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1 – 10 of 40Christopher Ansell, Eva Sørensen and Jacob Torfing
This concluding chapter summarizes the critical insights that changemakers ought to consider in their attempt to lead and manage cocreation processes and enhance their impact. The…
Abstract
This concluding chapter summarizes the critical insights that changemakers ought to consider in their attempt to lead and manage cocreation processes and enhance their impact. The chapter also addresses three crucial challenges to the advent of a sustainable future: the need to rethink the assumptions of mainstream economics, the need to secure political stability in times of rapid societal change; and the demand for the deepening democracy. Finally, the chapter argues that local efforts to build a sustainable future will only succeed if key economic, political, and democratic challenges are effectively dealt with at the global and national levels.
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Thomas Gegenhuber, Elke Schuessler, Georg Reischauer and Laura Thäter
Working conditions on many digital work platforms often contribute to the grand challenge of establishing decent work. While research has examined the public regulation of…
Abstract
Working conditions on many digital work platforms often contribute to the grand challenge of establishing decent work. While research has examined the public regulation of platform work and worker resistance, little is known about private regulatory models. In this paper, we document the development of the “Crowdwork Agreement” forged between platforms and a trade union in the relatively young German crowdworking field. We find that existing templates played an important role in the process of negotiating this new institutional infrastructure, despite the radically new work context. While the platforms drew on the corporate social responsibility template of voluntary self-regulation via a code of conduct focusing on procedural aspects of decent platform work (i.e., improving work conditions and processes), the union contributed a traditional social partnership template emphasizing accountability, parity and distributive matters. The trade union’s approach prevailed in terms of accountability and parity mechanisms, while the platforms were able to uphold the mostly procedural character of their template. This compromise is reflected in many formal and informal interactions, themselves characteristic of a social partnership approach. Our study contributes to research on institutional infrastructures in emerging fields and their role in addressing grand challenges.
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John Connaughton and William Collinge
This paper aims to report on a new form of project insurance in the UK construction designed to improve collaborative working among project participants. It aims to examine the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to report on a new form of project insurance in the UK construction designed to improve collaborative working among project participants. It aims to examine the interprofessional collaborative endeavour under the new insurance arrangements, drawing on a structuration model of interdisciplinary collaboration developed in the field of healthcare studies.
Design/Methodology/Approach
The research employed a longitudinal, action research approach with participant observation. A novel element included a project facilitator as part of the action research team. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews with close scrutiny of the documented project record.
Findings
Project structure emerges as a more important element in the collaboration process than is typically recognised in practice-based studies; the analysis revealing the interplay of structure, the socialising processes of participants and how facilitation helps develop interdependence among project participants. The analysis provides a basis for understanding collaboration on the trial project.
Research Limitations/Implications
The project provides a unique context for the examination of collaboration under the new project insurance arrangements. The results have implications for the study of collaboration in highlighting the important relationship between project structure, collaboration and facilitation.
Practical Implications
Understanding how interdependency is developed through structure, the socialising processes of collaborators and facilitation has important implications for those concerned with designing project arrangements and managing collaborative processes.
Originality/Value
The paper reports on the first full trial of new project insurance arrangements in the UK. It highlights the significance of project structure, and the interplay between collaborators’ emerging practices and facilitation.
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This chapter highlights how implementing circular economy principles can help companies working with sustainability to move from a reductionist and waste management approach to…
Abstract
This chapter highlights how implementing circular economy principles can help companies working with sustainability to move from a reductionist and waste management approach to marketing competitive circular value propositions that intentionally design out waste (e.g. emissions and pollution) by rethinking, reinventing and redesigning the value chain. Schijvens, a Dutch family-owned corporate fashion textile company, acts as a case for exemplifying successful implementation of circular economy principles as a marketing strategy in a sector that struggles with finding solutions to the ethical challenges of producing and marketing textile fashion. The textile industry has, for many years, been accused of production that is based on environmentally harmful processes and conditions that are not socially fair. Circular economy principles provide a range of suggestions to address the ethical challenges occurring from covering the human needs of having clothes to wear. Yet, implementing circular economy principles is not a panacea. It is not only a question of delivering a technological quick fix but also a question of managing the new processes and human mindset guiding the actions in the value chain. This chapter, therefore, outlines reasons for a different perspective on the traditional linear value chain and related implications managers face when undertaking a journey from sustainability based on a reductionist approach to a closed-loop approach. It is argued that implementing circular economy principles by pro-actively managing the value chain processes based on eco-centric dynamic capabilities can provide even more radical changes than the incremental reductionist approach often associated with being a green sustainable company.
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Raido Puust, Irene Lill and Roode Liias
This study aims to initiate an investigation into the drop-out rate from building information modelling (BIM) courses.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to initiate an investigation into the drop-out rate from building information modelling (BIM) courses.
Design/Methodology/Approach
During 2017-2018, BIM courses (16 weeks) have been developed as active learning modules. Peer instruction was used to engage students and improve the overall student’s performance. Students’ activity data were captured and analysed based on study groups and suggested study module completion dates.
Findings
By mapping students’ activity data against suggested completion date at various assessment milestones revealed a possible degradation of motivation throughout the course which, in turn, may have been a possible cause of drop-out.
Research Limitations/Implications
This paper presents ongoing research and a preliminary understanding about peer instruction effectiveness in BIM-related subjects as high intensity courses. It investigates whether a student’s active participation can improve their motivation to acquire a subject’s learning outcomes and reduce the drop-out.
Practical Implications
The peer instruction methodology that is used here is quite universal and can be successfully applied to various other subjects to increase the student’s involvement in the course.
Originality/Value
Results are drawn based on students’ involvement at the high intensity course and show the gradual increase of a learner’s motivation once they get continuous support from fellow learners and a teacher.
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Bakhtiar, Defi Irwansyah and Zulmiardi
Purpose – This study aims to determine the results of productivity index, profitability and improvement of company prices and to understand the relationship between partial input…
Abstract
Purpose – This study aims to determine the results of productivity index, profitability and improvement of company prices and to understand the relationship between partial input factors and productivity, profitability, and price fixing.
Design/Methodology/Approach – In this work, the productivity at the palm oil factory PT Sayaukath Sejahtera was measured and evaluated by using The American Productivity Center (APC) model approach.
Findings/Results – The results showed that each index that has been analyzed has a 5.143% decrease in the productivity index per year with a profitability equal to 0.286% per year and an increase in the price improvement index of 5.143% per year. Thus, it is concluded that from each index that has been analyzed, there is a decrease in the productivity index and profitability per year and there is an annual increase in the price improvement index.
Research Limitations/Implications (if applicable) –
Practical Implications (if applicable) –
Originality/Value –
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Nils O.E. Olsson, Ali Shafqat, Emrah Arica and Andreas Økland
The purpose of this paper is to study the introduction of 3D-printing of concrete in the construction sector.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the introduction of 3D-printing of concrete in the construction sector.
Design/Methodology/Approach
A survey was conducted to collect professional view on ongoing innovations in the construction sector, including 3D-printing. Participants were selected among the members of Norwegian networks for project and construction management research.
Findings
The survey highlighted effective leadership, collaboration with partners and industry-academia collaboration as primary enablers of innovation. Few of the respondents to the survey have used 3D-printing technologies.
Research Limitations/Implications
It is difficult to obtain representative samples in this type of research, including this study. The study can be seen as a snapshot of attitudes in the sector.
Practical Implications
3D-printing appear as a potentially interesting technology, especially for unstandardized construction components. Further work is needed to materialise the expectation for technological development in the construction sector.
Originality/Value
Most research on 3D-printing has focused on demonstrating technical potential. This study adds a practitioners’ perspective, with a large dose of pragmatism.
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