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This exploratory study investigates the combined effects on firm performance of Chinese SMEs in Sarawak due to the managerial characteristics of owners / managers and business strategy as moderated by business environment. A review of the existing literature reveals that each of these constructs has been examined either alone or in some combinations and has contributed to the firm performance. Prior studies have raised concern on underspecified models or methodological problems that may have prevented a fuller understanding of potential multivariate relationships among these constructs as relate to one another and to performance.

<p>  </p> <p>Driving simulators have been introduced by some American states’ department of transportation (DOT) as a supplementary tool to train their snowplow drivers. This is a costly investment that requires careful planning. Yet, there is a current lack of recent studies that holistically evaluate factors affecting the decision-making process on adopting the driving simulator in winter snowplow driver training. The current research aims to fill this gap by employing the theoretical framework of Technology-Organization-Environment (T-O-E) to explore factors affecting state DOTs’ decision-making process of adopting snowplow driving simulator in driver training. Relevant factors were identified first using a scoping review of literature, and then validated by interviews with DOT stakeholders. Subsequent findings from the state DOT survey suggests that perceived long-term effect on public safety, cost related to simulator training, and ease of the relocation of simulator are the top contributors when it comes to the factors affecting decision-making on adoption of snowplow driving simulator in training. The resulted T-O-E framework contains 11 factors cross-verified from various sources, in which most factors such as simulator fidelity and relative advantage were categorized to technology context under the T-O-E framework, while the main environment factor relates to normative and mimetic pressure. The paper contributes to academic research by applying T-O-E to offer decision making support for using simulator technology for training of snowplow drivers; and to practitioners by providing state DOT decision makers a framework to analyze different factors on adopting snowplow driving simulators in training.</p>

In the information era, e-learning is considered as one of the means to increase the global competitiveness of a nation. Before e-learning is largely implemented in education system, it is important to assess the e-learning readiness of a society. However, previous research always focus on measuring the e-learning readiness of commercial organisations and tertiary institutions, leaving a huge research gap on the use and readiness of e-learning in primary and secondary schools. This thesis developed a model for identifying e-learning readiness levels of teachers in Hong Kong schools, with the aim of creating a general model which could be transferred to other countries which are less developed than Hong Kong, yet which all share common Asian cultures. This was a multi-stage research project, incorporating model building and empirical testing of a model based on the existing academic literature, through questionnaire surveys to both in-service and pre-service teachers triangulated by series of in-depth interviews.

<a>Global trends and factors, such as the increased level of globalization, climate change, resource scarcity, and awareness of social and environmental responsibilities, as well as fiercer competition and lower profit margins in all industries, force organizations to act to retain, regain, or sustain their competitive advantages for long-term survival. These trends and factors are historically known to bring about innovations that drive the evolution of industries. Sustainability is considered to be such an innovation to achieve fiscally sound, environmentally conscious, and socially progressive organizations and supply chains. Sustainable Development and Sustainability notions are among trending topics of 21st century. Elevated sustainability concerns of various stakeholders have been forcing members of all industries to evolve into their more environmentally and socially responsible versions. This study was initiated through a comprehensive literature review phase that reviewed 477 articles published in five major databases from 1990 to 2018. The purpose of this review was to assess the current state-of-the art on the subject of lean-driven sustainability. Based on descriptive and contextual analysis, synergies, divergences, and the extent of two-way permeability of lean and sustainability concepts from the perspective of intra- and inter-organizational operations were identified along with future research opportunities. Fundamental strengths and weaknesses of both concepts, existing strong synergies and untapped potential, along with their key contributors, the potential-use cases of lean tools to derive sustainable solutions are highlighted in this review. Next, based on the findings of systematic literature review, an innovative, holistic, versatile and scalable tool was developed to assess and benchmark sustainability performance of organizations and supply chains. The proposed framework was established upon trivet structure of Triple Bottom Line philosophy and fueled by Lean, Six-Sigma and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies for accurate and effective measurement of sustainability performance. Completeness of the framework was ensured through development of first-generation Key Performance Indicator (KPI) pool with 33 indicators, a unique work environment assessment mechanism for safety and environmental protection issues in terms of 11 risk categories and by construction of an ownership structure for ease of framework deployment. Proposed framework is expected to help with true sustainability performance improvement and benchmarking objectives at a range of business levels from facility to sectoral operations. Upon completion of the development phase, the Sustainability Benchmarking Tool (SBT) Framework was validated at the facility level within the context of value-added wood products manufacturing. Strengths and weaknesses of the system were identified within the scope of Bronze Frontier maturity level of the framework and tackled through a six-step analytical and quantitative reasoning methodology. The secondary objective of the validation phase was to document how value-added wood products industries can take advantage of natural properties of wood to become frontiers of sustainability innovation. In the end, True Sustainability performance of the target facility was improved by 2.37 base points, while economic and environmental performance was increased from being a system weakness to achieving an acceptable index score benchmark of 8.41 and system strength level of 9.31, respectively. Social sustainability score increased by 2.02 base points as a function of better gender bias ratio. The financial performance of the system improved from a 33% loss to 46.23% profit in the post-improvement state. Reductions in CO₂ emissions (55.16%), energy consumption (50.31%), solid waste generation (72.03%), non-value-added-time (89.30%) and cost performance (64.77%) were other significant achievements of the study. In the end, SBT Framework was successfully validated at the facility level and target facility evolved into its leaner, cleaner and more responsible version of itself. Furthermore, manufacturing industries of all sorts are key stakeholders, which rely on universities to satisfy the demand for competent workforce. Society also expects universities to educate youth and contribute to their self-development by achieving both, scientific and intellectual knowledge saturation. To expand the contribution of the study to the body of knowledge in the fields of Sustainability and Modern Management techniques, an undergraduate level course curriculum that integrates modern management techniques and sustainability concepts with wood products industry dynamics was developed. Students’ pre- and post-education awareness of, and familiarity with sustainability, potential consequences of ignored sustainability issues, modern management techniques, global trends, innovation waves, and industry evolution were compared through a seventeen-question survey. Results showed that course content was successful at increasing sustainability awareness at both overall and individual sustainability pillar levels, At the end, 100% of students were able to develop complete understanding of various modern management techniques and stated that they felt confident to apply learnt skills to real life issues within their profession upon graduation. Overall, this study empirically documented how synergies between Lean, Sustainability, Six-Sigma and Life Cycle Assessment concepts outweigh their divergences, demonstrated viability of SBT Framework and presented a proven example of modern management techniques powered transdisciplinary sustainability curriculum.</a>