Search results

This paper aims to minimize aircraft fuel consumption during the cruise phase when the flight is subjected to a specific time of arrival for different weights and distances.

The approach adopted herein uses sequential quadratic programming algorithm from MATLAB optimization toolbox, which includes a mathematical model of a jet airliner based on the Base of Aircraft Data as a function evaluator, to find out the impact of meet-time of arrival constraints on fuel consumption. The cruising speeds at predefined segments and the altitude are defined as the design variables.

The algorithm determines the optimum cruise altitudes and speeds for minimum fuel consumption in the case of no time constraints, also, for different time constraints where the flight time shall be reduced by increasing speed and lowering the altitude in most of the investigated cases.

The algorithm computes the optimum speed and the altitude according to different flight scenarios with the meet-time of arrival constraints for minimum fuel consumption which affects the direct operating cost of the flight. The algorithm might greatly help in decision-making for the meet-time of arrival operations.

Developing an algorithm to optimize the speed and the altitude of an aircraft based on weight and range for minimization of fuel consumption. It is a pioneer study in the literature that deals with the effect of meet-time constraints on fuel consumption.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the “last mile” delivery link between a hub and spoke distribution system and its customers. The proportion of retail, as opposed to non‐retail (trade) customers using this type of distribution system has been growing in the UK. The paper shows the applicability of simulation to demonstrate changes in overall delivery policy to these customers.

A case‐based research method was chosen with the aim to provide an exemplar of practice and test the proposition that simulation can be used as a tool to investigate changes in delivery policy.

The results indicate the potential improvement in delivery performance, specifically in meeting timed delivery performance, that could be made by having separate retail and non‐retail delivery runs from the spoke terminal to the customer.

The simulation study does not attempt to generate a vehicle routing schedule but demonstrates the effects of a change on delivery performance when comparing delivery policies.

Scheduling and spreadsheet software are widely used and provide useful assistance in the design of delivery runs and the allocation of staff to those delivery runs. This paper demonstrates to managers the usefulness of investigating the efficacy of current design rules and presents simulation as a suitable tool for this analysis.

A simulation model is used in a novel application to test a change in delivery policy in response to a changing delivery profile of increased retail deliveries.

This chapter draws from psychological and organizational research to develop a conceptual model of individual temporality in the workplace. We begin by outlining several general cognitive and motivational aspects of human temporal processing, emphasizing its reliance on (a) contextual cues for temporal perception and (b) cognitive reference points for temporal evaluation. We then discuss how an individual's personal life context combines with the organizational context to shape how individuals situate their time at work through: (1) the adoption of socially constructed temporal schemas of the future; (2) the creation of personal work plans and schedules that segment and allocate one's own time looking forward; and (3) the selection of temporal referents associated with realizing specific, valued outcomes and events. Together, these elements shape how individuals perceive and evaluate their time at work and link personal time use to the broader goals of the organization.

The purpose of this paper is to explore refugees’ experiences of the barriers and facilitators involved in finding a regular family doctor.

Hermeneutic phenomenology was used to produce an integrated description sensitive to the lifeworlds of refugees who came from multiple cultural perspectives. Participants consisted of refugees from Iran, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Latin America who arrived in Canada between 2005 and 2007. Texts for analysis came from first language focus group discussions and interviews with the interpreters for those groups.

The principal themes that emerged from the experience of barriers were “futility,” “dependence,” and “relevance.” Themes related to the experience of facilitators were “inclusion,” “congruence,” and “benefit to family.” These themes provide key messages about sources of patient decisions to seek or not seek care, not comply, attend irregularly, and not disclose symptoms, which can be used by doctors and other health providers to enhance care planning.

The factors that facilitate refugees’ access to a regular family doctor have implications for the development of culturally appropriate healthcare information, policies that support adequate interpreter services, and cultural sensitivity training for physicians.

Previous research documents barriers such as lack of language access, differences in health beliefs, and lack of knowledge about western healthcare systems. However, little is known about how refugees experience these barriers, nor how they overcome them. This study contributes a rich and deeper understanding of how refugees experience these barriers and elucidates factors that facilitate their process of obtaining a regular family doctor.

This chapter provides a look at the experiences of two Teacher Educators in the Field (TEFs) as they work to shift writing instruction in suburban districts across the Houston metroplex. A review of the literature on most promising practices for literacy educators is provided along with narrative interspersion of restoried enactments of TEFs in public education systems serving students in grades 6–12. Our planned and lived experiences were often dissonant due to the complexity of increasingly diverse demographic populations in fast-growing districts who struggled to shift the focus of instruction in correlation to audience. Our stories present focused reflection on the need for additional supports geared toward teacher development, TEF retention, and consistent engagement from campus and district-level administrators.

Discusses time‐based restructuring and benchmarking frameworks which have been developed by the author. These are capable of measuring the value‐adding capability of batch manufacturing organizations and guiding continuous improvements. The need for such frameworks for value‐adding analysis has already been identified. This development pursues a primary goal strategy, namely that organizations exist to add value by converting inputs to outputs, but excessive amounts of stock, complexity and constraints make the system entropic and these negatives must be minimized. Without value‐adding measurement the firm fails to be competitive in many cases because investment, poor resource utilization and inadequate organization are not directed at core objectives which add value and meet customer needs.

Mobile devices have received much research interest in recent years. Mobility raises new issues such as more dynamic context, limited computing resources, and frequent disconnections. A middleware infrastructure for mobile computing must handle all these issues properly. In this project we propose a middleware, called 3DMA, to support mobile computing. We introduce three requirements, distribution, decoupling and decomposition as central issues for mobile middleware. 3DMA uses a space based middleware, which facilitates the implementation of decoupled behavior and support for disconnected operation and context awareness. This is done by defining a set of “workers” which are able to act on the users behalf either: to reduce load on the mobile device, and/or to support disconnected behavior. In order to demonstrate aspects of the middleware architecture we then consider the development of a commonly used mobile application.

Meetings are ubiquitous at work. Therefore, understanding what makes meetings effective (or not) is important. Entitativity (i.e., the “group-ness” of a meeting) may theoretically explain when some meetings are effective. That is, when meeting participants perceive a high enough level of group-ness in their meeting, then they begin to enact the processes to create a successful meeting and experience the outcomes of a successful meeting. The authors propose a model connecting the characteristics of successful face-to-face (FtF) meetings to entitativity and extrapolate this model to online meetings. Specifically, the authors interpret well-researched characteristics and practices of meetings (e.g., using an agenda and meeting punctuality) to be examples of well-established entitativity antecedents (e.g., creating similarity of goals and establishing meeting boundaries). That is, using an agenda creates effective meetings because it focuses members’ attention on common goals. Therefore, entitativity may be an explanatory mechanism for successful meetings. The authors examine the unique challenges of online meetings, which are growing in number. The authors note that entitativity may be harder to establish in online meetings making successful online meetings more difficult. Characteristics of online meetings (e.g., focusing on the few shared documents which may focus members on goals) that may promote success. The authors propose further theoretical work as well as suggest strategies that can be used to increase entitativity in FtF and online meetings.

Strategy Question: How do I keep everyone on the same page?

Summary: This tool suggests a communication protocol that guarantees important areas of the company get the information they need to stay focused on the important initiatives. A suggestion is also made advocating for open communication, perhaps a sharing of previously closely held data (financial results, etc.) further into the organization. Communication is critical to both aligning employees to action and controlling the ever-present organizational grapevine. Structured formal communication is highly effective and a format is suggested. The more people are aware of the organization’s goals and targets, the higher the probability their attention will be focused on those goals. Also discussed are areas of informal communication that leadership can undertake.