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1 – 10 of 196
Open Access
Article
Publication date: 23 June 2020

Chiara Franciosi, Valentina Di Pasquale, Raffaele Iannone and Salvatore Miranda

Poor maintenance management leads to non-negligible economic, environmental and social impacts and obstacles to the sustainable manufacturing paradigm. Studies evaluating…

1707

Abstract

Purpose

Poor maintenance management leads to non-negligible economic, environmental and social impacts and obstacles to the sustainable manufacturing paradigm. Studies evaluating maintenance impacts on sustainability underline growing interest in the topic, but reports on the industrial field are lacking. Therefore, this paper investigates the industrial environment and the indicators that manufacturing companies use for measuring their maintenance impacts.

Design/methodology/approach

In this pilot survey study, several stakeholders of production enterprises in the south of Italy were interviewed to unveil the spread of the measurement of maintenance impacts on sustainability and the indicators used by those companies.

Findings

The interview results showed a low level of awareness among stakeholders about maintenance impacts on sustainability. Maintenance stakeholders are mainly focused on technical and economic factors, whereas environmental, quality and safety stakeholders are becoming more aware of maintenance impacts on environmental and social factors. However, both groups need guidelines to define sustainability indicators to assess such impacts.

Originality/value

This exploratory study allowed us to investigate the current situation in industrial organisations and achieve the first variegated and diversified vision of the awareness of company stakeholders on maintenance impacts on the sustainability of several business functions. This paper provides a valuable contribution to “maintenance and sustainability” research area in production contexts and sheds light on non-negligible maintenance impacts on sustainability, providing preliminary insights on the topic and an effective basis for defining future research opportunities. Moreover, this study enables increased awareness among internal and external manufacturing company stakeholders on the role of maintenance in sustainable production.

Details

Journal of Quality in Maintenance Engineering, vol. 27 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2511

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 15 September 2021

Anna Dębicka, Karolina Olejniczak and Joanna Skąpska

As a new concept for humane entrepreneurship (HumEnt) evolves, many new research questions arise. At the exploratory stage, the authors found it relevant to examine and discuss…

1379

Abstract

Purpose

As a new concept for humane entrepreneurship (HumEnt) evolves, many new research questions arise. At the exploratory stage, the authors found it relevant to examine and discuss the perception of the fundamental assumptions of the HumEnt concept and activities undertaken in this area by business practice.

Design/methodology/approach

To thoroughly understand the studied phenomenon, a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods was used. An exploratory survey was obtained from 126 purposefully selected enterprises in Poland; then, a single case study was analysed.

Findings

The conducted analysis showed differences between the activities of enterprises and the perception of the HumEnt concept among employees that are especially noticeable at different levels of the management hierarchy.

Research limitations/implications

The multifaceted nature of the results obtained is limited by the inability to infer international differences, to capture trends over time and to generalise to the total population of enterprises.

Practical implications

Although the surveyed companies recognise the importance of the HumEnt concept, it is not tantamount to its execution. The research results may be valuable, especially for smaller enterprises, where the business practice may require support in applying the HumEnt approach.

Originality/value

The research explored both the actual state confirmed by the actions taken and the perception of the importance of individual elements of HumEnt. A knowing–doing gap has been demonstrated between these planes. Moreover, thanks to a two-stage study, practices were selected that can be successfully implemented also in small and medium-sized enterprises.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 29 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

Keywords

Open Access
Book part
Publication date: 1 May 2019

Radhlinah Aulin, Åsa Ek and Christofer Edling

This paper will examine the unsafe work practices that are plaguing the construction industry. Statistics show that four out of five of all workplace accidents are attributed to…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper will examine the unsafe work practices that are plaguing the construction industry. Statistics show that four out of five of all workplace accidents are attributed to unsafe behaviour. Research studies have sought to understand worker self-protection. For example, it is difficult to make predictions of conditions that influenced worker’s behaviour to act unsafely or safely in a given work situation. It is evident there is a gap in the literature in this area of research, most notably failing to understand the underlying “why” factors. The aim of the study is to identify and examine the proximate set of contributing factors most likely to have an influence on workers’ decisions about participation in unsafe behaviour.

Design/Methodology/Approach

To perform the study, questionnaires were adopted, and 225 construction workers from 9 construction companies participated in the study.

Findings

Results showed that both underlying organisational factors and individual factors could affect the risk aversion among construction workers. The paper also highlights measures to create a safe work environment to minimise unsafe behaviour among construction workers. Results from the study are important to help organisation to systematically plan for a good working environment.

Research limitations

As the results were based only from the questionnaires, a deeper understanding behind the workers’ responses was not probed.

Practical implications

Construction companies should work at several organisational levels at the same time. It is necessary to include levels such as individual, group, workplace and management levels, thus taking a system perspective on risk behaviour and safety.

Details

10th Nordic Conference on Construction Economics and Organization
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83867-051-1

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 21 May 2018

Jue Li, Minghui Yu and Hongwei Wang

On shield tunnel construction (STC) site, human error is widely recognized as essential to accident. It is necessary to explain which factors lead to human error and how these…

1770

Abstract

Purpose

On shield tunnel construction (STC) site, human error is widely recognized as essential to accident. It is necessary to explain which factors lead to human error and how these factors can influence human performance. Human reliability analysis supports such necessity through modeling the performance shaping factors (PSFs). The purpose of this paper is to establish and validate a PSF taxonomy for the STC context.

Design/methodology/approach

The approach taken in this study mainly consists of three steps. First, a description of the STC context is proposed through the analysis of the STC context. Second, the literature which stretch across the PSF methodologies, cognitive psychology and human factors of STC and other construction industries are reviewed to develop an initial set of PSFs. Finally, a final PSF set is modified and validated based on STC task analysis and STC accidents cases.

Findings

The PSF taxonomy constituted by 4 main components, 4 hierarchies and 85 PSFs is established for human behavior modeling and simulation under the STC context. Furthermore, by comparing and evaluating the performance of STC PSF and existing PSF studies, the proposed PSF taxonomy meets the requirement for qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Practical implications

The PSF taxonomy can provide a basis and support for human behavior modeling and simulation under the STC context. Integrating PSFs into a behavior simulation model provides a more realistic and integrated assessment of human error by manifesting the influence of each PSFs on the cognitive processes. The simulation results can suggest concrete points for the improvement of STC safety management.

Originality/value

This paper develops a taxonomy of PSFs that addresses the various unique influences of the STC context on human behaviors. The harsh underground working conditions and diverse resources of system information are identified as key characteristics of the STC context. Furthermore, the PSF taxonomy can be integrated into a human cognitive behavior model to predict the worker’s behavior on STC site in future work.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 25 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 12 July 2022

Zheng Xu, Yihai Fang, Nan Zheng and Hai L. Vu

With the aid of naturalistic simulations, this paper aims to investigate human behavior during manual and autonomous driving modes in complex scenarios.

Abstract

Purpose

With the aid of naturalistic simulations, this paper aims to investigate human behavior during manual and autonomous driving modes in complex scenarios.

Design/methodology/approach

The simulation environment is established by integrating virtual reality interface with a micro-simulation model. In the simulation, the vehicle autonomy is developed by a framework that integrates artificial neural networks and genetic algorithms. Human-subject experiments are carried, and participants are asked to virtually sit in the developed autonomous vehicle (AV) that allows for both human driving and autopilot functions within a mixed traffic environment.

Findings

Not surprisingly, the inconsistency is identified between two driving modes, in which the AV’s driving maneuver causes the cognitive bias and makes participants feel unsafe. Even though only a shallow portion of the cases that the AV ended up with an accident during the testing stage, participants still frequently intervened during the AV operation. On a similar note, even though the statistical results reflect that the AV drives under perceived high-risk conditions, rarely an actual crash can happen. This suggests that the classic safety surrogate measurement, e.g. time-to-collision, may require adjustment for the mixed traffic flow.

Research limitations/implications

Understanding the behavior of AVs and the behavioral difference between AVs and human drivers are important, where the developed platform is only the first effort to identify the critical scenarios where the AVs might fail to react.

Practical implications

This paper attempts to fill the existing research gap in preparing close-to-reality tools for AV experience and further understanding human behavior during high-level autonomous driving.

Social implications

This work aims to systematically analyze the inconsistency in driving patterns between manual and autopilot modes in various driving scenarios (i.e. multiple scenes and various traffic conditions) to facilitate user acceptance of AV technology.

Originality/value

A close-to-reality tool for AV experience and AV-related behavioral study. A systematic analysis in relation to the inconsistency in driving patterns between manual and autonomous driving. A foundation for identifying the critical scenarios where the AVs might fail to react.

Details

Journal of Intelligent and Connected Vehicles, vol. 5 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2399-9802

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 6 September 2019

Mohamed M. Ahmed, Guangchuan Yang, Sherif Gaweesh, Rhonda Young and Fred Kitchener

This paper aims to present a summary of the performance measurement and evaluation plan of the Wyoming connected vehicle (CV) Pilot Deployment Program (WYDOT Pilot).

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present a summary of the performance measurement and evaluation plan of the Wyoming connected vehicle (CV) Pilot Deployment Program (WYDOT Pilot).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper identified 21 specific performance measures as well as approaches to measure the benefits of the WYDOT Pilot. An overview of the expected challenges that might introduce confounding factors to the evaluation effort was outlined in the performance management plan to guide the collection of system performance data.

Findings

This paper presented the data collection approaches and analytical methods that have been established for the real-life deployment of the WYDOT CV applications. Five methodologies for assessing 21 specific performance measures contained within eight performance categories for the operational and safety-related aspects. Analyses were conducted on data collected during the baseline period, and pre-deployment conditions were established for 1 performance measures. Additionally, microsimulation modeling was recommended to aid in evaluating the mobility and safety benefits of the WYDOT CV system, particularly when evaluating system performance under various CV penetration rates and/or CV strategies.

Practical implications

The proposed performance evaluation framework can guide other researchers and practitioners identifying the best performance measures and evaluation methodologies when conducting similar research activities.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research that develops performance measures and evaluation plan for low-volume rural freeway CV system under adverse weather conditions. This paper raised some early insights into how CV technology might achieve the goal of improving safety and mobility and has the potential to guide similar research activities conducted by other agencies.

Details

Journal of Intelligent and Connected Vehicles, vol. 2 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2399-9802

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 7 June 2021

Hira Hafeez, Muhammad Ibrahim Abdullah, Muhammad Asif Zaheer and Qurratulain Ahsan

The purpose of the study is to create substantial awareness for safety precautions and safety parameters to lessen occupational injuries and accidents. Utilization of safety…

2575

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to create substantial awareness for safety precautions and safety parameters to lessen occupational injuries and accidents. Utilization of safety culture phenomenon with its fundamental understanding has imperative consideration for safety compliance and participation behaviors. Thoughtful aim of this study is the extension of knowledge related to safety orientation particularly in primary health-care workforce.

Design/methodology/approach

Only slips and trips accounted for 40% of workplace injuries in nursing professionals. To identity, the data were collected through structured surveys from nursing professionals of public and private hospitals in Pakistan. To evaluate that data for current study, standardized regression coefficients (parameter estimation) with 95% confidence interval and 5,000 bootstrap samples were subjected. Confirmatory factor analysis was also used to measure the validity of study constructs.

Findings

The potential findings of present study have assured the presence of safety culture at workplace has potential to influences negative safety outcomes. In addition, safety compliance and safety participation as mediation paths would be the strengthening addition to safety model. These findings have extended the existing understanding of compliance and participation behaviors from single factor to two different constructs of safety orientation. This safety culture model offers an evidence-based approach to nursing practitioners and nursing managers with implications for nurse’s safety, education and training.

Originality/value

Occupational injuries and accidental happenings have adversely affecting the quality of care, patient’s recovery spam, satisfaction level and psychological health in care agents. This study has proposed a comprehensive model for understanding the mechanism of possible and reliable safety implications at health-care units. Prior knowledge has limitation to the inevitable effects of occupational injuries only rather than focusing on corrective actions against this phenomenon.

Details

Organization Management Journal, vol. 19 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN:

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 24 August 2023

Andrew Ebekozien, Wellington Didibhuku Thwala, Clinton Ohis Aigbavboa and Mohamad Shaharudin Samsurijan

Studies showed that construction digitalisation could prevent or mitigate accidents rate on sites. Digitalisation applications may prevent or mitigate building project collapse…

Abstract

Purpose

Studies showed that construction digitalisation could prevent or mitigate accidents rate on sites. Digitalisation applications may prevent or mitigate building project collapse (BPC) but with some encumbrances, especially in developing countries. There is a paucity of research on digital technologies application to prevent or mitigate BPC in Nigeria. Thus, the research aims to explore the perceived barriers that may hinder digital technologies from preventing or mitigating building collapse and recommend measures to improve technology applications during development.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is exploratory because of the unexplored approach. The researchers collected data from knowledgeable participants in digitalisation and building collapse in Nigeria. The research employed a phenomenology approach and analysed collected data via a thematic approach. The study achieved saturation at the 29th interviewee.

Findings

Findings show that lax construction digitalisation implementation, absence of regulatory framework, lax policy, unsafe fieldworkers' behaviours, absence of basic infrastructure, government attitude, hesitation to implement and high technology budget, especially in developing countries, are threats to curbing building collapse menace via digitalisation. The study identified technologies relevant to preventing or mitigating building collapse. Also, it proffered measures to prevent or mitigate building collapse via improved digital technology applications during development.

Originality/value

This research contributes to the construction digitalisation literature, especially in developing countries, and investigates the perceived barriers that may hinder digital technologies usage in preventing or mitigating building collapse in Nigeria.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 31 no. 13
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 23 May 2022

Daphne Habibis

Safe, secure and stable housing is central to social, emotional and economic well-being for individuals and families. This is recognised by the United Nations as a fundamental…

Abstract

Safe, secure and stable housing is central to social, emotional and economic well-being for individuals and families. This is recognised by the United Nations as a fundamental human right, yet when it comes to Indigenous housing individuals disproportionately experience unsafe, unstable and substandard housing. The absence of housing security is therefore a significant contributor to the intergenerational poverty experienced by some Indigenous individuals and families. The long-standing nature of this issue makes it appear intractable and systemic, however, there is increasing evidence that this is not the case, and that governments, working in partnership with Indigenous organisations and communities, can begin to change these dynamics.

This brief is based on an extensive review of the multidisciplinary evidence base, including literature and policy analysis as well as empirical investigation. Sources include research articles, official reports and statistics and scholarly debates, as well as media commentary and debate. These, along with original data sources, are analysed to identify the key policy learnings for a framework for culturally appropriate and sustainable Indigenous housing.

Details

Emerald Open Research, vol. 1 no. 13
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2631-3952

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 25 September 2018

Ruwini Edirisinghe

The future construction site will be pervasive, context aware and embedded with intelligence. The purpose of this paper is to explore and define the concept of the digital skin of…

23266

Abstract

Purpose

The future construction site will be pervasive, context aware and embedded with intelligence. The purpose of this paper is to explore and define the concept of the digital skin of the future smart construction site.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper provides a systematic and hierarchical classification of 114 articles from both industry and academia on the digital skin concept and evaluates them. The hierarchical classification is based on application areas relevant to construction, such as augmented reality, building information model-based visualisation, labour tracking, supply chain tracking, safety management, mobile equipment tracking and schedule and progress monitoring. Evaluations of the research papers were conducted based on three pillars: validation of technological feasibility, onsite application and user acceptance testing.

Findings

Technologies learned about in the literature review enabled the envisaging of the pervasive construction site of the future. The paper presents scenarios for the future context-aware construction site, including the construction worker, construction procurement management and future real-time safety management systems.

Originality/value

Based on the gaps identified by the review in the body of knowledge and on a broader analysis of technology diffusion, the paper highlights the research challenges to be overcome in the advent of digital skin. The paper recommends that researchers follow a coherent process for smart technology design, development and implementation in order to achieve this vision for the construction industry.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 26 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

1 – 10 of 196