Search Results (1,473)

Search Parameters:
Journal = Systems

Order results

Result details

Results per page

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

22 pages, 889 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Impacts of Global Entrepreneurial Environment Changes on Small and Medium-Sized Entrepreneurship

by Kristián Furiak, Katarína Buganová, Pavol Prievozník, Mária Hudáková and Jaroslav Slepecký

Systems 2024, 12(7), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12070234 - 28 Jun 2024

Viewed by 142

Abstract

The elementary components of the global business environment and market are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which play an important role in the economy through the implementation of their business activities. Naturally, they are threatened by the effects of global crises, which appeared to a considerable extent during the COVID-19 pandemic, with ongoing effects on the business sector until the present. This article aims to verify the effectiveness of systems of crisis management, risk management, and business continuity management (CM, RM, and BCM) in increasing the resilience and sustainability of SMEs during a specific global crisis. The authors provide statistical verification of hypotheses using data from the results of a nationwide questionnaire conducted on small and medium-sized enterprises. Based on the results, the effectiveness and positive effect of the CM, RM, and BCM systems in reducing the effects of specific crises on small and medium-sized enterprises have been demonstrated. Companies with a higher level of implementation of the systems generally showed a better handling of the crisis period, while the negative effects of the crisis on their business activities were significantly reduced. These conclusions bring knowledge that complements and supports the previous claims of other authors in the field of crisis management. Due to the lack of empirical research in this area, the results offer an important basis for further investigation of the effective use of CM, RM, and BCM in the context of economic security. Regarding the increasing level of globalization, it can be assumed that similar crises affecting supply chains and the world economy can be expected in the future. Considering the high variability and associated instability of the global business environment, the authors suggest focusing future research on new types of risks and threats primarily associated with technological progress and the shaping of the future character of society. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

---

Figure 3

23 pages, 1019 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An SD-LV Calculation Model for the Scale of the Urban Rail Transit Network

by Songsong Li, Qinghuai Liang, Kuo Han and Kebing Wen

Systems 2024, 12(7), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12070233 - 27 Jun 2024

Viewed by 146

Abstract

The planning for the scale of the urban rail transit network (URTN) is one of the key tasks of URTN planning. The scale should match the urban development (UD). A reasonable scale can improve travel efficiency, increase economic activities, and promote UD, while an unreasonable scale may consume more urban resources, fail to meet urban transportation demands, and even inhibit UD. Currently, the URTN scale is primarily determined by qualitative analyses and static indicators, which leads to the scale does not match UD perfectly. To determine a reasonable scale, a System Dynamics–Lotka–Volterra (SD-LV) model is constructed. The SD model is adopted to simulate the dynamic interaction between the URT and UD. The LV (Lotka–Volterra) model is employed to calculate the scale, in which the mutualism coefficients are proposed to characterize the mutualistic relationships between the URT and UD. The model is validated by using a dataset of the Beijing URTN from 2017 to 2021. The simulation errors of the URTN scale range from −4.3% to 1.32%, which demonstrates the robustness and effectiveness of the proposed model. The study offers quantitative theoretical insights for determining the reasonable scale of the URTN. Full article

14 pages, 2058 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Exploring the Path of Green Innovation and High-Quality Development of Influential Regional Enterprises Based on the Analysis of the Dynamic QCA Method and MATLAB Sustainability Prediction

by Qijia Liu and Yeong-Gil Kim

Systems 2024, 12(7), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12070232 - 27 Jun 2024

Viewed by 207

Abstract

This study examines the multifactor linkage effects behind the differences in the sustainable development of green innovation of local enterprises in the spatio-temporal dimension so as to provide an important reference for the practice of sustainable development of green innovation of local enterprises. An analytical framework for the sustainable development of green innovation of local enterprises is established, and the dynamic QCA method is applied to analyse the provincial-level panel data of China from 2012 to 2021 to explore the linkage effect of each factor on the time axis, and to explore the differences of multifactors on the time axis. The study found that different factors may have different influence effects in different contexts. Firstly, while market demand is an important influencing factor, its role relative to economic drivers and social environment factors may be relatively limited in some contexts. Second, high levels of foreign investment and demand for innovation in the service sector have a significant impact on green innovation in local firms. At the same time, with the growing consumer preference for green products, green preferences in market demand have also begun to become an important factor influencing firms’ green innovation. Meanwhile, in the spatial dimension, the provincial coverage has obvious regional differences. This requires local governments to fully consider the actual situation of the region when formulating relevant policies, and promote green innovation according to local conditions. This experiment is the first attempt to use the joint application of dynamic QCA and MATLAB for the study of green innovation in local enterprises, exploring the consistency in the longitudinal time dimension. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Analysis of Enterprise Sustainability)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

---

Figure 3

---

Figure 4

---

Figure 5

27 pages, 941 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Organizational System Approach to Internal Retaliation Behavior within Chinese SMEs: The Serial Multiple Mediation Model and Moderating Role of Workplace Incivility

by Jiaxing Du, Chenglin Qing and Sangwoo Hahm

Systems 2024, 12(7), 231; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12070231 - 27 Jun 2024

Viewed by 176

Abstract

With the global economic downturn, the impact on internal systems of Chinese SMEs has also received great attention. However, the provocative and destructive nature of retaliation behavior by SME employees shifts resources meant for organizational system development towards addressing internal balance issues. Employees’ retaliation behavior poses significant harm to organizations systems, limiting their long-term sustainability and competitiveness in the long run. This study argues for a close relationship between employee behavior and leadership management style, particularly in the context of inadequate management systems in SMEs, which can easily subject employees to direct influence from their leaders. For example, abusive supervision or oppressive practices at the management level can trigger resistance and rebellious behavior among employees, leading them to choose retaliatory actions as a response to the organizational system. This study aims to explore the causal relationship between abusive supervision and retaliation behavior within the system. We aim to clarify the pathway through which abusive supervision triggers retaliation behavior among employees within the system and examine the serial multiple mediating effects of psychological distress and negative emotions as well as the moderating effect of workplace incivility. To validate the hypotheses proposed in this study, a survey was conducted among employees of Chinese SMEs. The data provided by 303 employees were analyzed using SPSS ver. 26.0, AMOS ver. 23.0, and SPSS PROCESS Macro 3.4.1 Model 6. The findings indicate that abusive supervision has an indirect effect on employee retaliation behavior through the serial multiple mediating effects of psychological distress and negative emotions. Workplace incivility moderated the influence of negative emotions on retaliation. This study explored the process by which abusive management triggers retaliative behavior through a serial multiple mediation model, providing theoretical evidence for related research. This study explicitly reveals the process leading to retaliation behavior within the system and presents the differences from previous research. Additionally, this study demonstrates the interactive effect between abusive supervision and incivility through the moderating role of incivility in determining the level of retaliation behavior. Ultimately, this study has pioneering significance in exploring the causes of retaliation behavior within the Chinese SME organizational system and how to prevent the occurrence of retaliation behavior. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Analysis of Enterprise Sustainability)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

23 pages, 643 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of a High-Performance Work System on Organizational Innovation Performance: The Mediating Effect of Employees’ Intrinsic Motivation and the Moderating Effect of Person–Organization Fit

by Yu Wang, Lingfeng Zhu and Xiu Jin

Systems 2024, 12(7), 230; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12070230 - 26 Jun 2024

Viewed by 154

Abstract

The organizational system is directly associated with overall organizational management and sustainability. The reason is that the organizational system has a strong relationship with organizational performance. One of the most important functions of the organizational system is the high-performance work system, which is the system that manages the employees so that they can maximize their functions, this study focuses on the importance of a high-performance work system in order to achieve organizational goals and increase performance. In particular, a high-performance work system is directly related to innovation performance that secures the competitive advantage of organizations. Based on such background, this study focused on how a high-performance system improves innovation performance. Unlike previous studies, rather than simply focusing on variables exploration or main effect verification, we provided and verified the research model related to the process by which innovation performance occurs. Specifically, this study aimed to investigate whether high-performance work systems in organizations enhance employees’ innovation performance and examined the mediating role of employees’ intrinsic motivation in enhancing innovation performance. In addition, we investigated the moderating role of employee person–organization fit in high-performance work systems and employee intrinsic ation directly. To validate this model, we collected data from 309 members of Chinese SMEs. We found that high-performance work systems positively affect employees’ innovation performance through a person–organization fit and that employees’ person–organization fit significantly moderates the relationship between high-performance work systems and employees’ intrinsic motivation directly. Overall, this study expands the scope of research on the enhancement of employee innovation performance and provides a theoretical basis for related research, which is also a contribution of this study. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Analysis of Enterprise Sustainability)

21 pages, 596 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Decision Optimization of Supply Chain Quality Information Disclosure Considering Stigma Level

by Di Wu, Jingru Li, Siyi Li and Linli Zhu

Systems 2024, 12(7), 229; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12070229 - 26 Jun 2024

Viewed by 274

Abstract

With the frequent occurrence of online public opinion events, the problem of product stigma is becoming increasingly serious. Enterprises must use effective quality information disclosure strategies to reduce losses affecting market sales and profit. Therefore, this paper aims to address the supply chain structure composed of one product manufacturer and one component manufacturer under the influence of stigma. It constructs a decision optimization model under three scenarios: no information disclosure, the product manufacturer disclosures information, and the component manufacturer disclosures information, and uses Stackelberg game theory to solve and analyze the model. Furthermore, we use numerical examples to verify the model results, and provide management suggestions for enterprises. The research results show that enterprises suffering from product stigma should actively implement information disclosure strategies to reduce their profit losses, and the lower the stigma level, the better the effect of information disclosure will be; when the stigma level becomes more serious, enterprises should take timely steps to reduce the sales price of products, the sales price of components, and the efforts to disclose information; for industries that value confidentiality of product information, although the implementation of information disclosure by the component manufacturer can require less effort for information disclosure, the two enterprises will suffer higher economic losses. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Supply Chain Management)

17 pages, 759 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Innovative Thinking in Volunteer Organizations: Addressing the Impact of Psychological Ownership on Volunteer Organizational Commitment

by Ming-Jin Hsieh and Shiu-Kuan Chiu

Systems 2024, 12(7), 228; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12070228 - 24 Jun 2024

Viewed by 268

Abstract

This study explores the impact of psychological ownership on volunteer commitment within volunteer organizations. By introducing psychological ownership as a new variable, this research aims to enhance volunteer commitment through improved management practices and innovations. The study involved a random sample of educational volunteers from primary schools, who completed questionnaires after being briefed by the researchers. An analysis of 212 valid responses revealed that psychological ownership significantly influences organizational commitment, with volunteer motivation acting as a partial mediator. Based on these findings, the study suggests two innovative strategies to promote volunteer commitment. First, developing a diverse knowledge base for volunteer managers to improve their leadership and collaboration skills. Second, integrating volunteers as a subsystem within the staff through decentralized decision making, thereby increasing their participation and sense of responsibility. These insights extend the concept of psychological ownership to volunteer settings, offering theoretical contributions and practical implications for enhancing volunteer retention rates and organizational effectiveness. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research and Practices in Technological Innovation Management Systems)

26 pages, 732 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Role of Institutional Logics in Shaping Sustainable Talent Management: A Comparative Study of Two South Korean Conglomerates

by Joonghak Lee

Systems 2024, 12(7), 227; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12070227 - 24 Jun 2024

Viewed by 386

Abstract

This research examines the evolution of human resource management (HRM) practices within Samsung and Lotte, two major South Korean conglomerates. Both companies have been profoundly influenced by the Japanese management paradigm, especially in areas like seniority-based promotion rooted in Confucian values. Drawing from institutional theory, the study elucidates how similar economic trajectories in South Korea and Japan fostered comparable institutional logics and pressures in HRM. However, as organizations navigate institutional shifts, their responses and resulting HRM adaptations can diverge. Utilizing a comparative approach through the lens of the institutional logic theory, key findings unveil as follows: (1) Samsung and Lotte’s HR practices exhibit a strong Japanese influence, highlighting cultural/historical context’s importance. (2) Despite similar pressures, the conglomerates developed distinct HR practices attributed to differing institutional logics. (3) Institutional logics play a pivotal role in shaping HRM and influencing organizational behavior. (4) Organizations adapt HR practices in response to institutional complexities, leading to practice divergence. (5) The study extends institutional theory’s application in understanding organizations’ varied responses to similar pressures. (6) Findings offer HR professionals insights on tailoring strategies based on contextual understanding. The study extends the application of institutional theory in deciphering varied organizational responses. Practically, it provides HR professionals guidance on contextually appropriate HRM strategies. Companies across Asia can leverage these insights to anticipate HR practice shifts and align them with evolving institutional frameworks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Systems Thinking Perspective to Enhance Situational Awareness in Response to Crisis Situations Encountered by Organizations, Government Agencies, and Countries)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

1 pages, 224 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

The Updated Sections of Systems

by William T. Scherer

Systems 2024, 12(7), 226; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12070226 - 22 Jun 2024

Viewed by 271

Abstract

Our journal Systems (https://www [...] Full article

20 pages, 1161 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Dynamic Evolution Mechanism of Manufacturing Servitization—Based on the Perspective of Innovation Strategy

by Peili Yu and Meng Gao

Systems 2024, 12(7), 225; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12070225 - 21 Jun 2024

Viewed by 323

Abstract

With the increasingly fierce market competition, customers’ needs are gradually becoming more complicated, specialized, customized, and personalized. How manufacturing enterprises adopt innovation strategies to achieve value-added products as well as value co-creation with customers is an important initiative for enterprises to maintain differentiated advantages in market competition. Therefore, the creation of service value has gradually become more and more important. The related research on manufacturing servitization has attracted extensive attention in recent years. Manufacturing servitization is the evolution process of manufacturing enterprises gradually from product-dominant logic to service-dominant logic. The purpose of this study is to explore the dynamic evolution of manufacturing servitization from the perspective of innovation strategy and analyze the dynamic evolution mechanism. This study shows the latest research progress of theories related to manufacturing servitization and lays the theoretical foundation for research on the mechanism of the dynamic evolution of manufacturing servitization. This study proposes a three-stage dynamic evolution model of manufacturing servitization: product production, technological innovation, and service innovation. This study primarily employs the research methods of model construction and computer simulation. Based on the Nelson–Winter model, this study establishes a decision model for manufacturing servitization innovation strategy. This study conducts a computer simulation study on the dynamic evolution of manufacturing servitization from the perspective of innovation strategy and draws conclusions. This study is of great significance for manufacturing enterprises in making appropriate service-oriented innovation strategy decisions in the context of the service-oriented transformation occurring widely in the manufacturing industry. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

---

Figure 3

---

Figure 4

---

Figure 5

---

Figure 6

---

Figure 7

---

Figure 8

15 pages, 694 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Intelligent Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System for Modeling Time-Series Customer Satisfaction in Product Design

by Huimin Jiang, Farzad Sabetzadeh and Chen Zhang

Systems 2024, 12(6), 224; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12060224 - 20 Jun 2024

Viewed by 312

Abstract

In previous research on the development of the relationships between product attributes and customer satisfaction, the models did not adequately consider nonlinearity and the fuzzy emotions of customers in online reviews. Also, stable customer satisfaction was considered. However, customer satisfaction is changing with time rapidly, and a time-series analysis for customer satisfaction has not been conducted previously. To address these challenges, this study designed a novel methodology using adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS) in conjunction with Bi-objective particle swarm optimization (BOPSO) and sentiment analysis techniques. Sentiment analysis is employed to extract time-series customer satisfaction data from online reviews. Then, an ANFIS with the BOPSO method is proposed for the establishment of customer satisfaction models. In previous studies, ANFIS is an effective method to model customer satisfaction which can handle fuzziness and nonlinearity. However, when dealing with a large number of inputs, the modeling process may fail due to the complexity of the structure and the lengthy computational time required. Incorporating the BOPSO algorithm into ANFIS can identify the optimal inputs in ANFIS and effectively mitigate the inherent limitations of ANFIS. Using mobile phones as a case study, a comparison was performed between the proposed approach and another four approaches in modeling time-series customer satisfaction. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Value Assessment of Product Service System Design)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

32 pages, 1407 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Digital Transformation on the Global Value Chain Position of the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area

by Xiumin Li and Minshan Tan

Systems 2024, 12(6), 223; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12060223 - 20 Jun 2024

Viewed by 343

Abstract

When considering the economic growth of the Greater Bay Area, digital transformation stands out as a crucial catalyst. Given its significance, it is imperative to delve into both the theoretical and empirical aspects of how digital transformation affects the region’s position in the global value chain. Theoretical hypotheses are put forward regarding the impact and mechanisms of digital transformation on the global value chain position of the Greater Bay Area based on a global value chain perspective. A three-tier nested input–output table that incorporates the Greater Bay Area is constructed, and trade decomposition and global value chain position measurement models specific to the area are developed for analyzing its current state in terms of global value chain position. Empirical testing was conducted to examine how digital transformation impacts this position. Digital transformation will significantly enhance the position of the Greater Bay Area in the division of global value chains, mainly through enhancing technological innovation transformation capabilities and value added by exports from the Greater Bay Area. Digital transformation within the Greater Bay Area has had a more substantial positive impact than the digital transformation in other provinces in China and digital transformation from foreign sources. In terms of city heterogeneity, it is evident that the global value chain from Hong Kong and Macao has experienced a more significant impact from digital transformation compared to cities in the Pearl River Delta. Therefore, the Greater Bay Area should increase the use of both digital transformation and differentiated use of digital transformation. PRD cities should actively learn from Hong Kong and Macao’s forms of digital construction and promote the Greater Bay Area’s global value chain status. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

---

Figure 3

22 pages, 2623 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Multistage Heterogeneous Information Fusion of Product Design Decision-Making Based on Axiomatic Design

by Yanpu Yang, Qiyuan Zuo, Kai Zhang, Xinran Li, Wenfeng Yu and Lijing Ji

Systems 2024, 12(6), 222; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12060222 - 20 Jun 2024

Viewed by 349

Abstract

The product design process, fraught with uncertainties and ambiguities in its requirements and constraints, commonly traverses multiple stages, each emphasizing distinct design aspects. This engenders heterogeneity in decision-making criteria, rendering the effective integration of information from various stages of product design decision-making (PDDM) a pivotal task in identifying the optimal design solution. Surprisingly, limited research has attended to the challenge of consolidating such heterogeneous information across multiple PDDM stages. To bridge this gap, our study employs real numbers, interval numbers, and linguistic terms to capture the heterogeneous judgments of decision-makers. We fuse the Maximization Deviation Method with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) for determining indicators’ weights, while decision-makers’ weights are derived through a dual consideration of uncertainty measure using fuzzy entropy and a distance-minimization model applied to the PDDM matrix for achieving consistency. Leveraging the advantage of axiomatic design, product design alternatives are evaluated based on their PDDM information content of PDDM matrices. Given the multistage nature of product design, stages’ weights are computed by assessing the information content and consistency degree of PDDM matrices at each stage. Ultimately, our approach achieves multistage heterogeneous decision-making fusion in product design through information axiom weighting. A case study involving the decision-making process for a specific numerical control machine design illustrates the efficacy of our method in integrating multistage heterogeneous PDDM data, yielding a comprehensive perspective on the viability of product design schemes. Results show that the ranking sequence of the product design schemes solidifies to x₃ > x₂ > x₁ in stages 2 and 3 of PDDM, diverging from the initial order observed in stage 1 (x₂ > x₃ > x₁), while the fused result from the multistage heterogeneous PDDM analysis aligns with the later stages’ rankings, indicating the credibility and persuasiveness are fortified. This methodology thus offers a robust framework for synthesizing and navigating the uncertainties and complexities inherent in multistage heterogeneous PDDM contexts. Full article

► Show Figures

Figure 1

---

Figure 3

---

Figure 4

---

Figure 5

---

Figure 6

---

Figure 7

---

Figure 8

18 pages, 2925 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Variable Neighborhood Search for Minimizing the Makespan in a Uniform Parallel Machine Scheduling

by Khaled Bamatraf and Anis Gharbi

Systems 2024, 12(6), 221; https://doi.org/10.3390/systems12060221 - 20 Jun 2024

Viewed by 461

Abstract

This paper investigates a uniform parallel machine scheduling problem for makespan minimization. Due to the problem’s NP-hardness, much effort from researchers has been directed toward proposing heuristic and metaheuristic algorithms that can find an optimal or a near-optimal solution in a reasonable amount of time. This work proposes two versions of a variable neighborhood search (VNS) algorithm with five neighborhood structures, differing in their initial solution generation strategy. The first uses the longest processing time (LPT) rule, while the second introduces a novel element by utilizing a randomized longest processing time (RLPT) rule. The neighborhood structures for both versions were modified from the literature to account for the variable processing times in uniform parallel machines. We evaluated the performance of both VNS versions using a numerical example, comparing them against a genetic algorithm and a tabu search from existing literature. Results showed that the proposed VNS algorithms were competitive and obtained the optimal solution with much less effort. Additionally, we assessed the performance of the VNS algorithms on randomly generated instances. For small-sized instances, we compared their performance against the optimal solution obtained from a mathematical formulation, and against lower bounds derived from the literature for larger instances. Computational results showed that the VNS version with the randomized LPT rule (RLPT) as the initial solution (RVNS) outperformed that with the LPT rule as the initial solution (LVNS). Moreover, RVNS found the optimal solution in 90.19% of the small instances and yielded an average relative gap of about 0.15% for all cases. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Management and Simulation of Digitalized Smart Manufacturing Systems)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

---

Figure 3

---

Figure 4

---

Figure 5

---

Figure 6

---

Figure 7

---

Figure 8

Abstract

This study investigates the intersection of digital transformation, business resilience, and marketing capabilities, focusing on small businesses and startups. The digital revolution has significantly transformed business operations, supply chain management, and overall organizational performance. Conducted following PRISMA guidelines, this systematic literature review used the Scopus database, refining an initial 247 documents to 51 relevant studies. Key trends include the vital role of digital transformation in enhancing resilience, the use of emerging technologies for sustainable supply chains, and the importance of digital skills and knowledge management. Research highlights the implications of digital marketing and e-commerce adoption for SMEs, revealing the need for firms to develop dynamic capabilities to thrive in turbulent environments. However, gaps remain, such as understanding the long-term impacts of digital transformation, the interactions between digital maturity, innovation, and sustainability, and the necessity for comparative studies across industries and regions. Additionally, investigating how marketing capabilities contribute to resilience is essential, enabling small businesses and startups to withstand and recover from disruptions. Addressing these trends and gaps will enhance our understanding of digital transformation’s multifaceted implications for SMEs and startups, helping them leverage marketing capabilities to navigate challenges and seize opportunities in the digital era. Full article

Search Results (1,473)

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI

Saved Queries

Search Filter Reset All

Years

Feature Papers

Article Types

Countries / Regions

Search Results (1,473)

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI