A Data‐Driven Inventory Control Policy for Cash Logistics Operations: An Exploratory Case Study Application at a Financial Institution

A number of market changes are impacting the way financial institutions are managing their automated teller machines (ATMs). We propose a new class of adaptive data‐driven policies for a stochastic inventory control problem faced by a large financial institution that manages cash at several ATMs. Senior management were concerned that their current cash supply system to manage ATMs was inefficient and outdated, and suspected that using improved cash management could reduce overall system cost. Our task was to provide a robust procedure to tackle the ATM's cash deployment strategies. Current industry practice uses a periodic review system with infrequent parameter updates for cash management based on the assumption that demand is normally distributed during the review period. This assumption did not hold during our investigation, warranting a new and robust analysis. Moreover, we discovered that forecast errors are often not normally distributed and that these error distributions change dramatically over time. Our approach finds the optimal time series forecaster and the best‐fitting weekly forecast error distribution. The guaranteed optimal target cash inventory level and time between orders could only be obtained through an optimization module that was embedded in a simulation routine that we built for the institution. We employed an exploratory case study methodology to collect cash withdrawal data at 21 ATMs owned and operated by the financial institution. Our new approach shows a 4.6% overall cost reduction. This reflects an annual cost savings of over $250,000 for the 2,500 ATM units that are operated by the bank.     

Operations in Financial Services—An Overview

We provide an overview of the state of the art in research on operations in financial services. We start by highlighting a number of specific operational features that differentiate financial services from other service industries, and discuss how these features affect the modeling of financial services. We then consider in more detail the various different research areas in financial services, namely systems design, performance analysis and productivity, forecasting, inventory and cash management, waiting line analysis for capacity planning, personnel scheduling, operational risk management, and pricing and revenue management. In the last section, we describe the most promising research directions for the near future.     

Sales performance measurement in bank branches

Studies of bank branch performance have, to date, concentrated on obtaining a single perspective of efficiency. As the financial services industry has intensified, banks have increasingly engated in a proactive, differentiated and customer-based strategy in retail banking in which the sales component of the bank branch activity is emphasized. With the emerging sales culture within banks, as discussed earlier, there is a need to evaluate both sales and service performance. Cook et al. [12] have proposed a model to evaluate simultaneously the sales, service, and aggregate efficiencies of a bank branch. This model accounted for the fact that inputs, in particular resources, are often shared among these functions. In this paper, we extend the data envelopment analysis additive model using goal programming concepts. We thereby derive optimal efficiency scores while taking into account non-volume related activities, that is those involving resources that cannot be assigned to a specific input or output. Again, the proposed model derives an optimal split of the shared resources that maximizes the aggregate efficiency.     

Leadership effects on organizational climate and financial performance: Local leadership effect in chain organizations

Leadership research to date has mainly focused on leaders' subjective effects. In this study, we examine the effect of different leadership styles on two financial measures of organizational performance and three measures of organizational climate in 50 supermarket stores of a large supermarket chain in the Netherlands. Our findings show a clear relationship of local leadership with the financial performance and organizational climate in the stores. The findings also show that the leadership styles have differential effects. Charismatic leadership and consideration have a substantial effect on climate and financial performance in the small stores, suggesting the relevance of personal leadership of the store manager in these small stores. Initiating structure leadership had no effect on financial results or organizational climate, either in the small stores or in the large stores. Based on these findings, we have formulated some avenues for further research.     

政治关联与财务困境公司的政府补助——来自中国ST公司的经验证据

本文以2002-2007年沪深两市的ST公司为样本,实证研究了企业的政治关联对财务困境公司获取政府补助的影响.结果显示:(1)民营企业的政治关联对企业处于财务困境时获取政府补助有显著影响,但对国有企业作用不显著.(2)考虑企业所处的地区环境差异之后,本文发现民营企业的政治关联优势受到地区财政富余程度的显著影响,而地方政府干预要起作用也受到地区财政状况的制约.只有在地方财政有充足财力的情况下,民营企业才可能利用政治关联获得更多的政府补助.(3)从政府补助的效果来看,政府补助虽然可以在救助当年明显改善公司业绩,但对公司长期业绩的提升作用却因企业政治关联程度和企业性质的不同而存在差异:政治关联较弱的民营企业获得的政府补助对公司长期业绩的提高作用显著,但对于国有企业以及具有较强政治关联的民营企业作用则不显著,这在一定程度上说明政治关联导致了政府补助资金的低效运作.     

When Conscientiousness Isn’t Enough: Emotional Exhaustion and Performance Among Call Center Customer Service Representatives

The authors examined the relationship of the interaction between emotional exhaustion and conscientiousness with objectively-measured call volume performance and subjectively-measured service quality ratings among 92 call center customer service representatives (CSR’s) of a financial services institution. Results supported the interactive effects on call volume but not service quality. Specifically, the relationship between emotional exhaustion and call volume was stronger among high- than low-conscientiousness CSR’s. Among CSR’s reporting low levels of emotional exhaustion, those high in conscientiousness achieved higher call volumes than those low in conscientiousness. In contrast, among CSR’s reporting high levels of emotional exhaustion, those high in conscientiousness achieved lower call volumes than those low in conscientiousness. Implications for both the personality and stress literatures are discussed. Practical implications for human resources managers also are offered.     

The impact of service R&D on the performance of Korean information communication technology small and medium enterprises

In recent years, research and development (R&D) in the service industry has attracted a great deal of attention from both academia and industrial firms. However, compared to the manufacturing sector, little research exists on the implications of R&D for the financial and/or non-financial performance of firms in the service industry. The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of service R&D on the performance of information communication technology (ICT) firms. We identify five categories of R&D activities and investigate their impact on the financial and non-financial performance of 100 ICT firms, with a focus on small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in South Korea. We postulate positive relationships between R&D efforts and a firm's performance. However, the findings only partially support our hypotheses; unexpected results demonstrate that the presence of R&D management negatively influences a firm's performance. We present detailed statistical results and discuss the implications of the study.     

SSTs情境下顾客技术准备的结果模型

已有研究探讨了顾客技术准备对顾客采用、尝试自助服务技术(SSTs)的影响,而忽视了其引发的结果。研究借鉴人力资源管理当中相关概念和成果,构建自助服务技术情境下顾客技术准备的结果模型,并通过收集248名网上银行使用者的数据,利用偏最小二乘法(PLS)进行结构方程建模来验证假说。研究结果表明在自助服务技术情境下,顾客技术准备对顾客感知的SSTs服务质量、感知价值、顾客满意有显著的正向作用;而对感知风险则有负向影响。各个结果变量之间的关系也都符合传统服务营销领域中的研究结果,除了感知价值和感知风险之间的关系。由于受到性别的调节作用,感知价值与感知风险没有出现研究所期望的负向关系。研究结论为未来自助服务技术研究和实施有效的自助服务技术管理提供借鉴。     

An Assessment of the Impact of Local Government Fragmentation in Ghana

In theory fragmentation: yields lower per capita service cost; decentralizes service delivery; promotes local democracy; and protects identity and community of interest. This article assessed whether prediction matched the Ghanaian fragmentation evidence. The paper’s findings are: poverty reduction is a more important performance indicator than the overemphasis on efficiency in public provision; procedures and opportunities for participation are inadequate and irregular; attention is on public expenditure assignments without due consideration for significant financial devolution; and the consequences of the politics of fragmentation have been ignored. The paper concludes that unless these minutiae are incorporated into fragmentation policy, achieving predicted outcomes will remain difficult.     

Optimal Configuration of a Service Delivery Network: An Application to a Financial Services Provider

Driven by market pressures, financial service firms are increasingly partnering with independent vendors to create service networks that deliver greater profits while ensuring high service quality. In the management of call center networks, these partnerships are common and form an integral part of the customer care and marketing strategies in the financial services industry. For a financial services firm, configuring such a call center service network entails determining which partners to select and how to distribute service requests among vendors, while incorporating their capabilities, costs, and revenue‐generating abilities. Motivated by a problem facing a Fortune 500 financial services provider, we develop and apply a novel mixed integer programming model for the service network configuration problem. Our tactical decision support model effectively accounts for the firm's costs by capturing the impact of service requirements on vendor staffing levels and seat requirements, and permits imposing call routing preferences and auxiliary service costs. We implemented the model and applied it to data from an industry partner. Results suggest that our approach can generate considerable cost savings and substantial additional revenues, while ensuring high service quality. Results based on test instances demonstrate similar savings and outperform two rule‐based methods for vendor assignment.     

Uncertainty Reduction Approaches,Uncertainty Coping Approaches,and Process Performance in Financial Services

Developing a better understanding of the impact of uncertainty on process performance has been recognized as an important research opportunity in service design ( Hill, et al., 2002 ). Within this general research stream, our study focuses on the question of what managers can do to most effectively address operational uncertainty and mitigate its negative effects. To begin to address this question, we report on an exploratory study using a sample of professionals in the financial‐services industry who acted as informants on 108 financial‐services processes. These professionals were sampled from a population of graduates of a university in the northeastern region of the United States who were employed in the financial‐services industry. Based on these processes, we empirically examine the relationship between responses to operational uncertainty and process performance after controlling for customer mix, other uncertainty sources, and process type characteristics. Our findings suggest that process improvement—an uncertainty reduction approach related to the internal functioning of the process—as well as several uncertainty coping approaches are associated with better performing processes. However, uncertainty reduction approaches related to customer involvement with, and demands on, the process are not associated with better performing processes. We discuss the implications of our findings for determining what actions managers can take to reduce the negative performance effects of operational uncertainty and how managers can decide which of these actions to take. We conclude with a discussion of the limitations of our study.     

Governance and Performance of a Mixed Public-Private Enterprise: An Assessment of a Company in the Estonian Water Sector

Local governments are increasingly entering into partnerships with the private sector in the “externalization” of public service delivery. While the financial and non-financial interests of the partners involved may appear to be in opposition and potentially un-reconcilable, this is not always the case, especially where governance arrangements exist to align and balance the requirements of financial and non-financial performance. Such arrangements are analysed here with reference to Estonia’s largest water company with mixed public-private ownership. It has a business-like management that facilitates a combination of good non-financial performance (quality and affordability) and considerable financial performance (profitability).     

供应商机会主义行为对信息共享与运营绩效的影响

在交易成本理论基础上,构建供应商机会主义行为、信息共享与运营绩效之间关系的理论模型。以广东省珠三角地区189家制造企业为研究对象,利用结构方程模型对供应商机会主义行为、信息共享与运营绩效的关系进行实证研究。将信息共享划分为信息共享内容和信息共享质量两个维度,将运营绩效划分为速度、服务和财务3个维度。研究结果表明,在供应商机会主义行为与信息共享的关系层面,供应商机会主义行为对信息共享内容和信息共享质量均有显著的负向影响;在信息共享与运营绩效的关系层面,信息共享内容和信息共享质量均对运营绩效有显著的正向影响;而供应商机会主义行为对运营绩效有显著的负向影响。根据上述实证研究结论给出供应链企业和政府的相关管理启示。     

Does strategic corporate performance depend on corporate financial architecture? Empirical study of European,Russian and other emerging market’s firms

Performance of the firm depends on its structural dimensions: capital structure, ownership structure and corporate governance. Their interactions are known as corporate financial architecture according to S. Myers. In this paper we analyze financial architecture which is a mix of ownership structure, capital structure, control and board’s composition, and therefore, provides the given framework for improving corporate performance. We contribute to the literature by different attributes of our study. In contrast to most empirical papers on performance, we develop integrated rather than segmented approach combining the intrinsic components of corporate financial design in one research model. We introduce new variable to capture the structure of ownership for the purpose of performance analysis. Our third contribution is based on comparative analysis of the influence of financial architecture over corporate performance in rather different capital market environment: developed European and emerging (developing) capital market’s countries. We start with a classic empirical model of the impact of ownership structure, capital structure and other components of financial architecture on the corporate performance. Further we verify the validity of exogenous nature of key variables of the classic model when applying it to companies in developed and emerging market environment. Our results could have some important policy implications for the firms in normal economic environment as well as in the period of global economic crisis. We found that the higher proportion of related ownership which indicates investors with significant voting power and the board’s composition affect firm performance positively. The related shareholders and independent directors seem to add more value to firms while the impact of government ownership differs depending on the country. The emerging market’s sample versus the one from developed countries proves the stronger influence of corporate financial architecture over performance.     

The effects of the interactive use of management control systems on process and organizational innovation

This study examines how the interactive use of management control systems (iMCS) affects process and organizational innovation. Firstly, it is postulated that iMCS directly influences the development of process and organizational innovations. Secondly, we argue in favor of a moderating role of iMCS in the relationship between innovation and financial performance. Most studies of MCS and innovation have focused on new product development. However, process and organizational innovations follow innovation patterns that clearly differ from product innovation. The research model is empirically examined using data collected from a survey of 230 firms. Results from a structural model tested applying Partial Least Squares regression, controlling for size, family ownership, R&D, and product innovation, reveal that iMCS fosters process and organizational innovation. Results also suggest that iMCS could play a moderator role in the relationship between process innovation and financial performance. These findings highlight the role of iMCS in process and organizational innovation, expanding previous literature on Simons’ Levers of Control and innovation. The results are also discussed with regard to their managerial implications.     

工业企业物流能力与供应链绩效关系的实证研究

对物流能力中的有形要素能力与运作能力进行了说明,并选定了对供应链绩效进行衡量的中间变量。在此基础上提出了一系列假设并建立模型,通过对国内近千家工业企业进行问卷调查,用结构方程模型进行了分析,得出了运作能力比有形要素能力对供应链绩效影响更显著的结论。实证分析显示,运作能力对响应性、服务质量、物流绩效都有显著影响,并通过服务质量间接影响到企业的财务绩效,而有形要素能力除了与运作能力有相关性之外,对响应性、服务质量、物流绩效均无显著的直接影响。     

供应链融资模式下零售商的订货与定价研究

已有零售商订货与定价问题的研究大都忽略了零售商的初始资金,本文在考虑零售商初始资金的情况下,研究零售商面对初始资金不足时,如何借助外部的融资政策做出最优的订货与定价决策.因此,本文分别讨论了零售商在无融资服务,供应链中核心制造商担保下的外部融资服务及核心制造商提供商业信用的内部融资服务下的订货与定价问题,并建立了相应的...     

面向关键设备维修服务的PBC合同与营业中断险集成设计模型及分析

高可用度运行是关键设备系统运营企业产生收益的根本保障。为了减小因小概率突发故障造成的严重收益损失以及可能地继发资金流风险,既要设计合理的服务合同增强对服务供应商的激励,又要同时考虑收益损失减缓策略。基于性能合同（PBC）是根据服务结果给予补偿的新兴激励合同,而购买营业中断保险（BI）是减缓关键设备故障继发资金流风险的有效策略。本文以委托-代理理论为建模框架,研究BI保险与PBC合同集成设计模型,探讨购买保险与否两种情景下的PBC合同最优设计和供应商的最优服务能力决策,分析BI保险决策对PBC合同设计方案的影响规律,调查运营商购买BI保险的决策条件。该成果是维修服务运作与金融保险领域跨界研究的首次尝试,其理论分析结果有助于为关键设备运营企业跨部门决策提供指导。     

An empirical study of transformational leadership,team performance and service quality in retail banks

The discipline of operations management (OM) has long been offering differing quantitative techniques for improving the efficiency of banking operations. However, there has been a trend in recent years that operations and services of the banking industry are becoming more diverse and unstructured, rendering many traditional OM quantitative techniques less effective in performance improvement. By integrating the literature on banking operations, service quality, leadership style and work teams, we argue that leadership style and team performance are crucial concerns determining the service quality performance of today's banking operations in a team setting. Using data collected from 192 employees from 32 operational teams (a leader and five members in each team) in 15 retail banks in Macau, China, we investigated whether the five dimensions of transformational leadership have an impact on team performance with respect to team cohesion, team leader job satisfaction and team competence; and whether the dimensions of team performance have an impact on such service quality dimensions as reliability and responsiveness. We found that one of the dimensions of transformational leadership and two of the dimensions of team performance have a significant impact on service quality. We discuss the implications of the findings for research and practise.