bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploring consumers’ intent to use smart libraries with technology acceptance model
Authors: Yu Kaijun , Huang Gang
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Scientific advances and the emergence of a wide range of broadband services have resulted in the internet developing as a critical component of most peoples’ daily lives. The rapid development of the global economy and improvements to the information network speed and reliability have driven a radical evolution of the concept of “library.” Modern information technologies have not only drastically altered the functionality and accessibility of libraries, but it is no longer a matter of the library community to use scientific and technological innovation ideas and techniques to promote its business. The sample of this study was distributed to the consumers of the Guangdong Intelligent Library for the questionnaire.

Design/methodology/approach

A total of 520 questionnaires were distributed, returning 375 validresponses for an effective recovery rate of 72%.

Findings

Perceptual ease of use has a positive and direct impact on perceptual usefulness. Perceptual ease of use has a positive and direct impact on attitude. Perceptual usefulness has a positive and direct impact on attitude. Perceptual usefulness has a positive direct impact on behavioral intentions. Attitude has a positive and direct impact on behavioral intentions. Subjective norms have a positive and direct impact on behavioral intentions. Perceptual behavioral control has a positive and direct impact on behavioral intentions. Perceptual behavioral control has a positive and direct impact on behavior. Behavioral intentions have a positive and direct impact on behavior.

Originality/value

Based on the survey results and analysis, recommendations are made to help smart libraries integrate artificial intelligence methods to provide highly attractive service offerings in an extremely competitive environment.
Decision-making when organising facilities for a school: a participatory action research approach
Authors: Uotila Ulrika , Saari Arto , Junnonen Juha-Matti
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Public authorities are required to organise new facilities to respond to changed user demands in terms of a public-owned school. The number of pupils attending the case study school will increase in the following years, as will the number of children attending a day nursery located on the present campus. In addition, the users of the campus have complained of building-related symptoms. This study aims to understand the municipal decision-making process in organising the school’s facilities, in particular, the factors used for decreasing uncertainty around a project.

Design/methodology/approach

This study is a case study undertaken through an action research approach. The researchers participated in the project planning meetings concerning the future activities to take place in the building.

Findings

Over a 13-month period, multiple stakeholders participated in the project planning meetings providing a deeper understanding of the space demands posed, current challenges and opportunities offered by the existing building. In addition, the alternative solutions generated were evaluated. The problem identification and information gathering periods lasted over nine months, which was far longer than predicted. Thus, generating alternative solutions and evaluation of the solutions also delayed. As the entire process was delayed substantially, the final decision on organising the facilities was not made during this research.

Practical implications

This research may be of practical value for a property owner and a project team for decision-making concerning changed facility demands.

Originality/value

This paper provides information about how public authorities are making decisions on facility organisation during conditions of uncertainty.
The housing demand analysis and prediction of the real estate based on the AWGM (1, N) model
Authors: Xiong Xin , Guo Huan , Hu Xi
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to seek to drive the modernization of the entire national economy and maintain in the long-term stability of the whole society; this paper proposes an improved model based on the first-order multivariable grey model [GM (1, N) model] for predicting the housing demand and solving the housing demand problem.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper proposes an improved model based on the first-order multivariable grey model [GM (1, N) model] for predicting the housing demand and solving the housing demand problem. First, a novel variable SW evaluation algorithm is proposed based on the sensitivity analysis, and then the grey relational analysis (GRA) algorithm is utilized to select influencing factors of the commodity housing market. Finally, the AWGM (1, N) model is established to predict the housing demand.

Findings

This paper selects seven factors to predict the housing demand and find out the order of grey relational ranked from large to small: the completed area of the commodity housing> the per capita housing area> the one-year lending rate> the nonagricultural population > GDP > average price of the commodity housing > per capita disposable income.

Practical implications

The model constructed in the paper can be effectively applied to the analysis and prediction of Chinese real estate market scientifically and reasonably.

Originality/value

The factors of the commodity housing market in Wuhan are considered as an example to analyze the sales area of the commodity housing from 2015 to 2017 and predict its trend from 2018 to 2019. The comparison between demand for the commodity housing actual value and one for model predicted value is capability to verify the effectiveness of the authors’ proposed algorithm.
Powered by blockchain: forecasting blockchain use in the electricity market
Authors: Höhne Stefan , Tiberius Victor
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to formulate the most probable future scenario for the use of blockchain technology within the next 5–10 years in the electricity sector based on today’s experts’ views.

Design/methodology/approach

An international, two-stage Delphi study with 20 projections is used.

Findings

According to the experts, blockchain applications will be primarily based on permissioned or consortium blockchains. Blockchain-based applications will integrate Internet of Things devices in the power grid, manage the e-mobility infrastructure, automate billing and direct payment and issue certificates regarding the origin of electricity. Blockchain solutions are expected to play an important big role in fostering peer-to-peer trading in microgrids, further democratizing and decentralizing the energy sector. New regulatory frameworks become necessary.

Research limitations/implications

The Delphi study’s scope is rather broad than narrow and detailed. Further studies should focus on partial scenarios.

Practical implications

Electricity market participants should build blockchain-based competences and collaborate in current pilot projects.

Social implications

Blockchain technology will further decentralize the energy sector and probably reduce transaction costs.

Originality/value

Despite the assumed importance of blockchain technology, no coherent foresight study on its use and implications exists yet. This study closes this research gap.
News shocks, government subsidies and housing prices in Brazil
Authors: Besarria Cássio , Silva Marcelo , Jesus Diego
Published: May 2020

Purpose

In recent years, housing prices in Brazil have shown a surprising growth. An important issue is trying to understand what elements can explain this behavior. This study aims to investigate the hypothesis that a generalized optimism associated with government policies directed to the housing sector may be behind the behavior of real estate prices. This study develops a dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model to investigate these issues. The results showed that subsidies combined with the easing of credit conditions were able to positively influence real estate prices. Moreover, unanticipated shocks had a greater impact on housing prices than anticipated shocks.

Design/methodology/approach

The DSGE model was developed to analyze the relationship between economic agents’ expectations about future economic developments, also known in the literature as “news shocks,” expansionary fiscal policy and housing prices in Brazil. The economy is composed of families, entrepreneurs, final goods firms, a financial sector and a fiscal authority. Families are divided into two groups: patients or savers and impatient or debtors. They differ in terms of their intertemporal discount factors. Both provide labor for firms producing non-durable goods. Impatient families are restricted in the amount of borrowing they can take. The production side of economy model is given by the consumer goods production sector. The financial sector is composed of a representative bank that pays the deposits made by patient families and channels resources for the granting of housing loans with the accumulation of assets subject to regulatory restrictions.

Findings

The results show that both price subsidies and subsidized interest rates exerted a positive influence on housing prices in Brazil. In response to a housing demand shock, housing prices display a greater increase the greater are the subsidies to low income families. The authors show that anticipated shocks have a larger impact on housing prices than unexpected shocks. Therefore, the results support the idea that the wave of good news, optimistic behavior and government policies aimed at the housing sector were behind the behavior of housing prices in Brazil.

Originality/value

There are some studies applied to the Brazilian economy that mention some of these stimuli. In this study, the authors focused on studies proposed by Mendonçaet al.(2011), Mendonça (2013), Silvaet al.(2014) and Besarriaet al.(2016). In general, the authors show that there is a negative relationship between monetary policy instruments and real estate prices. This paper differs from these authors by considering the effects of government subsidies, subsidized interest rates and anticipated shocks from a DSGE model, thus explicitly addressing their effects on housing prices in Brazil.
Six Sigma for improving cash flow deficit: a case study in the food can manufacturing industry
Authors: Sánchez-Rebull Maria-Victòria , Ferrer-Rullan Ramon , Hernández-Lara Ana-Beatriz , Niñerola Angels
Published: May 2020

Purpose

Cash flow deficit situations and working capital control are major challenges for many companies, especially those whose suppliers and clients have strong bargaining power. This study aims to describe the application of the Six Sigma methodology for solving these problems in a large German food can manufacturing company.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper follows the qualitative methodology of case study research. During different define, measure, analyse, improve and control process phases, the problem and critical aspects are identified to improve the quality of the payment process and improvements are suggested and implemented.

Findings

The results provide evidence of how Six Sigma can be useful in administrative–financial processes that are carried out within a company. This result is particularly interesting because it is about processes that have not applied Six Sigma methodology. For the company studied, this methodology has balanced its cash flow and this meant large amounts of savings, especially in bank interest to avoid having to ask for bank credits.

Originality/value

This case can be extrapolated to other companies, regardless of the company size, that present similar symptoms of cash deficit, especially if their bargaining power with suppliers and customers is low.
Silence is golden: the role of team coordination in health operations
Authors: Stefanini Alessandro , Aloini Davide , Gloor Peter
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This study investigates the relationships between team dynamics and performance in healthcare operations. Specifically, it explores, through wearable sensors, how team coordination mechanisms can influence the likelihood of surgical glitches during routine surgery.

Design/methodology/approach

Breast surgeries of a large Italian university hospital were monitored using Sociometric Badges – wearable sensors developed at MIT Media Lab – for collecting objective and systematic measures of individual and group behaviors in real time. Data retrieved were used to analyze team coordination mechanisms, as it evolved in the real settings, and finally to test the research hypotheses.

Findings

Findings highlight that a relevant portion of glitches in routine surgery is caused by improper team coordination practices. In particular, results show that the likelihood of glitches decreases when practitioners adopt implicit coordination mechanisms rather than explicit ones. In addition, team cohesion appears to be positively related with the surgical performance.

Originality/value

For the first time, direct, objective and real time measurements of team behaviors have enabled an in-depth evaluation of the team coordination mechanisms in surgery and the impact on surgical glitches. From a methodological perspective, this research also represents an early attempt to investigate coordination behaviors in dynamic and complex operating environments using wearable sensor tools.
Study on high-temperature wear and mechanism of Al-Si/graphite composites prepared by the die-casting process
Authors: Deng Yafei , Pan Xiaotao , Zeng Guoxun , Liu Jie , Xiao Sinong , Zhou Zhenquan
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to improve the tribological properties of aluminum alloys and reduce their wear rate.

Design/methodology/approach

Carbon is placed in the model at room temperature, pour 680°C of molten aluminum into the pressure chamber, and then pressed it into the mold containing carbon felt through a die casting machine, and waited for it to cool, which used an injection pressure of 52.8 MPa and held the same pressure for 15 s.

Findings

The result indicated that the mechanical properties of matrix and composite are similar, and the compressive strength of the composite is only 95% of the matrix alloy. However, the composite showed a low friction coefficient, the friction coefficient of Gr/Al composite is only 0.15, which just is two-third than that of the matrix alloy. Similarly, the wear rate of the composite is less than 4% of the matrix. In addition, the composite can avoid severe wear before 200°C, but the matrix alloy only 100°C.

Originality/value

This material has excellent friction properties and is able to maintain this excellent performance at high temperatures.

Peer review

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-10-2019-0454/
Moderating role of patriotism on sales tax compliance among Jordanian SMEs
Authors: Alshira'h Ahmad Farhan , Abdul-Jabbar Hijattulah
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of tax audit, tax rate and tax penalty on sales tax compliance and examine the moderating effect of patriotism on the associations between tax audit, tax rate and tax penalty with sales tax compliance among Jordanian manufacturing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, 660 questionnaires were distributed by using systematic random sampling to manufacturing SMEs in Jordan, after which a total of 385 useable questionnaires were deemed suitable for analysis. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was used to validate the measurement model and structural model and the predictive relevance of the study’s model.

Findings

The findings showed that tax audit and tax penalty were positively associated with the level of sales tax compliance, whereas tax rate was insignificantly associated with sales tax compliance. They also demonstrated the moderating significant effect of patriotism on the relationship between tax penalty, tax audit and tax rate with sales tax compliance.

Research limitations/implications

Tax authorities and policymakers in developing majority societies in developing countries and in other Arab countries, especially in Jordan may use the results to focus their interest on the formulation of policies founded on the outcomes of the study to strengthen eligible SMEs to comply to further boost their sales collections.

Originality/value

This study extends the deterrence theory in the context of sales tax compliance by proposing the moderating effect of patriotism in the deterrence theory on sales tax compliance among SMEs. Moreover, the suitability for the use of PLS-SEM as a statistical tool in investigating the extended deterrence theory with patriotism as a moderating variable as well as its implications for theory and practice was also discussed.
Performance budgeting as a “creative distraction” of accountability relations in one Russian municipality
Authors: Aleksandrov Evgenii , Bourmistrov Anatoli , Grossi Giuseppe
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The paper explores how the implementation of performance budgeting unfolds public managers' attention and responses to competing accountability demands over time.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a longitudinal study of one Russian municipality's implementation of PB under central government pressures during 2013–2017. Using triangulation of 25 interviews, documentary analysis and field observations, we employed institutional logics to guide the study.

Findings

The paper demonstrates the dynamic properties of PB construction under competing accountability demands via the “creative distraction” metaphor. PB was a “distraction” mechanism, which, on one hand, strengthened external accountability, while, on the other, distracting the municipality from internal municipal demands. Nevertheless, this “distraction” was also “creative,” as it produced proactive responses to competing accountability demands and creative effects over time. Specifically, PB also led to elements of creative PB negotiations between departments when managers started cooperating with redirecting the irrelevant constraints of performance information in budgeting into necessary manipulations for municipal survival. The demonstrated “creative distraction” is explained by the changing institutional logics of public managers supplemented by a set of individual factors.

Originality/value

The paper responds to the recent calls to study PB practice under several accountability demands over time. In this regard, we show the value of public managers' existing institutional logics as they shape PB's capacity to balance competing accountability demands. As we revealed, this capacity can be limited, due to possible misalignment between managers' attention toward “what to give an account for” during budget formation (input orientation driven by OPA logic) and “what is demanded” with the introduction of PB (output orientation driven by NPM logic). Yet, the elements of proactive managerial responses are still evident over time, explained by a set of individual factors within the presented case, namely: learning NPM logic, strengthened informal relationships and a common saturation point reflected by managers.
Managing firm risk through supply chain dependence: an SME perspective
Authors: Liu Feng , Park Kwangtae
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to conduct an empirical investigation into the impact of supply chain dependence (including customer dependence and supplier dependence) on credit risk through the lens of social network theory (SNT) by focusing on how to manage firm risk using supply chain relationships in the context of Chinese small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

Using data from public databases, this study selects a unique sample from a Chinese SME board and uses an ordered logistic regression model to investigate the relationship between the dependence on major customers or suppliers and both credit risk and credit rating. It is found that the results are robust to the use of different empirical methods.

Findings

The main findings of this study are that a firm’s dependence on major customers is positively related to its credit risk but negatively related to its credit rating, while a firm’s dependence on major suppliers is positively related to its credit risk but negatively related to its credit rating.

Originality/value

To broaden the understanding of industrial marketing and purchasing, this study contributes to research on supply chain relationship management and risk management by focusing on SMEs’ dependence on major customers and suppliers and empirically examining the influence of this dependence on both credit risk and credit rating in an emerging market.
Marketing–operations alignment: scale development and validation
Authors: Sombultawee Kedwadee , Boon-Itt Sakun
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to study a scale development and validation process for an integrative marketing–operations alignment (MOA) theory. This theory was derived from several distinct theories that have attempted to explain the interaction between marketing and operations functions of manufacturing organizations. An initial qualitative research and literature review identified five antecedents to the MOA construct (decision coordination, reward system, information exchange, leadership strategy and performance evaluation) as well as two outcomes (customer orientation and competitor orientation).

Design/methodology/approach

The scale was developed and validated using successive testing processes including exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling (LISREL).

Findings

The outcome of the research is a tested and validated model of MOA. While more work needs to be done to test and potentially extend the theory, this research has produced a basic functional model of the MOA process.

Research limitations/implications

The limitations include target populations, choice of industry and geography and cross-sectional time horizon of the study.

Originality/value

This study represents an original contribution to the organizational theory literature, as it provides both a sound theoretical basis and a validated measurement model for the proposed theory of MOA. While this research does draw on existing models, it is more comprehensive and theory-based than the existing models.
Eye on the customer: breaking away from the inside-out mindset
Authors: Yrjölä Mika
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to plot out pathways for organizations to implement a customer focus. These pathways are outlined with the help of illustrative examples. A well-defined customer focus is vital for organizations to ensure that they are positioned to be in line with the customers’ actual needs.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a conceptual paper where the argumentation is built on previous research findings, the authors’ reflections and the use of illustrative case examples of companies managing to instill a customer focus.

Findings

This paper builds a framework of potential pathways toward a customer focus by considering four strategic questions related to competition, products, insights and metrics.

Practical implications

This paper encourages managers to move beyond labeling themselves as customer-oriented and to actually implement a customer focus. This study puts forth a framework with strategic questions and principles designed to help with these endeavors.

Originality/value

Many companies pay lip service to customer focus, and it is often merely part of the corporate jargon without any real connection to strategy, the business model or everyday practices. This paper addresses the issue further by highlighting the potential pathways through which an organization can achieve a customer focus.
Going digital: case study of an Italian insurance company
Authors: Pisoni Galena
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to present the case of an Italian SME in the domain of insurance and how it approached its own digital transformation. Together with the founders of the SME, the author investigated the digital trends the company should adopt and identified where to intervene in the value chain of the company with new technologies available in the market. The research was focused on the following three sub-domains: a strategy for adoption of innovative digital solutions to improve the everyday operations of the company, platform connecting the company with the customers and analysis of cyber insurance policies to include in the portfolio of the company.

Design/methodology/approach

For the part on strategy for adoption of innovative digital solutions, the author performed literature review; for the part in which the study ideates new solution to better connect the company with the customers, the author relied on design thinking, creative facilitation and prototyping; and for the part on cyber insurance policies to include the portfolio, the author relied on data available from other insurance companies the SME collaborates with.

Findings

This paper presented the analysis on how an insurance SME can embrace digital innovation (via internal innovation, buying from startups, partnering with startups or investing in startups), how an SME can do internal innovation and come up with a simple tool to bring closer the insurers and their customers and types of new cyber risk policies to include in the portfolio to respond to the growing demand for cyber risk insurance. This paper provides useful insights and lessons learned from companies of similar size in the domain of insurance and discusses future extensions of inquiry.

Originality/value

Big insurance companies and incumbent for their digitization efforts rely on the freshly created InsurTechs wave of companies. In this paper, the author analyzes what small- and medium-sized insurance enterprises can do in this respect and showcases the approach an Italian SME took in this direction.
Evaluating universities' strategic online communication: how do Shanghai Ranking's top 50 universities grow stakeholder engagement with Facebook posts?
Authors: Fähnrich Birte , Vogelgesang Jens , Scharkow Michael
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This study is dedicated to universities' strategic social media communication and focuses on the fan engagement triggered by Facebook postings. The study contributes to a growing body of knowledge that addresses the strategic communication of universities that have thus far hardly dealt with questions of resonance and evaluation of their social media messages.

Design/methodology/approach

Using the Facebook Graph API, the authors collected posts from the official Facebook fan pages of the universities listed on Shanghai Ranking's Top 50 of 2015. Specifically, the authors retrieved all posts in a three-year range from October 2012 to September 2015. After downloading the Facebook posts, the authors used tools for automated content analysis to investigate the features of the post messages.

Findings

Overall, the median number of likes per 10,000 fans was 4.6, while the number of comments (MD = 0.12) and shares (MD = 0.40) were considerably lower. The average Facebook Like Ratio of universities per 10,000 fans was 17.93%, the average Comment Ratio (CR) was 0.56% and the average Share Ratio (SR) was 2.82%. If we compare the average Like Ratios (17.93%) and Share Ratios (2.82%) of the universities with the respective Like Ratios (5.90%) and Share Ratios (0.45%) of global brands per 10,000 fans, we may find that universities are three times (likes) and six times (shares) as successful as are global brands in triggering engagement among their fan bases.

Research limitations/implications

The content analysis was solely based on the publicly observable Facebook communication of the Top 50 Shanghai Ranking universities. Furthermore, the content analysis was limited to universities listed on the Shanghai Ranking's Top 50. Also, the Facebook posts have been sampled between 2012 and September 2015. Moreover, the authors solely focused on one social media channel (i.e., Facebook), which might restrict the generalizability of the study findings. The limitations notwithstanding, university communicators are invited to take advantage of the study's insights to become more successful in generating fan engagement.

Practical implications

First, posts published on the weekend generate significantly more engagement than those published on workdays. Second, the findings suggest that posts published in the evening generate more engagement than those published during other times of day. Third, research-related posts trigger a certain number of shares, but at the same time these posts tend to lower engagement with regard to liking and commenting.

Originality/value

To the authors’ best knowledge, the automated content analysis of 72,044 Facebook posts of universities listed in the Top 50 of the Shanghai Ranking is the first large scale longitudinal investigation of a social media channel of higher education institutions.
Does good internal communication enhance life satisfaction?
Authors: Sinčić Ćorić Dubravka , Pološki Vokić Nina , Tkalac Verčič Ana
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The study explored the relationship between the two concepts—internal communication satisfaction (ICS) and life satisfaction. Additionally, the study analyzed the link between eight internal communication dimensions (satisfaction with feedback, satisfaction with communication with immediate superior, satisfaction with horizontal communication, satisfaction with informal communication, satisfaction with information about the organization, satisfaction with communication climate, satisfaction with the quality of communication media and satisfaction with communication in meetings) and life satisfaction.

Design/methodology/approach

To exclude the potential impact of contextual factors, we conducted a quantitative field research on a homogeneous sample of 507 respondents, employed in a multinational organization. For the assessment of ICS, we used the Internal Communication Satisfaction Scale (UPZIK), developed by Tkalac Vercic et al. (2009). For the assessment of life satisfaction, we used the satisfaction with life acale (SWLS) developed by Diener et al. (1985).

Findings

Results showed a very high, statistically significant correlation between ICS and life satisfaction. All dimensions of ICS are highly correlated with life satisfaction, but this relationship proved to be the strongest between life satisfaction and two dimensions of ICS (satisfaction with informal communication and satisfaction with communication climate).

Research limitations/implications

Our study has three general limitations: (1) the dataset is of cross-sectional nature, which prevents inferring causality between variables; (2) a common source bias is present (ICS and life satisfaction are measured from the same source) and (3) we used self-reports [given the subjective nature and others’ reports of life satisfaction yield weaker but similar results (Erdogan et al., 2012)].

Originality/value

We identified satisfaction with internal communication, as a work domain that has not yet received attention in the management literature, to have an important role in life satisfaction. Among others, we found satisfaction with informal communication and satisfaction with communication climate to be especially relevant ICS dimensions, implying that organizations should primarily cultivate non-formalized dimensions of internal communication—a positive communication environment.
A scenario-based parametric analysis of the army personnel-to-assignment matching problem
Authors: Ferguson Matthew D. , Hill Raymond , Lunday Brian
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This study aims to compare linear programming and stable marriage approaches to the personnel assignment problem under conditions of uncertainty. Robust solutions should exhibit reduced variability of solutions in the presence of one or more additional constraints or problem perturbations added to some baseline problems.

Design/methodology/approach

Several variations of each approach are compared with respect to solution speed, solution quality as measured by officer-to-assignment preferences and solution robustness as measured by the number of assignment changes required after inducing a set of representative perturbations or constraints to an assignment instance. These side constraints represent the realistic assignment categorical priorities and limitations encountered by army assignment managers who solve this problem semiannually, and thus the synthetic instances considered herein emulate typical problem instances.

Findings

The results provide insight regarding the trade-offs between traditional optimization and heuristic-based solution approaches.

Originality/value

The results indicate the viability of using the stable marriage algorithm for talent management via the talent marketplace currently used by both the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force for personnel assignments.
An overview of virtual reality within industrial design education
Authors: Hamurcu Ahmet , Timur Şebnem , Rızvanoğlu Kerem
Published: May 2020

Purpose

With the release of headsets such as HTC Vive and Oculus Rift in 2016, fully immersive virtual reality (VR) technology has become available for industrial designers to represent and communicate design ideas. However, how this development will affect industrial design education practice is not clear enough yet. The purpose of this study is to reveal and discuss the current status of using VR in industrial design education and potentials of it.

Design/methodology/approach

In the first part of the study, the use of computer technology in industrial design education and how VR can be positioned in the existing system is discussed by the acceptance of “design” as “representation”. In the second part, the literature review carried out to unveil and analyse the efforts for using VR in industrial design practice and education is presented. The results of the review are interpreted together with the design process in industrial design education.

Findings

VR has the potential for changing the operating ways of not only sketching, visualising, modelling, prototyping, presenting, demonstrating and evaluating design ideas, but also getting inspiration and collaborating in industrial design education. However, it is first necessary to solve the issue of how it will be integrated into industrial design education.

Originality/value

This paper presents the preliminary presumptions regarding the integration of VR into industrial design education that can contribute to future studies.
On preventive maintenance policies: a selection framework
Authors: Alsyouf Imad , Hamdan Sadeque , Shamsuzzaman Mohammad , Haridy Salah , Alawaysheh Iyad
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper develops a framework for selecting the most efficient and effective preventive maintenance policy using multiple-criteria decision making and multi-objective optimization.

Design/methodology/approach

The critical component is identified with a list of maintenance policies, and then its failure data are collected and the optimization objective functions are defined. Fuzzy AHP is used to prioritize each objective based on the experts' questionnaire. Weighted comprehensive criterion method is used to solve the multi-objective models for each policy. Finally, the effectiveness and efficiency are calculated to select the best maintenance policy.

Findings

For a fleet of buses in hot climate environment where coolant pump is identified as the most critical component, it was found that block-GAN policy is the most efficient and effective one with a 10.24% of cost saving and 0.34 expected number of failures per cycle compared to age policy and block-BAO policy.

Research limitations/implications

Only three maintenance policies are compared and studied. Other maintenance policies can also be considered in future.

Practical implications

The proposed methodology is implemented in UAE for selecting a maintenance scheme for a critical component in a fleet of buses. It can be validated later in other Gulf countries.

Originality/value

This research lays a solid foundation for selecting the most efficient and effective preventive maintenance policy for different applications and sectors using MCDM and multi-objective optimization to improve reliability and avoid economic loss.
Entrepreneurial orientation and the role of the context. The case of the firm “Sa Panada Srl”
Authors: Floris Michela , Dettori Angela , Melis Camilla , Dessì Cinzia
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The paper aims to analyse the case of “Sa Panada srl”, a tiny Sardinian family firm, to provide intriguing insights for the study of entrepreneurial orientation in a context that is anchored in an apparent and hostile past.

Design/methodology/approach

An exploratory approach is used to analyse a single-case study through a narrative approach. Data were analysed through the hermeneutic trio consisting of three phases: (1) explication – contextualisation, reconstruction and synthesis of the history; (2) explanation – identification, description and understanding of the meaning of the narrative; and (3) exploration – discussion and identification of theoretical and practical implications.

Findings

The study introduces novel best practices that help enhance entrepreneurial orientation in a difficult setting based on change reluctance and past anchored culture.

Research limitations/implications

Theoretically, the study contributes to the literature on entrepreneurial orientation, internationalisation and innovativeness of family firms embedded in a hostile context. The main drawback of the study is its explorative analysis of a single case.

Practical implications

For practitioners, the research proposes the case study as a best practice able to inspire successful resilient behaviour and decisions for other firms that experience daily challenges.

Originality/value

The study elucidates the relevance of individual factors of family owners as endogenous elements that can balance contextual obstacles with ambitions of growth and development.
Life safety in single-story steel frame buildings, Part II - probabilistic design
Authors: Sandström Joakim
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the probability of unacceptable consequences from structural fire damage in a typical Scandinavian single-story steel frame building and discusses it in relation to life safety. This paper is a complement to the paper “Life safety in single-story steel frame buildings, Part I – deterministic design” by Sandström (2019) which considers the same design philosophy but with a probabilistic design approach.

Design/methodology/approach

The reliability of a single-story steel frame building is investigated by using crude Monte Carlo simulation by including consideration to the fire conditions.

Findings

The investigated building does not meet the safety levels as stipulated by EN 1990 for structural fire damage. However, by including consideration to the fire conditions in the compartment, it is shown that the life safety objective is not compromised by the structural fire damage, i.e. the structure remains intact as long as any individuals/firefighters can survive within the fire area compartment.

Originality/value

This paper presents practical application of a conceptual paper presenting a general approach to structural fire safety design and the life safety objective.
Exploiting the Marrakesh treaty to obviate copyright-related challenges on access to information by visually impaired people in academic libraries
Authors: Macharia Samuel , Otike Japheth , Bosire Emily K.
Published: May 2020

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the copyright law in relation to access to information by persons with visual impairments. It assesses the barriers placed by the copyright law on access to information by the visually impaired persons, and then the exceptions and limitations therein with a specific focus on Marrakesh treaty. It further explores the benefits conveyed by the Marrakesh treaty in relation to the challenges. Finally, the paper makes suggestions on methods that can be employed to make the Marrakesh treaty benefit the persons with visual impairments to the fullest.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews the copyright law and its requirements in relation to reproduction of copyrighted works, and then narrows down to the provisions of Marrakesh treaty as an exception in the copyright law. It then reviews existing literature on the challenges caused by copyright requirements on access to information by persons with visual impairments. Having looked at these two aspects, the paper then identifies from literature the benefits that come in the Marrakesh treaty in relation to access to copyrighted information by persons with visual impairments. Authors finally give their views on what can be done to make the treaty more beneficial to the visually impaired persons.

Findings

The paper finds that a there are many challenges that persons with visual impairments face while they seek to access information that is copyrighted, and these challenges cause both direct and indirect negative effects. However, looking at the provisions of the Marrakesh treaty against these challenges, the paper identifies the benefits that come with the treaty to avert the challenges.

Originality/value

This paper does an in-depth analysis of the copyright-related challenges that persons with visual impairments face while accessing copyrighted information, and derives solutions to these challenges from the Marrakesh treaty. The paper will be helpful to the librarians to make sure that none of their users continue to suffer from those challenges in this era of the Marrakesh treaty. The methods suggested herein for reaping as much as possible from the Marrakesh treaty will be beneficial to information managers toward fashioning ways of ensuring that persons with visual impairments are able to access information freely and easily.
Affiliation of local audit firms with Big4 auditors and capital structure: evidence from Indonesia
Authors: Kurniawati Heny , Van Cauwenberge Philippe , Vander Bauwhede Heidi
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate whether the choice for a Big4-affiliated local audit firm affects the capital structure of listed companies in Indonesia, a fast-growing emerging country that is characterized by high information asymmetry and low litigation risk. A unique characteristic of the Indonesian audit environment is that Big4 auditors can only enter the market indirectly through affiliation with a local audit firm.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of Indonesian listed companies between 2008 and 2015 is used to investigate this relation using ordinary least squares (OLS). To address the concern that the choice for Big4-affiliated auditors might reflect client characteristics, the authors also perform OLS on a matched sample, using both propensity-score and entropy-balance matching.

Findings

Across all three samples, the authors document that companies audited by a Big4-affiliated local audit firm display lower debt ratios. The authors find no such effect for affiliation with second-tier audit firms. Surprisingly, they find that the negative effect of Big4 affiliation is increasing in client size.

Research limitations/implications

This study provides evidence of the consequences of hiring Big4 auditors on the perceived information asymmetry by financial markets under extreme conditions: in an environment characterized by low litigation risk and where Big4 auditors can operate only indirectly through affiliation.

Practical implications

The results of this study are of interest to policymakers, managers and financial stakeholders in emerging countries where external financing is important yet difficult to obtain because of severe information asymmetry. Hiring a Big4 auditor, even only through affiliation, might reduce perceived information asymmetry and increase the access to external equity financing.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to provide evidence of the effect of Big4 auditors on their clients’ capital structure when they can operate only indirectly through affiliation with a local auditor.
The relationship between R&D team diversity and team creativity
Authors: Kim Jinyong , Song Chanhoo
Published: May 2020

Purpose

This study aims to explore how and what type of team diversity is related to team creativity in R&D organizations, incorporating conflict as a mediator and transformational leadership as a moderator.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey questionnaires were used to collect data from 24 Korean R&D teams (185 team members, 24 team leaders and 24 managers) in the public and private sectors. The dependent variable, team creativity, was measured by questioning R&D team managers to whom R&D team leaders report directly, and the antecedents, mediator and moderator were answered by team members and their leaders.

Findings

The data confirmed that team diversity, particularly informational diversity, was positively associated with team creativity. However, conflict did not show a significant mediating effect between team diversity and creativity. Transformational leadership had a negative moderating effect between informational diversity and task conflict in such a way that when transformational leadership was high, teams with higher informational diversity showed lower task conflict between team members.

Originality/value

A growing number of R&D projects require interdisciplinary efforts resulting in incorporating scientists and engineers from multiple disciplines, and growing numbers of women and minorities now choose careers in science and technology. Naturally, R&D project teams have become more diverse than before. This study provides empirical evidence from multiple sources, showing both mediating and moderating effects on the relationship between R&D team diversity and creativity.
Developing forward-looking orientation in integrated reporting
Authors: Kunc Martin H. , Giorgino Maria Cleofe , Barnabè Federico
Published: May 2020

Purpose

According to the “strategic focus and future orientation” principle of the integrated reporting () framework,  should provide information useful to support investors in assessing the future financial performance of organizations. This study aims to support the operationalization of this function by improving the forward-looking orientation of the integrated report.

Design/methodology/approach

Basing on the backward- and forward-looking disclosure in  and the dynamic resource-based view (DRBV), this study develops an explorative case study building a quantitative simulation model based on an integrated report.

Findings

This study provides useful insights into how operationalizing the  “future orientation” and obtaining more quantitative information on the organization’s capacity to create value in the future by applying DRBV and quantitative simulation modeling.

Research limitations/implications

The article presents one case study to explore the method suggested to improve the  forward-looking orientation. Additional case studies applying the same research design should be certainly useful to refine the method.

Practical implications

Supporting the  forward-looking orientation, this study provides additional information for the decision-making process of investors, thus contributing to the efficient and productive allocation of capital.

Originality/value

Few studies have investigated forward-looking information in integrated reports, highlighting the existence of an “information gap” referred to such disclosure. Overcoming these previous results, the study provides useful insights on how to improve the  forward-looking orientation.