Search results

Bangladesh is one of the leading countries that has been facing serious air pollution issues, with an exponentially higher death rate attributed to it than other environmental pollution. This study aims to identify the sources and dynamics of particulate matter (PM) pollution across different micro-environments in Rajshahi City.

PMs’ concentration data were collected from 60 sampling stations, located across the six micro-environments of the study area, throughout the year using “HT 9600 Particle Counter.” To assess the level of pollution, the air quality index (AQI) was calculated, and different methods, including observation, group discussion, interview and questionnaire survey, were used to identify the pollution sources.

Both PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ exhibit varied concentrations in different micro-environments, and the area covered by different AQI classes differs considerably throughout the year. The monthly average concentration of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ was highest in January, 200 and 400 µg/m³ and was lowest in September, 46 and 99 µg/m³, respectively. Among the total 1,440 observations, 853 observations (59.24%) exceeded the national standard. Based on the pollution level, different months and micro-environments in the city have been ranked in descending order as January > December > February > March > April > November > October > May > June > July > August > September and traffic > commercial > industrial > residential > green cover > riverine environment.

Although numerous research has been conducted on air pollution in Bangladesh, the authors are certain that no attempt has been made to address the issue from a multi- micro-environmental perspective. This makes the methodology and findings truly unique and significant in the context of air pollution research in Bangladesh.

The purpose of this paper is the identification of the magnetic characteristics of the induction load by means of the B–H curve proposed by Fröhlich.

An electromagnetic description of the inductor system is performed to substitute the effects of the induction load, for a mathematical condition, the so-called impedance boundary condition (IBC).

A significant reduction in the computational cost of electromagnetic simulation has been achieved through the use of the IBC, resulting in a computation time approximately 400 times faster than time domain simulation. Moreover, an alternative method has been developed to experimentally identify the parameters that determine the magnetic behavior of the induction load. Finally, further research has been conducted to understand the relationship between the equivalent impedance of an induction load and the excitation current level.

This work is performed to achieve a better understanding of the fundamentals involved in the electromagnetic modeling of an induction heating system.

This paper introduces the dependence on the excitation level based on a first harmonic approximation and extends the IBC to nonlinear magnetic materials which allows the identification of the magnetic characteristics of the induction load.

This paper aims to explore how a shared service centre (SSC) is mobilised in a power-dominant context of a Chinese state-owned enterprise (SOE). Specifically, it examines the mobilisation of SSC within this multi-divisional SOE, the role and dynamics of actors involved and the influence of changes in the integrated information system (IIS) during the mobilisation process.

The study follows a qualitative case study methodology. The authors draw on actor-network theory to examine the network and translation processes constructed in mobilising SSC in the chosen SOE. The data sources of this study were collected through semi-structured interviews, observations and documentary reviews.

The mobilisation of SSC is not a linear process but rather a “spiral” interplay through continuous interactions and compromises between human and non-human actors. Power gave the core actor as an orchestrator legitimacy and formality to reduce resistance and obstruction in translation for the mobilisation of SSC. The changes in IIS appear to facilitate the interaction between the heterogeneous actors.

This case study contributes towards understanding the mobilisation of SSC in a power-dominant context by highlighting the impact of changes in IIS and the details of the mobilisation of SSC in terms of the role played by both the individual actors and the technology.

This study provides a broader understanding of the interactions of the heterogeneous actors for mobilising SSC in a power-dominant context. More importantly, the study inspires future research into examining how SSC practices unfold and how the changes in IIS influence the mobilisation of SSC.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the literature on lean management and lean six sigma (LM/LSS) in local government organizations (LGOs).

A systematic literature review (SLR) was conducted to extract the most relevant academic publications on LM/LSS in LGOs. ProQuest, Web of Science and Engineering Village were used to obtain the publication set. Studies were then analyzed based on author characteristics, research design characteristics and content characteristics.

The SLR yielded 53 academic publications. The primary finding is that this research area has recently received an increase in attention within these types of organizations. Although this research area attracts new scholars every year, there remains insufficient collaboration across different research groups. Research methods, outcomes and future research areas were also investigated to comprehensively evaluate the literature and specify new research opportunities.

Although the SLR is a rigorous research methodology used to gather relevant publications, it is limited to the chosen information sources (i.e. platforms) to obtain the publications. Therefore, the researchers used multiple sources to maximize the likelihood of capturing publications related to this topic.

The insights presented here provide a foundational reference for researchers interested in investigating and exploring future research opportunities associated with LM/LSS in LGOs.

This study adds value to the research community through its detailed characterization and analysis of the existing research literature on LM/LSS within LGOs, an area that remains largely unexplored in the academic literature. By providing a rigorous understanding of the current status of this research area, this work responds to a notable gap. The review of the existing literature suggests that this effort represents the first comprehensive examination of the research literature on the evolution of LM/LSS, specifically focusing on LGOs as the primary application unit of interest.

This study aims to find out the role of green curriculum (GC) in making a green generation (GG) and ensuring sustainability. The study considers the green curriculum a key factor for understanding environmental values orientation (EVO) and adopting pro-environmental behaviors (Pr-EnB) for social, economic, human and environmental sustainability.

The study is quantitative and cross-sectional. Partial least square-structural equation modeling was used to test the research model and data which was collected through a questionnaire survey from university faculty and students in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and China.

The findings show that the GC has significant positive effects on EVO and pro-environmental behavior. However, it has no significant effect on social sustainability. There is a positive significant effect of pro-environmental behavior on economic, environmental, human and social sustainability. Whereas, environmental orientation has no significant effect on economic sustainability but significantly influences environmental, human and social sustainability. GC has no significant effect on economic, environmental and human sustainability. However, when considering the combined effects of GC and environmental values orientation or pro-environmental behavior, significant positive effects were found on economic, environmental, human and social sustainability.

The result suggests that implementing a GC positively influences environmental orientation, pro-environmental behavior and various dimensions of sustainability.

These results have implications for educational institutions and policymakers aiming to promote sustainability through green curriculum and help in the attainment of sustainable development goals.

The study fulfills an essential need to obtain sustainability and sustainable development goals through education.

Most of the previous studies agree about the significance of user satisfaction in ensuring the endurance of information systems (ISs). Accordingly, it is crucial to investigate the effect of e-Government systems on individual end-user satisfaction as more and more countries adopt and deploy such Government Financial Management Information Systems (GFMIS) in the era of digital transformation. Because of this, the purpose of this study is to investigate the factors that contribute to the success of GFMIS in Jordan and ultimately the satisfaction of its users.

The IS success model developed by DeLone and McLean (2003) serves as the theoretical underpinning for the current research. Adding training quality as a new variable to the proposed model has been found to further increase the satisfaction of GFMIS users. A total of 104 GFMIS users in Jordan provided the data used to verify the model. The partial least squares-structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses.

The empirical findings indicated that GFMIS user satisfaction is significantly affected by information quality, service quality and perceived usefulness; meanwhile, system quality is only partially supported. The research also showed that the level of satisfaction among Jordanian GFMIS users was related to the quality of training they received.

This study fills a crucial literature gap by developing a research model that can help improve GFMIS usage towards attaining greater performance amongst government agencies in Jordan.

This study investigates the relationships between data governance (DG), business analytics capabilities (BAC), and decision-making performance (DMP), with a focus on the mediating effects of big data literacy (BDL) and data analytics competency (DAC).

The study was conducted with 178 experienced managers in public service organizations, using a quantitative approach. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and mediation tests were employed to analyze the data.

The findings reveal that DG and BDL are critical antecedents for developing analytical capabilities. Big data literacy mediates the relationship between DG and BAC, while BAC mediates the relationship between DG and DMP. Furthermore, DAC mediates the relationship between BA capabilities and DMP, explaining most of the effect of BAC on DMP.

These results highlight the importance of DG in fostering BDL and analytical skills for improved decision-making in organizations.

By prioritizing DG practices that promote BDL and analytical capabilities, organizations can leverage business analytics to enhance decision-making.

Based on resource-based and dynamic capabilities theorizing, this study explores how human resource analytics (HRA) can improve human resource management (HRM) performance and organizational performance, with creative problem-solving capability (CPSC) as an underlying mediator for creating value from HRA. It also explores how data quality and HRA personnel expertise act as moderators in this relationship.

Hypotheses are tested in an empirical study including 191 firms using partial least square structural equation modeling technique.

The findings confirm the direct and indirect effect of HRA use and maturity on HRM and organizational performance, as well as the mediating role of CPSC. HRA personnel expertise was found to moderate the relationship between HRA and CPSC, data quality being an important factor.

The findings contribute to the sparse evidence of value creation from HRA use/maturity on HRM and organizational outcomes, providing a theoretical logic of resource-based view and dynamic capabilities view based on the underlying causal mechanism through which HRA creates value. The study identified complementary capabilities which when combined with HRA use/maturity and CPSC result in value creation.

Mangrove forests are one of the most bio-diverse and productive wetland environments on earth. However, these unique tropical forest environments that occupy coastal areas are among the most threatened habitats globally. These threats include logging, conversion of land for agriculture and mariculture and degradation due to pollution over the past 50 years. The large population of resilient mangroves occupying the Turneffe Atoll area in Belize faces growing anthropogenic threats such as permanent clearing of land for housing, infrastructural development and pollution and natural factors (climate change). Given the few formal studies done to evaluate mangrove resilience at Turneffe Atoll, the purpose of this study was to evaluate mangrove resilience and nursery functions in the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve (TAMR).

Mangrove fish abundance and forest structure was assessed by means of a visual census and the point-centred quarter method (PCQM) for 11 sites that span across conservation and general use zones.

This study found that the more resilient mangroves (lower vulnerability ranks, higher standing biomass and higher fish biomass and abundance) exist in general use zones and warrant the need for improved mangrove conservation measures for these areas by Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA).

Limitations of the methods for data collection included accessibility within mangrove forests stands when establishing PCQM, observer bias among data collectors, sites without surrounding mangroves were not captured to serve as a true control group and poor visibility underwater affected the estimation of fish species and size. The timeline for this research was only three months based on available funding, and no follow-up study was done to make a true comparison.

The findings of this research have a guiding role in the formulation of conservation measures such as better waste management, a robust framework for mangrove management, a communication strategy to guide public awareness and long-term monitoring surveys.

Human resources analytics (HRA) can potentially create value and provide a competitive advantage; however, whether and how HRA creates this value has been sparsely explored in scholarly literature. Hence, the purpose of this study is to provide a process-oriented framework for value creation from HRA use by exploring the underlying mechanisms, complementary resources and outcomes.

The study used a qualitative research design as the research question was exploratory. A total of 26 in-depth expert interviews with different organizations were conducted. These interviews were transcribed and coded for emerging themes, which were placed in a temporal sequence of occurrence to derive a process understanding of value creation from HRA. Additionally, validation tests were conducted.

The thematic analysis using NVivo provided qualitative evidence of the value-creating potential of HRA. Further, it unraveled the process of value creation from HRA in the form of problem construction, insight generation, the buy-in of stakeholders and solution implementation. This process resulted in various human resource management (HRM) and organizational outcomes. The analysis also highlighted the significance of three complementary resources, namely data quality, analytical competency and business knowledge.

This study offers guidance for HR executives and business managers to assess the conditions under which HRA can add business value to organizations.

The paper is novel as this is among the first studies to provide evidence of value creation from HRA and identify the underlying mechanism, which has been highlighted as a gap in the literature. Based on resource-based theory and its complementarities perspective, the study makes a valuable contribution to the nascent HRA literature.