Search results

This paper aims to develop a selective energy optimisation of the photovoltaic–thermal (PV/T) system performance. The PV cell inside the PV/T system could be periodically manipulated to produce domestic hot water without applying an external power supply.

A numerical simulation model of the proposed PV/T model was developed in MATLAB/Simulink to analyse the selective energy optimisation of the model. The extrinsic cell resistance (R_se) is adjusted to control the ratio of thermal to the electrical energy, generated from the PV cell inside the PV/T system. Therefore, the internal heat of the PV cell inside the PV/T system is periodically used as a thermal element to produce electrical power and hot water.

The optimisation of PV/T energy shows that the electrical power efficiency can increase by 11.6% when R_se was 0 Ω, and the 200 L water tank temperature increased by 22ºC when R_se was 50 Ω.

This study showed that the use of the PV cell could be extended to domestic hot water and space heating, and not only for electricity.

This study akims to investigate the effectiveness of expansionary monetary policy for Islamic capital markets by studying the impact of decrease in policy rates on seven Islamic equity indices for the period 1996–2019. The transmission mechanism may be different for sampled indices, as they are exposed to Shariah screening that discards certain business sectors and puts limit on debt in capital structure.

This study uses Markov Switching dynamic regression approach of Hamilton (1988).

The results show little effectiveness of expansionary monetary policy in both Bear and Bull states, for most of the sample indices.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no study has made use of dynamic models to assess the association between monetary policy rate and Islamic index prices. Similarly, the authors found no work exploring the effectiveness of expansionary monetary policy actions in different regime for Islamic Indices. This investigation is important in unraveling whether, in the presence of limitations on selection of business activity and choice of capital structure, monetary policy can change the market sentiment, or it will be ineffective. The present study fills this gap.

Design for maintainability (DfM) is a construction technique that links maintenance objectives with the design process. Adopting DfM within the construction industry is a solution that can make the maintenance of buildings cost-efficient and simpler. This study investigates the level of implementation of DfM among design professionals in the Ghanaian construction industry (GCI).

The data from design professionals comprising architects and civil/structural engineers were collected via a questionnaire survey. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistical tests.

The findings revealed a high level of engagement of design professionals in DfM practices in the Ghanaian construction sector. This high level of engagement is credited to the high level of awareness of the concept of DfM among design professionals, the level of education of design professionals, experience in professional roles and familiarity with the principles of DfM.

This study offers information and fresh perspectives on how cutting-edge DfM principles are practiced in the GCI. The study raises awareness and the level of DfM implementation among design professionals in the GCI. It offers information on how the application of DfM principles enhances cost-effective maintenance that allows facilities to stand the test of time and prove more relevant for users. The understanding and application of DfM in different countries are important if such concepts are to take deep root in the global built environment sector.

To assess which partnerships were most critical during the recovery planning process following Hurricanes Maria and Irma. We discuss the roles and impact of different types of partners, barriers and facilitators to partnerships and lessons in collaboration during the development of the economic and disaster recovery plan for Puerto Rico.

The Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC) was tasked with assisting the Puerto Rican government with an assessment of damages from Hurricanes Maria and Irma and the development of the Recovery Plan. During the process, a small team compiled and coded a database of meetings with non-HSOAC partners. The team was divided into sector teams that mirrored FEMA’s Recovery Support Functions. Each sector completed two surveys identifying high impact partners and their roles and contributions, as well as barriers and facilitators to partnerships.

A total of 1,382 engagements were recorded across all sectors over seven months. The most frequently identified high impact partners were federal and Puerto Rican governmental organizations partners. NGOs and nonprofits were noted as key partners in obtaining community perspective. Sector teams cited a lack of trust and difficulty identifying partners as barriers to partner engagement. Given the expedited nature of disaster response, establishing partnerships before disasters occur may help facilitate community input. Early networking, increased transparency and defining roles and responsibilities may increase trust and effectiveness among partnerships.

To our knowledge, this is one of the few studies that quantifies and illustrates the partnerships formed and their contributions during recovery planning, and lessons learned.

This study aims to explore small and medium enterprises (SMEs) acceptance of the halal certification policy in Indonesia, aiming to understand their perspectives and characteristics, as well as the primary considerations of business actors in implementing the policy. This study seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of SME actors’ views toward halal certification policies, which is crucial for strengthening the government’s efforts in building a robust halal system and creating awareness in the community.

This study uses a mixed method. This study uses a random sampling technique on SMEs in Bandung, Indonesia. A total of 400 respondents participated in filling out the study questionnaire. Meanwhile, five SME actors were interviewed to gain deeper insight into the topic of this study. The data analysis technique used descriptive analysis and verification with confirmatory factor analysis.

The results of the study indicate that the halal certification policy is generally accepted by business actors, but there are criticisms regarding knowledge and information about halal certification. Halal awareness and perceived effectivity have the highest acceptance scores, while halal knowledge and information, religious behavior, individual background, and personal and social aims have the lowest scores. All acceptance indicators meet the criteria of a good fit model, with system indicators having a greater impact. Acceptance is based not only on theological–religious considerations but also on pragmatic considerations related to business operations.

This study has several limitations that should be considered. First, the topics and variables studied are focused only on the dimensions of acceptance of the halal certification policy. It would be more comprehensive if integrated with other variables in correlational and implicative studies. Second, the measurement model used in this study is modified from the policy acceptance model, which focuses on normative and systemic aspects of the policy without considering theological values of the halal certification policy. A more complex model is required to measure the acceptance of a comprehensive halal certification policy that considers both normative and theological aspects.

The implications of this study are as follows: First, the implementation of the halal certification policy must take into account the various indicators of policy acceptance, particularly from the business actors who are responsible for implementing the policy. Second, the implementation of the halal certification policy must also take into account the heterogeneous characteristics of the business actors. Third, the certification policy should focus on two critical indicators, namely, halal awareness and the perceived effectivity of policy implementation, which can be reinforced by other indicators.

The results of this study confirm that the government must take into account the response of business actors to ensure the effectiveness of implementing the halal certification policy. The government can take an important step in this regard by conducting a survey of business actors who have participated in the halal certification program to understand the benefits and satisfaction they receive from the policy and identify the factors that hinder them from accepting the halal certification policy.

This study highlights the response of SME actors regarding the acceptance of the halal certification policy. This study provides a new perspective regarding the acceptance of SMEs toward halal certification policies that are important for future implementation.

This chapter analyzes the campaign against race norming in the 2013 National Football League (NFL) concussion settlement that caregivers of retired players designed, and it considers how their collective action throws new light on activism in sport. While there is a substantial literature on how individual athletes engage in protest, less work has focused on how families – partners, children, siblings, and parents – of athletes organize as a group to answer back to anti-Black racism in professional sport. I argue that a group of spouses used their position as caregivers to shame the NFL, the presiding judge of the settlement, Class Counsel, and even the Department of Justice into acknowledging not only individual suffering from traumatic brain injury but also of the distribution of that suffering across households. Specifically, the wives group expanded definitions of risk and damage to include not only individual illness but also family and group suffering and demanded inclusion of gendered and racialized aspects of social care. Through their campaign, the group recast what is considered protest in the world of sport and who has the ability to access an activist subjectivity.

This study aims to identify the suitable indicators and their scale for measuring the level of logistic halal implementation and then develops the measurement system based on those indicators and scales. Moreover, this research also applies the measurement system in food, beverage, and ingredient companies.

This study collected data through web-based closed questionnaires and short telephone interviews. This study succeeded in obtaining seven valid data sets from filling out validation and analytical hierarchy process questionnaires by a panel of experts. This study also obtained 97 valid data sets from filling out the questionnaire about the current condition of each indicator related to halal logistics (HL) implementation. Then, the framework for measuring HL implementation was designed based on the multi-attribute value theory approach.

The aggregate value of HL implementation in ingredient companies belongs to the excellent implementation category. In contrast, the aggregate value of HL implementation in food and beverage companies only belongs to the good implementation category. Then, according to the size of the company, the large-sized companies have the higher means of the aggregate value of HL implementation for preferred indicators than small- and medium-sized companies. However, all size companies belong to the good implementation category.

This research has several limitations. The preferred indicators are only measured by the Likert scales. Future research may benefit from inducing the qualitative approaches to measure the condition of each indicator better. Secondly, this research only consisted of 97 food, beverages and ingredients companies. Thirdly, this research only measured the HL implementations to a particular sector or industry. Future research could benefit from replicating the work in similar and dissimilar contexts, adding the sample size and comparing the level of HL implementation between Muslim and non-Muslim companies, and moreover, enhance the measurement of HL implementation by including consumers and other actors involved, such as the government.

This research provided a basis for helping the government and policymakers understand and evaluate non-performing indicators in HL implementation before formulating several actions.

Understanding the current HL implementation conditions could facilitate a more effective response in designing some appropriate alternative actions.

This research contributed to measuring HL implementation with a new indicator, a new scale and a new object in an empirical case of food, beverages and ingredient companies in Indonesia.

This paper aims to examine the relationship between board structure and risk-taking, exploring how this association is influenced by advanced technologies in the banking sector.

This study uses a panel sample of 22 Pakistani banks from 2011 to 2018. To test the authors’ hypothesis, the authors use regression analysis with two-way cluster robust standard errors. Further, the authors also check the robustness of the authors’ findings using alternate proxies of board structure and bank risk-taking behavior. To address endogeneity concerns, the authors use the two-stage least square technique.

In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, Pakistani banks’ digitalization is modeled by the presence of Temenos-T24/Oracle as their core banking system (software providing end-to-end operational integration). Its interactional effect with corporate governance is evaluated to implicate informed risk-taking by the board as a result of improved information access and analysis. The authors find that board size has a positive association with risk-taking, and the use of modern technology reshapes this association in the banking sector.

The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, the impact of board structure on bank risk-taking has not been extensively researched in Pakistan – a highly volatile and unpredictable economy. Second, the evaluation of the role of technology on bank risk is being researched for the very first time – a uniqueness of this paper.

This study examines the impact of agricultural credit on rice farmers' technical efficiency (TE) in Côte d'Ivoire by considering the heterogeneity among credit sources.

A multistage sampling technique was used to collect data from 588 randomly sampled rice farmers in seven rice areas of the country. The authors use the endogenous stochastic frontier production (ESFP) model to account for the endogeneity of access to agricultural credit.

On the one hand, agricultural credit has a significant and positive impact on rice farmers' TE. Rice farmers receiving agricultural credit have an average of 5% increase in their TE, confirming the positive impact of agricultural credit on TE. On the other hand, the study provides evidence that the impact of credit on rice production efficiency differs depending on the source of credit. Borrowing from agricultural cooperatives and paddy rice buyers/processors positively and significantly influences the TE, while borrowing from microfinance institutions (MFIs) negatively and significantly influences the TE. Moreover, borrowing from relatives/friends does not significantly influence TE.

Future research can further explore the contribution of agricultural credit by including several agricultural productions and using panel data.

The study provides evidence that the impact of agricultural credit on agricultural production efficiency depends on the source of credit. This study contributes to the literature on the impact of agricultural credit and enlightens policymakers in the design of agricultural credit models in developing countries, particularly Côte d'Ivoire.