Search results

1 – 10 of over 30000
Book part
Publication date: 18 April 2018

Richard Tay

Purpose – Intersections are hazardous locations and to improve their safety we need to understand the factors contributing to crashes at these locations and provide evidence-based…

Abstract

Purpose – Intersections are hazardous locations and to improve their safety we need to understand the factors contributing to crashes at these locations and provide evidence-based recommendations to reduce them. This chapter provides a summary of the findings on infrastructure-related factors contributing to crashes at urban and rural intersections and some discussions on the implications and potential countermeasures.

Approach – A review of the literature on intersection crashes was performed to identify the infrastructure-related crash-contributing factors. Some discussions on the implications and potential countermeasures are then provided.

Findings – The factors contributing to road crashes are diverse and complex. While the safety effects of a few factors (e.g., exposure and speed) are relatively consistent, many factors have different impacts on crash frequency and severity (e.g., types of intersection) and different impacts on urban and rural intersections (e.g., bus stops).

Research Implications – More studies are needed on developing a stronger theoretical or conceptual foundation on the effects of roadway designs and traffic controls on different dimensions of safety (e.g., exposure, frequency, severity, etc.), types of crashes (e.g., head-on, rear-end, etc.) or road users involved (e.g., drivers, pedestrians, cyclists, etc.).

Practical Implications – Transport engineers need to be aware that some treatments may have different effects on different crash types and road users involved. Even though the overall safety may be improved by the treatments designed, they need to consider and mitigate any unintended consequences to satisfy the Pareto improvement principle and the social equity criterion.

Details

Safe Mobility: Challenges, Methodology and Solutions
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78635-223-1

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 July 2019

Karim A. Iskandar, Awad S. Hanna and Wafik Lotfallah

Healthcare-sector projects are some of the most complex in modern practice due to their reliance on high-tech components and the level of precision they must maintain. Existing…

Abstract

Purpose

Healthcare-sector projects are some of the most complex in modern practice due to their reliance on high-tech components and the level of precision they must maintain. Existing literature in healthcare performance specifically is scarce, but there is a recent increasing trend in both healthcare construction and a corresponding trend in related literature. No previously existing study has derived weights (relative importance) of performance metric in an objective, data-based manner. The purpose of this paper is to present a newly developed mathematical model that derives these weights, free of subjectivity that is common in other literature.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper’s model considers 17 exceptional projects and 19 average projects, and reveals the weights (or relative importance) of ten performance metrics by comparing how projects relate to one another in terms of each metric individually. It solves an eigenvalue problem that maximizes the difference between average and exceptional project performances.

Findings

The most significant weight, i.e. the performance metric which has the greatest impact on healthcare project performance, was request for information per million dollars with a weight of 16.07 percent. Other highly weighted metrics included construction speed and schedule growth at 13.08 and 12.23 percent, respectively. Rework was the least significant metric at 3.61 percent, but not all metrics of quality had low ratings. Deficiency issues per million dollars was weighted at 11.61 percent, for example. All weights derived by the model in this paper were validated statistically to ensure their applicability as comparison and assessment tools.

Originality/value

There is no widely accepted measure of project performance specific to healthcare construction. This study’s contribution to the body of knowledge is its mathematical model which is a landmark effort to develop a single, objective, unified project performance index for healthcare construction. Furthermore, this unified score presents a user-friendly avenue for contractors to standardize their productivity tracking – a missing piece in the practices of many contractors.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 26 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2007

Mohamad Kashef

This study examines the strands of thought that define the urban design discourse today. One of the common and primary urban design approaches developed an understanding of the…

Abstract

This study examines the strands of thought that define the urban design discourse today. One of the common and primary urban design approaches developed an understanding of the visual, perceptual, and psychological dynamics underlying human behavior in urban areas. It associated urban design with the visual characteristics of built forms and their impact on people's perceptions and ability to create clear mental maps or images of their surroundings. Another approach emphasized historical, typological, social, and morphological aspects of built forms. It linked successful urban spaces with mixed-use, traditional urban models and advanced place-making principles that encourage spatially defined, legible, and culturally grounded built environments. Lately, there has been an increased debate about the potential of developing an all-encompassing, holistic urban design approach that synthesizes prior urban design approaches and is predicated on the premise that urban design is an interdisciplinary activity concerned with creating livable/sustainable built environments. However, dialogues with architects, landscape architects, and planners revealed an entrenched professional divide among urban design practitioners based on their educational backgrounds and subsequent experiences. This study is premised on the need to address the contradictory views about the city in design and planning educational curricula in order to bridge the intellectual divide and build a holistic or interdisciplinary urban design approach.

Details

Open House International, vol. 32 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0168-2601

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1995

E.M. Oh

PCB manufacturers are switching from the use of RMA fluxes in their soldering and rework processes to low residue type (i.e., ‘no‐clean’) fluxes. Unfortunately, successful…

Abstract

PCB manufacturers are switching from the use of RMA fluxes in their soldering and rework processes to low residue type (i.e., ‘no‐clean’) fluxes. Unfortunately, successful changeover is not simply a matter of substituting a no‐clean into an existing RMA process. Soldering process parameters must change, necessitating an understanding of the interplay between flux chemistry and heat delivery. Higher temperatures can result in an effective decrease in the concentration of the active fluxing agents. Also, data show a decrease in the inherent wetting force of a no‐clean flux with increasing temperature. These two factors reduce fluxing action below the rate of oxidation occurring at the solder connection and the soldering iron tip. These can lead to incomplete surface cleaning and inefficient heat transfer, resulting in poorly soldered connections. Lower solder joint defect rates are obtained with no‐clean solders and fluxes when soldering temperatures are reduced to a minimum.

Details

Soldering & Surface Mount Technology, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0954-0911

Article
Publication date: 7 August 2023

Bo Wang and Tingting Xie

According to construal level theory, close (versus far) psychological distance is associated with low (versus high) construal level. Despite the evidence for discount frame…

Abstract

Purpose

According to construal level theory, close (versus far) psychological distance is associated with low (versus high) construal level. Despite the evidence for discount frame effect, it is unclear whether psychological distance and product nature play moderating roles. In addition, little has been known whether the effect of discount frame can extend to other dependent variables such as willingness to pay (WTP). Driven by construal level theory, five experiments were conducted to explore whether the effect of discount frame is dependent on psychological distance and product nature (i.e. utilitarian versus hedonic product).

Design/methodology/approach

The experimental method was used, with discount frame, psychological distance and product type as the independent variables and purchase intention, attitude towards the advertisement, perceived value and WTP as the dependent variables. Participants were presented with promotion scenarios in which psychological distance and discount format were manipulated. In order to test the generalizability of results, promotional scenarios for both utilitarian (i.e. backpack bag and shampoo) and hedonic products (i.e. scenery ticket and perfume) were presented. Data were collected via the online experiment platform (i.e. www.Credamo.com).

Findings

The authors found an interaction between discount frame and spatial distance in that consumers had more positive attitude toward percent off than amount off under near-spatial distance. However, no interaction was observed between discount frame and temporal, social or hypothetical distance.

Originality/value

Taken together, the current study for the first time reveals that the effect of discount frame is contingent on a specific dimension of psychological distance (i.e. spatial distance), regardless of whether the product is utilitarian or hedonic. Findings from this study for the first time pose a challenge to the notion that construal-level match necessarily leads to more favorable consumer responses, suggesting that there may be a unique mechanism underlying the joint effects of spatial distance and discount frame. The current findings can provide important implications for marketers and retailers in an effort to design effective promotional messages.

Details

Marketing Intelligence & Planning, vol. 41 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0263-4503

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 14 October 2022

Caitlin Cavanagh, Erica Dalzell, Alyssa LaBerge and Elizabeth Cauffman

Greater parental monitoring is commonly associated with reduced delinquent behavior in adolescents, yet less is known about the extent to which parental monitoring behavior…

Abstract

Greater parental monitoring is commonly associated with reduced delinquent behavior in adolescents, yet less is known about the extent to which parental monitoring behavior changes after a child is arrested for the first time. The present study examines the extent to which mothers’ monitoring behaviors (i.e., parental monitoring knowledge and effort) change in association with juvenile recidivism after their sons’ first arrest, operationalized through both youth-reported recidivism and official re-arrest records. Mother–son dyads (total N = 634) across three states were interviewed in two waves over 30 months following the youth’s first arrest. Mothers who reported both more monitoring knowledge and effort at Wave 1 had sons who self-reported less recidivism and were less likely to be re-arrested at Wave 2. Repeated sons’ re-arrests were associated with a change in mothers’ monitoring behavior, as both parental knowledge and parental effort significantly increased from Wave 1 to Wave 2 when youth have been re-arrested more than once, relative to youth who had never been re-arrested. No change in monitoring behaviors were observed in association with youth-reported recidivism, and mothers who stated an intention to change their monitoring habits at Wave 1 did not necessarily do so by Wave 2. The findings point to the ability of parents to modulate their monitoring behavior to respond to chronic juvenile offending. This provide an opportunity for practitioners to work with parents to improve their monitoring skills, to ensure rehabilitative gains that result from justice system intervention are maintained in the home via parental monitoring.

Details

The Justice System and the Family: Police, Courts, and Incarceration
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80382-360-7

Keywords

Open Access
Book part
Publication date: 29 September 2023

Frederick de Moll and Akihide Inaba

In recent decades, childhood in Japan has undergone significant transformations. Government policies geared at boosting women's labor force participation, a declining fertility…

Abstract

In recent decades, childhood in Japan has undergone significant transformations. Government policies geared at boosting women's labor force participation, a declining fertility rate, rising costs of having children on the one hand, and increased spending on public childcare and support measures for families, on the other hand, contribute to these ongoing changes. Having only one child is becoming the norm while mothers' role in society is shifting. The traditional family structure is moving from the previously predominant male breadwinner model to more dual-earner families. Children now spend significant amounts of time in care and education institutions.

In this chapter, we analyze current configurations of early childhood in institutions and the family from a policy perspective and regarding children's predominant education and care arrangements. Drawing on various survey data sets and evidence from demographic statistics to pedagogical ethnographies, we look at how childcare policies and families reshape the organization of children's lives and outline how institutions and educators create learning experiences aligned with the values of a collectivist society. However, despite being deeply rooted in traditional child-rearing goals, many parents also subscribe to rigorous educational arrangements from early childhood onwards to prepare children for success in a competitive education system. The chapter finishes with an outlook on future directions of how policymakers and the ongoing institutionalization of childhood continue to change children's lives.

Details

The Emerald Handbook of Childhood and Youth in Asian Societies
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80382-284-6

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 October 2021

Mariam Krikorian Atkinson, James C. Benneyan, Russell S. Phillips, Gordon D. Schiff, Lindsay S. Hunt and Sara J. Singer

Studies demonstrate how patient roles in system redesign teams reflect a continuum of involvement and influence. This research shows the process by which patients move through…

Abstract

Purpose

Studies demonstrate how patient roles in system redesign teams reflect a continuum of involvement and influence. This research shows the process by which patients move through this continuum and effectively engage within redesign projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors studied members of redesign teams, consisting of 5–10 members: clinicians, systems engineers, health system staff and patient(s), from three health systems working on separate projects in a patient safety learning lab. Weekly team meetings were observed, January 2016–April 2018, 17 semi-structured interviews were conducted and findings through a patient focus group were refined. Grounded theory was used to analyze field notes and transcripts.

Findings

Results show how the social identity process enables patients to move through stages in a patient engagement continuum (informant, partner and active change agent). Initially, patient and team member perceptions of the patient's role influence their respective behaviors (activating, directing, framing and sharing). Subsequently, patient and team member behaviors influence patient contributions on the team, which can redefine patient and team member perceptions of the patient's role.

Originality/value

As health systems grow increasingly complex and become more interested in responding to patient expectations, understanding how to effectively engage patients on redesign teams gains importance. This research investigates how and why patient engagement on redesign teams changes over time and what makes different types of patient roles valuable for team objectives. Findings have implications for how redesign teams can better prepare, anticipate and support the changing role of engaged patients.

Details

Journal of Health Organization and Management, vol. 36 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1477-7266

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 July 2014

Fay Cobb Payton, Lynette Kvasny and James Kiwanuka-Tondo

Two research questions are addressed: what are black female college students’ perceptions of current messages present on web sites about HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention?; and…

Abstract

Purpose

Two research questions are addressed: what are black female college students’ perceptions of current messages present on web sites about HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention?; and what messages do black female college students find culturally relevant to them, and why? Results indicate that these women perceive several communication barriers including lack of trust and unfamiliarity with information sources, stigma ascribed to HIV, as well as misconceptions and traditional values held by some in the black community and health institutions. HIV prevention messages are perceived as relevant if they exhibit qualities including interactive features. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

To understand black collegiate women as health information seekers, it is important to engage paradigms that allow researchers to make sense of how group members construct their content needs, what helps shape this construction, and the meaning derived from the consumption of the information, focus groups are an effective qualitative method for enabling collective discussion and interaction between research participants that facilitates the exploration of under-researched topics like HIV prevention as well as the language commonly used by respondents to describe HIV from a socio-cultural perspective. The research team conducted three focus groups to appraise current black female college students’ attitudes and perceptions of messages presented on HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness web sites

Findings

HIV prevention messages are perceived as relevant if they exhibit qualities including interactive features, practical advice using non-technical vocabulary, content authored and disseminated by familiar and trustworthy individuals and institutions, and risk related to individual behaviors rather than the demographic group. Implications of the findings and suggestions for future research on the design of health information systems are provided.

Research limitations/implications

This research is based on a small sample size based on one region of the USA.

Practical implications

Health communication materials should also provide strategies for dispelling myths, and combating feelings of stigma, and mistrust. In addition, practical advice such as questions to ask physicians may help to produce positive and desirable outcomes as black women seek services from the healthcare system. The message itself must take into account a number of factors include short and simple messages, clean web pages, navigation structures that make information easy to find, comprehensive information all found in a single web site, and interactive features to facilitate discussion and sharing. In particular, with social media, women can also play a role in the creation and dissemination of health messages in multiple modalities including text, spoken word, still and moving images, and music.

Social implications

“A major component of preventive health practice is the availability and provision of information regarding risks to health and promotional measures for enhancing the health status among this population” (Gollop, 1997, p. 142). However, as Dervin (2005) cautions, while information is necessary, it is insufficient to encourage behavior change. To combat the health disparities that differentially impact African-American women requires expertize and understanding from multiple perspectives. By providing insight into how black collegiate women perceive HIV prevention information needs, the women in the focus groups lend a necessary voice in the effort toward healthy equity through the creation of effective health interventions that will appeal to them.

Originality/value

The author seeks to create an online and socially connected experience characteristic of ongoing user input and active engagement in content development which targets the population. From a human-computer interaction viewpoint, the authors are seeking to avoid design divorced from context and meaning. In developing such an experience, the authors will need to triangulate the roles of culture, context, and design to reduce the content divide, yet amplify the notion of participatory web. Participatory web embodies a social justice movement to build web content from voices typically dampened in the discourse. It (re)shapes meaning, identity, and ecologies in the process of foci on particular social, health, and political causes (e.g. HIV/AIDS). Giving black women ownership over the creation of health information on the internet may improve the ability to provide targeted HIV prevention content that is culturally salient and more effective in reducing HIV infections in this community.

Details

Internet Research, vol. 24 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1066-2243

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 January 2021

Khaldoun Mohammad Hamdan, Ahmad M. Al-Bashaireh, Zainab Zahran, Amal Al-Daghestani, Samira AL-Habashneh and Abeer M. Shaheen

This study aimed to investigate Jordanian university students' interaction, Internet self-efficacy, self-regulation and satisfaction regarding online education during the COVID-19…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aimed to investigate Jordanian university students' interaction, Internet self-efficacy, self-regulation and satisfaction regarding online education during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Design/methodology/approach

A correlational cross-sectional design was utilized using convenience sampling to include 702 undergraduate students from Jordanian universities using an online self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, T-tests, one-way ANOVA and multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the data.

Findings

The mean score of students' satisfaction was low (m = 45.14, SD = 25.62). Regarding student's interaction, learner-instructor interaction had the highest total mean score (m = 58.53, SD = 24.51), followed by learner-learner interaction (m = 47.50, SD = 22.64). Learner-content interaction had the lowest total mean score (m = 45.80, SD = 24.60). Significant differences in students' satisfaction were identified according to the level of education, university type and marital status. Significant predictors of students' satisfaction with online education were self-regulated learning, Internet self-efficacy, learner-content interaction, learner-learner interaction and the number of e-learning theoretical courses.

Originality/value

Online education is not well-established in developing countries. This study contributed to the limited knowledge of university students’ preparedness and satisfaction with online education during the early stage of COVID-19 pandemic.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 35 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 30000