Search results

A search and rescue incident is ultimately all about the location of the missing person; hence, geotechnical tools are critical in providing assistance to search planners. One critical role of Geographic Information Systems (GISs) is to define the boundaries that define the search area. The literature mostly focuses on ring- and area-based methods but lacks a linear/network approach. The purpose of this paper is to present a novel network approach that will benefit search planners by saving time, requires less data layers and provides better results.

The paper compares two existing models (Ring Model, Travel Time Cost Surface Model (TTCSM)) against a new network model (Travel Time Network Model) by using a case study from a mountainous area in Austria. Newest data from the International Search and Rescue Incident Database are used for all three models. Advantages and disadvantages of each model are evaluated.

Network analyses offer a fruitful alternative to the Ring Model and the TTCSM for estimating search areas, especially for regions with comprehensive trail/road networks. Furthermore, only few basic data are needed for quick calculation.

The paper supports GIS network analyses for wildland search and rescue operations to raise the survival chances of missing persons due to optimizing search area estimation.

The paper demonstrates the value of the novel network approach, which requires fewer GIS layers and less time to generate a solution. Furthermore, the paper provides a comparison between all three potential models.

This paper is a response to a frequently asked question from prospective industry partners searching for opportunities to collaborate with the Computer Science Department of Swansea University, UK. This paper seeks to provide structured guidance in the form of what is titled the Industry Engagement Ladder.

The Industry Engagement Ladder presents a selection of collaboration opportunities, outlining the possible cooperation mechanisms between an industry partner and the academic institution.

Opportunities are described and ranked according to the amount of investment required by the industrial partner, and therefore risk, from low to high.

This concise paper provides a quick reference for perspective industry academia collaboration opportunities, the risks involved with each, the possible funding available to help foster these partnerships and the benefits to industry. These collaborative activities (and variations thereof) can be incorporated by any university department. The manuscript offers an ideal starting point for industry–university collaboration.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of consumer sustainability attitudes and quick service restaurants (QSRs) practices along with the willingness of consumers to pay a premium for sustainability efforts.

A random sample of QSR customers in Germany resulted in 428 completed surveys. First, common factor analysis was conducted to assess the summated scales related to the sustainable behavior of customers, the importance attached by them to the different dimensions of sustainability and the extent to which customers perceive that QSR implement such practices. Second, the effect of these summated scales on the willingness to pay a premium (WTPP) for sustainability practices were assessed by means of a logistic regression.

The findings indicated that WTPP for sustainability efforts is primarily driven by internal beliefs and behaviors of consumers themselves rather than actions by QSR firms. Furthermore, when comparing five major QSRs, QSR brands did not appear to create a strong point of differentiation in their sustainability practices in the minds of frequent QSR consumers in the context of this study.

Implications of these results suggest that a growing number of consumers place high importance on sustainability and engage in personal sustainability practices that impact behaviors such as QSR selection and a WTPP for QSR brands and products that are perceived as implementing sustainable practices.

This paper addresses a gap by assessing drivers of willingness of QSR customers to pay a premium for sustainable practices and if QSR brands sustainability practices differ in the minds of consumers.

The aims of this study were to evaluate fitness levels in a cohort of police trainees and compare these results to other police trainees and the general population.

Retrospective data for 274 male and 152 female police trainees were supplied. Measures included height, body mass and physical appraisal test (PAT; 2.4 km run, vertical jump, push-ups and grip strength) results, assessed twice, prior to commencement of training, separated by several months. Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to analyze non-parametric initial and final PAT scores and Mann–Whiney U tests were used to determine variance between groups.

Male trainees were significantly quicker in the run (−12%, p < 0.001), completed more push-ups (+74%, p < 0.001) with greater grip strength (+52% left and +50% right, p < 0.001) when compared to female trainees. Following the second PAT assessment, the significant differences between male and female trainees remained (p < 0.001). Only female trainee 2.4 km run times improved significantly between initial and final PAT (−4%, p = 0.002).

When compared to the general population from which they were drawn and to other law enforcement trainees, the police trainees in this study were quicker, more powerful and stronger. While there was no loss of fitness between initial and final PAT performance, a conditioning program, spanning the periods between initial and final PAT may be of benefit to increase fitness prior to training commencement especially for female trainees who were generally less fit than, yet must complete the same training as, male trainees.

The purpose of this paper is to propose drivers that may impact the development of solo tourism in the near future.

This paper identifies and briefly examines four key factors that, it is suggested, will be significant in solo tourism in the near future.

It is proposed that future solo tourism will be increasingly fragmented based on the desires, living circumstances and motivations of the individual. A key element will be the level of solitude or controlled or uncontrolled companionship that the individual desires. Three possible personas of the future solo tourist are highlighted.

Solo tourism is currently underresearched, and this paper provides a starting point in looking specifically at the varying motivations and behaviours of the solo tourist.

East Asia's emergence as the forthcoming center of global manufacturing is leading nations in the region to reconsider their current and future role in the world economy. For its part, the Republic of Korea is pursuing a strategy to transform the country into the business hub of Northeast Asia. A central aspect in this strategy is the development of a regional “Pentaport” in the city of lncheon, which will consist of five components: an airport, a seaport, a business port, a technoport, and a leisure port. Hopefully, the Port of lncheon will be able to specialize in moving both coastal cargoes and transshipment cargoes to and from China and Japan using Short Sea Shipping (SSS). The first section of this paper provides an analysis of recent trade patterns between the Asian countries of the Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) agreement and the United States, with an emphasis on the Republic of Korea. The second part of the paper discusses current intermodal coastal shipping practices in the United States along the Gulf of Mexico and offers suggestions to the developers of Korea s Pentaport initiative; based upon observations in the United States, to maximize the likelihood of their success.

In this study, the authors revisit Alberta's public-private partnership (P3) program after 20 years of field level experience by retracing its historical emergence and institutional evolution given its political context. Specifically, the authors adopt a path dependence perspective to reconstruct and reexamine Alberta's P3 program emergence, reflect on the successes achieved, and articulate challenges that must be overcome to institutionalize P3s as part of Alberta's infrastructure delivery environment in the future.

Adopting a constructivist approach and a case-based methodology, the authors (re)analyze the activities of governmental agents, private industry, and other actors as part of a new infrastructure policy introduced in 2002 to transform the provincial institutional landscape to accommodate P3.

The authors find Alberta's P3 emergence was driven by the necessity of its infrastructure deficits, political expediency, and resource scarcity. Furthermore, with well-entrenched conservative political actors as gatekeepers, Alberta's P3 implementation demonstrated stability and incremental change simultaneously, consistent with core elements of path dependency. Following the introduction of P3 in Alberta, the province lacked formal institutional structures that would transition its P3 program from good to great and enable it to become firmly embedded in the public infrastructure delivery landscape. With the subsequent absence of P3-convinced (political) leadership and uncertainty about its P3 policy direction, Alberta was unable or unwilling to consolidate the progress made at the start of the program.

Most recently, the emergence of new political leadership in Alberta has (re)catalyzed policy progress, pointing toward a more methodical program approach, and suggesting a rediscovered confidence in P3s in the province with the establishment of a P3 Office (P3O), including nascent formal rules for unsolicited bids. These recent changes in our view make for a much more anchored policy and could lead to program sustainability and eventual institutionalization. Given the unpredictability of the recent political change, a more robust analysis of the relationship between political party control, leadership, and P3 stability is required to anticipate future policy and organizational obstacles.

Digital transformation (DT) harnessing the potential of emerging technology creates opportunities and challenges for organizations worldwide. Senior executives view DT as a key initiative for future competitiveness, a view shared by academic researchers. What may challenge the organization is that the vision may be present while preparedness may be lacking. Organizational preparedness depends on managers and employees charged with implementing DT and their perceptions on preparedness are often not aligned with senior executives.

In this research, the authors explore the perceptions of managers and employees on DT preparedness in an organization by gathering data from 579 participants. This study uses an innovative approach to qualitative data analysis using interactive topic modeling.

Findings in this qualitative study provide valuable insights on the perceptions of these individuals and helps understand (a) how they view DT preparedness and (b) may behave in this context. In general DT is well understood, however managers are not keen to change work processes to take advantage of the new digital tools and there appears that generational gap is a barrier to successful DT.

Senior executives play a central role communicating the DT vision necessary to inspire managers and employees. As organizations continue to invest large sums of money to explore value creation for customers and stakeholders by leveraging digital technologies, the information systems (IS) discipline can take the lead by asking the question, what can be done to improve the understanding of DT implementation in an organization?