The overall aim of this PhD is to provide insights into the hidden and socially-distributed design activities and behaviours through which members of an organisation contribute to its shape. How do those who are part of the organisational artefact contribute to the design of the artefact? Looking at an organisation as an artefact on the one hand acknowledges the human-made process that brings organisations into existence and the possibility that an organisation is a product of human action. On the other hand it raises questions with regard to the properties of this artefact and the design activities that lead to its existence or influence its development. A paradox is represented by the circumstance that an organisation is both made by and, at the same time, “consists” of humans. A small sample qualitative multi-case study was selected as the research strategy. One case is a retrospective study of an architectural construction project for a higher education institution in the UK, the other is a live study of a mass participation music performance that took place in a major UK city. Together they combine the wealth of material from a longitudinal and retrospective study with the detailed insights obtained from live observation. Analysis is partially grounded, prioritising an understanding emerging from the data itself rather than applying a specific concept to identify themes accordingly. However, fundamental understandings of design are applied to understand whether the design activities identified cohere with existing approaches or provide novel insights into hidden design actions. In both cases the findings confirm the existence of hidden and socially-distributed design actions in processes of organisational design. While fundamental indicators of design change are identifiable in selected events, novel characteristics add to existing understandings of design. Contributions this PhD makes concern the identification and description of hidden design activities within communities of non-expert, silent designers and the empirically supported specification of organisations as socially-designed artefacts. Specifically, the findings lead to the articulation of three contributions: design-before- design, an approach that promotes the acknowledgement of unique organisational settings before design interventions, socially-distributed design as an empirically supported extension of silent design and the resulting description of case studies as self-referential artefacts.

In 1963 the United States Federal Government established a Line of Balance Coordinating Committee to study LOB's applicability and its ties with network scheduling. Ever since many researchers and practitioners attempted to integrate the merits of CPM and LOB in graphical, operational research, and activity-dominated network scheduling. Nevertheless, the obstacles were not truly eliminated in a simple and practical way that was good enough to be accepted and adopted by the construction industry. This work presents CPM/LOB, a new methodology integrating both methods in a network context. It is simple to comprehend and apply using available commercial CPM computer programs, and does not require elaborate training. The method overcomes the vulnerability of CPM to changes in the sequence of work and inability to maintain work continuity for the working squads of the repetitive activities. It introduces float into LOB and revives LOB by creating access to it by commercially available and popular CPM packages. Several additional features are introduced to facilitate the management of planning and control of repetitive projects, such as identifying and quantifying progress that contradicts network logic, evaluating the effect of discrete activities, and measuring the progress regularity on multiple large housing contracts as well as single and small repetitive projects. The principles of the method have been published in Journal of Constructing Engineering and Management of the American Society of Civil Engineers in September 1994. Its practical application on projects in Kuwait and the United States is demonstrated by three case studies.

The advancement of technology imposes an inevitable pressure on companies to introduce new products and services into the marketplace, to stay competitive or survive. One product category that is growing increasingly within the marketplace is Really New Products (RNPs), which refers to very innovative products. Businesses therefore need to be aware of the ways they can promote RNPs in order for consumer to efficiently understand RNPs and form a positive attitude and intention towards these products. This study is concerned with the product promotion element within the domain of RNPs. Various presentation techniques such as telepresence (vividness and interactivity) and anthropomorphic attributes are discussed within this thesis. Furthermore, the influence of targeting different groups of consumers (innovative consumers) is examined. Anthropomorphism is analysed in more depth to get a better understanding of how this factor influences consumers learning and online behaviour. Three papers are formed to investigate each category further. Two online experiments and one survey are designed. The first experiment recruited 800 participants to examine the effect of presentation formats on individual responses towards RNPs within Paper 1. The findings from Paper 1 indicate that various presentation elements have a different impact upon consumer learning, attitude and purchase intention for RNPs. The second set of online experiments within Paper 2 with 500 participants investigated the impact of various anthropomorphic attributes and its influence on consumer response towards RNPs. The result indicates that the inclusion of human-like avatars increases an individual’s perceived anthropomorphism. Furthermore, perceived anthropomorphism has a significant positive influence upon consumer learning, attitude and purchase intention towards RNPs. Paper 3 studied the influence of consumer innovativeness and how consumers differ in their learning and behaviour towards RNPs. 300 participants were recruited to answer an online survey. The findings indicate that various types of innovative consumers react towards and learn about RNPs in different directions. Each paper is thoroughly discussed and the limitations, managerial implications and future research recommendations are considered.

Total Quality Management (TQM) is a philosophy adopted by many organisations around the globe for continuous improvement of processes, products and / or services. Based on the TQM Philosophy, various quality excellence frameworks known as business excellence models and related quality awards have been established in different countries. Dubai Quality Award in Dubai is one such quality excellence framework that is being applied since 1994 by many organisations within Dubai to gain benefits in terms of profits, employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction. To gain anticipated business benefits through quality excellence framework, role of senior management during implementation is crucial as highlighted by most researchers. However, what are the other factors that may affect at senior management level for the implementation of quality excellence framework such as Dubai Quality Award are not comprehensively reflected in the literature. Therefore, many researchers have suggested investigating factors affecting implementation of quality excellence framework at a senior management level. Accordingly there has not been any study conducted in Dubai for the same concern. The main aim of this research was "to investigate factors affecting implementation of quality excellence framework at a senior management level in the context of Dubai". This research has adopted a phenomenological philosophy and has employed multiple case studies as a research strategy. Two case study organisations were selected from Dubai based manufacturing and service organisations. The relevant data was collected through diverse sources of evidences including semi-structured interviews, documentation, archival records and direct observations. Explanation building method was used to analyse the collected data. The following contributions to knowledge have emerged from this research. This study has identified a list of factors which affect the implementation of quality excellence framework at a senior management level in the context of Dubai. The list of factors include empirically recognised two unique factors related to the implementation of quality excellence framework at a senior management level, thus contributing towards enhancement of the existing literature. Two unique factors identified are 'system thinking view of the excellence model' and 'managing diversity of workforce'. Another contribution of this research to the TQM Philosophy and related body of knowledge for quality excellence frameworks is a proposed theoretical framework with implementation steps which will benefit senior management in improving the implementation of quality excellence framework. In addition, the findings of this research strengthen the current literature on quality excellence framework such as Dubai Quality Award and reduce the gap in knowledge in the context of Dubai.

The Egan report, generally called Rethinking Construction, challenged the lack of collaboration in planning, designing, and executing work on site, and recommended the adoption of lean production principles such as the Last Planner System (LPS) to enhance the image and efficiency of the industry. Recent evidence from different parts of the world suggests that the implementation of the LPS has gained prominence in the construction industry and its influence on the production system is rapid and significant. However, the application of this system in the UK construction industry has not been fully explored among industry practitioners. In addition, a systematic understanding of how Collaborative Planning (CP) practice in the UK aligns with the LPS is still lacking. The absence of authoritative research and empirical data makes it difficult for an appropriate approach to be developed to improve current practice. In view of these problems, this research was under taken to unravel how the current application of CP for delivering construction projects in the UK align with the LPS principles and to develop an approach to support construction stakeholders in the implementation of the LPS. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used in this investigation. Data were collected from across these sectors (building, highways infrastructure, and rail) of the UK construction industry. A total of 58 interviews were conducted, 15 projects observed, 3 case studies conducted and 10 evaluation surveys received. The study found that the current practice of CP as observed in the major sectors of the UK construction industry only align partially with some of the generally advocated principles of the LPS acknowledged in the literature. Analysis of the results reveals that the current practice of CP in the UK has not explored all components of the LPS and depth of application of the more complex attributes contained in the LPS is weak or missing. The information gleaned from the finding uncovers and highlights the need to develop an approach to support construction stakeholders in the implementation of the LPS. Accordingly, this study developed the Last Planner System Path Clearing Approach (LPS-PCA) that includes organisational and external path clearing levels. This expands previous approaches to the implementation of the LPS in construction which focused more on the project level. Pilot implementation on a live project indicates that the developed LPS-PCA supports LPS implementation.

The purpose of this research project is to provide a starting point in examining the relationship between product and process innovation beyond the industry and company level. This is the first study to integrate perspectives from project portfolio management, contingency theory and the resource-based view of the firm. This study further demonstrates how differences in resources and capabilities, combined with the specific needs of the New Product and Process Development Projects will influence the type of complementarity between product and process innovation. The research project contributes to the research on complementarities by proposing a new classification that defines seven unique complementarities between product and process innovation and plot them on a Product-Process Complementarity Map. This map was developed to help Product and Process Development Managers to visualise the variety of options available to the companies during their New Product and Process Development Projects. This research project is further enriched by identifying three contingency factors that influence adoption of complementarity strategy at the project level: (1) technology trajectories, (2) power of supply chain, (3) potential and realised absorptive capacity. These three discrete, but interrelated resources and capabilities, are widely referenced in the context of low technology process industries - particularly the food and drink sector. These two contributions are brought together in the Typology: The Complementarity-Capability Matrix. This Matrix proposes seven complementarity strategies and identifies resources and capabilities, necessary to achieve them. The theoretical contributions are tested and extended in the empirical part of the research project, using qualitative data collection techniques. The findings from Phase 1 highlight that choice of complementarity strategy is not an integral part of the New Product and Process Development project planning. Food and drink companies do not actively manage and consider complementarity types available to them during the project - some of the companies are not even aware of their existence. Innovation strategies adopted within projects are mainly influenced by sunk costs, premature scrapping of existing production machinery and by retailer’s order specifications for their own-label products. Furthermore, internal organisational perception of innovation within food and drink companies negatively influences product and process innovation. Companies are, to a large extent, focused on efficiency and day-to-day operations leaving limited space for exploration of new ideas. Findings from Phase 1 led to a Revised Product-Process Complementarity Map and identification of an additional complementarity; Incremental Reciprocal complementarity. Phase 2 of data collection tested and extended the Typology: The Complementarity-Capability Matrix using eight ‘illustrative’ case studies. Although, the data from case studies generally supported the three proposed contingencies to influence the complementarity strategy. Several non-confirming cases revealed limitations of the Matrix and provided further guidance in allocation of resources and capabilities towards different projects. The revised version of the Typology is designed to contribute to the understanding of complementarities beyond the industry and company level. This Typology aims to guide managers’ decisions when facing New Product and Process Development Projects within the food and drink sector (as well as other low-technology sectors).

The aim of this thesis is to explore the broader experiences of workers, in non-manufacturing organisational contexts, of the application of Lean informed by a labour process perspective. In order to achieve the overarching aim, the author investigates how organisations are implementing Lean by utilizing core labour process theory concepts (such as management control, the frontier of control, managed participation, self-identity). This research draws on evidence from four case study organisations, all of whom are atypical in their application of Lean from a traditional labour process perspective. Fifty four interviews are conducted, supported by documental evidence, in order to explore how employees experience Lean Thinking. The findings suggest that there are problems in understanding, communicating and transferring Lean Thinking in the contexts here; and as a consequence the depth and breadth of Lean application in the four cases is very limited. There was a shared view among managers and professionals that the construction of academic freedom, in the case of UK academics, and the difficulties associated with measuring intangible contributions and outputs are significant in limiting expectations that professionals would support Lean approaches. In addition to this, a lack of empathy with the contextual relevance of Lean was demonstrated with the key training programmes. Many of the professionals here fought to maintain frontiers of control, and senior managers and sponsors acknowledged that this was inevitable. This thesis makes an important contribution to understanding some of the context-specific issues related to introducing Lean in non-automotive manufacturing, and shows how Lean travels to such settings as well as how it is received by participants. The research questions the extent to which managers themselves practised Lean, rather than merely espouse Lean, and suggests that in the contexts here managed participation is a feature of implementation.

This thesis describes research that has developed a decision model for the analytical selection of manufacturing best practices. The competitiveness and growth in the manufacturing sector is critical for Singapore economy. Design and improvement of manufacturing systems is imperative to sustain the competitiveness of manufacturing organisations in the country. It is common for companies to adopt manufacturing best practices in this design process to emulate the success and performance of their counterparts. However, practices should be adapted to the competitive environment and strategy of the company to yield the desired results. Therefore, linkages between best practices and their associated competitive priorities will present useful guidelines for action to help manufacturing organisations achieve superior performance. The research programme has set out to define a decision model for best practice adoption. A broad taxonomy of manufacturing strategies and concepts has been used to identify and cluster a list of popular best practices commonly adopted. The decision framework for best practice adoption process is then formulated and a preliminary decision model constructed. This model is verified through semistructured interviews with industry and academic experts. Validation of model is conducted via case study research on eight manufacturing organisations. Linkages between practices and competitive strategies are then constructed to establish the final decision model. Finally, this decision model is illustrated in the form of a guidebook to help practitioner in the best practice selection process. This research has bridged the fields of manufacturing strategy and best practice research by establishing a comprehensive taxonomy of manufacturing strategies and concepts to classify the popular and commonly adopted best practices. A decision model that links best practices to competitive strategies has been developed to select the most appropriate practices for an environment. Thus, the work presented in this thesis has made a significant and original contribution to knowledge on the provision of analytical decision support for practitioners engaging in the manufacturing best practice adoption process.

Manufacturing enterprises are under increasing pressure to produce products of higher quality at lower cost in shorter time frames if they are to remain competitive. Engineering design support methods can help companies to achieve these goals. One such approach is design knowledge reuse. Industrial requirements have been identified as (i) the ability to rapidly create product variants; (ii) the ability to capture and re-use design knowledge, and; (iii) the capability to support the design effort across a distributed enterprise. The research aim is developed to assist the manufacturing enterprise in meeting the industrial requirements in the following way: a design solution to a new product requirement can be supported using an application package that is developed for a specific product domain. The application package consists of knowledge about previous products and projects, and procedures for using the knowledge to achieve a new solution. An initial investigation showed that design reuse in practice is lacking in specific areas: access to relevant and contextualised captured design knowledge; the relationship between design reuse and the product development process; integrated engineering and business objectives. Literature gaps were also identified. They include: (i) knowledge reuse for the whole product life cycle (particularly early design); (ii) integrated product and design process models; (iii) a ‘how-to’ element of the product design process. The aim of this research is to provide a method for reusing engineering design knowledge. The research method is ‘interview case study’, which supports a flexible approach and enables the research to develop according to the findings. The research was carried out with four companies, one of which took part in a detailed case study, providing case data to develop, populate and validate the proposed system. The outcome of the research is a proposal for a process based engineering design reuse method. The method consists of a combination of product, process and task knowledge to support the design process. Product knowledge is represented using a product ontology. Process knowledge is represented using the Design Roadmap method. Task knowledge is represented using a template developed to record the critical aspects of the task, including ‘how-to’ knowledge. Case studies are used to validate the proposed framework and the developed prototype system. The proposed design knowledge reuse framework is applicable to a range of industries in which mature, complex products are developed.

This thesis is concerned with the decision process of strategic positioning within global supply chains. The research provides insights into how companies currently form positioning decisions, and set out to develop a systematic methodology to assist practitioners in forming their strategic positioning decisions. Manufacturing in the UK is increasingly exposed to the effects of global competition. Many companies are facing difficulties to define the most advantageous position in their global supply chains in order to maximise their business competitiveness. The position of a company is concerned with deciding a boundary and configuration of internal and external business activities to the company and is directly related to initiatives such as outsourcing, make or buy, and offshoring. Unfortunately, current methodologies and tools do not provide adequate support to provide a holistic view for making such decisions. Hence, the purpose of this thesis is to provide a generic and practical methodology that is an integrated and holistic approach that assists practitioners to deal with strategic positioning within global supply chains. The research programme commenced by exploring the process and content of positioning decision from four actual manufacturing companies. The results from the exploratory case studies and existing contribution from literature have then been synthesised to form a pilot methodology. This is captured in the form of a paper-based workbook. This methodology has then been evaluated and refined through a primary application in two case studies with the researcher taking a role as a participant. Finally, wider applicability of the methodology has been assessed through four more case studies covering different types of manufacturing with the researcher not intervening but instead observing. The final methodology referred to in this thesis as the “SPGC methodology” has demonstrated that it provides practical support to industrial decision making. The outcome of this research is the step-by-step SPGC methodology supporting practitioners to deal with strategic positioning within global supply chains. The overall approach has been demonstrated to be feasible, usable and useful, and has been used in a range of manufacturing companies. This research has filled an industrial need and literature gap and has made a significant contribution to the knowledge on how manufacturing companies can form a strategic positioning within global supply chains.