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1 – 10 of 71Andrew Ebekozien, Clinton Aigbavboa, Faith Ebekozien Emuchay, Marvelous Aigbedion, Iliye Faith Ogbaini and Andrew Igiebor Awo-Osagie
In less than a decade to Sustainable Development Goals, the urban solid waste (USW) emanating from households, especially in developing countries, calls for concern. Several…
Abstract
Purpose
In less than a decade to Sustainable Development Goals, the urban solid waste (USW) emanating from households, especially in developing countries, calls for concern. Several policies have been suggested and some implemented, but the challenges facing USW management remain, especially in developing nations. Past studies demonstrated that the fourth industrial revolution (4IR) technologies can be used to improve urban public services. The role of 4IR in mitigating the challenges of USW is yet to receive in-depth research in Nigeria. Thus, the study investigated 4IR role regarding mitigating the challenges facing USW.
Design/methodology/approach
Seven cities across Nigeria, including the Federal Capital Territory, were used as the study area to achieve the research objectives via a qualitative research design. Thirty-two semi-structured interviews were conducted from selected regulators, households, legislators, ICT experts, NGOs and waste managers. A thematic approach was adopted to analyse the collated data.
Findings
Findings group the USW challenges into five categories. The 4IR technologies can be used to manage USW; thus, they create an opportunity to integrate and promote sustainable clean cities.
Research limitations/implications
This study is confined to the 4IR role concerning mitigating the encumbrances facing USW in Nigeria and proffered feasible policies to enhance a sustainable healthy environment.
Practical implications
Proffered policy solutions will stir policymakers and construction practitioners to think outside the box and offer and better understand how 4IR technologies can be utilised to mitigate those challenges. The outcome will create sustainable clean cities as part of the implication contribution to the body of knowledge.
Originality/value
Evidence from the reviewed literature shows a paucity of literature focussed on 4IR roles in mitigating the encumbrances facing USW in Nigeria. Therefore, this study contributes to the existing research work on 4IR concerning its role in enhancing USW in Nigeria and, by extension, to other developing countries.
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Ayesha Nousheen and Farkhanda Tabassum
This study aims to asses students’ sustainability consciousness (SC) in relation to their perceived teaching styles in seven public sector institutions in Pakistan.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to asses students’ sustainability consciousness (SC) in relation to their perceived teaching styles in seven public sector institutions in Pakistan.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey technique was used to collect data from respondents. Grasha’s (1996) Teaching Styles Inventory and Gericke et al.’s (2019) Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire were used to collect data pertinent to teachers’ teaching styles and students’ SC, respectively. This study’s population was 1,986 students studying in seven educational institutions. A sample of 993 students was selected for the study. Out of the 993 questionnaires distributed, only 753 respondents returned the questionnaire completely filled, resulting in a response rate of 75.83%. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to analyze the data.
Findings
The results show that students’ mean scores on environmental and social dimensions were higher compared with the economic dimension. Similarly, students’ scores were relatively higher on the knowledge and attitude dimension while lower on the behavior dimension. Moreover, the expert and formal authority teaching styles were the most prevalent teaching styles. Furthermore, SEM results show that various teaching styles affected students’ knowledge and attitude; however, only the delegator teaching style affects all three dimensions of SC.
Research limitations/implications
This research has implications for educational institutions and policymakers to ensure dedicated efforts to promote and integrate education for sustainable development into the educational system and achieve sustainability goals by 2030.
Practical implications
The study findings will help future teachers to effectively integrate sustainability education into their classrooms.
Originality/value
This research expands the discussion on the effectiveness of various teaching styles on SC in teacher education programs.
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Samuel Dawa and Jonathan Marks
This paper aims to explain the occurrence of sustainable entrepreneurship in the underresearched sub-Saharan Africa context and to improve the understanding of how effectuation…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explain the occurrence of sustainable entrepreneurship in the underresearched sub-Saharan Africa context and to improve the understanding of how effectuation manifests in this context.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses a qualitative research approach based on multiple case studies. Responses were sourced from owners, employees, suppliers, the community and customers of sustainable entrepreneurial firms. Data collection methods included in-depth interviews, document reviews and observations. The Gioia analytical approach was used.
Findings
Overall, the authors find the concept of effectuation to be well-suited to capturing the processes through which individuals with limited means seek to engage in sustainable entrepreneurship. The authors also identify three pervasive practices that are key to understanding effectuation in the developing country context: complementation of indigenous knowledge with modern science, compassion and pluriactivity.
Practical implications
This study underscores the importance of co-creation, diversification of revenue sources and the role of emotional awareness and interpersonal skills in entrepreneurial endeavors.
Originality/value
This study, therefore, contributes new knowledge about the mechanisms through which entrepreneurs faced with resource constraints use control as opposed to prediction strategies to exploit sustainable entrepreneurship opportunities. In so doing, this study contributes to entrepreneurship theory by proposing the integration of cognitive and affective dimensions in realizing sustainable entrepreneurship goals.
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Elizabeth Olmos-Martínez, Miguel Á. Álvarez-Carmona, Ramón Aranda and Angel Díaz-Pacheco
This study aims to present a framework for automatically collecting, cleaning and analyzing text (news articles, in this case) to provide valuable decision-making information to…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to present a framework for automatically collecting, cleaning and analyzing text (news articles, in this case) to provide valuable decision-making information to destination management organizations. Keeping a record of certain aspects of the projected destination image of an attraction (Cancun in this study) will grant the design of better strategies for the promotion and administration of destinations without the time-consuming effort of manually evaluating high quantities of textual information.
Design/methodology/approach
Using Web scraping, news articles were collected from the USA, Mexico and Canada over an interval of one year. The documents were analyzed using an automatic topic modeling method known as Latent Dirichlet Allocation and a coherence analysis to determine the number of themes present in each collection. With the data provided, the authors were able to extract valuable information to understand how Cancun is presented to the countries.
Findings
It was found that in all countries, Cancun is an important destination to travel and vacation; however, given the period defined for this study (from July 2021 to July 2022), an important part of the articles analyzed was concerned with the sanitary measures derived from the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, given the rise of violence and the threat of organized crime, many articles from the three countries are focused on warning potential tourists about the risks of traveling to Cancun.
Originality/value
The examination of the relevant literature revealed that similar analyses are manually performed by the experts on a set of predefined categories. Although those approaches are methodologically sound, the logistic effort and the time used could become prohibitively expensive, precluding carrying out this analysis frequently. Additionally, the preestablished categories to be studied in press articles may distort the results. For these reasons, the proposed framework automatically allows for gathering valuable information for decision-making in an unbiased manner.
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Hafizah Mohd Latif, Emmanuel A. Essah and Sohrab Donyavi
The aim of the research presented in this paper is to provide information on the common problems of healthy homes in the context of architectural design deficiencies. Especially…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of the research presented in this paper is to provide information on the common problems of healthy homes in the context of architectural design deficiencies. Especially because determining the status of a healthy house is particularly challenging if the design is poor.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative methods, i.e. interviews, site visits and graphic elicitation diagramming were used in two different stages of data collection. They were then analysed using thematic analysis.
Findings
The findings show that the architectural elements can have positive or negative effects on the health and safe environments. The quantity of doors and the use of transparent glass have largely contributed to the thermal transmission and increased indoor temperatures. The roof aluminium sheets and absence of vents inhibited indoor heat loss. This has led to discomfort and overuse of air-conditioning units, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic where most households stayed/worked from home. The inappropriate height of the ceiling and roof made it challenging for maintenance purpose, reducing safety levels, which could result in physical injuries.
Originality/value
The concept of healthy homes is not new. Studies have been conducted in Western countries and in the field of healthcare. However, there is lack of study in built environment particularly in developing countries and inadequate inter-disciplinary and empirical research to connect the healthcare field. The pervasive and recurring design deficiencies in the construction industry remain a source of unhealthy homes, which must be addressed. Future investigations are necessary to expand the conclusions that can be drawn from this paper for health equity within the society and nation.
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Koyeli Girigoswami, Agnishwar Girigoswami, A. Harini and J. Thanujashree
Menstruation is a part of the female reproductive cycle that begins with adolescence. Menstruation is a natural change; it relates to several malpractices and misconceptions that…
Abstract
Purpose
Menstruation is a part of the female reproductive cycle that begins with adolescence. Menstruation is a natural change; it relates to several malpractices and misconceptions that may contribute to adverse health outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors have searched relevant papers using Google Scholar and PubMed to write this mini review.
Findings
During menstruation, poor hygiene maintenance can cause serious illness, which includes the urinary tract and reproductive tract infection. Menstruation management is a hygienic system, and it is essential for females because poor hygiene maintenance during menstruation can cause some infections and numerous sexually transmitted diseases. There are a few nanotechnology-based products that have come into the market to offer some relief to females during their periods.
Originality/value
This mini review will help researchers to design innovative female hygiene products that can relieve the discomfort caused to women during their reproductive age.
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Carolina Aldao, Dani Blasco and Manel Poch Espallargas
This research aims at arriving at a broad scope of the lessons learnt after two years of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak by analysing the catalyst and…
Abstract
Purpose
This research aims at arriving at a broad scope of the lessons learnt after two years of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic outbreak by analysing the catalyst and inhibiting factors within three aspects of the tourism sector: destination crisis management, tourist behaviour and tourism industry trends.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology of this paper involves semi-structured interviews with high-ranking European travel agents as the agents represent the intermediates between the tourism offer and demand.
Findings
Data obtained from travel agents disclosed the factors that catalysed and inhibited the destination, the behaviour of tourists and the tourism industry trends. By contrasting data with previous literature, constructing an overview of the positive and negative outcomes of the pandemic in the tourism sector is possible.
Practical implications
Governments, destination marketing and management organisations and tourism and hospitality organisations could learn from the lessons of COVID-19 outbreak to cope better with future disruptive events affecting the tourism industry.
Originality/value
The paper is novel as it is the first overview that attempts to synthesise the lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic in the tourism sector by analysing tourism sector's three dimensions: the destination, the tourists and the industry.
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Emad S. Shafik, Nehad N. Rozik, Nadia F. Youssef and Salwa L. Abd-El-Messieh
The purpose of this study is to utilize two types of gypsum mold wastes from two different factories as novel and economical reinforcing fillers for composites that may be useful…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to utilize two types of gypsum mold wastes from two different factories as novel and economical reinforcing fillers for composites that may be useful for building materials and floors. Two types of gypsum mold wastes from two different factories as raw materials were incorporated into linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) aiming to get rid of that waste in one hand and obtaining useful economical composites suitable for building materials and floors.
Design/methodology/approach
Composites were prepared from two types of gypsum mold wastes substituted with different ratios from raw gypsum and LLDPE throughout the melt blending technique. The physico-mechanical and electrical investigations in addition to the morphology of the composites were included.
Findings
The mechanical results illustrate that substituting commercial gypsum with gypsum mold waste positively affects tensile strength, flexural strength and hardness shore D for the LLDPE composites. The tensile strength increased from 5 MPa for LLDPE filled with commercial gypsum as blank samples to 11.2 and 13.2 MPa for LLDPE filled with D and S waste. Also, electrical properties which include both permittivity ɛ′ and dielectric loss ɛ″ increased with increasing the waste content in the LLDPE matrix. In addition to the electrical conductivity values, σ lies in the order of insulation materials. Consequently, it is possible to produce materials with a gypsum matrix by adding industrial waste, improving the behavior of the traditional gypsum and enabling those composites to be applied in various construction applications as eco-friendly tiles.
Originality/value
This study aims to prepare eco-friendly composites based on LLDPE and waste gypsum mold to preserve resources for the coming generations, other than lowering the environmental footprint and saving the costs of getting rid of it.
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Mahmoud Sabry Shided Keniwe, Ali Hassan Ali, Mostafa Ali Abdelaal, Ahmed Mohamed Yassin, Ahmed Farouk Kineber, Ibrahim Abdel-Rashid Nosier, Ola Diaa El Monayeri and Mohamed Ashraf Elsayad
This study focused on exploring the performance factors (PFs) that impact Infrastructure Sanitation Projects (ISSPs) in the construction sector. The aim was twofold: firstly, to…
Abstract
Purpose
This study focused on exploring the performance factors (PFs) that impact Infrastructure Sanitation Projects (ISSPs) in the construction sector. The aim was twofold: firstly, to identify these crucial PFs and secondly, to develop a robust performance model capable of effectively measuring and assessing the intricate interdependencies and correlations within ISSPs. By achieving these objectives, the study aimed to provide valuable insights into and tools for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of sanitation projects in the construction industry.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve the study's aim, the methodology for identifying the PFs for ISSPs involved several steps: extensive literature review, interviews with Egyptian industry experts, a questionnaire survey targeting industry practitioners and an analysis using the Relative Importance Index (RII), Pareto principle and analytic network process (ANP). The RII ranked factor importance, and Pareto identified the top 20% for ANP, which determined connections and interdependencies among these factors.
Findings
The literature review identified 36 PFs, and an additional 13 were uncovered during interviews. The highest-ranked PF is PF5, while PF19 is the lowest-ranked. Pareto principle selected 11 PFs, representing the top 20% of factors. The ANP model produced an application for measuring ISSP effectiveness, validated through two case studies. Application results were 92.25% and 91.48%, compared to actual results of 95.77% and 97.37%, indicating its effectiveness and accuracy, respectively.
Originality/value
This study addresses a significant knowledge gap by identifying the critical PFs that influence ISSPs within the construction industry. Subsequently, it constructs a novel performance model, resulting in the development of a practical computer application aimed at measuring and evaluating the performance of these projects.
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Miguel Angel Ortíz-Barrios, Stephany Lucia Madrid-Sierra, Antonella Petrillo and Luis E. Quezada
Food manufacturing supply chain systems are the most relevant wheels of the world economy since they provide essential products supporting daily life. Nevertheless, various supply…
Abstract
Purpose
Food manufacturing supply chain systems are the most relevant wheels of the world economy since they provide essential products supporting daily life. Nevertheless, various supply inefficiencies have been reported to compromise food safety in different regions. Sustainable supplier management and digitalization practices have become cornerstone activities in addressing these shortcomings. Therefore, this paper proposes an integrated method for sustainability management in digital manufacturing supply chain systems (DMSCS) from the food industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The Intuitionistic Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (IF-AHP) was used to weigh the criteria and subcriteria under uncertainty. Second, the Intuitionistic Fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (IF-DEMATEL) was applied to determine the main DMSCS sustainability drivers whilst incorporating the expert's hesitancy. Finally, the Combined Compromise Solution (CoCoSo) was implemented to pinpoint the weaknesses hindering DMSCS sustainability. A case study from the pork supply chain was presented to validate this method.
Findings
The most important criterion for DMSCS sustainability management is “location” while “manufacturing capacity” is the most significant dispatcher.
Originality/value
This paper presents a novel approach integrating IF-AHP, IF-DEMATEL, and CoCoSo methods for sustainability management of DMSCS pillaring the food industry.
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