bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An evaluation of risk factors impacting construction projects in Ghana
Authors: Chileshe Nicholas , Boadua Yirenkyi‐Fianko Adwoa 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify and assess the likelihood of occurrence and degree of impact of the risk factors on construction projects within the Ghanaian construction industry.Design/methodology/approachA survey of randomly selected samples yielded responses from 34 contractors, 46 consultants, and 23 clients or owners (private and public) within the Ghanaian construction industry. Literature review is used to identify 25 relevant risk variables which were grouped into ten composite factors and then incorporated into the design of the survey instrument. Survey response data were subjected to descriptive statistics and analysis of variance (ANOVA), and subsequently the exposure rating levels were determined, which enabled the categorisation of the probability‐impact scores in low, medium and high levels.FindingsResults of this study indicate a disparity of the ranking of the degree of occurrence and impact among the groups. There was a statistical difference at the p<0.05 level significant for five out of 25 risk factors occurrences as follows: “construction methods”, “inflation”, “weather condition”, “ground conditions and contaminant conditions” and “poor communication amongst project team” and only one for the degree of impact scores for “price fluctuation”. Based on the composite risk factors, the financial and economic factors were found to be the most likely to occur and have the most impact on projects, whereas legal risk factor was found to be a low weighted risk, as it had the least likelihood to occur and the least impact score. The post hoc comparisons using the Tukey HSD test also indicated differences between the contractor and clients in the ranking of construction methods risk variable, but no significant differences between contractors/consultants and clients/consultants.Research limitations/implicationsGeographically, only respondents from construction organisations in the Greater Accra Region were considered, which limits generalization of the findings. The research did not also distinguish foreign from local contractors in the classification, as literature has shown that the perception of the degree of impact and likelihood of occurrence of risk analysis could also vary according to the degree of ownership.Originality/valueThe paper makes a contribution by exploring the degree of risk occurrence and its impact on construction projects within a developing economy and much lesser studied context. The paper provides insights on the perception of risk among construction professions in Ghana and it also provides some insights on the current levels of risk for foreign contractors wishing to operate in Ghana.
Low cost I‐V system employing variable power supply unit as an electronic load
Authors: Simon M. , Meyer E.L. 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to design and construct a low‐cost current‐voltage tester, bearing in mind the short falls of the existing testers and the ever‐increasing price of the testers currently on the market. The I‐V tracer presented in this paper uses a variable external power supply unit (PSU) as the load, in order to obtain the entire operating range of a PV module from open circuit through maximum power to short circuit condition.Design/methodology/approachThe I‐V tracer presented in this paper was divided into three main sections, mainly the data acquisition system (DAS), which comprises an A/D computer card, temperature card, electromechanical relays, current and voltage transducers, aluminum housed resistors and power MOSFETS, the variable load (programmable variable PSU) and finally the signal processing unit. These components were integrated and finally interfaced to a PC.FindingsThe results obtained using this system compared with the capacitive tester show a low percentage difference of <1 from the comparative I‐V curves measured. The results measured by the PSU tester are also of high accuracy. The findings also demonstrated the fact that most of the components found in most university laboratories can be used to build the PSU tester and still obtain highly accurate results.Research limitations/implicationsSince some components are semiconductors, which have a limited lifetime, they need to be changed if they fail. Mostly the MOSFETS should be replaced when no switching signal is sent.Practical implicationsThis low‐cost PSU tester is suitable for researchers in disadvantaged institutions whose research capabilities are limited due to the high cost of this equipment.Originality/valueThe PSU tester uses a variable power supply as the load to measure PV module I‐V curves. The system is capable of measuring up to eight modules at the same time, making it possible to analyze PV modules within the same time frame.
Optimization of curved roof surface design using GA
Authors: Li Heng , Guo H.L. , Kong S.C.W. , Chen Zhen 
Published: September 2012

PurposeDue to the increasing complexity of curved roof surface design and the inadequate optimisation algorithms in design software, the optimisation of curved roof surface design needs to be studied further. The purpose of this paper is to develop an alternative approach to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of curved roof surface design of buildings.Design/methodology/approachTo achieve the purpose, an optimisation method/tool is developed through reviewing the application of CATIA and integrating genetic algorithm with CATIA; and the effectiveness to perform the GA‐based optimisation method is demonstrated by using a real‐life case study. Furthermore, a comparison among different optimisation algorithms currently available in the CATIA system is conducted.FindingsThrough the case study and the comparison, it is found that the GA‐based method can improve the performance of optimisation for curved roof surface design in the CATIA system; however, further research work is required for the best global optimisation result.Originality/valueThe paper proposes an optimisation method for curved roof surface design through integrating genetic algorithm with CATIA. This method improves the current method of curved roof surface design.
Facebook versus television: advertising value perceptions among females
Authors: Logan Kelty , Bright Laura F. , Gangadharbatla Harsha 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to compare female students' perceptions of the value of advertising on social network sites (SNSs) to their perceptions of the value of television advertising.Design/methodology/approachAn online questionnaire was fielded among students from three major universities in the USA, as well as SNSs (Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter). The final sample (n=259) was comprised of female students who had used social media and television during the past month. The authors developed two structural equation models using Amos 18 statistical software.FindingsThe analysis indicated that Ducoffe's Ad Value model does not provide a good fit for assessing advertising value in social media or television. While Irritation was a factor in assessing Attitude toward advertising, the respondents assessed ad value on the basis of Entertainment (higher for social media) and Informativeness (higher for television).Research limitations/implicationsIn examining the relative importance of each component of Ducoffe's model, it is clear that Entertainment and Informativeness play key roles in assessing advertising value for both traditional (television) and non‐traditional media (SNSs). While Irritation did not play a significant role in value assessment, it was found to directly impact attitude towards advertising, a critical juncture in the consumer purchase cycle.Practical implicationsIf practitioners seek to interact via SNSs with young female consumers they should focus on providing entertaining content in a format that makes brand engagement seamless while not impeding goals.Originality/valueThis initial investigation provides the impetus for future research about consumers' perceptions of advertising value across all SNSs, in comparison to their traditional counterparts.
Who are the users of mobile coupons? A profile of US consumers
Authors: Im Hyunjoo , Ha Young 
Published: September 2012

PurposeMobile coupons are a new form of marketing that is expected to grow in the near future. The purpose of this paper is to understand mobile coupon adoptions among US consumers. The study identifies adopter categories based on personal innovativeness and further investigates the characteristics that distinguish identified adopter categories.Design/methodology/approachBased on innovation diffusion theory and technology acceptance model, consumers are clustered to adopter categories. The distinctiveness of adopter categories in terms of perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitude, behavioral intention, and actual use of mobile coupons were investigated. Determinants of adoption decision were compared among adopter categories. A cluster analysis, Kruskal‐Wallis tests, and regression analyses were performed.FindingsAn online survey of 611 US consumers confirmed the viability of consumer adopter categories. Perceived usefulness, attitudes and behavioral intentions were significantly different across adopter categories while perceived ease of use was not. Adopter categories have different antecedents that determine mobile coupon adoption.Research limitations/implicationsThe current study contributes to the literature of diffusion of innovation and consumer segmentation by identifying four consumer adopter groups with PIIT (Personal Innovativeness in the domain of Information Technology).Practical implicationsThe study presented a snapshot of mobile coupon usage in the USA. By distinguishing the adopter categories and their characteristics, the study provides important practical implications for mobile marketers to tailor mobile marketing strategies to different adopter categories.Originality/valueThe current study fill the gap in the literature by investigating the current status of mobile coupon adoption in the USA, identifying adopter categories, and comparing the behaviors, beliefs, and attitudes related to mobile coupon adoption across the adopter categories.
UCLAForum.com – ICT and ICC OTP case study
Authors: Steinberg Richard H. , Werby Olga , Werby Christopher 
Published: September 2012

PurposeUCLAForum.com is a co‐operative venture between the UCLA Sanela Diana Jenkins Human Rights Project and the International Criminal Court Office of the Prosecutor (ICC OTP). The main purpose of the forum is to create an opportunity for the greater legal community to engage in a dialogue covering topics of special interest to the Prosecutor. The purpose of this paper is to document the process of developing this unique resource in the form of a case study.Design/methodology/approachThis study provides the history of the project, web‐use statistics, structural details that shed light on the use of information communication technology (ICT) within a complex partnership of UCLA School of Law and ICC OTP, and provides a summary of the outcome to date.FindingsThere have been six debates to date. Individuals from 190 countries speaking 90 languages have visited the forum and almost 280,000 words have been written on the Forum since its launch in September 2010.Social implicationsUCLAForum.com is the only place on the internet where an average online citizen has access to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court by simply posting his or her opinion on the Forum.Originality/valueUCLAForum.com is a unique use of ICT to explore issues of interest to the Prosecutor of the ICC. It provides a place where these issues get highlighted. It presents the relevant legal landscape with the framing of the issue and the invited experts, in addition to the public debate. The Forum provides visibility to OTP policy decisions. It gives voice to the public and creates a community of interested parties around each issue. And it vets each issue in a defined time span, making it a useful resource prior to its ripening before the ICC.
Arthur Stinchcombe's “liability of newness”: contribution and impact of the construct
Authors: Abatecola Gianpaolo , Cafferata Roberto , Poggesi Sara 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThis conceptual paper aims at providing the readers of theJournal of Management Historywith an evaluation of the overall impact of Arthur Stinchcombe's liability of newness construct on the management literature about organizational evolution over time.Design/methodology/approachThe paper adopts an historical approach for discussing the development of those theoretical and empirical trajectories which, drawing on Stinchcombe's seminal underpinnings, have been developed by scholars over the second half of the twentieth century. The most recent enhancements on this topic are also discussed.FindingsThe analysis demonstrates that the impact of the liability of newness on the related literature is great and twofold. On the one hand, it emerges that this concept has directly inspired a number of subsequently formulated constructs, such as the liabilities of smallness, adolescence and aging. On the other hand, it is evidenced that Stinchcombe's seminal insights still constitute one of the most fascinating bases for directing and positioning scholarly efforts within the organizational evolution research domain to date.Originality/valueThe value of this paper is that it adopts a unique way for examining the development of a number of theoretical frameworks and empirical inquiries variously associated with the liability of newness over time. Three time decades are historically identified and the links among them are deepened.
Energy efficiency rating systems for housing: an Australian perspective
Authors: Hurst Neville 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine current trends in energy efficiency ratings and consider their likely impact on the Australian housing market.Design/methodology/approachThe research is yet to be conducted; however a mixed method is proposed which is grounded on the theoretical model of consumer behaviour within housing markets. This model has been tested and demonstrated to be useful in predicting buyer behaviour.FindingsEstablished theories of buyer perception indicate the introduction of energy efficiency rating systems will have an effect on the level of house prices.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is focussed on housing in Australia but also has implications for other global housing markets which are addressing sustainability.Practical implicationsOutputs of this research have implications for policy makers, real estate agents and valuers.Social implicationsIncreasing energy costs is likely to restructure the way housing markets operate with regard to sustainability and energy efficiency rating systems and also how they are understood.Originality/valueThis research will be in the Australian context utilising international modeling. As mandatory energy efficiency ratings have not been introduced, this research will be original.
Unraveling the complexity of “city brand equity”: a three‐dimensional framework
Authors: Lucarelli Andrea 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to offer a framework for the analysis and evaluation of city brands equity that is firmly anchored to the interdisciplinary characteristics of the city branding research domain.Design/methodology/approachThe study builds upon a database of 217 articles dealing with the phenomena of city branding retrieved from Lucarelli and Berg.FindingsCity brands are understood by different scholars as being characterized by both intangible and tangible elements, properly researched adopting a mixture of different methods and endowing certain type of outcomes that concern both the more directly related image and identity of the city as well, to a larger extent, the socio‐political and economical aspects.Research limitations/implicationsThe study is based only on published English articles in the last 20 years.Originality/valueThe present paper suggests a framework that is based on the individualization of diverse city brand elements and the relations those have with the reported impact and the methodologies applied to reach this purpose. The framework can be used for both analyzing city brand equity research and practices. The paper contributes to the emerging field of city branding by offering a city brand equity framework that goes beyond the previous attempt in its interdisciplinary breath.
Place brand equity: a model for establishing the effectiveness of place brands
Authors: Jacobsen Björn P. 
Published: September 2012

PurposePlaces in competition for inward investment increasingly apply place brands to address their target groups, often being unable to adequately establish the effectiveness of this approach. Based on theoretically derived components and structures an empirically validated model – the investor‐based place brand equity model (IPE) – is presented. Using the example of North European creative industries investments in Germany, the purpose of this paper is to illustrate the application of the model in establishing the effectiveness of place brands. This is preformed with the German place brand “Lübeck” as the illustrative case.Design/methodology/approachTheoretically derived model components and structures to establish the effectiveness of place brands from an investor perspective are tested empirically. This empirical test encompasses primary data from 101 North European creative industries investors in Germany (31 percent of total population).FindingsThe effectiveness of place brands in influencing the behaviour of inward investors can be established by identifying and applying suitable place brand attributes and place brand benefits. While place brand attributes assist the operational place brand management, place brand benefits support strategic decisions to be taken by place brand managers.Research limitations/implicationsThe model is limited to establish the effectiveness of place brands from the investor's point of view. If this approach can be related to the costs of implementation, the model can be extended to assess the efficiency. Within the context of this research, establishing the effectiveness is considered to be the only reliable approach for the time being since the costs of the place branding activities can usually not be delimited from economic development budgets. The model has not yet been considered for other target groups (e.g. tourists, residents).Originality/valueSo far this area of research has been approached by case studies. Considering this limited research basis, this paper aims at developing a generic approach to identify and validate those components and structures which can increase the effectiveness of place brands from an investor's perspective.
GDP and beyond: towards new measures of sustainability based on Catholic social thought
Authors: Aguado Ricardo , Martinez Jabier 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the suitability of using gross domestic product (GDP) as a proper indicator for sustainability in a given national economy and to identify the main features that a proper measure of sustainability (composed by a set of indicators) should incorporate. After showing the inconveniences of using GDP as an indicator of sustainability for national economies, the authors aim to present complementary indicators to GDP per capita to do this task. They also aim to calculate and discuss the efficiency of OECD countries in terms of achieving sustainable development.Design/methodology/approachA theoretical framework is proposed based on recent economic studies about sustainability and also on the principles of Catholic social thought. Once complementary indicators to GDP in order to measure sustainability have been proposed, the econometric method data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to perform an efficiency analysis of the three dimensions of sustainability (social, economic and environmental).FindingsGDP alone is not a proper indicator of sustainability for national economies. Relevant economic literature and also specific documents from Catholic social thought can help when identifying complementary indicators to GDP in order to assess sustainability. Developed economies are able to be efficient in achieving the three dimensions of sustainability at the same time.Research limitations/implicationsThe three dimensions of sustainability considered in this paper are the fundamental ones, and can be complemented with new ones. A comparison with other sustainability indices could bring new insights for further research.Originality/valueIn this paper the authors combine recent economic literature with Papal encyclicals and documents from the General Congregations of the Society of Jesus, in order to provide a comprehensive set of indicators to measure sustainability. A DEA analysis has been carried out to calculate efficiency in achieving sustainability for OECD countries.
On the non‐financial information's significance in the business failure models
Authors: Mures‐Quintana Maria‐Jesús , García‐Gallego Ana 
Published: September 2012

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to focus on the development of a business failure prediction model on a sample of small and medium‐sized firms with head offices located in the region of Castilla y León (Spain), in order to prove the significance of non‐financial information on the prediction of business failure.Design/methodology/approachIn order to reach the authors' aim, one of the most used predictive statistical methods in this field (logistic regression) is applied, in which the authors consider financial ratios and non‐financial information as potential variables to predict failure. But before developing the respective models, in order to reduce the number of variables, a principal components analysis (PCA) is first applied. Then, the achieved results with this analysis are used in the prediction step, so as to estimate the models.FindingsThe results of the predictive method show that non‐financial information, which becomes significant in the developed models, helps financial ratios to improve the ability to predict failure, so any business failure model should also consider both types of information to be accurate.Originality/valueMost of the developed business failure prediction models have used a paired sample with the same number of failed and non‐failed firms, which has the drawback of not being representative of the population from which it is chosen. In order to obtain a representative sample, a random sampling method is applied, on the basis of the population size and composition. The selected sample assures that parameter estimates are not inconsistent and biased, as the statistical methods assume.