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Article
Publication date: 27 July 2010

Zhengzhong Shi

The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model on the role that information systems (IS) architecture planning plays in enhancing IS outsourcing's impact on IS…

1006

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model on the role that information systems (IS) architecture planning plays in enhancing IS outsourcing's impact on IS performance and to empirically test the model.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were gathered and structural equation modeling technique is used to test hypotheses.

Findings

The empirical test clearly demonstrates the important role that IS architecture planning plays in enhancing IS outsourcing's impact on IS performance. In other words, it shows that IS architecture planning provides a blueprint for establishing necessary technical and administrative platforms, based on which IS outsourcing can be effectively implemented to positively impact IS performance. Consequently, the key proposition in the conceptual model of the study has been empirically validated.

Research limitations/implications

The relatively low response rate requires future studies to re‐validate the model to test the robustness of the findings. The fact that 75 percent of respondents are IS managers/directors may produce inflated responses on IS performance and future studies with more balanced IS and business managers' participation can help to further verify the model. Future research can also investigate how web compliant‐based technologies such as SOA and XML can enable high levels of modularity to improve IS outsourcing effectiveness for better IS performance. As to control variables, the extent of IS outsourcing and the level of IS architecture maturity may be incorporated in a refined model to better test the role IS architecture planning plays in enhancing IS outsourcing's impact on IS performance. IS outsourcing effectiveness may be added to the model as a bridge linking IS outsourcing competences to IS performance. A longitudinal study can be conducted to analyze the dynamics of how IS architecture planning can impact IS outsourcing informed buying and help one to understand the portfolio of outsourcing control mechanisms in a multiple outsourcing projects setting.

Practical implications

The empirical support of the key proposition that IS architecture planning enhances IS outsourcing's impact on IS performance makes it very clear that IS management should make due efforts to improve their understandings of various IS components, associated business processes, and their interactive relationships for better IS outsourcing management. Further, the identification of the antecedents of IS architecture planning will enlighten practitioners about how to improve their IS architecture planning competence.

Originality/value

The paper builds on previous research to provide further empirical evidence on the role that IS architecture planning plays in enhancing IS outsourcing's impact on IS performance.

Details

Journal of Enterprise Information Management, vol. 23 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0398

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2018

LIU Dong, LI Zhimin and Wang Xin

Scenic tourist buildings are the important material security conditions for famous scenic cities to carry out tourism activities, and the level of their planning and design will…

Abstract

Scenic tourist buildings are the important material security conditions for famous scenic cities to carry out tourism activities, and the level of their planning and design will directly affect the tourists' recognition of the scenic spots. Based on this, a research on the evaluation of the coupling degree between scenic tourist buildings and sites based on analytic hierarchy process was put forward. First of all, the theory of the coupling between the landscape tourism architecture and the site was elaborated, and then the landscape tourism architecture and its planning and design were proposed; taking a certain project as an example, planning and design of its teahouse, villas, sightseeing stand and other buildings were analyzed emphatically; in addition, the evaluation of the coupling degree of AHP was used to show that the planed and designed scenic tourist buildings are in the landscape and they can also be the landscape.

Details

Open House International, vol. 43 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 September 2021

Chaiwat Riratanaphong

This study aims to explore the need for space (demand) and the provision thereof (supply) in the Faculty of Architecture building at Thammasat University Rangsit campus using…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore the need for space (demand) and the provision thereof (supply) in the Faculty of Architecture building at Thammasat University Rangsit campus using variables from the designing an accommodation strategy (DAS) framework; these variables are incorporated to test and improve the framework. Another purpose is to examine the planning and development of the faculty building to understand its strategy, which serves as a means to contribute to the planning and development theory.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study of the Faculty of Architecture building was conducted at Thammasat University in Thailand. The DAS framework was used to reconstruct and examine the development process of the building to determine the gaps between supply and demand in terms of building space, to reflect on the building plan and process and to make suggestions as to how the DAS framework might be improved. Research methods included interviews and document analysis concerning space requirements and provision in the Faculty of Architecture building.

Findings

The gaps between supply and demand in terms of the faculty building space are affected by the condition of the building (i.e. building obsolescence), the number of building users and the changing environmental context. This study shows that both pre-design and post-occupancy evaluation are essential to collect data concerning the match or mismatch between supply and demand of space and to assess users’ needs and preferences concerning the faculty building. Regarding the building development process, factors impacting the step-by-step planning of the real estate interventions include the organisational context (public/private sector) and the management of the construction project (time, cost, quality). The DAS framework is found to be useful for structuring the information-generating processes necessary to determine gaps between demand and supply in terms of space and for making decisions regarding real estate interventions.

Research limitations/implications

Additional case studies in different environmental and organisational contexts are required to test the DAS framework and improve data validity. This study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic period, which affected data accessibility.

Practical implications

The results provide insight into the influence of various factors on the decision of corporate real estate. The DAS framework can be used to explore the range of demand for and supply of space and to find an optimal match.

Originality/value

This paper shows valuable steps in planning and development of educational real estate and a first application of the DAS framework in Thailand. The findings confirm the importance of the physical learning environment of architecture schools, particularly the studio spaces required in architecture education.

Book part
Publication date: 24 November 2010

Steven Buchanan

In an era of unprecedented technological innovation and evolving user expectations and information seeking behaviour, we are arguably now an online society, with digital services…

Abstract

In an era of unprecedented technological innovation and evolving user expectations and information seeking behaviour, we are arguably now an online society, with digital services increasingly common and increasingly preferred. As a trusted information provider, libraries are in an advantageous position to respond, but this requires integrated strategic and enterprise architecture planning, for information technology (IT) has evolved from a support role to a strategic role, providing the core management systems, communication networks and delivery channels of the modern library. Furthermore, IT components do not function in isolation from one another but are interdependent elements of distributed and multidimensional systems encompassing people, processes and technologies, which must consider social, economic, legal, organisational and ergonomic requirements and relationships, as well as being logically sound from a technical perspective. Strategic planning provides direction, while enterprise architecture strategically aligns and holistically integrates business and information system architectures. While challenging, such integrated planning should be regarded as an opportunity for the library to evolve as an enterprise in the digital age, or at minimum, to simply keep pace with societal change and alternative service providers. Without strategy, a library risks being directed by outside forces with independent motivations and inadequate understanding of its broader societal role. Without enterprise architecture, it risks technological disparity, redundancy and obsolescence. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, this conceptual chapter provides an integrated framework for strategic and architectural planning of digital library services. The concept of the library as an enterprise is also introduced.

Details

Advances in Librarianship
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-979-4

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2006

Carlos Balsas

The Capitol Mall is a very complex urban area adjacent to downtown Phoenix, where Governmental buildings exist side by side with a historic residential neighborhood, warehouse…

Abstract

The Capitol Mall is a very complex urban area adjacent to downtown Phoenix, where Governmental buildings exist side by side with a historic residential neighborhood, warehouse buildings, an under-construction human services campus, vacant lots, and many homeless people on the streets. This area has been 'forgotten' in recent efforts to revitalize downtown Phoenix. The Capitol Mall project involved two studios - Architecture and Planning - conducted simultaneously during spring 2005. The planning studio was intended to develop a revitalization plan and the architecture studio was charged with developing specific programs and projects of urban design and architecture.

The purpose of this paper is threefold: 1) to introduce our studios as examples of community embeddedness, 2) to discuss our pedagogical approaches and the project's outcomes, and 3) to present a set of lessons learned that can be valuable to others teaching similar joint studio arrangements. In brief the five lessons are: a) joint studios can have different approaches to reality, b) interdisciplinary studios can benefit from different methodologies and outcomes, c) planning and architecture studios use classroom resources differently, d) joint studios display creativity in different ways, 5) interdisciplinary studios can lead to joint discovery and re-enforcement of learning experiences.

Details

Open House International, vol. 31 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2022

Jennifer Shelby, Georgia Lindsay and Claire Derr

Iconic buildings, especially museums, are often enrolled in creating an identity for cities, yet cities and museums have been sometimes uneasy partners in using architecture to…

Abstract

Purpose

Iconic buildings, especially museums, are often enrolled in creating an identity for cities, yet cities and museums have been sometimes uneasy partners in using architecture to shape city identity. This paper examines the negotiations of place identity amid the conflicting influences of global design trends and local cultural nostalgia through the case of a single development in Aspen, Colorado.

Design/methodology/approach

In this case study, using discourse analysis and grounded theory methods, the authors analyzed interviews, planning documents and critical opinions in the press to reveal the ways in which complex identities and contradictory planning directives shape a single building in a hyper-glocal Western town.

Findings

This analysis presents a place with complex and at times conflicting identities: residents have intense local concerns in parallel with global allegiances. The Aspen Art Museum building by Shigeru Ban similarly reflects a complex and contradictory identity with its bold design which confronted notions of local identity expressed in the built environment. Despite engaged citizenry and carefully crafted planning directives, the resulting design did not reflect locally produced culture but instead revealed the influence of international capital in the urban fabric.

Originality/value

This study examines the tension between hyper-local concerns and international status enacted on a single site in a small yet metropolitan place in the American West offering insights regarding the emplacement of buildings and the subsequent impacts on a place. As cities and institutions move beyond placeless iconic architecture, architecture and urban planning practice will need to adapt to the new paradigm where buildings can be at once global yet also local, drawing on innovative design practices and local culture in the construction of place.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2010

Sujata Shetty and Andreas Luescher

Urban design has historically occupied the gap between architecture and planning. Although there have long been calls for the discipline to bridge this gap, urban design has…

Abstract

Urban design has historically occupied the gap between architecture and planning. Although there have long been calls for the discipline to bridge this gap, urban design has continued to lean more heavily on design than planning. The efforts to revitalize downtown Toledo, a mid-western U.S. town experiencing steep economic decline, present a classic example of the potentially unfortunate results of this approach. Over the past three decades, there have been many attempts to revitalize the city, especially its downtown, by constructing several large public buildings, all within a few blocks of each other, all designed with little attention to each other or to the surrounding public spaces, and with a remarkable lack of civic engagement.

Responding to calls in the literature for inter-disciplinarity in urban design, and to the city's experience with urban design, the authors created a collaborative studio for architects and planners from two neighboring universities with two purposes: first, to establish a collaborative work environment where any design interventions would be firmly rooted in the planning context (i.e., to erase boundaries between architects and planners); second, to draw lessons from this experience for the practice and teaching of urban design.

Despite the difficulties of collaborating, architects and planners benefited from exposure to each other, learning about each other's work, as well as learning to collaborate. The interdisciplinary teams developed richer proposals than the architect-only teams. Finally, critical engagement with the community is essential to shaping downtown development.

Details

Open House International, vol. 35 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 February 2022

Marwa Al Khalidi, Sana'a Al-Rqaibat and Yasmein Okour

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the postgraduate disciplinary trends in architecture in Jordan. It highlights current research topics in master theses of architecture

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the postgraduate disciplinary trends in architecture in Jordan. It highlights current research topics in master theses of architecture programs, to enhance the selection of postgraduate thesis topics that are more responsive and adaptive to the raised research demands of communities and the profession.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper analyzed 254 master's theses published from 2009 to 2019 in three Jordanian universities. The paper employed a descriptive and content analysis for theses' titles and abstracts.

Findings

The principal results identify unique geographical, temporal and disciplinary trends in the mapped theses. The findings illustrate an interest in disciplines of design studies, building technology, housing and community and urban design among postgraduate students. The findings also highlight a centralization of theses' number and geographical location within Amman governorate. Many theses also focused on residential spaces as a scale of analysis.

Practical implications

The proposed suggestions include collaborative efforts and practical mechanisms by higher education institutions, practitioners and decision-makers for advancing rigorous, diverse and relevant research topics in postgraduate theses.

Originality/value

The paper provides a comprehensive mapping of the topics of postgraduate theses in the field of architecture. It highlights how they have evolved or have been influenced by community needs. It also draws attention toward specific disciplines that have been the focus of major architectural programs in Jordan. Finally, it highlights the coexistence of interdisciplinarity within the field of architecture.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 1 May 2020

Mahmoud Abdellatif and Reham Abdellatif

The purpose of this research is to improve the understanding of what constitutes a successful thesis proposal (TP) and as such enhance the quality of the TP writing in architecture

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this research is to improve the understanding of what constitutes a successful thesis proposal (TP) and as such enhance the quality of the TP writing in architecture, planning and related disciplines.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on extended personal experience and a review of relevant literature, the authors proposed a conception of a successful TP comprising 13 standard components. The conception provides specific definition/s, attributes and success rules for each component. The conception was applied for 15 years on several batches of Saudi graduate students. The implications of the conception were assessed by a students' opinion survey. An expert inquiry of experienced academics from architectural schools in nine countries was applied to validate and improve the conception.

Findings

Assessment of the proposed conception demonstrated several positive implications on students' knowledge, performance and outputs which illustrates its applicability in real life. Experts' validation of the conception and constructive remarks have enabled further improvements on the definitions, attributes and success rules of the TP components.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed TP conception with its 13 components is limited to standard problem-solving research and will differ in the case of other types such as hypothesis-based research.

Practical implications

The proposed conception is a useful directive and evaluative tool for writing and assessing thesis proposals for graduate students, academic advisors and examiners.

Social implications

The research contributes to improving the quality of thesis production process among the academic community in the built environment fields.

Originality/value

The paper is meant to alleviate the confusion and hardship caused by the absence of a consensus on what constitutes a successful TP in the fields of architecture, urban planning and related disciplines.

Details

Archnet-IJAR: International Journal of Architectural Research, vol. 14 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-6862

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 July 2013

Hakan Akillioglu, Joao Ferreira and Mauro Onori

Evolvable production systems enable fully reconfiguration capabilities on the shop floor through process‐oriented modularity and multi‐agent‐based distributed control. To be able…

Abstract

Purpose

Evolvable production systems enable fully reconfiguration capabilities on the shop floor through process‐oriented modularity and multi‐agent‐based distributed control. To be able to benefit architectural and operational characteristics of evolvable systems, there is a need of a new planning approach which links shop floor characteristics and planning operations. This paper seeks to address these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Evolvable production system has a structured methodology in itself. Consistent to this, a reference planning architecture is developed aiming to achieve agility on planning activities. Besides a workload control method is proposed and implemented as a part of the planning architecture.

Findings

First applications of evolvable systems have been implemented through European research projects. Shop floor working principles and architectural characteristics are consistent to facilitate more agility on planning activities which are framed at a planning reference architecture called demand responsive planning. As an implementation case, an agent‐based workload control method is proposed and implemented. The characteristics of EPS and proposed planning architecture enable continuous and dynamic workload control of the shop floor to be implemented.

Originality/value

This paper presents a new planning model compatible with evolvable production systems targeting to agility to demand on planning and control activities benefiting shop floor enhancements of a fully reconfigurable system which enables to relax constraints imposed from production systems to planning. In addition, a continuous and dynamic workload control method is proposed and implemented.

Details

Assembly Automation, vol. 33 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-5154

Keywords

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