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1 – 10 of 11
Article
Publication date: 2 March 2015

Ruding Lou, Jean-Philippe Pernot, Franca Giannini, Philippe Veron and Bianca Falcidieno

The purpose of this paper is to set up a new framework to enable direct modifications of volume meshes enriched with semantic information associated to multiple partitions. An…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to set up a new framework to enable direct modifications of volume meshes enriched with semantic information associated to multiple partitions. An instance of filleting operator is prototyped under this framework and presented in the paper.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, a generic mesh modification operator has been designed and a new instance of this operator for filleting finite element (FE) sharp edges of tetrahedral multi-partitioned meshes is also pro-posed. The filleting operator works in two main steps. The outer skin of the tetrahedral mesh is first deformed to round user-specified sharp edges while satisfying constraints relative to the shape of the so-called Virtual Group Boundaries. Then, in the filleting area, the positions of the inner nodes are relaxed to improve the aspect ratio of the mesh elements.

Findings

The classical mainstream methodology for product behaviour optimization involves the repetition of four steps: CAD modelling, meshing of CAD models, enrichment of models with FE simulation semantics and FEA. This paper highlights how this methodology could be simplified by two steps: simulation model modification and FEA. The authors set up a new framework to enable direct modifications of volume meshes enriched with semantic information associated to multiple partitions and the corresponding fillet operator is devised.

Research limitations/implications

The proposed framework shows only a paradigm of direct modifications of semantic enriched meshes. It could be further more improved by adding or changing the modules inside. The fillet operator does not take into account the exact radius imposed by user. With this proposed fillet operator the mesh element density may not be enough high to obtain wished smoothness.

Originality/value

This paper fulfils an identified industry need to speed up the product behaviour analysis process by directly modifying the simulation semantic enriched meshes.

Details

Engineering Computations, vol. 32 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Keywords

Content available
498

Abstract

Details

Engineering Computations: International Journal for Computer-Aided Engineering and Software, vol. 32 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0264-4401

Article
Publication date: 1 May 1998

Brian H. Kleiner

Presents a special issue, enlisting the help of the author’s students and colleagues, focusing on age, sex, colour and disability discrimination in America. Breaks the evidence…

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Abstract

Presents a special issue, enlisting the help of the author’s students and colleagues, focusing on age, sex, colour and disability discrimination in America. Breaks the evidence down into manageable chunks, covering: age discrimination in the workplace; discrimination against African‐Americans; sex discrimination in the workplace; same sex sexual harassment; how to investigate and prove disability discrimination; sexual harassment in the military; when the main US job‐discrimination law applies to small companies; how to investigate and prove racial discrimination; developments concerning race discrimination in the workplace; developments concerning the Equal Pay Act; developments concerning discrimination against workers with HIV or AIDS; developments concerning discrimination based on refusal of family care leave; developments concerning discrimination against gay or lesbian employees; developments concerning discrimination based on colour; how to investigate and prove discrimination concerning based on colour; developments concerning the Equal Pay Act; using statistics in employment discrimination cases; race discrimination in the workplace; developments concerning gender discrimination in the workplace; discrimination in Japanese organizations in America; discrimination in the entertainment industry; discrimination in the utility industry; understanding and effectively managing national origin discrimination; how to investigate and prove hiring discrimination based on colour; and, finally, how to investigate sexual harassment in the workplace.

Details

Equal Opportunities International, vol. 17 no. 3/4/5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0261-0159

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 May 2020

Cheng Ling Tan and Sook Fern Yeo

In recent years, the traditional pastries industry has gained popularity among tourists due to the advantage of the pastries location at UNESCO Heritage city, Penang. However, the…

Abstract

Purpose

In recent years, the traditional pastries industry has gained popularity among tourists due to the advantage of the pastries location at UNESCO Heritage city, Penang. However, the little research focussed on this particular industry, and there is lack of evidence of the tourists' experience with the traditional pastries and how these attributes affect their revisit decision.

Design/methodology/approach

The study utilizes a qualitative research design to gain in-depth understanding on tourists' thought and their repurchase decision. Secondary data were collected via TripAdvisor with 68 tourists who visited the most popular three pastries shops namely, Him Heang, Ghee Hiang and Min Xiang Tai, which are later analysed using qualitative content analysis.

Findings

The findings revealed that tourists generally concerned about the service quality, value, brand image and atmospherics that could affect their repurchasing decision. Particularly, the staff service quality has been viewed as the upmost important attribute to influence the tourists' decision. Therefore, the pastries shops shall ensure that the staff who serve the tourists shall be well trained to satisfy the tourists' enquiry.

Research limitations/implications

The limitation concerning the interpretation of the secondary data based on the feedbacks and comments of the tourists may derive the bias possibility. Future research might consider the large-scale primary data to extend the findings.

Originality/value

Limited research exists on the tourists' experience which affects the repurchasing decision in pastries industry. This study provides valuable information for pastries shops and researchers interested in this area.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 122 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2005

Anthony Patterson

This paper makes the case for the use of real diaries as an alternative methodology in marketing research. It is argued that Qualitative Diary Research (QDR) in marketing and…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper makes the case for the use of real diaries as an alternative methodology in marketing research. It is argued that Qualitative Diary Research (QDR) in marketing and consumer research is an innovative way to capture rich insights into processes, relationships, settings, products and consumers.

Design/methodology/approach

To illustrate the utility of QDR this paper explores the phenomenon of text messaging. One hundred and twenty two “texters” were recruited to maintain personal introspective diaries for 1 week; recording, not only each of their incoming and outgoing text messages, but also the personal thoughts that each communication initiated. The paper then offers a frame narrative that attempts to analyse, interpret and re‐present the embedded diary narratives.

Findings

This empirical analysis illustrates that ODR is particularly suited to exploring processes, relationships, settings, products, and consumers. It is shown how the arrival of a text message and its actual content can create: consumer excitement when text messages arrive, consumer pleasure when constructing and deconstructing sent and received text messages, and provides a facility to lie and attract the opposite sex. The downsides of texting were also explored, such as how consumers loath getting either too many or too few text messages.

Originality/value

ODR is a useful way of capturing genuine “thick description”. The use of real diaries presents an exciting methodological alternative for research in marketing and consumer behaviour.

Details

Qualitative Market Research: An International Journal, vol. 8 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1352-2752

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 1 March 2004

Herbert Sherman and Daniel J. Rowley

Stephen Hodgetts read the e-mail over and over again and still could hardly believe what he had read. He had just come back from his vacation, well rested and refreshed, and this…

Abstract

Stephen Hodgetts read the e-mail over and over again and still could hardly believe what he had read. He had just come back from his vacation, well rested and refreshed, and this e-mail had dampened his high enthusiasm. It took time to absorb such bad news and for Hodgetts to get over his incredulity.Yet in the end Hodgetts accepted the truth‐a deep, dark terrible truth that would not go away. Robert Davis, his business partner’s son, had confirmed in an e-mail his worst fears about their newest business partner, David Russ.Many thoughts were running through his mind simultaneously yet each screamed to be heard.“How could he and his partner Richard Davis have been so blind, so trusting?” “How could Russ not have heeded the advice of his business partner, Richard Davis, Russ’s former English professor?” And most important, “What was now going to happen to their new business?” Yet the one thought that continued to echo among them all was surprisingly a quote from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved character, Sherlock Holmes: “But there are always some lunatics about. It would be a dull world without them.”

Details

New England Journal of Entrepreneurship, vol. 7 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2574-8904

Article
Publication date: 8 March 2021

Hayley Cocker, Rebecca Mardon and Kate L. Daunt

This paper aims to elucidate instances whereby celebrity endorsements by social media influencers (SMIs) embedded within online consumption communities are perceived as…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to elucidate instances whereby celebrity endorsements by social media influencers (SMIs) embedded within online consumption communities are perceived as transgressive by their fellow community members. In doing so, this study provides insights into the new challenges and considerations that such community contexts present for celebrity endorsement.

Design/methodology/approach

The research team conducted a longitudinal, netnographic study of the YouTube beauty community, involving an initial phase of netnographic immersion followed by an investigative netnography that examined community members’ response to celebrity endorsements by 12 SMIs within the community.

Findings

This study identifies five recurring celebrity endorsement transgressions, each violating an established moral responsibility within the community. The paper explores how community members attribute responsibility for transgressive endorsements and identifies consequences for both the SMI and the endorsed brand.

Research limitations/implications

This study focused on a single consumption community, developing a deep understanding of the distinct moral responsibilities that shape the reception of celebrity endorsements within this context.

Practical implications

The paper presents managerial recommendations that will aid both SMIs and brands in implementing celebrity endorsements that avoid communal perceptions of transgression.

Originality/value

The analysis extends prior study on celebrity endorsement by SMIs by explaining when and why SMI endorsements are likely to be perceived as transgressive by the community and providing new insights into community member responses to transgressive SMI endorsements. It also extends wider theories of celebrity endorsement by highlighting the influence of consumption community contexts upon endorsement reception and examining consumer responses to celebrity endorsements perceived as transgressive in and of themselves.

Article
Publication date: 14 April 2023

Friederike Kittelmann, Patricia Kraft and Ellen Schmid

Based on the necessity for universities through the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic to switch to online teaching from one day to the other, this study aims to show how a…

Abstract

Purpose

Based on the necessity for universities through the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic to switch to online teaching from one day to the other, this study aims to show how a combination of different online teaching approaches makes it possible to activate reflection as an enabler of intercultural competency development even though real experience, interaction and exchange elements could not be implemented as usual.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is based on insights on experiential learning using intercultural competence development through the mechanism of reflection in combination with findings from on- and offline learning settings and informal learning processes. Adapting Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning cycle, this study presents an online course design for an undergraduate course in intercultural competencies. This study delineates an assessment of the course based on student evaluation results and excerpts of student essays.

Findings

This study demonstrates how the acquisition of important future skills such as reflection skills can be successfully mastered by combining different online teaching approaches. This study also shows that Kolb’s (1984) experiential learning cycle continues to yield critical benefits when adapted it to the “new reality.”

Originality/value

This study provides a case study on how business schools can deal with special challenges in courses where competencies are taught, which are usually developed through real experiences or informal learning. An application to other types of experiential learning activities is considered valuable. It is useful to further adopt elements in a post-COVID-19 teaching environment. Especially using apps as described can contribute to make learning more tailored to each student. As such, this paper contributes to the body of research on the importance of reflection skills in an educational and virtual context.

Details

Journal of International Education in Business, vol. 16 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2046-469X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 July 2014

Johnny Kwok Wai Wong and Autumn H.Q. Lin

The construction industry has been criticized for cultural intolerance and its poor industrial image. The ethnically diverse construction workplace in Hong Kong (HK) is frequently…

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Abstract

Purpose

The construction industry has been criticized for cultural intolerance and its poor industrial image. The ethnically diverse construction workplace in Hong Kong (HK) is frequently noted as a place in which racial harassment and discrimination occurs. The purpose of this paper is to explore the discriminatory experiences and working conditions experienced by ethnic minority (EM) construction operatives in HK.

Design/methodology/approach

A mixed-method approach was adopted, including a questionnaire survey and focus group discussions. The survey identified the thoughts of EM construction workers about racial discrimination and harassment in the workplace. The focus group discussions were aimed at further exploring the discriminatory practices on HK construction sites and possible discrimination-coping strategies.

Findings

Questionnaire data from 100 EM site operatives and labourers mainly from Nepal and Pakistan, but some few from other Asian countries as well as, plus two focus group discussions suggested that indirect and subtle forms of racial harassment do exist on HK construction sites. The operatives sampled reported the existence of inequality of treatment in their working life. Communication difficulties caused by language barriers affect work relationships between different cultural groups on construction sites. EM site operatives tend to interact with workers of similar cultural and ethnic groups. On the corporate/company level, language support and translations of safety procedures notices and policies, should be established to bring staff together and promote a more inclusive and harmonious workplace.

Originality/value

The paper offers insights into the racial discrimination problems in the construction sector in an Asian context, which has been less explored. It aims to provide insight into the EM construction worker's situation in HK as well as the need for developing workplace-specific policies that protect against discrimination and protect the rights of EM workers.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 21 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 19 June 2019

Wann-Yih Wu and Khanh-Van Ho Nguyen

The purpose of this paper is to focus on psychological capital (PsyCap) – one of the emerging topics of human resource management, by examining its antecedents and outcomes…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to focus on psychological capital (PsyCap) – one of the emerging topics of human resource management, by examining its antecedents and outcomes through the lens of social exchange theory.

Design/methodology/approach

A meta-analytic approach was applied to validate the proposed hypotheses. Altogether, 105 primary studies published between 2000 and 2018 were collected and used.

Findings

Results show that leadership styles (authentic leadership, ethical leadership, abusive leadership) and organizational support are antecedents and desirable work attitudes (job satisfaction, organizational commitment, organizational citizenship behavior) are consequences of PsyCap. Employee’s characteristics significantly moderated the relationship between PsyCap and work attitudes.

Originality/value

This was the first attempt to examine PsyCap in a theoretical framework with its antecedents and outcomes and furthermore, to apply a meta-analytic method. The moderating role of employee characteristics in the relationship between PsyCap and work attitudes is also explored.

Details

Leadership & Organization Development Journal, vol. 40 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7739

Keywords

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