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Article
Publication date: 3 November 2022

N. Hamzah, M.H. Samat, N.A. Johari, A.F.A. Faizal, O.H. Hassan, A.M.M. Ali, R. Zakaria, N.H. Hussin, M.Z.A. Yahya and M.F.M. Taib

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the structural, electronic and optical properties of pure zinc oxide (ZnO) and transition metal (Tm)-doped ZnO using Tm elements from…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the structural, electronic and optical properties of pure zinc oxide (ZnO) and transition metal (Tm)-doped ZnO using Tm elements from silver (Ag) and copper (Cu) by a first-principles study based on density functional theory (DFT) as implemented in the pseudo-potential plane wave in CASTEP computer code.

Design/methodology/approach

The calculations based on the generalized gradient approximation for Perdew-Burke-Ernzerhof for solids with Hubbard U (GGA-PBEsol+U) were performed by applying Hubbard corrections Ud = 5 eV for Zn 3d state, Up = 9 eV for O 2p state, Ud = 6 eV for Ag 4d state and Ud = 9.5 eV for Cu 3d state. The crystal structure used in this calculation was hexagonal wurtzite ZnO with a space group of P63mc and supercell 2 × 2 × 2.

Findings

The total energy was calculated to determine the best position for Ag and Cu dopants. The band structures and density of states show that Tm-doped ZnO has a lower bandgaps value than pure ZnO because of impurity energy levels from Ag 4d and Cu 3d states. In addition, Ag-doped ZnO exhibits a remarkable enhancement in visible light absorption over pure ZnO and Cu-doped ZnO because of its lower energy region and extended wavelength spectrum.

Originality/value

The results of this paper are important for the basic understanding of the 3d and 4d Tm doping effect ZnO and have a wide range of applications in designing high-efficiency energy harvesting solar cells.

Details

Microelectronics International, vol. 40 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1356-5362

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 6 February 2024

Francesco Paolone, Matteo Pozzoli, Meghna Chhabra and Assunta Di Vaio

This study aims to investigate the effects of board cultural diversity (BCD) and board gender diversity (BGD) of the board of directors on environmental, social and governance…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effects of board cultural diversity (BCD) and board gender diversity (BGD) of the board of directors on environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance in the European banking sector using resource-based view (RBV) theory. In addition, this study analyses the linkages between BCD and BGD and knowledge sharing on the board of directors to improve ESG performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This study selected a sample of European-listed banks covering the period 2021. ESG and diversity variables were collected from Refinitiv Eikon and analysed using the ordinary least squares model. This study was conducted in the European context regulated by Directive 95/2014/EU, which requires sustainability disclosure. The original population was represented by 250 banks; after missing data were excluded, the final sample comprised 96 European-listed banks.

Findings

The findings highlight the positive linkages between BGD, BCD and ESG scores in the European banking sector. In addition, the findings highlight that diversity contributes to knowledge sharing by improving ESG performance in a regulated sector. Nonetheless, the combined effect of BGD and BCD negatively impacts ESG performance.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to measure and analyse a regulated sector, such as banking, and the relationship between cultural and gender diversity for sharing knowledge under the RBV theory lens in the ESG framework.

Details

Journal of Knowledge Management, vol. 28 no. 11
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1367-3270

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 September 2008

D.R. Davies, J.H. Davies, O. Hassan, K. Morgan and P. Nithiarasu

The purpose of this paper is to present an adaptive finite element procedure that improves the quality of convection dominated mid‐ocean ridge (MOR) and subduction zone (SZ…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present an adaptive finite element procedure that improves the quality of convection dominated mid‐ocean ridge (MOR) and subduction zone (SZ) simulations in geodynamics.

Design/methodology/approach

The method adapts the mesh automatically around regions of high‐solution gradient, yielding enhanced resolution of the associated flow features. The approach utilizes an automatic, unstructured mesh generator and a finite element flow solver. Mesh adaptation is accomplished through mesh regeneration, employing information provided by an interpolation‐based local error indicator, obtained from the computed solution on an existing mesh.

Findings

The proposed methodology works remarkably well at improving solution accuracy for both MOR and SZ simulations. Furthermore, the method is computationally highly efficient.

Originality/value

To date, successful goal‐orientated/error‐guided grid adaptation techniques have, to the knowledge, not been utilized within the field of geodynamics. This paper presents the first true geodynamical application of such methods.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 18 no. 7/8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 October 2022

Yunis Ali Ahmed, Hafiz Muhammad Faisal Shehzad, Muhammad Mahboob Khurshid, Omayma Husain Abbas Hassan, Samah Abdelsalam Abdalla and Nashat Alrefai

Building information modelling (BIM) has transformed the traditional practices of the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. BIM creates a collaborative…

Abstract

Purpose

Building information modelling (BIM) has transformed the traditional practices of the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. BIM creates a collaborative digital representation of built environment data. Competitive advantage can be achieved with collaborative project delivery and rich information modelling. Despite the abundant benefits, BIM’s adoption in the AEC is susceptible to confrontation. A substantial impediment to BIM adoption often cited is data interoperability. Other facets of interoperability got limited attention. Other academic areas, including information systems, discuss the interoperability construct ahead of data interoperability. These interoperability factors have yet to be surveyed in the AEC industry. This study aims to investigate the effect of interoperability factors on BIM adoption and develop a comprehensive BIM adoption model.

Design/methodology/approach

The theoretical foundations of the proposed model are based on the European interoperability framework (EIF) and technology, organization, environment framework (TOE). Quantitative data collection from construction firms is gathered. The model has been thoroughly examined and validated using partial least squares structural equation modelling in SmartPLS software.

Findings

The study’s findings indicate that relative advantage, top management support, government support, organizational readiness and regulation support are determinants of BIM adoption. Financial constraints, complexity, lack of technical interoperability, semantic interoperability, organizational interoperability and uncertainty are barriers to BIM adoption. However, compatibility, competitive pressure and legal interoperability do not affect BIM adoption.

Practical implications

Finally, this study provides recommendations containing the essential technological, organizational, environmental and interoperability factors that AEC stakeholders can address to enhance BIM adoption.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is one of the first studies to combine TOE and EIF in a single research model. This research provides empirical evidence for using the proposed model as a guide to promoting BIM adoption. As a result, the highlighted determinants can assist organizations in developing and executing successful policies that support BIM adoption in the AEC industry.

Details

Construction Innovation , vol. 24 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1471-4175

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 February 2022

Ahmet Bahadır Şimşek

The study has two main objectives. The first is to introduce three new examination policy practices: overbooked exam rooms, a substitute invigilator and an inheritance of the…

Abstract

Purpose

The study has two main objectives. The first is to introduce three new examination policy practices: overbooked exam rooms, a substitute invigilator and an inheritance of the invigilation distribution. The second is the use of the examination model to determine the sustainability of the system against expected changes and to obtain long-term strategic information. This study aims to obtain managerial insights on the sustainability of the examination system with the newly introduced practices; it does not claim to propose solutions for large-scale problems.

Design/methodology/approach

This study introduces a multi-objective mathematical model that contains a couple of constraints that belong to new practices. To check the sustainability of the system, this study gets help from sensitivity analysis, which informs the decision-maker about how the results will react to parameter changes. The authors perform all experiments in the Python/Gurobi modeling environment.

Findings

The results demonstrate that the proposed practices are effective in the efficient use of resources. Also, this study shows that the examination model can be used as a stress test so that the weaknesses of the system can be identified and long-term strategic information can be obtained.

Originality/value

The contribution of this study is twofold: the introduction of examination policy practices that are overbooked exam rooms, a substitute invigilator and an inheritance of the invigilation distribution. Overbooked exam rooms aim to use resources effectively, taking into account the possibility of temporarily increasing the exam room capacity. The substitute invigilator protects the examination process against sudden events. The inheritance of the invigilation distribution helps to ensure fairness; and the use of the examination model to obtain managerial insights on expectations. This allows testing the validity of existing policies and making necessary changes, taking into account possible changes in the system. In this respect, it differs from the studies in the literature and fills an important managerial gap.

Article
Publication date: 7 December 2023

Hussam Al Halbusi, Fadi AbdelFattah, Marcos Ferasso, Mohammad Alshallaqi and Abdeslam Hassani

Many entrepreneurs often struggle with the fear of failure, which can be detrimental to both their business and personal well-being. To better understand the factors that…

Abstract

Purpose

Many entrepreneurs often struggle with the fear of failure, which can be detrimental to both their business and personal well-being. To better understand the factors that contribute to this fear, the authors conducted research on the impact of various obstacles, such as limited financial resources, risk aversion, stress and hard work avoidance, and prior business failures. Additionally, the authors explored the effects of social capital in mitigating these obstacles and their relationship to fear of failure in entrepreneurship.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conducted a survey with 440 young Iraqi entrepreneurs using non-probabilistic and purposive methods. The survey instrument included multiple measuring scales, which were provided in both English and Arabic. The authors analysed valid responses using structural equation modelling (SEM) with partial least squares (PLS).

Findings

The findings show that the fear of failure in entrepreneurship is negatively influenced by factors such as limited financial access, risk aversion, and past business failures. However, aversion to stress and hard work did not have a significant impact. The findings also show that social capital could potentially mitigate these negative factors.

Research limitations/implications

The theoretical and practical implications of this study manifest in revealing the difficulties entrepreneurs encounter in developing countries like Iraq, where entrepreneurship is vital for economic growth. The study's limitations stem from its focus on one country and the use of a single survey method. Future research could use varied methods across multiple countries for a more comprehensive view.

Originality/value

This study sheds light on the factors that are obstacles for entrepreneurs to starting a business in emerging economies like Iraq.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 31 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 June 2020

Hussam Al Halbusi, Kent A. Williams, Thurasamy Ramayah, Luigi Aldieri and Concetto Paolo Vinci

With the growing demand for ethical standards in the prevailing business environment, ethical leadership has been under increasingly more focus. Based on the social exchange…

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Abstract

Purpose

With the growing demand for ethical standards in the prevailing business environment, ethical leadership has been under increasingly more focus. Based on the social exchange theory and social learning theory, this study scrutinized the impact of ethical leadership on the presentation of ethical conduct by employees through the ethical climate. Notably, this study scrutinised the moderating function of the person-organisation fit (P-O fit) in relation of ethical climate and the ethical conduct of employees.

Design/methodology/approach

To evaluate the research hypotheses, two-wave data were collected from 295 individuals who are currently employed in various Iraqi organizations (i.e. manufacturing, medical and insurance industries).

Findings

In line with the hypotheses, the outcomes from a sample of 295 workers working in different Iraqi entities exhibited a positive relation between the ethical behaviour of leaders and the ethical conduct of employees in the ethical climate. Moreover, it was observed that the P-O fit of employees moderated the relationship between ethical climate and the ethical conduct of employees such that the relationship was more robust for those with a high P-O fit in comparison to those with a low P-O fit.

Research limitations/implications

The primary limitation of this study is in the data, which was obtained from a single source. Although the study conducted two surveys and utilised a mediation and moderation variables model that was less likely to be influenced by common method bias (CMB) (Podsakoff et al., 2012), one cannot completely rule out CMB. Apart from the potential effects of the CMB, the consistency of the empirical findings could have also been compromised since self-reported data were utilised in measuring ethical behaviour, which can be a very complex and sensitive issue. For this reason, the social desirability response bias cannot be ruled out completely. When possible, future studies must gather data from multiple sources. Furthermore, supervisors must evaluate the ethical behaviour of employees. Another limitation was that the findings of this study were based on a sample in a Middle Eastern cultural context such as in Iraq. Perhaps, the particular cultural features of this context, which encompassed, among other things, a strong adherence to religious values (Moaddel, 2010), could have influenced the findings of this study. It is true that the effects of differences (P–O fit) are highly likely to replicate across cultural contexts (Triandis et al., 1988). However, it can be seen that further studies are needed to evaluate the context-sensitivity of these findings (Whetten, 2009) by analysing other cultures, where the importance of religiosity is on the decline (i.e. in Western countries, Ribberink et al., 2018) or where the cultural features are very much different from those that apply to Iraq. Lastly, other external factors were not taken into account by this study as it tried to explain ethical behaviour. Ethics is a highly complex subject and is influenced by numerous variables at the organisational, individual and external environment levels. Thus, caution must be observed when making inferences from the present study which, to a certain degree, offered a simplified version of ethical behaviour by concentrating on a few variables such as the Arab culture's traditional ideology, which dominates even science (Abu Khalil, 1992). In addition, there are the political conflicts in the Middle Eastern cultural context such as what is happening in Iraq (Harff, 2018). Thus, it is important to include such aspects in future researches.

Practical implications

In terms of management, the findings send a clear signal to those in the upper echelon that, without ignoring the issue of ethics in organizations, employees are a critical aspect to be taken into account to encourage ethical behaviour at the workplace. This study has important practical implications. First, this study determined that ethical leadership (here, of the supervisors) positively influences the behaviour of subordinates (refers to the supervisors here); this in turn further improves the ethical behaviour of employees. It is vital that managers or supervisors are motivated to practice ethical leadership because they directly influence the employees. It has been suggested that top managers, especially chief executive officers, have the ability to shape the ethical climate, which also influences the ethical behaviour of employees further. This study offered several feasible ways that managers can apply to achieve that. In particular, top managers may utilise the ethical climate as a way of communicating the ethical values that they have to their subordinates, thereby serving as a motivation for the subordinates to adopt an ethical behaviour. It was also suggested by this study that ethical climate and the P–O fit may, to some degree, substitute each other as they influence the ethical behaviour of employees. Therefore, firms that were identified to have a low level of ethical standards, practices, and policies, at least from the employees' perspective, are better poised to conduct ethical issues in order to construct the ethical behaviour of their subordinates. More importantly, it is highly essential that the value congruence between an organization and its followers be considered.

Social implications

This study highlighted the notion of ethics and how it’s essential for society. Ethics refer to the norms, standards, and values that direct the behavior of an individual. Ethical behaviour is vital in society because we need to be treated with respect as human beings.

Originality/value

This study responds to recent calls for more research to identify factors which may strengthen or mitigate the influence ethical behavior in the workplace such as ethical leadership, ethical climate and Person–Organization.

Article
Publication date: 7 August 2023

Long Le Hoang Nguyen

This study aims to examine the impact of ethical leadership on the extra-role behavior toward individuals of employees in the public sector. In addition, the study examines the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the impact of ethical leadership on the extra-role behavior toward individuals of employees in the public sector. In addition, the study examines the mediating roles of supervisor-subordinate guanxi and public service motivation.

Design/methodology/approach

Research data were collected from 222 public servants in local government, Vietnam. Study using partial least square SEM (PLS-SEM) method performed by SmartPLS 3.2.9.

Findings

Ethical leadership has a direct impact on OCBI. In turn, supervisor-subordinate guanxi holds mediating role in linking the relationship between ethical leadership and OCBI. Public service motivation mediates nexuses between ethical leadership, supervisor-subordinate guanxi and OCBI.

Research limitations/implications

To encourage public servants to engage in interpersonal citizenship behaviors, leaders must focus on fostering an ethical climate in the workplace by acting as an ethical model and encouraging ethical standards in daily work.

Originality/value

The study provides new insights on the mediating role of public service motivation, guanxi from the perspective of the leader's ethical aspect.

Details

International Journal of Public Leadership, vol. 19 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4929

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 February 2021

Mingyang Liu, Huifen Zhu, Guangjun Gao, Chen Jiang and G.R Liu

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a novel stabilization scheme to handle convection and pressure oscillation in the process of solving incompressible laminar flows by…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate a novel stabilization scheme to handle convection and pressure oscillation in the process of solving incompressible laminar flows by finite element method (FEM).

Design/methodology/approach

The semi-implicit stabilization scheme, characteristic-based polynomial pressure projection (CBP3) consists of the Characteristic-Galerkin method and polynomial pressure projection. Theoretically, the proposed scheme works for any type of element using equal-order approximation for velocity and pressure. In this work, linear 3-node triangular and 4-node tetrahedral elements are the focus, which are the simplest but most difficult elements for pressure stabilizations.

Findings

The present paper proposes a new scheme, which can stabilize FEM solution for flows of both low and relatively high Reynolds numbers. And the influence of stabilization parameters of the CBP3 scheme has also been investigated.

Research limitations/implications

The research in this work is limited to the laminar incompressible flow.

Practical implications

The verification and validation of the CBP3 scheme are conducted by several 2 D and 3 D numerical examples. The scheme could be used to deal with more practical fluid problems.

Social implications

The application of scheme to study complex hemodynamics of patient-specific abdominal aortic aneurysm is also presented, which demonstrates its potential to solve bio-flows.

Originality/value

The paper simulated 2 D and 3 D numerical examples with superior results compared to existing results and experiments. The novel CBP3 scheme is verified to be very effective in handling convection and pressure oscillation.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 31 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 August 2016

Norasmah Othman and Norfadhilah Nasrudin

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate students’ views on the on-the-campus entrepreneurship programs in Malaysian polytechnics. Participation in the entrepreneurship programs…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate students’ views on the on-the-campus entrepreneurship programs in Malaysian polytechnics. Participation in the entrepreneurship programs is able to stimulate an interest in entrepreneurship, and improve the knowledge, skills, and entrepreneurial experience of its students.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted a survey method designed in the form of an objective-oriented program evaluation. Questionnaires were used to identify the students’ level of assessments of the instructional dimensions. This study explored the differences in evaluation based on gender, specializations, and courses attended.

Findings

The results showed moderately high level of evaluation. The analysis of gender differences shows that gender did not affect students’ views on the instructional dimension. However, students’ specialization and courses attended are associated with significant differences in the level of evaluation.

Research limitations/implications

This research is limited to only five Malaysian polytechnics. The study was looking into the instructional dimension of the entrepreneurship programs. Further research should include the assessment of the institutional side of the programs.

Practical implications

The evaluation results provide important recommendations to improve some practical aspects of the entrepreneurial activities. The polytechnics’ departments can focus on the actual content as well as on the learning experience to implement conducive, positive, and supportive practices that could lead to a maximum participation rate among students.

Social implications

Increase the number of students involved in entrepreneurship.

Originality/value

There have been no discussions or evaluation of the entrepreneurship programs conducted in Malaysian polytechnics in terms of objective-oriented evaluation. This paper attempts to fill the current gap.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 58 no. 7/8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

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