Management Engineering in Emerging Economies

Innovation is a crucial capability for businesses wanting to successfully emerge from the complexities imposed by the current disruptive times. The literature points to a variety of factors influencing innovation. However, this paper explores the correlation of three underpinning factors impacting innovation in the manufacturing sector. These factors include Knowledge Management, Intellectual Capital, and Competitive Intelligence. This research presents evidence by evaluating Mexican manufacturing companies established in the Torreon, Coahuila region of Northeast Mexico. A quantitative methodology has been adopted with a non-experimental and transversal, correlational-causal analysis, collecting data in a single trial approach. Findings highlight the degree of influence and the interrelationships between the two factors explored. The paper concludes with some implications for businesses aiming to maximize innovation practices.

Although value co-creation in service reveals a prominent interest in service research, scarce studies analyze the importance of establishing customer roles in value co-creation. This chapter focuses on determining the customer's roles in value creation at the restaurants; the restaurant is a high-touch customer service that can provide an excellent opportunity to analyze the customers’ roles in value creation. The methodology consisted of univariate and bivariate analysis through Jamovi free software to determine consumer roles in value creation at three restaurants. The main findings indicated that co-promoter, co-evaluator, and co-distributor are the three relevant customers’ roles: sharing the experience in a face-to-face manner, posting comments on social media for the service rating, and using technology to deliver service and pick up food at restaurants. The successful execution of value creation in services depends primarily on the role of the customer, as the customer is the core of the co-creation process that directly impacts the outcome. The customer role is inherent to responsibility in the service process, and the clarity of their expectations can ensure success in value creation.

The investigations carried out to date on job abandonment have focused their attention on the direct relationships between job satisfaction and staff turnover, as well as their various organizational consequences. However, few studies have analyzed the role of intention to leave as a precursor of employee turnover, through job satisfaction. The purpose of this research is to determine the degree to which job satisfaction, the perception of importance that the worker has on labor aspects, exogenous variables; and personal factors influence the intention to leave and this with the turnover of personnel, in a sample of 681 workers from the export footwear industry in the city of León, Guanajuato, Mexico. The results were significant, the correlation between satisfaction and the intention to quit was statistically significant, unlike the perception of importance. Among the exogenous variables, better salary, evidence of a relationship on the intention to leave was found. The association between the intention to leave the company and personal aspects did not show any association. The research addresses the problem from a factorial approach, which allows us to better understand the phenomenon and address it.

This chapter presents a comprehensive set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to enhance warehouse management by evaluating productivity and perfect delivery metrics. These KPIs gauge the efficient use of resources by the logistics function to drive market reach, cost optimization, and profit margins. The proposed KPIs cover various aspects, including boxes moved per person, orders shipped, orders received, units stored per square meter, and pallet-based storage capacity. These indicators provide a holistic view of warehouse efficiency, enabling organizations to identify areas for improvement. Furthermore, the chapter explores perfect delivery metrics that quantify the effectiveness of logistics processes ensuring high-quality deliveries to end customers, a fundamental benchmark for evaluating organizational competitiveness. The study focuses on a Mexican Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) with over a decade of experience designing and constructing equipment and tools in various sectors. It employs a comprehensive warehouse diagnostic checklist, evaluating qualitative aspects of reception, picking, checking, and packing. The results are quantified to identify areas requiring attention.

Within the realm of Engineering Management, this study aims to reframe the concept of urban park through its multidimensional construct since its essential nature of physical space and social interaction is persistently lost in most narratives. Conceptualizations follow from theory, but there are difficulties in eliciting the innocuous question of how to define Urban Parks. Hence, its scope belongs to the theoretical debates related to public space, social and managerial at large. From the intricacies of urban sociology, management science, and through the lens of system thinking, we argued about the urban park as a construct that implies a greater level and complexity that results from the fusion of simpler concepts. Thus, the interpretive paradigm of qualitative methods and critical literature review is the research design for our endeavor. We portray a systematic approach for a functional definition to study urban parks as an entropic, open, dynamic, and closed-loop system that triggers intricate processes and outcomes, which embeds a set of dimensions such a scaffolding strategy to support a conceptual framework into the spatial, scalar, urban, vegetal, social, intentional, multifunctionality, transcendence, symbolic, and dependence. We critically render an intentional but unique concept of urban park, in addition to concluding remarks aimed to reorient attention toward the relevance of public space in the study of Engineering Management and Urban Science.

The exponential increase in information on social media opens up new opportunities to unravel meaningful unstructured information. Since the recent coronavirus pandemic, the online activities have increased considerably. The application of sentiment analysis allows us to process and detect the polarity of opinions on a particular topic. However, this approach faces significant challenges due to the informal nature of user-generated posts. This scenario allows new analyses of companies, people, or organizations, valuable information on how their audience perceives them, and what aspects must be improved to make better decisions and find new opportunities. The results of this work show a comprehensive view, highlight the application of the technique, the datasets, and the challenges currently faced, and finally, a case study is presented where the significant knowledge in the comments is automatically oriented towards the key performance indicators and perspectives of a balanced scorecard, an original and relevant contribution which a group of opinion leaders of the company validated.

Around 15% of the population worldwide has a disability. Employment and inclusion in business is a matter that gains relevance within companies at an international level due to global agreements, certifications in supply chains, corporate social responsibility (CSR), corporate image, and work performance. This research aims to explore the challenges and opportunities of hiring people with disabilities in Mexican companies supplying the automotive sector and analyze business initiatives in Mexico. The research design is divided into two parts: a qualitative exploratory part composed of literature research on cross-sector collaboration organizations helping businesses promote inclusion, and a qualitative part exploring the inclusion and collaboration of organizations for hiring people with disabilities. The findings focused on the main collaborations between the government and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and on training as the first resource that companies look for when collaborating with achievement links within their companies.

Climate change intensifies and increases the risk of extreme weather events, bringing with it deaths and massive destruction, with the countries most vulnerable to these events being those that, among other characteristics, are located in low-altitude coastal areas, have a mountainous ecosystem, have urban areas with high air pollution and are prone to drought. The State of Guerrero is one of the 32 states that make-up the Mexican Republic and has been strongly impacted by natural phenomena in recent decades, which is why, in support of humanitarian activities carried out by actors in the face of disaster, the present document, which aims to find a feasible municipality for the installation of a humanitarian warehouse within the State of Guerrero, which can supply victims of a natural disaster. Four facility location methods are applied 1. Weighted factors; 2. Center of gravity; 3. Transportation method, and 4. P-median. The results show that the municipality of Buenavista de Cuellar is the most feasible solution to host a warehouse that protects humanitarian aid, derived from the characteristics evaluated in each location method, followed by General Heliodoro Castillo, Alpoyeca, Huamuxtitlán, Mochitlán, and Pilcaya.

This case study addresses Sunset Winery's strategic expansion into the online market, utilizing artificial intelligence, particularly Chat GPT, as a pivotal instrument. It aims to tackle cost reduction through the delivery of top-tier content tailored to the younger consumer demographic. The implementation of an enhanced website is anticipated to yield a substantial upswing in sales. The assessment of results is grounded in objective metrics, including augmented online sales, website traffic, and heightened customer contentment. Regarding the assimilation of information, this study underscores the importance of continuous monitoring and the customization of strategies predicated on performance analytics and customer feedback. This approach ensures that prospective customers can effectively harness the insights derived from the case study. The study's conclusions and outcomes have the potential to revolutionize the management processes within a marketing system, with a focus on cost-efficiency and content excellence. It is strongly recommended to sustain an unwavering commitment to consumer input to maximize the outcomes of Sunset Winery's online marketing strategy. This emphasis on online expansion and the integration of Chat GPT underscores the significant role that artificial intelligence can play in digital marketing. Furthermore, it offers valuable insights applicable to other enterprises seeking to enhance their online presence and engage a younger target audience.

Environmental knowledge is the basis for generating environment-friendly behavior, thus obtaining environmental benefits. This chapter presents a structural equation model in which three variables are integrated: general environmental knowledge (GEK), pro-environmental public behavior (PPB), and environmental benefits (ENB). These variables are related using three hypotheses validated with information from 1449 responses to a questionnaire administered to engineering students and active engineers who study or work in companies established in Ciudad Juarez (Chihuahua, Mexico). The model was evaluated using the partial least squares technique. The results indicate a direct and positive relationship between GEK and PPB, suggesting that ecological knowledge encourages people to develop appropriate ecological behaviors. A significant and positive connection was also found between GEK and PPB with ENB. However, the relationship between GEK and ENB is stronger, indicating that environmental knowledge and its application are the basis for generating better environmental benefits.

This study examines the effect of transactional supply chain leadership on supply chain resilience, as exhibited by Ciudad Juarez (Mexico) manufacturing managers. The research analyses effects directly and indirectly using alerts and agility as mediators. An extensive review of over 100 publications on leadership, resilience, agility, and alerts in the supply chain was conducted to develop a questionnaire applied to the Mexican Maquiladora Industry. Two hundred thirty-one responses were collected, and a structural equation model (SEM) using partial least squares (PLS) was employed to test the six hypotheses among variables. The findings indicate that transactional leadership in the supply chain significantly impacts direct and indirect resilience through alertness. However, contrary to previous literature on this topic, agility is not a mediator in the relationship between alertness and resilience.

Around the world, cancer is the main cause of death. The most common types of cancer in women are breast, colorectal, lung, and cervical cancer (CC). CC has become relevant since, in emerging economies such as Mexico, cases have continued to increase, caused by restrictions imposed on hospitals because of COVID-19, which complicated cancer prevention and patient care, as well as a low allocation of economic resources to public health systems that has limited diagnostic testing. For this reason, we propose the development of artificial neuronal networks (ANNs), which help give appropriate diagnoses. ANNs use information about real cases and with training discover the relationships among input variables, granting them a level of impact and forecasting a result. We propose five ANNs, whose basic input variables are the risk factors for CC, as well as the diagnostic tests: hybrid capture, cytology, colposcopy, which were added according to the algorithm used for the detection of disease. The output variable was the biopsy. We evaluated the accuracy and precision of the networks to correctly classify cases as positive or negative. The ANN that had the best performance with these measurements was 5 with 84.85 and 100%, followed by 2 with a 78.79 and 50%. The difference between these ANNs is found in the diagnostic tests that were used, ANN 5 uses all three, while 2 just uses cytology. We recommend suing ANN 2 for a timely diagnosis, while ANN 5 requires the information from the colposcopy, which is a study that is done at the end.

The purpose of this chapter is to analyze the benefits of the shared value strategy focused on the provision of logistics services within the activities and processes of the waste collection supply chain in Mexico City. The strategy correlates two complementary approaches. and promising in their application, on the one hand, the outsourcing of the provision of logistics services through the different levels of available resources and on the other hand, the reconfiguration of the value chain. Currently, there are many people who are directly linked to solids collection operations on a voluntary basis in Mexico City. This group of volunteer workers belongs to highly vulnerable and forgotten social sectors of the population. They maintain this activity, which is capitalized thanks to tips from citizens and the recycling of certain types of materials found in waste. Under this context, the strategy proposed in this article seeks to explain how a new approach based on two elements such as the provision of logistics services and the reconfiguration of the value chain would significantly impact social conditions among the different vulnerable groups voluntarily linked in waste and waste collection. The methodology implemented is qualitative with an exploratory approach, it seeks to explain and contextualize the way in which the said strategy can reorganize the social conditions of the vulnerable sectors immersed in collection operations, considering the focus on the productive performance of the value chain through the provision of logistics services. Among the results obtained, a strategy based on shared value is presented, made up of two phases that constitute the service levels that volunteer workers could assume once they become service providers for the supply chain.

Over time, some gas analyzer equipment has been developed that, while meeting standard objectives, fails to pass beyond the permissible safety and cost limits. Therefore, the present work aimed to develop a gas analyzer device inspired by the Orsat gas analyzer system, minimizing the size and configuration of the same. With that objective in mind, a pocket gas analyzer device was designed and constructed applying Pahl & Beitz’s Design methodology and reducing costs analysis due to the small chamber reaction (5 mL gas sample). This device offers the additional advantage of recovering and recycling the reactant for hydrogen analysis and can be constructed with local materials found anywhere and be used for analyzing gases from biodigesters (biomethane and biohydrogen producers) and combustion gases.

Conflicts are present in all human activities. Projects are no exception to this rule. To achieve the “meet or exceed stakeholder expectations” definition of project management contained in the PMBOK Guide, from the Project Management Institute (PMI), the project manager must manage conflicts with skill. This article is focused on the win–win approach to conflict management, which involves facing and solving problems. More specifically, the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) approach, focused on contradictions, is adopted, using the first three parts of the Algorithm for Inventive Problem Solving (ARIZ) to formulate contradictions and the Principles for Solving Physical Contradictions to find solutions. The process is illustrated with two cases of conflicts in project management situations. The suggested approach was useful in generating valuable ideas in both cases.

Job shop manufacturing environments have characteristics that make it difficult to implement some of the Lean methods that are prevalent in large-volume manufacturing systems. In this chapter, a real-life case study is documented where Lean tools are adapted and adopted in a high product variability, customized production, and low volume with lead times out of the control limits. Lean was implemented to overcome some important challenges such as the lack of capacity to handle larger production volumes. The methodology presented and the case study that illustrates the managerial decision-making and process improvement help demonstrate a useful route to improved performance, faster manufacturing response, and organizational strategy that helps plant capacity to reduce delivery times.

This study explores the influence of digitization on the dental healthcare sector, specifically addressing time management, talent cultivation, and information management. The research employs Nvivo Software and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to conduct a comprehensive survey among dental professionals based in Puebla, Mexico. The survey findings reveal substantial advantages, including time-saving, knowledge enrichment, and enhanced operational efficiency, associated with the adoption of digital tools. The study underscores a robust correlation between the integration of digital technologies and the delivery of personalized patient care. Despite initial investment costs, the research underscores the long-term viability and sustainability of digitization within dental clinics. This investigation accentuates the transformative potential of digital innovation within the dental healthcare landscape, providing valuable competitive advantages in a dynamic and evolving industry.

This article explores the significance of big data technology within the domain of corporate marketing departments. A comprehensive literature review was conducted using Clarivate Analytics’ Web of Science (WoS) and Elsevier’s Scopus databases, encompassing 818 publications published between 2012 and 2022. These publications underwent rigorous bibliometric analysis facilitated by the Biblioshiny tool. The analysis includes key metrics such as annual scientific output, identification of highly cited journals, breakdown of scientific contributions by country, recognition of influential authors, determination of significant affiliations, thematic mapping, and factor analysis. The findings illuminate the extensive utility of big data in corporate marketing, particularly in the fine-tuning of marketing campaigns and the enhancement of organizational competitiveness. This article provides an impartial and valuable resource for those interested in leveraging big data’s potential within the corporate marketing landscape.

The constant changes the industry and service providers face represent critical challenges because they must consider specific aspects for efficient performance. Two important ones are the efficient use of resources and the delivery time of products and services. The approach presented in this research is based on the development of a Product-Service System (PSS) methodology that allows a structure for the design of a business model, which contemplates both challenges and from which different models related to the purchase and rental of products, and the offer of results-oriented services. The methodology is formulated using tools focused on the stages of Conceptualization, Business Model Canvas, Product-Service System (PSS) Scenarios, Blueprint, and Validation. The study's contribution provides a valuable perspective in applying the proposed methodology for developing the business plan by mapping service activities. Through the proposed structure that contemplates the versatility of its elements, it is possible to understand the importance of having products that provide flexibility and adaptability to customer needs and establishing strategies that contribute to reducing environmental impacts generated by the inadequate valuation of resources. The methodology includes aspects that favor implementing creative and dynamic business models, emphasizing the constant evolution of products and services.