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The purpose of this paper is to provide a cost-effective foundation technique for the design of foundations of transmission towers, heavily loaded structures, etc.

Experimental model tests are conducted in a model test tank to find out the effect of length and diameter of geogrid encased granular pile anchors, the relative density of sand and the angle of inclination of the pile from the vertical on uplift behavior of granular pile anchors.

The uplift capacity of the geogrid encased granular pile anchor increased with increasing length and diameter of granular pile anchor. Further, increasing the relative density of surrounding soil increased uplift capacity of geogrid encased granular pile anchor system. Moreover, increasing the angle of inclination of loading also increased uplift capacity of whole system. Thus, the proposed system can be effectively used in field for further applications.

The paper is helpful for the engineers looking for cost-effective foundation techniques for heavily loaded structures.

The purpose of this paper is to attempt to use two industrial wastes; waste foundry sands (WFS) and molasses (M) along with lime (L) to improve the strength characteristics of clayey soil.

In the first part of the study, the optimum percentages of materials (WFS, molasses, lime) have been found out by conducting differential free swell (DFS) and consistency limit tests on clayey soil by adding various admixtures. The second and third part of the study investigates the compaction behaviour and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of clayey soil on addition of optimum amount of various materials alone and in combination with each other. Finally, the micro-structural behaviour of addition of optimum percentages of lime, WFS and molasses using Scanning electron microscopic technique has been discussed.

The laboratory results revealed that the addition of optimum content of lime along with WFS and molasses reduced DFS and plasticity index and increased maximum dry density and UCS values. The microstructural behaviour showed that the presence of lime and molasses filled the voids present in the soil and the addition of WFS helped in providing compact structure, thus improving the strength characteristics.

The study will be helpful in designing low-cost pavement designs for rural roads.

The adverse effect of waste materials on environment may be solved by using them in improving the strength characteristics of clayey soils, thereby providing healthy environment to living beings.

The study will help to provide low-cost methods to improve strength characteristics of clayey soil along with the use of waste materials; the disposal of whose is a challenging task.

The purpose of this paper is to review the Rwandan Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) practice and identify the possible constraints faced by EIA practitioners in Rwanda. The results presented here will help to highlight strengths and weakness of the Rwandan EIA practice.

The EIA practice was evaluated by a self-administered questionnaire survey for respondents including approved EIA experts in Rwanda, government agencies involved in EIA process and corporate which have received environmental clearance. The aspects of practices and challenges were evaluated and include the suitability of institutional arrangements, the scientific methodological bases of EIA, the conduct of EIA, the effectiveness of EIA with respect to influence decision making, overall results and EIA as a learning process. These aspects were rated on different scales by the respondents to identify where the Rwandan EIA practice stands now in terms of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and constraints.

The institutional arrangements of EIA were judged to be good overall by the respondents with main strengths being seen in the policy and legal base, and the scope of application. Only the marginal weaknesses are seen in the monitoring. The scientific and empirical basis for assessment was judged to stand moderately strengthened during the last five years. The performance of key activities is more than satisfactory. A majority of Rwandan EIA stages are good and excellent to some extent.

This paper identifies some of the constraints and challenges faced by the Rwandan EIA practitioners. It will contribute to an understanding of EIA practice and robust practices across the globe.

The purpose of this paper is to describe the application of soft systems methodology (SSM) to address the problematic situation of low opt-in rates for Precision Health-Care (PHC).

The design logic is that when trust is enhanced and compliance is better assured, participants such as patients and their doctors would be more likely to share their medical data and diagnosis for the purpose of precision modeling.

The authors present the findings of an empirical study that confronts the design challenge of increasing participant opt-in to a PHC repository of Electronic Medical Records and genetic sequencing. Guided by SSM, the authors formulate design rules for the establishment of a trust-less platform for PHC which incorporates key principles of transparency, traceability and immutability.

The SSM approach has been criticized for its lack of “rigour” and “replicability”. This is a fallacy in understanding its purpose – theory exploration rather than theory confirmation. Moreover, it is unlikely that quantitative modeling yields any clearer an understanding of complex, socio-technical systems.

The application of Blockchain, a platform for distributed ledgers, and associated technologies present a feasible approach for resolving the problematic situation of low opt-in rates.

A consequence of low participation is the weak recall and precision of descriptive, predictive and prescriptive analytic models. Factors such as cyber-crime, data violation and the potential for misuse of genetic and medical records have led to a lack of trust from key stakeholders – accessors, participants, miners and regulators – to varying degrees.

The application of Blockchain as a trust-enabling platform in the domain of an emerging eco-system such as precision health is novel and pioneering.

On 12th June 2015, a strike by contract workers was declared at Rampur terminal, All India Business in oil corporation (ABC) Ltd. The strike had disrupted the normal services of the terminal. Under such circumstances, Mr Ravi Sharma (Head human resources of the eastern region, ABC Ltd.) was unable to decide how to save the company from such a disorderly situation without any increased loss of production and manpower cost liabilities. Could Mr Ravi Sharma resolve the issue of strike through an approach of strategic rapprochement when the disruptions made by workers and local miscreants went out of control?

In-depth interview in the year 2019 was conducted with the protagonist Mr Ravi Sharma and the trade union members at the regional office of ABC Ltd., Kolkata and Rampur Terminal, respectively, to convert the narratives in the form of a fictitious case study. Four rounds of interviews were conducted by the author to complete the data collection procedure. The company™s-related information was sourced through a secondary database furnished by company™s officials. However, the data about the company, the key characters and other recognizable information have been disguised to preserve the confidentiality of information.

The strike was called by the contract workers at Rampur terminal for two primary reasons, namely, wage increase and giving preference to local people for employment whether regular or contract. Mr Ravi Sharma could pacify the unforeseen situation by adopting two-pronged strategies, namely, first, he could successfully gain the confidence of the union leader and secondly, set the environment for the conciliation proceeding so that agreement settled will not be failed to be implemented.

The case uses a system perspective of Industrial relation proposed by Dunlop (1958) to highlight the interplay between employer, government and trade unions influenced by politics and mafia that determine eventually the industrial peace in the organization.

The purpose of this paper is to report the results of using the framework in the field for the purpose of formulating knowledge policies. The framework derives from a conceptual model for analyzing knowledge development overviewed by the authors in a previous paper.

The paper uses the conceptual framework of 13 dimensions for knowledge policy‐making analysis and qualitative focus group discussions by means of what is known as a knowledge SWOT analysis. Such an exercise ordinarily determines what is termed as net strength (strengths offset by weaknesses) and net opportunity (opportunities offset by threats).

The field research suggests that, whereas quantitative indicators are very commonly used for the purpose of benchmarking and progress tracking, they are limited in terms of determining causes, effects and encapsulating good practices. The present framework provides a means for policy‐makers and analysts to engage in discussion, debates, story‐telling and scenario building in order to understand net strengths and opportunities.

The research is limited by the time constraints of the focus group participants and it is not feasible to conduct a K‐SWOT of more than the four societies used for the reason that there are insufficient numbers of informed participants.

Developing the knowledge economy has to be more than a management of socio‐economic indicators. Understanding the net strength and opportunity faced by a society in the context of a global knowledge economy allowed insights into gaps that may be addressed with appropriate knowledge policies. There is much work to be done in formulating implementable policy recommendations.

It is hoped that a useful and valid policy analysis tool for knowledge development has thus been described.

The research reported in this ongoing study aims to investigate the notion of knowledge assets developed within digital communities in the course of their economic or leisure activities. Ideally, the resulting knowledge is universal, affordable and relevant; this inclusiveness is a hallmark of any information or knowledge society.

The authors first synthesize the related research literature covering the areas of knowledge‐based economies, knowledge societies and knowledge policies. A model using 13 dimensions is then developed, which the authors claim is critical for creating a knowledge community in the digital economy. The model is validated against critique from a Delphi panel of researchers in the area.

While creating a knowledge society encompasses dimensions pertaining to infrastructure, governance, talent and culture, intangible assets are key to sustaining such societies. Governance and culture are instances of such intangibles. Talent may seem to be tangible but the human capacity for learning and development, which leads to an innovative culture, is less so. In any case, time is the essential ingredient for a knowledge culture to come about.

Knowledge societies are not measurable constructs that can be described quantitatively and benchmarked with weighted summations of scores along prescribed dimensions. It would be a fallacy to treat the notion of a knowledge index as a socio‐economic measure of success.

. conclude with a practical view of how the dimensions may be best exploited in the course of a policy discussion on sustainable knowledge societies.

It is hoped that the research will provide a framework for policy makers and analysts to conduct qualitative discussions on creating and sustaining knowledge societies.

The emergence of total quality management and the ISO 9000 suite of standards has allowed a re‐think of how (and why) the post‐implementation evaluation of computer systems is to be carried out. Traditional performance measurement, modeling and analysis techniques – while not discredited – have been tempered with a more holistic ideology. This article recommends a socio‐technical approach to determining the quality of a computer information system. In this context, two postulates have been proposed and tested by field survey of expert systems in the insurance industry in North America. Postulate one focuses on a multidimensional concept of IS quality comprising the characteristics of task, technology, people and organization. Postulate two deals with differences in assessments of these characteristics according to stakeholder groups: managers, developers, and users. Summarizes the key findings of these postulates in the context of the TQM and ISO 9000 philosophies.

This paper aims to study the economic significance of using a blended business and knowledge strategy through the lens of conventional financial management before and after the implementation of KM initiatives in a knowledge‐intensive, high‐growth firm that had gone through business diversification through organic developments as well as mergers and acquisitions for over a decade.

The economic value added (EVA) method is proposed as a measure of the effective usage of capital funding in the firm before and after its KM program. The extent of the economic impact due to the contributions of various KM strategies was analyzed using standard financial management reporting. This enabled the derivation of follow‐on KM initiatives that were consistent with the target objectives.

The EVA method was found to be valid and credible in determining the net impact of various KM initiatives. This was in a form that was comprehensible to top management and KM decision‐makers.

Knowledge management as a strategic imperative has gained significance over the past decade for its ability to handle the complexity of information to further create, transfer and reuse intellectual capital. More importantly, KM is seen as the key business enabler across different enterprises for its ability to enhance competitiveness and shareholder value. The EVA method used in this paper has allowed the valuation of KM initiatives.

The emergence of KM as a blended business strategy has hence proved to be vital for the sustainability of the knowledge‐driven business model that looks beyond the physical and financial into intellectual and social capital.

The paper presents a longitudinal case study of a fairly large East Asian conglomerate.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of business intelligence (BI) tools as enablers of knowledge sharing used by employees in the organisation. This practice‐oriented article on the deployment and impact of BI tools in industry suggests a balanced scorecard (BSC) approach to performance management. More specifically, a suite of web 2.0 tools is used in the practice of BI and their impact measured with a BSC.

The research proposition is that the effectiveness of BI is indeed strategic and relates to its corporate performance. This claim is validated using a global information technology consultancy firm's BI unit as the lead case of an immersive field study. Research engagements with four other firms provide corroborative support.

The BSC approach to deriving targets and ascertaining outcomes was shown to be applicable to good practice. The converse is equally valid. That is, strategic performance management requires the use of BI in order to be sound. Therefore, tools such as web 2.0 and data analytics, must be outcome driven with planned targets identified.

BI is a necessary activity for deriving improved performance. It aids in the identification of a firm's knowledge strengths, as well as gaps with respect to its environment. The key message to executives is that Peter Drucker was right – we cannot manage what we do not measure!

The use of BI as a strategic knowledge management technique is a composite of a host of web 2.0 tools. It does not stand in isolation from other initiatives for exploiting knowledge in order to drive performance.