontext äußerst relevant.
In this paper it is first identified the trade-off among costs, flexibility and performances of autonomous robotic solutions for material handling processes, where adding value with automation is not as trivial as in production processes: hence the requirement for automated solutions to be simple, lean and efficient becomes even stricter. Then a method for modelling and comparing differential performances and costs of manual and autonomous solutions is developed. As a result of the method, a smart man-machine collaborative interface is designed and its impact evaluated on a specific case of study. Results are then generalized and prove the strong conclusions that in unconstrained environments, where full standardization cannot be achieved, the risk of investing in autonomous solutions can only be mitigated by creating a fast and smart man-machine collaborative interface.
According to a recent survey the great majority of players in logistics are planning to adopt one or more robotic solutions until 2019. Technical solutions for automation of processes in logistics are often available as a market-ready product, but the lack of standardization and skepticism towards long term investments are often the reasons why these solutions are not implemented on a large scale. This paper is set to bridge the gap between the world of technologies and the one of applications in order to help investors, robot producers and system integrators to decide on which branch of logistics to set their focus. The three main branches Courier Express Parcel (CEP), contract logistics and production logistics are briefly defined and distinguished through their characteristic factors and parameters. Then a method based on the analysis of three parameters (operative costs, required performance and flexibility) in the three branches is set to identify the most convenient branch of logistics for investing in new technologies, namely the one in which the risk of investment is lower, the return is higher and faster. The conclusion of the method shows that higher labor costs, strict regulations and higher standardization make the production logistics the most suitable branch for investments in emerging automation solutions.
The implementation of human resource (HR) policies often proves troublesome due to the appearance, and stubborn persistence, of gaps in the process. Human resource management (HRM) scholars problematise these gaps and advocate tight implementation to reduce gaps and to ensure the desired impact of policies on organisational performance. Drawing on organisational institutionalism, we contend that gaps in implementing HR policies can actually be productive, as they secure organisational legitimacy, and thus enable organisations to operate viably within several institutional environments. We suggest that different approaches to implementation are needed, some of them premised on accepting sustained implementation gaps. We introduce minimum and moderate implementation approaches, rooted in the notion of decoupling, to complement approaches aimed at tight implementation. Our aim is to support the further development of research based on a richer interpretation of HRM implementation challenges and choices they present for HR managers.
Competing logics in evaluating employee performance : building compromises through conventions
(2015)
Current research argues that competing institutional logistics1 can co-exist enduringly and investigates how organizations cope with such institutional complexity (Greenwood et al. 2011). Thereby, the role of practices for handling competing logics has been overlooked and it is currently only to limited extent understood how organizations establish compromises between competing logics. Therefore, we investigated the recent performance appraisal reform of a German public sector organization that occurred in 2008 (see also Kozica, Brandl 2015). BAND (the pseudonym for our organization) has been using performance appraisals for several decades, and performance appraisals have already become entrenched instruments (Zeitz, Mittal, McAulay 1999) for handling staff promotion decisions. While BAND accepted the accountability logic of the performance appraisal, the professional logic (which is based on trust and comradeship as a high value of being professional in our organization) is accepted too and BAND has established a fine-grained compromise between the different logics. During the recent reform of the performance appraisal system, however, this compromise has broken up and challenged organizational members to (re-)arrange a compromise. By using French convention school of thinking (Boltanski, Thévenot 2006) we address how BAND copes with conflicting logics by forming compromises in organizational practices. Thereby, we show that the concept of convention is particularly promising for understanding of how organizations deal with institutional complexity. More broadly, our argument contributes to the elaboration of an organizational theory for the institutional logics discussion that explains how organizational and individual actions are interlinked.
In diesem Beitrag haben wir uns mit den Grenzen der Leistungsgerechtigkeit in Personalbeurteilungen auseinandergesetzt. Dabei haben wir auf Basis der EC argumentiert, dass die Beteiligten leistungsbezogene Beurteilungskriterien so auslegen, dass sie mit ihrem Gerechtigkeitsempfinden kompatibel sind. Dieses Argument deutet darauf hin, dass es in vielen Organisationen nicht möglich ist, das Leistungsprinzip strikt umzusetzen. Sofern in Organisationen die Leistungsgerechtigkeit mit weiteren Gerechtigkeitsvorstellungen kollidiert, werden die Akteure bemüht sein, in Konventionen lokaler Arrangements oder Kompromisse zu etablieren. Zudem haben wir argumentiert, dass durch die Entkoppelung der am Beurteilungssystem Beteiligten organisationalen Subsysteme lokale Konventionen ausgebildet werden und eine durchgängige Kontrolle durch höhere Instanzen vermieden wird.
»Flexible Arbeitspraktiken: Eine Analyse aus pragmatischer Perspektive«. Traditional human resource management (HRM) research can hardly relate to today's developments in the world of work. Organizational boundaries are blurred because of the complexity due to globalization, digitalization, and demographic changes. In practice, new ways of organizing work can be found that depend on the specifics of the work situation. In this paper, we build on the economics of convention (EC) to elaborate on the current challenges HRM scholarship is confronted with and provide a theoretical lens that goes beyond the tension between market and bureaucracy principles in actual employment settings. We apply EC’s situationalist methodology to examples of the challenging coordination of flexibility in the workplace. We explain two hybrid forms of coordination – compromises and local arrangements – and highlight the dynamics of employment practices in organizations related to these forms. Thereby, we show that different modes of coordination in employment are applied in a fluctuating manner that depends on the specific situations. In doing so, we further seek to remind HRM scholars of the fruitfulness of the pragmatist perspective in analyzing work practices, as well as extending its conceptual toolkit for future analysis.
Consistent supply chain management across all levels of value creation is a common approach in the industrial sector. The implementation in agricultural processes requires rethinking in the supply chain concept. The reasons are the heuristic characterized processes, the stochastic environmental conditions, the mobility of the production facilities and the low division of work.
In this paper we deal with how concepts of innovative supply chain management of Industrie 4.0 could not only deliver a way to overcome said problems but also provide the foundation for the development of new forms of work and business models for Farming 4.0.
In order to decouple economic growth from global material consumption it is necessary to implement material efficiency strategies at the level of single enterprises and their supply chains, and to implement circular economy aspects. Manufacturing firms face multiple implementation challenges like cost limitations, competition, innovation and stakeholder pressure, and supplier and customer relationships, among others. Taking as an example a case of a medium-sized manufacturing company, opportunities to realise material efficiency improvements within the company borders - on the supply chain and by using circular economy measures - are assessed. Deterministic calculations and simulations, performed for the supply chain of this company, show that measures to increase material efficiency in the supply chain are important. However, they need to be complemented by efforts to return waste and used products to the economic cycle, which requires rethinking the traditional linear economic system.
Mature economies which are driven mainly by small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly becoming dependent on material imports. Global material consumption is ever increasing, mainly driven by population increases. Decoupling of material consumption from economic growth is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st century. Within this paper available methods for the assessment of material efficiency on different economic scales are investigated and those detected that are particulary suitable for the use in SMEs. Recommendations for further improvements of the selected tools and an outlook concerning planned research activities in the field of material efficiency in enterprises, supply chains and circular economy aspects are given.
Projektbasiertes Lernen (PBL) ist eine ideale Methode, um Studierenden an Hochschulen praktische Projektmanagement-Kompetenzen zu vermitteln. Selbst anspruchsvolle Projekte werden hierdurch möglich. Jedoch ist die Balance zwischen den angestrebten Lernzielen und der praktischen Projektdurchführung in der Hochschulpraxis herausfordernd. Mit Hilfe des ‚PBL-Gold Standards‘ lassen sich PBL-Projekte zielgerichtet entwerfen und auf Effektivität hinsichtlich der Lernziele überprüfen. Am Beispiel des Projekts ‚IP Plane‘ der Hochschule Reutlingen, dem Bau eines Motorflugzeugs durch Studierende, wird die praktische Umsetzung eines PBL-Projektes demonstriert.
Today, digitalization is firmly anchored in society and business. It is also recognized to have significant impact on the retailing sector. The in-store display of moving images has so far, however, gained little attention by researchers. The aim of this research is to provide a first estimation on the current state of moving images distribution in stationary retail stores. A store check was the basis for analysis and evaluation. In sum, 152 stores were analyzed in Stuttgart, Germany. Out of 152 observed stores, 62 stores showed 177 moving images. Detailed analyses about content, mood, color and the actors of motion pictures showed that all aspects are very well harmonized with the target group of the store. The chapter provides a basic estimation of the in-store diffusion of moving images. Thereby, avenues for further research are opened up.
This chapter provides insights in the future of fashion film with respect to augmented reality and virtual reality technologies. The question: How does augmented reality and virtual reality influence the future of fashion film? is therefore considered. It is important to analyze the influence of those technologies on fashion films to assess the potential for fashion retailers and in best case gain first-mover advantages. To answer the stated research question, a literature research was conducted to gain insights about the topic and its influence towards fashion filming. Explanation of augmented reality and virtual reality is provided as well as implications in the retail sector regarding fashion films. Moreover, company examples already using this approach have been compiled. Furthermore, an empirical research part was conducted including a survey method based on an online survey design. The questionnaire is based on what has been revealed in literature to gain in depth insides and approval. The data gained indicated that augmented reality and virtual reality influence the future of fashion film in various ways. The findings highlight how important those technologies can be in order to enhance customer experience and engagement. Regarding the research question, the conclusion can be drawn that it is highly important for fashion managers to take future developments like augmented reality and virtual reality into account to stay competitive and satisfy the requirements of modern consumers.
Based on new ways of watching series via streaming platforms and a change of buying behavior, advertising needs to focus on new strategies. Branded entertainment gives brands the opportunity to deeper integrate their product placements into television show plots. Through a managerial perspective this increases the advertising effectiveness. The serial ‘Sex and the City’ exemplifies successful branded entertainment and shows how series influence fashion nowadays. The placements are outstanding when it comes to storytelling around the brand or product, setting trends and creating a character connection plus a desire through identification. This chapter shows success factors and chances of placements for the fashion industry.
Hip-hop culture defines itself through four central pillars: DJing, MCing, breakdancing and graffiti, but a fifth one, fashion, may be in the coming. Hip-hop has become the most popular music genre, and the influence it has on society is undebatable. But as hip-hop artists increasingly underpin their music with visual components, like music videos, the question arises if that has an influence on the fashion industry. This chapter clarifies which factors may determine a fashion business impact and discusses differences between mainstream hip-hop artists and the ones that are active in the fashion industry as well. The focus lays on the way and amount fashion is presented in the music videos. 24 music videos were analyzed, thereof 15 popular records from the past three years and nine of artists that are already considered as fashion influential. Additionally, a fashion influence index was created to compare the degree of fashion between the music videos. Numbers of styles, recognized brands, fashion related song verses, fashion related description box mentions and articles about the fashion in the music video were noted. Findings reveal that the number of outfits shown in the video did not have a direct link to the amount of traffic it produces in fashion media. The artists that are considered influential in the fashion industry, name brands in their song lyrics more often and show brand logos more frequent in their music videos than others. Though over the observed years, for the mainstream hip-hop artists, a rise in fashion awareness can be seen through a higher number of styles, recognizable brands and fashion related verses in the lyrics.
An event film is a successful marketing and communication instrument, which can be used from companies along social media. By reaching the target group and potential customers, companies could benefit from increasing brand awareness. It is striking that there is a lack of information about how event films are used in regard to showing fashion. To establish the subject further, the purpose of this paper is to enrich the existing findings and analyze the influence event films have. In an empirical study, the performance of two events and the two related fast fashion retailers H&M and Zara on Instagram and YouTube regarding event and fashion connected films is analyzed. Identified stylistic elements of event fashion are searched and found in their online shops. Since emotions are especially well transferred through event films, there is an indication that they contribute to the shaping of fashion trends.
Instagram fashion videos
(2020)
Instagram is one of the most used social media platforms to share photos and videos. Due to this, it can be seen as a helpful opportunity for companies to use the platform as a marketing tool in order to spread information to a wide range of potential customers. Ever since its launch, Instagram is strongly connected to fashion, which makes the platform in particular interesting for fashion brands. According to the screened literature, most brands use Instagram for marketing purposes. It is furthermore a matter of fact, that the utilization of videos plays a decisive role. Following up on this, the question about how brands use videos on Instagram for marketing purposes comes up. Due to this, this chapter aims to investigate the extent to which brands make use of videos on Instagram, what the goals of the videos are and what the most effective videos in terms of user engagement are. More specifically, this chapter includes an empirical study which examines the Instagram profiles of nine selected brands of the categories lifestyle, luxury and fashion and sportswear on the underlying research question. A subsequent evaluation and discussion of the results depicts differences and similarities within the categories and between the categories. All in all, the results of the study show that fashion brands use the possibility of films as a marketing tool on Instagram. The content and types of films thereby heavily depend on the brand category.
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how motion pictures are currently used for the product presentation of fashion articles. An explorative approach was chosen for the literature section. This study shows that the use of moving images for the presentation of fashion articles in online shops is possible in numerous different ways. In order to be able to use product presentation videos meaningfully, one should consider exactly what is the purpose of these videos. Different goals require different means. However, retailers should obtain enough information in advance to assess whether they can afford the production and post-processing of these videos.
The purpose of this paper is to investigate how motion pictures are currently used for the product presentation of fashion articles in online shops in the German, American and British markets. This study shows that the use of moving images for the presentation of fashion articles in online shops is underutilized. With the amount of data that was manageable within the scope of this chapter, no valid generalizations can be made. All described results must be understood as an indication. In order to be able to use product presentation videos meaningfully, one should consider before exactly what is the purpose of these videos. Different goals require different means. However, retailer should obtain enough information in advance to assess whether they can afford the production and post processing of these videos.
This chapter looks at the usage of image films produced by brands and their dealing with themselves. It focuses on analyzing important film parameters, the content and the way it can influence brand image. A list of 70 fashion brands from different categories was gathered through a survey and confirmed by comparing the results with relevant literature. All 70 brands were looked at to find relevant self-referencing films. The films had to be produced by the brand themselves. Videos for advertisement or promoting collections are not regarded either. In total 22 films from 17 brands were analyzed. Results show that most brands seem to have recognized videos as a powerful marketing tool in the social media age. Many brands seem to struggle with the compliance of certain parameters such as length and the use of the brand logo. In general, the content of the videos is focused around the four topics recruitment, value, history and behind the brand. As for the intent, the videos can be classified into the three categories learning, emotion and doing something. This paper not only analyzes this special film category, but also gives recommendations to improve the videos.