Operations Management Research Research Articles

Applying a longitudinal interpretive multi-case research method to study the employee impact of operations management systems in a micro firm setting

While many operations management journals are now publishing interpretive studies, there is still a need for more material on how to carry out such work under the interpretive gestalt. By offering a research account of a longitudinal interpretive multi-case study, this paper seeks to contribute to the literary gap in ‘how to do it [interpretive research]’. The purpose of this paper is to document a longitudinal operations management study in three micro-firms, where the catalyst for this study is the implementation of an electronic operations management system in each case. The paper chronicles the authors’ experience in a four-year multi-case study, and as such provides insight into design, development and execution of longitudinal interpretive operations management research, and the building of a theoretical model. While blueprints are not the purpose of such reflections, they can provide insight and advice to researchers, which is the underlying goal of this paper.

Digital health technology enhances resilient behaviour: evidence from the ward

PurposeIn the healthcare management domain, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the role of resilience practices in improving patient safety. The purpose of this paper is to understand the capabilities that enable healthcare resilience and how digital technologies can support these capabilities.Design/methodology/approachWithin- and cross-case research methodology was used to study resilience mechanisms and capabilities in healthcare and to understand how digital health technologies impact healthcare resilience. The authors analyze data from two Italian hospitals through the lens of the operational failure literature and anchor the findings to the theory of dynamic capabilities.FindingsFive different dynamic capabilities emerged as crucial for managing operational failure. Furthermore, in relation to these capabilities, medical, organizational and patient-related knowledge surfaced as major enablers. Finally, the findings allowed the authors to better explain the role of knowledge in healthcare resilience and how digital technologies boost this role.Practical implicationsWhen trying to promote a culture of patient safety, the research suggests healthcare managers should focus on promoting and enhancing resilience capabilities. Furthermore, when evaluating the role of digital technologies, healthcare managers should consider their importance in enabling these dynamic capabilities.Originality/valueAlthough operations management (OM) research points to resilience as a crucial behavior in the supply chain, this is the first research that investigates the concept of resilience in healthcare systems from an OM perspective, with only a few authors having studied similar concepts, such as “workaround” practices.

The Emergence and Divergence in Performance: Management Systems in California State Government

An understudied aspect of performance management systems is how performance management systems emerge in public agencies. This research focuses on the emergence of performance management systems, studying two cases with divergent outcomes in the State of California. The first case study is about the Performance Management Council, which included the voluntary participation of more than 20 California state agencies, departments, and divisions. The second case study is about the Department of Toxic Substances Control within the California Environmental Protection Agency. These cases, which impacted 35 million residents in a state with a $200 billion annual budget, potentially offer findings valuable to nations and to large sub-national units of government such as large states, districts, and provinces. This research offers three contributions to public sector performance management research literature. First, it addresses a gap in the understanding of how performance management systems emerge through dialogue and learning forums. Second, the research extends the study of performance management to the policy arenas of environmental protection, water resources, and other policy domains typically not researched in performance management. Third, the research connects performance management to the research on the reform of public agencies, diffusion of practices, and organizational change.

Do analytically-oriented supply chains better manage risks?

Risk management has emerged as a field of operations management research due to the greater exposure of organizations to internal and external risks, as a result of globalization, outsourcing, reduction in the number of suppliers, and the need to improve cost and inventory management. Although this subject has received attention in recent years, the relationship between analytical orientation and supply chain risk management is little explored. Thus, this research verifies the impact of analytical orientation over supply chain risk management. A questionnaire was applied with micro, small and medium-sized firms of Brazilian Southeast region, obtaining 111 responses. The structural equation modeling was used for analysis and the main conclusions indicate that analytical orientation has a strong and significant impact over supply chain risk management. In this sense, those supply chains that are more analytical manage their risks better, resulting in lower perception of uncertainty.

Research in Production and Operations Management: A University-Based Bibliometric Analysis

Universities across the world are contributing greatly to production and operations management (POM) research and playing significant roles in social and economic development. This article analyzes the performance of universities in POM research and development between 1990 and 2014. The Web of Science core collection database is used to collect all the necessary data. The results show a wide diversity among the countries of origin of the top universities, with some of them being in Asia, Europe, and North America. These results are quite different from many other management areas where English-speaking countries, especially the USA, tend to be dominant. Hong Kong Polytechnic University is the most productive university, while Michigan State University is the most influential one. Time-based evolution reveals that the USA previously had a more dominant position, while now there is more distribution of top universities around the world. The analysis of selected journals indicates that many journals tend to be more influenced by their respective countries of origin. However, other journals show a more general profile by publishing papers from most of the countries around the world.

Research in Operations Management and Information Systems Interface

Owing to its multidisciplinary nature, the operations management (OM) and information systems (IS) interface distinguishes itself from the individually focused perspective of both fields. The number and depth of contributions in this department can help both disciplines advance to better address important theoretical and practical challenges of the business world. In this paper, we study the characteristics of problems at the interface between OM and IS, and review past work that has been instrumental in setting the tone and direction of research at this interface. We extend our discussion to provide directions for future research at the OM and IS interface in the domains such as smart city management, healthcare, deep learning and artificial intelligence, fintech and blockchain, Internet of Things and Industry 4.0, and social media and digital platforms.

Addressing endogeneity in operations management research: Recent developments, common problems, and directions for future research

Addressing endogeneity can be a challenging task given the different sources of endogeneity and their impacts on empirical results. While premier business journals typically expect authors to rigorously address endogeneity, this expectation is relatively new to many Operations Management (OM) scholars, as exemplified by a recent editorial in Journal of Operations Management that calls for more rigorous treatment for endogeneity. This study serves two purposes. First, we summarize recent OM literature with respect to the treatment for endogeneity by reviewing studies published in leading OM journals between 2012 and 2017. The review provides evidence that endogeneity problems have received increasing attention from OM scholars. However, we also find some common problems that may render the chosen techniques for addressing endogeneity less effective and potentially lead to biased analysis results. Second, since instrumental variable regression is the most prevalent technique for dealing with endogeneity in the OM literature according to our review, we provide an empirical illustration tailored to OM researchers for using instrumental variable regression in the post-design (data analysis) phase. Using variables from a publicly available healthcare dataset, our analysis sheds light on the importance of examining instruments' quality and triangulating results based on more than one test/estimator.

Using National Performance Management Research Data Set for Corridor Performance Measures: A US-281N Corridor Case Study

The National Performance Management Research Data Set (NPMRDS), made available by Federal Highway Administration in 2013, provides fine-resolution travel-time data, which have been used in numerous network performance management and operations applications. This article discusses corridor-level performance measures computed using the NPMRDS. Three measures are analyzed on a 20.2-mile long corridor in San Antonio, Texas, including corridor travel time, corridor travel-time reliability, and day-to-day variation in travel time. The primary contributions of this article are the analysis of the impact of using two different approaches for travel-time aggregation across segments—instantaneous and time-dependent approaches—and defining a mean absolute error-based method to identify days when travel times significantly deviate from typical traffic conditions. The findings suggest that the temporal patterns of corridor travel times obtained using instantaneous and time-dependent aggregation approaches are similar; however, instantaneous travel-time estimates lead to inaccuracies that become more apparent during peak hours and for longer segments. In addition, it is found that a [Formula: see text]-means clustering analysis performed on daily travel-time profiles provides a useful statistic for corridor performance analysis. Using this methodology, 9.23% of weekdays in the 20-month study period are classified as atypical for the corridor. The numerical results reinforce the value of the NPMRDS in estimating corridor performance measures and highlight potential limitations of traditional techniques for evaluating corridor performance measures when applied in practice to support enhanced traffic planning and operations.

Emergence of Big Data Research in Operations Management, Information Systems, and Healthcare: Past Contributions and Future Roadmap

In this day, in the age of big data, consumers leave an easily traceable digital footprint whenever they visit a website online. Firms are interested in capturing the digital footprints of their consumers to understand and predict consumer behavior. This study deals with how big data analytics has been used in the domains of information systems, operations management, and healthcare . We also discuss the future potential of big data applications in these domains (especially in the areas of cloud computing, Internet of Things and smart city, predictive manufacturing and 3‐D printing, and smart healthcare) and the associated challenges. In this study, we present a framework for applications of big data in these domains with the goal of providing some interesting directions for future research.

Analysis of key topics in Korea’s performance management research

Analysis of key topics in Korea’s performance management research

How Research in Production and Operations Management May Evolve in the Era of Big Data

We are living in an era in which data is generated in huge volume with high velocity and variety. Big Data and technology are reshaping our life and business. Our research inevitably needs to catch up with these changes. In this short essay, we focus on two aspects of supply chain management, namely, demand management and manufacturing. We feel that, while rapidly growing research on these two areas is contributed by scholars in computer science and engineering, the developments made by production and operations management society have been insufficient. We believe that our field has the expertise and talent to push for advancements in the theory and practice of demand management and manufacturing (of course, among many other areas) along unique dimensions. We summarize some relevant concepts emerged with Big Data and present several prototype models to demonstrate how these concepts can lead to rethinking of our research. Our intention is to generate interests and guide directions for new research in production and operations management in the era of Big Data.

The effects of supply chain management on technological innovation: The mediating role of guanxi

This paper investigates the relationships between supply chain management (SCM) practices (i.e. strategic supplier partnership, customer relationship, information sharing, information quality, postponement, internal operations) and technological innovation (TI) in a R&D manufacturing setting in Malaysia, with guanxi being the intervening variable. A conceptual model was developed and tested using data collected from 197 Malaysian manufacturing firms for the study. Data set was examined and hypotheses were tested by employing Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis. The results revealed that internal operations, postponement, strategic supplier partnership, and guanxi have positive and significant relationships with TI; while guanxi mediates the relationships between four SCM practices (i.e. strategic supplier partnership, information quality, postponement, and internal operations) with TI. Findings show that through proper implementation of SCM practices, firms are able to achieve better TI performance. These findings are useful for decision-makers when formulating SCM strategies and focusing on practices that will help them achieve greater TI. This paper also contributes to existing operations management research by empirically validating guanxi as the mediator between SCM practices and TI. From a developing nation perspective, this paper identifies the important relationships that exist between SCM, guanxi and TI. The findings will be of interest to both emerging and other developing nations.

Blockchain and Other Distributed Ledger Technologies in Operations

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology (DLT) that has grown in prominence, although its full potential and possible downsides are not yet fully understood, especially with respect to Operations Management (OM). This manuscript contributes to filling in this gap. We identify three research themes in applying Blockchain technology to OM, illustrated through several applications to OM problems. Elsewhere, in a companion article, (Babich and Hilary (2018)), we provide a conceptual framework for the role of Blockchain and other DLT in OM, along with specific examples of research questions, and we demonstrate how research in economics can inform research in OM on Blockchain applications.

Bridging the Gap: Exploring the Overlap Between Leadership and Human Resource Management

Despite their common goals of improving employees' well-being and job performance and overall organizational performance, the leadership and human resource management (HRM) research streams have la...

A Review of Production and Operations Management Research on Outsourcing in Supply Chains: Implications for the Theory of the Firm

This paper reviews the state of the art in Productions and Operations Management (POM) academic research regarding outsourcing in supply chain contexts. We first acknowledge the “Theory of the Firm” (ToF), the venerable and vast body of thought regarding where the firm draws the boundary between what it performs in‐house and what it outsources. Despite the clear linkage between outsourcing and POM, the ToF literature is most closely associated with the fields of strategy and economics. This disconnect might in part be due to a difference in theoretical lenses and terminology, which we address for the POM audience by providing a ToF tutorial. Our review of publications by the POM community from 2000 to 2016 includes a framework that organizes the in‐scope papers and a structured summary of each work. We partition the research into empirical/conceptual and analytical sub‐literatures, each of which gets its own critical assessment and discussion of open opportunities. Along the way, we articulate the features of the POM lens that distinctively position POM researchers to contribute further to the ToF, a convergence which we hope to encourage through this study. A deeper conversation among strategy, economics, and POM would enrichen the rigor and the relevance of each field.

Interorganizational Performance Management: A Co‐evolutionary Model

AbstractMaking interorganizational cooperation successful proves a daunting task. While current approaches to interorganizational performance management (PM) highlight why interorganizational cooperation matters and which phases are required, it remains silent on the dynamics of interorganizational PM. That is, how can PM evolve with and contribute to interorganizational cooperation. The purpose of this paper is to increase understanding of interorganizational PM. To this end, it develops a structure and process foundation of interorganizational value creation, and it provides a model that shows how processes of organizational and interorganizational PM co‐evolve. The study starts by providing insight into differences between organizational and interorganizational PM. It then presents five approaches pertaining to performance in interorganizational cooperation. The paper distinguishes strategic–economic, PM, supply‐chain management, organizational and marketing approaches. These approaches are related from a structure and process angle and are used to develop a co‐evolutionary model of interorganizational PM. The resulting conceptualization has implications for research on new modes of complex and heterogeneous interorganizational value creation. The paper elaborates on these implications, pointing to new directions for future PM research.

Externalities of auto traffic congestion growth: Evidence from the residential property values in the US Great Lakes megaregion

Traffic congestion is getting worse and commuting cost is getting higher in every major metropolitan area. In this study, we attempt to explore the negative externalities of traffic congestion focusing on housing prices. We use a unique transportation dataset, the National Performance Management Research Data Set (NPMRDS), which contains information on every 5 min travel time across the extensive region to measure traffic congestion at the local level. In order to estimate the effect of traffic congestion on residential property values, we use a dynamic hedonic price model with a monthly panel dataset. Our findings show that while there is no significant relationship between congestion growth and housing price growth in rural and non-metro areas, the effects of congestion growth on housing price growth in urban and metro areas are obvious. We verify that traffic congestion functions as a disamenity in a local neighborhood. Transportation policies that aim to relieve traffic congestion should consider that severe traffic congestion may have an adverse effect on local property values.

Falsification of Theorizing in Operations Management Research

The practices of operations management research have been inclined towards practicality and pragmatism. Induction is core background of research in operations management. However, there are certain biases and critiques on the generalizability of data using the approach of Induction, of which falsification is more prominent. This study takes upon three major theories used in Operations Management (OM) research such as Resource Based View (RBV), Transaction Cost Economics (TCE) and Resource Dependence Theory (RDT) and discusses the falsification critiques such as tautology on the theories and theorization of Operations Management (OM) and how the body of research in operations management responds to the criticism. Our study suggests that there needs to be a domain limitation of the theorizing process wherein the theory is posit to hold and thus exposing the theory at hand to the critique of falsification. The theory needs not to capture every facet of the phenomena under examination. This study also highlight the importance of developing field specific theories and the improvement brought into the process of theorization and towards the end we describe courses of action for improving the balance between theory and practice approach in the field.

Operations in Space: Exploring a New Industry

ABSTRACTThis article sets the stage for examining operations management research opportunities in the emerging industry that involves operations in outer space. Currently, space exploration is moving in new and exciting directions, thanks to private investment and a more collaborative, commercial industry structure. While we do not yet know if space will be the next big industry, we make the case that the potential is certainly there. In this article, we outline the challenges presented within the “space industry” and highlight opportunities for operations management researchers in three categories—manufacturing operations, supply chain management, and sustainable operations. We also outline important questions related to stakeholder decisions and needs.

Sustainability and performance in operations management research

Abstract Interest in sustainability and its relation to performance has grown significantly among practitioners and operations management (OM) scholars. However, there is still a paucity of research on the antecedents and drivers of sustainability, as well as on the relationship between sustainability and performance. Moreover, the literature offers contradictory results on this relationship. Therefore, the goal of this paper is to provide a research synthesis about the overall state of the art of empirical research on the impact of sustainability management practices on performance, encompassing social and environmental dimensions. To achieve this goal, the authors develop a rigorous systematic review of the extant literature on sustainability relationships with firm performance, emphasizing the under-researched area of causal models of sustainability and operational performance. This research is a first attempt to go beyond the highly dispersed work on the subject, aiming to provide more generalizable evidence about theories, methods and findings. The synthesis embraces 231 papers in total and identifies the main variables on causal models depicting the relationships between sustainability and performance, analyses how the studies on the subject are conducted, and investigates the impact and the mechanisms through which sustainability affects operational performance (OP). Overall, there are positive effects of sustainability on performance, such as lower costs, better delivery and product quality, enhanced volume and mix flexibility, although different mechanisms drive the sustainability-performance links and they differ according to contexts. The study outlines implications for practice and future research.