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1 – 10 of 363Yong Lin Chan, Nurul Aini Jamalullail, Chin Ping Tan, Mohd Yazid Abdul Manap and O.M. Lai
This paper aims to discuss the limitations surrounding the yoghurt industry and challenges to producing a bio-yoghurt tablet. The paper looks into challenge facing the yoghurt…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to discuss the limitations surrounding the yoghurt industry and challenges to producing a bio-yoghurt tablet. The paper looks into challenge facing the yoghurt industry, such as manufacturing and distribution, its short shelf life, heat-sensitivity and relatively heavy weight. It further looks into the selection of strains, excipients and storage conditions with special consideration towards maintaining the viability of the probiotics inside bio-yoghurt tablets. The paper also discusses yoghurt standards and definitions across various countries and suggests a more uniform standard be embraced across countries for ease of categorization and production.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is divided into a few major sections; each exploring various aspects of the yoghurt industry. Topics discussed include challenges in yoghurt production and storage; processes involved in bio-yoghurt tablet production, e.g. maximising viability, choice of excipients and more; market trends of yoghurt consumption and potential; and various food standards in countries around the world with a focus on yoghurt.
Findings
The review finds that yoghurt is a segment of the food industry with big growth potential. Most of the problems associated with yoghurt, i.e. poor shelf life, and heavy weight, can be circumvented by transforming it into a bio-yoghurt tablet. The paper further identifies food standard variations among different countries around the world which could impede yoghurt manufacture and acceptance.
Originality/value
This paper looks the various challenges surrounding the increased uptake of yoghurt, specifically in the Asian markets and suggests a viable option to overcome this problem, i.e. the use of a bio-yoghurt tablet. Should the worldwide bodies come together and agree to a universal standard involving yoghurt, the industry may see an even bigger expansion.
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Wenque Liu, Albert P.C. Chan, Man Wai Chan, Amos Darko and Goodenough D. Oppong
The successful implementation of hospital projects (HPs) tends to confront sundry challenges in the planning and construction (P&C) phases due to their complexity and…
Abstract
Purpose
The successful implementation of hospital projects (HPs) tends to confront sundry challenges in the planning and construction (P&C) phases due to their complexity and particularity. Employing key performance indicators (KPIs) facilitates the monitoring of HPs to advance their successful delivery. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the KPIs for hospital planning and construction (HPC).
Design/methodology/approach
The KPIs for HPC were identified through a systematic review. Then a comprehensive assessment of these KPIs was performed utilizing a meta-analysis method. In this process, basic statistical analysis, subgroup analysis, sensitive analysis and publication bias analysis were performed.
Findings
Results indicate that all 27 KPIs identified from the literature are significant for executing HPs in P&C phases. Also, some unconventional performance indicators are crucial for implementing HPs, such as “Project monitoring effectiveness” and “Industry innovation and synergy,” as their high significance is reflected in this study. Despite the fact that the findings of meta-analysis are more trustworthy than those of individual studies, a high heterogeneity still exists in the findings. It highlights the inherent uncertainty in the construction industry. Hence, this study applied subgroup analysis to explore the underlying factors causing the high level of heterogeneity and used sensitive analysis to assess the robustness of the findings.
Originality/value
There is no consensus among the prior studies on KPIs for HPC specifically and their degree of significance. Additionally, few reviews in this field have focused on the reliability of the results. This study comprehensively assesses the KPIs for HPC and explores the variability and robustness of the results, which provides a multi-dimensional perspective for practitioners and the research community to investigate the performance of HPs during the P&C stages.
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Shirley Jin Lin Chua, Najilah Bt Zubbir, Azlan Shah Ali and Cheong Peng Au-Yong
Preventive maintenance is an effective maintenance strategy to ensure the constant and efficient usage of building systems and their components. The reactive-based maintenance as…
Abstract
Purpose
Preventive maintenance is an effective maintenance strategy to ensure the constant and efficient usage of building systems and their components. The reactive-based maintenance as the main strategy in high-rise residential buildings is a concern as the maintenance output resulting from the strategy could not achieve the standard level of performance. The purpose of this paper is to identify the characteristics of preventive maintenance and establish the relationship with maintenance performance in high-rise residential buildings.
Design/methodology/approach
The characteristics of preventive maintenance and maintenance performance parameters were identified through the literature review. A quantitative approach was adopted, where a questionnaire was distributed to the maintenance personnel of high-rise residential buildings. Then, ranking analysis and correlation were conducted to produce findings that help to achieve the research objectives.
Findings
The research findings indicate that there are seven maintenance characteristics significantly correlated with maintenance performance indicators (maintenance costs deviation, time variance of maintenance work, customer service and downtime rate). It is recommended that these characteristics are considered during the execution of preventive maintenance as they have a significant effect on the maintenance performance.
Originality/value
The extensive literature suggests the relationship between the characteristics of preventive maintenance and maintenance performance, but is still questionable. Thus, this research investigates the relationship between preventive maintenance characteristic and maintenance performance for high-rise residential buildings in Malaysia. The findings of the research can act as a guide for maintenance personnel to optimise maintenance performance by focusing on the highlighted preventive maintenance characteristics.
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This paper aims to examine the role of trust in colleagues and its relationships with the factors of the theory of reasoned action (TRA). Specifically, this study examines the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the role of trust in colleagues and its relationships with the factors of the theory of reasoned action (TRA). Specifically, this study examines the relationships among perceived social pressure about knowledge sharing, attitude toward knowledge sharing, behavioural intent to share knowledge, trust in colleagues and knowledge-sharing behaviour.
Design/methodology/approach
The methodology adopted was a questionnaire survey of employees working in 34 member institutions of the Singapore Association for Private Education (SAPE). These institutions form the entire member list of the SAPE as of 2020. A total of 297 employees completed a self-administered and anonymous survey using a cross-sectional design. Multiple linear regression was used to test the conceptual framework.
Findings
On the mediation effects, full mediation was found to affect attitude toward knowledge sharing on knowledge-sharing behaviour, and partial mediation was found to affect perceived social pressure on knowledge-sharing behaviour. On the moderation effects, trust in colleagues moderates both perceived social pressure and knowledge-sharing behaviour and attitude toward knowledge sharing and knowledge-sharing behaviour positively. Specifically, as the level of trust in colleagues increases, the impact of direct relationships also increases.
Research limitations/implications
Data for the current study were obtained at a single point in time and self-reported. The findings may be biased because of common method variance. Furthermore, this study was conducted in a specific industry in Singapore, i.e. the private education institutions, which limits the generalisability of the research.
Practical implications
The results of this study indicate that managers need to encourage a higher level of trust between employees. Policies and processes could be enacted to promote building quality and trusting relationships between employees.
Originality/value
This study contributes to knowledge-sharing behaviour by integrating the role of trust with the TRA. This study extends the conceptual model of the TRA by providing a new theoretical perspective that takes into account the position of trust in knowledge sharing.
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Linhao Ouyang, Zijian Zhang, Xiaoling Huang and Shi Xie
The purpose of this study is to restore the spatial distribution of overseas remittance businesses in Shantou during the 1940s. It explores various socioeconomic factors that…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to restore the spatial distribution of overseas remittance businesses in Shantou during the 1940s. It explores various socioeconomic factors that influenced the concentration of local remittance business investment in real estate. By reconstructing the spatial distribution of remittance business activities in Shantou, this study hopes to lay a foundation for further analysis of the business strategies of Chaoshan merchants.
Design/methodology/approach
This research draws on information from the published Swatow Guide, archival sources and cadastral maps to identify the location of remittance enterprises and the native place and overseas networks of property owners.
Finding
This study reveals that the spatial distribution of the remittance enterprises was determined by the native place origins of local property owners, and that the inflow of overseas Chinese capital contributed to real estate development in Shantou.
Research limitations/implications
Despite the limited access to Chinese official archives, this paper manages to identify several building blocks and neighbors in Shantou for spatial analysis.
Practical implications
This study is the first attempt to use the geographical information system (GIS) method in Chinese urban history research and hopes to establish a larger historical database of Shantou as a sample for comparison.
Originality/value
This investigation advances the spatial study of urban history and overseas Chinese remittances in the maritime society of South China.
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Leo Yat Ming Sin and Suk‐ching Ho
Looks at consumer research in Greater China including Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Maps out the contributions within this area and guides future research. Examines the…
Abstract
Looks at consumer research in Greater China including Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Maps out the contributions within this area and guides future research. Examines the state of the art over the 1979‐97 period, with particular emphasis on the topics that have been researched, the extent of the theory development in the field and the methodologies used in conducting research. Uses content analysis to review 75 relevant articles. Suggests that, while a considerable breadth of topics have been researched, there remains much to be done, there is further room for theoretical development in Chinese consumer behaviour studies; and the methodologies used need improvement and further refinement.
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Pritika Reddy, Kaylash Chaudhary, Bibhya Sharma and Shamina Hussein
The emergence of new digital technologies in the 21st century has propelled individuals to use technology in their daily lives. Individuals now require a specific set of skills…
Abstract
Purpose
The emergence of new digital technologies in the 21st century has propelled individuals to use technology in their daily lives. Individuals now require a specific set of skills, competencies and knowledge to use these devices efficiently, intelligently yet with responsibility. The purpose of this research was to design, develop and validate a digital literacy scale (DLS) using the exploratory factor analysis (EFA).
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research methodology was used for this study, whereby a unipolar 5 point Likert scale self-report questionnaire was designed to measure the digital skills of the participants. Digital literacy was divided into an exhaustive and broad list of six modules-media literacy, information literacy, communication literacy, technology literacy, visual literacy and computer literacy. The questionnaire was administered to a sample of the 2,755 Year 12 and Year 13 students of randomly selected 33 secondary school students in Fiji. Sample adequacy of the sample was tested using the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin test.
Findings
The EFA results prove the existence of the six modules of digital literacy that are being utilized in this research to design the DLS. The factor loadings or the correlation coefficients range from 0.3 to 0.8; therefore, all the 60 items were kept to design the DLS. The Cronbach Alpha value of 0.90 confirmed the internal consistency and reliability of the newly designed DLS.
Research limitations/implications
The research limitation of the study was the sample size. A broader sample would have made the results better. Research implications are; there is no scale in the south Pacific to measure digital literacy. The newly designed and developed scale is the first one that can be used to measure the digital literacy of the south Pacific populace and bridge the gap of the digital divide.
Practical implications
The developed and validated scale can be used to measure the digital literacy of individuals both in the south Pacific and beyond. The scale covers important aspects of the much needed 21st century skills. Once digital literacy is measured, relevant stakeholders can develop instruments to improve the digital literacy of individuals.
Social implications
The DLS can prove to be an important tool for society. In the 21st century people are required to have digital literacy to survive and thrive. Thus this tool can be used to measure digital literacy and further improve the digital literacy of the people.
Originality/value
The framework has been adopted from the work of Covello (2010) however, the definitions of digital literacy and other literacies are modified to meet the requirements of the 21st century. The tool is unique in its nature in the south Pacific and beyond. Looking at the digital literacy tools in literature, this tool covers all the aspects of digital literacy in the 21st century.
Peer review
The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-10-2021-0532.
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Kittisak Jermsittiparsert, Sudawan Somjai and Krisada Chienwattanasook
There has been remained a supporting linkage between the sustainable performance and the green supply chain through quality management practices. However, the main objective or…
Abstract
There has been remained a supporting linkage between the sustainable performance and the green supply chain through quality management practices. However, the main objective or aim of this research study is to understand the green supply chain and its role in lean manufacturing and analyze its impact on the performance of Thailand’s garment industry, whereas there is a need to analyze the mediating role of lean manufacturing practices (LMP) and green supply management on environmental performance of garment industry. In this case, the data were assembled through a survey questionnaire, in which questions regarding LMP were asked. The selected sample size for this research study was 411 employees that belonged to garment firms in Thailand, in which 56.4% were men and 43.6% were women. The researchers analyzed the data through different techniques and procedures such as confirmatory factors analysis, structural equation modeling (SEM), discriminant validity and other related techniques. The results of the research indicated that there is a significant impact of 4.0 technologies on environmental performance, whereas both of these, the green and the lean management practices also play a significant mediating role, because all the hypothesis are accepted. Moreover, it is recommended for future researchers to use other techniques to analyze data.
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Ilan Alon, Romie F. Littrell and Allan K.K. Chan
This article reviews and discusses issues in the translation of international brand names to Chinese, and provides a framework for international brand managers who want to expand…
Abstract
This article reviews and discusses issues in the translation of international brand names to Chinese, and provides a framework for international brand managers who want to expand into China. Linguistic differences between Chinese and English are wide and deep, making translation of brand names difficult. Cultural context, pronunciation, written vs. oral language, and the meaning of characters are just a few examples of such difficulties. We discuss four global product‐naming strategic alternatives available to country/brand managers, along with their usage. The four approaches include (1) dual extension, (2) brand meaning extension, (3) brand feeling extension, and (4) dual adaptation. We also provide examples of brands utilizing the different approaches.
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