The benchmarking of the use of toolkit for mass customization in the automobile industry

An analysis of the effects of stakeholders management on IT project risks using Delphi and design of experiments methods

Purpose

This study aims to evaluate how stakeholders affect project risks by analyzing the connection between stakeholder management and risk management in the information technology (IT) project context.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the Delphi method, interviews with IT project experts were conducted to examine four factors concerning stakeholder management and define probabilities for three risk variables. The design of experiments (DoE) method was applied for the design of the research instrument and data analysis.

Findings

Stakeholder engagement and communication with stakeholders have significant influence on the occurrence of negative risks, opportunities and the development of contingency strategies. These results provide project leaders with relevant data that better guide actions toward stakeholders and enhance project success probability.

Originality/value

This study clarifies important aspects of two main project management areas – stakeholder and risk management – in the IT projects context. This research also presented an unusual application for the DoE method which allows the subjective variables analysis by statistical tools and enables to explore factor influences on real project situations.

Uncovering the dimensions of servicescape using mixed method approach – A study of beauty salons

Purpose

The purpose of this study aims to explore the dimensions assessing the servicescape of beauty salons and provides suggestions to improve the salon's servicescape.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-method design is used in the sequence of thematic analysis through focus group technique followed by exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis were used to assess the beauty salon's servicescape.

Findings

The exploration of factors in beauty salons is determined with three dimensions: the substantive staging of servicescape, the communicative staging of servicescape and the social staging of servicescape. These dimensions are mentioned in the order of importance perceived by the customers. The substantive staging of servicescape was identified with five factors: ambient conditions, facility aesthetics, artifacts, provisions and spatial layout. Communicative staging of servicescape explored four factors: employee duties, employee commitment, employee–customer interactions and employee image. Social staging derived two factors: customer characteristics, customer-to-customer interactions.

Research limitations/implications

The findings enrich the previous literature with the addition of new factors while assessing servicescape in beauty salons and the development of new items through qualitative research in the domain of servicescape.

Practical implications

The study offers the managers to understand the importance of various factors affecting the servicescape in beauty salons. The salon managers can beautify the service environment through the implementation of the factors identified, thus resulting in enhancing the experience of customers at the salons.

Originality/value

Considering no research has been conducted on beauty salons scale development, this study serves as the first empirical research effort.

Mediator assisted simultaneous negotiations with multiple customers for order acceptance decision

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a framework for the manufacturer of a make-to-order company to simultaneously negotiate with multiple customers through mediator to achieve order acceptance decisions (OADs).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper developed mathematical models for the manufacturer, as well as customers to revise their offers during negotiations. Moreover, the paper also proposed a method for the mediator to carry out his assigned duties to assist in negotiation. In the decision process, mediator acts as a bridge between the manufacturer and customers to reach an agreement. A numerical example is enumerated to illustrate the working mechanism and superiority of proposed framework as compared to the framework where simultaneous negotiations are carried out without the presence of mediator.

Findings

Iterative method of negotiation conducted without mediator leads to delay in reaching agreement as the aspiration level of manufacturer offer and counter-offer of customer will never cross each other. In addition, the party who submits the offer first may suffer as the opponent can take the advantage of his/her offer during negotiation, thereby, derailing the issue of fairness. Introducing mediator between the manufacturer and the customer for their negotiations could overcome these two issues. Numerical analysis clearly illustrates that, in average, the rounds of negotiation to reach an agreement can be reduced by 22 percent using proposed negotiation framework. In addition, the fairness in negotiations can be improved by 33 percent with the incorporation of mediator.

Originality/value

Through continuing research efforts in this domain, certain models and strategies have been developed for negotiation. Iterative method of negotiations without mediator will help neither the manufacturer nor the customer in terms of fairness and negotiations round to reach an agreement. To the best of the author’s knowledge, so far, this is the first instance of research work in the domain of OAD and negotiation framework that attempts to incorporate mediator for simultaneous negotiation between manufacturer and customers on multiple issues simultaneously.

Uma análise conjunta para identificação dos atributos de um dispositivo para reconhecimento de características de produtos alimentícios customizados

Resumo A possibilidade de combinação de ingredientes alimentícios em cada refeição torna complexo o reconhecimento das características dos alimentos personalizados. A utilização de dispositivos com tecnologias da Internet of Things (IoT) consiste em uma alternativa para os clientes acessarem informações dos alimentos personalizados. Nesta pesquisa, foram identificados cinco principais atributos na composição desses dispositivos com objetivo de reconhecimento dos ingredientes em refeições customizadas: (A) portabilidade, (B) precisão, (C) personalização de dieta, (D) análise de qualidade do produto alimentício e (E) preço. Este estudo possui como objetivo identificar a combinação desses atributos que geram valor em um dispositivo de reconhecimento de características alimentares de alimentos customizados. Foi realizado um planejamento fatorial fracionado 25-1 para a apresentação dos atributos do dispositivo na forma de cenários, seguindo o método de análise conjunta baseada em escolha. Para a coleta de dados, foi realizada uma pesquisa com uma amostra de 303 respondentes. Ainda foram analisadas as variáveis moderadoras: gênero e presença de restrição alimentar. Os resultados obtidos apresentaram maior significância para os atributos: precisão de medida e análise de qualidade. Como contribuições, este estudo apresenta informações para o direcionamento de investimentos em pesquisa para elaboração de um dispositivo tecnológico com a finalidade de reconhecer características de um produto alimentício customizado em massa.

A conjoint analysis to consumer choice in Brazil: Defining device attributes for recognizing customized foods characteristics

the availability of information about food products may be an essential factor in the consumer's value perception in their purchasing decision. As the food product becomes personalized, the customization of this information becomes complex due to the possible combinations of product components. The use of smart technology in devices is one way to provide customers with customized food information. In the following research five attributes were identified in the composition of these devices: (A) portability; (B) precision; (C) diet customization; (D) food quality analysis; and (E) price. This study aims to identify the appropriate combination of possible functionalities or attributes that must be present in a device in order to detect the food composition of customized foods and their relation to market characteristics. One experiment used fractional factorial project to present the attributes in the form of scenarios following the Choice-Based Conjoint Analysis (CBCA) method. The data collection was done using survey methodology, through online questionnaire, with some 303 Brazilian respondents. So, the Logistic Regression was applied to data analysis. The moderating variables-gender, age, gluten restriction, lactose restriction and other restrictions-were also added to verify potential interactions with the primary attributes. From the results obtained, it was possible to observe higher significance for the primary attributes of diet personalization and quality food analyzes function. Our study contributes to the literature by enhancing the understanding about what the attributes should be in a technological device that has the purpose of recognizing food characteristics and is capable of generating information about customized food products. Furthermore, this device can enabler the production of mass customized food with the nutritional labels for each possible combination.