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1 – 10 of over 31000Oluseye Olugboyega, Godwin Ehis Oseghale and Clinton Aigbavboa
This study aims to undertake a contextual analysis of project-level building information modelling (BIM) adoption in Nigeria and demonstrate how BIM is applied across different…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to undertake a contextual analysis of project-level building information modelling (BIM) adoption in Nigeria and demonstrate how BIM is applied across different projects in Nigeria.
Design/methodology/approach
This research generates contextual and holistic understandings of multiple project-level cases of BIM adoption through an interpretive paradigm guided by relativist ontology and subjectivist epistemology. Two models of project-level BIM adoption (ten-factor theory of BIM adoption and strategic-contingent model of BIM adoption) were merged to formulate the BIM adoption assessment scale (BIM-AAS). A qualitative-oriented case study protocol was developed to extract valid and reliable data from external and internal project data based on BIM-AAS features. The extracted data were analysed using the pattern-matching technique and cross-case analysis.
Findings
The results indicate that there was substantial use of BIM tools and technologies in the projects. All the projects adopted collaborative procurement and team and developed integrated building information models. The use of BIM tools, technologies and processes in the projects was found to be above average. The complexities and expectations levels of the projects compliment the nature of BIM adoption in the projects.
Research limitations/implications
The BIM-AAS adopted in this research is an excellent example of a project-level BIM adoption analytical tool. It can be assumed in future research. Also, this research contributes to the theory that the level of project complexity and expectations must align with the level of BIM adoption in projects. The study’s findings ratify BIM tools, technologies and processes as the elements of project-level BIM adoption.
Practical implications
This research substantiates the actual nature and structure of BIM adoption in Nigeria, thereby simplifying the development of initiatives towards BIM adoption in projects and determining the appropriate strategies for BIM implementation and innovation in the Nigerian construction industry. The most important initiative that the Nigerian government can make to drive BIM implementation is the automating of code checking for building rules and regulations in Nigeria.
Originality/value
Previous studies have only reported cases of project-level BIM adoption using surveys and without a standardised project-level BIM adoption model to guide the analysis. This study is the first to formulate and use BIM adoption models for a uniform, critical and contextual analysis of project-level BIM adoption.
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Riccardo Torelli and Federica Balluchi
Amid the current global crisis, biodiversity remains a topic that is often relegated to a few disciplines. Many issues related to the relationship between organizations and the…
Abstract
Purpose
Amid the current global crisis, biodiversity remains a topic that is often relegated to a few disciplines. Many issues related to the relationship between organizations and the ecosystem remain unexplored. This study aims to fill this gap by examining the characteristics of the interrelationship between these two complex and dynamic systems.
Design/methodology/approach
This research is conducted using a constructivist approach, with an interpretivist perspective and a case study methodology. Through this research perspective and an exploratory multiple case study (holistic), the authors assess the implications related to the concept of biodiversity and the impacts that organizational choices could have on the consideration and management of this complex concept.
Findings
The desire of these entrepreneurs to change their ways of doing things and try to produce in a way that respects the ecosystem and enhances natural genetic diversity, while simultaneously drawing value from it in a healthy and sustainable manner, is evident. The orientation toward a sustainable and ecologically innovative business brings the concept of profit into the background on several occasions, leading these bakery entrepreneurs to be visionary green entrepreneurs (or ecopreneurs). The desire to be sustainable and to change the ways of “business as usual” makes these companies and their entrepreneurs an example of “sustainability-as-flourishing.”
Originality/value
By adopting the systems thinking approach and multiple case studies, this study examines the interrelation between some innovative small companies (bakeries) and biodiversity, their motivations to actively engage in biodiversity protection and their roles in protecting agrobiodiversity as well as the natural wealth of the ecosystem.
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Sharon Leiba O’Sullivan, Steven H. Appelbaum and Corinne Abikhzer
Provides an in‐depth description of the expatriate management practices of four Canadian multinationals in order to determine how closely Canadian practices correspond to the…
Abstract
Provides an in‐depth description of the expatriate management practices of four Canadian multinationals in order to determine how closely Canadian practices correspond to the “best practices” described in the international HRM (IHRM) literature. Toward that end, reviews the IHRM literature. A qualitative study design was employed, in the form of a holistic multiple case study with four Canadian MNCs. Results indicated that, contrary to trends noted in the literature, the Canadian firms studied do not neglect expatriate management practices, although they do not fully implement such practices either – at least not to the extent advocated in the literature. The key explanation put forth is the lack of any systematic evaluation of these practices, which might have enabled shortcomings to be more readily recognized. The other key finding was that the participating firms relied extensively on expatriates to be proactive in managing various aspects of their own careers. Discusses implications.
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Eric Brun, Alf Steinar Saetre and Martin Gjelsvik
The “fuzzy front end” of new product development (NPD) is characterized by considerable uncertainty and ambiguity, but detailed studies of ambiguity specifically related to NPD…
Abstract
Purpose
The “fuzzy front end” of new product development (NPD) is characterized by considerable uncertainty and ambiguity, but detailed studies of ambiguity specifically related to NPD are missing. This paper aims to establish a classification of ambiguity in NPD processes.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors' research design is a holistic multiple‐case‐study design with the NPD project as the unit of analysis. A model is developed through a grounded theory approach, using qualitative analysis of case data from four medical‐device companies.
Findings
The authors present a model that classifies ambiguity along two dimensions: subject and source. The subjects of ambiguity include product, market, process, and organizational resources, whereas the sources of ambiguity include multiplicity, novelty, validity, and reliability.
Research limitations/implications
As the study is based on just four case studies in a single industry segment, further research is needed to determine the model's wider applicability. Further research is also suggested, exploring how and in what contexts ambiguity should be managed as a balance between reducing or sustaining it.
Practical implications
The model presented helps practitioners to better understand the origins and character of ambiguity in NPD, thereby improving their ability to manage it in their NPD projects.
Originality/value
The model provides an improved theoretical understanding of ambiguity as a component of “fuzziness” in NPD by providing a detailed account of how ambiguity is related to specific elements of the NPD process in terms of where and why it occurs.
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Kwan S. Jeong, Michail Kagioglou, Richard Haigh, Dilanthi Amaratunga and Mohan L. Siriwardena
Construction firms need to improve the way in which they manage their processes. Focusing on good practice and knowledge sharing within and across organisational boundaries, the…
Abstract
Purpose
Construction firms need to improve the way in which they manage their processes. Focusing on good practice and knowledge sharing within and across organisational boundaries, the purpose of this paper is to discuss recent developments on a structured process improvement model developed for construction enterprises (SPICE).
Design/methodology/approach
A multiple holistic case study approach was taken to develop and test the presented process improvement model at a firm's level. To compare and synthesise different perspectives, respondents were selected from across a vertical cross‐section of the case study organisations. A combination of several research techniques employed for triangulation.
Findings
Provides a set of key processes to establish an essential managerial infrastructure for achieving organisation‐wide process improvement. The results highlight the need to implement the key processes in an integrated and holistic manner.
Research limitations/implications
Key limitations of the presented process improvement model are closely related to the concerns raised against “process thinking.” More case studies are required to confirm or refute generalisability of the findings.
Practical implications
Firms need to appreciate diverse perspectives and consider norms and values of people in order to understand and improve their process capabilities in a balanced manner. Continuous diagnosis and adaptation of organisational process capability to the changing environment are required to ensure achieving sustainable competitive advantage.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the process and knowledge management/organisational learning literature. It also highlights several important issues to address wider aspects of organisational process improvement, as well as future research direction.
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James Mowle and Bill Merrilees
This study proposes investigating the branding of small to medium‐sized enterprise (SME) wineries in an Australian context. By taking a qualitative approach, the theory building…
Abstract
Purpose
This study proposes investigating the branding of small to medium‐sized enterprise (SME) wineries in an Australian context. By taking a qualitative approach, the theory building research seeks further to understand branding from the perspective of the SME winery, and in doing so, go some way in addressing the current deficit in the literature.
Design/methodology/approach
Bhat and Reddy's conceptualisation of brand functionality and symbolism is used as a branding framework to underlie the research. A multiple case study design was adopted as a research method to provide case data on eight SME wineries. Data were collected through in‐depth interviews with the owner/manager of each winery, direct observation and document analysis.
Findings
The findings are presented in the form a model of SME winery branding, which, in addition to distinguishing two approaches to branding, highlights the functional and symbolic values inherent in the brand. The findings endorse the notion that brands can simultaneously have both functional and symbolic appeal. More radically, the emergent model suggests interdependence between the functional and symbolic properties of branding.
Practical implications
Practically, the findings highlight the importance of developing the symbolic values associated with the brand, which represent a more sustainable competitive advantage.
Originality/value
By establishing a tentative theory on SME winery branding, this study has begun to address the current deficit in wine marketing literature and has set a foundation for further research.
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Moema Pereira Nunes and Ana Paola Russo
This paper aims to analyze the business model innovation in medium and large Brazilian manufacturing companies located in Rio do Sul State.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyze the business model innovation in medium and large Brazilian manufacturing companies located in Rio do Sul State.
Design/methodology/approach
A holistic multiple case study in five companies was developed. Data were collected through interviews and analyzed according to the content analysis technique.
Findings
The main motivation to business model innovation was the innovation in products and services, while the difficulties were the factors relating to the cost. The most common practice among cases was innovation in value proposition and the most widely used method was learning-by-searching. While part of the theory was demonstrated in the case studies, new motivations and practices were identified. The investigation of the learning process on business models’ innovation is pioneered in this study. Further studies on this subject are required.
Originality/value
New business models are likely to provide new opportunities to better address customer needs, generating differentiating itself from its competitors. It is a subject little investigated in the international context, and there are no studies to investigate the experience of Brazilian companies.
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Iker Laskurain-Iturbe, German Arana-Landin, Beñat Landeta-Manzano and Ruben Jimenez-Redal
Industry 4.0 technologies have the potential to improve the quality management performance of industrial companies. The paper analyses the influence of Industry 4.0 technologies…
Abstract
Purpose
Industry 4.0 technologies have the potential to improve the quality management performance of industrial companies. The paper analyses the influence of Industry 4.0 technologies on quality management aspects, but also the barriers that slow down the deployment of each Industry 4.0 technology and limit each impact.
Design/methodology/approach
The impact of Industry 4.0 technologies on quality management aspects (QMAs) is a heterogeneous and multidimensional phenomenon dependent on the current context, a holistic multiple case study has been applied. Twenty-six case studies were carried out on eight Industry 4.0 technologies, with a minimum of two cases per technology. These cases were selected from the 168 projects presented in the four editions of the BIND 4.0 program, winner of the 14th edition of the European Enterprise Promotion Awards. The cases were selected based on a preliminary survey of 124 project managers. Subsequently, individual case and cross-case analyses for each technology were carried out. Finally, these results were confirmed by interviews with a minimum of two customers per Industry 4.0.
Findings
Results show that the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies positively affects QMAs. Specifically, the influences received by “process control” and “customer satisfaction” from all the Industry 4.0 technologies studied are medium to high. In addition, barriers from the “economic and legal” and “workers” categories exert greater influence than the barriers pertaining to “organization”, “lack of training and information” and “technology”.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation is the generalizability of the findings of qualitative studies (ergo the case study). In this sense, statistical generalizability, characteristic of a random sample, is not intended in this paper. Therefore, the use of multiple case studies has been chosen to reinforce analytical generalizations with corroborated evidence (literal replication).
Practical implications
Managers interested in adopting Industry 4.0 technologies Ts should plan the implementation process to minimize the impact of these barriers and optimize the results for each stakeholder. In this sense, the barriers that concern the workers should be managed. It is the responsibility of managers to inform and explain how data will be handled, and how privacy concerns will be addressed.
Social implications
It is essential to explain and convince workers about the need for a renewal of tasks. New types of jobs (i.e. the use of robots) will involve training for workers to enable their integration alongside the new technologies.
Originality/value
This paper addresses two under-researched areas that are essential when defining strategies in the industrial business context. Firstly, the paper analyses the influence of each I40 T on each QMA. Secondly, it analyses the barriers to adopt that slow down the rollout of each I40 T and limits each impact.
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Blake Kanewischer, Sonja L. Johnston, Jaci Lyndon and Megan Glancey
This chapter employs a critical, reflexive, and holistic multiple-case study design at a Canadian polytechnic to demonstrate the value of authentic assessment for improving…
Abstract
This chapter employs a critical, reflexive, and holistic multiple-case study design at a Canadian polytechnic to demonstrate the value of authentic assessment for improving student self-efficacy across several business courses. Assessment strategies, instructional design techniques, coaching skills, and emotional affect are examined through instructor observation and reflection, yielding actionable insights for instructors and future research directions.
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Larry Hearld, Jeffrey A. Alexander, Laura J. Wolf and Yunfeng Shi
Multisector health care alliances (alliances) are increasingly viewed as playing an important role in improving the health and health care of local populations, in part by…
Abstract
Purpose
Multisector health care alliances (alliances) are increasingly viewed as playing an important role in improving the health and health care of local populations, in part by disseminating innovative practices, yet alliances face a number of challenges to disseminating these practices beyond a limited set of initial participants. The purpose of this paper is to examine how alliances attempt to disseminate innovative practices and the facilitating and inhibiting factors that alliances confront when trying to do so.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors adopted multiple holistic case study design of eight alliances with a maximum variation case selection strategy to reflect a range of structural and geographic characteristics. Semi-structured interviews with staff, leaders and board members were used.
Findings
The findings show that dissemination is a multidirectional process that is closely if not inextricably intertwined with capacity- and context-related factors (of the alliance, partnering organizations and target organizations). Thus, standardized approaches to dissemination are likely the exception and not the rule, and highlight the value of existing frameworks as a starting point for conceptualizing the important aspects of dissemination, but they are incomplete in their description of the “on-the-ground” dissemination processes that occur in the context of collaborative organizational forms such as alliances.
Originality/value
Despite a rapidly expanding evidence base to guide clinical and managerial decision making, this knowledge often fails to make its way into routine practice. Consequently, the search for effective strategies to reduce this gap has accelerated in the past decade. This study sheds light on those strategies and the challenges to implementing them.
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