Discrete linear control theory is used in this research to examine the effects of system choice and data errors on the performance of production control systems. Two common information flow systems are modelled. These are the Reorder Cycle (ROC) and the Material Requirements Planning (MRP) systems. System choices include the choice of forecasting method, the choice of delivery policy, and the choice of inventory rule. The source of data errors include stock recording errors, delay in stock recording, incorrect bills of material. The other part of the research examines the sequence of implementing a new production control system. Different ways of moving from a Reorder Cycle to a Material Requirements Planning system are studied. Guidelines for an implementation sequence are produced.

This study is mainly concerned with the developmen~ of a disequilibrium model for a small open economy and its application to the Greek manufacturing sector over the period 1962- 1982 using quarterly data. The economy defined comprises two sets of agents: firms and households, operating in two markets: goods and labour. Firms, which are profit maximizers, produce a non-storable good and demand labour while consumers, which are utility maximizers, demand goods and supply labour. Prices (and wages) are considered fixed in the short run and agents perceive quantity constraints. Taking into account the spill-over effects from the one market to the other, one can determine the appropriate effective demand functions for employment and imports. In the present case, the economy will alternatively belong to three different unemployment regimes; namely the classical, the keynesian and the repressed inflation. Actual output and exports which are endogenous in this model, are given by the production function and the foreign demand for the domestic product, respectively. However, actual employment is determined by the minimum of notional (Walrasian) demand for labour, effective demand for labour and the supply of labour, while actual imports are conditional to the regime ciassification obtained in the labour market. The equations of the model appropriately extended to reflect the dynamics and the specific characteristics of the Greek manufacturing sector were estimated by both least squares and maximum likelihood methods. Specifically, the former was applied to t~e production, imports and ex?orts functions, whil~ the'latter to the employment function. The construc-· tion of several time-series and the use of quarterly data for a period of 23 years made it possible to exploit the shortrun properties of the model. . It is found that this approach produces theoretically acceptable and plausible results.

The aim of this thesis was to locate examples of the active involvement of major food retailers in innovation in food manufacturing, and to explain their reasons for this activity. Two characteristics of the food industry had an important bearing on the research: (1) slow growth in the demand for food and (2) the interaction between increasingly concentrated food manufacturing and retailing industries. The thesis seeks to improve existing theories of innovation, which do not embrace the possibility that retailers may make contributions to innovation in industries from which they obtain their supplies. Two principal investigation techniques were deployed. The first comprised in-depth interviews with major food retailers, which provided data on their purchasing policy for own label products, and on their technological activities. The second assessed the results of these policies by identifying the responsibility for major innovations in chickenmeat processing: a technological history was compiled from data drawn from several sources including industry experts and a literature search. Further studies indicate that the findings from the chickenmeat study are not a special case. The thesis contributes to theories of innovation by showing that food retailers with substantial in-house technological capability have played important roles in influencing technological change in food manufacturing. The need for restraint on the purchasing power of large retailers is an important policy issue. This thesis makes a contribution to the debate. Retailers' procurement policies which have been successful in stimulating innovation may also have wider relevance to other sectors of industry.

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The aim of this research is to study and understand the concept of agility with the aim of providing a methodology for its implementation in small and medium size manufacturing organisations (SMEs). The objectives of the research are: 1. To provide a comprehensive understanding about agility in manufacturing organisations through a survey of relevant literature. 2. To identify the main elements of the questionnaire assessment tool needed for agility in manufacturing SMEs. 3. To establish a framework to determine the different between actual and required level of agility. 4. Demonstrate the utility of the methodology, in order to assist manufacturing SMEs to adopt agility as a characteristic. The review of available literature and the work with the collaboration company during the period of the research led to the development of an agility improvement methodology which includes a questionnaire assessment tool for small and medium size manufacturing organisations (SMEs). This assessment tool when used in the case study companies resulted in successful outcomes in each company. The applications of the methodology in the eight case study companies confirmed the applicability of the tool in measuring the level of agility business environment drivers and the level of agility practices and pinpointed areas for improvement. The resultsfrom applying the assessment tool in the case study companies confirmed the wider utility of the methodology used in this research. Each company confirm a willingness to embark on improvement actions. For each of the eight companies, the results of the improvement actions demonstrated beneficial tactical outcomes to the satisfaction of the companies involved. Demonstrating the effectiveness of the methodology when applied to existing operational activities.

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