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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 28 April 2020

Jialin Zou, Kun Wang and Hongbo Sun

Crowd network systems have been deemed as a promising mode of modern service industry and future economic society, and taking crowd network as the research object and exploring…

Abstract

Purpose

Crowd network systems have been deemed as a promising mode of modern service industry and future economic society, and taking crowd network as the research object and exploring its operation mechanism and laws is of great significance for realizing the effective governance of the government and the rapid development of economy, avoiding social chaos and mutation. Because crowd network is a large-scale, dynamic and diversified online deep interconnection, its most results cannot be observed in real world, and it cannot be carried out in accordance with traditional way, simulation is of great importance to put forward related research. To solve above problems, this paper aims to propose a simulation architecture based on the characteristics of crowd network and to verify the feasibility of this architecture through a simulation example.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper adopts a data-driven architecture by deeply analyzing existing large-scale simulation architectures and proposes a novel reflective memory-based architecture for crowd network simulations. In this paper, the architecture is analyzed from three aspects: implementation framework, functional architecture and implementation architecture. The proposed architecture adopts a general structure to decouple related work in a harmonious way and gets support for reflection storage by connecting to different devices via reflection memory card. Several toolkits for system implementation are designed and connected by data-driven files (DDF), and these XML files constitute a persistent storage layer. To improve the credibility of simulations, VV&A (verification, validation and accreditation) is introduced into the architecture to verify the accuracy of simulation system executions.

Findings

Implementation framework introduces the scenes, methods and toolkits involved in the whole simulation architecture construction process. Functional architecture adopts a general structure to decouple related work in a harmonious way. In the implementation architecture, several toolkits for system implementation are designed, which are connected by DDF, and these XML files constitute a persistent storage layer. Crowd network simulations obtain the support of reflective memory by connecting the reflective memory cards on different devices and connect the interfaces of relevant simulation software to complete the corresponding function call. Meanwhile, to improve the credibility of simulations, VV&A is introduced into the architecture to verify the accuracy of simulation system executions.

Originality/value

This paper proposes a novel reflective memory-based architecture for crowd network simulations. Reflective memory is adopted as share memory within given simulation execution in this architecture; communication efficiency and capability have greatly improved by this share memory-based architecture. This paper adopts a data-driven architecture; the architecture mainly relies on XML files to drive the entire simulation process, and XML files have strong readability and do not need special software to read.

Details

International Journal of Crowd Science, vol. 4 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-7294

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 April 2013

Poorang Piroozfar, Kemi Adeyeye, Micah Rosenkind and Graham Winstanley

The purpose of this paper is to report on partial findings of a research project on post‐occupancy design in school projects. It provides a brief review of key factors, and major…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on partial findings of a research project on post‐occupancy design in school projects. It provides a brief review of key factors, and major players in post‐occupancy processes.

Design/methodology/approach

Subsequent to literature review for the research, the primary data was obtained from a steering group (stakeholder forum) comprising of a sample of primary and secondary school representatives, local authorities and building professionals. Following the data collection, visits were arranged to the selected schools, and local councils and semi‐structured interviews with school and council authorities were carried out. At the same time, research meeting and directed studies were held to best explore the applications for devising the toolkit. Simulated and real cases for making decisions in post‐occupancy design were selected to devise a model‐base to test out the applicability of the devised prototype of the toolkit.

Findings

This study provided clarification on the post‐occupancy performance and practicable expectations of major parties in school projects with special reference to the development stage of the proposed toolkit. The qualitative and quantitative data collected, confirmed that a real‐time updateable support system for decisions is required for making the most reasonable decisions where multi‐criteria/multi‐agent decision is inevitable. The principles of co‐creation of knowledge and value, as suggested in manufacture and service industries, were investigated to inform the underlying design platform for the toolkit. The decision support systems for multi‐criteria decision making processes were also established so that the toolkit can take a full account of the achievements in this area.

Originality/value

The paper highlights the complexities involved in the post‐occupancy decision processes in school projects. Also, the pressing need for a system to assist in streamlining the information flow (particularly upwards, from the schools to the LA) and management of knowledge to facilitate design decisions is identified. The decision processes need to be more integrated, collaborative and inclusive. It also acknowledges that decision making in post‐occupancy processes, is an evolving process. The main contribution of this paper however, remains to be how the collaborative processes were streamlined for all the stakeholders to work together and co‐create knowledge and value to devise a platform.

Article
Publication date: 11 February 2020

I-Ling Ling, Yi-Fen Liu, Chien-Wei (Wilson) Lin and Chih-Hui Shieh

This study aims to understand the underlying mechanism and boundary conditions of the IKEA effect in self-expressive mass customization (MC). It examines the effect of the extent…

2204

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to understand the underlying mechanism and boundary conditions of the IKEA effect in self-expressive mass customization (MC). It examines the effect of the extent of choice in MC toolkits in terms of perceived value of self-designed products, as well as how self-expression mediates this effect and what kind of consumers are more inclined to experience such effect.

Design/methodology/approach

Two experiments were conducted, using online MC toolkits. In total, 393 consumers participated in the experiments. Data collected were analyzed using t-tests, analyses of variance, path analyses, bootstrap analyses and spotlight tests.

Findings

The results show that offering a greater extent of choice in MC toolkits to consumers provides a greater opportunity for self-expression, resulting in higher product valuation. Further, consumers who have high romanticism in aesthetic preference and high self-esteem are more inclined to influences associated with this effect.

Originality/value

This research adds to the literature on the IKEA effect in self-expressive MC by identifying a key antecedent (extent of choice), its underlying mechanism (self-expression), and two boundary conditions (aesthetic preference and self-esteem). The results of this study provide firms with a better understanding of how they can improve their self-expressive MC strategies.

Details

Journal of Consumer Marketing, vol. 37 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0736-3761

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 August 2019

Christoforos Mamas, Alan J. Daly, Charlotte Struyve, Irene Kaimi and George Michail

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a social network analysis (SNA) toolkit aiming to enable leaders, educators and researchers work together to deepen their understanding…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a social network analysis (SNA) toolkit aiming to enable leaders, educators and researchers work together to deepen their understanding of classroom social network dynamics. In doing so, the authors provide both theoretical and practical steps in building a bridge between theory and practice and a step-by-step introduction to designing and implementing SNA to understand socially responsive classrooms. To make the case, the authors present data that were collected through an SNA survey completed by eighth graders in two highly diverse classrooms in Southern California.

Design/methodology/approach

Driven by an SNA perspective, the authors highlight the potential value of examining social interdependencies and interconnectedness among students in a classroom network. The SNA toolkit was employed to calculate social network measures and develop network maps for each classroom.

Findings

The toolkit has shown to provide a comprehensive platform in gaining important insights into students’ social relationships, particularly those who are underserved and at higher risk of exclusion. The findings have shown that some of the students in the two classrooms were more likely to remain on the periphery of their social networks, particularly those who are traditionally more likely to be marginalized including students with disabilities as well as racially and linguistically diverse students.

Originality/value

The toolkit in the hands of leaders and teachers may provide a powerful tool for personalized professional development and act as a catalyst in bridging the gap between research and practice.

Details

International Journal of Educational Management, vol. 33 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-354X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 17 April 2009

Demosthenes Akoumianakis

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the collaborative practices of virtual teams carrying out knowledge‐based work and the tools required/used to assemble “collective”…

1391

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the collaborative practices of virtual teams carrying out knowledge‐based work and the tools required/used to assemble “collective” artefacts.

Design/methodology/approach

The vast majority of recent work on communities of practice is devoted to community management (i.e. discovering, building, and maintaining communities), dismissing or undermining community practices and how they are technologically mediated (i.e. the practice‐specific tools and artefacts involved). This paper investigates existing practices and makes use of scenarios to envision new distributed collective practices in a designated application domain. The instruments used include both empirical tools (i.e. survey of current practice and expert interviews) and analytical tools (i.e. scenarios of use, walkthroughs, and virtual prototyping) to provide insight towards the design of practice‐oriented toolkits.

Findings

The proposed approach is validated in the context of an electronic village of local interest with a thematic focus on regional tourism, highlighting the key role of “collective” knowledge management in information‐based industries whose products are non‐material (intangible) and knowledge is central to gaining competitive advantage. The results include a general model for practice‐oriented toolkits conceived of as separate software components from (but interoperable to) the community support system and devised to establish a place for engaging in the practice the community is about. This model is then used to build an operational toolkit for assembling vacation packages by cross‐organization virtual communities of practice.

Practical implications

Virtual communities of practice (or partnerships) necessitate smooth integration of community management and practice‐specific tasks and tools. Community management tasks can be supported by augmenting capabilities of existing community portals to allow for community registration, role undertaking, declaration of virtual assets, etc. Practice‐oriented tasks should be designed in such a way so as to capture and accommodate domain‐specific vocabulary.

Originality/value

Model‐based techniques and domain‐specific design languages are used as the unifying mechanism (i.e. software factory) for integrating community management and practice‐oriented artefacts. These techniques are designed and implemented into a software platform so as to facilitate the systematic accumulation and reuse of knowledge towards the construction of collective artefacts.

Details

Journal of Enterprise Information Management, vol. 22 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0398

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 June 2008

Cathy Barnes, Tom Childs, Brian Henson and Stephen Lillford

The purpose of this paper is to describe the Kansei engineering toolkit that has been developed to provide a set of tools and techniques to support better packaging design.

1756

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to describe the Kansei engineering toolkit that has been developed to provide a set of tools and techniques to support better packaging design.

Design/methodology/approach

The toolkit has its foundations in Kansei engineering but the work has extended the scope and increased reliability of results by: including structured linkages to designers; replacing “highest level Kansei” from Kansei type 1 with brand values; introducing a more structured process for the elicitation of type 2 selection of pack physical properties; reducing the complexity of the semantic differential survey used to elicit consumer perceptions; and structuring a process for selection of the Kansei words.

Findings

The work has shown that the proposed toolkit is able to support the design of packaging by illustrating the process with industrial case studies.

Research limitations/implications

Kansei engineering and the techniques presented in this toolkit are inevitably simplifications of the real situation, since many more variables affect the consumers purchase decision than is tested in this process. There is still a need to test the insights gained by the toolkit into a wider investigation.

Practical implications

This paper offers the packaging industry a robust and repeatable method to develop better packaging.

Originality/value

The paper presents an overall description of the Kansei engineering toolkit for packaging design and is a structured process that provides quantitative results for the relationship between branding, consumer perception and design variables.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 20 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 June 2016

Jill R. Kavanaugh, Kristelle Lavallee and Rima Rudd

This paper aims to assess a pediatric media health effects’ toolkit from a health literacy perspective. A secondary aim is to highlight the collaborative role of an embedded…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to assess a pediatric media health effects’ toolkit from a health literacy perspective. A secondary aim is to highlight the collaborative role of an embedded librarian.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors assessed ten items from the toolkit in several formats (text, survey and video) using the following health literacy assessment tools: the Simple Measure of Gobbledygook, the Suitability Assessment of Materials, the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printed Materials and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Audio/Visual Materials.

Findings

Both the toolkit’s readability scores and understandability scores provided a deeper understanding of where improvements to the toolkit need to be made. The review process also highlighted issues with the assessment tools themselves that prevent them from providing a complete analysis of each materials’ readability and suitability.

Research limitations/implications

This initial assessment of the toolkit will serve as the backbone for additional formative research, revisions and pilot tests, which will be conducted for the toolkit to become a viable, available and usable tool for pediatricians and health-care providers. The insight gleaned from this study serves as an example, for other institutions across fields, of the importance of having professionals, such as librarians, become well-versed in health literacy and offer guidance and insight for the development of health-focused patient materials.

Originality/value

This project provides further insight into the evolving role of the embedded librarian. As gatekeepers of information with the responsibility of vetting sources, informing the creation of content, and developing resources, the integration of health literacy knowledge is imperative for librarians to further the work of their institutions and aid in the progression of their field.

Details

Reference Services Review, vol. 44 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0090-7324

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 December 2000

Andrew L. Friedman, Samantha Miles and Cameron Adams

Small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) are under increasing pressure to address environmental issues from a range of sources, including legislation, supply chain, trade…

2291

Abstract

Small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) are under increasing pressure to address environmental issues from a range of sources, including legislation, supply chain, trade associations and customers. Addressing environmental awareness, not to mention sustainability, is a complex issue for SMEs, exacerbated by a lack of time, resources and environmental expertise. Consequently, many initiatives have been developed to direct and support SMEs. This paper is concerned with an initial evaluation of one such initiative based on a grounded theory approach. This process highlights the practical issues SMEs face when trying to implement environmental issues as workable company policies. A “gap” between developers and users in terms of the achievable outcomes perceived and obtained from such initiatives is also highlighted. To date, little has been written about the problems SMEs face in addressing environmental issues. This paper attempts to highlight some of these problems and, more importantly, promote further debate and discussion.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 7 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 May 2012

Carys A. Watts and Katie Wray

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of using several commercial tools in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects for enterprise education…

1120

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of using several commercial tools in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects for enterprise education at Newcastle University, UK.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides an overview of existing toolkit use in higher education, before reviewing where and how tools are used across science and engineering disciplines. Feedback was collated from Newcastle educators and students to determine whether the projected enterprise learning outcomes were achieved. STEM learning outcomes were also mapped to the NCEE entrepreneurship learning outcomes framework.

Findings

The paper investigated the use of three key enterprise toolkits across the Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering and the Faculty of Medical Sciences, where the focus is on innovation and product/service development, rather than on the desire to “be an entrepreneur”. This reflection on practice evaluates the benefits and student perceptions of workshop tools for enterprise, decision making and teamwork. It makes comparison between the perceived employability needs of these students, and addresses the intended and actual outcomes of these tools.

Research limitations/implications

Evaluating toolkit use within a single university is constrained by common internal workings, however as exemplars of good practice this is of value to other UK higher education institutions.

Practical implications

Consideration is given to entrepreneurial support and development, and whether using existing tools should be used for summative or for formative assessment. It also questions whether tools are fit for purpose.

Originality/value

This paper reveals patterns of tool use and their effectiveness across science and engineering.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 54 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 July 2009

Maartje Maarleveld, Leentje Volker and Theo J.M. van der Voordt

The purpose of this paper is to present a toolkit to measure employee satisfaction and perceived labour productivity as affected by different workplace strategies. The toolkit is…

4217

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a toolkit to measure employee satisfaction and perceived labour productivity as affected by different workplace strategies. The toolkit is being illustrated by a case study of the Dutch Revenue Service.

Design/methodology/approach

The toolkit has been developed by a review of literature and tools for data‐collection. The toolkit has been tested and explored further in a number of case studies.

Findings

The toolkit includes a working environment diagnostic tool for an indicative or diagnostic evaluation, a list of key performance indicators that can be used for benchmarking purposes, and a space utilization monitor to measure the occupancy of workplaces. Data collected with the tool provides organizations with a clear picture of user experience of the working environment on its own, in comparison to other organizations and in comparison to the goals of the organization. Employees are also asked to rank the issues in order of importance to overall satisfaction and perceived productivity.

Research limitations/implications

The modules on economic added value and costs to explore the facility costs effects of different office concepts have not been tested yet.

Practical implications

The toolkit and the data from case studies can be used by managers to support decision making on interventions with regard to the organizations' accommodation policy, re‐designing or adaptation of the present building, or moving to another building. Scientifically, the data from case studies and cross case analyses can be used to explore and test hypotheses about the best possible fit between people, processes and place.

Originality/value

Although a number of data collection tools have been developed earlier, the strength of the present toolkit is its integral approach and is applicability to both traditional and innovative offices.

Details

Journal of Facilities Management, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-5967

Keywords

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