Make Business Sense Research Articles

When will traditional real estate catch up to the modern world? A professional services occupier view

In the changing world of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics process automation (RPA) and the gig economy, is the current approach to buildings and space still relevant? The workplace approach needs to digitise, but are we considering, as our businesses digitise, increasingly adopting contingent workers and alliances, that the principle of an office also needs to change? Businesses now need a wider reach than their own direct employees and buildings that curate and provide experiences, interactions and relationships beyond their sector will be those that truly enhance business. This is one of the underlying forces driving the coworking revolution, but when does it enter the office as opposed to being a separate facility? Increased flexibility also means everything in a long lease will no longer make business sense for many. This paper explores the driving forces changing the current and future world of office buildings.

IMPLEMENTATION OF SUSTAINABILITY CONCEPT ON RETAIL INDUSTRY

The objectives of this paper seek to know how sustainability concept and implementation of the retail industry in Indonesia based on sustainability theoretical framework. The research was conducted in Jakarta (Indonesia), the survey was carried out on the basis of questionnaire that was used as a support during the interviews. A total of 137 Indonesia retail enterprises were involved in the research. The results achieved highlight, how CSR does make business sense in Indonesia context. This process calls for new forms of collaboration involving firms along the supply chain, local authorities, the international player and civil society. The conclusion of this research how CSR become a mandatory requirement for access to the International market, transform itself into a new type of technical barrier to trade. CSR need to be fostered rather than imposed through the creation of innovative partnership and locally rooted solution

Technological, Organisational, and Environmental drivers for enterprise systems upgrade

Purpose Enterprise systems (ES) upgrade is a complex phenomenon, yet it is possible to reduce the complexity through understanding of the upgrade drivers. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the various upgrade drivers, in order to provide a detailed understanding of the factors driving upgrade decisions. Design/methodology/approach This research is grounded in a qualitative survey design. It utilises a web-based survey questionnaire and semi-structured interviews to collect data from 41 respondents representing 23 large organisations. The data were qualitatively analysed and coded to identify the various drivers and their influence on ES upgrade decisions. Findings The findings suggest that the upgrade decisions are dependent on establishing the need to upgrade, which is influenced by various drivers and stakeholders interests. In addition, the findings suggest that organisations would only opt to upgrade when benefits are aligned with the upgrade and when the decision makes business sense. Research limitations/implications In this paper, the authors propose that there is a relationship between the upgrade drivers and the upgrade strategy. However, qualitative studies can only formulate logical generalisations. Hence, future research could explore these associations through a quantitative study in order to provide probabilistic generalisation that offers either similar or conflicting arguments applicable to ES upgrade phenomenon. Originality/value This paper provides an alternative classification of upgrade drivers, and conceptualises an association between upgrade drivers and the upgrade strategy, which in turn facilitates minimising disruptions and upgrade risks.

Warehouse to Manage Collateral — Kaul’s Dilemma

NCMSL, incorporated in India in 2004 was a Mumbai-based Collateral Management (CM) services organisation that was facing a dilemma in expanding its operations. It was set up with the objective of empowering stakeholders mainly in agricultural commodities business to deal with various risks. Its major businesses were managing warehouses and providing collateral management services. It provided CM services to its clients that lent based on collaterals (warehoused non-perishable commodities). Competitors included National Bulk Handling Corporation among others, who provided similar offerings in the market. Banks were its major clients. The assets under NCMSL’s management and income varied considerably over the last four financial years (FY 2008–12). Mr Sanjay Kaul, NCMSL’s MD & CEO was wondering whether investing in an own-warehousing network would make business sense. He was exploring whether increasing the bank network for business expansion would bear any fruit. He anticipated answers to his questions from the data available.

Women on Board - It makes Business Sense

Women on Board - It makes Business Sense

The promise of point-of-care testing: Hy-Vee's Kingston shows how it works

A the counter at Hy-Vee Pharmacy in Omaha, NE, “Tom” complained of a sore throat. Describing his symptoms, he asked Alison Kingston, PharmD, whether he should try an OTC remedy or schedule a visit with his primary care provider. But pharmacists at Hy-Vee Inc. now have a new tool in their toolkit. In less than 15 minutes, Kingston could administer a strep test right there at the pharmacy. Depending on the results, Tom could walk away with a prescription for strep or an OTC product.

Design for innovation – A methodology to engineer the innovation diffusion into the development process

In its hyper-inflated usage, innovation simply means “something new”, and is applied to any technical novelty. In its true meaning, innovating means designing something that will not only work under a technical point of view, but will also make business sense. “Design for Innovation” means considering that design cannot simply focus on a narrow meaning of “product use”, because this could severely limit the diffusion of innovative products. The paper proposes an original model for representing what we call “beyond-use situations” and the influences among the actors involved in the innovation diffusion process.Taking inspiration from social influence network models and from the Multi-issue Actor Strategy Analysis Model (MASAM), the paper presents an operational methodology to assess the influence of different actors on the decision to adopt a new product. In turn, such methodology should support design teams to conceive novel solutions more likely to become factual innovations. The paper also describes a computer-implementable technique, loosely derived from Quality Function Deployment, to practically apply the proposed methodology. An industrial case study from the medical-care sector illustrates its logic and operational steps.

Sustainability makes Business Sense: Analysis of Carbon Credit Market and Environmental Index Greenex

Global Warming is one of the most severe problems the world is facing today. This has resulted due to emissions of Carbon dioxide and Green House Gases (GHGs) from various anthropogenic activities. India is faced with the challenge of sustaining its rapid economic growth while dealing with the adverse consequences of climate change. Serious efforts are required to address the high carbon growth trajectory and mitigate the climate change risks. Indian Corporate sector is the major contributor to the Indian economy. However, these industries generate pollution because of outdated technologies, high waste generation and other economic factors. Leading Sectors such as cement, sugar, paper, iron and steel, power contribute more to the carbon emissions as compared to the IT and Banking sector. Therefore, the corporate sector should integrate sustainability into their business goals to mitigate the risks of climate change. They should invest in clean and renewable energy, adopt sustainable and energy efficient practices which would in return help them to generate revenue from sale of credits and get screened by their carbon performance to the Environmental Index Greenex.

From financial exclusion to financial inclusion through microfinance: the case of rural Zimbabwe

This paper sought to shed light on the status of rural banking and financial exclusion in Zimbabwe. Various reasons put forth by existing commercial banks were examined to understand why a large population of the country remains unbanked. These ranged from perceptions of the rural communities being too poor to need financial services to real economic and business decisions. Various literature on banking the poor and success stories from other countries were discussed in the literature. To meet the objectives of the study, data gathered from various individuals, commercial banks and microfinance institutions based in Matabeleland North was analysed. It was found that the rural population is in fact largely bankable. However, due to inadequate basic infrastructure in the rural areas, it did not make business sense for established banks to service that population. Banks exist to make a profit and the burden of ensuring financial inclusion of the rural population was left mainly to microfinance institutions which however faced a serious of challenges ranging.

Koontz: The Very Worst Takings Decision Ever?

This article argues that Koontz v. St. Johns River Water Management District, the most widely discussed of the Supreme Court’s takings trilogy in the 2012-13 term, represents a major, unprincipled break from prior law and casts an unfortunate pall of confusion and uncertainty over takings doctrine, partly reversing the Court’s recent, successful effort to make takings doctrine more coherent and predictable. The Court ruled that the relatively heightened standard of judicial review established by the Supreme Court for so-called “development exactions” in Nollan v. California Coastal Commission and Dolan v. City of Tigard applies both (1) when the government denies a development permit after the developer rejects a government demand for an exaction as a condition of project approval, and (2) when a permit condition requires a developer to pay or expend money to mitigate project impacts. In so ruling, the Court rejected the position that claims challenging such government orders should be evaluated under either the Court’s relatively forgiving regulatory takings analysis or deferential due process analysis. Justice Elena Kagan wrote a dissent for herself and three other justices, arguing that the case did not involve an actual demand triggering Nollan and Dolan and that the standards established by those cases do not apply to permit conditions requiring the expenditure of money. This article contends that the Koontz decision is one of the worst decisions, if the not the worst decision, in the pantheon of Supreme Court takings cases. In doctrinal terms, the majority opinion flagrantly contradicts or ignores established precedent, fails to acknowledge its departure from prior law, and does not attempt to offer any new, coherent justifications for its novel holdings. As a practical matter, the decision creates a perverse, wasteful incentive for local officials to decline to work cooperatively with developers in designing projects that make business sense and protect the interests of the community. Finally, the decision injects new uncertainty into takings law, setting the stage for future debates over the legitimacy and appropriate scope of intrusive judicial review of local land use decision-making, including whether local governments retain the authority to reject development proposals based on unacceptable project impacts without triggering stringent judicial review.

Sustainable Law Practice: Lead, Earn Respect, and Increase Your Organization's Bottom Line

Did the title pique your curiosity? If so, you are the type of leader who needs to read this article. You need to read it because you already intuitively understand why sustainability, and therefore, sustainable law practice, is important for our environment and makes business sense — or you have the desire to understand it. Many of us understand the theoretical concept that sustainability is a “good thing,” but don’t know how or where to find resources to put it into practice. Just as the title implies, this article provides basic information and access to resources that demonstrate how organizations in the legal world (firms, government, law schools, bar associations, and others) can — and in many cases, are — leading the way by incorporating sustainability into their practices and cultures. This includes simple tasks done at the individual level, such as turning off lights when you leave your office, up to organizational level programs or policies designed to minimize electricity and paper use. By showing this kind of leadership, your organization will earn the respect of the community, clients and peers, and improve your organization’s financial well-being.

More Money At Off Peak On Dorms?

Hundreds and perhaps thousands of college dorms are closed each summer instead of being rented at an off peak price. It appears that the housing management at those colleges might not understand cost accounting or the profit opportunities that they are missing. If a dorm can be rented for any price above the variable cost, then it usually makes business sense to rent it. The failure by so many colleges to offer prices between variable cost and total cost seems to show that the colleges do not understand cost accounting. Can colleges make more money at off peak on dorms? They can use good cost accounting to reduce rental rates and seek additional marketing opportunities.

Breaking away: A new model for innovation

AbstractInnovation is an often‐misunderstood practice, according to Stevenson and Kaafarani. To be truly categorized as innovation, a product, company, or service must be unique; must deliver tangible value to the customer; and must be commercially viable. Their research uncovered four categories of innovation: transformational, category, marketplace, and operational. Each of these has defining characteristics and its own business attributes. Leaders must also find answers for the three Ws—who will buy, what is involved in development, and why will it make business sense to proceed.

Sustainability along the global supply chain: the case of Vietnam

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact that more sustainable sourcing policies by many multinational companies are having on the suppliers located in developing countries such as Vietnam. Questions are raised about the process through which CSR is reaching the country.Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted in Vietnam thanks to the support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization's (UNIDO) Regional Office. The survey was carried out on the basis of a questionnaire that was used as a support during the direct interviews and was sent electronically when the preferred method of on‐site visits was not possible. A total of 25 Vietnamese enterprises were involved in the research.FindingsThe results achieved highlight, on the one hand, how CSR does make business sense even in a developing country such as Vietnam and, on the other, the difficulties related to the way requirements of sustainability are moving from Northern consumers to suppliers in Vietnam.Practical implicationsThis process calls for new forms of collaboration involving firms along the supply chain, local authorities, international players, and civil society.Originality/valueThe paper points out the unsustainability of the process through which corporate responsibility is being imposed on Vietnamese suppliers and how CSR, having become a mandatory requirement for access to international markets, might transform itself into a new type of technical barrier to trade. Therefore, CSR needs to be fostered rather than imposed, through the creation of innovative partnerships and locally‐rooted solutions.

Designing cradle-to-cradle products: a reality check

The cradle-to-cradle (C2C) concept of McDonough and Braungart, which has a strong emphasis on materials strategy, gives a vision of a sustainable future, inspired by nature. Their guilt-free approach has enthused many new people, drawing them into the field of sustainability. However, the question of when and how the C2C concept can be applied successfully in business is still being debated. This paper takes a look at the applicability of the C2C concept in day-to-day product development in a business setting. Based on student design projects for several multinationals, the strengths and weaknesses of the concept are evaluated. In particular, the compatibility of C2C and life cycle assessment (LCA) is addressed. The authors conclude that LCA and C2C can and should be used as complementary tools. C2C's main value is that it triggers many questions about current business practice. Designers may play an interesting role in ‘paving the way’ for the restructuring of business operations according to C2C: through design pilots they can show how C2C could make business sense. LCA should be used to assess whether such pilots still make environmental sense if implemented in today's ‘real world’.

Exploring the concept of strategic corporate social responsibility for an integrated perspective

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to propose a set of screens which would filter in the corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs that make business sense for a firm and screen out those that do not. This process based set of screens filter CSR initiatives based on certain inclusion and exclusion parameters. This paper further presents an integrated conceptualization of a strategic CSR framework. The CSR programs that pass through the set of screens are evaluated based on its strategic characteristics and the business gains from it.Design/methodology/approachThis paper is conceptual in nature. The approach adopted in this paper is first to set the study context by presenting the extant literature on CSR and strategic management. Further based upon the perspectives from extant literature, the author incrementally builds an integrated framework on strategic CSR by using and providing logical arguments.FindingsThis conceptual paper presents new and richer theoretical perspectives on strategic CSR and thus extending the known theoretical knowledge boundaries on CSR. Further, insights could be gathered if the strategic CSR theoretical framework developed in this paper is studied empirically.Practical implicationsThe perspectives on strategic CSR developed in this paper would help managers to design strategic CSR programs based on its focus and direction, proactiveness, activity nature, characteristics, and benefits.Originality/valueIn the past some scholars had attempted to develop framework on designing strategic CSR. In this paper, the author attempts to provide a more holistic and yet comprehensive theoretical perspective on strategic CSR initiatives. CSR managers can use this framework to design their CSR initiatives and manage their firm's CSR initiatives in a more effective and efficient manner.

Building information modelling demystified: does it make business sense to adopt BIM?

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to inform project management practice on the business benefits of building information modelling (BIM) adoption.Design/methodology/approachBIM needs to compete against well‐ingrained methods to deliver projects in a fragmented and rather traditional industry. This paper investigates 47 value propositions for the adoption of BIM under a multiple case study investigation carried out in Australia and Hong Kong. The selected case study projects included a range of public (1) and private (4) sector building developments of small and large‐scale. Findings are coded, interpreted and synthesised in order to identify the challenges and business drivers, and the paper focuses mainly on challenges and benefits for architectural and engineering consultants, contractors and steel fabricators. As a condition for the selection criteria all case studies had to be collaborating by sharing BIM data between two or more consultants/stakeholders. As practices cannot afford to ignore BIM, this paper aims to identify those immediate business drivers as to provoke debate amongst the professional and academic community.FindingsShared understanding on business drivers to adopt BIM for managing the design and construction process of building projects raging from small commercial to high‐rise.Originality/valueThe originality of the research reported in this paper is that it breaks from a proliferating series of articles on BIM as industry “aspiration” and as a “marketing” statement. The elicited drivers for BIM underwent industry, academic and peer validation.

Recruiting part-time makes business sense

Recruiting part-time makes business sense

Manufacturing Process Capability and Specification Limits

In modern electronics, specifications for products have constantly been tightened due to performance competi- tion. The processes for product development and manufacturing have been developed to meet the tighter specifications and quality requirements. The development of test methods and measurement devices have not been as fast, and as a con- sequence, the relative impact of measurement errors has increased. Traditionally, the measurement inaccuracies have been compensated by tightening the acceptance limits. This study concentrates on analysing, through simulation, how compa- nies should minimise the failure costs by adjusting acceptance limits. The study shows, in contrast to the conventional thinking, that widening the acceptance limits makes business sense in some cases.

Unintended consequences of CSR: protectionism and collateral damage in global supply chains: the case of Vietnam

PurposeThis paper seeks to investigate the influence of the increasingly sustainable sourcing policies of many multinational companies on suppliers located in developing countries such as Vietnam. The focus is the process through which corporate social responsibility (CSR) is reaching this Southeast Asian country.Design/methodology/approachThe research was conducted in Vietnam through the support of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization's (UNIDO) regional office. The survey was based on a questionnaire used during direct interviews or sent out electronically when onsite visits were not possible. The research involved 25 Vietnamese enterprises.FindingsThe results reveal, on the one hand, how CSR makes business sense even in a developing country such as Vietnam and, on the other hand, the difficulties of maintaining sustainability as products move from northern consumers to Vietnamese suppliers. This process calls for more collaborative models of governance among the companies along the supply chain, local authorities, international players, and civil society at large.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the unsustainable process through which corporate responsibility is being imposed on Vietnamese suppliers and how CSR, now required for access to international markets, might eventually turn into a new form of protectionism. To avoid this, CSR must be supported, rather than imposed, through building innovative partnerships and through a demand‐driven educational agenda.