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Article
Publication date: 18 August 2023

Peng Nie, Kalani C. Dahanayake and Nipuni Sumanarathna

This paper aims to explore UAE's transition towards circular economy (CE) through construction and demolition waste (CDW) management in the pre-construction stage. The extent of…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore UAE's transition towards circular economy (CE) through construction and demolition waste (CDW) management in the pre-construction stage. The extent of circularity is assessed by five key aspects of CE, such as policies and strategic frameworks, design for waste prevention, design for disassembly or deconstruction, use of prefabricated elements and CDW management plans.

Design/methodology/approach

Multiple case studies were conducted in the context of the Dubai construction industry (UAE). Three significant and unique construction projects were selected as the cases. Semi-structured interviews were carried out to collect data, and the thematic analysis technique and NVIVO 12 software were used for data analysis.

Findings

Findings reveal several positive initiatives towards CE in the UAE context; yet it is identified that the transition is still at the initial stage. Selected case studies, the best-case scenarios of UAE (i.e. influential cases), demonstrated adequate measures in relation to four key CE aspects out of five. For instance, (a) policies and strategic frameworks such as lean standards, green building standards and standards developed by the local authorities, (b) design for waste prevention (e.g. adherence to the 3R principle, and construction planning with BIM), (c) use of prefabricated elements and application of innovative construction technologies (e.g. 3DPC, DfMA) and (d) CDW management planning such as 3R principle were evident. However, the selected cases hardly showcase designing for disassembly or deconstruction.

Research limitations/implications

The existing CDW practices are mostly conventional, as most constructions in UAE are procured through conventional building materials and methods. Therefore, there is a necessity of encouraging CE principles in CDW management. Even though the transition towards CE was evident in four key CE aspects out of five, the UAE construction industry has yet to adopt more effective CE-based CDW management practices to accelerate the circularity. Hence, it is necessary to enforce standard waste management guidelines, including the 3R principle, to standardise CDW management in UAE and encourage construction practitioners to adhere to CE principles.

Originality/value

The findings of this study provide valuable insights for decision-making processes around CDW management towards a CE. This paper contributes to the literature by bridging the CE concept with CDW management in the pre-construction stage. The study provides insights for industry practitioners for planning CE in terms of policies and strategic frameworks, CDW management planning, construction planning and application of innovative construction technologies.

Details

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, vol. 13 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6099

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 June 2020

Carlos A. Diaz Ruiz, Jonathan J. Baker, Katy Mason and Kieran Tierney

This paper aims to investigate two seminal market-scanning frameworks – the five-forces analysis and PESTEL environmental scanning tool – to assess their readiness for…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate two seminal market-scanning frameworks – the five-forces analysis and PESTEL environmental scanning tool – to assess their readiness for anticipating market-shaping acts.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on the market-shaping literature that conceptualizes markets as complex adaptive systems, this conceptual paper interrogates the underlying assumptions and “blind spots” in two seminal market-scanning frameworks. The paper showcases three illustrative vignettes in which non-industry actors catalyzed market change in ways that these market-scanning frameworks would not be able to anticipate.

Findings

Marketing strategists can be “blindsided” as seminal market-scanning frameworks have either too narrow an interpretation of market change or are too broad to anticipate specific types of market-shaping acts. The assumptions about markets that underpin these market-scanning frameworks contribute to incumbents being slow to realize market-shaping acts are taking place.

Research limitations/implications

The authors extend market-scanning to include a type of managerial myopia that fails to register the socially embedded, systemic nature of complex contemporary markets. Furthermore, the paper provides an “actors-agendas-outcomes” scanning framework that offers awareness of market-shaping acts.

Originality/value

This paper is the first to consider market-scanning frameworks from a market-shaping perspective.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 35 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 2004

Ulises Ruiz and Jose Simon

In this article, the total quality programme in the Spanish health‐care system (1986‐1992) and the subsequent quality improvement steps that have led to definition and…

4485

Abstract

In this article, the total quality programme in the Spanish health‐care system (1986‐1992) and the subsequent quality improvement steps that have led to definition and implementation of such an integrated framework, seeking a quality management system and patient safety, are discussed.

Details

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, vol. 17 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0952-6862

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 May 2022

Fernando Angulo-Ruiz, Albena Pergelova, Juraj Chebeň and Eladio Angulo-Altamirano

Based on impression management theory, the authors ask how marketing activities build organizational reputation and examine the mediating mechanisms of desired impressions, and…

Abstract

Purpose

Based on impression management theory, the authors ask how marketing activities build organizational reputation and examine the mediating mechanisms of desired impressions, and the moderating impact of national culture. Specifically, and in the context of higher education (HE) institutions, the authors examine the influence of relational marketing and traditional advertising on organizational reputation through the mediation of desired impressions (e.g. quality of learning, career prospects and extracurricular activities) across countries and specify the moderation role of cultural variables.

Design/methodology/approach

This study estimates empirical models using a survey data set comprising 1,890 student responses from 10 universities in 8 countries. The authors use confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and measurement invariance models, as well as ordinary least squares with robust standard errors to test the hypotheses.

Findings

The results indicate that marketing activities affect organizational reputation through the mediation of desired impressions in line with our theoretical reasoning. Specifically, the results show that (1) relational marketing has direct and indirect effects on organizational reputation; (2) relational marketing has a higher influence on organizational reputation in countries with lower individualism and lower masculinity scores; (3) quality of learning mediates the relationship between traditional advertising and organizational reputation; (4) quality of learning also mediates the association between relational marketing and organizational reputation; (5) career prospects mediate the relationship between relational marketing and organizational reputation; (6) traditional advertising does not have a direct but only an indirect effect on organizational reputation; and (7) these findings are net of the effect of respondents', universities', and countries' characteristics.

Research limitations/implications

The findings contribute to the body of knowledge on the antecedents of organizational reputation, from an international marketing perspective. The results extend the impression management by integrating constructs that have been studied independently into a cohesive framework that links marketing activities, desired impressions and organizational reputation. With the study, impression management theory provides a framework to study the impact of marketing activities on organizational reputation not only in domestic but also in international markets.

Practical implications

By asking the target market about the importance of different marketing activities, their expectations of the organization and its reputation, HE administrators can employ the model proposed in this study to assess the relevant marketing strategies that will drive desired impressions which in turn will influence reputation.

Originality/value

While there are studies that focus on the impact of several constructs on organizational reputation in an international context, it is striking to observe that extant research is silent on how (via what mediating mechanisms) marketing activities work as an antecedent of organizational reputation. To address this gap, we examine marketing activities as antecedents of organizational reputation in an international, cross-country context, and specify the moderation role of cultural variables.

Article
Publication date: 1 July 1999

Ulises Ruiz, José Simón, Pedro Molina, J. Jimenez and J. Grandal

Defining quality of healthcare and determining how to improve organisational performance in developed countries is still an unresolved issue among healthcare professionals…

1162

Abstract

Defining quality of healthcare and determining how to improve organisational performance in developed countries is still an unresolved issue among healthcare professionals. However, given that it is an important area of responsibility and accountability it is no longer acceptable to view the issue as discretionary. An increasingly acceptable operative option for achieving continuous improvement and excellence seems to be the self‐assessment of an organisation, based on the principles of knowledge management and total quality management (TQM). This article provides an explanation of a two‐level self‐assessment approach for implementing TQM within the Spanish healthcare system. The first level integrates a client‐centred approach using classical healthcare accreditation criteria along with ISO 9000 standards, the aim being to establish quality assurance systems in the whole organisation. The second level uses the European Foundation for Quality Management Excellence Model as a road map for self‐assessment and continuous improvement towards excellence.

Details

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, vol. 12 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0952-6862

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 May 2019

Maude Laberge, André Côté and Angel Ruiz

The purpose of this paper is to define a clinical pathway for total joint replacement (TJR) surgery, estimate the effect of delays between steps of the pathway on wait time for…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to define a clinical pathway for total joint replacement (TJR) surgery, estimate the effect of delays between steps of the pathway on wait time for surgery and to identify factors contributing to more efficient operations and challenges to their implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a case study with a mixed methods approach. The authors conducted interviews with hospital staff. Data collected in the interviews and through on-site observation were analyzed to map the TJR process and identify the steps of the care pathway. The authors extracted and analyzed data (time stamps) from 60 hospital patient records for each step in the pathway and ran a regression on the duration of the whole trajectory.

Findings

There were wide variations in the delays observed between the seven steps identified. The delay between Step 1 and Step 2 was the only significant variable in predicting the total wait time to surgery. In one hospital, one delay explained 50 percent of the variation. There was misalignment between findings from the qualitative data in terms of strategies implemented to increase efficiency of the clinical pathway to the quantitative data on delays between the steps.

Research limitations/implications

The study identified the clinical pathway from the consultation with an orthopaedic surgeon to the surgery. However, it did not go beyond the surgery. Future research could investigate the relationship between specific processes and delays between steps of the process and patient outcomes, including length of stay, mobilization and functionality in activities of daily living, as well as potential complications from surgery, readmission and the services required after the patient was discharged.

Practical implications

Wait times can be addressed by implementing strategies at the health system level or at the organizational level. The authors found and discuss areas where there could be efficiency gains for health care organizations.

Social implications

Stakeholders in care processes are diverse and they each have their preferences in how they practice (in the case of providers) and how they perceive and wish to respond adequately to patients’ needs in contexts that have different norms and approaches. The approach in this study enables a better understanding of the processes, the organizational culture and how these may affect each other.

Originality/value

Our mixed methods enabled a process mapping and the identification of factors that significantly affected the efficiency of the TJR surgery process. It combines methods from process engineering with health services and management research. To some extent, this study demonstrates that although managers can define and enforce processes, organizational culture and practices are harder to influence.

Details

Journal of Health Organization and Management, vol. 33 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7266

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 October 2009

Óscar Rodríguez‐Ruiz and José Fernández‐Menéndez

The aim of this paper is to monitor the scientific development of the intellectual capital (IC) field by analyzing the citation patterns of the IC articles published in ISI…

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to monitor the scientific development of the intellectual capital (IC) field by analyzing the citation patterns of the IC articles published in ISI journals in the period 1997‐2007. Our research examines the extent to which citation is allocated according to a normative process of universalism or a social process defined by particularistic variables. The results of a regression analysis summarizing both approaches shows that some universalistic predictors of quality such as the impact factor of the journal and the accuracy of the articles are positively related to the number of citations. Thus, the field is slowly moving toward a more universalistic‐oriented discipline, and the practice of citing considering functionally irrelevant characteristics has a limited influence. It seems clear that IC is, more than a fashionable topic, a loose collection of ideas that is still developing its scientific paradigm.

Details

Management Research: Journal of the Iberoamerican Academy of Management, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1536-5433

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 26 January 2023

Adrian Fernando Rivera, Neale R. Smith and Angel Ruiz

Food banks play an increasingly important role in society by mitigating hunger and helping needy people; however, research aimed at improving food bank operations is limited.

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Abstract

Purpose

Food banks play an increasingly important role in society by mitigating hunger and helping needy people; however, research aimed at improving food bank operations is limited.

Design/methodology/approach

This systematic review used Web of Science and Scopus as search engines, which are extensive databases in Operations Research and Management Science. Ninety-five articles regarding food bank operations were deeply analyzed to contribute to this literature review.

Findings

Through a systematic literature review, this paper identifies the challenges faced by food banks from an operations management perspective and positions the scientific contributions proposed to address these challenges.

Originality/value

This study makes three main contributions to the current literature. First, this study provides new researchers with an overview of the key features of food bank operations. Second, this study identifies and classifies the proposed optimization models to support food bank managers with decision-making. Finally, this study discusses the challenges of food bank operations and proposes promising future research avenues.

Details

Journal of Humanitarian Logistics and Supply Chain Management, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-6747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 June 2023

Helen H. Yu

This study examines a variety of personal and workplace topics to uncover why Asians are still underrepresented in US policing, despite a 114% growth in the Asian American…

Abstract

Purpose

This study examines a variety of personal and workplace topics to uncover why Asians are still underrepresented in US policing, despite a 114% growth in the Asian American population during the past 30 years.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey responses are collected from Asian police officers (N = 70) to capture their characteristics and lived experiences.

Findings

This study found 11 themes that may account for the underrepresentation of Asian Americans in US policing.

Research limitations/implications

The small sample size represents those respondents from only four US states, limiting the sampling frame and generalizability.

Practical implications

This study offers targeted recruitment strategies for improving Asian representation in US policing.

Originality/value

Although Asians account for 6% of the US population, very little is still known about the experiences of Asian American police officers, despite working in one of the most visible public institutions in local government.

Details

Policing: An International Journal, vol. 46 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-951X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 December 2017

María A. Martínez Ruiz and María J. Hernández-Amorós

The purpose of this paper is to seek insights into the demands and challenges faced by school principals in Spain, especially in their dealings with local education authorities.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to seek insights into the demands and challenges faced by school principals in Spain, especially in their dealings with local education authorities.

Design/methodology/approach

In all, 100 principals from public infant, primary and secondary schools in Alicante (Spain) participated in the study, which was carried out from a qualitative research perspective using deductive content analysis.

Findings

Most participants noted the need to improve channels of communication with, and support from, the local education authority. They also stressed the desirability of increasing their autonomy, reducing bureaucratic tasks and improving working conditions, which is in line with the international framework. Their narratives make it clear that they remain tied to a management leadership model but actually aspire to an instructive leadership.

Research limitations/implications

An absence of triangulation and the use of a single data collection technique are the limitations of this paper.

Practical implications

These participants are practising professionals who are proposing ways to improve aspects of their working lives based on actual experience. Acknowledging their voices could inspire the design of policies aimed at improving the principal’s role in Spain.

Originality/value

Knowledge is contributed to the area of study into proposals for improving the role of the principal, but with new and contextualised insights.

Details

Journal of Educational Administration, vol. 56 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-8234

Keywords

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