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The purpose of this paper is to identify interdependent barriers to the search and selection of new technologies by design engineers at industry, organisation and individual levels. A “proof of concept” HyCon tool is presented to demonstrate the role of information technology design support tools in supporting designers to overcome these inhibitors, in this case for hybrid concrete, by providing immersive and interactive, information‐rich environments to explore design solutions.

The HyCon tool was developed through a prototyping methodology encompassing a testing, analysis, design and coding iterative cycle. This was supported by case studies and industry workshops.

The results of a collaborative research project are presented, which describes the HyCon design support tool to promote the understanding and use of hybrid concrete in structural frames. This tool is built around a knowledge creation, application, storage, and retrieval cycle to envision and support the use of this new technology.

This paper fulfils an identified need to integrate technology management and design process considerations within the context of an information technology design support tool, and offers a “proof of concept” HyCon tool to demonstrate key issues and potential utilities and applications.

After shining the guiding light on virtually every major reengineering project undertaken in the last three years, the consulting industry finds itself managing some change and growth of its own. It's occurring on three fronts in particular—the consultant's need to integrate business consulting with information technology system (IT) design, the increasingly global nature of clients' businesses, and what many call the commoditization of basic reengineering.

The “what is beautiful is good” (WIBIG) effect implies that observers tend to perceive physically attractive people in a positive light. The authors investigate how the WIBIG effect applies to user personas, measuring designers' perceptions and task performance when employing user personas for the design of information technology (IT) solutions.

In a user experiment, the authors tested six different personas with 235 participants that were asked to develop remote work solutions based on their interaction with a fictitious user persona.

The findings showed that a user persona's perceived attractiveness was positively correlated with other perceptions of the persona. The personas' completeness, credibility, empathy, likability and usefulness increased with attractiveness. More attractive personas were also perceived as more agreeable, emotionally stable, extraverted and open, and the participants spent more time engaging with personas they perceived attractive. A linguistic analysis indicated that the IT solutions created for more attractive user personas demonstrated a higher degree of affect, but for the most part, task outputs did not vary by the personas' perceived attractiveness.

The WIBIG effect applies when designing IT solutions with user personas, but its effect on task outputs appears limited. The perceived attractiveness of a user persona can impact how designers interact with and engage with the persona, which can influence the quality or the type of the IT solutions created based on the persona. Also, the findings point to the need to incorporate hedonic qualities into the persona creation process. For example, there may be contexts where it is helpful that the personas be attractive; there may be contexts where the attractiveness of the personas is unimportant or even a distraction.

The findings point to the need to incorporate hedonic qualities into the persona creation process. For example, there may be contexts where it is helpful that the personas be attractive; there may be contexts where the attractiveness of the personas is unimportant or even a distraction.

Because personas are created to closely resemble real people, the authors might expect the WIBIG effect to apply. The WIBIG effect might lead decision makers to favor more attractive personas when designing IT solutions. However, despite its potential relevance for decision making with personas, as far as the authors know, no prior study has investigated whether the WIBIG effect extends to the context of personas. Overall, it is important to understand how human factors apply to IT system design with personas, so that the personas can be created to minimize potentially detrimental effects as much as possible.

To highlight the IT skills shortage in Britain and examine ways of combating it.

Presents the advantages of carrying out a training needs analysis, psychological and skill‐based tests to identify an employee's current ability and willingness to embrace the training programme, and the advantages that blended learning can offer over other training methods.

Too many organizations rely on recruiting skilled IT people from outside, rather than cultivating the IT skills of their own employees. Highlights the advantages of the latter approach and suggests that blended learning can be a useful solution.

Argues the case for IT training as an ongoing part of an organization's operations, rather than a panic reaction to an immediate skill shortage.

Hamilton Standard dates back to 1919 when the Standard Steel Propeller Company was formed in Pittsburgh, Pa. Standard Steel is best known for the propeller it designed and built for Charles Lindbergh's Spirit of St. Louis.

Rhoden Partners has won a design award for the automated assembly machine for linear bearing cages which it designed and manufactured for Firsteel Metal Products. Anna Kochan reports.

The primary objective of this study is to highlight the three important aspects of effective gamification at work. The three-pronged model discussed in the study provides an opportunity to adopt a more balanced view of gamification and its use rather than just following the hype and trend concerning it.

While there is promising growth in the adoption of gamification in different L&D processes, the issue of the dark side of gamification cannot be ignored. This article approaches the issue with the help of a three-pronged model. This model has been developed after the review of recent studies focusing on the use of gamification in training and L&D process.

Gamification can be highly effective in engaging the upcoming generation of employees who are digital natives. However, managers should use gamification with caution. The three-pronged model discussed above can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of gamification for Learning and Development processes. The model provides a balanced view for the use of gamification. The essence of the model is to use gamification to enhance the L&D process and outcome along with enhancing employee motivation and engagement. It is vital to understand that it is a tool and its effectiveness depends upon its right use, by the right person, at the right place and time.

While there is promising growth in the adoption of gamification in different L&D processes, the issue of the dark side of gamification cannot be ignored. This article approaches the issue with the help of a three-pronged model.

This paper focuses on prospective teachers’ (PTs) participation in a lesson study (LS) that prompted them to research their own practice. We seek to describe the dimensions of PTs’ knowledge of student learning developed during the process and the LS features fostering it.

The participants were two PTs, a teacher educator, a cooperating teacher and a researcher. The LS was integrated into a Portuguese initial elementary teacher education program. Following a qualitative approach, we used participant observation.

The PTs developed their knowledge of students’ learning of the concept of area in four dimensions: theories; students’ interests and expectations; ways students interact with the content and students’ strengths and weaknesses in learning the concept. To support this development, the LS design considered follow-up sessions and emphasised collaborative work.

This study focuses on PTs researching their practice and disseminating the results, which has been overlooked in previous research of LS with PTs. The results highlight the potential of LS to motivate PTs to research their practice and emphasise the importance of involving them in disseminating LS results.

This chapter aims to explore the Shari’ah governance rules applied in the Malaysian Islamic banking arena and the effect of Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 on it.

This is a legal exploratory study primarily focused on library research.

Shari’ah governance is a concept that has been developed and applied gradually in Malaysia and the new Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 has taken it to the next level. However, this does not mean that it has resolved the problems in Shari’ah governance that existed before the enactment of the act.

Islamic Financial Services Act 2013 is a new statute that repealed Islamic Banking Act 1983. As such, not many have reviewed this new piece of legislation. This chapter will give insight into the evolution of Shari’ah governance as part of corporate governance of Islamic banks in Malaysia and will help explain the most recent developments in this arena along with the challenges.

This paper examines the dark side of mentoring, its far-reaching effects and organizational interventions for navigating it.

Literature review and narrative analysis are adopted to achieve the objective of the paper.

Review of extant literature highlights the multiple consequences of the dark side of mentoring. Recommendations include specialized training interventions, period appraisals of formal mentoring arrangements, zero-tolerance ethical frameworks and employee assistance programmers.

A substantive portion of literature on mentoring has lauded its benefits for career progression and competitive advantage. This viewpoint explores its limitations and liabilities in an organization.