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Although residential neighbourhoods are the largest and most resilient share of a city and the process of urban conservation and renewal is ongoing, methods to assess their values are limited. This paper presents the results of a systematic literature review, revealing the state of the art and its knowledge gaps with regard to methods for assessing values of architecture in residential neighbourhoods.

The systematic literature review is based on studies selected by a research protocol, using a digital database of peer-reviewed literature. A metanarrative approach is used to synthesise the qualitative data from reviewed articles. This review has two stages: (1) giving an overview of the field and (2) categorising research methods and disciplines.

The review revealed a wide variety of studies from different disciplines and deduced its key trends, titled as “storylines”, concerning the methods to assess significance, integrating a broader scope of values and different perspectives. In particular, the “storylines” outside traditional heritage disciplines offer methods to include more stakeholders, link value assessment to policy development or highlight heritage potential. Results reveal the diversity in concepts and strengthen the need for an interdisciplinary vocabulary on values and methods, enabling planners and policymakers to compare their results and help to create more attractive and resilient cities.

By reviewing and comparing the selected studies from a wider range of disciplines and research fields, this paper shares insights into the complementary characteristics of the different types of value research, outlining the added value of the different perspectives.

The repeat sales house price index (HPI) has been widely used to measure house price movements on the assumption that the quality of properties does not change over time. This study aims to develop a novel improvement-value adjusted repeat sales (IVARS) HPI to remedy the bias owing to the constant-quality assumption.

This study compares the performance of the IVARS model with the traditional hedonic price model and the repeat sales model by using half a million repeated sales pairs of housing transactions in the Auckland Region of New Zealand, and by a simulation approach.

The results demonstrate that using the information on improvement values from mass appraisal can significantly mitigate the time-varying attribute bias. Simulation analysis further reveals that if the improvement work done is not considered, the repeat sales HPI may be overestimated by 2.7% per annum. The more quality enhancement a property has, the more likely it is that the property will be resold.

This novel index may have the potential to enable the inclusion of home condition reporting in property value assessments prior to listing open market sales.

The novel IVARS index can help gauge house price movements with housing quality changes.

This paper aims to propose the use of net present value methods to derive the quality costs of quality improvement projects. The proposed methodology is then demonstrated in a case study of a quality improvement to an inspection process in an automobile assembly plant.

The approach takes the form of application of accounting net present value methods to the cost of quality methods.

Quality improvements in the manufacture of durable goods do not usually have instantaneous results in warranty cost reductions, customer satisfaction or revenue expansion. The net present value method proposed gives a more accurate accounting of the expected results of quality improvement projects by considering the temporal effects of the change and the time value of money.

The case study presented contains fictitious data to protect the confidentiality of the source. While it is useful in demonstrating the application of the net present value method, it should not be used as an indication of actual costs of plant operations.

The paper provides a unique approach to cost of quality analysis that is particularly useful in the assessment of quality improvement projects for durable goods. While much research is focused on cost of quality methods and philosophies, only a little provides the level of detail in the actual application of the methods found in the case study.

Price indices for commercial real estate markets are difficult to construct because assets are heterogeneous, they are spatially dispersed and they are infrequently traded. Appraisal-based indices are one response to these problems, but may understate volatility or fail to capture turning points in a timely manner. This paper estimates “transaction linked indices” for major European markets to see whether these offer a different perspective on market performance. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The assessed value method is used to construct the indices. This has been recently applied to commercial real estate datasets in the USA and UK. The underlying data comprise appraisals and sale prices for assets monitored by Investment Property Databank (IPD). The indices are compared to appraisal-based series for the countries concerned for Q4 2001 to Q4 2012.

Transaction linked indices show stronger growth and sharper declines over the course of the cycle, but they do not notably lead their appraisal-based counterparts. They are typically two to four times more volatile.

Only country-level indicators can be constructed in many cases owing to low trading volumes in the period studied, and this same issue prevented sample selection bias from being analysed in depth.

Discussion of the utility of transaction-based price indicators is extended to European commercial real estate markets. The indicators offer alternative estimates of real estate market volatility that may be useful in asset allocation and risk modelling, including in a regulatory context.

The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study exploring New Zealand library managers’ views on the purpose, outcomes and approaches to measuring library economic value and social impact.

Semi-structured interviews with library managers drawn from a purposive sample were undertaken in four main centres in New Zealand.

Analysis of the interviews suggest that library managers do not feel under immediate direct pressure to provide evidence of the value and impact of their services but feel that it is important to have data available if required. There was some scepticism about the validity of quantitative data collected and some uncertainty about how to interpret and communicate it for the best outcome for the service. Strong support for qualitative “stories” or narratives was a feature of the interviews.

This was a small scale study, limited to just four centres in the North Island of New Zealand.

Library managers may want to consider systematic methods of collecting narrative data to support quantitative data. They could also reflect on how to communicate value and impact data and information proactively, using alternative communication strategies and tools such as social media.

There have been no previous studies of library managers’ views of measuring the value and impact of libraries in New Zealand. The focus on the purpose and outcomes of measurement in the New Zealand context is also original.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the voluntary horizontal M&A impact on operating performance in Nigeria between 1995 and 2012 under different complementary approaches.

Residual income valuation (RIV), economic value-added (EVA), data envelopment analysis (DEA) and stochastic frontier analysis (SFA).

Results showed a statistically significant improvement in the technical efficiency of both bidder and target companies, the reduced efficiency levels of the bidder firms under DEA scores reveals the specifics of the productive technology. This may suggest that resulting merged companies in Nigeria may have not even become too big in scale or even reached the most productive scale size, despite their almost monopolistic position in the sector. This happens because the scale size of the sector is small per se, implying that the investments necessary to achieve synergistic gains have to be partially covered by price increases.

This study will guide both the M&A practitioners, investment banks, and the policy makes. In terms of having to review M&A policy as well as seeing to the improvement in the infrastructural needs.

With improved performance, employment can be created thereby giving employment to the youths. This will reduce social problems.

From the literature and records, no long-term operating performance on voluntary mergers and acquisitions has not been carried out in Nigeria. The paper seeks to know the fundamental value of the firms after these transactions with the current methodology that is acceptable from the literature.

Medical device users are one of the principal medical device technology stakeholders. The involvement of users in medical device technology development and assessment is central to meet their needs. This study aims to examine this issue.

A structured review of the literature published from 1980 to 2005 in peer‐reviewed journals was carried out from a social science perspective to investigate user involvement practice in the development and assessment of medical device technologies. This was followed by a qualitative thematic analysis.

Medical device users include clinicians, patients, carers and others. Different kinds of medical devices are developed and assessed by user involvement. The user involvement occurs at different stages of the medical device technology lifecycle and the degree of user involvement is in the order of: design>testing and trials>deployment>concept stages. The methods most commonly used for capturing users' perspectives are usability tests, interviews and questionnaire surveys.

The relevant engineering, medical and nursing literature, which might have been useful, was not reviewed. However, useful findings emerge that apply to health care generally.

This study shows that medical device users are not homogeneous but heterogeneous in several aspects, such as needs, skills and working environments. This is an important consideration for incorporating users' perspectives in medical device technologies.

India is a rapidly urbanizing developing country with a population of 1.4 Billion. Indian governments have invested USD 50 Billion) in metro rail projects in 18 cities. Metro constructions are multi-stakeholder mega-projects and are prone to a variety of risks. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the risks involved in metro rail construction projects in a densely populated developing country for two types of systems and from two perspectives. Current literature lacks an understanding of similarities and differences in the risks involved in underground and elevated metro projects from clients' and contractors' perspectives, which the paper highlights.

A total of twenty-five risks were identified, categorized and assessed through experts' opinions about the impact and probability of occurrence of the risks through a questionnaire-based survey. The survey respondents included experts in metro rail construction from client and contractor sides. Paper uses a Fuzzy Inference System to calibrate risk magnitude from occurrence probability and impact.

A notable difference was observed in the views of clients and contractors, except for certain common risks. Both stakeholders had different risk perceptions for the underground and elevated metro rail systems.

This study contributes to the risk assessment for different types of metro systems. This research can help policymakers as well as consultants in prioritizing their risk management strategies in developing countries like India.

Highlighting the critical aspects of risks in metro projects in a developing country, this paper also provides system-based and stakeholder-based comparative aspects of risk analysis.

This study examines the process of establishing a viable brand in a new foreign market through successful market entry governance by utilizing various types of branding alliances to transfer corporate brands. Drawing from corporate illustrations and building upon Ghosh and John's (1999) governance value analysis (GVA) model, a decision model for managers is developed providing theory-based guidance for market entry strategies. Relational governance can be considered as a continuum ranging from strong relational (i.e., joint ventures, co-branding) to weak relational (i.e., joint promotion, marketing alliance) forms. Firms should organize their market entry strategy based upon brand equity resources, specific investments made by the partner, and environmental uncertainty (market volatility and cultural distance), so as to transfer the desired brand image and associations into local markets by maximizing the level of value created and value claimed. This study contributes to the international marketing literature by providing a theoretically strong decision model, supported by corporate examples, of how firms enter markets using various types of brand alliances. It also advances the practice of international marketing in regard to branding by providing insights as to how managers in the global marketplace can effectively transfer brand images and build global brand equity, minimizing firm costs while maximizing the value created and claimed from the brand.

The different dimensions and contexts within which value is co-created has generated varied views of how value is understood or formed. This study aims to examine employee-guest perceived value as important factors for the successful implementation of value co-creation (VCC).

The study employs an interpretive paradigm, using in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation in a qualitative design to increase understanding of employee-guest perceived value to aid the implementation of VCC at the dyadic level.

Findings highlight eight value perceptions including value for money, hotel location, physical evidence, mutual respect, appreciation, safety & security, quality & varieties of food and technological characteristics of service as important factors for the successful implementation of VCC at the dyadic level.

Generalisability of the findings is a limitation not only due to the smaller sample size but also due to industry-specific context. The study follows rigorous procedures to minimise biases, yet research limitation is acknowledged from the researcher’s participation in the research process.

The notion that actor’s assess value differently from the same service suggests that diverse service elements might be experienced differently. This study provides insights for hotel managers to recognise not only individuals’ value preferences but also service types that reflect employee-guest collective service preferences for sustainability.

This study integrates and extends extant literature by examining employees’ and guests’ individual and collective views at distinct hotel contexts to gain useful insights into value and VCC. The study proposes a framework that hospitality firms can use to address service failure and competition-related issues.