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1 – 10 of over 5000
Article
Publication date: 1 November 2023

Suhaib Arogundade, Mohammed Dulaimi, Saheed Ajayi, Abdullahi Saka and Olusegun Ilori

Extant studies have discussed numerous carbon reduction drivers, but there is a dearth of holistic review and understanding of the dynamic interrelationships between the drivers…

Abstract

Purpose

Extant studies have discussed numerous carbon reduction drivers, but there is a dearth of holistic review and understanding of the dynamic interrelationships between the drivers from a system perspective. Thus, this study aims to bridge that gap.

Design/methodology/approach

The study conducted a review using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses and adopted interpretive structural modelling (ISM) to analyse and prioritise the drivers.

Findings

Eighteen drivers were identified and grouped into five, namely, policy instruments, bid-related, cost and risk, education and training, and reward and penalty drivers. The ISM revealed two hierarchical levels of the drivers with only higher cost of electricity/fuel on the higher level, making it the most important driver that could influence others.

Practical implications

The study presents an overview of decarbonisation drivers in the literature and would be of benefit to the government and stakeholders towards achieving net zero emissions in the construction industry.

Originality/value

The findings of the study present drivers of carbon reduction and prioritise and categorise them for tailored interventions within the construction sector. Also, it could serve as foundational knowledge for further study in the construction process decarbonisation research area.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 27 June 2022

Zhiyuan Liu, Yuwen Chen and Jin Qin

This paper aims to address a pollution-routing problem with one general period of congestion (PRP-1GPC), where the start and finish times of this period can be set freely.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to address a pollution-routing problem with one general period of congestion (PRP-1GPC), where the start and finish times of this period can be set freely.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, three sets of decision variables are optimized, namely, travel speeds before and after congestion and departure times on given routes, aiming to minimize total cost including green-house gas emissions, fuel consumption and driver wages. A two-phase algorithm is introduced to solve this problem. First, an adaptive large neighborhood search heuristic is used where new removal and insertion operators are developed. Second, an analysis of optimal speed before congestion is presented, and a tailored speed-and-departure-time optimization algorithm considering congestion is proposed by obtaining the best node to be served first over the congested period.

Findings

The results show that the newly developed operator of congested service-time insertion with noise is generally used more than other insertion operators. Besides, compared to the baseline methods, the proposed algorithm equipped with the new operators provides better solutions in a short time both in PRP-1GPC instances and time-dependent pollution-routing problem instances.

Originality/value

This paper considers a more general situation of the pollution-routing problem that allows drivers to depart before the congestion. The PRP-1GPC is better solved by the proposed algorithm, which adds operators specifically designed from the new perspective of the traveling distance, traveling time and service time during the congestion period.

Details

Journal of Modelling in Management, vol. 18 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5664

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 August 2022

Gokhan Kazar, Ugur Mutlu and Onur Behzat Tokdemir

Cost overruns remain a persistent problem in the construction industry. Although various cost management strategies have been implemented, innovative approaches are still…

Abstract

Purpose

Cost overruns remain a persistent problem in the construction industry. Although various cost management strategies have been implemented, innovative approaches are still required. Therefore, the authors attempted to introduce and test a new cost management strategy for the construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

Zero-based budgeting (ZBB) is one such method whose effectiveness has been proven in different industries over many years. Therefore, the authors initially developed two different frameworks related to the integration of ZBB into a multinational construction contractor and the application process of ZBB for a construction project in this study. Then, the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed frameworks are tested via an actual field study in a mega construction project.

Findings

The results show savings of 0.81% of the total project budget and 4.74% of the focused cost items by following the ZBB framework compared to the traditionally estimated project budget. The feedback received from the employees in the construction company shows that ZBB could be efficiently implemented during ongoing construction projects.

Research limitations/implications

The authors believe that implementing new cost management strategies such as ZBB will open doors to deal with the complex cost overrun issues and improve construction cost performances.

Originality/value

This manuscript is the first actual application of the ZBB cost management approach in the construction industry.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 30 no. 10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 January 2024

Elodie Allain, Samuel Sponem and Frederic Munck

For many years, universities have been confronted with the rise of a managerial logic, in line with the new public management movement. They have been encouraged to implement new…

Abstract

Purpose

For many years, universities have been confronted with the rise of a managerial logic, in line with the new public management movement. They have been encouraged to implement new accounting tools such as cost calculations. Literature shows mixed results regarding the institutionalization of such tools, and the logic they try to support. In most studies, the agency of actors is examined to explain the institutionalization of accounting tools and only few studies consider the specific characteristics of these accounting tools to understand this process. To enrich the literature on institutionalization, this article examines how the affordances of costing tools affect the institutionalization of these tools and the institutionalization of new logics in pluralistic organizations such as universities.

Design/methodology/approach

The data were collected at a French university which is considered as an example of successful institutionalization of the tool and is cited as a model to follow. The data include a four-month participant observation and 18 interviews. Access to internal and external documents was also available. The analysis of the data is based on a framework proposed by Jarzabkowski and Kaplan (2015), which draws on the concept of affordance of tools, to investigate how the possibilities and constraints of costing tools shape the selection, application and outcomes of cost calculations.

Findings

The results show that the affordances of cost calculations facilitate the institutionalization of a new logic and its coexistence with previous logics. Technical affordances are mobilized by actors aiming to bring in a new logic without directly confronting the old ones. Role affordances also play a major role in the institutionalization by facilitating the adhesion of the actors through multiple applications of the tool. Finally, value-based affordances reinforce the institutionalization of a managerial logic by emphasizing the values shared with the other logics and thus facilitating the coexistence of the three logics at stake in the university.

Originality/value

This research provides three main contributions. First, it contributes to the literature on the institutionalization of accounting tools. It shows the relevance of the concept of affordance (Leonardi and Vaast, 2017) to unpack the characteristics of accounting tools (including the constraints and the possibilities they offer) and to achieve a better understanding of the institutionalization of accounting tools. Second, this paper contributes to the literature dealing with the role of accounting tools in the institutionalization of logics. The results suggest that the institutionalization of tools and the institutionalization of logics are two different phenomena that move at different speeds. However, these phenomena interact: the institutionalization of accounting tools can facilitate the coexistence of different logics in pluralistic organizations. Third, this paper contributes to the literature on affordances. The data reveal several types of affordances for accounting tools: technical affordances that refer to the technical possibilities to shape and tweak the tool; role affordances that refer to the various roles and purposes that the tool can fulfill and value-based affordances that refer to the plasticity of the values and beliefs that the tool can convey. The study shows that each type of affordance is prevalent at a different time of the process of institutionalization and that the combination of these affordances contributes to the institutionalization of the tool and of new logics.

Details

Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3574

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 March 2024

Ravinder Kumar Verma, P. Vigneswara Ilavarasan and Arpan Kumar Kar

Digital platforms (DP) are transforming service delivery and affecting associated actors. The position of DPs is impacted by the regulations. However, emerging economies often…

Abstract

Purpose

Digital platforms (DP) are transforming service delivery and affecting associated actors. The position of DPs is impacted by the regulations. However, emerging economies often lack the regulatory environment to support DPs. This paper aims to explore the regulatory developments for DPs using the multi-level perspective (MLP).

Design/methodology/approach

The paper explores regulatory developments of ride-hailing platforms (RHPs) in India and their impacts. This study uses qualitative interview data from platform representatives, bureaucrats, drivers, experts and policy documents.

Findings

Regulatory developments in the ride-hailing space cannot be explained as a linear progression. The static institutional assumptions, especially without considering the multi-actors and multi-levels in policy formulation, do not serve associated actors adequately in different times and spaces. The RHPs regulations must consider the perspective of new RHPs and the support available to them. Non-consideration of short- and long-term perspectives of RHPs may have unequal outcomes for established and new RHPs.

Research limitations/implications

This research has implications for the digital economy regulatory ecosystem, DPs and implications for policymakers. Though the data from legal documents and qualitative interviews is adequate, transactional data from the RHPs and interviews with judiciary actors would have been insightful.

Practical implications

The study provides insights into critical aspects of regulatory evolution, governance and regulatory impact on the DPs’ ecosystem. The right balance of regulations according to the business models of DPs allows DPs to have space for growth and development of the platform ecosystem.

Social implications

This research shows the interactions in the digital space and how regulations can impact various actors. A balanced policy can guide the paths of DPs to have equal opportunities.

Originality/value

DP regulations have a complex structure. The paper studies regulatory developments of DPs and the impacts of governance and controls on associated players and platform ecosystems.

Details

Digital Policy, Regulation and Governance, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-5038

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 October 2023

Marco Bettiol, Maria Chiarvesio, Eleonora Di Maria, Cristina Di Stefano and Luciano Fratocchi

The advantages of offshoring are increasingly under scrutiny, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has advanced the debate, calling for a redefinition of firms' production…

Abstract

Purpose

The advantages of offshoring are increasingly under scrutiny, and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has advanced the debate, calling for a redefinition of firms' production location strategies. While attention has primarily focused on the relocation of second-degree strategies, such as back-shoring, near-shoring and further offshoring, there are also other alternatives, including home country-based domestic product and process innovations, and the development of new business activities. The objective of the authors' paper is to identify which factors influence decision-makers when they select and implement such post-offshoring strategic alternatives.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors consider 11 Italian manufacturing companies that implemented these strategies and analyze triggers, drivers, enabling factors and barriers of the decision phase, as well as content, governance mode and timing of the implementation phase.

Findings

Based on the collected findings, the authors suggest a set of propositions for further research. First of all, firms can simultaneously manage multiple strategies by adopting an ambidextrous approach through which to mitigate supply chain risks. They may integrate their domestic and international production activities, but the home country remains central for innovations and production of high-end products and Industry 4.0 technologies increases the probability of investing in their home country. At the same time, lack of competence induces selective near- and back-shoring, while full back-shoring is mainly a consequence of managerial mistakes. Competence availability acts as a barrier to relocation in the home country, inducing the implementation of either an insourcing strategy or a combination of insourcing and outsourcing.

Originality/value

The authors' work identifies post-offshoring as a dynamic process and provides insights into the post-pandemic scenario. The conceptual framework may represent a useful tool for company managers in re-evaluating their initial offshoring strategies.

Details

Management Decision, vol. 61 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0025-1747

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 February 2024

Amer Jazairy, Emil Persson, Mazen Brho, Robin von Haartman and Per Hilletofth

This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of the interdisciplinary literature on drones in last-mile delivery (LMD) to extrapolate pertinent insights from and into…

Abstract

Purpose

This study presents a systematic literature review (SLR) of the interdisciplinary literature on drones in last-mile delivery (LMD) to extrapolate pertinent insights from and into the logistics management field.

Design/methodology/approach

Rooting their analytical categories in the LMD literature, the authors performed a deductive, theory refinement SLR on 307 interdisciplinary journal articles published during 2015–2022 to integrate this emergent phenomenon into the field.

Findings

The authors derived the potentials, challenges and solutions of drone deliveries in relation to 12 LMD criteria dispersed across four stakeholder groups: senders, receivers, regulators and societies. Relationships between these criteria were also identified.

Research limitations/implications

This review contributes to logistics management by offering a current, nuanced and multifaceted discussion of drones' potential to improve the LMD process together with the challenges and solutions involved.

Practical implications

The authors provide logistics managers with a holistic roadmap to help them make informed decisions about adopting drones in their delivery systems. Regulators and society members also gain insights into the prospects, requirements and repercussions of drone deliveries.

Originality/value

This is one of the first SLRs on drone applications in LMD from a logistics management perspective.

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 December 2023

Yan Li, Ming K. Lim, Weiqing Xiong, Xingjun Huang, Yuhe Shi and Songyi Wang

Recently, electric vehicles have been widely used in the cold chain logistics sector to reduce the effects of excessive energy consumption and to support environmental…

Abstract

Purpose

Recently, electric vehicles have been widely used in the cold chain logistics sector to reduce the effects of excessive energy consumption and to support environmental friendliness. Considering the limited battery capacity of electric vehicles, it is vital to optimize battery charging during the distribution process.

Design/methodology/approach

This study establishes an electric vehicle routing model for cold chain logistics with charging stations, which will integrate multiple distribution centers to achieve sustainable logistics. The suggested optimization model aimed at minimizing the overall cost of cold chain logistics, which incorporates fixed, damage, refrigeration, penalty, queuing, energy and carbon emission costs. In addition, the proposed model takes into accounts factors such as time-varying speed, time-varying electricity price, energy consumption and queuing at the charging station. In the proposed model, a hybrid crow search algorithm (CSA), which combines opposition-based learning (OBL) and taboo search (TS), is developed for optimization purposes. To evaluate the model, algorithms and model experiments are conducted based on a real case in Chongqing, China.

Findings

The result of algorithm experiments illustrate that hybrid CSA is effective in terms of both solution quality and speed compared to genetic algorithm (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO). In addition, the model experiments highlight the benefits of joint distribution over individual distribution in reducing costs and carbon emissions.

Research limitations/implications

The optimization model of cold chain logistics routes based on electric vehicles provides a reference for managers to develop distribution plans, which contributes to the development of sustainable logistics.

Originality/value

In prior studies, many scholars have conducted related research on the subject of cold chain logistics vehicle routing problems and electric vehicle routing problems separately, but few have merged the above two subjects. In response, this study innovatively designs an electric vehicle routing model for cold chain logistics with consideration of time-varying speeds, time-varying electricity prices, energy consumption and queues at charging stations to make it consistent with the real world.

Details

Industrial Management & Data Systems, vol. 124 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-5577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 December 2023

Alolote Ibim Amadi

This study aims to investigate ground-related design deficiencies as potential avenues of avoidable cost overruns, discernible from the geotechnical practices of highway agencies…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate ground-related design deficiencies as potential avenues of avoidable cost overruns, discernible from the geotechnical practices of highway agencies in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

The study deploys an interpretivist qualitative methodology to provide a detailed descriptive analysis of the design-related geotechnical practices of highway agencies during the pre-contract phase of highway projects. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with in-house professionals, consultants and contractors affiliated with the three highway agencies in the Niger Delta and thematically analysed to identify significant deviations from geotechnical best practices.

Findings

The study outcome shows that during the pre-contract phase, a chain of design-related geotechnical shortcomings has plagued highway projects executed in the Niger Delta. This view of practice uncovered in this study demonstrates a culture of significant deviation from best practice recommendations, which could plausibly contribute to the history of significant project cost overruns recorded in the region.

Originality/value

The study qualitatively spotlights gaps in the practice of highway agencies and reinforces the need for a re-orientation of the attitude to risk management, to give geotechnical concerns a priority in the financial management of highway projects executed in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria.

Details

Journal of Financial Management of Property and Construction , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1366-4387

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 January 2023

Vahid Ghomi, David Gligor, Sina Shokoohyar, Reza Alikhani and Farnaz Ghazi Nezami

Collaborative Logistics (CL) and merging operations are crucial strategies for reducing costs and improving service in transportation companies. This study proposes a model for…

Abstract

Purpose

Collaborative Logistics (CL) and merging operations are crucial strategies for reducing costs and improving service in transportation companies. This study proposes a model for optimizing efficiency in supply chain networks through inbound and outbound Collaborative Logistics implementation among the carriers in centralized, coordinated networks with cross-docking.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-integer non-linear programming model is developed to determine the optimal truck-goods assignment while gaining economies of scale through mixing multiple less-than-truckload (LTL) products with different weight-to-volume ratios. Unlike the previous studies that have considered Collaborative Logistics from the cost and profit-sharing perspective, the proposed model seeks to determine an appropriate form of Collaborative Logistics in the VRP.

Findings

This article shows that in a three-echelon supply chain consisting of a set of suppliers, a set of customers and a cross-docking terminal, partial collaboration among the inbound carriers and outbound carriers outperforms no/complete collaboration. This approach enhances the supply chain efficiency by minimizing the total transportation costs, the total transportation miles and the total number of trucks and maximizing fleet utilization. While addressing the four points, the role of collaborative logistics among the carriers was discussed. In a three-echelon SC consisting of a set of suppliers, a set of customers and a cross-docking terminal, partial collaboration among the inbound carriers and outbound carriers outperforms no/complete collaboration. Using a combination of experimental analysis and optimization process, it was recommended that managers be cautious that too much (full or complete) or no collaboration can result in SC performance deterioration.

Originality/value

The suggested approach enhances the supply chain efficiency by minimizing the total transportation costs, the total transportation miles and the total number of trucks and maximizing fleet utilization. While addressing the four points, the role of Collaborative Logistics among the carriers was discussed.

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 34 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 5000