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1 – 10 of over 9000Rouzbeh Shabani, Tobias Onshuus Malvik, Agnar Johansen and Olav Torp
Uncertainty management (UM) in projects has been a point of attention for researchers for many years. Research on UM has mainly been aimed at uncertainty analyses in the front-end…
Abstract
Purpose
Uncertainty management (UM) in projects has been a point of attention for researchers for many years. Research on UM has mainly been aimed at uncertainty analyses in the front-end and managing uncertainty in the construction phase. In contrast, UM components in the design phase have received less attention. This research aims to improve knowledge about the key components of UM in the design phase of large road projects.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted a literature review and case study. The literature review was used to identify relevant criteria for UM. These criteria helped to design the interview guide. Multiple case study research was conducted, and data were collected through document study and interviews with project stakeholders in two road projects. Each case's owners, contractors and consultants were interviewed individually.
Findings
The data analysis obtained helpful information on the involved parties, process and exploit tools and techniques during the design phase. Johansen's (2015) framework [(a) human and organisation, (b) process and (c) tools and techniques)] was completed and developed by identifying relevant criteria (such as risk averse or risk-taker, culture and documentation level) for each component. These criteria help to measure UM performance. The authors found that owners and contractors are major formal UM actors, not consultants. Empirical data showed the effectiveness of Web-based tools in UM.
Research limitations/implications
The studied cases were Norwegian, and this study focussed on uncertainties in the project's design phase. Relevant criteria did not cover all the criteria for evaluating the performance of UM. Qualitative evaluation of criteria allows further quantitative analysis in the future.
Practical implications
This paper gave project owners and managers a better understanding of relevant criteria for measuring UM in the owners and managers' projects. The paper provides policy-makers with a deeper understanding of creating rigorous project criteria for UM during the design phase. This paper also provides a guideline for UM in road projects.
Originality/value
This research gives a holistic evaluation of UM by noticing relevant criteria and criteria's interconnection in the design phase.
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Sakthivel Murugan R. and Vinodh S.
This paper aims to propose a new framework on prioritizing and deployment of design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) strategies to an industrial component using Fuzzy TOPSIS…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to propose a new framework on prioritizing and deployment of design for additive manufacturing (DfAM) strategies to an industrial component using Fuzzy TOPSIS multiple criteria decision-making (MCDM) techniques. The proposed framework is then applied to an automotive component, and the results are discussed and compared with existing design.
Design/methodology/approach
Eight DfAM design alternatives associated with eight design criteria have been identified for framing new DfAM strategies. The prioritization order of the design alternatives is identified by Fuzzy TOPSIS MCDM technique through its closeness coefficient. Based on Fuzzy TOPSIS MCDM output, each of the design alternatives is applied sequentially to an automobile component as a case study. Redesign is carried out at each stage of DfAM implementation without affecting the functionality.
Findings
On successful implementation of proposed framework to an automotive component, the mass is reduced by 43.84%, from 0.429 kg to 0.241 kg. The redesign is validated by finite element analysis, where von Mises stress is less than the yield stress of the material.
Practical implications
The proposed DfAM framework and strategies will be useful to designers, R&D engineers, industrial practitioners, experts and consultants for implementing DfAM strategies on any industrial component without impacting its functionality.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the idea of prioritization and implementation of DfAM strategies to an automotive component is the original contribution.
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Vassiliki Demetracopoulou, William J. O'Brien, Nabeel Khwaja, Jeffrey Feghaly and Mounir El Asmar
Over the last three decades, construction projects have increasingly been delivered through alternative delivery methods. As a result, many owners have a range of delivery methods…
Abstract
Purpose
Over the last three decades, construction projects have increasingly been delivered through alternative delivery methods. As a result, many owners have a range of delivery methods to choose from and aim to use the right one for each of their projects. Researchers have developed several tools and decision-support processes to facilitate this selection procedure. The purpose of this study is to review and discuss differences and common themes across selection tools developed by academic researchers and project owners.
Design/methodology/approach
The study reviews prominent selection processes and tools used for infrastructure projects by conducting an in-depth literature review and using the content analysis method to elicit findings on the methodologies and criteria presented in the literature.
Findings
This study presents three principal findings. First, findings show three common themes emerge within the selection criteria—characteristics, goals and risks. Second, while academic studies most commonly suggest employing multi-attribute analysis, this study reveals that, in practice, selection tools most frequently employ a staged or gated evaluation based on the type of criteria and their importance to the decision. Finally, this review further highlights the importance of institutional context in decision-making.
Originality/value
This work contributes to the body of knowledge by providing guidance to practitioners and opening new directions for researchers around the way selection criteria are categorized in the relevant literature and the institutional context considerations when structuring or evaluating a selection process or tool.
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Monica Moscatelli, Alessandro Raffa and Arzu Ulusoy Shipstone
This study aims to demonstrate how women's involvement in urban planning and design in Gulf cities improves urban space's inclusivity and strengthens identity through cultural…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to demonstrate how women's involvement in urban planning and design in Gulf cities improves urban space's inclusivity and strengthens identity through cultural heritage revitalisation. It also promotes the participation of women in architecture and city-making by showcasing how shaping urban spaces offers local communities opportunities for social interaction and a more inclusive environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper critically compares two case studies in the Gulf region—one in the United Arab Emirates and the other in Bahrain—according to four inclusion criteria: context connection, cultural sensitivity, community engagement and choices of amenities. These inclusion criteria are also applied to an experimental project by women architects' students in Saudi Arabia to inspire the future female architects of the Gulf region. From urban to architectural scales, the project offers a glance into the heritage design by women architects.
Findings
In light of this critical analysis, this study highlights the sensitivity to issues related to the revitalisation of urban areas by women architects. The case studies identified show the role of the female architect in making architecture and linking cultural heritage with contemporary themes. These projects stitch the past with the present and link cultural identity with aspects related to sustainable architecture. Therefore, valorising women's architectural experience is necessary to contribute to sustainable urban development in the Gulf region and beyond.
Originality/value
The present study addresses the importance of the role of women architects in the Gulf region. The research promotes the full and equal participation of women in the architecture and construction of the city to recognise their achievements by increasing their involvement in the work in a more integrated and balanced way.
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Simon Ofori Ametepey, Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa and Wellington Didibhuku Thwala
The CEEQUAL certification system promotes sustainable development (SD) principles in infrastructure construction, with 12 categories of criteria and indicators. ENVISION assigns…
Abstract
The CEEQUAL certification system promotes sustainable development (SD) principles in infrastructure construction, with 12 categories of criteria and indicators. ENVISION assigns 60 points to five categories, while Green Guide is divided into seven classifications. SD certification requires 11 requirements, including an ecological assessment procedure, life-cycle costing assessment, quality control plan, noise mitigation plan, waste management plan, pollution prevention plan, low impact development, pavement management system, site maintenance plan, and educational outreach. SD certification technique provides 8 critical criteria, 153 standards, 17 stringent prerequisites, and 8 categories of points. Culp (2011) developed a grading system to incorporate SD principles into infrastructure projects; Shen et al. (2011) explored significant assessment parameters for the SD of infrastructure projects using the fuzzy set method; Lui and Cui (2012) studied SD frameworks for building projects, Montgomery et al. (2014) and Lim (2009) identified 77 major SD indicators based on a comprehensive review of the relevant literature, and the Transport Division of New South Wales established a Transportation Project Sustainability Framework to ensure the long-term viability of their transportation network and the continuous improvement of their environmental and sustainability performance. Assah Amiril (2014) revealed a global network of 27 SD criteria produced by professionals, for-profit and non-profit organizations, divided into five groups: ecological, financial, sociological, engineering, asset use, and project management. The most important details in this study are that 57 indicators were categorized into eight types, weighted according to their respective impacts, and the influence of each component on SD was evaluated using a 100-dimensional scale. This study investigated the eight criteria and the impact of three additional criteria (public participation, climate change response, and stakeholder management). This chapter examined the criteria and indicators of SD criteria and indicators for road infrastructure development in developing countries. The most important findings are that the CEEQUAL, Ugwu, Haupt, and Lim models are the most comprehensive theoretical models of SD requirements for infrastructure design, and that all frameworks and models promote the sharing, promotion, and acknowledgement of SD concepts.
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A.M.D.S. Atapattu, Chandanie Hadiwattage, B.A.K.S. Perera and Dilakshan Rajaratnam
The circular economy concept emerged as the resolution to the destructive linear economy practices. Nevertheless, the transition to a circular built environment is hindered due to…
Abstract
Purpose
The circular economy concept emerged as the resolution to the destructive linear economy practices. Nevertheless, the transition to a circular built environment is hindered due to the ambiguities of the economic value of the concept. Conversely, numerous decision-making tools are applied in the construction industry in assessing economic alternatives, even if there is a gap in utilising these tools in appraising circular economic practices. Hence, this study investigates the potential benefits of applying proven decision-making practices, particularly criteria scoring matrices, in developing circular built environments.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach was followed to achieve the aim of the study. A conceptual design of a criteria scoring matrix was developed with a comprehensive literature survey. Semi-structured interviews of a three-round Delphi expert survey were employed to assess the matrix qualitatively and develop the matrix further. Data were analysed using the content analysis method.
Findings
The lack of a value assessment tool in economically assessing the circular economy principles is a key barrier to transcending to a circular built environment. In addressing this issue, this study develops a criteria scoring matrix for circularity value assessment during the design stage of a construction project.
Originality/value
This research contributes to the theory by developing a criteria scoring matrix to measure the economic contribution of circular economy principles. Further, this research contributes to the practice by allowing construction alternatives to be selected, balancing the potential economic return options of a project with the project's contribution to a circular economy.
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Chukwuka Christian Ohueri, San Chuin Liew, Jibril Adewale Bamgbade and Wallace Imoudu Enegbuma
The efficient application of building information modeling (BIM) methodology in the sustainable building design process, known as green BIM, provides ideal leverage to…
Abstract
Purpose
The efficient application of building information modeling (BIM) methodology in the sustainable building design process, known as green BIM, provides ideal leverage to significantly enhance multidiscipline team collaboration. However, the practical execution of green BIM is characterized by issues such as duplication of work, information silos and poor cross-party coordination. Besides, there are limited studies on the specific components that are critical to driving green BIM collaborative design. This study aims to establish the critical components of green BIM collaborative design to enable the multidiscipline team to effectively use diverse software to collaboratively exchange accurate information, thus ensuring informed decision-making in the sustainable building design process.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were obtained by using a questionnaire to survey 360 respondents comprising mainly architects and engineers (civil, mechanical and electrical) in Malaysia. Subsequently, data were analyzed via confirmatory factor analysis. Afterward, a measurement model was established and used to test the 11 hypotheses of this study.
Findings
A covariance-based structural equation model of the critical components for successful BIM-based sustainable building design collaboration was established.
Practical implications
The research findings will guide the multidisciplinary team to collaboratively exchange accurate information in green BIM practices.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first attempt in the literature to provide a pragmatic approach for practitioners to combine the established critical components of green BIM to collaboratively exchange heterogeneous sustainability criteria and efficiently design buildings with high sustainability performance, particularly in emerging countries like Malaysia.
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Xi Yu Leung, Lawrence Hoc Nang Fong, Xunyue (Joanne) Xue and Anna S. Mattila
Hospitality and tourism research lags in using experimental designs. This study aims to reveal prestigious scholars’ opinions and suggestions on how to effectively design and…
Abstract
Purpose
Hospitality and tourism research lags in using experimental designs. This study aims to reveal prestigious scholars’ opinions and suggestions on how to effectively design and execute experimental research.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted an open-ended survey on 187 editors and editorial board members from 22 top hospitality and tourism journals. Their answers were coded following an inductive method of coding, and a list of themes and categories was synthesized.
Findings
The results summarize common problems of this method and indicate significant barriers to making experimental studies publishable. The review criteria for experimental studies are presented from four aspects: overall design, stimuli and manipulations, data collection and reporting results.
Research limitations/implications
The results provide valuable suggestions for researchers interested in experimental design in the hospitality and tourism field. The study contributes to a shift toward well-designed and well-executed experimental research in hospitality and tourism.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study is the first to survey editorial board members of impactful hospitality and tourism journals to reveal their insights into the experimental methodology. The study makes significant theoretical and methodological contributions by addressing calls to understand common problems and barriers to experimental research in our field.
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Marie Reumont, François Cooren and Claudia Déméné
Communicating a clear, precise, interpretable and unambiguous visual message usually relies on a cross-disciplinary team of professionals. Their complementary visions can uncover…
Abstract
Purpose
Communicating a clear, precise, interpretable and unambiguous visual message usually relies on a cross-disciplinary team of professionals. Their complementary visions can uncover which information matter and how it could be visually displayed to inform, sensitize and encourage people to act toward sustainability. While design studies generally claim that this team has to come to a shared vision, the authors question this assumption, which seems to contradict the benefits of cross-disciplinarity. The purpose of this study is to reveal how simple visual representations displayed in a PowerPoint actively participate in the expression of various and sometimes divergent visions. Recognizing the agency of visuals also leads this study to propose the notion of (un)shared professional vision, which shows that the richness of visual representations can only reveal itself through the capacity of professional visions to maintain their differences while confronting each other.
Design/methodology/approach
Over a 20-month ethnography, this study documented its own cross-disciplinary reflective design process, which aimed to design collectively an experimental environmental label, focusing on interactions occurring between professionals and visuals displayed on five key PowerPoint slides.
Findings
This study first demonstrates how, in practice, a cross-disciplinary reflective design conversation with visuals concretely unfolds through boundary-objects. This study shows how these visuals manage to ex-press themselves through the multiple visions represented in the discussions, revealing their complexity. Second, this study introduces the notion of (un)shared professional vision which underlines that unsharing a vision nurtures the team’s collective capacity to express the complexity of a design situation, while sharing a vision is also necessary to confront these respective expressions to allow the professional uncovering of what should be visually communicated.
Originality/value
The Communication as Constitutive of Organization lens the authors chose to understand the reflective design conversation illustrates that, even though each collaborator’s vision was “(un)shared,” their many voices expand the understanding of the situation and lead them to develop an unexpected and creative environmental information ecosystem that can positively transform society through visuals.
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Elif Idemen and A. Banu Elmadag
This paper aims to explore consumer perceptions of product design awards (PDAs) and their impact on consumer product evaluation and attitude formation about the award-winning…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore consumer perceptions of product design awards (PDAs) and their impact on consumer product evaluation and attitude formation about the award-winning product, the award-winning organization and the award-granting organization.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on the grounded theory approach, an exploratory qualitative study is conducted, using 16 semi-structured in-depth interviews with Turkish consumers through discussions on real-world examples.
Findings
Results show that consumers develop emotional responses to PDAs (e.g. interest, curiosity and confusion), hypothesize reasons for products receiving awards and cite rewards as confirmation of their existing judgments about products. PDAs are perceived as extrinsic cues signaling quality and price, and their impact is increased when consumers feel that the award is based on functional feature superiority. Consumer responses to PDAs are also influenced by the perceived expertise of the award-granting organization and beliefs about the award-granting process. Finally, PDAs can lead to positive brand-perception outcomes, influencing consumer perceptions of the product company as resourceful, competent and prominent.
Practical implications
This study shows that it is critical for companies to inform consumers about the specific features that resulted in a given product receiving a design award, as well as to provide information about the PDA itself.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first attempt to explore consumer perceptions of and reactions to PDAs, with significant implications for both the marketing managers of PDA-winning products and award-granting organizations.
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