bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IMC education and digital disruption
Authors: Kerr Gayle , Kelly Louise
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to benchmark the progress of integrated marketing communication (IMC) education, by replicating and extending a study on IMC education by Kerr (2009). It documents progress, examines the impact of digital disruption and concludes with an agenda for change.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the Delphi technique, this study recruited leading IMC educators and thought leaders internationally to find consensus on an important range of IMC issues, including its place within the university, the IMC brand, curriculum, impact on practice, the incorporation of digital and future challenges.

Findings

IMC has strengthened its place within the university and also within the minds and understanding of academics, students and industry. Digital disruption provides many challenges including updating curriculum and up skilling staff. It is vital, however, that IMC thinking be positioned as the integrator and digital as the facilitator, providing platforms to actualise IMC strategy such as content, customer service and cross-functional planning.

Practical implications

This study shows what IMC education has achieved since Kerr’s (2009) study. Further, it outlines what needs to be achieved in the future by providing a “To do” list for IMC educators.

Originality/value

It is vital that the development and progress of this important new area of study is tracked to ensure industry challenges are met, such as digital disruption, and the right education for IMC managers of the future is provided.
Illuminating the black box of entrepreneurship education programmes: Part 2
Authors: Maritz Alex
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide a justified, legitimate and validated model on entrepreneurship education programmes (EEPs), by combining recent research and scholarship in leading edge entrepreneurship education (EE).

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic literature review of recent EE research and scholarship is followed by an empirical study to develop a model of EEPs. This was adopted by employing an emergent inquiry perspective incorporating participatory action research, using frame analysis and NVIVO to develop and analyse themes.

Findings

This research identified three unique dimensions currently excluded from the theoretical and scholarship of EEPs, being distinct contextualisation, entrepreneurship ecosystems and recent content innovation in entrepreneurship. It also identified updates to current EEPs dimensions, such as online technologies, authentic alignment, causation, effectuation and bricolage, technology transfer the entrepreneurial university.

Research limitations/implications

The discussion and model presented in this paper may be a starting point for future empirical studies on EEPs, by developing additional validation, justification and legitimisation.

Practical implications

The study indicates that EEPs are integrative and dynamic, and always limited to contextual and contemporary inferences; providing guidance to developing such programmes. Hence, the applicability to update the original framework developed by Maritz and Brown (2013) as Part 2 of illuminating the black box of EEPs.

Originality/value

This paper provides a first of its kind empirical study in the development of EEPs frameworks and models, deepening the theory, scholarship and development of such models.
Code-to-code verification of an axisymmetric model of the Bridgman solidification process for alloys
Authors: Seredyński Mirosław , Battaglioli Sara , Mooney Robin P. , Robinson Anthony J. , Banaszek Jerzy , McFadden Shaun
Published: April 2017

Purpose

Numerical models of manufacturing processes are useful and provide insight for the practitioner; however, model verification and validation are a prerequisite for expedient application. This paper aims to detail the code-to-code verification of a thermal numerical model for the Bridgman solidification process of alloys in a two-dimensional axisymmetric domain, against an established commercial code (ANSYS Fluent); the work is considered a confidence building step in model development.

Design/methodology/approach

A grid sensitivity analysis is carried out to establish grid independence, and this is followed by simulations of two transient solidification scenarios: pulling rate step change and ramp input; the results of which are compared and discussed.

Findings

Good conformity of results is achieved; hence, the non-commercial model is code-to-code verified; in addition, the ability of the non-commercial model to deal with radial heat flow is demonstrated.

Originality/value

The ability of the home made model for Bridgman furnace solidification to deal with cases where significant radial heat transfer occurs in the sample was demonstrated. The introduction of front tracking to model the macroscopic growth of dendritic mush and the region of undercooled liquid is identified as the next step in model development.
Numerical model of a shaft furnace operation
Authors: Straka Robert , Telejko Tadeusz
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The model of a shaft furnace operation is presented in this paper. Aim of this model is to predict concentrations of carbon monoxide and dioxide, the temperature of the lava and the heat losses.

Design/methodology/approach

The mathematical model is based on 1D mass and heat balance laws for flue gas, coke and four materials used in a mineral wool production. Process parameters should be optimized for the minimal heat loss and the carbon monoxide concentration while keeping the prescribed lava temperature. The model consists of heterogeneous and homogeneous reactions for coke combustion, dolomite decomposition, rock and coke heating and a rock-melting model. The resulting system of partial differential equations is discretized by the finite volume method and solved with the explicit Euler scheme together with the point-implicit preconditioning of sources in species balance equations.

Findings

Numerical results are compared with the measured data on the pilot-scale device and show good agreement. It is found that in the lower region of the furnace, the large amount of carbon monoxide is present despite high oxygen levels.

Practical/implications

Based on the numerical model, the parameters of the secondary air stream could be studied (position, volume flux, oxygen enrichment and temperature) to decrease levels of carbon monoxide emissions while keeping lava temperature at needed levels.

Originality/value

The paper includes mathematical and numerical model needed for simulation of shaft furnaces in mineral wool industry. It can be used as a valuable tool for design engineers and furnace operators during research or redesign of existing devices.
Assessment of causative factors for project abandonment in Nigerian public tertiary educational institutions
Authors: Alao Oluwaseyi Olalekan , Jagboro Godwin Onajite
Published: April 2017

Purpose

Abandonment of construction projects is still a burning issue in Nigeria. Beside the poor financing of educational infrastructure, abandonment of construction projects remains a significant contributor to the inadequacy of facilities in Nigerian public tertiary educational institutions. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to assess the causes of abandoned projects specific to public institutions of tertiary education in Nigeria, with a view to providing empirical data that are generalizable to enhancing successful delivery of teaching and research facilities.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data used for the study were obtained through questionnaires administered to 47 professionals comprising 8 architects, 12 mechanical and electrical engineers, 15 civil/structural engineers, 4 builders and 8 quantity surveyors who were involved in physical development of construction projects in public tertiary educational institutions in Osun State. The data were analyzed using mean analysis, factor analysis and the Kruskal-Wallis (K-W) test.

Findings

The factors most significant to abandonment of tertiary educational institutional projects were delayed payments, fund mismanagement, inadequate budgetary allocation, inadequacy of finance, inflation and bankruptcy of the contractor. Findings also showed that not all factors causing abandonment were significant to tertiary institutional projects. The significant factors clustered under stakeholders’ response capacity, poor financial management, inadequate planning and monitoring, and unexpected occurrences. The K-W test showed significant differences among the categories of tertiary institutions on the ranking of the most significant causes of abandoned projects.

Research limitations/implications

The study was limited to public tertiary educational institutions in Osun State. Further studies could focus on public health institution projects and private tertiary educational projects to improve the body of knowledge on the subject of causative factors for project abandonment.

Practical implications

The study provided implications for effective contract management of public tertiary educational institutional projects, which is a significant step to improving the available teaching and research facilities in Nigerian tertiary institutions.

Originality/value

The study provides implications for effective contract management systems of projects for public tertiary educational institutions, thereby improving the available teaching and research facilities.
Individualized male dress shirt adjustments using a novel method for measuring shoulder shape
Authors: Kim KyoungOk , Innami Noriaki , Takatera Masayuki , Narita Tadaharu , Kanazawa Midori , Kitazawa Yuji
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the current challenges to making individualized men’s dress shirt adjustments, and devised a novel measurement method to assess shoulder shape.

Design/methodology/approach

To understand the common complaints about ready-to-wear dress shirts, a wear evaluation with 15 Japanese males was performed. The shoulder components of these shirts could not be adjusted using any currently available measurement methods. The three-dimensional body shape of two subjects who had a problem with the shoulder of ready-to-wear shirts was compared with a dummy designed to represent the average Japanese male.

Findings

The authors determined that one of the subjects with an incompatible shoulder fit had a shoulder point (SP) line that was anterior to the one measured on the average dummy. The other subject had a smaller shoulder angle than the average dummy. To effectively measure the wearer’s shoulder characteristics, the authors devised a new measuring device that can measure the shoulder angle and its degree of forward thrust. With this device, it was possible to understand the wearers’ shoulder types and make appropriate dress shirt adjustments.

Originality/value

The authors devised a new measuring device to assess shoulder angle and forward thrust, qualities that previously could not be measured without three-dimensional analysis. Using this device, it was possible to understand the wearers’ shoulder types and make appropriate dress shirt adjustments.
Preferences in tracking dimensions for wearable technology
Authors: Koo Helen Sumin , Fallon Kris
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to understand what dimensions consumers prefer to track using wearable technology to achieve a healthier lifestyle and how these tracking dimensions are related.

Design/methodology/approach

An online survey was conducted with potential consumers in the USA, and a series of Pearson’s correlation and regression analysis and multiple regressions was conducted.

Findings

The most preferred self-tracking dimensions, tracking dimensions on others, most private tracking dimensions, most variable dimensions, and the dimensions that need to be improved were identified. The results of this study showed positive relationships overall among similar types of tracking dimensions, such as among dimensions of physical health condition (disease and disorder symptoms and general vital signs), mental health condition (stress level and mood/feeling), healthy lifestyle (fitness, and pose and posture), and productivity and task management (work productivity, location, and time management).

Originality/value

Designers are encouraged to make wearable technology products that are durable, easy to care for, attractive in design, comfortable to wear and use, able to track preferred dimensions, appropriate for various consumers, unobtrusive, portable, and small. This research will guide wearable technology and fashion industry professionals in the development process of wearable technology to benefit consumers by helping them be more self-aware, empowering them to develop a healthier lifestyle, and ultimately increasing their quality of life and well-being.
Reducing pilling of knitted woolen fabric based on micro-scale
Authors: Yang Shu , Zhang Caijin , Shen Xiaojun
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to clarify how the micro-structure and -properties of wool fibers influence the pilling property of woolen fabrics.

Design/methodology/approach

The fuzzing and pilling property of woolen fabrics was investigated, based on micro-scale including basic structural characteristics of wool fibers, wool scale topography and surface friction, etc. Scanning electron microscope was used to analyze wool fiber structure; frictional coefficients were measured by capstan method. Then three different kinds of wool fibers are spun into yarns, then knitted into woolen fabrics, whose pilling grade were estimated by means of Pillbox method.

Findings

Results show that the finer the fiber, the fabric pilling degree will be higher; the shorter the fiber, the fabric’s pilling is more serious; the number of pilling is decreasing with the increasing number of crimp; the longer the scales, the better anti-pilling property of fabrics, while the larger the scale thickness, the worse the anti-pilling property; and initially, with the increasing DFEs, fabrics are not easy to pilling, however, there exists a critical value.

Originality/value

Fuzzing and pilling property of woolen fabrics are affected by number of factors, including raw fibers, yarns, fabric tissue and finishing process, etc. In this paper, the authors exclude the influence of yarns’ parameter and fabrics’ tissue, etc., but focus on the micro-structure and -properties of raw wool fibers; and establish a direct connection between fabrics’ pilling property and fibers’ parameters.
Development of 3D patterns for functional outdoor pants based on skin length deformation during movement
Authors: Lee Heeran , Hong Kyunghi , Lee Yejin
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The seams of slim fit outdoor pants can be uncomfortable or even restrict body movement. To reduce discomfort, the authors need to determine optimal cutting lines in various designs that do not interfere with body movement. The purpose of this paper is to apply skin deformation mapping during movement to the ergonomic design of outdoor pants, focusing in particular on the 2D pattern generation of the crotch area in a 3D shape during movement.

Design/methodology/approach

A 3D shape and skin length deformation of the lower body were observed, including the crotch area, which is difficult to examine on the human body. To design ergonomic and streamlined outdoor pants, the authors selected seam lines where the changes in skin deformation are at their minimum based on the skin deformation mapping. In addition, the inseam along the medial thigh close to the crotch was removed to adjust the skin length of these areas, thereby increasing the extensible area of fabric necessary to adjust to a skin deformation. After selecting the seam lines, each of the 3D pattern blocks was generated by means of a 2D flattening method. In addition, the stress distribution of overlapped replica blocks along the crotch line during the 2D flattening process is a main independent factor to avoid deteriorating lower body movement as well as a good appearance.

Findings

Based on the results of skin deformation mapping of a human subject, this study suggested that it is best that the design line crosses where there is no skin deformation possible. And the pants were developed without the inner seam line at the upper medial thigh because of skin deformation of a large range of ±6 percent in the upper medial thigh during a 90° knee flexion or in the squatting down position. In a wear test, the developed 3D pattern without an inseam was rated higher than that with an inseam. This verified that removing the inseam, to prevent skin deformation of the medial upper thigh during knee flexion and squatting, is a logical decision. Regarding the correction of the overlapping area during arrangement of the replica, the appearance of the front of the pants was improved when 80 percent of the overlapping area was distributed near the point of the error source, which is the front of the male’s crotch line.

Originality/value

In this study, the crotch area, which has been difficult to observe in previous studies, were observed thoroughly and it was found that the length of the crotch curve did not increase during movement. In addition, skin deformation was mapped during a 90° knee flexion or in the squatting down position. It is expected that the overall process of developing 3D streamlined outdoor pants from 3D skin deformation mapping can be expanded to the development of patterns for other customized functional pants.
The multiple dimensions of consumption values in ecotourism
Authors: Jamrozy Ute , Lawonk Kesinee
Published: April 2017

Purpose

This exploratory study aims to examines the multidimensional aspects of perceived value (functional value, financial value, emotional value, social value, epistemic value and conditional value) in relation to purchase intention in ecotourism. The study evaluates the influence of trust and perceived risk as mediators on perceived value.

Design/methodology/approach

Data for this exploratory study stem from online survey responses of 314 participants and are analyzed using descriptive analyses, factor analyses and multiple regressions.

Findings

The study findings show that four significant predictors influence ecotourism purchase intention: emotional value, functional value, boredom alleviation value and epistemic value. Trust partially affects the relationship between perceived values and purchase intention. Meanwhile, there is no mediation effect of perceived risk in the relationship between perceived value and purchase intention. This study concludes that perceived values influence ecotourism purchase intention, with emotional value providing the strongest relation to purchase intention.

Research limitations/implications

The sample is based on selected criteria for a convenient sampling technique instead of a random sampling technique. However, criteria are in accordance with other ecotourism studies.

Originality/value

While multidimensional perceived values have been examined before, few papers have provided support for the emotional value dimension in ecotourism.
Assessing lake-destination image: insights from the industry side
Authors: Rodrigues Ana Isabel , Correia Antónia , Kozak Metin
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The literature review reveals that lake tourism and lake-destination areas (LDA) have been particularly absent from destination image (DI) studies over 45 years of research. In fact, there is a lack of research concerning the characteristics of lake tourism, particularly related to the attributes involved in the formation of lake-DI. Therefore, this paper aims to explore lake tourism and lake-DI based on the Alqueva Lake more thoroughly, it being the biggest man-made lake in Europe, as an emerging lake-destination area located in the south of Portugal.

Design/methodology/approach

Within this, the perceptions of stakeholders professionally involved with this type of destination were examined through 17 semi-structured interviews based on content-analysis as a qualitative technique. Framed by the important contribution of visual-based research in tourism studies, this study adopts two approaches: an attribute-based approach (textual data) and a photo-based approach (visual data), to strengthen the concept, characteristics and dimensions of lake tourism and image attributes applied to this type of destinations. Multiple techniques of extracting data were used, demonstrating the importance of using various techniques in obtaining image attributes as a first step in assessing DIs.

Findings

The findings revealed textual and pictorial attributes related to lake tourism and LDA, which confirms that although image attributes are universally important, depicting specific attributes is important considering particular types of tourism, such as lake tourism.

Originality/value

This is a very recent sub-field of DI studies, which justifies its investigation on a theoretical as well as on a practical management level.
Choice overload in holiday destination choices
Authors: Thai Nguyen T. , Yuksel Ulku
Published: April 2017

Purpose

This research aims to investigates whether and why choice overload (CO) occurs when people select a vacation destination.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a two-group (large choice-set vs small choice-set) between-subject factorial design. Dependent variables representing CO-effects are post-choice satisfaction and regret. Choice confusion and choice uncertainty are mediators.

Findings

Relative to people choosing from a small destination portfolio, people who choose from a large portfolio are less satisfied and more regretful about their choice. Choosing from a large choice-set confuses people, which then makes them less certain about their choice, and subsequently, have less satisfaction and more regret about their decision.

Practical implications

A critical consideration is essential when providing a number of destination choices to tourists. A few destinations should be offered in a travel portfolio. If the number of destination offers must remain large, travel agents should cluster these offers based on a market segmentation analysis to ease the decision-making process for travellers.

Originality/value

The findings add to evidence of CO-effects to the current literature of travel destination choice, and contribute to CO literature by showing evidence of CO-effects in complex service contexts, especially in holiday destination choices. This study is the first to provide evidence of CO-effects at the early stages of the travel destination decision-making process; it uses hypothetical destinations to avoid potential confounds associated with real destinations; and it measures CO-effects via post-choice satisfaction and regret. In addition, while the only available study on CO in tourism (Park and Jang, 2013) does not explain why CO-effects occur, this research provides and explains the psychological underlying process of the CO phenomenon in destination choice-making.
Environmental commitment in holiday transport mode choice
Authors: Hergesell Anja
Published: April 2017

Purpose

This study aims to contribute to a better understanding of environmentally friendly consumers. It examines differences in holiday transport mode choices by persons’ general level of environmental commitment across lifestyle domains. Adopting a marketing perspective, the study also explores transport mode perceptions and underlying product attribute preferences that may shape holiday transport mode choices.

Design/methodology/approach

The study adopted Kaiser’s (1998) General Ecological Behaviour scale to measure commitment to environmentally friendly behaviour. ANOVAs were run to examine differences in actual holiday travel behaviour and transport mode perceptions by level of environmental commitment. Pattern models were calculated to estimate differences in the relative importance of selected transport mode attributes (price, travel time, punctuality, accessibility, flexibility, comfort and environmental impact).

Findings

The study findings suggest that differences exist in transport mode choices for train and car use, but not for plane use, namely, train users tend to be more environmentally committed and car users less so. Differences were also noted in transport mode perceptions, with more environmentally friendly consumers holding more favourable views of the train. Those who are more environmentally committed also placed greater importance on environmental impact and less importance on comfort and time in mode choice.

Originality/value

The study applied an environmental scale thus far not used within tourism research. It also adopted a marketing perspective focused on product attributes to support the development of strategies to encourage environmentally friendly holiday transport mode choice.
Entrepreneurial learning: peripherality and connectedness
Authors: Rae David
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the roles of peripherality and centrality in relation to entrepreneurial learning and development. Peripherality has previously been considered from a mainly geographical perspective as being remote, loosely connected and marginal. A broader conception of the topic is addressed, asking: in what ways is peripherality relevant to entrepreneurial learning? How can centre-peripheral connectivity enhance this? What are the implications for communities, learners and educators?

Design/methodology/approach

Discourses of entrepreneurship development relating to policy, economics, geography and culture favour the concept of centres, which attract attention, resources, activities and people. Whilst peripherality is an enduring topic of interest in regional studies, it is widened through using the conceptualisation of legitimate peripheral participation in social learning as a methodological lens for the study. A case study of the technology sector in Cape Breton, Canada is included to illustrate peripheral entrepreneurship.

Findings

The paper suggests ways in which peripheral-central relationships can be a positive factor in entrepreneurial learning. It suggests that rebalancing the bidirectional “flow” of knowledge, talent and resources between centres and peripheries can enhance the value of peripheral entrepreneurship, learning and innovation.

Social implications

The paper connects with prior work on community economic development, offering observations for entrepreneurial learning and development of knowledge-intensive businesses in peripheral areas. Boundary-spanning leadership and skills are required to facilitate peripheral-central interaction and entrepreneurship.

Originality/value

Peripherality is defined more widely than in prior work, suggesting peripheral learning is part of the fundamental human experience and offers new insights, innovations and opportunities which can create shared value. A conceptual framework for peripheral-central entrepreneurial learning is proposed, which may assist in rebalancing central-peripheral value creation, innovation and regeneration.
Entrepreneurial learning and innovation
Authors: El-Awad Ziad , Gabrielsson Jonas , Politis Diamanto
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a conceptual model that explains how learning processes at the team level connect with individual and organizational levels of learning in technology-based ventures, thereby influencing the evolution of innovation capabilities in the entrepreneurial process.

Design/methodology/approach

The 4I organizational learning framework is used as an overarching theoretical structure to acknowledge entrepreneurial learning as a dynamic process that operate on multiple levels in technology-based ventures. Embedded in this logic, research on team learning is integrated into this theorizing to examine how learning processes at the team level bridge and connect with learning processes operating at individual and organizational levels.

Findings

The conceptual model identifies different sets of team learning processes critical for the routinization and evolution of innovation capabilities in technology-based ventures. In this respect, the conceptual model advances the scholarly understanding of entrepreneurial learning as a dynamic process operating across multiple levels in technology-based ventures.

Originality/value

By conceptualizing how individual streams of experiences over time become institutionalized via interaction, conversation and dialogue, the paper provides novel insights into the critical role of team learning for bridging individual and organizational levels of learning in the entrepreneurial learning process.
Learning by failure vs learning by habits
Authors: Cannavacciuolo Lorella , Iandoli Luca , Ponsiglione Cristina , Zollo Giuseppe
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explain the emergence of collaboration networks in entrepreneurial clusters as determined by the way entrepreneurs exchange knowledge and learn through business transactions needed to implement temporary supply chains in networks of co-located firms.

Design/methodology/approach

A socio-computational approach is adopted to model business transactions and supply chain formation in Marshallian industrial districts (IDs). An agent-based model is presented and used as a virtual lab to test the hypotheses between the firms’ behaviour and the emergence of structural properties at the system level.

Findings

The simulation findings and their validation based on the comparison with a real world cluster show that the topological properties of the emerging network are influenced by the learning strategies and decision-making criteria firms use when choosing partners. With reference to the specific case of Marshallian IDs it is shown that inertial learning based on history and past collaboration represents in the long term a major impediment for the emergence of hubs and of a network topology that is more conducive to innovation and growth.

Research limitations/implications

The paper offers an alternative view of entrepreneurial learning (EL) as opposed to the dominant view in which learning occurs as a result of exceptional circumstances (e.g. failure). The results presented in this work show that adaptive, situated, and day-by-day learning has a profound impact on the performance of entrepreneurial clusters. These results are encouraging to motivate additional research in areas such as in modelling learning or in the application of the proposed approach to the analysis of other types of entrepreneurial ecosystems, such as start-up networks and makers’ communities.

Practical implications

Agent-based model can support policymakers in identifying situated factors that can be leveraged to produce changes at the macro-level through the identification of suitable incentives and social networks re-engineering.

Originality/value

The paper presents a novel perspective on EL and offers evidence that micro-learning strategies adopted and developed in routine business transactions do have an impact on firms’ performances (survival and growth) as well as on systemic performances related to the creation and diffusion of innovation in firms networks.
Learning styles of entrepreneurs in knowledge-intensive industries
Authors: Gemmell Robert M.
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether there is a prevalent entrepreneurial learning style trait associated with successful knowledge industry entrepreneurial practice.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews prior entrepreneurship studies utilizing experiential learning theory and examines the learning style preferences of 168 knowledge industry entrepreneurs to deduce a hypothesized entrepreneurial learning style. The entrepreneur participants’ Kolb Learning Style Inventory scores are modeled to explore causal links to individual and firm level entrepreneurial success.

Findings

Preference for the Kolb Active Experimentation (AE) learning mode over Reflective Observation (RO) predicts adoption of a key entrepreneurial innovation behavior and significant entrepreneurial performance benefits. In contrast to published theories, the RO learning mode exhibits surprising negative effects on entrepreneurial performance. Data analysis also reveals that 90 percent of sampled co-founder/partners had at least one partner with the hypothesized entrepreneurial style.

Research limitations/implications

The study fills a major research gap in entrepreneurial learning literature by identifying learning style traits associated with entrepreneurial success. The study findings can also be used by educators, practitioners and investors to help identify, appraise and develop entrepreneurial talent.

Originality/value

The study provides novel insights into the learning styles of practicing technology entrepreneurs by establishing a significant preference within this community for the AE and Concrete Experience learning modes. The study illustrates the negative effects of the RO learning mode which has previously linked to successful entrepreneurial practice.
Modern “challenges” in the system of personnel training: standardization and innovations
Authors: Zaitseva Natalia , Dzhandzhugazova Elena , Bondarchuk Natalya , Zhukova Marina
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The study of the problems hindering improvement of the system of training through standardization of qualification requirements is relevant because, in a globalized system of teaching staff and high rates of migration, not only national but also international requirements for employees should be considered. This increases the competitiveness of university and college graduates in different countries. The purpose of this paper is to develop recommendations for the creation of a system of lifelong learning through the application of professional standards.

Design/methodology/approach

The leading method in the study of this problem is the comparative analysis of the experiences of different countries to improve the training system based on the use of qualification frameworks.

Findings

The paper offers science-based measures of integration and the international experience of lifelong learning, through the application of standards of World Skills International, as well as the requirements of professional standards.

Originality/value

The authors formulate the conceptual directions for the application of professional standards in not only the continuous training and qualification of personnel, which allows identifying “gaps” in the competences, but also building individual educational trajectory. Article submissions are of practical value to the organization, personnel training as well as scientists engaged in the study of international best practice using standardization requirements for the qualification of personnel in education.
Managing school-based professional development activities
Authors: Cheng Eric C.K.
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a model to assist school leaders in managing the professional development activities of teachers. The model illustrates the important role of principals in promoting continuing professional development (CPD), chiefly by cultivating a collaborative learning culture and formulating policy.

Design/methodology/approach

This study tested a framework based on the input of 103 CPD coordinators in Hong Kong, who participated in a quasi-experimental design questionnaire survey. Factor analysis and reliability tests were applied to verify the constructed validity and reliability of a self-developed instrument. A Structural Equation Model (SEM) was then applied to confirm the model.

Findings

The result of the SEM shows that principal support has a predictive effect on CPD policy and a collaborative learning culture, while the effectiveness of a CPD plan is predicted by collaborative culture and management strategy.

Originality/value

This study contributes theoretically to existing literature and practically to school leaders, by supplying a model for managing teacher CPD.
Outsourcing extra-curricular activities: a management strategy in a time of neoliberal influence
Authors: Ng Shun Wing , Chan Tsan Ming Kenneth , Yuen Wai Kwan Gail
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to report on an exploratory study designed to illuminate the complexity of outsourcing extra-curricular activities (ECAs) in primary schools in a time of neoliberal influence and to examine the views of teaching professionals on the reasons, issues and considerations of outsourcing ECAs such as the dynamic relations between ECA coordinators and service providers, and between teachers and parents.

Design/methodology/approach

The qualitative research that informs this paper is conceptualized within the interpretive paradigm since it aims at understanding the thoughts of 20 teaching professionals including 16 teachers and four principals with regard to the outsourcing of ECRs in times of promoting other learning experiences in schools. This interpretive paradigm emphasizes naturalistic methods of inquiry.

Findings

Two major themes which demonstrated the driving forces for outsourcing educational activities as well as the dynamic relationship between teaching professionals and service providers arising in the process of outsourcing emerged from the interview data. This paper illustrates that the neoliberal impact on the implementation and quality of ECAs needs to be understood as a much more complicated process shaped by the local context.

Research limitations/implications

A major limitation is the small number of samples in primary schools in this qualitative study. Another area of possible investigation is the noticeable extension of the study area to the sectors of kindergartens and secondary schools.

Practical implications

From management perspectives the finding carries the implication that outsourcing must be carefully planned have explicit goals and systematically implemented.

Social implications

The finding enriches the understanding of how neoliberal thinking creeps into management of outsourcing ECAs in schools.

Originality/value

The study does not aim at generalization of the findings but it attempts to illuminate the phenomenon of outsourcing ECAs in primary schools in Hong Kong. To support the empirical findings of the present qualitative study, it is recommended that follow-up quantitative studies be conducted, with larger sample sizes and more diverse sample groups included in the population.
Service quality and student/customer satisfaction in the private tertiary education sector in Singapore
Authors: Khoo Susie , Ha Huong , McGregor Sue L.T.
Published: April 2017

Purpose

This paper focuses on students’ perceptions of the quality of non-academic services received in higher education. While the important role played by expectations and perceptions in students’ evaluations of such services has been discussed in much of the service quality literature, there is insufficient work in the private tertiary educational sector (PTES). Thus, the purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between service quality, student satisfaction, and behavioural intentions in the PTES, using Singapore as a case study.

Design/methodology/approach

This study adopted quantitative research to address the research questions. Primary data were collected from 324 valid responses from a survey conducted in two private tertiary educational institutes (PTEIs) in Singapore.

Findings

The results suggested that perceived service quality is positively correlated to satisfaction; perceived service quality and satisfaction are positively correlated to favourable behavioural intentions; and the relationships among perceived service quality and loyalty and paying more for a service are mediated by satisfaction.

Originality/value

This study is significant as the results provide better insights for Singaporean administrators in PTEIs, which is an under-researched area. Generally, the results will have far-reaching implications for all stakeholders in the delivery and consumption of education services in PTEIs, within and beyond Singapore.
Optimization of casting process through reliability approach
Authors: Kumar Amit , Ram Mangey , Rawat Rohit Singh
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The quality of production is an essential factor for the performance measure of a system; a casting process is the same section. It is a type of metal-forming practice in which the required shape of metal is acquired by pouring molten metal into the mold cavity and allowing it to solidify. Casting is done to provide strength and rigidity to the parts of a system for bearing mechanical impacts. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the various aspects which affect the casting process in the foundry industry, in order to optimize the quality of casting, with the assumption that sufficient repair facility is always available.

Design/methodology/approach

The considered casting system can have many defects such as the mold shift defect, blowhole defect, defect of shrinkage and porosity, defect of inclusion, defect of cold shut and much more. The studied system can be in three states during the process, namely, good state, failed state and degraded state. The system can repair after minor failures as well as a major failure. The average failure rates of various defects of the system considered as constant and repairs follow the general time distribution. The system is analyzed with the help of the supplementary variable technique and the Laplace transformation for evaluating its various performance measures in order to improve its performance/production.

Findings

This work provides a strong understanding of the casting industry, that which failure affects the production of casting and how much. For better understanding, the results have been demonstrated with the help of graphs.

Originality/value

In the present paper, a mathematical model based on the casting process in manufacturing industry has been developed.
Reliability test plan for a series system with variable failure rates
Authors: Bajeel P.N. , Kumar Mahesh
Published: April 2017

Purpose

This paper considers a series system consisting of n different components having unknown and variable failure rates, where the lifetime of components follow exponential distribution having non-constant failure rates. Moreover, the failure rates are bounded by above and are dependent on environmental factors such as temperature, pressure, through linear relationship. The purpose of this paper is to design a component reliability test plan for such a series system with an unknown variable failure rate.

Design/methodology/approach

The reliability of the system is estimated with the help of the unbiased estimator of failure rate. The testing procedure is stopped when a fixed number of failures occur for each component.

Findings

An optimal reliability test plan is designed and the resultant non-linear integer optimization problem is formulated satisfying the constraints of producer’s and consumer’s risks. The obtained results are compared with the results available in the literature. Some examples are considered to illustrate the approach.

Originality/value

It is observed that use of prior information in the form of an upper bound and incorporation of environmental factors have the advantage of savings in the total testing cost.
Optimal (N, F) policy for queue-dependent and time-sharing machining redundant system
Authors: Shekhar Chandra , Jain Madhu , Raina Ather Aziz , Iqbal Javid
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study the performance metrics of redundant repairable machining system which is applicable in various systems like computer and communication system, manufacturing and production system, etc.

Design/methodology/approach

In the present investigation, the authors develop Markov model for the system consisting of identical active operating machines which are prone to breakdown. The operating machines are under the care of one permanent repair facility that provides time-sharing basis repair services. The maintenance is facilitated with the provision of standby machines of mixed type and permanent as well as additional repair facility. From the economic point of view, F-policy and N-policy to control the service and arrival of failed machines effectively are included.

Findings

For the performance analysis of the system in long run, the authors compute steady-state probabilities using product-type solution method recursively. Sensitivity analysis is performed numerically for various parameters by developing code in MATLAB.

Social implications

The performance prediction done may be helpful for the system designers and decision makers for the improvement of the existing machining systems in various industries.

Originality/value

Markovian model for the performance prediction of fault tolerant multi-identical operating and standby machines redundant system is developed in generic frameworks by incorporating many noble features which were not all taken together by other researchers working on the same lines. The key concepts incorporated for the modeling of the concerned system is: F-policy, N-policy, time-sharing, and sensitivity analysis of availability and cost function.
Sensitivity analysis of a three-unit series system under k-out-of-n redundancy
Authors: Goyal Nupur , Ram Mangey , Amoli Shubham , Suyal Alok
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the reliability measures, namely, availability, reliability, mean time to failure and expected profit. The authors also analyse the sensitivity of these reliability measures.

Design/methodology/approach

Depending upon the real industrial relevance, a generalized system which is easily repairable, extremely reliable and of high quality is expected by the rapid growth of the digital economy. Considering reliability, as one of the performance measure, the authors have designed a complex system which consists of three subsystems, namely, A, B and C in series configuration. The subsystem A consists of n numbers of units which are arranged in parallel configuration, subsystem B consists of two sub-subsystems X and Y align parallel to one another, where X is a type of 1-out-of-n:F. Failure and repair rates are assumed to be follow the general distribution.

Findings

The system is deeply studied by the usage of the supplementary variable technique, Laplace transformation and Markov’s law. Various conclusive results such as availability and reliability of the system, mean time to failure, cost and sensitivity analysis have been discussed further.

Originality/value

Through the systematic view of reliability measures of the proposed system, performance of the system can be enhanced under high profit.
Computations of the signature reliability of the coherent system
Authors: Kumar Akshay , Singh S.B.
Published: April 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to compute the signature reliability of the coherent systems.

Design/methodology/approach

The considered k-out-of-n coherent system consists of n number of elements connected in series. With the help of these systems, the authors have evaluated a mathematical structure using universal generating function.

Findings

Using the universal generating function technique, the authors evaluate tail signature, Barlow-Proschan index, expected lifetime and expected cost.

Originality/value

In this paper, the authors have developed a coherent systems based on the universal generating function technique.