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Article
Publication date: 1 February 2022

Hui Lu, Hongwei Wang, Dihua Yu and Jian Ye

To meet the rapidly increasing demand for medical treatment during the outbreak of COVID-19, Huoshengshan and Leishenshan Hospital are rapidly built (9–12 days) in Wuhan. These…

Abstract

Purpose

To meet the rapidly increasing demand for medical treatment during the outbreak of COVID-19, Huoshengshan and Leishenshan Hospital are rapidly built (9–12 days) in Wuhan. These two urgent emergency projects are unprecedented. In general, substantial literature suggests that the possibility of shortening a schedule by more than a quarter of its original duration is implausible. By contrast, the two projects had successfully compressed the schedules from months and years to about ten days. This study aims to investigate how this was done and provide references for future projects.

Design/methodology/approach

The study uses qualitative case study techniques to analyze the project practices in two urgent emergency projects. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews and archival research. During interviews, interviewees were asked to describe the project practices adopted to overcome the challenges and freely share their experiences and knowledge.

Findings

The results illustrate that a high degree of schedule compression is achievable through tactful crashing, substitution and overlapping applications. The successful practices heavily rely on the high capacity of participants and necessary organization, management and technology innovations, such as three-level matrix organizational structure, reverse design method, site partition, mock-up room first strategies and prefabricated construction technology. For instance, the reverse design method is one of the most significant innovations to project simplification and accelerate and worthy of promotion for future emergency projects.

Practical implications

The empirical findings are significant as they evoke new thinking and direction for addressing the main challenges of sharp schedule compression and provide valuable references for future emergency projects, including selecting high-capacity contractors and replacing the conventional design methods with reverse design.

Originality/value

Substantial studies indicate that the maximum degree of schedule compression is highly unlikely to exceed 25%, but this study suggests that sharp compression is possible. Although with flaws in its beauty (i.e. compressing schedule at the expense of construction cost and quality), it is also a breakthrough. It provides the building block for future research in this fertile and unexplored area.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 30 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 19 July 2023

Sara Moggi, Glen Lehman and Alessandra Pagani

This paper aims to critically analyse the transposition implications of Union Directive 2014/95. This Directive identified the need to raise the transparency of the social and…

1008

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to critically analyse the transposition implications of Union Directive 2014/95. This Directive identified the need to raise the transparency of the social and environmental information provided by the undertakings to a similarly high level across all Member States.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper considers how the European Member States of the European Union (EU) have transposed Directive 2014/95 into their regulations. The focus is on the juridification of social accounting in the pursuit of creating an overlapping consensus through Habermas’s concept of internal colonisation. The paper uses qualitative content analysis to scrutinise the national laws that transpose Directive 2014/95, discussing both what has been accomplished and what can be achieved by the release of future legislative provisions.

Findings

Despite the aim of Directive 2014/95 to create a common language for disclosing non-financial information, this study shows an implementation gap among and between Member States and an inconsistent picture of the employment of this Directive. Its implementation in the 28 European countries was considered a process of colonisation in implementing Union directives among European undertakings. However, the implementation process, which exemplifies Habermas’s juridification, has failed due to the lack of balance between moral discourse and actions.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to the ongoing debates concerning the implementation of mandatory disclosure of environmental and social information in the EU Member States, promoting new directions for the EU’s democratic laws on social accounting. In addition, it offers an example of how internal colonisation only catalyses effects when moral laws are legitimised through the provision of procedures.

Details

Meditari Accountancy Research, vol. 31 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-372X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 December 2023

Changlong Ma, Yuhui Ge and Heng Zhao

Although strategic scholars have made great effects to exploring the moderating roles of team interaction in explaining the effect of top management team (TMT) diversity, they…

Abstract

Purpose

Although strategic scholars have made great effects to exploring the moderating roles of team interaction in explaining the effect of top management team (TMT) diversity, they have adopted seemingly conflicting theoretical perspectives to explain how it works. Drawing on ideas from the threat rigidity theory, the authors integrated these perspectives by proposing a contingency model in which the relationships between TMT diversity and adaptive firm performance depend on the matching between the internal context (i.e. overlapping team tenure) and external context (i.e. severity of threat).

Design/methodology/approach

This study sampled 579 Chinese A-share listed companies that have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and multilevel linear regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis.

Findings

Results provided support for this hypothesis. Specifically, the interaction between TMT age/tenure diversity and overlapping team tenure is significant only when the severity of threat is high, while the interaction between TMT functional diversity and overlapping team tenure is significant only when the severity of threat is low.

Originality/value

The results of this study provide a comprehensive perspective to predict the performance impact of team diversity and contribute to diversity research and practice.

Details

Journal of Organizational Change Management, vol. 37 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0953-4814

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 December 2023

Freya Rumball, Rachel Parker, Ailbhe Elizabeth Madigan, Francesca Happe and Debbie Spain

Autistic individuals are at increased risk of trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Diagnostic overshadowing, however, often results in PTSD symptoms being…

Abstract

Purpose

Autistic individuals are at increased risk of trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Diagnostic overshadowing, however, often results in PTSD symptoms being mislabelled as autistic traits. This study aims to develop professional consensus on the identification and assessment of co-occurring PTSD in autistic adults.

Design/methodology/approach

An online modified Delphi design was used to gather professionals’ perspectives on key aspects of the identification and assessment of PTSD in autistic adults. Data were gathered qualitatively in Round 1 and then synthesised using content analysis into a list of statements that were rated in Round 2. Statements reaching 60–79% consensus and additional suggestions were sent out for rating in Round 3. Consensus for the final statement list was set at 80% agreement.

Findings

Overall, 108 statements reached consensus. These form the basis of professional-informed recommendations to facilitate the identification and assessment of PTSD symptoms in autistic adults.

Practical implications

The final Delphi statements provide a framework to assist with the assessment and recognition of traumatic stress reactions in autistic adults presenting to mental health, diagnostic or social services.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to explore the presentation and identification of PTSD in autistic adults (with and without intellectual disability), using a bottom-up approach informed by professional consensus.

Details

Advances in Autism, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-3868

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 January 2024

Helle Kryger Aggerholm and Christa Thomsen

The purpose of this paper is to: (1) identify strategies to (re)establish organizational legitimacy which dominates the literature; (2) propose and empirically illustrate an…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to: (1) identify strategies to (re)establish organizational legitimacy which dominates the literature; (2) propose and empirically illustrate an analytical framework that establishes the linkages between the dimensions of purposefulness, transparency and participation identified in this literature review as important resources in the creation of organizational legitimacy.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a review of the academic literature, we propose a three-dimensional conceptual framework for understanding and studying strategic communication in contexts of high sustainability pressure. The empirical material we use for illustration is the letters from the chief executive officer (CEO) and the chairman published in the integrated annual report of a Danish company that is well known for its focus on sustainability.

Findings

The analysis shows that all three dimensions, i.e. purposefulness, transparency and participation, are present in this data, which the authors find supportive of the theoretical argument that strategic communication needs to encompass all three concepts in order to appear legitimate in contexts of high sustainability pressure.

Originality/value

In recent years, there has been an increased focus on strategic communication of sustainability. However, there is still a lack of general consensus of what is understood by strategic communication in contexts of high sustainability pressure. Overlapping concepts and dimensions make operationalization difficult. This, for example, is a problem for corporations who are increasingly asked by their stakeholders to account for their sustainability activities and engage in conversations of strategic significance to their sustainability goals.

Details

Journal of Communication Management, vol. 28 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1363-254X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 August 2023

Minghao Wang, Ming Cong, Yu Du, Dong Liu and Xiaojing Tian

The purpose of this study is to solve the problem of an unknown initial position in a multi-robot raster map fusion. The method includes two-dimensional (2D) raster maps and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to solve the problem of an unknown initial position in a multi-robot raster map fusion. The method includes two-dimensional (2D) raster maps and three-dimensional (3D) point cloud maps.

Design/methodology/approach

A fusion method using multiple algorithms was proposed. For 2D raster maps, this method uses accelerated robust feature detection to extract feature points of multi-raster maps, and then feature points are matched using a two-step algorithm of minimum Euclidean distance and adjacent feature relation. Finally, the random sample consensus algorithm was used for redundant feature fusion. On the basis of 2D raster map fusion, the method of coordinate alignment is used for 3D point cloud map fusion.

Findings

To verify the effectiveness of the algorithm, the segmentation mapping method (2D raster map) and the actual robot mapping method (2D raster map and 3D point cloud map) were used for experimental verification. The experiments demonstrated the stability and reliability of the proposed algorithm.

Originality/value

This algorithm uses a new visual method with coordinate alignment to process the raster map, which can effectively solve the problem of the demand for the initial relative position of robots in traditional methods and be more adaptable to the fusion of 3D maps. In addition, the original data of the map can come from different types of robots, which greatly improves the universality of the algorithm.

Details

Robotic Intelligence and Automation, vol. 43 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-6969

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2024

Wan-Chen Lee, Li-Min Cassandra Huang and Juliana Hirt

This study aims to explore the application of emojis to mood descriptions of fiction. The three goals are investigating whether Cho et al.'s model (2023) is a sound conceptual…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore the application of emojis to mood descriptions of fiction. The three goals are investigating whether Cho et al.'s model (2023) is a sound conceptual framework for implementing emojis and mood categories in information systems, mapping 30 mood categories to 115 face emojis and exploring and visualizing the relationships between mood categories based on emojis mapping.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was distributed to a US public university to recruit adult fiction readers. In total, 64 participants completed the survey.

Findings

The results show that the participants distinguished between the three families of fiction mood categories. The three families model is a promising option to improve mood descriptions for fiction. Through mapping emojis to 30 mood categories, the authors identified the most popular emojis for each category, analyzed the relationships between mood categories and examined participants' consensus on mapping.

Originality/value

This study focuses on applying emojis to fiction reading. Emojis were mapped to mood categories by fiction readers. Emoji mapping contributes to the understanding of the relationships between mood categories. Emojis, as graphic mood descriptors, have the potential to complement textual descriptors and enrich mood metadata for fiction.

Details

Journal of Documentation, vol. 80 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0022-0418

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 January 2024

Tirivavi Moyo, Mazen Omer and Benviolent Chigara

Sustainable construction deficits are common in developing economies, and resolutions are constrained by the failure to prioritise the plethora of available indicators. This study…

Abstract

Purpose

Sustainable construction deficits are common in developing economies, and resolutions are constrained by the failure to prioritise the plethora of available indicators. This study aims to report on overlapping indicators for benchmarking sustainable construction for construction organisations.

Design/methodology/approach

Online survey data were collected from construction professionals, academics and senior managers in government bodies. Pearson chi-squared tests and overlapping analysis were used to determine significant indicators. Kruskal–Wallis tests were used to determine statistically significant differences among the dimensions.

Findings

Overlapping analysis determined indicators significant for economic, environmental and social performance. Environmental protection and reporting (pollution and emissions) were significant for all three performance dimensions. The most significant indicators are economic performance (adequate competence of key project staff), environmental performance (environmental protection and reporting – pollution and emissions) and social performance (adequate sustainability expenditure by construction organisations). Significant differences due to dimensions existed for adequate competence of key project staff, sustainable construction and eco-design, adequate governance and organisational excellence of construction projects and satisfactory workers’ morale.

Research limitations/implications

Determining overlapping indicators enables prioritised implementation that ensures sustainable construction. Excluding construction workers was a significant limitation for a holistic interrogation.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to determine overlapping indicators for sustainable construction performance in Zimbabwe.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology , vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

Abstract

Details

Understanding Intercultural Interaction: An Analysis of Key Concepts, 2nd Edition
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83753-438-8

Article
Publication date: 28 November 2022

Tekila Harley Nobile and Lorenzo Cantoni

The purpose of the study is to reach an in-depth understanding of personalization and its components by developing a comprehensive definition of the concept in fashion. Moreover…

1222

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to reach an in-depth understanding of personalization and its components by developing a comprehensive definition of the concept in fashion. Moreover, it aims to clarify the open debate of the use of the terms personalization and customization.

Design/methodology/approach

The Delphi method was utilized for this study in order to collect the opinions of experts. This method is considered appropriate for reaching consensus among experts regarding a topic that is subject to debate.

Findings

The study provides a definition of personalization in fashion which is relevant in the current digital context, and it identifies the building components of the concept. By developing a definition of personalization, it also clarifies the meaning of customization in fashion and suggests a possible explanation for the use of the different terminologies among experts.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the personalization and customization debate by providing an expert perspective on the topics specific to the fashion industry and by offering insights into open debates that have limited its advancement. The definition represents an interesting theoretical contribution and offers avenues for further research. Moreover, it can be applied by fashion practitioners to guide the development of personalization strategies.

Details

Journal of Fashion Marketing and Management: An International Journal, vol. 27 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1361-2026

Keywords

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