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Compares the intended operations strategy of 112 manufacturing plants in the metal‐working industries with the realized strategy, as measured by investments designed to improve both the manfucturing structure and infrastructure. Data were collected via a mail survey administered to 202 plants in 1994, and re‐administered to 112 of the same plants in 1996. Examines how the emphasis placed on four key competitive priorities (cost, flexibility, delivery and quality) is associated with investment a company makes to support these objectives. The data indicate that companies support their key competitive priorities both through investments in structural improvement and through investments in infrastructural improvement. Two findings contradict the established literature. First, investments in design‐based advanced manufacturing technologies are not associated with a strategic emphasis on any of the four competitive priorities. Second, plants which emphasized flexibiltiy as a key component of their operations strategy did not invest in either structural or infrastructural improvements to support this objective.

Research on just‐in‐time (JIT) production and total quality management (TQM) has taken a variety of approaches. Focuses on the degree to which these elements of lean production are aided by investments in the supporting manufacturing infrastructure of the firm. The literature generally supports the hypothesis that manufacturers must support lean production with concurrent investments focusing on the training and development of the workforce in order to be successful. Uses data from a mail survey of 202 plants in the metalworking industries to examine this hypothesis. Examines four types of investment in the manufacturing infrastructure: quality leadership on the part of management, the use of small groups or teams for problem solving, training, and worker empowerment. Each of these types of infrastructural investment is shown to be highly correlated with the degree of managerial commitment to both JIT and TQM. Indicates that lean producers do invest in the development of the workforce and the supporting manufacturing infrastructure. Manufacturers in the metalworking industries appear to be making strong efforts to provide the necessary support to JIT and TQM programmes, rather than just paying lip service to the concept without following the underlying, core principles.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to look at the ways in which the internet has changed the way in which many organizations now do business. The internet has made the transference of information easy but fulfilling online orders has proved to be a challenge.Design/methodology/approachThis study presents detailed analysis of 238 customers of a world‐renowned not‐for‐profit organization – the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO). Our sample of customers consists of patrons who ordered tickets online at least once during the 2001/2002 concert seasons. Factors influencing the development of an e‐loyal customer database were examined.FindingsThe results indicate that customers realize significant benefits from using the internet to purchase concert tickets. Patrons also indicated that they were satisfied with their internet service experience.Originality/valueThe role of the internet within organizations will change dramatically over the next decade. For organizations that are attempting to use the internet as a primary sales medium, they must realize that their success hinges on the development of a sustainable customer base. For established organizations, the integration of the internet into their existing business will be one of the keys to future success.

ABSTRACTSupply chain management has become one of the most popular approaches to enhance the global competitiveness of business corporations today. Firms must have clear strategic thinking in order to effectively organize such complicated activities, resources, communications, and processes. An emerging body of literature offers a framework that identifies three kinds of supply chain strategies: lean strategy, agile strategy, and lean/agile strategy based on in‐depth case studies. Extant research also suggests that supply chain strategies must be matched with product characteristics in order for firms to achieve better performance. This article investigates supply chain strategies and empirically tests the supply chain strategy model that posits lean, agile, and lean/agile approaches using data collected from 604 manufacturing firms in China. Cluster analyses of the data indicate that Chinese firms are adopting a variation of lean, agile, and lean/agile supply chain strategies identified in the western literature. However, the data reveal that some firms have a traditional strategy that does not emphasize either lean or agile principles. These firms perform worse than firms that have a strategy focused on lean, agile, or lean/agile supply chain. The strategies are examined with respect to product characteristics and financial and operational performance. The article makes significant contributions to the supply chain management literature by examining the supply chain strategies used by Chinese firms. In addition, this work empirically tests the applicability of supply chain strategy models that have not been rigorously tested empirically or in the fast‐growing Chinese economy.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify different information flow strategies to enhance integration in strategic alliances and studies these strategies with respect to contextual factors and the impact on performance.Design/methodology/approachThe paper examines empirical data gathered from 56 manufacturing companies, describing 112 supply chain relationships. An empirical taxonomy is created based on cluster analysis.FindingsBased on a parsimonious description of inter‐firm information flows in the literature and this paper's empirical findings, three types of alliances are identified: Silent; Communicative; and IT intensive. While Silent alliances have the poorest overall performance, substantial similarities are found between Communicative and IT intensive alliances. In particular, the analysis suggests that IT intensive alliances, albeit performing better on operational capabilities, are not performing better on relationship satisfaction compared to Communicative alliances. Additional analyses indicate that partners of an IT intensive alliance are substantially more interdependent and larger in size.Research limitations/implicationsThis research presents a taxonomy of information flow strategies in a supply chain context. This research is not describing causality, since the data are not longitudinal in nature.Practical implicationsManagers need to selectively invest in IT according to an overall supply chain integration strategy, which also takes softer, less technological forms of integration into consideration.Originality/valueThis research provides insight into inter‐firm information flows from a contingency perspective, recognizing heterogeneity of firms and supply chain practices.

ABSTRACTThis research presents the development of behavioral scoring models to predict future customer purchases in an online ordering application. Internet retailing lowers many barriers for customers switching between retailers for repeat purchases; thus, retaining existing customers is a key challenge for achieving profitability. Survey data were collected from 1,089 online customers of two companies. The subjective survey data were then used to predict purchases over the ensuing 12 months based on data from the company databases. The analysis illustrates the general applicability of predictive models of future customer purchases while also demonstrating the need to develop specific models tailored for an individual company's operating and marketing environment. The models provide insight on how companies can target marketing dollars more effectively and allocate investment across multiple operational areas for maximum return. The research answers a call for rigorous research in the area of predictive marketing, an area in which many companies are excelling but where there is a scarcity of detailed knowledge regarding application of such models.

Organizational performance is often dependent on the timing of critical processes and the simultaneous use of both technology and routines. Existing publications emphasize the importance of time sensitivity but also reflect divergent, untested perspectives. Prior works do not clearly explain or examine how different mechanisms are associated with achieving time-sensitive versus general (or non-time-sensitive) performance. We build on concepts from organizational mindfulness and organizational routines to address these gaps. Specifically, this paper examines how the mindful use of information technologies and adherence to specified routines are associated with both time-sensitive and general organizational performance. We employ split-group structural equation modeling based on high and low levels of information technology adoption to account for potential technology contingencies in performance. We use time-sequenced data from 262 U.S. hospitals to analyze two categories of clinical care quality: time-sensitive care and general care. The results indicate that mindful use of technologies is associated with both time-sensitive and general performance in contexts with high technology adoption but not in those with low adoption. In contrast, adherence to specified routines is associated with time-sensitive performance in contexts with low technology adoption but not in those with high adoption. The results also clarify that high levels of technology adoption and mindful use may at times assume the place of specified routines in their association with time-sensitive performance. Finally, we find evidence that continuous improvement may bridge adherence to specified routines and mindful use of technologies.

ABSTRACTProduct returns present one of the biggest operational challenges in the world of Internet retailing due to the sheer volume and cost of processing returns. But returns also represent an often‐missed opportunity to manage customer relationships and build customer loyalty to the retailer. Based upon data from a survey of 464 customers of five different Internet retailers, this article explores how firms' returns management systems affect loyalty intentions. We draw upon extant literature in the fields of Internet retailing, service quality, supply chain management, and customer satisfaction/loyalty to develop a model and a set of hypotheses relating ten latent variables in the service returns offering area. Our resulting structural equation model provides evidence of the impact of the returns management system upon customer loyalty intentions. The model also identifies effects on loyalty intentions arising from customers' satisfaction with, and perceptions of, the value of the returns service offered. These findings will help inform managers' choices regarding investment in the returns management system as an element of service quality improvement and a potential means of improved profitability. In addition, this study's empirical exploration and testing of a returns management model in the Internet retailing environment is a contribution to the currently underrepresented body of academic literature linking marketing and supply chain management in the context of end consumers.