Theoretical and empirical research often points to a positive relation between corporate sustainability and organisational performance; however, attempts to conceptualise the multi-dimensional nature of sustainability practices are rare in the current literature. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual framework to aid in understanding and explaining the relationship between sustainability practices and organisational performance. The concepts of exploitation and exploration are adopted to distinguish between different types of sustainability practices. The research model is then analysed in terms of different outcomes related to sustainability performance, quality performance and business performance. Based on an interdisciplinary perspective, this paper suggests a new approach for the discussion of corporate sustainability and its implications for the organisational context. The results of the research suggest that the organisation may place a stronger focus on developing new sustainability-centred competencies when it is faced with an uncertain and rapidly changing environment. In contrast, efficiency and responsiveness to various stakeholders' expectations and demands might dominate in highly competitive environments. The primary conclusion of this paper is that the alternative relationships between sustainability practices (exploitation and exploration) and organisational performance depend on different factors, including environmental uncertainty, competitiveness, long-term orientation and institutional approaches. These arguments indicate that managers in resource-constrained contexts may benefit from focusing on the management of trade-offs between sustainability exploration and sustainability exploitation demands; however, for long-term success, the simultaneous pursuit of exploration and exploitation is both desirable and necessary.
COBISS.SI-ID: 7320851
The paper examines the anticipative concept within the framework of warehouse optimization in an uncertain environment as defined by stochastic distribution of delivery time as well as stochastic demand. Developed algorithm which is based on computer simulation and fuzzy logic delivers better result in comparison to algorithms that were identified in prior literature, mainly from the perspective of the following criteria: costs, manufacturing deficiency due to critical inventory level, and storage capacity exceedance.
COBISS.SI-ID: 21607207
This paper investigates ERP absorption in transition and developed economies in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Using absorptive capacity theory and data envelopment analysis, we view organisational transformation in Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) absorption as an economic production process. Despite converging ERP saturation levels, our data identifies gaps in absorption levels and performance. Organisations in transition face greater challenges, engage more in phased ERP absorptions and expect higher levels of external support.
COBISS.SI-ID: 6874131
The paper addresses the impact of feedback information and facilitation on a decision making process supported by a system dynamics model. Solomon Four Group Experiment was conducted under four conditions: (a1) interrupted individual determination of a strategy supported by a simulation model and a facilitator; (a2) interrupted individual determination of a strategy supported by a simulation model and a facilitator plus group information feedback (GIF; (a3) continuous ndividual determination of and (a4) continuous individual determination of a strategy supported by a simulation model plus GIF. The observed variables were criteria function, frequency of simulation runs, and insight into GIF. The hypotheses that a simulation model supports individual learning and additional GIF contributes to faster learning were confirmed. The importance of the facilitator and structure of feedback information was demonstrated and a model explaining learning in the decision process was developed.
COBISS.SI-ID: 6869779
This paper describes a case study of an innovative approach to teaching at an engineering school. The postgraduate course Project Work and Communication in Research and Development (R&D) was developed at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia. The main aim of the course was to make the entry of young engineering graduates into the business environment as easy as possible. The course was designed to remedy any deficiencies in the multidisciplinary professional skills and knowledge of the graduatelevel students, and it covered the topics of innovation management, communication in R&D, project management, and problem solving in teams.
COBISS.SI-ID: 9344852