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Prefabricated components sustainable supplier (PCSS) selection is critical to the success of prefabricated projects. However, limited studies have addressed the uncertainty and complexities during the selection process, particularly in multi-criterion group decision-making (MCGDM) circumstances. Hence, the research aims to develop a group decision-making model using a modified fuzzy MCGDM approach for PCSS selection under uncertain situation.

The proposed study develops a framework for sorting decisions in PCSS selection by using the hesitant fuzzy technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (HF-TOPSIS) method. The maximum consistency (MC) model is used to calculate the weights of decision makers (DMs) based on the cardinality and sequence of decision data.

The proposed framework has been successfully applied and illustrated in the case example of CB01 contract section in Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) megaproject. The results show various complicated decision-making scenarios can be addressed through the proposed approach. The MC model is able to calculate the weights of DMs based on the cardinality and sequence of decision data.

The research contributes to improving accuracy and reliability decision-making processes for PCSS selection, especially under hesitant and fuzzy situations in prefabricated megaprojects.

This paper aims to examine briefing practices and whether these are related to the quality of brief documents and client satisfaction in constructed health-care facilities in South Africa. The rational for the examination stems from the view held by scholars that the briefing process is critical to the success of projects, as well as client/user satisfaction in the constructed facility, and also because of undocumented reports of client/end-user dissatisfaction in constructed health-care facilities in South Africa.

The research process consisted of a literature review to identify existing briefing framework and practices in use applicable to facilities. This was supported by an exploratory case study of a recently completed public hospital in East London, South Africa. Data collection for the study was undertaken by means of conducting semi-structured interviews with two groups consisting of client representatives and the technical design team on the project.

The research established that in the context of this case study, inadequate client consultation took place, not all design consultants were adequately involved in the development of the project brief, limited use was made of a specific briefing framework in developing the project brief and that despite these shortcomings in the briefing process followed, a comprehensive good quality briefing document was produced and the client was satisfied with the health-care facility constructed.

The results of this study are generalizable with health-care facilities only. As such, research inferences and projections can only be made within this set and may not necessarily be applicable to the wider construction sector or to all projects within this sector.

The implications of this research are applicable to constructed health-care facilities. Practical inferences include the need to acknowledge that there is a need for a briefing framework, which should outline the involvement of all design consultants and client representatives when developing the project briefs for health-care facilities. The briefing framework is proposed for use in addressing the shortcomings in the briefing processes and practices and will also help the client in the choice of a brief process and practice which will comprehensively capture their requirements, give clear directives/information to the design consultants and will result in higher levels of end-user/patient satisfaction in the constructed health-care facility.

Clients and allied professionals in charge of health-care facilities’ construction are encouraged to consider the implementation of a standard framework for use in the briefing process. This reflection should encourage engagement through formative legislative provision and transparent awareness campaigns.

This work is original insofar, as it directly addresses the alignment of briefing practices to quality of brief documents and client satisfaction in constructed health-care facilities within the context of the South African construction industry. However, similar exercises have been undertaken on briefing practices in the wider construction sector.

In this paper we propose a strategy for investing in new companies for which there is relatively little hard data available. We use fuzzy set theory to represent these new companies as finite fuzzy subsets of established companies for which there is a history of investment data. A fuzzy set is also used to represent the economic environment in which the proposed new investments will be made. From this fuzzy information we construct a fuzzy expected return for each new investment under consideration. These expected returns are then defuzzified, and those proposed investments whose defuzzified expected returns fail to meet some specified criteria are discarded. An investment strategy is then proposed for investing available capital in those new companies that meet the criteria.

This paper describes the results of an extensive search into two factors which effect, to a high degree, the efficiency of on‐line information retrieval. These two factors are firstly the manner by which keywords are chosen as a means of retrieval by the reviewers of the reference work and secondly the degree with which papers with comparable contents are accorded similar keywords. The influence of these two factors on the practical results of on‐line retrieval is shown by the example of two extensive searches: these searches were done manually as well as on‐line. From these two methods it is then possible to compare what is retrieved by the computer and what is in reality available.

The purpose of this paper is to explore and compare the core operating values of Catholic and Buddhist entrepreneurs.

The study is an empirical investigation of the value-orientations of Catholic and Buddhist entrepreneurs in Hungary. By applying qualitative content analysis, document analysis and qualitative comparative analysis, the study presents the distinctive spiritual values in business.

Regardless of their different approach, Catholic and Buddhist value-orientations are implemented in the same value-dimensions that are: the ontological conceptions, procedural aspects, and the other-directedness of business activities.

The findings substantiate the understanding of the behavior and the motivations of spiritually value-oriented entrepreneurs, furthermore Catholic and Buddhist values may serve as inspirations of genuine ethical behavior in business. By promoting these values a more ethical, more sustainable economic framework can be established.

Spiritual values are studied by comparing the value-orientations of Catholic and Buddhist entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the study explores Catholic social teaching and Buddhist economics, and their practical implementation in a comparative way.

Greening existing buildings (GEB) considerably improves energy efficiency of old buildings, along with other benefits, but it is not widely practiced. As a part of a wider study, this paper aims to evaluate the perception of building dwellers/owners on the challenges and motivators to GEB in Brunei Darussalam.

A structured questionnaire survey collected 109 responses from building owners/dwellers. Cronbach's alpha tested the reliability of the data collected. One-sample t-test examined if sample means are consistent with population means. ANOVA examined if different respondent groups significantly agreed on the importance levels of individual factors. Moreover, factor analysis narrowed down the long list of factors in to a smaller number of components.

A set of 30 challenges and 19 motivators of GEB was identified. “Lack of a GEB infrastructure” was identified as the collective key challenge, leading dwellers to recognize lack of support and knowledge and develop wrong perception on GEB. However, “framework of supports,” as a summative motivator, improves knowledge and awareness on GEB, which allows recognizing other benefits and developing a momentum of practicing GEB. Factor analysis suggested a consolidated approach for challenges through six interrelated components, but for motivators to focus on somewhat four independent areas.

House/building dweller/owners' decision is the key to undertake GEB. This study, apparently for the first time, contributes to identifying the challenges and motivators that influence their decision-making.

This paper aims to explore the match between needs and services related to participation for frail older adults receiving home care.

A qualitative multiple case study was conducted with 11 triads each involving an elder, a caregiver and a healthcare provider working in a Health and Social Services Centers (HSSCs).

Although HSSCs in Québec are supposed to promote social integration and participation of older adults, services provided to the older adults in this study focused mainly on safety and independence in personal care, dressing, mobility and nutrition, without fully meeting older adults’ needs in these areas. Discrepancies between needs and services may be attributable to the assessment not covering all the dimensions of social participation or accurately identifying older adults’ complex needs; older adults’ and their caregivers’ difficulties identifying their needs and accepting their limitations and the assistance offered; healthcare providers’ limited knowledge and time to comprehensively assess needs and provide services; guidelines restricting the types and quantity of services to be supplied; and limited knowledge of older adults, caregivers and healthcare providers about services and resources available in the community.

To improve and maintain older adults’ participation, a more thorough assessment of their participation, especially in social activities, is required, as is greater support for older adults and their families in using available community resources. It is also important to review the services provided by HSSCs and to optimize partnerships with community organizations.

Public policies provide a way for governments to influence the effectiveness of business strategies in the international marketplace. The main goal of this article is to show the importance of key aspects for policymaking at the national level and, secondly, to try to evaluate if public policies and programmes are effective in the entrepreneurship and internationalization of firms.

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) data set was used to perform a multivariate analysis through multiple linear regression.

The economic and financial crisis that has plagued the world recently has incentivized entrepreneurs to be more creative and encouraged policymakers to be more effective in the important role they can play in economic growth. Thus, the findings indicate that government support can help firms be more entrepreneurial and increase their level of internationalization in the marketplace. The findings indicate that entrepreneurship is an important growth factor, so it is important to understand government support can be effective in stimulating business activity.

This study focusses on perceptions of government policy based on the GEM database, which means it is limited to subjective assessments rather than objective measures.

The findings of this study will help business managers focus on their country of origin as a way to stress the impact of government policies on reputation in the international marketplace.

Governments need to acknowledge how their entrepreneurial policies regarding innovation and internationalization affect business success rate. This means emphasizing the trustworthiness and credibility of their policies.

This article highlights the need for more entrepreneurial policymaking that emphasizes government reputational affects in the success rate of firms in the international marketplace. This provides a way for firms to gain better recognition from country-of-origin effects but also for policymakers to prioritize international strategic efforts. By comparing data from different countries, the article highlights the different ways government policy can be utilized strategically in order to increase entrepreneurship and internationalization rates.

Programming a multi‐axis robotic device to follow complex contours can be difficult and time consuming. A United States University working with the automotive division of a US company has evolved a prototype system utilising a capacitive displacement transducer.

This paper investigates the dynamic relationship between the trade-weighted dollar exchange rates and the oil prices in the world market. Monthly data during 1980–2017 are used for this purpose.

The symmetric and asymmetric generalized impulse response functions are estimated for these important economic indicators.

The empirical findings show that if the dollar rate increases (i.e. the dollar depreciates), the oil price will increase. The reverse relationship is also supported empirically meaning that an increase in the oil price will results in a significant depreciation of the dollar rate. Based on the asymmetric impulses responses, it can also be claimed that the negative interaction is only significant for the positive changes and not for the negative ones. Thus, the underlying variables are negatively interrelated only for the positive shocks since a negative shock from any variable does not seem to have any significant impact on the other variable. These results have implications for cross hedging of price risk.

To the best knowledge, this is the first attempt to investigate the relationship between the dollar weighted exchange rate and the oil pieces via the asymmetric impulse response functions. Both of these variables and their interactions are very important for investors as well as policy makers worldwide.