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Article
Publication date: 5 July 2013

Amarjit Singh and Stacy Adachi

The purpose of this paper is to analyze conditional failure rates, and prioritize water pipelines for replacement based on their expected failure rate where pipes are grouped…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze conditional failure rates, and prioritize water pipelines for replacement based on their expected failure rate where pipes are grouped based on age and pipe type. Thus, predictions can be made on the expected number of breaks in future years.

Design/methodology/approach

The time to failure of a pipe can be characterized by the stochastic properties of the population as a whole, from which the likelihood of component failure is derived. When the corresponding failure rate is plotted against time, a bathtub‐shaped curve results. The bathtub curve assists in determining maintenance schedules depending on the age of the pipe. Failure rates help determine whether the rates are more than an acceptable best practice threshold to signal replacement.

Findings

Ductile iron pipes had the highest failure rates, followed by asbestos cement pipes; PVC and concrete cylinder pipes had the lowest failure rates, but because concrete cylinder pipes are very time‐consuming to repair and very expensive to install, only PVC pipes are recommended on the basis of this study. Cast iron pipes fit the bathtub shape; ductile iron and asbestos concrete were somewhat bathtub shaped, though the early phase period was not apparent; the bathtub curve for concrete cylinder was fully inverted; while PVC pipes showed zero probability of failure during the middle period. The shapes of bathtub curves drawn on conditional failure rates were similar to those for the failure rates. The bathtub curves indicate that the general failure performance of pipe materials is somewhat contrary to general principles in manufacturing.

Practical implications

Analysis of failure serves a practical purpose for water utilities to allocate funds for pipe maintenance and prepare a schedule for pipe replacement, so as to provide the best quality services and safe drinking water to users of the utility.

Social implications

The proper prioritization of water supply pipes for repair and replacement is of great social importance to the public at large, which expends considerable funds to maintain their drinking water supply.

Originality/value

The study of bathtub curves has not been seen before in the analysis of water supply pipes. A unique discovery is that the traditional shape of the bathtub curve is not always applicable for water supply pipes.

Details

Built Environment Project and Asset Management, vol. 3 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-124X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 1980

Sarojini Balachandran

A major event which is likely to have a considerable impact on engineering libraries and librarians is the inauguration (January 1, 1980) of the American Association of…

Abstract

A major event which is likely to have a considerable impact on engineering libraries and librarians is the inauguration (January 1, 1980) of the American Association of Engineering Societies (AAES), which, as a central organization representing the engineering profession, will now consolidate and augment the work hitherto handled by the Engineers Joint Council, Engineering Council for Professional Development and Association for Cooperation in Engineering. This is primarily looked upon as a device to enable engineering societies to communicate with each other more effectively. A unique feature of the AAES will be one of its autonomous groups, the Accreditation Commission for Engineering and Technology (ACET). The collection and dissemination of data on matters like engineering manpower and continuing education, until now handled by bodies like the EJC, will be entrusted to ACET.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 8 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Article
Publication date: 1 August 1927

HIS holidays over, before the individual and strenuous winter work of his library begins, the wise librarian concentrates for a few weeks on the Annual Meeting of the Library…

Abstract

HIS holidays over, before the individual and strenuous winter work of his library begins, the wise librarian concentrates for a few weeks on the Annual Meeting of the Library Association. This year the event is of unusual character and of great interest. Fifty years of public service on the part of devoted workers are to be commemorated, and there could be no more fitting place for the commemoration than Edinburgh. It is a special meeting, too, in that for the first time for many years the Library Association gathering will take a really international complexion. If some too exacting critics are forward to say that we have invited a very large number of foreign guests to come to hear themselves talk, we may reply that we want to hear them. There is a higher significance in the occasion than may appear on the surface—for an effort is to be made in the direction of international co‐operation. In spite of the excellent work of the various international schools, we are still insular. Now that the seas are open and a trip to America costs little more than one to (say) Italy, we hope that the way grows clearer to an almost universal co‐working amongst libraries. It is overdue. May our overseas guests find a real atmosphere of welcome, hospitality and friendship amongst us this memorable September!

Details

New Library World, vol. 30 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0307-4803

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1989

Patricia Sorce, Philip R. Tyler and Lynette M. Loomis

Examines an attempt to define segments within the Older Americanmarket based on lifestyle variations. Identifies four clusters withsignificant marketing potential: Self‐Reliants…

Abstract

Examines an attempt to define segments within the Older American market based on lifestyle variations. Identifies four clusters with significant marketing potential: Self‐Reliants, Active Retirees, Family Oriented, and Young and Secures. Concludes that lifestyle variables should be used to segment the market, the difficulties in using them indicating a need for a standardized lifestyle inventory for the Older American market.

Details

Journal of Consumer Marketing, vol. 6 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0736-3761

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 March 2007

Jamal A. Al‐Khatib, Stacy M. Vollmers and Yusin Liu

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of Chinese executives' preferred ethical ideologies and Machiavellianism on their perceived appropriateness of negotiation…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to examine the effects of Chinese executives' preferred ethical ideologies and Machiavellianism on their perceived appropriateness of negotiation tactics as they operate in a nation transitioning from a planned economy to a market economy.

Design/methodology/approach

A self‐administered survey of a sample 300 Chinese managers with budgetary and personnel responsibilities in Tianjin, China was obtained for the purpose of the present study. A series of regression analyses were conducted to test the proposed relations.

Findings

Results from the regression analyses provided partial confirmations for the proposed relationships. Idealism influenced perceptions of false promises, traditional competitive bargaining, and attacking an opponents' network. Perceptions of traditional competitive bargaining, attacking an opponent's network, and inappropriate information gathering were significantly influenced by relativism. Machiavellianism influenced perceptions of traditional competitive bargaining and misrepresentation of information.

Research limitations/implications

Given the existing impediments to sampling and data collection in China, the sampling method used is non‐probabilistic, which calls for consideration of the results as exploratory. The present study's sample is drawn from the Northeastern region of China and since ethical beliefs and orientation in China varies by region, the results of the present study cannot be generalized to the total population of China.

Originality/value

The present study aims to provide the following contribution. First, as most studies in the negotiation ethics literature are focused in Western cultural contexts, this study attempts to fill this gap by investigating the negotiation ethical values of executives from Eastern culture. Second, global firms' executives can better understand the ethical mindset of their Chinese counterparts and utilize this knowledge to efficiently and effectively manage the negotiation process with their counterparts in this important market. Third, public policymakers and researchers can also benefit from this study by understanding the external validity and the degree of ethnocentrism of not only their own code of ethics but also the validity of a universal code of ethic.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 July 2011

Amarjit Singh, Stacy Adachi and Megan Inouye

The purpose of this paper is to investigate performance times from a quality engineering perspective for response and repair of pipes at a public utility. The objective is to…

1893

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate performance times from a quality engineering perspective for response and repair of pipes at a public utility. The objective is to scientifically determine the pipe that offers the most desirable downtime (DT) and time to repair (TTR).

Design/methodology/approach

Four types of water supply pipes – concrete cylinder (CC), cast iron (CI), ductile iron (DI), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – in prevalent use at the City and County of Honolulu Board of Water Supply were analyzed to determine the pipe type that is most consistently repaired to desired performance specifications. Data for mean downtime (MDT) and mean time to repair (MTTR) were used to evaluate the stability and capability of the repair processes for each pipe type. The analysis was completed through the use of control charts, operating characteristic (OC) curves, and process capability indices.

Findings

The results of the analysis indicated that CI pipes were the worst material in terms of DT and TTR. The control charts for MDT for all pipe types, and the MTTR for CI and CC pipes, were found to be out of statistical control, but the control charts for the MTTR of DI and PVC pipes were discovered to be in control. According to the OC curves, in which the hypothesis stated that the average MDT or MTTR was between the specification limits, there was a high tendency in all pipe types to accept the hypothesis when it was true. However, the probability of type I errors was high from operational standards at the USL level. Process capability analyses found that only CC pipes were able to meet performance design specifications; however, repair times are extremely large for CC pipes. Overall, it is recommended that CI pipes be replaced when the opportunity arises.

Practical implications

This investigation serves to address a major query in asset management at the public utility, that of which pipes should be selected during design and procurement from a maintenance perspective. In addition, the study helps to understand the trend of DT and TTR for the various pipes.

Social implications

Quality water supply is of paramount social importance in modern cities.

Originality/value

A quality engineering approach to asset management for pipe systems at public utilities that serves to add a new dimension to asset performance analysis is adopted.

Details

Built Environment Project and Asset Management, vol. 1 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-124X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 June 2012

Upasna A. Agarwal, Sumita Datta, Stacy Blake‐Beard and Shivganesh Bhargava

This study aims to examine the relationships among leader‐member exchange (LMX), innovative work behaviour (IWB), and intention to quit. The mediating role of work engagement is…

11186

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the relationships among leader‐member exchange (LMX), innovative work behaviour (IWB), and intention to quit. The mediating role of work engagement is tested within the relationship of LMX, IWB, and intention to quit.

Design/methodology/approach

Respondents to a survey were 979 Indian managerial employees working in six service sector organisations in India. Structural equation modelling was used to test hypothesised relationships.

Findings

Results suggest quality of exchanges between employees and their immediate supervisors influences engagement. Work engagement correlates positively with innovative work behaviour and negatively with intention to quit. Work engagement mediates the relationship between LMX and innovative work behaviour, and partially mediates intention to quit.

Research limitations/implications

A cross‐sectional design and use of self‐reported questionnaire data is a limitation of this study. Since the study focuses only on service‐sector organisations, the results of this study should be interpreted with caution.

Originality/value

This study makes important theoretical contributions in three ways. In the domain of work engagement, it addresses factors that influence employee engagement and its outcomes. It expands knowledge about organisational resources that foster work engagement. For LMX, this study complements existing research by investigating work engagement as an outcome. Identifying LMX and work engagement as antecedents of innovative work behaviour, it also extends research in that domain. An important contribution is positioning work engagement as a means through which job resources are linked to employee outcomes. The study is also a rare examination of the Indian context.

Details

Career Development International, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1362-0436

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 March 2017

Kim Trottier

The purpose of this paper is to establish the optimal decision-making style in a fast-paced, complex, and dynamic environment.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to establish the optimal decision-making style in a fast-paced, complex, and dynamic environment.

Design/methodology/approach

Three decision-making attributes are explored: the use of intuition vs analysis, the proclivity to heuristics, and susceptibility to bias. The intuition/analysis is tested with a questionnaire that has been validated in prior research, while information on the two other dimensions is from an exploratory survey designed for this purpose. Responses to the survey questions provide some insight into the differential decision-making style of elite NHL hockey coaches’ vis-à-vis amateur coaches and news reporters.

Findings

The data suggest elite decision makers have no preference for intuitive or analytical settings, but exhibit a significantly higher perception of their ability to perform in both. While current literature shows sports athletes to be more intuitive, it appears coaches excel on the analytical dimension instead. This study finds that while elite hockey coaches have fewer biases overall, they tend in particular to be overly optimistic in comparison to amateur coaches and news reporters.

Research limitations/implications

The main limitation in this paper is that the survey on heuristics and biases is exploratory, making these results less robust than the findings on intuition and analysis.

Originality/value

This paper is first to extend the decision-making literature to coaches, and among few papers that obtain insights from NHL coaches directly. The findings are likely to extend to corporate leadership as well, increasing the relevance of the results.

Details

Sport, Business and Management: An International Journal, vol. 7 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-678X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 December 2020

Anne-Marie Snider and Naomi Smith

This paper aims to respond to the following question: What does ongoing recovery from depression look like, and what role might spirituality have for individuals’ meanings of…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to respond to the following question: What does ongoing recovery from depression look like, and what role might spirituality have for individuals’ meanings of recovery if it has any meaning at all?

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the authors reconceptualize recovery from depression as ritual, as ongoing recovery, or recovery as a process, resonated with many of the 40 participants (all ages) from the study, and much of the sociological literature on recovery from depression (Fullagar and O’Brien, 2012; Garrett, 1997, 1998; Karp, 1994, 1996, 2016; O’Brien, 2012). To explore the interplay between participants’ accounts of recovery as ongoing, and the meanings of spirituality, the authors used a ritual analysis inspired by Collins (2004).

Findings

From the accounts presented in this paper, the authors suggest that participants are, if subconsciously, using objects with a special or spiritual significance to filter through their thoughts and memories as a way to create what Collins (2004) calls an emotional charge. The authors argue that these emotional charges assist people with lived experiences of depression in distancing from, and reconnecting to, certain social ties, including a particular family member, friend or social group, as part of their recovery. The authors are calling this process, ritual distancing.

Originality/value

Recovery from depression includes a process of reconnection to the self and others, and this process sometimes includes a self-defined spirituality (in objects and social connections).

Details

Mental Health and Social Inclusion, vol. 25 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-8308

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 July 2009

Gudrun Baldvinsdottir, John Burns, Hanne Nørreklit and Robert W. Scapens

The aim of this paper is to investigate the extent to which a profound change in the image of accountants can be seen in the discourse used in accounting software adverts that…

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Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to investigate the extent to which a profound change in the image of accountants can be seen in the discourse used in accounting software adverts that have appeared in the professional publications of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants over the last four decades.

Design/methodology/approach

Methodologically, the paper draws from Barthes' work on the rhetoric of images and Giddens' work on modernity. By looking at accounting software adverts, an attempt is made to investigate the image of the accountant produced by the discourse of the adverts, and whether the image produced reflects a wide social change in society.

Findings

It was found that in the 1970s and the 1980s the accountant was constructed as a responsible and rational person. In the 1990s, the accountant was presented as an instructed action man. However, in a recent advert the accountant appeared as a more hedonistic person. Overall, the changes observed reflect changes in wider social practice from modernity, through high modernity, to hyper‐modernity.

Research limitations/implications

The image of the accountants has implications for the development of the accounting profession. In particular, the move towards hyper‐modernity, where empathy towards others and the virtues of self‐discipline and fairness are not at stake, has implications for the trustworthiness of the accounting profession.

Originality/value

Although there has been some research into the image of accountants, particularly in the media and popular movies, extant works have mostly investigated how others perceive accountants and how accountants are generally portrayed. The paper however, places more stress on the construction of the image of the accountants when appealing to the accountants.

Details

Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal, vol. 22 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3574

Keywords

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