Implementation Of Operational Strategies Research Articles

Influence of Leadership Competencies on Implementation of Operational Strategies in Organizations in Kenya: A Case of Geothermal Development Company.

Leadership played a pivotal role in shaping organizational direction and strategy execution, especially in the face of challenges posed by dynamic environments and a diverse workforce. The study explored the influence of leadership competencies on the implementation of operational strategies within the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) in Kenya. Drawing upon various theoretical frameworks including Path-Goal Theory, Great Man Theory, Leadership-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory, and Trait Theory, the research delved into the cognitive, emotional, social, and functional competencies of leaders and their impact on strategy realization. The study, employing a descriptive research design, collected data from 78 management staff members of GDC through structured questionnaires. Findings revealed significant positive correlations between leadership competencies and the implementation of operational strategies. Specifically, cognitive competencies, encompassing problem-solving and analytical skills, were found to strongly influence strategy implementation. Emotional competencies, such as self-awareness and relationship management, also played a significant role in fostering a conducive environment for strategy execution. Social competencies, including interpersonal skills and teamwork, positively impacted the coordination and cooperation necessary for successful strategy implementation. Additionally, functional competencies, comprising communication and decision-making abilities, were identified as crucial elements in aligning resources and guiding organizational efforts towards strategic objectives. The regression analysis further validated the significance of leadership competencies in predicting the implementation of operational strategies. Cognitive, emotional, social, and functional competencies collectively explained 61.8% of the variance in strategy implementation within GDC. The study underscored the importance of developing multifaceted leadership competencies tailored to the unique contexts of organizations, especially in the public sector where challenges such as limited resources and diverse roles prevailed. These findings contributed to the existing body of knowledge on leadership and strategy implementation, particularly in the context of public entities like GDC. Practical implications suggested that organizations should invest in leadership development programs that focus on enhancing cognitive, emotional, social, and functional competencies among their leaders to drive successful strategy execution. By understanding and leveraging these competencies, organizations could navigate complexities, overcome barriers, and achieve their strategic objectives effectively.

Impact of horizontal mergers on supply chain performance: The case of the upstream oil and gas industry

Mergers are complex, and expected gains and success are highly dependent on different factors and drivers that affect supply chain efficiency. This paper describes a mathematical programming approach to address potential synergistic gains after horizontal mergers in the upstream Crude Oil Supply Chain (COSC). A supply chain optimization model is used to evaluate the extent to which economies of scope and economies of scale favorably impact potential mergers. The problem is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model that determines the investment level and efficient implementation of operational strategies at shared services, as well as production and processing of oil and gas. A real case example from the oil and gas industry in the Middle East region is used to validate the model. The experimental studies examine three scenarios: merger under economies of scale, merger under economies of scope, and merger under the joint economies of scope and scale. Results reveal the impact of different operational strategies on potential synergistic gains. For this case study, computational results show that when only economies of scale are performed, the COSC fails to achieve the targeted cost/barrel (cost/bbl) after the merger. The joint performance of economies of scale and scope in reducing shared services costs at different supply chain echelons leads to a substantial synergy gain. It reduces the cost/bbl to below the target value.

Development of an Operational Adequacy Evaluation Framework for Operational Planning of Bulk Electric Power Systems

Proper long-term planning for investment in resources, timely operational planning to prepare resources and to decide on operational strategies, and proper operating decisions to respond to disturbances during real-time system operation are important to supply reliable power to customers as economically as possible. However, existing utility procedures are insufficient to comprehend uncertainties of modern renewable-integrated power systems and to provide suitable quatitative indicators to assist in operational planning. Independent system operators and utilities around the globe are developing new and unique approaches to operational planning to manage rising uncertainties in power generation from renewable sources like wind and PV. It is desirable to establish uniformity in operational adequacy evaluation methods and quantitative metrics applicable to all power systems in the operational planning horizon of days, weeks, or even months. This will help standardize the operational planning methodology and metrics, and simplify implementation of operational strategies. To address this need, this paper presents a probabilistic analytical methodology for operational adequacy evaluation of a bulk power system integrating the concepts of state enumeration and a novel Dynamic System State Probability Evaluation (DSSPE) approach in time series analysis to accommodate the operational as well as network characteristics. The proposed methodology is implemented on a test system to demonstrate operational adequacy-based operational planning, and to analyze the impact of factors such as unit commitment decisions, locational distribution of load, and generation on the operational adequacy of the system.

Attaining flexibility in seru production system by means of Shojinka: An optimization model and solution approaches

This study explores the problem of workforce scheduling in the seru production environment where operations are performed within independent serus, so-called assembly cells. Although the seru system attracts more attention in recent years, the addressed problem remains scarcely investigated in the existing literature. To analyze the problem in detail, first, a comprehensive optimization model is proposed by placing an emphasis on achieving Shojinka, which is a Japanese word. Subsequently, the structural properties, the lower and upper bounds are presented to aid the understanding of the problem. The model is solved optimally for small-sized problems; however, several algorithms with two different initial population generation procedures are developed for large-sized problems due to the complexity of the problem. The impact of achieving Shojinka along with the workers’ heterogeneity is investigated in detail through experimental design. To this end, four different scenarios are constructed and a distinct algorithm is devoted to each scenario for the comparison purpose. According to the results, allowing interseru worker transfer leads to a considerable decrease in the makespan. This study contributes to the existing academic literature by presenting several insights regarding the implementation of operational strategies on the seru production system.

MINIMIZING USER AND OPERATOR COSTS OF SINGLE LINE BUS SERVICE USING OPERATIONAL STRATEGIES

This work presents a methodology for minimizing costs involved in the operation of a single line bus service. The model developed is based on optimal implementation of operational strategies tailored to passenger demand for a bi-directional single bus line. As a result, the commonly used timetable for Full Route Operation (FRO) will have to change to accommodate three types of strategies: short turn, limited stop, and mixed strategy (a combination of short turn and limited stop). The use of operational strategies will better match supply and demand, and will thus improve operation efficiency. The optimization model determines which trips of the given FRO timetable will be implemented with given strategies considering the trade-offs between passenger and operator costs. Moreover, in applying the model, the availability of real time information for passengers is considered in the calculation of waiting times. The proposed model is interpreted in the context of a small example, which serves as an explanatory devise. Then, it is applied to a real life case study in Dalian, China. The results show an indication that a significant saving could be attained by the use of multiple strategies. These savings were especially observed in the reduction of operational costs involved with the saving of travel times and running empty seats.

Methodicial Bases or HR-Strategy Formation: From Strategic Alternatives to Key Performance Indicators

The purpose of this work was to systematize basic stages of strategic HR management. The main difference between traditional strategic management and personnel one is in strategic alternatives forming. According to development of human capital concept and escalating сorporate social responsibility three components of HR strategy were suggested: “quality of personnel-expenses”, “employees' interaction, vector of corporate culture and social responsibility”, “personnel development”. The combination of these types allows to form valid strategic alternatives of HR strategy. The condition for the effective implementation of the strategy is its decomposition to the level of key performance indicators. Purpose KPIs is the ability to assess the implementation of operational strategies and achieve strategic goals.

Wyeth Pharmaceuticals in 2009: Transformation at the Site Level

Appropriate for general management courses emphasizing lean operations strategy implementation and large-scale change management across a network of global manufacturing facilities. In this case, site-level leadership, including senior, midlevel, and supervisory positions, must respond to a critical corporate directive to achieve a 25% cost reduction. Under the direction of an advisory firm, the development and implementation of an operational Transformation strategy is the responsibility of the new VP of operations. Three key elements of the Operational Excellence Transformation Program are described in detail and year-one progress in three first-wave sites is presented through interviews. Students must critique the progress and offer suggestions for the VP, who must evaluate the results at the three sites and plan for a continuation of the rollout across other sites. A teaching note (OM-1400TN) is available. Excerpt UVA-OM-1402 Rev. June 8, 2010 WYETH PHARMACEUTICALS IN 2009: TRANSFORMATION AT THE SITE LEVEL (A) June 2009 Wendy Kouba deplaned at JFK and retrieved her luggage. Then she headed for ground transportation and rented a car to use during her time at the Wyeth Pharmaceuticals (Wyeth) production facility in Pearl River, New York (Figure 1). Kouba had been appointed vice president of operations management in the technical operations and product supply (TO&PS) division of Wyeth in January 2009. She had been chosen for this position because, in her former role as vice president of corporate communications, her management style had inspired trust, and she had built lasting relationships with site leadership over the years. Her expertise and passion was in developing sustainable change in an organization through employee engagement. In her current role, she considered herself qualified to take on the challenge of leading change in a large organization, but she still wondered about her self-perceived lack of knowledge in the area of technical operations. . . .

Implementing Operations Strategy: How Vertical and Horizontal Coordination Interact

We study the implementation of operations strategy at six German manufacturers in mature businesses. Search theory argues that vertical coordination (i.e., unilateral top‐down adjustment of lower‐level search actions) balances stability against the improvement potential enabled by frontline search and also that horizontal coordination (i.e., bilateral adjustment among lower‐level search actions) is required to ensure compatibility among the initiatives generated in various organizational subunits. Much less is known about how vertical and horizontal coordination interact in operations strategy implementation—that is the focus of this study. We first study how horizontal and vertical coordination affect the compatibility and creativity of distributed search, triangulating our cross‐level interviews with data on the manufacturers' productivity gains and their strategic projects. We then examine whether and how vertical and horizontal coordination interact. Our case comparisons suggest that leaving either one of them “loose” and keeping the other one “tight” results in a useful balance between compatibility and creativity; in contrast, tightening both types of coordination suppresses creativity and loosening both types risks incompatibility of initiatives across units. These results lead to a theoretical framework that identifies vertical and horizontal coordination as partial substitutes for operations strategy implementation.

Balancing Delegation and Coordination in Operations Strategy Implementation

Balancing Delegation and Coordination in Operations Strategy Implementation

Techniques for Validating an Automatic Bottleneck Detection Tool Using Archived Freeway Sensor Data

Bottlenecks are key features of freeway systems. Their effects in performance and emissions are of increasing importance as congestion worsens in urban areas. In the United States, FHWA has been working to identify and monitor key bottlenecks in each state. In Oregon, a freeway data archive known as the Portland Oregon Regional Transportation Archive Listing archives measured count, density, and speed data from more than 600 locations at 20-s intervals. This archive has enabled development of online freeway performance and reliability analysis tools. This paper describes the rigorous evaluation and refinement of an automated tool for identifying recurrent freeway bottlenecks using historical data within the framework of the data archive. Efforts have focused on identification and display of active bottleneck features by using graphical tools and the selection of optimal variables that enabled careful identification of active bottlenecks. This research aims to detect bottleneck activation historically and, through future work, in real time as well. Ultimately, the results of this research will enhance the prioritization of improvements and implementation of operational strategies on the freeway network.

The Link between Operations Strategy and Human Resource Management for NGOs Working in Unstable Environments

This article discusses the link between operations strategy and strategic human resources management for non-government organisations. Human resources are a great asset for NGO to plan and implement their operations strategies. The article shows how HRM should be proactive and responsive to any changes in the operational environment. Strategic human resource management could lead to organisation’s competitive advantage. It also enables more effective stakeholder interaction and leads to better efficiencies in implementation of operations strategy. Strategic HRM can create multi-skilled staff, who can easily be tuned to implement various activities. IT and HR are intrinsically linked in execution of operations strategy. The example given from Iraq about NGO staff operating in unstable context shows how HRM should be proactive and responsive to meet operations targets.

An Investigation of Hayes and Wheelwright’s Practices: Empirical Evidence from The Indonesia’s Oil and Gas Industry

The research extracts sixty seven Hayes and Wheelwright’s practices from the Hayes and Wheel-wright’s six principles. These items formed the basis of a questionnaire sent to over 2800 managers at the SBUs level in the Indonesia’s oil and gas companies. The empirical result indicates that All Hayes and Wheelwright’s six principles collectively have positive impact on an overall construct that may be termed world-class company (WCC). Result also points out that Hayes and Wheelwright’s six principles can be reduced into four meaningful factors) of world-class company—as operations strategies—for the Indonesia’s oil and gas industry— Workforce skills and capabilities, Management technical competence, Competing through quality, and Workforce participation. These meaningful factors of WCC were shown to be reliable and valid, and offer new insights into the understanding of operations strategy implementation in an oil and gas industry. Based on the oil and gas managers (the SBU level), operations strategies (four meaningful factors of WCC) can be viewed as the effective use of production and operations capability and technology for achieving business and corporate goals. Operations strategy, therefore, is to help a company’s operations organization define the common ground where it can play a proactive and collaborative role with other company functions or cross-functional relationships (Hayes et al., 1996). Oil and gas managers in Indonesia can use these meaningful factors in concert with other critical qual-ity management practices to help them in there word-class company initiatives. Researchers can also use these factors to build structural model linking such factors to various organizational performance measures (i.e., Critical Success Factors of TQM, Operational Excellence, Six Sigma Quality Management, and Good Corporate Governance). Keywords: Hayes and wheelwright’s six principles, Hayes and Wheelwright practices, World-Class Company.

Key success factors when implementing strategic manufacturing initiatives

PurposeThis paper reports the study of key success factors (KSFs) in the project management of the implementation of strategic manufacturing initiatives (SMIs).Design/methodology/approachIn order to gather the experience and knowledge of many industries, from different geographic locations, in a broad range of types and sizes of SMIs, a questionnaire‐based survey of practitioners worldwide was selected as the most appropriate research method among those available.FindingsThe identification of those tasks and activities that must be done well in order to succeed in the implementation of a SMI in practice.Practical implicationsPractitioners focusing their attention on the KSFs identified are more likely to succeed. Once these factors have been identified, the value of benchmarking project management methodologies then comes from drawing attention to those tasks that are key to the success of the implementation of SMIs.Originality/valueThe paper presents new thinking by bringing project management into the operations strategy implementation literature as an important mediating factor for success. In this context the factors that are required for successful implementation are identified.

Measuring Managerial Effectiveness During The Implementation of Service Strategies

In service firms performance is contingent upon the operations strategy being pursued. However, little research has been reported which empirically examines the implementation of operations strategy in service firms. We argue that implementing fill operation strategy in service is primarily done through the use of human resources. We then test the proposition that in service firms the most effective operations managers are the ones that make the most effective use of their human resources. This paper develop measures of strategic implementation and tests hypotheses about the effect of strategic implementation on firm performance using published data from the National Basketball Association.