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1 – 10 of over 4000Christian Versloot, Maria Iacob and Klaas Sikkel
Utility strikes have spawned companies specializing in providing a priori analyses of the underground. Geophysical techniques such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) are harnessed…
Abstract
Utility strikes have spawned companies specializing in providing a priori analyses of the underground. Geophysical techniques such as Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) are harnessed for this purpose. However, analyzing GPR data is labour-intensive and repetitive. It may therefore be worthwhile to amplify this process by means of Machine Learning (ML). In this work, harnessing the ADR design science methodology, an Intelligence Amplification (IA) system is designed that uses ML for decision-making with respect to utility material type. It is driven by three novel classes of Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) trained for this purpose, which yield accuracies of 81.5% with outliers of 86%. The tool is grounded in the available literature on IA, ML and GPR and is embedded into a generic analysis process. Early validation activities confirm its business value.
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Joshua Maine, Emilia Florin Samuelsson and Timur Uman
Drawing on paradox theory, this study explores how ambidextrous sustainability relates to organisational performance in hybrid organisations represented by Swedish municipal…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on paradox theory, this study explores how ambidextrous sustainability relates to organisational performance in hybrid organisations represented by Swedish municipal housing corporations, and how this relationship is contingent on the organisational structure of these organisations.
Design/methodology/approach
The study relies on the data collected from Swedish municipal housing corporations. These data sources consist of a survey sent to the management team members in Swedish municipal housing corporations, financial and non-financial archival data on these corporations, interviews with the management team and board members, and observations of meetings involving the management team and board of directors at a Swedish municipal housing corporation. Quantitative data of the study were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and linear multiple regression analysis. Qualitative data were analysed employing deductive thematic analysis and were used to illustrate and discuss the results of the quantitative analysis.
Findings
The quantitative findings show that ambidextrous sustainability, i.e. the alignment between an explorative orientation and an exploitative orientation towards sustainability, has a weakly positive relationship with financial performance and a positive relationship with social performance in hybrid organisations represented by Swedish municipal housing corporations. The study further shows that a high level of the structural element “connectedness” weakened the relationship between the ambidextrous sustainability and financial performance of the organisation in the study. In contrast, a lower level of connectedness reinforced and strengthened this relationship. Our qualitative material illustrates how the quantitative findings could be explained by the interaction between the board of directors and the management team of these hybrid organisations.
Originality/value
The study shows how ambidextrous sustainability, employed for conceptualisation of the sustainability strategy in hybrid organisations, represented by Swedish municipal housing corporations, can impact on facets of performance (i.e. financial, social and environmental) differently. The study further highlights the importance of organisational structures in these relationships in a hybrid context.
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Ana Gessa, Eyda Marin and Pilar Sancha
This study aims to properly and objectively assess the students’ study progress in bachelor programmes by applying statistical process control (SPC). Specifically, the authors…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to properly and objectively assess the students’ study progress in bachelor programmes by applying statistical process control (SPC). Specifically, the authors focused their analysis on the variation in performance rates in business studies courses taught at a Spanish University.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative methodology was used, using an action-based case study developed in a public university. Previous research and theoretical issues related to quality indicators of the training programmes were discussed, followed by the application of SPC to assess these outputs.
Findings
The evaluation of the performance rate of the courses that comprised the training programs through the SPC revealed significant differences with respect to the evaluations obtained through traditional evaluation procedures. Similarly, the results show differences in the control parameters (central line and control interval), depending on the adopted approach (by programmes, by academic year and by department).
Research limitations/implications
This study has inherent limitations linked to both the methodology and selection of data sources.
Practical implications
The SPC approach provides a framework to properly and objectively assess the quality indicators involved in quality assurance processes in higher education.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to the discourse on the importance of a robust and effective assessment of quality indicators of the academic curriculum in the higher education context through the application of quality control tools such as SPC.
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Rebecca Gilligan, Rachel Moran and Olivia McDermott
This study aims to utilise Six Sigma in an Irish-based red meat processor to reduce process variability and improve yields.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to utilise Six Sigma in an Irish-based red meat processor to reduce process variability and improve yields.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a case study within an Irish meat processor where the structured Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control (DMAIC) methodology was utilised along with statistical analysis to highlight areas of the meat boning process to improve.
Findings
The project led to using Six Sigma to identify and measure areas of process variation. This resulted in eliminating over-trimming of meat cuts, improving process capabilities, increasing revenue and reducing meat wastage. In addition, key performance indicators and control charts, meat-cutting templates and smart cutting lasers were implemented.
Research limitations/implications
The study is one of Irish meat processors' first Six Sigma applications. The wider food and meat processing industries can leverage the learnings to understand, measure and minimise variation to enhance revenue.
Practical implications
Organisations can use this study to understand the benefits of adopting Six Sigma, particularly in the food industry and how measuring process variation can affect quality.
Originality/value
This is the first practical case study on Six sigma deployment in an Irish meat processor, and the study can be used to benchmark how Six Sigma tools can aid in understanding variation, thus benefiting key performance metrics.
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Reginald Masimba Mbona and Kong Yusheng
The Chinese Telecoms Industry has been rapidly growing over the years since 2001. An analysis of financial performance of the three giants in this industry is very important…
Abstract
Purpose
The Chinese Telecoms Industry has been rapidly growing over the years since 2001. An analysis of financial performance of the three giants in this industry is very important. However, it is difficult to know how many ratios can be used best with little information loss. The paper aims to discuss this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 18 financial ratios were calculated based on the financial statements for three companies, namely, China Mobile, China Unicom and China Telecom for a period of 17 years. A principal component analysis was run to come up with variables with significance value above 0.5 from each component.
Findings
At the end, the authors conclude how financial performance can be analysed using 12 ratios instead of the costly analysis of too many ratios that may be complex to interpret. The results also showed that ratios are all related as they come from the same statements, hence, the authors can use a few to represent the rest with limited loss of information.
Originality/value
This study will help different stakeholders who are interested in the financial performance of each company by giving them a shorter way to analyse performance. It will also assist those who do financial reporting on picking the ratios which matter in reflecting the performance of their companies. The use of PCA gives unbiased ratios that are most significant in assessing performance.
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Rafaela Alfalla-Luque, Darkys E. Luján García and Juan A. Marin-Garcia
The link between supply chain agility (SCA) and performance has been tested in previous research with different samples and results. The present paper quantitatively analyses and…
Abstract
Purpose
The link between supply chain agility (SCA) and performance has been tested in previous research with different samples and results. The present paper quantitatively analyses and summarises the impact of SCA on performance found in previous empirical papers and determines the influence of several identified moderators.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a meta-analysis approach based on a systematic literature review, a total of 63 empirical papers comprising a sample of 14,469 firms were meta-analysed to consider substantive (type of performance and SCA operationalisation) and extrinsic (economic region and industry) moderators.
Findings
Results confirm a significantly large, positive correlation between SCA and performance. None of the analysed moderators has enabled the identification of any significant differences between the SCA and performance correlations by subgroup. However, high heterogeneity in total variance, both in the full sample and the subgroups by moderator, demands further rigorously reported empirical research on this topic with clearly conceptualised variables and frameworks and the use of validated scales.
Research limitations/implications
Several research gaps and best practice recommendations have been indicated to improve future empirical research on this topic.
Practical implications
Practitioners in different economic regions and industries will find consistent evidence of improvements in performance through SCA.
Originality/value
No meta-analysis has been found in previous research to estimate the value of the correlation between SCA and performance and the influence of moderating variables.
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Hoang Thai Pham and Hyangsook Lee
A boom in e-commerce in Korea has sparked off high daily-volume demand for small-sized home delivery services, which poses a great challenge to distribution networks, especially…
Abstract
A boom in e-commerce in Korea has sparked off high daily-volume demand for small-sized home delivery services, which poses a great challenge to distribution networks, especially in urban areas where traffic congestion, accessibility, and pollution are serious problems. In addition, security issues for people who live in small townhouses and detached houses without security systems and guards have received increasing attention from the government and society. Thus, the introduction of a new alternative for home delivery services, unmanned parcel lockers, is urgent for residents living in these areas. This paper examines and compares potential socio-economic impacts in terms of costs and benefits when such lockers are installed at selected locations in residential areas. The results show that this policy is worthy of adoption, with several undeniable benefits to local communities. In addition, sensitivity analyses estimate the economic performance of this project at different social discount rates, and they check the sensitivity of economic performance based on variations in the variables. The value of travel time savings was identified as a critical and dominating factor directly affecting economic performance.
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There are a number of differences in the current Sharīʿah screening guidelines formulated by Sharīʿah scholars associated with world-renowned index providers and financial…
Abstract
Purpose
There are a number of differences in the current Sharīʿah screening guidelines formulated by Sharīʿah scholars associated with world-renowned index providers and financial institutions. The purpose of this study is to highlight the consequences of such differences on the portfolio level outcomes for Sharīʿah-compliant investors. This study also investigates the cost of adopting an alternative stock selection methodology.
Design/methodology/approach
Seven Sharīʿah-compliant equity portfolios (SCEPs) are created from the active constituents of the S&P 500. Size, sector allocation and financial performance of the resulting seven portfolios are evaluated for the period 1984–2019. Style analysis is performed to attribute the difference in financial performance caused by the choice of selection criteria to different risk factors. The cost of switching the selection criteria is evaluated with turnover analysis and break-even transaction cost.
Findings
The choice of stock selection criteria has a significant effect on the size, sector bets and financial performance of the portfolios. Those portfolios which are constructed with market capitalization-based screens outperform portfolios constructed with total assets-based screens. The turnover analysis revealed that SCEPs are relatively costly in practice.
Originality/value
This study investigates the performance of Sharīʿah-compliant portfolios in the context of seven different screening guidelines. The effects of transaction cost and performance attribution to different risk factors represent the key contributions of this study.
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Henry Okpo, Dubem Ikediashi and Afolabi Dania
The rate of project failure across the globe seems to reinforce poor performance as a norm. However, engagement with construction digitalisation (CD) represents a departure point…
Abstract
Purpose
The rate of project failure across the globe seems to reinforce poor performance as a norm. However, engagement with construction digitalisation (CD) represents a departure point for improving project performance. Amidst researchers' recent empirical engagement with CD, the knowledge of the relationship model between CD and project delivery (PD) is abysmal. As a result, developing a business case for CD in developing countries has been slow due to the dearth of empirical evidence. This paper aims to investigate the influence of digitalisation on project performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Anchored on cross-sectional survey research design using a questionnaire survey in which a total of 183 copies of structured questionnaires were randomly distributed to medium- and large-sized construction firms operating in Abuja, Nigeria's federal capital. A total of 126 valid responses were received giving an overall response rate of 68.8%. The responses were analysed using mean item score, principal component analysis and multiple linear regression.
Findings
Findings from the regression analysis reveal that digitalisation has varying levels of impact on PP measured using quality, time and cost. The relationship model with time performance is weak (r = 0.526, r2 = 0.277); on cost performance, the significant model is also weak (r = 0.502, r2 = 0.252) and moderate on quality (r = 0.663, r2 = 0.439). CD influences project cost, time and quality performance despite the weak relationship model. The results indicate that the most effective benchmark of CD is quality performance.
Originality/value
This study established the relationship between digitalisation and construction PD within the construction industry context, an area lacking research attention in emerging economies. This study is the first study in emerging economies that established the influence of digitalisation on construction PD statistically.
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Patrik Jonsson, Johan Öhlin, Hafez Shurrab, Johan Bystedt, Azam Sheikh Muhammad and Vilhelm Verendel
This study aims to explore and empirically test variables influencing material delivery schedule inaccuracies?
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore and empirically test variables influencing material delivery schedule inaccuracies?
Design/methodology/approach
A mixed-method case approach is applied. Explanatory variables are identified from the literature and explored in a qualitative analysis at an automotive original equipment manufacturer. Using logistic regression and random forest classification models, quantitative data (historical schedule transactions and internal data) enables the testing of the predictive difference of variables under various planning horizons and inaccuracy levels.
Findings
The effects on delivery schedule inaccuracies are contingent on a decoupling point, and a variable may have a combined amplifying (complexity generating) and stabilizing (complexity absorbing) moderating effect. Product complexity variables are significant regardless of the time horizon, and the item’s order life cycle is a significant variable with predictive differences that vary. Decoupling management is identified as a mechanism for generating complexity absorption capabilities contributing to delivery schedule accuracy.
Practical implications
The findings provide guidelines for exploring and finding patterns in specific variables to improve material delivery schedule inaccuracies and input into predictive forecasting models.
Originality/value
The findings contribute to explaining material delivery schedule variations, identifying potential root causes and moderators, empirically testing and validating effects and conceptualizing features that cause and moderate inaccuracies in relation to decoupling management and complexity theory literature?
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