In this thesis, a framework for market-based resource allocation in manufacturing is developed and described. The most salient feature of the proposed framework is that it builds on a foundation of well-established economic theory and uses the theory to guide both the agent and market design. There are two motivations for introducing the added complexity of the market metaphor into a decision-making environment that is traditionally addressed using monolithic, centralized techniques. First, markets are composed of autonomous, self-interested agents with well defined boundaries, capabilities, and knowledge. By decomposing a large, complex decision problem along these lines, the task of formulating the problem and identifying its many conflicting objectives is simplified. Second, markets provide a means of encapsulating the many interdependencies between agents into a single mechanism—price. By ignoring the desires and objectives of all other agents and selfishly maximizing their own expected utility over a set of prices, the agents achieve a high degree of independence from one another. Thus, the market provides a means of achieving distributed computation. To test the basic feasibility of the market-based approach, a prototype, system is used to generate solutions to small instances of a very general class of manufacturing scheduling problems. The agents in the system bid in competition with other agents to secure contracts for scarce production resources. In order to accurately model the complexity and uncertainty of the manufacturing environment, agents are implemented as decision-theoretic planners. By using dynamic programming, the agents can determine their optimal course of action given their resource requirements. Although each agent-level planning problem (like the global level planning problem) induces an unsolvably large Markov Decision Problem, the structured dynamic programming algorithm exploits sources of independence within the problem and is shown to greatly increase the size of problems that can be solved in practice. In the final stage of the framework, an auction is used to determine the ultimate allocation of resource bundles to parts. Although the resulting combinational auctions are generally intractable, highly optimized algorithms do exist for finding efficient equilibria. In this thesis, a heuristic auction protocol is introduced and is shown to be capable of eliminating common modes of market failure in combinational auctions. / Business, Sauder School of / Graduate

Les impacts causés par la crise des terres rares en 2010 mettent en évidence l’importance des matériaux et ont conduit en un intérêt accru dans la recherche sur leur criticité. Cette thèse s’ouvre par un état de l’art qui présente et évalue les travaux existants dans ce domaine et met en évidence trois lacunes de la recherche sur la criticité des matériaux (l’absence d’un véritable diagnostic de criticité; l’absence d’une méthodologie d’évaluation de la criticité au niveau produit; le défaut de lien bien établi entre mécanisme de criticité, méthode d’évaluation et solutions proposées). En conséquence, la thèse comble les deux premières lacunes et offre plusieurs pistes à l’égard de la troisième. Concernant le diagnostic de la criticité d’un matériau, la thèse propose d’illustrer le mécanisme de criticité par quatre dimensions : le déséquilibre entre offre et demande ; l’importance du matériau pour le produit ; l’accessibilité de l’approvisionnement ; et les facteurs dynamiques. Une définition de la criticité est proposée. Le mécanisme de criticité étant au centre de la recherche, une méthodologie permettant de déterminer la criticité matérielle à l’échelle « produit » est développée et complétée par un modèle applicatif quantitatif. La méthodologie offre un raisonnement général pour conduire une étude de la criticité ; le modèle illustre une de ses possibilités d’être appliqué à des cas réels pour déterminer quantitativement la criticité. A la fin, l’application du modèle à deux produits (l’aimant permanent et la diode électroluminescente) est présentée / Rare earth crisis in 2010 showed the importance of some materials and whipped up interest in the research on material criticality. A review work was first conducted in order to get a better understanding of the existing work in this research area and to see where more work is needed. Based on this review, three research gaps were identified (lack of a comprehensive diagnosis of criticality; lack of evaluation methodology at the product level; lack of links between the mechanism of criticality, the evaluation methodology and the solutions offered. This thesis focuses on the two first research gaps and offers several ideas for the last one. Regarding diagnosis of criticality, the mechanism is illustrated under four dimensions: imbalance between supply and demand, importance of the material to product, supply accessibility and dynamic factors. A definition of criticality is also put forward. Considering the established mechanism as research core, a methodology to evaluate the criticality of materials at the product level has been developed and is completed with a concrete and quantitative model. The methodology offers guidance on how to assess criticality and sets a framework for evaluation. The model illustrates a way to use this methodology through a tool that assigns a ‘criticality score’ to materials and shows how the score is contributed. The calculations were automated in Excel. Two applications, one for permanent magnet and the other for light emitting diode, were conducted to demonstrate and improve the methodology and the model

The European battery market is in rapid growth and the industry actors are ramping up production as well as exploring international expansion opportunities. However, due to the relative novelty of the industry in Europe, there is a lack of benchmark companies and established frameworks for successful expansion. Existing studies in this field primarily focus on strategic solutions such as sourcing strategies and supplier relationship management, neglecting the utilization of supporting operative functions. Although some studies acknowledge the significance of these supporting functions, there is a lack of research providing models for their utilization. This research gap motivates the aim of this study to address this issue and contribute to the existing literature. The purpose of this study is to develop a comprehensive and adaptable expansion strategy that European battery manufacturers can employ when expanding their production facilities, while ensuring a high-quality procurement function. This was met by collecting qualitative data through interviews. The interviews were primarily with respondents from the case company, supplemented by inputs from relevant external participants. By conducting a case study focusedon the procurement department, valuable insights were gained, and the identified expansion strategy can serve as a valuable resource for industry practitioners. The main finding of this research is the battery manufacturers need for a structured expansion step model that outlines both the execution steps and their sequential order. The steps of the framework are: (1) Assure Management Support, (2) Create a Dedicated Expansion Team, (3) Adjust & Consolidate Systems, (4) Define Roles & Responsibilities, (5) Train & Incentives Employees, (6) Control Access Management, (7) Create & Maintain Master Data, and lastly, (8) Initial Supplier Contact. / Batterimarknaden i Europa växer snabbt. Företagen ökar sin produktion samtidigt som de undersöker möjligheter till att expandera internationellt. Vidare är marknaden i Europa relativt ny. Det innebär att det saknas större etablerade företag, riktlinjer och system att jämföra sig med om hur man expanderar på bästa sätt. Tidigare studier inom området har främst fokuserat på strategiska lösningar, såsom inköpsstrategier och hantering av leverantörer, men har förbisett utforskandet av hur man ska använda stödjande operativa funktioner. Även om vissa studier betonar vikten av dessa stödfunktioner är forskning som tillhandahåller modeller för användning av stödfunktioner bristfällig. Detta forskningsgap motiverar syftet med studien, vilken är att fokusera på modeller och bidra till den befintliga litteraturen. Målet med denna studie är att utveckla en omfattande och anpassningsbar expansionsstrategi som europeiska batteritillverkare kan använda vid expansion av sina produktionsanläggningar samtidigt som de säkerställer en högkvalitativ inköpsfunktion. För att uppnå detta har kvalitativa data samlats in genom intervjuer. Intervjuerna har främst genomförts med respondenter från det studerade företaget och har kompletterats med bidrag från relevanta externa deltagare. Genom att genomföra en fallstudie inom inköpsområdet har många värdefulla insikter erhållits, framför allt den identifierade expansionsstrategin som kan ses som en värdefull resurs för batteritillverkare. Det huvudsakliga resultatet av denna forskning är att batteritillverkarna har behov av en strukturerad stegmodell för expansion som tydligt anger både utförandestegen och deras sekventiella ordning. Stegen i ramverket är: (1) Säkra ledningens stöd, (2) Skapa en dedikerad expansionsgrupp, (3) Anpassa & konsolidera system, (4) Definiera roller & ansvar, (5) Utbilda & ge incitament till anställda, (6) Kontrollera åtkomst (7) Skapa & underhålla master data, och slutligen, (8) Initiera leverantörskontakt.

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This thesis is an historical social analysis of the Southern textile industry of 1880 to 1940, the industry which brought about the industrialization of the South. The initial class relationship institutionalized between the emerging industrial elite and the proleteriat was the socio-economic system of industrial paternalism, which disappeared from the Southern Piedmont in the 40s when mills began to sell villages. This thesis attempts to explain the demise of industrial paternalism in the case of the Southern textiles. Conventional treatments of paternalism regard its disappearance as either a product of the inevitable progression toward pluralistic industrialism or as a result of one or more historical factors. In this thesis, paternalism's demise is viewed as a result of a social process--the working out of the ever-dynamic "relations of power" between textile owners and workers. Four class-analysis theories are used to highlight different social and economic features of the historical case. Specifically, I research the relative impact of the alternative labor market, the consolidation movement, scientific management, social legislation, and worker organization. My results indicate that the introduction of scientific management negated the substance of paternalistic relations, but the form of paternalism, namely the mill village, continued to function as an effective means of union prevention. Not until the New Deal did mill village paternalism really become untenable, when the state intervened to set a textile minimum wage and maximum hours and to protect union organization. It is shown that, contrary to popular opinion, worker organization and the textile union had a significant impact upon the destiny of paternalism, both sustaining its life as a means of labor control, and propelling the developments that rendered it ultimately ineffective. The findings corroborate Karl Polanyi's contention that inclusion of the non-economic is vital. / Master of Science

In this study an in depth investigation of successful competitive strategies for small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is undertaken. The overall aim of this study is to analyse the strategic orientation of UK Manufacturing SMEs. In the process, it will test Porter’s (1980, 1985) theoretical framework of generic strategies and thus evaluate firms’ preferred strategic synthesis. It will, therefore, test the efficacy of the value chain and develop any specific pattern that relates to a combination strategy. The investigation of the above objectives is undertaken utilising a mixed research methodology with the purpose of examining the applicability of existing competitive strategy frameworks (phase 1) and testing a new theoretical framework that incorporates additional dimensions of strategy (phase 2). During phase 1, Porter’s framework is employed to investigate SMEs’ strategic orientation as a means to achieve sustainable competitive advantage. A semi-structured questionnaire is employed and the analysis is carried out by means of factor and cluster analysis to identify strategic variables currently employed by SMEs. During phase 2, the theoretical framework is operationalised to bridge the gap within the literature and existing empirical research. Its purpose is to identify forms of successful competitive strategies of UK MSMEs as they are formulated and implemented in firms’ value chain activities. The data was collected through a number of semi-structured interviews and the analysis was based on data categorisation. The findings indicate that Porter’s (1980) single generic strategies are not the best option for UK MSMEs for gaining competitive advantage and that the

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

The purpose of this research was to conduct an exploratory study of the information processing utilized by incubator-housed manufacturers during channel member selection. The study included the evaluation of the decision models used by the manufacturers as well as criteria used in the selection process. The study was specifically designed to achieve the following objectives. First, the research was to identify the evaluation modes used by the manufacturers as either compensatory or noncompensatory. Second, the study was to evaluate the effect of the task on the selection of the evaluation model(s) used during the channel member selection process. Third, the study was to evaluate the effect of the selected decision strategy on the amount of information used during the decision process. Finally, the study was to identify and examine the importance of the criteria used by the manufacturers in the selection process. The methodology in this study consisted of primary research using protocol analysis as the main data gathering technique. A ranking instrument was also mailed to the respondents prior to the protocol session. The population for the study was identified as all manufacturers located in publicly-sponsored business incubators. A total of 235 incubators were in existence with approximately 47 percent of them being publicly-sponsored. Approximately 42 percent of the incubators house at least one manufacturing firm. It was estimated that there were approximately 46 manufacturing firms located in public incubators. A sample of six was used in this study. The statistical analysis included frequencies, cross tabulations, correlations, paired comparisons, and measures of association. The findings of this study suggest that the incubator-housed manufacturers' choice of evaluation models was not affected by the task nor did the selected strategy influence the amount of information used by the manufacturers. The findings indicate a need for further research to evaluate the relationships brought forth in this study. Based on the conclusions and findings of this study, recommendations for further research were given.

by Chun-pong Kwok. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [144]-[151]). / ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS / ABSTRACT / Chapter CHAPTER 1. --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- ISO 9000 as an isomorphic process in Hong Kong industries --- p.2 / Chapter 1.2 --- Theoretical and Empirical Background --- p.3 / Chapter 1.3 --- Methods --- p.6 / Chapter 1.4 --- Internal Organization of each chapter --- p.8 / Chapter CHAPTER 2. --- ISO 9000 As An Isomorphic Process In Hongkong industries / Chapter 2.1 --- Origin of ISO9000 --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2 --- ISO's Popularity in Global and Local Markets --- p.12 / Chapter 2.3 --- Some Characteristics of ISO9000 --- p.13 / Chapter 2.4 --- ISO 9000 as an Isomorphic Process in the Organizational Field --- p.17 / Chapter 2.5 --- The Current Models Explaining the Popularity of ISO9000 / Chapter 2.51 --- ISO as a Trade Restriction --- p.18 / Chapter 2.52 --- The Market Driven Thesis --- p.20 / Chapter 2.53 --- ISO as a Product Promoted by Professional Groups --- p.23 / Chapter 2.54 --- ISO as a Result of Rational Choice --- p.25 / Chapter 2.6 --- Recapitulation --- p.27 / Chapter CHAPTER 3. --- Institutional Theories of Organizations and the Sensemaking Perspective / Chapter 3.1 --- What is An Institution? --- p.30 / Chapter 3.2 --- Institutional Theory of Organizations: From Old to New --- p.32 / Chapter 3.21 --- The Old Institutional Theory of Organizations --- p.32 / Chapter 3.22 --- Contributions of The Old Institutional School --- p.35 / Chapter 3.23 --- The Neo-Institutionalism In Organizational Analysis --- p.36 / Chapter 3.23 --- a Isomorphic Processes and Mechanisms --- p.39 / Chapter 3.23 --- b An Alternative Model Defined by Richard Scott --- p.40 / Chapter 3.24 --- The Weaknesses of The Neo-Institutional Approach To Organizational Analysis --- p.44 / Chapter 3.3 --- What is Sensemaking? --- p.47 / Chapter 3.31 --- Sensemaking In Organizations --- p.47 / Chapter 3.32 --- The Powerfulness of Sensemaking --- p.49 / Chapter 3.33a --- Sources of A Good Sense --- p.51 / Chapter 3.33b --- The Fragility of Sensemaking and Its Maintenance --- p.52 / Chapter 3.4 --- Conclusion --- p.54 / Chapter CHAPTER 4. --- A Closer Examination Of The Institutional Isomorphism / Chapter 4.1 --- Different Organizations are all in the same field --- p.55 / Chapter 4.2 --- How Cocecive/ Regulative Institution Works --- p.59 / Chapter 4.3 --- How Cognitive Institution Works --- p.61 / Chapter 4.4 --- How Normative Institution Works --- p.65 / Chapter 4.5 --- The Mutual Reinforcement of Institutional Pressures in the Environment --- p.69 / Chapter 4.6 --- Recapitulation --- p.71 / Chapter 5. --- Institutional Sources of Sensemaking and Its Strategies --- p.72 / Chapter 5.1 --- The Nature of Sensemaking --- p.73 / Chapter 5.2 --- Extraorganizational Sources of Sensemaking --- p.76 / Chapter 5.21 --- Market Signaling --- p.77 / Chapter 5.22 --- Reduction Of Responsibility ----Measure To Cope With Inevitable Risk --- p.84 / Chapter 5.3 --- Intraorganizational Sources of Sensemaking --- p.86 / Chapter 5.31 --- ISO 9000 as a Conflict Resolution Device --- p.87 / Chapter 5.3 la --- Misunderstandings --- p.87 / Chapter 5.31b --- Fault Aversion --- p.88 / Chapter 5.32 --- Labour Control and Deskilling Device --- p.89 / Chapter 5.4 --- Sensemaking Strategies --- p.92 / Chapter 5.5 --- Conclusion --- p.94 / Chapter 6. --- The Management Of Misfits And Dissonance --- p.96 / Chapter 6.1 --- The Dissonance and The Failure of Prophecy --- p.96 / Chapter 6.2 --- The Puzzle of Quality and Efficiency Improvement --- p.98 / Chapter 6.21 --- The Shortcomings of The System --- p.98 / Chapter 6.22 --- The Shortcomings of The Certified Companies --- p.100 / Chapter 6.23 --- The Shortcomings of The Certifying Bodies --- p.102 / Chapter 6.3 --- Strategies used to resolve the dissonance --- p.102 / Chapter 6.31 --- The Postponement Of Realizing Of The Promise --- p.103 / Chapter 6.32 --- Dissociation From The Unqualified Certifying Bodies --- p.103 / Chapter 6.33 --- Redefining The Goals Of Adopting ISO9000 --- p.104 / Chapter 6.4 --- The Transformation From Ambiguity To Flexibility --- p.105 / Chapter 6.5 --- Labour Resistance --- p.108 / Chapter 6.6 --- Conclusion --- p.111 / Chapter 7. --- Recapitulation: A Theory of Social Action In Insitutional Analysis --- p.113 / Chapter 7.1 --- "A Theory of Constraint: Institutions, Institutional Environment And Institutionalism In the Organizational Field" --- p.114 / Chapter 7.2 --- Theory of Action --- p.118 / Chapter 7.3 --- Implications of the Study --- p.120 / Chapter 7.31 --- The Eclipse of The Actor's Motivations Under Institutions --- p.120 / Chapter 7.32 --- The Extension of Conception of The Organizational Field --- p.122 / Chapter 7.33 --- Overinvestment in ISO 9000 --- p.122 / Chapter 7.4 --- A Possible Research Agenda --- p.124 / APPENDIX I --- p.125 / APPENDIX II --- p.141 / APPENDIX III --- p.143 / BIBLIOGRAPHY

This thesis explores the ways in which the industrialist Matthew Boulton (1728-1809) used images of his manufactory and of himself to help develop what would now be considered a ‘brand’. The argument draws heavily on archival research into the commissioning process, authorship and reception of these depictions. Such information is rarely available when studying prints and allows consideration of these images in a new light but also contributes to a wider debate on British eighteenth-century print culture. The first chapter argues that Boulton used images to convey messages about the output of his businesses, to draw together a diverse range of products and associate them with one site. Chapter two explores the setting of the manufactory and the surrounding estate, outlining Boulton’s motivation for creating the parkland and considering the ways in which it was depicted. The third chapter looks at a period of reinforcement of the identity of Soho, exploring the ways in which images were placed and altered in order to convey specific messages to particular audiences. Chapter four examines printed portraits of Boulton and argues that images of Boulton himself also came to stand for his factory and his products.