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1 – 10 of 984Hung Duy Nguyen and Laura Macchion
Risks in implementing green building (GB) projects have emerged as a significant obstacle for GB development, especially in developing countries. In recent years, both academics…
Abstract
Purpose
Risks in implementing green building (GB) projects have emerged as a significant obstacle for GB development, especially in developing countries. In recent years, both academics and construction practitioners have paid considerable attention to the risks associated with GB. In this study, the authors aimed to create a comprehensive risk assessment model that considers three crucial risk features: impact level, probability of occurrence and risk manageability.
Design/methodology/approach
In the research, authors adopted the mean scoring and fuzzy synthetic evaluation method to assess GB risks. Based on expert assessments, this model can determine the significance of risk factors, risk groups and overall risk. Notably, this research applied the proposed model to assess GB risks in Vietnam by surveying 58 GB experienced professionals.
Findings
The findings revealed that GB risks are relatively high in Vietnam, implying that risk management is essential for GB projects to succeed. The results also showed that “lack of experience of GB designers” is the most critical factor, and “human resources risk in the design phase” is the top crucial risk group.
Originality/value
This study contributes a novel and practical model to help practitioners assess risks in GB projects. In addition, this research offers detailed GB risk evaluations in Vietnam and thus could be a valuable reference for construction practitioners and future studies.
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Zsolt Tibor Kosztyán, Tibor Csizmadia, Zoltán Kovács and István Mihálcz
The purpose of this paper is to generalize the traditional risk evaluation methods and to specify a multi-level risk evaluation framework, in order to prepare customized risk…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to generalize the traditional risk evaluation methods and to specify a multi-level risk evaluation framework, in order to prepare customized risk evaluation and to enable effectively integrating the elements of risk evaluation.
Design/methodology/approach
A real case study of an electric motor manufacturing company is presented to illustrate the advantages of this new framework compared to the traditional and fuzzy failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) approaches.
Findings
The essence of the proposed total risk evaluation framework (TREF) is its flexible approach that enables the effective integration of firms’ individual requirements by developing tailor-made organizational risk evaluation.
Originality/value
Increasing product/service complexity has led to increasingly complex yet unique organizational operations; as a result, their risk evaluation is a very challenging task. Distinct structures, characteristics and processes within and between organizations require a flexible yet robust approach of evaluating risks efficiently. Most recent risk evaluation approaches are considered to be inadequate due to the lack of flexibility and an inappropriate structure for addressing the unique organizational demands and contextual factors. To address this challenge effectively, taking a crucial step toward customization of risk evaluation.
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Yadong Huang, Yueting Chai, Yi Liu and Xiang Gu
The purpose of this paper is to study the architecture of holographic personalized portal, user modeling, commodity modeling and intelligent interaction.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the architecture of holographic personalized portal, user modeling, commodity modeling and intelligent interaction.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, the authors propose crowd-science industrial ecological system based on holographic personalized portal and its interaction. The holographic personality portal is based on holographic enterprises, commodities and consumers, and the personalized portal consists of accurate ontology, reliable supply, intelligent demand and smart cyberspace.
Findings
The personalized portal can realize the information acquisition, characteristic analysis and holographic presentation. Then, the intelligent interaction, e.g. demand decomposition, personalized search, personalized presentation and demand prediction, will be implemented within the personalized portal.
Originality/value
The authors believe that their work on intelligent interaction based on holographic personalized portal, which has been first proposed in this paper, is innovation focusing on the interaction between intelligence and convenience.
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Djan Magalhaes Castro and Fernando Silv Parreiras
Governments around the world instituted guidelines for calculating energy efficiency of vehicles not only by models, but by the whole universe of new vehicles registered. This…
Abstract
Governments around the world instituted guidelines for calculating energy efficiency of vehicles not only by models, but by the whole universe of new vehicles registered. This paper compiles Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) studies related to automotive industry. We applied a Systematic Literature Review on MCDM studies published until 2015 to identify patterns on MCDM applications to design vehicles more fuel efficient in order to achieve full compliance with energy efficiency guidelines (e.g., Inovar-Auto). From 339 papers, 45 papers have been identified as describing some MCDM technique and correlation to automotive industry. We classified the most common MCDM technique and application in the automotive industry. Integrated approaches were more usual than individual ones. Application of fuzzy methods to tackle uncertainties in the data was also observed. Despite the maturity in the use of MCDM in several areas of knowledge, and intensive use in the automotive industry, none of them are directly linked to car design for energy efficiency. Analytic Hierarchy Process was identified as the common technique applied in the automotive industry.
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Yazhou Mao, Yang Jianxi, Xu Wenjing and Liu Yonggang
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of round pits arrangement patterns on tribological properties of journal bearing. In this paper, the tribological behaviors…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of round pits arrangement patterns on tribological properties of journal bearing. In this paper, the tribological behaviors of journal bearing with different arrangement patterns under lubrication condition were studied based on M-2000 friction and wear tester.
Design/methodology/approach
The friction and wear of journal bearing contact surface were simulated by ANSYS. The wear mechanism of bearing contact surfaces was investigated by the means of energy dispersive spectrum analysis on the surface morphology and friction and wear status of the journal bearing specimens by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometer (EDS). Besides, the wearing capacity of the textured bearing was predicted by using the GM (1,1) and Grey–Markov model.
Findings
As the loads increase, the friction coefficient of journal bearing specimens decrease first and then increase slowly. The higher rotation speed, the lower friction coefficient and the faster temperature build-up. The main friction method of the bearing sample is three-body friction. The existence of texture can effectively reduce friction and wear. In many arrangement patterns, the best is 4# bearing with round pits cross-arrangement pattern. Its texturing diameters are 60 µm and 125 µm, and the spacing and depth are 200 µm and 25 µm, respectively. In addition, the Grey–Markov model prediction result is more accurate and fit the experimental value better.
Originality/value
The friction and wear mechanism is helpful for scientific research and engineers to understand the tribological behaviors and engineering applications of textured bearing. The wear capacity of textured bearing is predicted by using the Grey–Markov model, which provides technical help and theoretical guidance for the service life and reliability of textured bearing.
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Per Hilletofth, Movin Sequeira and Wendy Tate
This paper investigates the suitability of fuzzy-logic-based support tools for initial screening of manufacturing reshoring decisions.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper investigates the suitability of fuzzy-logic-based support tools for initial screening of manufacturing reshoring decisions.
Design/methodology/approach
Two fuzzy-logic-based support tools are developed together with experts from a Swedish manufacturing firm. The first uses a complete rule base and the second a reduced rule base. Sixteen inference settings are used in both of the support tools.
Findings
The findings show that fuzzy-logic-based support tools are suitable for initial screening of manufacturing reshoring decisions. The developed support tools are capable of suggesting whether a reshoring decision should be further evaluated or not, based on six primary competitiveness criteria. In contrast to existing literature this research shows that it does not matter whether a complete or reduced rule base is used when it comes to accuracy. The developed support tools perform similarly with no statistically significant differences. However, since the interpretability is much higher when a reduced rule base is used and it require fewer resources to develop, the second tool is more preferable for initial screening purposes.
Research limitations/implications
The developed support tools are implemented at a primary-criteria level and to make them more applicable, they should also include the sub-criteria level. The support tools should also be expanded to not only consider competitiveness criteria, but also other criteria related to availability of resources and strategic orientation of the firm. This requires further research with regard to multi-stage architecture and automatic generation of fuzzy rules in the manufacturing reshoring domain.
Practical implications
The support tools help managers to invest their scarce time on the most promising reshoring projects and to make timely and resilient decisions by taking a holistic perspective on competitiveness. Practitioners are advised to choose the type of support tool based on the available data.
Originality/value
There is a general lack of decision support tools in the manufacturing reshoring domain. This paper addresses the gap by developing fuzzy-logic-based support tools for initial screening of manufacturing reshoring decisions.
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Devin DePalmer, Steven Schuldt and Justin Delorit
Limited facilities operating and modernization budgets require organizations to carefully identify, prioritize and authorize projects to ensure allocated resources align with…
Abstract
Purpose
Limited facilities operating and modernization budgets require organizations to carefully identify, prioritize and authorize projects to ensure allocated resources align with strategic objectives. Traditional facility prioritization methods using risk matrices can be improved to increase granularity in categorization and avoid mathematical error or human cognitive biases. These limitations restrict the utility of prioritizations and if erroneously used to select projects for funding, they can lead to wasted resources. This paper aims to propose a novel facility prioritization methodology that corrects these assessment design and implementation issues.
Design/methodology/approach
A Mamdani fuzzy logic inference system is coupled with a traditional, categorical risk assessment framework to understand a facilities’ consequence of failure and its effect on an organization’s strategic objectives. Model performance is evaluated using the US Air Force’s facility portfolio, which has been previously assessed, treating facility replicability and interruptability as minimization objectives. The fuzzy logic inference system is built to account for these objectives, but as proof of ease-of-adaptation, facility dependency is added as an additional risk assessment criterion.
Findings
Results of the fuzzy logic-based approach show a high degree of consistency with the traditional approach, though the value of the information provided by the framework developed here is considerably higher, as it creates a continuous set of facility prioritizations that are unbiased. The fuzzy logic framework is likely suitable for implementation by diverse, spatially distributed organizations in which decision-makers seek to balance risk assessment complexity with an output value.
Originality/value
This paper fills the identified need for portfolio management strategies that focus on prioritizing projects by risk to organizational operations or objectives.
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A flexible model which is based on a Triangular intuitionistic flexibility ranking and aggregating (TIFRA) operator is proposed for failure detection and reliability management in…
Abstract
A flexible model which is based on a Triangular intuitionistic flexibility ranking and aggregating (TIFRA) operator is proposed for failure detection and reliability management in a Wind Turbine system. The model which is employed when there are limited research data and valid source of information, uses expert-based knowledge/opinion for failure detection and reliability management. The results from the study concludes that, the most important area affected by failure with respect to the failure criteria used, includes; oil level sensor tilt sensors for tower installation and accelerometers for tower sway (A2), Pressure sensor for blade monitoring (A3), and the Pitch actuator (A4). The main advantage of the proposed method is that it provides advanced information about faults that identifies the intensity of the system behavior also; the method provides a more complete view of the reliability management and root cause of failure in the Wind Turbine (WT) system using the flexibility parameter in the model.
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The field of broad-based employee ownership within corporations is a specific application of the foundational topic of property ownership. It is situated at the intersection of a…
Abstract
Purpose
The field of broad-based employee ownership within corporations is a specific application of the foundational topic of property ownership. It is situated at the intersection of a broad range of scholarly disciplines including economics, law, finance and management. Each discipline contributes vocabulary and distinctions describing this field. That broad spectrum of disciplinary inquiry is a strength but it also lends a “ships passing in the night” quality to discussions of employee ownership. This paper attempts to unravel the narrative diversity surrounding this topic. Four meanings of ownership are introduced. Those meanings are in turn embedded within two abstract models of the corporation; the corporation as property and the corporation as social institution.
Design/methodology/approach
There is no experimental design The paper presents a conceptual overview and introduces a taxonomy of four meanings and two models of ownership.
Findings
Four meanings of ownership are introduced. The meanings are ownership as compensation, investment, retirement and membership. Those meanings are in turn embedded within two abstract models of the corporation; the corporation as property and the corporation as social institution.
Research limitations/implications
No hypotheses are advanced. This is not a research paper. A conceptual overview that makes use of taxonomy of meanings and models is introduced to help clarify confusions abundant in the field of employee ownership. Readers may differ with the categories of meanings and models introduced in this conceptual overview.
Practical implications
The ambition of the paper is to describe the various meanings and models of employee ownership presently in use in both academic and applied settings. It is not necessary or desirable to assert the primacy of a single meaning or model in order to achieve progress. The analysis provided here surfaces a range of assumptions about ownership that have heretofore been implicit in both scholarship and in practice. Making those assumptions explicit should prove useful to both scholars and practitioners of employee ownership.
Social implications
The concept of employee ownership enjoys a relatively broad appeal with the public. Among the academic disciplines that have trained their lights upon it, a more mixed reception prevails. Much of the academic and policy controversy derives from confusion about the nature and structure of employee ownership. This paper attempts to address that confusion by presenting a taxonomy of meanings and models that may prove useful for future research.
Originality/value
This study is one of the first efforts to comprehinsively map the various meanings and models of broad-based employee ownership.
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Muhammad Zahir Khan and Muhammad Farid Khan
A significant number of studies have been conducted to analyze and understand the relationship between gas emissions and global temperature using conventional statistical…
Abstract
Purpose
A significant number of studies have been conducted to analyze and understand the relationship between gas emissions and global temperature using conventional statistical approaches. However, these techniques follow assumptions of probabilistic modeling, where results can be associated with large errors. Furthermore, such traditional techniques cannot be applied to imprecise data. The purpose of this paper is to avoid strict assumptions when studying the complex relationships between variables by using the three innovative, up-to-date, statistical modeling tools: adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference systems (ANFIS), artificial neural networks (ANNs) and fuzzy time series models.
Design/methodology/approach
These three approaches enabled us to effectively represent the relationship between global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the energy sector (oil, gas and coal) and the average global temperature increase. Temperature was used in this study (1900-2012). Investigations were conducted into the predictive power and performance of different fuzzy techniques against conventional methods and among the fuzzy techniques themselves.
Findings
A performance comparison of the ANFIS model against conventional techniques showed that the root means square error (RMSE) of ANFIS and conventional techniques were found to be 0.1157 and 0.1915, respectively. On the other hand, the correlation coefficients of ANN and the conventional technique were computed to be 0.93 and 0.69, respectively. Furthermore, the fuzzy-based time series analysis of CO2 emissions and average global temperature using three fuzzy time series modeling techniques (Singh, Abbasov–Mamedova and NFTS) showed that the RMSE of fuzzy and conventional time series models were 110.51 and 1237.10, respectively.
Social implications
The paper provides more awareness about fuzzy techniques application in CO2 emissions studies.
Originality/value
These techniques can be extended to other models to assess the impact of CO2 emission from other sectors.
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