Real Companies Research Articles

Data Science Process in Furniture Industry: A Case Study

Data science has become increasingly relevant in the furniture industry to help companies overcome challenges such as the scarcity of raw materials and fierce competition in the globalized market. In addition, data analysis can also help companies better understand their customer profile and identify market trends. It can be applied to several management problems, such as sales analysis, cus- tomer behavior and targeted advertising. However, although Enterprise Resources Planning systems integrate knowledge and provide reporting tools for users to analyze data, supporting decision-making is not their primary purpose. This work presents a Data Science Trajectory (DST) model applied to commercial transac- tions in a case study of a real company in the furniture segment. It is intended to serve as a reference for data analysts who wish to incorporate this proce- dure into business routines based on commercial data. From the modeling of the DST implemented with machine learning techniques, we present differentiated results related to the discovery/understanding of the problems and proposition of interventions.

Organizational Citizenship Behavior Memediasi Pengaruh Job Satisfaction dan External Work Opportunities Terhadap Turnover Intention

Human Resources (HR) are believed as valuable assets for a company in achieving business success and specialized services, especially at PT. Bank Negeri (real company name is hidden). The main purposes of this study are to determine the influence of job satisfaction and external work opportunities on turnover intention, mediated by organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Another aim of this study is to contribute insights into better HR management for the company. The primary data consisted of questionnaires responses collected from employees at the PT. Bank Negeri Headquarters and secondary data gathered from literature reviews. The research methodology employed includes outer model and inner model analysis, as well as hypothesis testing. Data processing in this study was conducted using Partial Least Square (PLS) with SMART PLS software. The findings of this study resulted that OCB mediates the correlation between job satisfaction and turnover intention but does not mediate the relationship between external work opportunities and turnover intention. These findings offer valuable insights for improved HR management.

Corporate financialisation, market attention and analyst tracking

AbstractAs an effective external governance factor, the effectiveness of analysts' governance and tracking options has been one of the most important topics of research. In recent years, there has been an influx of capital from real companies into finance, real estate and other industries related to the virtual economy, which has a significant impact on the financial position of companies and can also affect analysts' tracking choices. This paper takes A‐share listed companies from 2010 to 2021 as the research object and finds that as the financialisation of enterprises deepens, the number of analysts' tracking decreases; however, with the increase of market attention, the negative impact of the financialisation of enterprises on analysts' tracking will be weakened. Further research shows that, first, financial risk plays a mediating role between corporate financialisation and analyst tracking, in that corporate financialisation increases financial risk, which in turn leads to a decrease in the number of analyst tracking; second, as institutional investors have a greater influence on analysts, the impact of corporate financialisation on analyst tracking is weakened as the shareholding of institutional investors increases; finally, that holding two different types of financial assets, short‐term and long‐term, also has different consequences. The findings of this paper examine the impact of corporate financialisation from the analyst's perspective, confirming the identification and selection capabilities that analysts have.

The combined effects of consumer-company stance congruence and consumers’ pre-existing corporate attitude in corporate social advocacy

Publics’ reactions to corporate social advocacy (CSA) initiatives can be influenced not only by their agreement with companies’ issue stances but also by their pre-existing perceptions of the companies involved. With the purpose of providing a more comprehensive understanding of CSA outcomes, this study draws on social identity theory and examines how consumer-company stance congruence in CSA interacts with consumer publics’ pre-existing corporate attitude to influence their boycott and buycott intentions. Using real companies, two experiments were conducted with CSA on two socio-political issues: abortion laws (N = 258) and gun laws (N = 257). The results from Experiment 2 showed a buffering effect of positive pre-existing corporate attitude on publics’ boycott intentions, when they have incongruent issue stances with companies. In Experiment 1, publics’ perceived like-minded opinions opposing CSA were also found to boost their boycott intention. This study adds a nuanced understanding of the triadic consumer-issue-company dynamics in CSA from the social identity and public opinion perspectives, providing useful guidelines for CSA practices.

Assessing BizDevOps maturity using international standards: Case studies and lessons learned

AbstractDevOps has emerged as a practical approach to the interaction between development and operations. This approach has been extended to the interaction with business functions, generating the term BizDevOps. Although many proposals and tools support BizDevOps from a technical viewpoint, there has been no significant improvement in management aspects, such as evaluating the practices and processes involved in the area. This paper presents two case studies on the assessment of BizDevOps practices using MMBDO (Maturity Model for BizDevOps), a maturity model for BizDevOps based on international ICT standards. The case studies were conducted in two organizations with different profiles: a large multinational ICT company with a unit specialized in providing DevOps to the rest of the company and a small software development company that implements DevOps practices as part of its development system. The evidence we obtained in the case studies supports the adequacy of MMBDO for assessing the maturity of BizDevOps in real companies. Also, the combination of the two case studies supports the adequacy of the model for being used in companies with different sizes and levels of maturity. MMBDO is an adequate proposal for assessing the maturity of BizDevOps in software organizations and a suitable tool for process improvement.

Assessment of the influence of environmental factors on the efficiency of enterprise management

The article examines the theoretical aspects of the concept of external environment. In modern conditions, the external environment is considered as part of the business environment that forms the context of enterprises' activities. The success and efficiency of enterprises largely depend on their external environment and the ability of enterprises to adapt to changing environmental conditions. The article examines the definition of the concept of external environment and provides its definition. Two categories into which the external environment can be divided are researched: microenvironment (environment of direct influence) and macroenvironment (environment of indirect influence). The external environment factors affecting the activities of enterprises and their impact on these activities are studied. The importance of assessing the impact of the external environment and the impact of its factors on the activities of an enterprise is described. The following factors of the microenvironment are identified: customers, competitors, suppliers, intermediaries, financial and credit institutions, legal institutions, laws and government agencies. For the macro environment, such factors as: political and legal, economic, scientific and technological, socio-cultural, and environmental are identified. The article analyzes the definitions of the concept of efficiency of enterprise management provided by the authors of the studied publications and provides its own formulation of this concept. The article also presents three popular methods for assessing the impact of environmental factors: Porter's Five Competitive Forces, PEST-analysis, SWOT-analysis and demonstrates the results of using two of them: SWOT analysis and PEST analysis, based on a real company. The article also presents the results of calculating the coefficient of influence of macroeconomic factors on the functioning of an enterprise, which was calculated on the basis of the results of the PEST analysis. The article determines that in order to determine a broader picture of the impact of environmental factors on enterprises, a combined approach can be achieved by using a SWOT and PEST analysis. The article also indicates that due to the variability of the external environment, it is necessary to conduct regular monitoring.

A GRASP algorithm for the bus crew scheduling problem

This paper proposes a GRASP approach for solving the Bus Crew Scheduling Problem (BCSP) to find high-quality solutions within short computing times. The BCSP described the process related to the assignment of drivers and conductors to a bus company's regular daily operation of a mass transit system, seeking to minimize the cost of operation and, at the same time, the improvement of the working environment by considering the satisfaction of the drivers with the assigned shifts. The BCSP has drivers in charge of covering the demand for shifts, with an assignment that contains several constraints, such as minimum and maximum work blocks, minimum rest days, and shift sequences that must not be assigned. The former GRASP algorithm is proposed with a constructive procedure, a solution repair procedure, and two local search operators. Classical instances from the literature have been adapted for the shift assignment problem by adding a satisfaction variable. Besides, the proposed approach has been tested for a real company operating articulated and feeder vehicles. The results show that the satisfaction function adds value to the assignments, substantially improving the work environment and generating favorable results in terms of time and quality of the solution.

Artificial neural network and decision tree-based modelling of non-prosperity of companies

Research background: Financial distress or non-prosperity prediction has been a widely discussed topic for several decades. Early detection of impending financial problems of the company is crucial for effective risk management and important for all entities involved in the company’s business activities. In this way, it is possible to take the actions in the management of the company and eliminate possible undesirable consequences of these problems. Purpose of the article: This article aims to innovate financial distress prediction through the creation of individual models and ensembles, combining machine learning techniques such as decision trees and neural networks. These models are developed using real data. Beyond serving as an autonomous and universal tool especially useful in the Slovak economic conditions, these models can also represent a benchmark for Central European economies confronting similar economic dynamics. Methods: The prediction models are created using a dataset consisting of more than 20 financial ratios of more than 19 thousand real companies. Partial models are created employing machine learning algorithms, namely decision trees and neural networks. Finally, all models are compared based on a wide range of selected performance metrics. During this process, we strictly use a data mining methodology CRISP-DM. Findings & value added: The research contributes to the evolution of financial prediction and reveals the effectiveness of ensemble modelling in predicting financial distress, achieving an overall predictive ability of nearly 90 percent. Beyond its Slovak origins, this study provides a framework for early financial distress prediction. Although the models are created for diverse industries within the Slovak economy, they could also be useful beyond national borders. Moreover, the CRISP-DM methodological framework enables its adaptability for companies in other countries.

Machine Learning Models to Identify Anomalies in the Production of Flat Glass

This work presents an innovative proposal for the prediction of defects in industrial glass refining processes. Although it is a complex process with several points that can cause defects, the current approach of specialists is only reactive, that is, they can only act after the damage has been caused. This study proposes the use of data collected from the industrial processes of a real company as a case study to create prediction models, in order to identify a possible failure before it occurs. The objective is to use multiple linear regression as a model and allow specialists to take preventive corrective measures, avoiding damage and reducing production costs.

Trusted Third Party Application in Durable Medium e-Service

The paper presents a novel concept of applying a trusted third party (TTP) to the blockchain-based electronic service (e-service) in the form of a durable medium. The main aim of the proposed e-service is storing, managing, and processing sensitive electronic documents. The developed e-service meets the requirements of both Polish law (related to the durable medium) and market needs. Firstly, the functional requirements were defined. Subsequently, the adequate e-service was designed, and then implemented in a real company in Poland. Due to the nature of the durable medium e-service, the presented research combines scientific and implementation aspects. The designed and implemented e-service is secure (because of using the immutable blockchain technology merged with symmetric and asymmetric cryptographic algorithms) and trusted (by using TTP as the e-service provider, as well as an independent arbitrator monitoring the document storage and processing flow). Finally, the presented approach was experimentally verified using Hyperledger Besu—a blockchain implementation platform. During the realization of two designed test scenarios, over 30,000 transactions were added to the blockchain. Furthermore, security analyses were performed regarding inherent blockchain properties, the use of cryptographic algorithms, and potential cyberattacks and vulnerabilities.

Research on the Influence of Housing Prices on the Economic Performance of Chinese Real Enterprises

According to the Report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, with importance of developing China’s real economy has become increasingly prominent, the economic development should focus on the real economy. Moreover, the various impacts brought by housing price changes in recent years are also intertwined with the sustained and superior economic development in China. With this context in mind, this paper uses panel data of housing prices and real enterprise performance in 30 major Chinese provinces and cities from 2005 to 2020—aside from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and Xizang—to empirically test the relationship between housing prices and the economic performance of real enterprises in China. The findings indicate that there is a nonlinear link between housing prices and real firms' economic performance and that excessively high housing prices are detrimental to real companies' ability to function economically. Further investigation employing heterogeneity analysis reveals that the limitation of exorbitant housing prices has a greater impact on entity companies in China's west and center.

The ideathon as an instrument for entrepreneurial education in university contexts

The purpose of this study is to provide support for the use of ideathons as a useful tool in entrepreneurial education, enhancing the practical perspective of students and constituting a sound basis for generating collaborative ecosystems in universities. The objectives include exploring and describing the main steps and issues in organising this type of event. Considering the descriptive nature of the phenomenon and the first-hand information available, the case study approach has been used. To do so, a number of interviews have been conducted with high-level management positions with extensive experience in the university and in private companies. As a result, we provide a set of guidelines for organising and running successful ideathons in social sciences: (1) planning, (2) budgeting, (3) training, (4) running the competition, and (5) networking and benefits. A successful ideathon should help improve the reputation of the institution. Students can also increase their employability due to enhanced entrepreneurial skills and their interaction with real companies during the competition. Considering the scarcity of studies addressing ideathon, from a theoretical and empirical point of view, we offer a social sciences approach to idea-generation events, which have traditionally been covered from technical areas (IT domain).

WebAR as a Mediation Tool Focused on Reading and Understanding of Technical Drawings Regarding Tailor-Made Projects for the Scenographic Industry

Among the leading immersive technologies, augmented reality is one of the most promising and empowering for supporting designers in production environments. This research investigates the application of mobile augmented reality, based on the Web, as a mediation tool focused on cognitive activities of reading and understanding of technical drawings in the production and assembly of tailor-made projects of the scenographic industry. In this context, the research presents a method to use WebAR to improve the reading of technical drawings, seeking efficiency in the visualization of models and the exchange of information between professionals involved in the processes of design, production, and assembly of products, in the scope of scenography. This mediation tool was developed using Web AR platforms, compatible with native libraries (ARCore and ARKit) to ensure, first, compatibility with commonly used devices that workers or businesses can access, and second, to leverage hybrid tracking techniques that combine vision and sensors to improve the reliability of augmented reality viewing. The proposed solution adopts multiple tracking and navigation techniques in order to expand Space Skills components to provide greater exploratory freedom to users. The research process took place in light of the Design Science Research Methodology and the DSR-Model, since it aimed to develop a solution to a practical problem, as well as to produce knowledge from this process. Field experiments were conducted in two real companies, with end users on their respective mobile devices, in order to evaluate usability and behavioral intent, through the Acceptance, Intent, and Use of Technology questionnaires and perceived mental workload, NASA-TLX. The experimental results show that the adoption of this tool reduces the cognitive load in the process of reading technical drawings and project understanding. In general, its usability and intent to use provided significant levels of satisfaction, being positively accepted by all participants involved in the study.

Creating the Culture for Sustainable Innovation: A Gamified Approach

This research proposes a gamified approach to creating a culture for sustainable-oriented innovation. Specifically, we use action research to explore the mechanisms through which business decision-makers (such as entrepreneurs, executives and managers) reflect on their practices and obstacles to innovation, and then we use gamification to stimulate the involvement and creativity of managers. The main contribution of this paper is the design of a one-day gamified workshop in which participants collaborate first to identify common values and then to drive the co-creation of sustainable innovations. The workshop has been applied with managers of a real company to evaluate its playability and to validate its effectiveness in creating a culture for sustainable innovation.

Деловая игра как метод развития предпринимательских навыков участия в конкуренции

The article suggests the use of a training tool of a business game in the educational process aimed at the formation of a complete system of professional entrepreneurial competencies. The article aims to expand the possibilities of learning in limited classroom conditions by creating an educational situation as close as possible to the realities of modern business relations practice. To achieve this goal the author set the task of using the tools of a business game in relation to the development of competition skills and competitive relations. As the main scenario of the business game, the author creates a model of the competition situation with the participation of the buyer and several bidders competing for victory in the simulation of competitive procurement. The proposed business game is based on typical real competitive situations in the space of a set of B2B operations, which confirms the relevance of the chosen training method. The article contains a description of the basic scenario and detailed rules of the game. Each of the groups participating in the game is offered its own set of documents of initial information, on the basis of which the participants should build their tactics of negotiations and generating proposals of the competition commission. The article substantiates that in order to win the competition, participants need to take into account both professional and personal relationships of the persons involved in decision-making. The author draws attention to the importance of studying the educational situation as a complete system of relations between real companies with each other. The article shows that the important practical significance of the business game consists in the final session of the analysis of the actions of the participants of the game – the “debriefing” stage. Based on the analysis of the business games sessions conducted, the author identifies the most significant results of students’ participation in the game, their positive impressions and personal unexpected discoveries. The use of the proposed method will be useful for educational organizations as an effective exercise in the framework of courses studying the practice of competition between professional and higher education systems.

“Navigating through the digital swamp”: assessing SME propensity for online marketplaces

Digital technology has produced deep changes in the business world. However, companies have a hard time understanding consumers’ changing needs and new consumption patterns, especially small and medium-sized enterprises that currently face growing challenges in an era characterized by a lack of time and information overload. New mechanisms must be found that not only can keep businesses competitive in digital environments but can do so in innovative and sustainable ways. This study sought to address this issue by adopting a process-oriented approach and developing a decision-support tool for SMEs that are considering joining online marketplaces. The proposed analysis model helps these companies decide whether they are ready to take advantage of these digital platforms or whether they have to take action to improve in specific areas of their business operations. The model-building process relied on a combination of cognitive mapping and the best–worst method. An expert panel was recruited to identify the most relevant factors determining SME readiness to join online marketplaces. The model was applied to a set of real companies to assess their propensity for online marketplaces. The practical applicability of this decision-support system was then discussed in a consolidation session with a member of Portugal’s Agência Nacional de Inovação (National Innovation Agency), who acknowledged the strong potential of the proposed model.

Internal control, debt risk, CEO education and earnings management evidence from China

PurposeThis study aims to explore how earnings management techniques are affected by corporate financial debt risk (FDR), internal control (IC) effectiveness and CEO education.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a sample from listed firms in China from 2010 to 2017, comprising different industries, including agriculture, forestry, livestock farming and fishing; mining; manufacturing; electric power, gas and water production and supply; construction; transport and storage; information technology; the real estate industry; social services; and communication and cultural. The regression analysis is used to test the hypotheses. The two-stage least squares technique is used to check for endogeneity issues.FindingsThe study finds that firms are less likely to manage real earnings when they have more robust IC and FDR. Likewise, companies with weak ICs are more likely to manipulate real earnings. Besides, the study finds an influence of CEO education on the relationship between IC, FDR and real earnings management (REM). These results can be applied to the sectors in the sample covered by the research, and the authors do not overlook the energy industry sector for the importance of its role in the economy.Research limitations/implicationsThere are some limitations for the researcher when performing any research, and this study is no exception. Researchers are urged to take these circumstances into consideration when generalizing or comparing the results because the methods used to calculate the measurement variables in each study may differ somewhat from those used in other research. In addition, expanding the current research design to incorporate additional nations may be an area of interest for future research and could aid in evaluating the effects of nation-specific elements (such as inflation, culture, legal systems and political considerations) on the usefulness of IC and decreasing FDR. Second, the current study focuses on the impact of IC and FDR on REM; this paper does not dissect the “black box” of IC and consider how each element affects earnings management. Future research may need to focus specifically on how effective IC would affect earnings management and precisely what IC mechanisms would discourage the management of earnings.Practical implicationsHelping companies listed in China to make decisions and improve investors’ vision of the results of real companies’ businesses, as well as helping management to avoid falling into debt risk and the consequent effects and manipulation of earnings.Originality/valueBy highlighting the significance of IC and debt risk in enhancing information quality in China, the results contribute to the body of work examining the relationship between IC, FDR and REM. In addition, this study uses a CEO’s education to moderate this link.

Assessment of the environmental performance of sugarcane companies based on waste disposed of on the soil.

This study aimed to present an index (IEP) to evaluate the environmental performance of the sugar-energy industrial process based on the waste generated in manufacturing operations. The residues considered in this study were: vinasse, filter cake, ash and soot, residual waters, and sewage sludge. The index created was developed to take into account, and to be directly proportional to the environmental impact of each residue generated by the sugar-energy production, to the relative spatial dispersion that each waste can reach, and to the environmental fragility of the hydrographic basin where the plant under evaluation is inserted and works. The lower IEP, the better the company valuation. The index was tested in a real company and exhibited anIEP Total = 1,4.1013 km2.p/yr, which shows weak waste management by the enterprise. Vinasse was responsible for 50% of theIEP Total,whilefilter cake contributed 45% to it. Ash and soot, residual waters, and sewage sludge were together responsible for 5% of theIEP Total. The theoretical conception used in this study is inspiring for the development of new studies on environmental assessment measurement. The study showed that vinasse is the most problematic waste in environmental terms, a conclusion that is in line with academic studies. Nevertheless, the waste with the greatest potential impact on the environment is filter cake. Despite this, filter cake presented a lowerIEP(i)than vinasse, given that its negative impact on the basin is smaller. Both wastes contributed 95% of theIEP Total, which places them among the residues to be managed with greater attention.

Shaping corporate character via chatbot social conversation: Impact on organization-public relational outcomes

As an empirical effort to explore the public relations potential of AI-enabled technologies such as chatbots, this study examined how chatbot social conversation—a communication strategy that encompasses both social presence and conversational human voice and is conceptualized in consideration of chatbots’ mediated communication environment—can contribute to organization-public relational outcomes (i.e., OPRs). To understand how this process works, we incorporate the personification approach to organizations, and also investigate the impact of chatbot social conversation in shaping public perceptions of corporate character (i.e., agreeableness, enterprise, competence, and ruthlessness). A survey of 778 Facebook users in the United States was conducted, where participants were randomly assigned to have a guided conversation with an AI-enabled social chatbot utilized by real companies on Facebook. Results confirm that chatbot social conversation can serve as a strong antecedent of the corporate character of the organization that deployed it and OPRs. Perceived corporate character also directly influences the quality of OPRs, demonstrating the potential of using AI-enabled social chatbots for public relations purposes.

Increasing the efficiency of warehouse analysis using artificial intelligence

Logistics in companies is a necessary process that has high costs with mostly no added value. Lowering this cost is vitally important for companies to stay competitive. Nowadays, storage systems are a critical part of any company’s logistic system, and many of them try to reach an optimum level where they can operate with little freedom of movement of goods declared by the changing market. There are several manual and automated methods to achieve this. However, we hear quite little about the use of artificial intelligence in the field. This study focuses on the implementation of AI technology into warehousing, especially in categorizing goods. After an overview of the recent literature on AI technologies and their application in the field of logistics, the introduction of an AI application follows. The main goal of the application is to categorize each good stored in a warehouse into ABC-XYZ groups, which determines the place of the good in the warehouse and the ordering frequency with the quantity. After acquiring and cleaning the training data from a real company, the determination and selection of the least input parameters is an important and challenging task, which is demonstrated. The effectiveness of the supervised learning can be seen as an ANN (artificial neural network) can output, with the aid of a non-conventional metaheuristic approach - the black hole algorithm - as the learning agent is demonstrated by an example, which also shows the result of an ABC-XYZ categorization run on a dataset from a multinational company.