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The purpose of this paper is to introduce a new danger‐aware Operational Flight Program (OFP) for the unmanned helicopter's auto‐navigation based on the well‐known time‐triggered message‐triggered object (TMO) model.

In this design with the TMO, the danger‐awareness means two things. First, an unmanned helicopter maneuvers on safe altitudes to avoid buildings or mountains when navigating to the target position. It is assumed that minimum safe altitudes are given on evenly spaced grids and on the center points of every four adjacent grids. A three‐dimensional (3D) path‐finding algorithm using this safe‐altitude information is proposed. Second, a helicopter automatically avoids a zone with very high temperature caused by a fire.

Since the auto‐flight control system requires componentized real‐time processing of sensors and controllers, the TMO model that has periodic and sporadic threads as members, has been used in designing the OFP. It has been found that using the TMO scheme is a way to construct a very flexible, well‐componentized and timeliness‐guaranteed OFP.

As the RTOS, RT‐eCos has been used. It was developed a few years ago based on the eCos3.0 to support the real‐time thread model of the TMO scheme. To verify this navigation system, a hardware‐in‐the‐loop simulation (HILS) system also has been developed.

Designing an OFP by using the real‐time object model TMO and the proposed 3D safe path finding algorithm is a whole new effective deadline‐based approach. And the developed OFP can be used intensively in the phase of disaster response and recovery.

Despite recognising the importance of training on the successful implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, there is a shortage of research on mechanisms that facilitate the effective use of ERP implementation training in business environments. This study aims to investigate the factors influencing post-implementation transfer behaviours as a measure of training effectiveness among ERP users.

A conceptual model based on related theories was developed to explain the effectiveness of post-implementation ERP training. The study analysed collected data from ERP users drawn from finance, customer relationship management, marketing, sales and logistics units in some organisations in New Zealand.

Findings reveal that 42.7% of the variance in ERP training transfer (TT) can be explained by mastery goal orientation (MGO), computer self-efficacy (CSE) and transfer motivation (TMO). Furthermore, CSE and TMO acted as vital mechanisms by which MGO affects the TT.

Future studies are implored to address the limitation of cross-sectional research design by using more objective measures and multiple data sources.

Understanding the underlying mechanisms of training effectiveness at the post-implementation phase can facilitate the development of strategic interventions to sustain effective transfer behaviours in ERP task environments.

Building on the self-determination theory, this study demonstrates the interrelationship among MGO, CSE, TMO and TT at the post-implementation phase of ERP.

The purpose of this paper is to report the results of a study of a post‐flood reconstruction project conducted in 2003 in the village of Bousalem in Tunisia, a country that is poorly documented in reconstruction literature and that is known for its high levels of centralization in decision making. It examines the relations between project stakeholders, the structure of the team established to conduct the project (the Temporary Multi‐Organisation, TMO) and the most important concerns of end‐users. It particularly shows the drawbacks of neglecting a participatory approach and favouring instead the centralization of decision making at different levels of the TMO organisational structure.

Users' satisfaction was assessed through technology transfer indicators, based on the qualitative analysis of several interviews with end‐users. The analysis of the organizational system was based on a qualitative analysis of the TMOs' formal and informal structuring.

The results confirm the need to decentralize decisions at a level that: optimizes the efficiency of local stakeholders; facilitates the participation of end‐users; and allows an appropriate distribution of responsibilities and risks among stakeholders.

The results show how certain decisions related to the structure and functioning of the TMO affect the match between the project initiators' capacity to provide an adequate solution and the users' expectations and requirements after the disaster.

The absence of an effective model for conceptualising and evaluating the interorganisational relationships within infrastructure delivery systems has been blamed for the seeming inability of implementation analysts to discover the causes of implementation gaps (disjuncture) experienced within such systems. This is particularly so in emerging economies where successive governments are trying to deliver socio-economic benefits to their citizenry through investments in infrastructure. The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model with such capabilities based upon the diagnostic principles of a base model-the Viable Systems Model (VSM) to bridge this identified gap.

In this qualitative study, two stages of data collection were applied at various stages of the study namely; asynchronous online discussion forums and structured interviews. Whereas the first set was used to determine the suitability of the tenets of the VSM in understanding the IDS, the latter was used to validate the emergent model. Data obtained from these processes were qualitatively analysed.

It was discovered that the VSM could also be applicable to TMOs and not just permanent organisations. This enabled these tenets to be applied in the development of a model for conceptualising and evaluating the relationships within the implementation cycle.

The emergent model-VIDM – would avail policy analysts in emerging economies with a tool for carrying out proper implementation analysis during policy implementation cycles and not just afterwards, particularly as it concerns infrastructure delivery processes.

This paper satisfies all the tenets of originality as it has not been previously published and all the ideas from other studies have been duly referenced.

The purpose of this study is to determine simultaneously the period of preventive maintenance and the sequence of each job for two parallel machines problem so that the makespan is minimized. With proper planning of preventive maintenance, a shop can avoid lack of flexibility between maintenance planning and production scheduling, and thus concentrate on production efficiency.

This study addresses a scheduling problem, wherein each machine has to be shut down for maintenance during a maintenance interval [C, T] arranged in advance. The start time and end time of the preventive maintenance are the decision variables. A maintenance action is attended by a server who managers only one machine at a time. Three cases are studied in this paper: the unequal lengths of unavailable periods on both machines, the equal lengths of unavailable periods on both machines, and no waiting time is allowed between the two unavailable periods. Each case is solved optimally by an analytical algorithm developed in the study.

Although having exponential time complexities, all the proposed algorithms are quite efficient in solving large‐sized problems. Computational results show that it is able to generate the optimal solution for large sizes (up to 10,000 jobs) in a few minutes of computation time.

Most of the papers that dealt with preventive maintenance assumed that the maintenance period is known and specified. However, the flexible preventive maintenance problem, in which the start time and end time of the preventive maintenance are the decision variables, often occurs in the computer center, NC‐machine and IC‐testing machine for job scheduling and repairs arrangement.

The paper presents an efficient approach for each of the three cases of flexible preventive maintenance, which is relatively unexplored in the literature.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a comprehensive initial evaluation of divestiture gains for reacquired carve‐out parent and subsidiary second event and three‐year returns for the period 1980‐2010.

Using several variables, we contrast reacquired carve‐out parent and subsidiary second event returns with those for acquired carve‐outs. Similarly, we contrast carve‐out parent three‐year returns.

We observe several differences between reacquired (RACO) and acquired (AQCO) carve‐outs. Indicating less competition for RACO prices, RACOs have lower market capitalization on the day before reacquisition. Supporting a certification effect for Thermo Electron, parent three‐year post reacquisition returns are positive versus negative returns for other RACO parents. Our multiple regression variables explain 27.53 percent of the subsidiary reacquisition announcement returns of 11.63 percent and explain 19.84 percent of the variation of parent three‐year returns.

This study makes several contributions to the literature. It is the first study to contrast the long‐term results of reacquired carve‐outs and their parents with those of acquired carve‐outs and their parents. Also, Gleason et al.’s study of reacquired carve‐outs has been extended in several ways. First, parent company three‐year returns after the reacquisition was examined. Next, returns for reacquired carve‐outs were contrasted with acquired carve‐outs. Updating Allen's study, it is reported that, except for one subsidiary acquired by a third party, all subsidiaries were reacquired by Thermo Electron.

The article ‘researches’ construction fragmentation from the assumption that construction projects are ‘unmanageable’ (Mintzberg, 1982) in conventional terms, in an attempt to give thematic unity to this problem. Socio‐technical analysis which underlay the Building Industry Communications Research Project (BICRP) (Higgin & Jessop, 1963, 1965; TIHR, 1965; Chrichton, 1966) conducted by the Tavistock Institute for Human Relations (TIHR) from 1963 to 1965 is explored and developed, supplemented other relevant authors. The argument is conducted formally without reference to particular examples and develops the debate provoked by Connaughton (2000). Formal statement of the problem assists reinterpretation (Boyd & Wild, 1999; Wild, 2001 a) of existing material and new enquiry to clarify the conditions, if any, both necessary and sufficient, for the manageability of construction.

The purpose of this paper is to examine why and how municipal managers and CEOs for municipally owned companies use the environmental performance indicators.

A case study approach as a research design was used. In total, 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted among managers for administrative departments and municipal company CEOs.

This study found that the environmental performance indicators are used by department managers mainly for resource allocation, control and for teaching the employees. The CEOs of the municipal companies use the environmental indicators for communicating with external stakeholders and see the indicators primarily as marketing tools. The main reason why the environmental performance indicators are used in the municipality can be the strong demand from the local politicians to push the “green agenda,” and therefore the managers have to comply.

As in any case study, generalizations from the research should be made with care, but since this is only one municipality, further research is needed to find additional evidence.

The findings of this study have a number of implications for future practice, and it is worth mentioning that clear guidelines for how the information could be made more useful for managers at the managerial level in Växjö municipality (VM) are requested for both the municipal managers and the CEOs.

Overall, this study strengthens the idea that environmental performance indicators could be used to a larger extent for communicating with external stakeholders both for municipal departments and companies.

The research adds to the literature by examining different patterns of using environmental performance indicators in a unique setting – in VM, which is called “the greenest city in Europe” and is one of the “pioneers” in environmental work and extensively uses performance indicators.