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- ItemThe essence and barriers to the use of controlling in the practice of manufacturing enterprises(2024-06-13) Potkany, Marek; Musa, Hussam; Schmidtova, Jarmila; Gejdos, Pavol; Grofcikova, JankaThe theory and examples from practice confirm that theuse of controlling in economic practice differs significantly in the context of understanding its essence. The ambiguity of the definition of controlling, two different thought concepts, the diversity of tools and approaches, but also other barriers prevent its use to a greater extent than this managerial approach would deserve. The current research is based on the understanding of the essence of controlling in German-speaking countries and is oriented towards a coordinated predictive management approach based on precise cost reports. The research question was aimed at identifying current use and barriers of controlling in manufacturing enterprises in relation to the understanding of its essence and impact of performance through a questionnaire survey and structured interviews with managers from 2021 to 2022. A population of 2,504 enterprises was addressed by means of stratified sampling. The chi-square goodness-of-fit test was used to test how well the characteristics of the research sample fit the final population. A total of 352 manufacturing enterprises formed the resulting sample representative – enterprise size and type of industry designated according to the European standard industry classification system. Methods of contingency analysis and interval estimates of the population proportion were used to test the stated hypotheses. The testing confirmed a dependence between the practical use of a broader scale of controlling tools and the performance of enterprises measured by the return on sales (ROS) indicator, as well as the difference in the perception of barriers to the implementation of controlling depending on the size of enterprises. Controlling with the assistance of software support of the management information system, with a detailed implementation process and precisely defined competencies of employees and controllable KPI, creates the potential to increase the complexity of management and performance of enterprises as well as the elimination of potential risks.
- ItemTill death do us part. Do customers cheat on brands?(2024-05-10) Klepek, Martin; Toth, LukasSome companies, based on the beliefs of their managers, aim to obtain solely loyal customers in the hope that these customers will always buy only one brand and never cheat by buying a competitor’s brand. However, a growing body of empirical research suggests that this may be an overly positive expectation and that this marketing strategy can run counter to the nature of the consumer. To scrutinize the sole loyal buyer idea, this study empirically examines the phenomenon of duplication of purchase, which suggests that customers not only buy from repertoire but also that brands share customers in proportion to their market share. Data were drawn from two consumer packaged goods categories: beer (10 brands), soft drinks (6 brands), and eight NUTS2 regions. Using a robust sample of 3,488 customers from a consumer panel and many sets of data approach, the research replicated significant patterns of duplication of purchase in both categories studied and across all regions. The findings support the notion that while consumers are likely to repurchase a brand previously purchased, they also frequently diversify their choices between competing brands. Therefore, the study confirms the generalisability of duplication of purchase behaviour in different categories and geographies, providing critical information for marketing strategy and brand management. It is a strategy that goes against the principles of how buying behaviour works to try to persuade customers to buy from one single brand for the rest of their lives. A great deal of corporate resources will be wasted in the pursuit of sole loyalty.
- ItemNavigating the Industry 4.0 frontier: Unveiling perceived risk and cost moderators in technology adoption(2024-04-10) Jum’a, Luay; Alkhodary, DinaThe advent of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) brought about significant transformations within the realm of business management. Industries are increasingly adopting innovative practices and implementing smart supply chain operations through the adoption of I4.0 technologies. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the factors that influence the adoption of I4.0 in supply chain operations. To accomplish this, an extended unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) model was applied, with perceived risk and cost acting as moderators in the context of the manufacturing sector. The study used a quantitative research methodology, with a sample size of 276 participants who held managerial positions at various levels within the sector. The data were obtained through the use of a structured questionnaire employing a judgmental sampling technique. The findings of the study revealed that both social influence and facilitating conditions had a significant impact on the adoption of I4.0. However, the relationship between social influence and I4.0 adoption was only moderated by perceived risk and cost. The aforementioned findings indicate that it is imperative that firms give precedence to the establishment of a conducive environment and culture that nurture innovation and promote the assimilation of cutting-edge technologies. Furthermore, it is essential for individuals to prioritize the establishment of strong networks and collaborations in order to effectively leverage the advantages offered by the I4.0. The implications of this study offer valuable insights for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers in the field of I4.0 and technology adoption. These insights pertain to the significant factors that influence the decision to adopt I4.0 and the anticipated applications of I4.0 within the supply chain.
- ItemNavigating urban logistics challenges: An optimized approach to parcel distribution in the Prague city center(2024-02-28) Andar, Jakub; Huskova, Katerina; Dyntar, JakubIn this paper, we focus on metropolitan transport logistics that has always been difficult due to the need to transport goods through a complex urban infrastructure, heavy traffic, and dense populations. The goal of this paper is to describe a micro hub location in the neighborhood of the historic center of the city of Prague, the Czech Republic in a situation where the municipalities consider prohibiting the entry of trucks with combustion engines that currently provide cargo transportation for B2B partners operating in this area. Micro hubs represent the efficient last mile consolidation and distribution facilities located in or near urban neighborhoods and serving a spatially limited, densely populated delivery area. We propose a solution combining facility location problem, vehicle routing problem and balancing with the horizontal and vertical cooperation in supply chains to locate the micro hub in the area with extremely low availability of suitable space while respecting the necessity to connect this facility to an existing network of regional terminals operated by 3PLs to ensure the distribution of cargo across the board according to the requirements of customers. For the collection and distribution of parcels within the area, we suggest to use of cargo bikes and electric vans to provide environmentally sustainable service and minimize the harmful consequences of excessive traffic for residents. We also discuss the economic implications of adopting such innovative sustainable supply chain solutions for involved horizontal and vertical supply chain partners emphasizing different motivation aspects to convince these partners to cooperate and share scarce resources.