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1 – 10 of over 2000
Article
Publication date: 25 March 2024

Yusuf Ayodeji Ajani, Emmanuel Kolawole Adefila, Shuaib Agboola Olarongbe, Rexwhite Tega Enakrire and Nafisa Rabiu

This study aims to examine Big Data and the management of libraries in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its implications for policymakers in Nigeria.

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine Big Data and the management of libraries in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and its implications for policymakers in Nigeria.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative methodology was used, involving the administration of open-ended questionnaires to librarians from six selected federal universities located in Southwest Nigeria.

Findings

The findings of this research highlight that a significant proportion of librarians are well-acquainted with the relevance of big data and its potential to positively revolutionize library services. Librarians generally express favorable opinions concerning the relevance of big data, acknowledging its capacity to enhance decision-making, optimize services and deliver personalized user experiences.

Research limitations/implications

This study exclusively focuses on the Nigerian context, overlooking insights from other African countries. As a result, it may not be possible to generalize the study’s findings to the broader African library community.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is unique because the paper reported that librarians generally express favorable opinions concerning the relevance of big data, acknowledging its capacity to enhance decision-making, optimize services and deliver personalized user experiences.

Details

Digital Library Perspectives, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2059-5816

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 January 2024

Besiki Stvilia and Dong Joon Lee

This study addresses the need for a theory-guided, rich, descriptive account of research data repositories' (RDRs) understanding of data quality and the structures of their data…

Abstract

Purpose

This study addresses the need for a theory-guided, rich, descriptive account of research data repositories' (RDRs) understanding of data quality and the structures of their data quality assurance (DQA) activities. Its findings can help develop operational DQA models and best practice guides and identify opportunities for innovation in the DQA activities.

Design/methodology/approach

The study analyzed 122 data repositories' applications for the Core Trustworthy Data Repositories, interview transcripts of 32 curators and repository managers and data curation-related webpages of their repository websites. The combined dataset represented 146 unique RDRs. The study was guided by a theoretical framework comprising activity theory and an information quality evaluation framework.

Findings

The study provided a theory-based examination of the DQA practices of RDRs summarized as a conceptual model. The authors identified three DQA activities: evaluation, intervention and communication and their structures, including activity motivations, roles played and mediating tools and rules and standards. When defining data quality, study participants went beyond the traditional definition of data quality and referenced seven facets of ethical and effective information systems in addition to data quality. Furthermore, the participants and RDRs referenced 13 dimensions in their DQA models. The study revealed that DQA activities were prioritized by data value, level of quality, available expertise, cost and funding incentives.

Practical implications

The study's findings can inform the design and construction of digital research data curation infrastructure components on university campuses that aim to provide access not just to big data but trustworthy data. Communities of practice focused on repositories and archives could consider adding FAIR operationalizations, extensions and metrics focused on data quality. The availability of such metrics and associated measurements can help reusers determine whether they can trust and reuse a particular dataset. The findings of this study can help to develop such data quality assessment metrics and intervention strategies in a sound and systematic way.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors' knowledge, this paper is the first data quality theory guided examination of DQA practices in RDRs.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 April 2024

Princely Ifinedo, Francine Vachon and Anteneh Ayanso

This paper aims to increase understanding of pertinent exogenous and endogenous antecedents that can reduce data privacy breaches.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to increase understanding of pertinent exogenous and endogenous antecedents that can reduce data privacy breaches.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional survey was used to source participants' perceptions of relevant exogenous and endogenous antecedents developed from the Antecedents-Privacy Concerns-Outcomes (APCO) model and Social Cognitive Theory. A research model was proposed and tested with empirical data collected from 213 participants based in Canada.

Findings

The exogenous factors of external privacy training and external privacy self-assessment tool significantly and positively impact the study's endogenous factors of individual privacy awareness, organizational resources allocated to privacy concerns, and group behavior concerning privacy laws. Further, the proximal determinants of data privacy breaches (dependent construct) are negatively influenced by individual privacy awareness, group behavior related to privacy laws, and organizational resources allocated to privacy concerns. The endogenous factors fully mediated the relationships between the exogenous factors and the dependent construct.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to the budding data privacy breach literature by highlighting the impacts of personal and environmental factors in the discourse.

Practical implications

The results offer management insights on mitigating data privacy breach incidents arising from employees' actions. Roles of external privacy training and privacy self-assessment tools are signified.

Originality/value

Antecedents of data privacy breaches have been underexplored. This paper is among the first to elucidate the roles of select exogenous and endogenous antecedents encompassing personal and environmental imperatives on data privacy breaches.

Article
Publication date: 26 March 2024

Jing An, Suicheng Li and Xiao Ping Wu

Project managers bear the responsibility of selecting and developing resource scheduling methods that align with project requirements and organizational circumstances. This study…

Abstract

Purpose

Project managers bear the responsibility of selecting and developing resource scheduling methods that align with project requirements and organizational circumstances. This study focuses on resource-constrained project scheduling in multi-project environments. The research simplifies the problem by adopting a single-project perspective using gain coefficients.

Design/methodology/approach

It employs uncertainty theory and multi-objective programming to construct a model. The optimal solution is identified using Matlab, while LINGO determines satisfactory alternatives. By combining these methods and considering actual construction project situations, a compromise solution closely approximating the optimal one is derived.

Findings

The study provides fresh insights into modeling and resolving resource-constrained project scheduling issues, supported by real-world examples that effectively illustrate its practical significance.

Originality/value

The research highlights three main contributions: effective resource utilization, project prioritization and conflict management, and addressing uncertainty. It offers decision support for project managers to balance resource allocation, resolve conflicts, and adapt to changing project demands.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 30 August 2022

Petteri Annunen, Juho Tella, Sini Pekki and Harri Haapasalo

This study describes how maintenance capability should be created during the design and construction phases of construction projects. Purpose of the abstract to define the…

1859

Abstract

Purpose

This study describes how maintenance capability should be created during the design and construction phases of construction projects. Purpose of the abstract to define the elements for creating the maintenance capability and the process to be used in construction life cycle projects for buildings.

Design/methodology/approach

An inductive and qualitative research method was used to construct the proposed process based on the literature and 18 interviews in two large construction companies.

Findings

The results indicate that the maintenance phase is usually overlooked during the design and construction phases, and capabilities are not systematically built. In particular, processes are lacking in data management, causing severe problems in maintenance.

Originality/value

This study presents a process including key requirements and activities for creating maintenance capability in conjunction with the design and construction phases, which is novel to the literature. The validated process can be adapted based on the needs of the construction company.

Details

Journal of Facilities Management , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-5967

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 April 2024

Yi Zhong, Zhiqian Chen, Jinglei Ye and Na Zhang

This study aims to investigate the critical success factors of digital transformation in the construction industry and identify whether the respondents' profiles influence their…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the critical success factors of digital transformation in the construction industry and identify whether the respondents' profiles influence their perceptions of critical success factors for digital transformation.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the objectives, a literature review was first conducted based on technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework. Then a questionnaire survey was carried out. A total of 86 people were surveyed in this study, mainly from the construction industry. At the level of data processing, SPSS was used for analysis. Among the main tests used were the Shapiro–Wilk test, reliability analysis, mean rank analysis, Kruskal–Wallis test and Mann–Whitney U test.

Findings

The study identified 15 critical success factors of digital transformation and found the three most important factors of digital transformation. Furthermore, respondents with different years of experience, enterprises with different sizes and different years made no difference in the perception of factors. Respondents' different occupations and types of enterprises created a bias in the perception of factors for digital transformation.

Research limitations/implications

Firstly, the small sample size of the questionnaire limits the reference value of data analysis for certain groups. In addition, this study focuses broadly on construction enterprises without specifically examining different types of enterprises, thus lacking depth in its findings.

Practical implications

This study establishes a connection between TOE theory and the construction industry through an extensive literature review, identifying relevant factors and providing a reference for future research.

Originality/value

The study's results would enrich the research on digital transformation in the construction industry and provide a reference for the digital transformation of construction enterprises.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 September 2023

P. Ravi Kiran, Akriti Chaubey and Rajesh Kumar Shastri

The research paper aims to analyse the scholarly literature on advancing HR analytics as an intervention for attrition, a problem that lingers on organisational performance. This…

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Abstract

Purpose

The research paper aims to analyse the scholarly literature on advancing HR analytics as an intervention for attrition, a problem that lingers on organisational performance. This study aspires to provide an in-depth literature review and critically assess the knowledge gaps in HR analytics and attritions within organisational performance.

Design/methodology/approach

The review analyses the corpus of 196 research articles published in ostensible journals between 2011 and 2023. To identify research gaps and provide valuable insights, this study synthesises relevant studies using School of thought (S), Context (C), Methodology (M), Triggers (T), Barriers (B), Facilitators (F) and Outcomes (O) (SCM-TBFO framework). This study employs the R programming language to conduct a systematic literature review in accordance with the “preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis” (PRISMA) guidelines.

Findings

The emerging discipline of HR analytics encompasses the potential to manage attrition and drive organisational performance enhancements effectively. The study of SCM-TBFO encompasses a multidimensional approach, incorporating diverse perspectives and analysing its complex aspects compared to various approaches. The School of thought includes the human capital theory, expectancy theory and resource-based view. The varied research contexts entail the USA, United Kingdom, China, France, Italy and India. Further, the methodologies adopted in the studies are artificial neural networking (ANN), regression, structure equation modelling (SEM) case studies and other theoretical studies. HR analytics and attrition triggers are data mining decision systems, forecasting for firm performance and employee satisfaction. The barriers include leadership styles, cultural adaptability and lack of analytic skills, data security and organisational orientation. The facilitators were categorised into data and technology-related facilitators, human resource policies and organisational growth and performance-related facilitators. The study's primary outcomes are technology adoption, effective HR policies, HR strategies, employee satisfaction, career and organisational expansion and growth.

Originality/value

The primary goal of the literature review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of HR analytics and its impact on organisational performance, particularly in relation to attrition. Further, the study suggests that attrition, a critical organisational concern, can be effectively managed by strategically utilising HR analytics and empowering data-driven interventions that optimise performance and enhance overall organisational outcomes.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 April 2024

Rick Forster, Andrew Lyons, Nigel Caldwell, Jennifer Davies and Hossein Sharifi

The study sets out to demonstrate how a lifecycle perspective on complex, public-sector procurement projects can be used for making qualitative assessments of procurement policy…

Abstract

Purpose

The study sets out to demonstrate how a lifecycle perspective on complex, public-sector procurement projects can be used for making qualitative assessments of procurement policy and practice and reveal those procurement capabilities that are most impactful for operating effectively.

Design/methodology/approach

Agency theory, institutional theory and the lifecycle analysis technique are combined to abductively develop a framework to identify, analyse and compare complex procurement policies and practices in public sector organisations. Defence is the focal case and is compared with cases in the Nuclear, Local Government and Health sectors.

Findings

The study provides a framework for undertaking a lifecycle analysis to understand the challenges and capabilities of complex, public-sector buyers. Eighteen hierarchically-arranged themes are identified and used in conjunction with agency theory and institutional theory to explain complex procurement policy and practice variation in some of the UK’s highest-profile public buyers. The study findings provide a classification of complex buyers and offer valuable guidance for practitioners and researchers navigating complex procurement contexts.

Originality/value

The lifecycle approach proposed is a new research tool providing a bespoke application of theory by considering each lifecycle phase as an individual but related element that is governed by unique institutional pressures and principal-agent relationships.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 January 2024

Jingqi Zhang, Shaohua Jiang and Xiaomin Qi

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a comprehensive study on building, fire and evacuation, so as to effectively improve the efficiency of building fire evacuation and the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to conduct a comprehensive study on building, fire and evacuation, so as to effectively improve the efficiency of building fire evacuation and the management level of fire evacuation site. Make up for the difficulties of BIM technology in effectively connecting building information and fire data.

Design/methodology/approach

First, this paper establishes a fire model and an evacuation model based on BIM information. Then, the safety index (SI) is introduced as a comprehensive index, and the IRI is established by integrating the SI function to evaluate the safety of evacuation routes. Based on these two indices, the IRI-based fire evacuation model is established.

Findings

This study offers an Improved Risk Index (IRI)-based fire evacuation model, which may achieve effective evacuation in fire scenes. And the model is verified by taking the fire evacuation of a shopping center building as an example.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a fire evacuation principle based on IRI, so that the relevant personnel can comprehensively consider the fire factors and evacuation factors to achieve the optimization of building design, thereby improving the fire safety of buildings.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 February 2024

Mojdeh Naderi, Ahad Nazari, Ali Shafaat and Sepehr Abrishami

This study addresses the prevailing complexities and limitations in estimating and managing construction overhead costs (COCs) in the existing literature, with the purpose of…

Abstract

Purpose

This study addresses the prevailing complexities and limitations in estimating and managing construction overhead costs (COCs) in the existing literature, with the purpose of enhancing the accuracy of cost performance indicators in construction project management.

Design/methodology/approach

An innovative approach is proposed, employing the activity-based costing (ABC) accounting method combined with building information modelling (BIM) to assign real overhead costs to project activities. This study, distinguished by its incorporation of a real case study, focuses on an administrative building with a four-story concrete structure. It establishes an automated method for evaluating project cost performance through the detailed analysis of earned value management (EVM) cost indicators derived from ABC results and BIM data.

Findings

The results show that the ABC integration improves the accuracy of cost performance indicators by over 9%, revealing the project's true cost index for the first time and demonstrating the substantial value of the approach in construction engineering and management.

Research limitations/implications

The current study highlights a notable gap in the existing literature, addressing the challenges in onsite overhead cost estimation and offering a solution that incorporates the state-of-the-art techniques.

Practical implications

The proposed method has significant implications for project managers and practitioners, enabling better-informed decisions based on precise cost data, ultimately leading to enhanced project outcomes.

Originality/value

This research uniquely combines ABC and BIM, presenting a pioneering solution for the accurate estimation and management of COCs in construction projects, adding significant value to the current body of knowledge in this field.

Details

Smart and Sustainable Built Environment, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-6099

Keywords

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