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1 – 10 of over 136000Zhiqian Zhang, Wei Pan and Mi Pan
Modular integrated construction (MiC) is the most advanced off-site construction technology. However, the application of MiC for high-rise buildings is still limited and…
Abstract
Purpose
Modular integrated construction (MiC) is the most advanced off-site construction technology. However, the application of MiC for high-rise buildings is still limited and challenging. One critical issue is tower crane layout planning (TCLP) to guarantee safe and efficient multiple crane-lifts for module installation, which, however, has been insufficiently explored. For filling this knowledge gap, this paper aims to systematically explore the critical considerations on TCLP for high-rise MiC to support contractors in determining the optimal crane layout plan.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employed a multimethod strategy. First, previous studies on TCLP and critical features of MiC were reviewed to develop a conceptual model of TCLP considerations. Second, expert interviews with 15 construction planners were conducted to identify the critical TCLP considerations for high-rise MiC. Third, a multicase study with three high-rise MiC projects was undertaken to demonstrate and verify the identified considerations.
Findings
The paper characterises critical considerations on TCLP as performance criteria and influencing factors and identifies 7 critical performance criteria and 25 influencing factors for high-rise MiC. Specifically, the features of MiC (e.g. various modularised layout design, heavyweight and large size of modules) were found to significantly affect the crane layout performance (i.e. technical feasibility, safety and economic efficiency).
Originality/value
The paper is the first-of-its-kind study on crane layout planning for high-rise modular buildings, which contributes a two-stage multicriteria decision-making framework integrated with systematic TCLP considerations. The findings should help contractors determine safe and efficient tower crane layout plans for high-rise MiC projects.
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Investigates the differences in protocols between arbitral tribunals and courts, with particular emphasis on US, Greek and English law. Gives examples of each country and its way…
Abstract
Investigates the differences in protocols between arbitral tribunals and courts, with particular emphasis on US, Greek and English law. Gives examples of each country and its way of using the law in specific circumstances, and shows the variations therein. Sums up that arbitration is much the better way to gok as it avoids delays and expenses, plus the vexation/frustration of normal litigation. Concludes that the US and Greek constitutions and common law tradition in England appear to allow involved parties to choose their own judge, who can thus be an arbitrator. Discusses e‐commerce and speculates on this for the future.
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Michael Dickmann and Ashley Helen Watson
The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors which influence individuals to take up international assignments in hostile environments (HEs). Using an intelligent careers…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the factors which influence individuals to take up international assignments in hostile environments (HEs). Using an intelligent careers (IC) perspective, an expanded framework of expatriation drivers to work in hostile contexts is developed that comprises individual, organizational and location-specific factors. In addition, the understanding of career capital acquisition and transfer is refined.
Design/methodology/approach
A “deviant” case study method to challenge the underlying assumptions of career capital maximization and transfer in global careers is used. To investigate the case, 25 individuals in an international development organization who had to decide whether to work in HEs were interviewed.
Findings
Five insights into decision drivers and career capital effects associated with postings to HEs are presented. These span all three levels of individual, organizational and location-specific decision factors.
Research limitations/implications
Due to the case study approach, the usual limitations of qualitative case-based research with respect to generalizability apply. In the conclusions three theoretical implications for the IC framework with respect to career capital acquisition, utilization and temporal effects are outlined.
Practical implications
A range of practical implications in relation to the selection, talent management, performance and reward approaches as well as repatriation and family considerations in global mobility are explored.
Social implications
The insights help organizations to design global mobility policies for HEs. In addition, individuals and their families benefit from greater clarity of global mobility drivers in the context of high risks.
Originality/value
The drivers of individuals to accept assignments to HEs are under-researched. This paper operationalizes and applies a holistic decision to work abroad framework, expands the literature on of the motivations of individuals and develops valuable insights to nuance the IC framework.
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Remko van Hoek and David Dobrzykowski
Reshoring is one of the supply chain risk management techniques suggested in literature. However, literature suggests that the decision-making involved in reshoring is complex and…
Abstract
Purpose
Reshoring is one of the supply chain risk management techniques suggested in literature. However, literature suggests that the decision-making involved in reshoring is complex and not fully understood. In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, reshoring may represent a way to reduce reliance on global sources and improve resilience of their supply chains. This paper aims to explore if the pandemic is driving reshoring decisions and if the pandemic will actually lead to companies reshoring parts of their supply chain.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper critically engages with senior(-most) supply chain managers from three manufacturing companies as they proceed through reshoring decision-making. This enables to develop experiential knowledge about reshoring decision-making processes and their context, as well as insights into the relevance of existing knowledge about reshoring. While not a full multiple case study, the opportunity to engage directly with senior(-most) supply chain managers as they consider reshoring, enables near real-time learning. Not only is reshoring a very timely topic literature has also called for more event-based empirical research. Further to that, it is hoped that this can complement this special issue and support, in a timely manner, the many researchers that are actively studying the impact of the pandemic on supply chains.
Findings
Reshoring was being actively considered by all three companies during the research process in Q3 and Q4 of 2020. During this period the pandemic has not yet led to substantial implementation of reshoring, at least by the companies studied in this paper. In response to tariffs on Chinese imports, companies had been diversifying their supply base away from China, but doing so by developing alternative, global sources. Additionally, companies are using alternative risk management techniques, such as supplier collaboration, in the short to medium term. Reshoring decision-making is indeed found to be complex and requires a longer-term time horizon for decision-making and implementation. Logistical challenges and growth in demand do drive a willingness of consumers to pay a premium for locally sourced products. However, when supply normalizes these considerations might lose relevance well before reshoring decision-making and implementation can be completed.
Originality/value
This paper studies reshoring in a real-world setting, learning directly from insights from industry as they emerge. This paper develops four extensions to existing knowledge, develop these in frameworks and hope that this will support ongoing consideration in industry and support the many researchers that are active in this domain today. This paper also suggests several directions for further research.
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Daniel M. Jenkins and John P. Dugan
This perspective piece addresses specifically future lines of inquiry and practice that advance the goals of the agenda through an interdisciplinary approach to leadership…
Abstract
This perspective piece addresses specifically future lines of inquiry and practice that advance the goals of the agenda through an interdisciplinary approach to leadership studies. Here, the authors explain in-depth the contexts of an interdisciplinary approach to the agenda and address specific challenges therein. In order to provide clarity to this approach, considerations are made with respect to the language, contextual reference points, and tensions regarding measurement of learning. The authors provide impetus for inclusion of particular, salient priorities from the agenda, and address opportunities for practice and future research. Suggestions reveal unique opportunities within an interdisciplinary perspective such as the integration of diverse content and perspectives as well as collaboration across disciplines.
Jiaqin Yang and Richard H. Deane
Cell formation design in cellular manufacturing systems (CMS) has beenthe focus of recent manufacturing research literature. A great amount ofresearch has been published…
Abstract
Cell formation design in cellular manufacturing systems (CMS) has been the focus of recent manufacturing research literature. A great amount of research has been published addressing either technical issues (e.g. part‐machine grouping algorithms) or operational issues (e.g. planning and scheduling in the CMS). Research addressing strategic issues in cell formation design has been minimal. Addresses strategic considerations in cell formation design, specifically, the linkage and relationships between specific cell design issues and the firm′s competitive advantage in the marketplace. It is demonstrated that cell formation design decisions must be addressed in alignment with the firm′s strategic plan and manufacturing competitive priorities.
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Ashlee Curtis, Keith McVilly and Andrew Day
Offenders with intellectual disability (ID) who commit arson and other acts of fire setting are over-represented in the criminal justice system in Australia, as in many other…
Abstract
Purpose
Offenders with intellectual disability (ID) who commit arson and other acts of fire setting are over-represented in the criminal justice system in Australia, as in many other jurisdictions. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the judicial considerations that influence sentencing in these cases.
Design/methodology/approach
Case law was utilised to locate and analyse judges’ sentencing remarks for offenders with ID found guilty of an offence of arson. These data were subject to Inductive Content Analysis to establish the major judicial considerations in sentencing.
Findings
Seven common issues emerged: general deterrence, seriousness of arson, rehabilitation, sentencing options, moral culpability, protection of the community, and punishment. Judges noted that they handed down reduced sentences to persons with ID relative to the severity of their offending, that they considered people with ID to have low levels of moral culpability, and that these offenders did not provide good examples for community deterrence.
Originality/value
The current study highlights the need for judges to have available a range of sentencing options, including diversion and treatment/rehabilitation programmes for persons with ID, particularly for those involved in more serious offences such as arson.
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Jeffery S. Smith, Jayanth Jayaram, Frederic Ponsignon and Jeremy S. Wolter
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of different antecedent factors (contingencies) on the design of a service recovery system (SRS).
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the influence of different antecedent factors (contingencies) on the design of a service recovery system (SRS).
Design/methodology/approach
A conceptual model was framed and a series of hypotheses generated and tested using data from 158 practicing managers using a multivariate general linear modeling technique.
Findings
The analyses indicated that firms, by and large, mainly considered environmental factors in the SRS design. Additional evidence suggests that managers do consider other contingencies but may do so in a fragmented manner. The results presented herein indicate that firms design back-office aspects of SRS in response to external factors (i.e. the environmental contingency). In contrast, the front-office components appear to have more diverse antecedents but are strongly influenced by the firm’s recovery orientation. The specific recovery practices appear to be implemented per industry standards. In sum, evidence indicates that there are diverse driving factors to total SRS design.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations are based primarily on the methodology as data were obtained from a single person who represented the entire SRS. Care was taken in the study design in order not to compromise the validity of the findings.
Practical implications
The results indicated that managers responsible for system design need to be holistic in SRS design to more tightly link decisions across multiple contingencies so as to more fully integrate total service system design. This is potentially accomplished through the inclusion of aspects of all relevant contingencies when designing recovery systems.
Originality/value
This paper’s main contribution is that it employs established theory to develop and test a model to show that firms consider multiple contingencies while designing SRS. It contributes to the emerging body of work on SRS design by providing insights that can be considered as driving forces behind the design of SRS.
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Dimitra Karanatsiou, Nikolaos Misirlis and Maro Vlachopoulou
The purpose of this paper is to present the evolution in notions from bibliometrics to altmetrics and confront them taking into consideration specific criteria. The objective of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the evolution in notions from bibliometrics to altmetrics and confront them taking into consideration specific criteria. The objective of this paper is to present the evolution of research, regarding the above fields, the study of metrics and indicators used, and the strength and weaknesses resulting from the current literature. Furthermore, the authors present the manipulation techniques for both fields as their main weakness, as well as further key points, analyzing the alternative options of bibliometrics and altmetrics.
Design/methodology/approach
First, the authors present the evolution of the literature, concerning the specific field and metrics used, following with a brief description of basic indicators related to the field of bibliometrics (journal impact factor (JIF), eigenfactor, article influence score and h-index) discussing their advantages and disadvantages. In the second part, the authors describe altmetrics and present the differences with bibliometrics.
Findings
Both bibliometrics and altmetrics remain weak indicators as fraught with disadvantages with manipulation being the greatest of all. Nevertheless, the combination of the two is proposed in order to export safer conclusions on assessing the impact. Regarding the manipulation there is yet not a clean technique to eliminate manipulation. In specific, regarding bibliometrics, the manipulation of indicators refers only to the human factor intervention. The theoretical implication of this study constitutes of collecting the relevant literature regarding scientific indicators.
Research limitations/implications
We must consider the study of new indicators, which combine metrics and methodologies used in both bibliometrics and altmetrics. The theoretical implication of this study constitutes of collecting the relevant literature regarding scientific indicators. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further.
Practical implications
The practical contribution, on the other side, provides scholars with the knowledge of how making their work more accessible, increasing their impact.
Originality/value
The authors add to the originality by providing a framework of the relevant literature for bibliometrics and altmetrics for future researchers. The authors describe altmetrics and present the differences with bibliometrics. The authors conclude the research with the implications of the conducted analysis and the potential directions for future research. Regarding manipulation, the authors provide with the techniques so researchers are aware of the methods in order to protect their academic profile.
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