Books and journals Case studies Expert Briefings Open Access
Advanced search

Search results

1 – 10 of over 9000
To view the access options for this content please click here
Article
Publication date: 1 February 1999

How to investigate sexual harassment in the workplace

Maggie Tsai and Brian H. Kleiner

Sexual harassment are situations where the unwelcome sexual conduct of co‐workers or supervisors interferes with an individual’s ability to work or creates an intimidating…

HTML
PDF (154 KB)

Abstract

Sexual harassment are situations where the unwelcome sexual conduct of co‐workers or supervisors interferes with an individual’s ability to work or creates an intimidating or offensive atmosphere. It involves situations where a workplace superior or co‐worker demands some degree of sexual favour and threatens to or actually does retaliate in a way that has a tangible effect on the working conditions of the harassment victim if he or she refuses to acquiesce.

Details

Equal Opportunities International, vol. 18 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/02610159910785628
ISSN: 0261-0159

Keywords

  • Sexual harassment
  • Working conditions
  • Surveys

To view the access options for this content please click here
Article
Publication date: 15 December 2020

Governmental accounting reforms at a time of crisis: the Italian governmental accounting harmonization

Riccardo Mussari, Denita Cepiku and Daniela Sorrentino

Acknowledging fiscal crises as critical junctures for policy makers, this paper investigates how the recent fiscal crisis has affected the paradigmatic approach to the…

HTML
PDF (158 KB)

Abstract

Purpose

Acknowledging fiscal crises as critical junctures for policy makers, this paper investigates how the recent fiscal crisis has affected the paradigmatic approach to the design of an ongoing governmental accounting (GA) reform.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper analyses the Italian GA harmonization as a peculiar instance of an ongoing GA reform at the crisis outbreak. A longitudinal narrative analysis of official documents is complemented with semi-structured interviews with key policy makers and participant observations.

Findings

The fiscal crisis is found to play an indirect role in the Italian GA reform, which, promoting centralization of competencies in the fields of GA, determines the intensification of the approach adopted before the crisis outbreak.

Research limitations/implications

This paper extends the knowledge on the nature of post-crisis reforms by highlighting how fiscal crises can work as catalysts for paradigmatic approaches to ongoing GA reforms. This paper analyses the designing of a GA reform, whereas the long-term adaptations and outcomes of the reform are not taken into consideration.

Practical implications

The tight link between GA and financial management issues featuring the current paradigmatic approaches to reforms suggests the need to design GA reforms consistently with fiscal and financial management policies.

Originality/value

Whereas the extant literature on the nature of post-crisis reforms analyses the latter as responses to the former, this paper enlarges the knowledge on the topic by focusing on a peculiar instance of a GA reform that was ongoing at the crisis outbreak.

Details

Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting & Financial Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JPBAFM-04-2020-0051
ISSN: 1096-3367

Keywords

  • Governmental accounting reforms
  • Fiscal crises
  • Narrative analysis
  • Italian governmental accounting harmonization

To view the access options for this content please click here
Article
Publication date: 12 November 2020

An error-propagation aware method to reduce the software mutation cost using genetic algorithm

Seyed Mohammad Javad Hosseini, Bahman Arasteh, Ayaz Isazadeh, Mehran Mohsenzadeh and Mitra Mirzarezaee

The purpose of this study is to reduce the number of mutations and, consequently, reduce the cost of mutation test. The results of related studies indicate that about 40…

HTML
PDF (1.9 MB)

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to reduce the number of mutations and, consequently, reduce the cost of mutation test. The results of related studies indicate that about 40% of injected faults (mutants) in the source code are effect-less (equivalent). Equivalent mutants are one of the major costs of mutation testing and the identification of equivalent and effect-less mutants has been known as an undecidable problem.

Design/methodology/approach

In a program with n branch instructions (if instruction) there are 2n execution paths (test paths) that the data and codes into each of these paths can be considered as a target of mutation. Given the role and impact of data in a program, some of data and codes propagates the injected mutants more likely to the output of the program. In this study, firstly the error-propagation rate of the program data is quantified using static analysis of the program control-flow graph. Then, the most error-propagating test paths are identified by the proposed heuristic algorithm (Genetic Algorithm [GA]). Data and codes with higher error-propagation rate are only considered as the strategic locations for the mutation testing.

Findings

In order to evaluate the proposed method, an extensive series of mutation testing experiments have been conducted on a set of traditional benchmark programs using MuJava tool set. The results depict that the proposed method reduces the number of mutants about 24%. Also, in the corresponding experiments, the mutation score is increased about 5.6%. The success rate of the GA in finding the most error-propagating paths of the input programs is 99%. On average, only 7.46% of generated mutants by the proposed method are equivalent. Indeed, 92.54% of generated mutants are non-equivalent.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this study is as follows: Proposing a set of equations to measure the error-propagation rate of each data, basic-block and execution path of a program. Proposing a genetic algorithm to identify a most error-propagating path of program as locations of mutations. Developing an efficient mutation-testing framework that mutates only the strategic locations of a program identified by the proposed genetic algorithms. Reducing the time and cost of mutation testing by reducing the equivalent mutants.

Details

Data Technologies and Applications, vol. 55 no. 1
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/DTA-03-2020-0073
ISSN: 2514-9288

Keywords

  • Software mutation testing
  • Equivalent mutants
  • Error-propagation
  • Genetic algorithm
  • Number of mutant
  • Mutation score

Content available
Article
Publication date: 20 July 2020

An adaptive hybrid approach: Combining genetic algorithm and ant colony optimization for integrated process planning and scheduling

Mehmet Fatih Uslu, Süleyman Uslu and Faruk Bulut

Optimization algorithms can differ in performance for a specific problem. Hybrid approaches, using this difference, might give a higher performance in many cases. This…

Open Access
HTML
PDF (499 KB)

Abstract

Optimization algorithms can differ in performance for a specific problem. Hybrid approaches, using this difference, might give a higher performance in many cases. This paper presents a hybrid approach of Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) specifically for the Integrated Process Planning and Scheduling (IPPS) problems. GA and ACO have given different performances in different cases of IPPS problems. In some cases, GA has outperformed, and so do ACO in other cases. This hybrid method can be constructed as (I) GA to improve ACO results or (II) ACO to improve GA results. Based on the performances of the algorithm pairs on the given problem scale. This proposed hybrid GA-ACO approach (hAG) runs both GA and ACO simultaneously, and the better performing one is selected as the primary algorithm in the hybrid approach. hAG also avoids convergence by resetting parameters which cause algorithms to converge local optimum points. Moreover, the algorithm can obtain more accurate solutions with avoidance strategy. The new hybrid optimization technique (hAG) merges a GA with a local search strategy based on the interior point method. The efficiency of hAG is demonstrated by solving a constrained multi-objective mathematical test-case. The benchmarking results of the experimental studies with AIS (Artificial Immune System), GA, and ACO indicate that the proposed model has outperformed other non-hybrid algorithms in different scenarios.

Details

Applied Computing and Informatics, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aci.2018.12.002
ISSN: 2210-8327

Keywords

  • Optimization problems
  • Hybrid heuristics
  • IPPS
  • GA
  • ACO

To view the access options for this content please click here
Article
Publication date: 1 June 2020

Antihypercholesterolemic and anti-atherogenic effects of lyophilized aqueous extract of Globularia alypum leaves in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet

Nawal Taleb-Dida, Djamil Krouf, Yasmina Bahlil, Sarra Dali, Fatima Zohra Alachaher and Akila Guenzet

This paper aims to investigate the preventive effects of a concomitant supplementation of a lyophilized aqueous extract of Globularia alypum (Ga) leaves in a high…

HTML
PDF (177 KB)

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the preventive effects of a concomitant supplementation of a lyophilized aqueous extract of Globularia alypum (Ga) leaves in a high cholesterol-diet (HC-D) on lipid profile and lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) activity in hypercholesterolemic rats.

Design/methodology/approach

Twenty-four male Wistar rats weighing 232 ± 10 g were divided into four groups (n = 6). Two control groups were fed a standard-diet (St-D) supplemented (C-Ga) or not (C) with 1.66% Ga leaf extract. The two others experimental groups were fed HC-D, which contains the St-D plus 1% of cholesterol and 0.5% of cholic acid supplemented (HC-Ga) or not (HC) with the same amount of Ga. At d28, feces were collected and fasting rats were anesthetized; bloods and livers were removed to measure biochemical parameters.

Findings

In hypercholesterolemic (HC) rats, Ga supplementation in HC-D induced a significant reduction in ALT (−64%, p = 0.002) and AST (−71%; p = 0.005) activities, in plasma TC (−55%; p = 0.03) and TG (−54%; p = 0.01) concentrations, in cholesterol contents of atherogenic lipoproteins VLDL (−78%; p = 0.004) and LDL-HDL1 (−64%; p = 0.003) and inversely, an increase in those of anti-atherogenic HDL2 (+14%; p = 0.002). Feeding the HC-D-Ga exhibited a reduction in atherogenic index Apo B/Apo A-I (−72%; p = 0.002), an increase in faecal lipids, cholesterol excretion and in plasma apo A-I (+60%; p = 0.002) and HDL2-cholesteryl esters (+32%, p = 0.04) and then improved LCAT activity (+31%; p = 0.03).

Originality/value

In hypercholesterolemic rats, Globularia alypum extract was effective in preventing lipid disorders by its hypolipidemic action, had an anti-atherogenic potential and a protective effect against cardiovascular risk by enhancing LCAT activity.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-01-2020-0025
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

  • Rats
  • Hypercholesterolemia
  • Globularia alypum
  • Lipoproteins
  • LCAT

To view the access options for this content please click here
Article
Publication date: 14 August 2020

Favorable effects of Globularia alypum on cardiometabolic markers in high fructose-fed rats

Yasmina Bahlil, Djamil Krouf, Zoheir Mellouk, Nawal Taleb-Dida and Akila Guenzet

This study aims to examine whether Globularia alypum (Ga) lyophilized aqueous leaves extract treatment improves cardiometabolic syndromes such as hyperglycemia, lipid…

HTML
PDF (191 KB)

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine whether Globularia alypum (Ga) lyophilized aqueous leaves extract treatment improves cardiometabolic syndromes such as hyperglycemia, lipid profiles and oxidative damage resulting from a high-fructose diet induced in hypertriglyceridemic rats.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 24 male Wistar rats weighing 80 ± 5 g were first randomly divided into 2 groups. A total of 12 control rats (C) were fed a standard-diet (St-D) and 12 high fructose (HF) rats were fed a high-fructose diet (HF-D) containing St-D in which cornstarch was substituted by fructose (61.4%). After 15 weeks of feeding, body weight (BW) was about 320 ± 20 g and hypertriglyceridemia was noted in HF vs C group (2.69 ± 0.49 mmol/L) vs (1.25 ± 0.33 mmol/L). Each group of rats was then divided into two equal groups (n = 6) and fed during four weeks either a St-D or HF-D, treated or not with 1% of Ga extract (C-Ga) and (HF-Ga). After 28 days, fasting rats were anesthetized and blood and tissues were removed to measure biochemical parameters.

Findings

The results showed no significant differences in BW and insulinemia between all groups. Ga extract supplementation reduced glycemia (−36%), glycosylated hemoglobin (−37%), Homeostasis Model of Assessment-Insulin Resistance index (−34%) and triacylglycerol’s contents in plasma (−33%), very low density lipoproteins–low density lipoproteins (VLDL-LDL) (−48%), liver (−52%) and aorta (−39%); total cholesterol concentrations in aorta was 3.7-fold lower in HF-Ga vs HF group. Ga treatment reduced lipid peroxidation in plasma, VLDL-LDL, red blood cells (RBC), liver, muscle and kidney by improving superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) in RBC and catalase (CAT) activity in kidney (p < 0.05). Moreover, Ga ameliorates glutathione (GSH) production in RBC (+41%) and kidney tissues (+35%).

Originality/value

Ga extract ameliorated cardiometabolic syndrome by its hypotriglyceridemic effect and prevented development of insulin resistance. It reduces lipid peroxidation by enhancing non-enzymatic (GSH) and enzymatic (SOD, GPx and CAT) antioxidant defense systems in high-fructose hypertriglyceridemic rats. Therefore, supplementation of Ga leaves extract as an adjuvant could be used for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia and the prevention and/or the management of cardio-metabolic adverse effects.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/NFS-05-2020-0175
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

  • TBARS
  • Globularia alypum
  • High-fructose diet
  • Antioxidant defense
  • Cardiometabolic syndrome
  • Hypertriglyceridemic rats

To view the access options for this content please click here
Book part
Publication date: 1 January 2004

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF GENETIC ALGORITHMS IN DISCOVERING TECHNICAL TRADING STRATEGIES

Chueh-Yung Tsao and Shu-Heng Chen

In this study, the performance of ordinal GA-based trading strategies is evaluated under six classes of time series model, namely, the linear ARMA model, the bilinear…

HTML
PDF (234 KB)

Abstract

In this study, the performance of ordinal GA-based trading strategies is evaluated under six classes of time series model, namely, the linear ARMA model, the bilinear model, the ARCH model, the GARCH model, the threshold model and the chaotic model. The performance criteria employed are the winning probability, accumulated returns, Sharpe ratio and luck coefficient. Asymptotic test statistics for these criteria are derived. The hypothesis as to the superiority of GA over a benchmark, say, buy-and-hold, can then be tested using Monte Carlo simulation. From this rigorously-established evaluation process, we find that simple genetic algorithms can work very well in linear stochastic environments, and that they also work very well in nonlinear deterministic (chaotic) environments. However, they may perform much worse in pure nonlinear stochastic cases. These results shed light on the superior performance of GA when it is applied to the two tick-by-tick time series of foreign exchange rates: EUR/USD and USD/JPY.

Details

Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Finance and Economics
Type: Book
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0731-9053(04)19001-4
ISBN: 978-1-84950-303-7

To view the access options for this content please click here
Article
Publication date: 9 December 2019

How to win friends and influence the right people: designing the corporate government affairs unit

Asier Pereda and Andrew Barron

This study aims to explore how firms can design their government affairs (GAs) units in ways that improve their ability to monitor and influence legislative developments…

HTML
PDF (302 KB)

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore how firms can design their government affairs (GAs) units in ways that improve their ability to monitor and influence legislative developments in their firms’ corporate political environments.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual work is informed by existing research into organizational design, brought to life with illustrative examples of firms’ political actions derived from interviews conducted with practitioners in the field.

Findings

In line with organizational design thinking, the authors find that high-performing GA units need to be designed and built using a blend of mutually reinforcing organizational mechanisms. GA units should be staffed by autonomous managers with mixed skills-sets. Moreover, they should not be constrained by formal rules, but instead given autonomy and support to create lateral relations with other business units.

Practical implications

This study provides a “recipe” that managers can follow to create opportunities for the exchange of political information within their firms and enable and motivate GAs practitioners to monitor and influence political developments more effectively.

Originality/value

This research exposes important, organizational antecedents of firms’ political strategies, which have not been systematically explored in the existing literature.

Details

Journal of Business Strategy, vol. 41 no. 5
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/JBS-09-2019-0174
ISSN: 0275-6668

Keywords

  • Organizational design
  • Environmental scanning
  • Boundary spanning
  • Lobbying
  • Information processing
  • Corporate political activity
  • Government affairs units
  • Information-processing capacity

To view the access options for this content please click here
Article
Publication date: 10 June 2019

A hybrid genetic algorithm for multi-objective flexible job shop scheduling problem considering transportation time

Xiabao Huang and Lixi Yang

Flexible job-shop scheduling is significant for different manufacturing industries nowadays. Moreover, consideration of transportation time during scheduling makes it more…

HTML
PDF (637 KB)

Abstract

Purpose

Flexible job-shop scheduling is significant for different manufacturing industries nowadays. Moreover, consideration of transportation time during scheduling makes it more practical and useful. The purpose of this paper is to investigate multi-objective flexible job-shop scheduling problem (MOFJSP) considering transportation time.

Design/methodology/approach

A hybrid genetic algorithm (GA) approach is integrated with simulated annealing to solve the MOFJSP considering transportation time, and an external elitism memory library is employed as a knowledge library to direct GA search into the region of better performance.

Findings

The performance of the proposed algorithm is tested on different MOFJSP taken from literature. Experimental results show that proposed algorithm performs better than the original GA in terms of quality of solution and distribution of the solution, especially when the number of jobs and the flexibility of the machine increase.

Originality/value

Most of existing studies have not considered the transportation time during scheduling of jobs. The transportation time is significantly desired to be included in the FJSP when the time of transportation of jobs has significant impact on the completion time of jobs. Meanwhile, GA is one of primary algorithms extensively used to address MOFJSP in literature. However, to solve the MOFJSP, the original GA has a possibility to get a premature convergence and it has a slow convergence speed. To overcome these problems, a new hybrid GA is developed in this paper.

Details

International Journal of Intelligent Computing and Cybernetics, vol. 12 no. 2
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/IJICC-10-2018-0136
ISSN: 1756-378X

Keywords

  • Flexible job-shop scheduling problem
  • Transportation time
  • Genetic algorithm
  • Simulated annealing
  • Multi-objective optimization

To view the access options for this content please click here
Article
Publication date: 1 April 2002

Development and application of a hybrid genetic algorithm for resource optimization and management

O.O. UGWU and J.H.M. TAH

Resource selection/optimization problems are often characterized by two related problems: numerical function and combinatorial optimization. Although techniques ranging…

HTML
PDF (1 MB)

Abstract

Resource selection/optimization problems are often characterized by two related problems: numerical function and combinatorial optimization. Although techniques ranging from classical mathematical programming to knowledge‐based expert systems (KBESs) have been applied to solve the function optimization problem, there still exists the need for improved solution techniques in solving the combinatorial optimization. This paper reports an exploratory work that investigates the integration of genetic algorithms (GAs) with organizational databases to solve the combinatorial problem in resource optimization and management. The solution strategy involved using two levels of knowledge (declarative and procedural) to address the problems of numerical function, and combinatorial optimization of resources. The research shows that GAs can be effectively integrated into the evolving decision support systems (DSSs) for resource optimization and management, and that integrating a hybrid GA that incorporates resource economic and productivity factors, would facilitate the development of a more robust DSS. This helps to overcome the major limitations of current optimization techniques such as linear programming and monolithic techniques such as the KBES. The results also highlighted that GA exhibits the chaotic characteristics that are often observed in other complex non‐linear dynamic systems. The empirical results are discussed, and some recommendations given on how to achieve improved results in adapting GAs for decision support in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1108/eb021225
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

  • Combinatorial optimization
  • Decision support systems
  • Distributed project management
  • Genetic algorithms
  • Resource optimization

Access
Only content I have access to
Only Open Access
Year
  • Last week (14)
  • Last month (48)
  • Last 3 months (203)
  • Last 6 months (346)
  • Last 12 months (674)
  • All dates (9571)
Content type
  • Article (8016)
  • Book part (1252)
  • Earlycite article (259)
  • Case study (40)
  • Expert briefing (2)
  • Executive summary (2)
1 – 10 of over 9000
Emerald Publishing
  • Opens in new window
  • Opens in new window
  • Opens in new window
  • Opens in new window
© 2021 Emerald Publishing Limited

Services

  • Authors Opens in new window
  • Editors Opens in new window
  • Librarians Opens in new window
  • Researchers Opens in new window
  • Reviewers Opens in new window

About

  • About Emerald Opens in new window
  • Working for Emerald Opens in new window
  • Contact us Opens in new window
  • Publication sitemap

Policies and information

  • Privacy notice
  • Site policies
  • Modern Slavery Act Opens in new window
  • Chair of Trustees governance statement Opens in new window
  • COVID-19 policy Opens in new window
Manage cookies

We’re listening — tell us what you think

  • Something didn’t work…

    Report bugs here

  • All feedback is valuable

    Please share your general feedback

  • Member of Emerald Engage?

    You can join in the discussion by joining the community or logging in here.
    You can also find out more about Emerald Engage.

Join us on our journey

  • Platform update page

    Visit emeraldpublishing.com/platformupdate to discover the latest news and updates

  • Questions & More Information

    Answers to the most commonly asked questions here