The carbohydrate content (starch, glucose and sucrose) in tomato plants grown in air Containing 0.04, 0.10, 0.15, 0.22, 0.32, or 0.50 vol. per cent CO2 was studied at 2 hours’ intervals over a period of 24 hours. The highest starch content was found at 0.22 vol. per cent CO2, while the highest content of soluble sugars were reached at a concentration of 0.10 vol. per cent CO2. A few observations of the morphogenic effects of carbon dioxide were also made.
Purpose -The global spread of production makes companies relocate their manufacturing units frequently. Not only equipment, systems, and facilities, need to be moved, but the transfer of operational knowledge and experience seem to be a major challenge. However, discussions on knowledge transfer are derived predominantly from a cognitive perspective and normally focus on the organizational level and are rarely linked with outsourcing. Thus, from the perspective of operations management, the purpose of this paper is to explore how to transfer production know-how on the shop-floor level when manufacturing units are relocated and indicate which means can be used to support this intra-firm transfer process. Design/methodology/approach -Four cases are identified from research in three Danish companies. Observations and 77 semi-structured interviews have been made over a time period of two years. Surveys of documents, questionnaires, and the Delphi method have been used to supplement the research. Findings -Four cases are analyzed from four aspects. By doing so, different relocation situations are identified; different types of transferred knowledge are recognized; and different groups of means for knowledge transfer are introduced and classified according to their usage. Practical implications -A framework is summarized to integrate all the elements discussed in this paper, which provides strong support and clear directions to industrial managers when they need to transfer knowledge in the relocation projects. Together with the framework, a process to help managers implement their knowledge transfer is also proposed. Originality/value -Besides the framework and process, this paper also indicates that absorptive capacity of a production unit depends not only on the level of technical competence at its site, but also on whether real manufacturing environment has already existed or not. Two means for establishing virtual manufacturing environment are suggested.
Purpose
– Despite good project front-end planning, projects typically need continuous coordination among the participants concerning scope of work, pace, and timing during the execution phase to be accomplished without delays. Coordination can be formal or informal. Research shows that informal coordination of residual and unforeseen interdependencies enhances time saving and facilitates better understandings. Still though, many sub-contractors choose not to coordinate informally. The purpose of this paper is to identify drivers that enhance or inhibit informal coordination among sub-contractors during project execution.
Design/methodology/approach
– A qualitative, explorative case study approach was applied, involving 15 SME sub-contractors within the offshore wind power energy sector.
Findings
– Six drivers which enhance informal coordination and three drivers which inhibit informal coordination among sub-contractors in projects were identified.
Practical implications
– The findings imply that management in project-oriented organizations can enhance informal coordination across project sub-contractors in the project execution phase by facilitating trust building; by emphasizing previous collaboration successes with the sub-contractors and the possibility of future common projects; by being explicit about expectations on informal coordination; and by developing sub-contractor contracts that are not very tight in economic terms, but instead give some leeway in relation to coordination.
Originality/value
– The paper contributes to a gap on coordination within projects and in the specificity of the context of offshore wind energy in which the concept of informal coordination across sub-contractors is explored.
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