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An instrument has been developed to empirically measure the factors (constructs) influencing inventory systems and their effectiveness in international environments. The relevant literature was examined and eight constructs were identified to be included in the scale: the level of infrastructure, government policy, product characteristics, productions environments, supply base, degree of uncertainty, information level and effectiveness of the inventory system. The instrument was tested through structured interviews in operations in North America, South America, Europe and Asia. These scales provide an essential building block for empirical researchers and managers to document the state of international operations. As an example of using this scale a comparison of US, European and Latin American inventory systems is provided.

Capacity is generally considered only in one sense – to provide the means for producing a product or service. Defines capacity as serving two functions – to provide the means for producing a long‐run, stable level of a good or service, and to provide the means to adapt to fluctuations in demand over the short run and intermediate runs. Given this definition, develops the implications for strategic capacity planning and offers a model for firms to carry out this planning. Presents examples of where this model has been followed and discusses the implications.

Despite continued interest from the academy and creative writers, the question remains as to whether 'ordinary' readers, used to the conventions of print narratives, can enjoy hypertext fiction.Since each hypertext fiction interface is more or less idiosyncratic, readers can be discouraged by unfriendly interface designs. Radically re-structured narrative forms can also cause confusion for readers. Critical works and empirical research from literary studies and interface design provide clues towards a better understanding of the effects of hypertext fiction upon readers, and knowledge from both fields can be productively merged in empirical studies of hypertext.This article provides a methodological specification, and a summary of findings from my ongoing study of readers' responses to a range of hypertext fictions and their interfaces. Though there are barriers to reading pleasure, these can be overcome, and there is evidence that hypertext fiction can be as engaging and enjoyable as fiction in print.Key Words / empirical research / hypertext / hypertext fiction / interactive narrative / interface / reader response

In 2006 and 2010, I published papers in Convergence, which analysed readers’ responses to several interactive narratives: From this research, I formed a set of ‘assessment’ criteria for such narratives, intended to be of use to writers, academics and teachers, looking for ways to understand how readers might react to the very new and changing forms of digital storytelling, which continue to surprise, delight and puzzle readers. Despite huge technical advances, and although some recent examples are doing well commercially, digital interactive narrative remains largely unknown to the general reading public (who nonetheless love their novels, films and games). This article reviews a very specific set of interactive narratives – those which have been shortlisted for the international New Media Writing Prize – against the criteria I established in the 2010 paper. These are cutting edge, exemplar works, which one might suppose demonstrate the best of everything that new-media storytelling can offer. I revisit my criteria in the light of technical and creative developments over the past 5 years, using the responses of volunteer readers to aid my own evaluation of the pieces under discussion. Overall, I argue that many of the issues I previously found to be a barrier to readers have been overcome, but that there are still problems for readers, which writers/developers need to consider.