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Article
Publication date: 27 November 2020

Petar Jackovich, Bruce Cox and Raymond R. Hill

This paper aims to define the class of fragment constructive heuristics used to compute feasible solutions for the traveling salesman problem (TSP) into edge-greedy and…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to define the class of fragment constructive heuristics used to compute feasible solutions for the traveling salesman problem (TSP) into edge-greedy and vertex-greedy subclasses. As these subclasses of heuristics can create subtours, two known methodologies for subtour elimination on symmetric instances are reviewed and are expanded to cover asymmetric problem instances. This paper introduces a third novel subtour elimination methodology, the greedy tracker (GT), and compares it to both known methodologies.

Design/methodology/approach

Computational results for all three subtour elimination methodologies are generated across 17 symmetric instances ranging in size from 29 vertices to 5,934 vertices, as well as 9 asymmetric instances ranging in size from 17 to 443 vertices.

Findings

The results demonstrate the GT is the fastest method for preventing subtours for instances below 400 vertices. Additionally, a distinction between fragment constructive heuristics and the subtour elimination methodology used to ensure the feasibility of resulting solutions enables the introduction of a new vertex-greedy fragment heuristic called ordered greedy.

Originality/value

This research has two main contributions: first, it introduces a novel subtour elimination methodology. Second, the research introduces the concept of ordered lists which remaps the TSP into a new space with promising initial computational results.

Article
Publication date: 13 September 2011

Adekunle Oyegoke

Project management (PM) is a diverse discipline which covers the study of management practices. Different research approaches have been used in the study of PM but not much…

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Abstract

Purpose

Project management (PM) is a diverse discipline which covers the study of management practices. Different research approaches have been used in the study of PM but not much emphasis has been given to the constructive approach which is implicitly applied in most cases through managerial constructions. The purpose of this paper is to support the application of the constructive research approach to the construction PM discipline. It is also aimed at showing the rigour of the constructive research approach that satisfies the requirements of applied studies research.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is carried out via extensive literature review and a demonstrative example of the development of the Specialist Task Organisation procurement approach through the six stages of the constructive research approach.

Findings

The paper shows the applicability of the constructive research approach to construction and PM. The paper also highlights some criticisms that the constructive approach has not been firmly rooted in PM research and suggests some solutions.

Research limitations/implications

The constructive research approach is applicable to the PM discipline because most research in this field is applied and practical. The paper specifically scrutinises and promotes the constructive research approach.

Originality/value

The paper will provide an additional research tool in the PM discipline that produces innovative solutions which are grounded by valid research instruments. The impact of this paper will increase the popularity of this research methodology, generate and stimulate a debate to further explore its application and the development in the PM discipline.

Details

International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, vol. 4 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8378

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 February 2020

Shahab Pourfakhimi, Tara Duncan and Willem J.L. Coetzee

Despite its volume, the academic research on the impact of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on tourism and hospitality consumer behaviour is fragmented and largely limited to…

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Abstract

Purpose

Despite its volume, the academic research on the impact of electronic word of mouth (eWOM) on tourism and hospitality consumer behaviour is fragmented and largely limited to investigating a small scope of its impact. The purpose of this paper is to bridge this gap by synthesising the existing literature, providing a conceptual framework for the various dimensions of this impact.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper is based on the meta-synthesis and a critical conceptual analysis of relevant academic literature identified using a keyword search of papers via the Web of Science and Scopus databases, followed by a snowballing process comprising tracking the citations to the resources referred to in the identified papers.

Findings

This conceptual analysis illustrates how the full spectrum of the impact of eWOM on tourist behaviour spans well beyond the limited scope traditionally focussed on by tourism and hospitality researchers. This scope, encompassing multiple cognitive, normative and affective dimensions, is illustrated in an evidence-based conceptual framework proposed in this paper, providing a systematic tool to identify the less-studied aspects of this important phenomenon.

Originality/value

This paper synthesises the large and fragmented body of literature on eWOM and proposes a novel conceptual framework, illustrating the vast scope of the various cognitive, affective and normative mechanisms through which eWOM affects consumers’ choice of tourism and hospitality products. Furthermore, this paper provides a synthesis of the state-of-the-art of research in this field, highlights the existing gaps and provides researchers with a systematic tool to identify pathways towards breaking the status-quo in progressing beyond the current boundaries of academic research in this field.

游客感知对清真旅游目的地的影响:结构模型分析

目的

尽管有大量研究, 但有关网络口碑eWOM对旅游业和酒店业消费者行为的影响的学术研究仍是零散的, 并且在很大程度上只限于调查其影响的一小部分。本文的目的是通过综合现有文献来弥合这种差距, 为这种影响的各个方面提供概念框架。

设计/方法/方法

本文基于元合成法和对相关学术文献的关键性, 概念性分析。这些文献是通过Web of Science和Scopus数据库对文章进行关键字搜索而确定的。随后是滚雪球式搜索过程, 该过程包括跟踪对已识别文章中引用的资源的引用。

结果

这项概念分析阐述了eWOM对游客行为的影响范围如何远远超出了旅游和酒店业研究人员传统上关注的有限范围。这一范围是基于有理论依据的的概念框架提出的, 并涵盖多个认知, 规范和情感的维度。此范围为识别这一重要且缺乏研究的现象提供了系统的工具。

创意/价值

本文综合了有关eWOM的大量零散文献, 并提出了一个新颖的概念框架, 阐明了eWOM影响消费者选择旅游和酒店产品的各种认知, 情感和规范机制的范围。此外, 本文提供了该领域最新的研究综述, 突出了现有的差距, 并为研究人员提供了系统的识别打破现状的途径, 以超越当前学术界在这个领域的研究局限。

关键词

关键字 电子口碑, eWOM, WOM, 酒店, 旅游, 口碑

文章类型

研究论文

El Boca a Boca Electrónico en el Comportamiento del Consumidor Turístico y Hotelero: Estado del Arte

Objetivo

A pesar del gran volumen de investigación académica sobre el impacto de eWOM en el comportamiento del consumidor turístico y hotelero, esta se encuentra fragmentada y en gran medida se limita a investigar un pequeño alcance de su impacto. El propósito de este artículo, es cerrar esta brecha sintetizando la literatura existente y proporcionando un marco conceptual para las diversas dimensiones de este impacto.

Diseño/metodología/enfoque

Este documento se basa en un análisis metasíntesis crítico y conceptual de la literatura relevante académica identificada, mediante una búsqueda de artículos por palabras claves a través de las bases de datos de Web of Science y Scopus, seguido de un proceso de “bola de nieve” que comprende el seguimiento de las citas de los recursos mencionados en los artículos identificados.

Resultados

Este análisis conceptual, ilustra cómo el espectro total del impacto de eWOM en el comportamiento turístico se extiende mucho más allá del limitado alcance que tradicionalmente han realizado investigadores del turismo y hoteles. Este nuevo alcance, que abarca múltiples dimensiones cognitivas, normativas y afectivas, se ilustra en un marco conceptual basado en la evidencia propuesta en este documento, que proporciona una herramienta sistemática para identificar los aspectos menos estudiados de este importante fenómeno.

Originalidad/valor

Este documento sintetiza la gran cantidad de literatura fragmentada sobre eWOM y propone un marco conceptual novedoso, que ilustra el amplio alcance de los diversos mecanismos cognitivos, afectivos y normativos a través de los cuales eWOM afecta la elección de los consumidores de productos turísticos y hoteleros. Además, este documento proporciona una síntesis del estado de la investigación en este campo, destaca las brechas existentes y brinda a los investigadores una herramienta sistemática para identificar vías para romper el statu quo en el progreso más allá de los límites académicos actuales en este campo.

Palabras clave

Boca a boca electrónica, eWOM, WOM, Industria hoteleram, Turismo, Boca a boca

Tipo de papel

– Trabajo de investigación

Details

Tourism Review, vol. 75 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1660-5373

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 19 April 2018

Christina Marouli, Anastasia Misseyanni, Paraskevi Papadopoulou and Miltiadis D. Lytras

Contemporary globalized societies face important environmental and social problems that require urgent action and citizen engagement. Active learning in contemporary societies is…

Abstract

Contemporary globalized societies face important environmental and social problems that require urgent action and citizen engagement. Active learning in contemporary societies is being reemphasized in order to prepare active learners, capable of critical thinking and innovative problem solving and able to become responsible citizens. Environmental Education (EE) and its descendant Education for Sustainability (EFS), or Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), have been a very important first effort for introducing active learning in contemporary education at all educational levels. They constitute an important variant of active learning. EE and EFS by definition propose and adopt active learning and experiential methods, as they seek to prepare people that will work for a healthy environment and better societies. And this is where the difference lies between EE/EFS and the generic active-learning approaches. EE or EFS are committed active-learning approaches; they have an explicit goal to work for social and environmental change.

The transition from learners to active learners is addressed by active learning, which however assumes that active learners will also become responsible and active citizens. EE and EFS have however demonstrated that this is not an obvious development. Education should be clear about its purpose – individual change, empowerment, integration, or social transformation – and pedagogical methods and tools should be selected appropriately.

This chapter first discusses the main characteristics of EE/EFS. Then, it explores what facilitates the transition from active learners to active citizens, based on lessons from EE and EFS. Finally, it reflects on the implications of these lessons for Higher Education and, as a result, a new vision for Higher Education and a brief guide for educators and Higher Educational managers are proposed.

Article
Publication date: 15 March 2018

Han-ye Zhang

The purpose of this study is to develop an immune genetic algorithm (IGA) to solve the simple assembly line balancing problem of type 1 (SALBP-1). The objective is to minimize the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop an immune genetic algorithm (IGA) to solve the simple assembly line balancing problem of type 1 (SALBP-1). The objective is to minimize the number of workstations and workstation load for a given cycle time of the assembly line.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper develops a new solution method for SALBP-1, and a user-defined function named ψ(·) is proposed to convert all the individuals to satisfy the precedence relationships during the operation of IGA.

Findings

Computational experiments suggest that the proposed method is efficient.

Originality/value

An IGA is proposed to solve the SALBP-1 for the first time.

Details

Assembly Automation, vol. 39 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-5154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 February 2023

Carlos César de Oliveira Lacerda, Ana Sílvia Rocha Ipiranga and Ulf Thoene

The city of Fortaleza, capital of the state of Ceará in the north-east of Brazil, presents a paradox as a present-day tourist destination, while also marked by features and…

Abstract

Purpose

The city of Fortaleza, capital of the state of Ceará in the north-east of Brazil, presents a paradox as a present-day tourist destination, while also marked by features and processes characteristic of cities in the Global South, such as high levels of social inequality with fragmented urban margins and vulnerabilities. This research problematizes the idea of “historical ruins” proposed by Walter Benjamin as a viable way to understand how the organization process of today's city margins can be “denaturalized” by the past. The objective of this research is to assess how the urban margins of the city were organized as a history of resistance.

Design/methodology/approach

In theoretical terms, this research links critical urban studies with critical approaches to organizational history (COH) based on Walter Benjamin's philosophical concepts of “ruins” and “progress”. The historical and archival methodology, consisting of 193 documents, suggests the existence of a philosophical–historical nexus that helps explain the spatial fragmentation of the city, and especially the urban margins in the western region of Fortaleza.

Findings

The Benjaminian notion of “historical ruins” has been exemplified by the Brazilian government practices confining migrants fleeing drought in internment camps on the margins of the city of Fortaleza in three waves beginning in 1877, 1915 and 1932 respectively. The effects of such confinement policies put into practice in the name of “progress” influenced the organization of large urban spaces on the city's margins, whereas on the other hand, the analyses advanced in this research reflect on alternatives to re-frame the history of the organization of the margins of Fortaleza through a set of practices of resistance.

Originality/value

Based on the concept of “denaturalization”, and through re-activation of the memory of a circumstantial past, the gaze of the “ruins”, as represented by the belief in “progress” addressed in official reports of government confinement policies, spaces of resistance have emerged where new possibilities for the future of the city can be imagined.

Details

Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management: An International Journal, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1746-5648

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 16 March 2022

Adekunle Sabitu Oyegoke, Saheed Ajayi, Muhammad Azeem Abbas and Stephen Ogunlana

The problem of long delay and waiting time in Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) housing adaptation has been ongoing for years. This study aimed at constructing an innovative smart…

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Abstract

Purpose

The problem of long delay and waiting time in Disabled Facilities Grants (DFG) housing adaptation has been ongoing for years. This study aimed at constructing an innovative smart solution to streamline the housing adaptation process to prevent lengthy delays for disabled and elderly people.

Design/methodology/approach

The Adapt-ABLE approach is suggested based on a constructive research approach, where extensive theoretical development of the Adapt-ABLE concept is developed. It consists of four integrated platforms that undergo theoretical and analogical development and validations through applicable theories, a workshop, four brainstorming sessions and a focus group.

Findings

The proposed Adapt-ABLE approach utilises process optimisation techniques through an IT system for streamlining the process. The merits of the semi-automated system include the development of a preventive measure that allows measurement of suitability index of homes for the occupants, indicative assessment that shorten the application duration, procurement and contracting platform that utilises principles based on framework agreement and call-off contract, and a platform that standardised performance management for continuous improvement.

Originality/value

The Adapt-ABLE solution will cut the application journey of non-qualified applicants and suggest where help can be sought. The qualified applicants' application journey will also be shortened through an online indicative assessment regime and early online resources (means) testing. Overall, the proposed system reduces the waiting time, and timely delivery improves the applicant's quality of life by living independently. It will potentially save the NHS billions of pounds used to replace hips and residential care costs due to lengthy delays in the housing adaptations process.

Details

International Journal of Building Pathology and Adaptation, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4708

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 3 December 2005

Robert J. Antonio

Theorists often point to social theory's normativity, but Gouldner's later works provide the most explicit, comprehensive treatment of it as post-traditional normative discourse …

Abstract

Theorists often point to social theory's normativity, but Gouldner's later works provide the most explicit, comprehensive treatment of it as post-traditional normative discourse – a practice distinct from sociology and sociological theory, yet linked historically and analytically to them. His argument about the need for a discourse space to debate social science's normative directions and to strengthen its connections to civil society is relevant today. Because Gouldner's approach has gaps and is somewhat fragmented I will reconstruct his argument about social theory per se. Although I point to problems that derive from his incomplete pragmatic turn, his approach offers an excellent departure point for discussing the meaning of social theory.

Details

Social Theory as Politics in Knowledge
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-363-1

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2004

Bruce Cutting and Alexander Kouzmin

Where do all the management theories and fads come from? Why are they so different and constantly changing. This paper develops a comprehensive and dynamic cognitive formwork from…

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Abstract

Where do all the management theories and fads come from? Why are they so different and constantly changing. This paper develops a comprehensive and dynamic cognitive formwork from an understanding of the formulations of Aquinas, Lonergan, Jung, Weber and the Enneagram. The synthesis is new and goes beyond each of the sources to present a more systematic and useable JEWAL synthesis formwork. First, the neo‐platonic hierarchical structure of triadic unity is identified as a particularly pertinent and effective differentiation of reality. Second, whereas the neo‐platonists developed their hierarchical construction of reality from a meta‐physical viewpoint as emanations from the ultimate unity, later philosophers explained the differentiation of consciousness principally by working in the reverse direction. Third, the paper explains the process of learning in terms of the cognitive procession through the layered levels of differentiated consciousness. Fourth, an explanation follows as to how this cognitive formwork can be used to explain a character typology based on the differentiation of consciousness – one that finds expression in a typology commonly known as the Enneagram. Fifth, the JEWAL synthesis formwork is presented as a comprehensive framework in which to understand human governance and social action. More broadly, the paper discusses the significance for the social sciences of achieving such a synthesis of ideas within this new formwork – a synthesis between the Western developed philosophy, which runs through the work of Aquinas, Lonergan, Weber and Jung, and the Eastern physio‐psychological wisdom encapsulated in the Enneagram typology. In conclusion, the paper attempts to bring it all together in an answer to the questions underpinning the paper; namely, what does it mean to know and how do we make sense of those voices that speak out of that knowing.

Details

Corporate Governance: The international journal of business in society, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-0701

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2005

Andreja Zivkovic and John Hogan

This paper aims to examine the significance of information communication technology (ICT) for Balkan labour. Drawing on the heuristic of “distributed discourse”, this paper aims…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the significance of information communication technology (ICT) for Balkan labour. Drawing on the heuristic of “distributed discourse”, this paper aims to explore virtual forms of communication and interaction. The paper aims to examine the privileged role of ICT in the: formation of autonomous trade union structures and channels of communication; evasion of the territorial structures of the nation‐state and the construction of virtual communities of international labour solidarity; and authoritative transmission of models of industrial relations practice and of capitalist modernity in virtual space.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted in‐depth interviews, followed up by further discussions, with officials and researchers from unions in the Balkan region. IR academics in Serbia and Montenegro were also consulted, as were union web sites and those of the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions of Serbia, Association of Free and Independent Trade Unions of Serbia. The purpose of the dialogue was to build an empirically grounded framework for understanding the limits and possibilities presented by the new distributed communications technologies of the internet for labour in the era of globalisation. This article provides qualitative data to allow reflection on the possibilities inherent in ICT for the reinvigoration of trade unionism and labour mobilisation in this era of rampant neoliberalism, particularly in the area of trade union democratisation and accountability.

Findings

The article finds that key figures within the Balkan labour movement are conversant with the potential of ICTs. It is also apparent that the construction of cyber‐unionism at the official level is subject to the authoritative force of neo‐liberal imperial governance. However, this is a regime of policing that is indexed and auditable through the very distributed communication technologies which can affect forms of meta‐governance beyond the control of institutions.

Research limitations/implications

The findings, based on the interrogation of qualitative data are provisional hypotheses and an invitation to further research on the space‐time dimensions of trade unionism in the age of globalisation.

Practical implications

This paper highlights the situated character of ICT utilisation. While ICTs can be implicated in the reproduction of extant organisational forms and politics, this article provides the international labour movement with a viewpoint from which to build ICT strategies and appropriate organisational structures that recognise the limitations of centralised representation and control.

Originality/value

This paper represents fresh and contemporary data on the use of the internet by Balkan labour. By interrogating the qualitative data an invitation to further research on the space‐time dimensions of trade unionism in the age of globalisation is presented.

Details

Critical perspectives on international business, vol. 1 no. 2/3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1742-2043

Keywords

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