In order for any field of study to refine the promising concepts and weed out the weaker concepts it is necessary that researchers revisit earlier studies from time to time and evaluate their general applicability to new contexts. Replication is an important technique for researchers to embrace in order to achieve this goal. In this study, we test one of the frameworks of technology outsourcing developed in the West, by changing the cultural context. Following Kodak's historic outsourcing decision, technology outsourcing has assumed significant importance among researchers and practitioners. Most of the research in relation to technology outsourcing has been conducted in the Western culture (including the USA and the UK), so our goal in this study is to extend the understanding of technology outsourcing research conducted in the West to another culture-that of Korea, through replication.We focused on information systems (IS) outsourcing decision making as a case in point and found both similarities and dissimilarities in relation to the current understanding of the same. These similarities and differences in turn, reveal the distinctions between the Western and the Korean approaches toward achieving outsourcing success. The similarities are the partial preference for short-term contracts and contracting out to external vendors. However, the two cultures differed in their decision making in the way they pursue contractual completeness, whether in-house departments competes or not, design of contract to include partnership measures, criticality of tasks outsourced, familiarity with the outsourced task, postponing a few outsourcing decisions, and withholding a piece of a contract as bait. We also found ''trust'' and ''task partitioning to gain advantage of varied expertise'' to be important for achieving outsourcing success in the Korean organization. In addition, we observed that outsourcing success is achieved by maximizing reliability and relationship in the Korean context rather than by maximizing flexibility and control, as was observed in the Western context. We argue that this difference is a function of cultural diversity. #

To maximize revenue, airline revenue management analysts (RMAs) attempt to protect the right number of seats for late-booking, high-revenue-generating passengers from low-valued leisure passengers. Simulation results in the past showed that a major airline can generate approximately $500 million per year through efficient RM operations. Accurate passenger demand forecasts are required, because reduced forecast error significantly improves revenue. RMAs often adjust the system forecasts to improve revenue opportunity. Analysis of system forecast performance and analyst adjustment is complex, because one must account for all unseen demands throughout the life of a flight. This article proposes a method to account for unseen demand and evaluate forecast performance (adjusted or unadjusted) through a forecast monitoring system. Initial results from one major airline's origin-destination market data justify the value of RMA forecasting adjustments.

Waste is defined as anything other than the minimum amount of resources which are absolutely essential to add value to the product. Resources include equipment, parts, materials, space, energy, worker′s time, and so on. Explores six types of waste which are relevant to all types of operations. Presents ways to eliminate all six. Uses examples relevant to both manufacturing and services. Provides summary implications. Concludes that a systematic and continuous identification and elimination of waste should be used to increase efficiency, improve productivity and enhance competitiveness.

Marketing knowledge and expertise are a critical corporate resource for carrying out strategic decision making that supports marketing functions. Intelligent marketing information systems (IMkIS) can offer a way for marketing managers to share knowledge and expertise. Such sharing could help improve the economics and effectiveness of the marketing function. Traditional marketing information systems (MkIS) are limited in their managerial support capabilities. Unlike MkIS, an IMkIS incorporates, among other features, the use of a knowledge base of marketing strategies. Discusses the shortcomings of an MkIS and then offers a framework of IMkIS relationships illustrating information exchanges among various subgroups of the organization. Furthermore, offers a design of an IMkIS based on this framework. Demonstrates the creation of a knowledge base by capturing the strategic marketing moves of a corporation for the case of PepsiCo, by using published information sources. Of course, production versions of such systems will make use of in‐house corporate knowledge. Provides illustrative queries. Discusses implications for IMkIS for the present and future.

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