The Technical Departments at the Fontys University of Professional Education in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, offer a course which is devel-oped around the principles of Concurrent Engi-neering. Integrated Product Development (IPD) project teams are multi-disciplinary groups which develop products in co-operation with the regional industry. The companies involved are sponsoring the developments and the revenue is being used for more intensive group coaching by tutors and specialists. We experimented with communication technology to find a good compromise between time and costs. It turned out that intelligent pagers resulted in minor improvements, mobile phones are still too expensive, e-mail is functional but creates no group cohesion and most of the com-panies are rather conservative in their use of new communication tools. We also found out that the use of a Computer Supported Co-operative Work (CSCW) server is a possibility for information interchange as an alternative for e-mail attachments. The server is also used as an archive. In future we expect that CSCW will be an effective tool for project sup-port and control.
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Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate possible differences in the degrees of employability, leader–member exchange (LMX) and innovative work behaviours in a comparison between Belgium and the Netherlands. Although neighbouring countries, disparate national cultures between the two are assumed to influence the amount of employability, LMX and innovative work behaviours among their respective working populations. Furthermore, this paper aims to validate a mediation model across the two countries to test whether employability (partially) mediates the relationship between LMX and innovative work behaviours. Design/methodology/approach Data from employees and their immediate supervisors working in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Belgium and the Netherlands supported the hypothesized model. Structural equation modelling was used to investigate the mediation model using a multisource approach. Findings The amount of employability and innovative work behaviours of employees appeared to differ significantly between Belgium and the Netherlands. Furthermore, the results suggested that for both countries a positive relationship with one’s immediate supervisor (LMX) is beneficial in the light of workers’ innovative work behaviours, through its impact on employability, which was found to be a full mediator in this relationship. Research limitations/implications Future studies using a longitudinal approach could give more insight into the model relationships. Moreover, the variation in systems, national contexts and managerial practices in the Euroregion calls for more cross-national comparative scholarly research. Practical implications SMEs often do not employ professionals to manage human resources, that is, supervisors themselves have to carry the responsibility to encourage employees to further develop themselves and to enhance their innovative work behaviours. This while the challenge of more cross-national cooperation encourages a boost for innovations in the Euroregion. Originality/value This study is the first cross-national validation of a mediation model wherein a competence-based measure of employability is incorporated as a possible mediator in the relationship between LMX and innovative work behaviours.
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Athlete development depends on many factors that need to be balanced by the coach. The amount of data collected grows with the development of sensor technology. To make data-informed decisions for training prescription of their athletes, coaches could be supported by feedback through a coach dashboard. The aim of this paper is to describe the design of a coach dashboard based on scientific knowledge, user requirements, and (sensor) data to support decision making of coaches for athlete development in cyclic sports. The design process involved collaboration with coaches, embedded scientists, researchers, and IT professionals. A classic design thinking process was used to structure the research activities in five phases: empathise, define, ideate, prototype, and test phases. To understand the user requirements of coaches, a survey (n = 38), interviews (n = 8) and focus-group sessions (n = 4) were held. Design principles were adopted into mock-ups, prototypes, and the final coach dashboard. Designing a coach dashboard using the co-operative research design helped to gain deep insights into the specific user requirements of coaches in their daily training practice. Integrating these requirements, scientific knowledge, and functionalities in the final coach dashboard allows the coach to make data-informed decisions on training prescription and optimise athlete development.
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In this mixed methods study, a moderated mediation model predicting effects of leader-member exchange (LMX) and organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) on innovative work behaviors, with employability as a mediator, has been tested. Multi-source data from 487 pairs of employees and supervisors working in 151 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) supported our hypothesized model. The results of structural equation modelling provide support for our model. In particular, the benefits of close relationships and high-quality exchanges between employee and supervisor (LMX), and fostering individual development as a result of employees’ OCB have an indirect effect on innovative work behaviors through positive effects on workers’ employability. Innovative work behaviors depend on employees’ knowledge, skills, and expertise. In other words, enhancing workers’ employability nurtures innovative work behaviors. In addition, we found a moderation effect of organizational politics on the relationship between employability and innovative work behaviors. Secondly, qualitative methods focusing on experiences of the antecedents and outcomes of employability were used to complement our quantitative results. All in all, this study has important consequences for managerial strategies and practices in SMEs and call for an awareness of the dysfunctional effect of perceived organizational politics.
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Innovative development is a program that is given at The Hague University of Applied Sciences. This program teaches students to become more innovative. This article will look into the current approach and measure the growth in innovativeness of the students over the years. This was measured with a survey, based on the Berkeley innovation index. The results from the survey were calculated and scored based on eight factors. The innovative development program was compared with another program called information security management. These programs are from the same faculty. The information security management program did not show significant growth over the years in innovation. The innovative development program had resulted in a significant growth in innovativeness over the years. Some of the factors could be improved to increase the effectiveness of the innovative development program. https://nl.linkedin.com/in/haniers
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A description of our experiences with a model for education in innovative, interdisciplinary and international engineering. (Students from different (technical) disciplines in Higher Education are placed in industry for a period of eighteen months after completing two-and-a-half year of theoretical studies). They work in multi-disciplinary projects on different themes, in order to grow to fully equal employees in industry. Besides students, teachers and company employees participate in the projects. The involvement of other level students, both from University and from Vocational Education, is recommended. The experiments in practice give confidence in the succesful implementation of this model.
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The research concerned semi-dyadic relations in SMEs and large companies that managed innovative suppliers in New Zealand construction supply chains. It explored effects of (independent) company variables on (mediating) procurement management variables, and also the effects of these variable types on (dependent) procurement performance variables when managing innovative suppliers.Exploratory interviews (N=5) revealed that innovation procurement seemed professional and logical within their contexts.Survey I (N=112) revealed that most case companies followed a product leadership strategy, and were equally entrepreneurial to innovative customers and innovative suppliers. They were innovative and gave innovative suppliers a dominant innovation role. They seemed to prefer radical innovations less than incremental innovations, but still somewhat more than New Zealand averages. Companies had slight preferences for new, small, or foreign suppliers for radical innovations. Innovations with supplier interactions were more beneficial to the company and the natural environment, than innovations without supplier interactions. Higher company innovation-benefits could equal higher environmental innovation-benefits. This profile differed from the profile of average companies in the construction supply chain.Survey I found weak correlations among output performance variables and process or proxy performance variables.Dependent (procurement and performance) variables were affected differently. Conversely, independent (company and procurement) variables had different effects.Different from extant literature, Survey I found limited statistically-significant effects of company variables on procurement management variables, and of these two variable types on performance. A minority (41%) of company variables affected procurement variables; only two company variables (13%) affected performance; a minority (40%) of procurement variables affected performance.Product leadership and NPD/innovation experience affected performance. Moreover, trust, lifestyle strategies and survival strategies affected procurement variables. Conversely, 27% of performance variables (satisfaction on marketing & sales; benefits for the natural environment) and 30% of procurement variables (entrepreneurial orientation with innovative suppliers, relation intensity with manufacturers, and small vs large suppliers for radical innovations) responded stronger on some company variables. Company size (<99 versus >250 staff) had little effects.Innovating, opportunity-seeking and trust towards innovative suppliers, and relation intensity with innovative service providers had highest effects on performance. Conversely, 46% of the performance variables (satisfaction with innovative suppliers, benefits for natural environment and company) responded stronger on innovating, opportunities-seeking and trust variables.Survey II (N=33) identified 12 procurement best-practices that respondents used for specific supplier or innovation types.Causality should be treated cautiously. Findings reflected the inconclusive results from extant literature. The research provided a nuanced and varied understanding on management of innovative suppliers, on the effects of entrepreneurial orientation to innovative suppliers, on the limited effects of company size, on the complex relations between various performance measures, and on entrepreneurship as a theoretical lens in innovation procurement. Companies had several options on how they managed their innovative suppliers. Additionally, the company characteristics and context of in this nascent research domain could be more important than commonly assumed from extant research.
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In the fall of 1999, we started, the Integrated Product Development- Collaborative Engineering ( IPD-CE) project as a first pilot. We experimented with modern communication technology in order to find useful tools for facilitating the cooperative work and the contacts of all the participants. Teams have been formed with engineering students from Lehigh University in the US, the Fontys University in Eindhoven, The Netherlands and from the Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg, Germany. In the fall of 2000 we continued and also cooperated with the Finnish Oulu Polytechnic. It turned out that group cohesion stayed low (students did not meet in real life), and that Internet is not mature enough yet for desktop video conferencing. Chatting and email were in these projects by far the most important communication media. We also found out that the use of a Computer Support for Cooperative Work (CSCW) server is a possibility for information interchange. The server can also be used as an electronic project archive. Points to optimise are: 1. We didn't fully match the complete assignments of the groups; 2. We allowed the groups to divide the work in such parts that those were developed and prototyped almost locally; 3. We haven't guided the fall 2000 teams strong enough along our learning curve and experiences from previous groups. 4. We didn't stick strong enough to the, by the groups developed, protocols for email and chat sessions. 5. We should facilitate video conferencing via V-span during the project to enhance the group performance and commitment.
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This research aims to contribute to a better understanding of strategic collaborations between work-integration social enterprises (WISEs) and for-profit enterprises (FPEs) with the joint objective to improve labour market opportunities for vulnerable groups. We find that most collaborations strive towards integration or transformation in order to make more social impact.
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The Best of Both Worlds: Success factors of Turkish-Dutch innovative entrepreneurs In recent years, a number of countries, among them the Netherlands, attach great importance to stimulating the economic development in the country, by promoting entrepreneurship in general and within the ethnic and cultural entrepreneurial groups in particular. Innovation is generally the result of an interactive process involving synergy between the diverse backgrounds and characteristics. Based on a qualitative research, this article provides an overview of insights in the critical success factors of Turkish-Dutch innovative entrepreneurs in the Netherlands. The success factors of ethnic entrepreneurs are approached in this study from three different dimensions: individual factors, social factors, and environmental factors. The individual factors are presented as personality traits and personal motivations. The social factors are discussed from the perspective of social networks, socio-cultural and socio-economic characteristics. As for environmental factors, they are divided into regional characteristics as well as the availability of resources and the presence of opportunities. Turkish-Dutch entrepreneurs, also called “ethnic entrepreneurs”, appear proficient in linking different innovation opportunities to their own strengths. They are operating better in both worlds, and are successfully navigating between the two cultures. This article also formulates several suggestions for the Dutch government, business world and educational institutions to stimulate innovation. SAMENVATTING Het beste van beide werelden: Succesfactoren van Turks-Nederlandse innovatieve ondernemers De laatste jaren hechten vele landen, onder andere Nederland, er groot belang aan om de economische ontwikkelingen op een hoger niveau te tillen door ondernemerschap in het algemeen, en binnen de etnische en culturele groepen in het bijzonder, te stimuleren. Innovatie is een gevolg van een interactief proces waarbij synergie ontstaat tussen de diverse achtergronden en kenmerken. Gebaseerd op een kwalitatief onderzoek worden in dit artikel, aan de hand van drie verschillende dimensies, te weten individuele, sociale en omgevingsfactoren, de succesfactoren van Turks-Nederlandse innovatieve ondernemers inzichtelijk gemaakt. De Turks-Nederlandse ondernemers, ook wel “etnische ondernemers” genoemd, blijken bedreven te zijn in het koppelen van innovatiekansen aan hun eigen sterke punten. Ze komen beter tot hun recht in beide werelden, en navigeren op succesvolle wijze tussen de twee culturen door. Dit artikel formuleert een aantal aanbevelingen voor de Nederlandse overheid, het bedrijfsleven en de klanten.
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