bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Grey game research about customer preference, international competition and the choice of industrial type
Authors: Zhang Yuhang , Wang Ying , Liu Qixin 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the market share of two competing enterprises from the perspective of consumer preferences on both of their products. For different industrial types, this paper discusses how domestic firms make decisions to compete with the multinational company based on consumer’s preferences on different types of products from different companies.

Design/methodology/approach
Considering the different types of equipment manufacturing industries, consumers’ differentiated preferences for Chinese domestic equipment manufacturers and multinational equipment manufacturers, as well as the uncertainty of technological level and dependence on production factor in reality, this paper introduces the interval grey number into the Stackelberg game model and analyzes the market share of two competing enterprises and the consumer preferences for both of their products based on different industrial types.

Findings
The results show that when both of the two competing firms are engaged in R&D activities, consumers prefer domestic products, and with the improvement of technological level, this preference grows stronger, but the market share of the multinational enterprise is higher than that of the local enterprises. When the two competing enterprises are engaged in manufacturing activities, consumers are more inclined to choose products of the multinational company, and with the increasing dependence on production factors, the preference becomes stronger. Meanwhile, the market share of the multinational company is higher than the local enterprise. Therefore, from the perspective of consumer preference, China’s domestic equipment manufacturing enterprises should choose technology-intensive or technology and labor-intensive industries (or dual-intensive industries).

Originality/value
In the context of international competition, from the perspective of consumer preference, the research on industrial selection is relatively rare, and does not take into account the influence of the uncertain influence brought by technological-level and production factor dependency. Therefore, this paper analyzes the influence of technological-level and production factor dependency on consumer preference among various types of industries. Based on the concept of consumer preference, and combining with the interval grey number, the improved grey game model is constructed to analyze the influence of the uncertainty of enterprise’s technological-level and production factor dependency on the market share of two competing companies, finally coming up with the direction into which the Chinese equipment manufacturing industries should develop.
Thermo-physiological comfort of business clothing incorporating phase change materials in a cold environment
Authors: Celcar Damjana 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the thermo-physiological comfort of male business garments made of common textiles, as well as business clothing that contains phase change materials (PCMs) as a lining or outerwear material. In view of the fact that people wear business clothing throughout the whole day in different environmental conditions, this study investigate the effect of PCMs incorporated in male business clothing systems on the thermo-physiological comfort of the wearer under different cold environmental conditions.

Design/methodology/approach
The influence of particular business garments on the thermo-physiological comfort of the wearer during different physical activities and cold environmental temperatures was determined experimentally with the help of study participants, as a change of two physiological parameters: mean skin temperature and heart rate. A questionnaire and an assessment scale were also used in order to evaluate the wearer’s subjective feeling of comfort. In this investigation, all tests with study participants were performed under artificially created environmental conditions in a climate chamber at different cold environmental temperatures ranging from 10°C to −5°C with increments of 5°C, and different physical activities that simulate as closely as possible real life activities such as sitting and walking.

Findings
The results of the performed research work show that PCMs provide a small temporary thermal effect that is reflected in small increases or decreases in mean skin temperature during changes in activity. Furthermore, it was concluded that the small effect of PCMs in business clothing systems on the thermo-physiological comfort of the wearer in a cold environment, which is shown as a change of mean skin temperature when subjects walk on a treadmill and subsequently move to a sitting position, should not be ignored in a cold environment where low skin temperatures were measured.

Practical implications
The results of this study demonstrate that the physiological parameters of thermo-physiological comfort, in combination with subjective evaluation, provide valuable information for textile and clothing manufactures as well as scientists and engineers involved in the design and development of new products with thermal comfort as a quality criterion.

Originality/value
The investigation shows that different environmental conditions, activity levels and thermal properties of clothing systems have a considerable impact on the physiological parameters of the subjects and subjective assessment of thermal comfort in a cold environment, and that PCMs incorporated in business clothing systems provide a small temporary thermal effect that is reflected in small increases or decreases in mean skin temperature during changes in activity, such as when subjects walk on a treadmill and subsequently move to a sitting position.
Omni-channel retailing research – state of the art and intellectual foundation
Authors: Galipoglu Erdem , Kotzab Herbert , Teller Christoph , Yumurtaci Hüseyinoglu Isik Özge , Pöppelbuß Jens 
Published: February 2018

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is twofold: to identify, evaluate and structure the research that focusses on omni-channel retailing from the perspective of logistics and supply chain management; and to reveal the intellectual foundation of omni-channel retailing research.Design/methodology/approachThe paper applies a multi-method approach by conducting a content-analysis-based literature review of 70 academic papers. Based on the reference lists of these papers, the authors performed a citation and co-citation analysis based on the 34 most frequently cited papers. This analysis included multidimensional scaling, a cluster analysis and factor analysis.FindingsThe study reveals the limited consideration of logistics and supply chain management literature in the foundation of the omni-channel retailing research. Further, the authors see a dominance of empirical research as compared to conceptual and analytical research. Overall, there is a focus on the Western retail context in this research field. The intellectual foundation is embedded in the marketing discipline and can be characterised as lacking a robust theoretical foundation.Originality/valueThe contribution of this research is identifying, evaluating and structuring the literature of omni-channel research and providing an overview of the state of the art of this research area considering its interdisciplinary nature. This paper thus supports researchers looking to holistically comprehend, prioritise and use the underpinning literature central to the phenomena of omni-channel retailing. For practitioners and academics alike, the findings can trigger and support future research and an evolving understanding of omni-channel retailing.
Improving FM task efficiency through BIM: a proposal for BIM implementation
Authors: Carbonari Giulia , Stravoravdis Spyridon , Gausden Christine 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
The purpose of the presented research is to investigate which tasks among the ones performed during a buildings’ operational phase are perceived to be more inefficient and to investigate if the information within a building information model (BIM) can help improve task efficiency.

Design/methodology/approach
The Digital Built Britain (BIM Level 3) aims to extend BIM into operation by promoting a life cycle approach for buildings through an integrated digital environment. Nevertheless, the main focus of both BIM Level 2 and Level 3 is mainly on design, construction and hand over; therefore, the current understanding and use of BIM for a buildings’ occupancy phase is still limited. Current literature and research focusing on BIM and building management show only marginal use of the technology, especially in terms of how BIM can be used beside for maintenance.

Findings
The paper presents the results of an online questionnaire survey aimed to ascertain the level of perceived inefficiencies of operational tasks. Through the analysis of Industry Foundation Classes (IFC) data models, the research identifies the data set needed to improve the efficiency of the tasks and presents a structured implementation plan to identify the information that should be prioritized in the model implementation.

Originality/value
The study presents part of a methodology developed by the author aimed to implement a BIM model for existing buildings including information that would support the management of the single facility/portfolio. While other studies have considered BIM and the operational phase, especially in relation to asset maintenance, this study has focused on understanding how the information included in the model can improve task efficiency.
The effectiveness of physical office environments for employee outcomes
Authors: Appel-Meulenbroek Rianne , Clippard Maria , Pfnür Andreas 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
This study aims at understanding academic practice in the field of physical office environment research and providing recommendations for further enhancement of the field. It shows which effects of the physical office environment on employee outcomes are studied by which disciplines, and which methodologies are used by whom and on which variables. Existing gaps in research that are confirmed by these analyses are discussed and “assigned” to obvious, best suited combinations of future multi-disciplinary research projects to call for studies that would help practice in better decision-making.

Design/methodology/approach
After a systematic search and selection of studies, an exploratory analysis of 134 empirical studies from 50 different journals (and other sources) was performed. The selected studies were entered into a database with information on the empirical parameters of the study, the methodology and author information. From this database, cross-tables were built and tested with Canonical Correspondence analyses.

Findings
Results of the analyses showed that each discipline has its preferred topics and methods of research. In general, questionnaires are preferred over hard data from physical and physiological recordings. Still many important gaps exist in fully clarifying workplace effectiveness. This paper suggests which disciplines would be capable of taking up which challenges in future studies through interdisciplinary cooperation to further advance the field and corporate real estate management/FM in practice.

Originality/value
The Correspondence analyses not only confirmed important gaps for future research but also identified which disciplines would be best suited to take up these challenges.
Application of constraint infeasibility detection methods in engineering design problems
Authors: Khorshid Emad , Alfadli Abdulaziz , Falah Abdulazim 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present numerical experimentation of three constraint detection methods to explore their main features and drawbacks in infeasibility detection during the design process.

Design/methodology/approach
Three detection methods (deletion filter, additive method and elasticity method) are used to find the minimum intractable subsystem of constraints in conflict. These methods are tested with four enhanced NLP solvers (sequential quadratic program, multi-start sequential quadratic programing, global optimization solver and genetic algorithm method).

Findings
The additive filtering method with both the multistart sequential quadratic programming and the genetic algorithm solvers is the most efficient method in terms of computation time and accuracy of detecting infeasibility. Meanwhile, the elasticity method has the worst performance.

Research limitations/implications
The research has been carried out for only inequality constraints and continuous design variables. This research work could be extended to develop computer-aided graphical user interface with the capability of including equality constraints and discrete variables.

Practical implications
These proposed methods have great potential for finding and guiding the designer to detect the infeasibility for ill-posed complex design problems.

Originality/value
The application of the proposed infeasibility detection methods with their four enhanced solvers on several mechanical design problems reduces the number of constraints to be checked from full set to a much smaller subset.
Unsteady state of a solar chimney power plant accoupled with a turbine: case study
Authors: Ayadi Ahmed , Nasraoui Haythem , Driss Zied , Bouabidi Abdallah , Abid Mohamed Salah 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study a solar thermal system. Solar chimney power plants (SCPPs) produce electrical energy and thermal heat from solar radiation. The thermal study of SCPPs is required, as these solar systems are characterized by high costs.

Design/methodology/approach
This study presents a numerical study of unsteady airflow characteristics inside an SCPP. In fact, the generated power of the SCPP depends on environmental conditions. To validate this study, a solar prototype is built in the National School of Engineers of Sfax, University of Sfax, Tunisia, North Africa. The system is mainly composed by a collector, an absorber, a chimney and a turbine. The collector diameter is 2750 mm, the collector roof height is 50 mm, the chimney height is 3,000 mm and the turbine diameter is 150 mm.

Findings
The local characteristics of the air flow are presented and analyzed, such as the distribution of the temperature, the magnitude velocity and the total pressure. Analysis confirms that ambient air temperature and solar radiation are important environmental variables for the improvement of solar chimney efficiency.

Originality/value
Although much work has been done to date, it has been noted that the most published works have presented the profiles of air velocity and air temperature in a specific position within the solar setup. However, these profiles could sometimes be misinterpreted. In fact, some researchers did not focus on the distribution of air temperature, air velocity and pressure. These parameters are important to optimize the solar system. Indeed, the most published works deal with a larger prototype, such as the Manzanares prototype. However, it has not found connections between larger and small prototypes of SCPP.
Antecedents of building information modelling adoption among quantity surveyors in Ghana
Authors: Addy Michael , Adinyira Emmanuel , Ayarkwa Joshua 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to empirically study the factors that facilitate adoption of building information modelling (BIM) among quantity surveyors (QSs) using the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT).

Design/methodology/approach
Using a quantitative approach, factors identified in the UTAUT are examined. The empirical investigation has been conducted using survey questionnaire. The data set has been obtained from 73 practicing QSs in Ghana.

Findings
The results indicated a significant positive impact of effort expectancy, facilitation conditions and hedonic motivation towards BIM adoption. Surprisingly social influence and performance expectancy have a negative impact on BIM adoption.

Practical implications
The structures uncovered in the study show that not all UTAUT factors are applicable within the study area. The findings provide a good backdrop in the development of policy and a roadmap for BIM implementation in Ghana.

Originality/value
The original contribution and value of the paper is the use of UTAUT2 to provide empirical evidence on factors that facilitate BIM adoption in Ghana amongst QSs.
Financial performance of locally owned construction firms in southwestern Nigeria
Authors: Oladimeji Olubimbola , Aina Omotayo Olugbenga 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
This paper aims to appraise a decade (2004-2013) of annual financial statements of 58 locally owned construction firms’ (LOCOFs’) financial statements on turnover, fixed assets, gross profit and after-tax profit to assess their financial performance in the Nigerian construction industry. It serves as a check on firms’ financial performance, analysis and benchmarking of LOCOFs’ financial statement values to assess firms’ financial health and psychosocial environment.

Design/methodology/approach
A purposively sampled frame of 580 LOCOFs’ financial values (turnover, fixed asset and gross profit) from 212 turnover, 207 fixed assets, 184 gross profit and 217 after-tax profit data points was obtained. Firms’ capacities were obtained by categorisation, industrial average median was obtained and a regression analysis was used to describe the relationship and test of significance of the variables. A review of the possible effect of the research findings on LOCOFs’ psychosocial environment was undertaken.

Findings
Most LOCOFs were categorised as micro scale construction contracting business enterprises. LOCOFs’ financial performance was less than the performance of similar construction firm types and profits were not necessarily influenced by the cost of its investments on fixed asset but rather on firms’ turnover.

Research limitations/implications
A limitation of this study is the paucity of financial data because of poor information access and storage.

Practical implications
The paper recommends more funding of infrastructural developmental projects and better patronage of LOCOFs which will positively influence firms’ turnover, profit and the psychosocial well-being of organisation and personnel.

Originality/value
This paper fulfils an identified need to periodically assess LOCOFs’ financial values so as to appraise financial performance and its possible effect on firms’ psychosocial environment.
Becoming collaborative: a study of intra-organisational relational dynamics
Authors: Grove Eloise , Dainty Andrew , Thomson Derek , Thorpe Tony 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
The intra-organisational relationships of through-life support services providers are complex, especially given the multifaceted nature of the provision required. For example, capabilities within the UK highways maintenance arena must support engineering design, routine maintenance and the on-going management of the network. While collaboration in construction projects has formed a major research focus in recent years, there is a paucity of work examining collaboration in-flight.

Design/methodology/approach
Through a micro-practices approach, two contracts delivering highway infrastructure maintenance and renewal services are examined to explore the intra-organisational relationships that determine the quality of service delivered.

Findings
Despite the rhetoric of collaboration and integrated working that pervades the contemporary project discourse, there was a clear focus on addressing immediate technical and commercial concerns, rather than on creating the conditions for integrated working to flourish. On the occasions where the collaborative environment was prioritised, a more integrated service was delivered.

Originality/value
In contrast to other accounts of the ways collaborative working shapes performance, this research reveals an acute need for a sustained collaborative effort; as soon as “collaborative working” was normalised, the level of integration and seamlessness of service was diminished. This questions normative notions of what defines collaborative working in projects and suggests a need for re-framing it as an on-going accomplishment of actors involved. Such a perspective resonates with notions of “organizational becoming”, particularly in that attempts to foster collaboration are themselves constitutive of the unfolding and shifting nature of intra-organisational relationships that emerge in complex contractual arrangements.
Introduction of a new metric “Project Health Index” (PHI) to successfully manage IT projects
Authors: Rajagopalan Jayaraman , Srivastava Praveen Kumar 
Published: February 2018

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a new comprehensive metric to successfully plan and execute IT projects. The development will be based on a study of all the variables that go into making a successful IT project.

Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire, containing qualitative and quantitative response questions, to gather data from practicing project managers is designed and used in an IT company. Cronbach’s alpha is used to analyze the data and multiple regression is used to find the equation relating project success to project management success.

Findings
A comprehensive variable called Project Health Index (PHI) has been identified. Using this variable, one can predict whether a project is likely to succeed or not. This comprehensive, composite variable is calculated by using 17 other project-related metrics identified from the responses to the questionnaire.

Research limitations/implications
The PHI has been calculated for the company studied. However, more studies need to be performed before it can be established that the PHI can also be used in other companies and projects. What has been established and validated is that PHI can be used in the studied company and that the methodology to calculate PHI is valid.

Practical implications
The PHI can be used as a predictive variable, i.e. one that can be used to take corrective and preventive actions to make a project successful. The PHI can also be used to allocate resources, prioritize the allocation and improve project management during the course of project execution.

Social implications
By implementing projects efficiently, resource utilisation increases and leads to waste avoidance. Improved sustainability is the end result.

Originality/value
The work is original. The contents and the conclusions drawn, as well as the use of the PHI will enable IT companies to implement projects efficiently, reduce cost and enhance profit.