bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
REIT excess dividend and information asymmetry: evidence with taxable income
Authors: Lee Ming‐Te , Chiu Bang‐Han , Lee Ming‐Long , Chiang Kevin C.H. , Carlos Slawson V. 
Published: April 2010

PurposeUS real estate investment trusts (REITs) typically distribute more dividends than required by tax regulations. This paper aims to focus on discretionary dividends, and examines the impact of information asymmetry on this excess component of dividends.Design/methodology/approachThis paper considers a set of US REITs with reported taxable income figures over the 2000‐2007 period, and employs regression analysis to examine the influence of information asymmetry on the excess component of dividends. The explained variable is specified as excess dividends scaled by total assets. Excess dividends are dividends paid over the mandatory dividend payments calculated with taxable income, instead before‐tax net income. Following the REIT studies of Hardin and Hill and Han, this study employs TobinQas the proxy for asymmetric information.FindingsContrary to Hardin and Hill's conclusion, but consistent with dividend signaling theory as well as agency cost explanations, the results indicate that REITs with higher level of asymmetric information pay out significantly more excess dividends. Nevertheless, in contrast to Deshmukh's study on manufacturing firms, the REIT results are against the prediction of the pecking order theory.Originality/valueThe paper is one of the few studies that explicitly examine the factors influencing REIT decision on discretionary dividends. Contrast to previous studies, this study is able to obtain taxable income and compute the discretionary dividends more accurately. Furthermore this paper is able to provide evidence against the pecking order theory, which is not investigated in the existing REIT dividend studies.
The impact of market conditions using appraisal models
Authors: Brotman Billie Ann 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe paper aims to generate estimates of appraised value using two present value appraisal models. Financing for a commercial property is contingent on an appraiser estimate of value. The paper seeks to address the issue of which approach generally provides more conservative estimates‐of‐value.Design/methodology/approachThe Comparative‐Income Growth Model and Mortgage‐Equity Capitalization models are presented and discussed. Estimates of return to equity while holding the lending rate constant are calculated. This analysis is followed by a mathematical side‐by‐side comparison of the value estimated generated by the respective models.FindingsDepending on the discount rate selected using a fixed lending rate the models yielded comparatively higher, the same or lower estimates of value for a hypothetical commercial property. The mortgage‐equity capitalization model yielded significantly high estimates of value at lower discount rates, but at higher discount rates, the comparative‐income approach estimates were comparatively higher.Original/valueA systematic comparison of the appraised values yielded by these two income models has not previously been undertaken in research literature. Explicitly indicating the underlying‐return on equity assumptions for given discount rate has not previously been shown.
Simple solutions to complex issues in the built environment
Authors: Sharp Mark 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThis paper purports that a holistic approach needs to be adopted in order to ensure that effective solutions can be found to enable the environment that we build is fit for purpose.Design/methodology/approachThis paper introduces complexity theory within the context of the built environment, and investigates several existing and assumed problems (e.g. socio‐technical‐economic) using this approach in order to develop new solutions and garner deeper understanding.FindingsMany of the problems that we readily identify with are simply put down to fragmentation or the “nature of the industry”; complexity theory, however, offers the possibility of “how” to change.Originality/valueThe real value of this paper is to provide readers with an alternative approach to conventional problems. This innovative approach aims to quantify why problems exist and how they can be addressed.
Client perceived barriers to change of the construction process
Authors: Vennström Anders , Erik Eriksson Per 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify client‐perceived barriers to a change towards increased client influence on the end result of the construction process. Additionally, the variables of size of clients' markets and the extent of external project management are investigated in order to see how they influence the perceptions concerning important barriers to change.Design/methodology/approachEmpirical data were collected through a survey responded to by 87 Swedish construction clients.FindingsIdentified barriers are divided into three types: attitudinal, industrial and institutional. Attitudinal barriers (adversarial attitudes, lack of ethics and morality, focus on projects instead of processes and a short‐term focus) and industrial barriers (traditional organization of the construction process, conservative industry culture, industry structure and traditional production processes) are perceived to be important, whereas institutional barriers (standard contracts, laws and traditional procurement procedures) are not perceived to be critical. Each different type of barrier is tested against the use of internal or external project management and the sphere of activity of the client. Attitudinal barriers are perceived as being more critical by clients using external project management. “Nearness” in terms of the sphere of activity (e.g. how large is the client's market?) also has an effect on how clients perceive the barriers. Locally, active clients do not consider attitudinal barriers to be as influential on the end result of the construction process as nationally active clients.Research limitations/implicationsSince the empirical results are based on data collected only from Swedish clients, international generalizations should be made with caution.Practical implicationsClients wishing to act as change agents need to be aware that their use of internal versus external project management affects their chances to influence the other construction actors and implement change and innovation. Large national and international client organizations, which due to their size have significant opportunities to influence the industry, rely heavily on external project management, which may hamper their change agent role. Hence, such clients should make careful and purposeful selections of project management companies. Another more influential alternative is to strengthen their organisation and rely less on external project management.Originality/valueThis paper presents a unique investigation of the connections between the use of internal/external project management and perceived barriers to change.
An empirical test of causal relationships of factors affecting ICT adoption for building project management
Authors: Ahuja Vanita , Yang Jay , Skitmore Martin , Shankar Ravi 
Published: April 2010

PurposeBuilding project management (BPM) requires effective coordination and collaboration between multiple project team organisations which can be achieved by real time information flow between all participants. In the present scenario, this can be achieved by the use of information communication technologies (ICT). The purpose of this paper is to present part of a research project conducted to study the causal relationships between factors affecting ICT adoption for BPM by small and medium enterprises.Design/methodology/approachThis paper discusses structural equation modelling (SEM) analysis conducted to test the causal relationships between quantitative factors. Data for quantitative analysis were gathered through a questionnaire survey conducted in the Indian construction industry.FindingsSEM analysis results help in demonstrating that an increased and matured use of ICT for general administration within the organisation would lead to: an improved ICT infrastructure within the organisation; development of electronic databases; and a staff that is confident of using information technology (IT) tools. In such a scenario, staff would use advanced software and IT technologies for project management (PM) processes and that would lead to an increased adoption of ICT for PM processes. But, for general administration also, ICT adoption would be enhanced if the organisation is interacting more with geographically separated agencies and senior management perceives that significant benefits would accrue by adoption of ICT. All the factors are inter‐related and their effect cannot be maximized in isolation.Originality/valueThe results provide direction to building project managers for strategically adopting the effective use of ICT within their organisations and for BPM in general.
Offsite production in the UK: the way forward? A UK construction industry perspective
Authors: Nadim Wafaa , Goulding Jack S. 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report on findings from the first stage of an ongoing research with regard to the UK construction industry's perception of offsite production (OSP) adoption/uptake, in an attempt to inform the second stage of the research (not reported in this paper) to infer the skills/knowledge areas needed for the wider uptake of OSP.Design/methodology/approachThe objective of this paper was to capture the UK construction industry's perception vis‐à‐vis OSP characteristics using a quantitative approach. Postal surveys were employed to collect industry perception which was then analysed statistically for inference and conclusion.FindingsFindings from 36 large construction organisations suggest that irrespective of respondents' organisations prime activity or professions, the majority of respondents perceive OSP to be the future of the UK construction industry; with a considerable belief that the industry is ready to embrace OSP. Nevertheless, the industry do not seem to fully appreciate OSP, which is implied by the uncertainty recorded in most of the responses.Research limitations/implicationsWhilst the data validity and sample set coherence can be considered robust and defendable, it should be acknowledged that care needs to be taken when interpreting results, especially as the data collected depended heavily on the survey approach. Furthermore, these findings are limited to the UK context only, as such, the level of generalisability/repeatability outside this context may not be representative of the findings presented here.Originality/valueOSP falls under the overarching umbrella of modern methods of construction, which is high on the UK Government Agenda. OSP has attracted numerous research over the last decades; however, there is limited literature to quantify industry perception in this regard, especially to enable the inference and prioritisation of skills and knowledge areas needed to support the wider uptake of OSP (not reported in this paper).
Value management awareness and practice by South African architects: an empirical study
Authors: Bowen Paul , Jay Ian , Cattell Keith , Edwards Peter 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate value management (VM) practice by professional architects in South Africa. A primary aim is to test the assertion of Kelly et al. that VM has “evolved to become an established service with commonly understood tools, techniques and styles.”Design/methodology/approachA web‐based, online questionnaire survey was employed to establish VM practice by South African registered architects. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse the survey response data.FindingsThe results suggest that awareness of VM is not widespread among South African architects, and that its actual practice is minimal. Where VM was used on projects, it was invariably cost‐minimization driven in terms of both the project and the VM process itself. These findings are in direct conflict with the assertion of Kelly et al. There is also a mismatch between clients' value system key performance variables and objectives defined for VM studies. Use of VM for project brief facilitation is not widespread, and the integration of VM with risk and quality management systems is not pervasive. Where VM was undertaken, no attempt is made to benchmark VM activities against international standards.Practical implicationsProfessional architectural associations in South Africa should adopt a proactive role in promoting the use of VM by architects; facilitated by continuing professional development programmes.Originality/valueThe originality of the research lies in determining the nature of, and extent to which, architects in South Africa practice VM.
Empirical study of the current United States facilities management profession
Authors: Sullivan Kenneth , Georgoulis Stephen W. , Lines Brian 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to verify pre‐existing perceptions of the facilities management (FM) industry through the collection of empirical evidence that establishes the current state of the profession. Data collected will identify the major challenges facing the FM industry, and will be used in the development of proposed academic programs to address these challenges.Design/methodology/approachTwo online surveys of facilities managers on the national and local scale were used to produce a quantifiable description of the profession and its deficiencies. These surveys also focused on obtaining data to aid in the development of formal academic programs to train future facilities managers and measured the willingness of industry representatives to support the proposed academic programs.FindingsResults indicate that there is an insufficient number of facilities managers entering the field to account for the high rate of attrition that will occur in the next ten to 15 years. The main reason for the lack in new facilities managers is the severely limited number of formal academic programs that specifically educate students in FM.Originality/valueResults of this paper are valuable in that they quantified the main challenges facing the profession as well as the willingness of the US FM industry to support and recruit from proposed undergraduate programs. Collected data are also used to develop a specific undergraduate curriculum to educate students in the core skills needed to become successful facilities managers.
Key competences of design‐build clients in China
Authors: Xia Bo , Chan Albert P.C. 
Published: April 2010

PurposeDesign‐build (DB) clients play a vital role in the delivery of DB system and the clients' competences are critical to the success of DB projects. Most of the DB clients, however, remain inexperienced with the DB system. The purpose of this paper is to identify the key competences that DB clients should possess to ensure the success of DB projects in the construction market of China.Design/methodology/approachFive semi‐structured face‐to‐face interviews and two rounds Delphi questionnaire survey were conducted in the construction market of China to identify the key competences of DB clients. Rankings have been assigned to these key competences on the basis of their relative importance.FindingsSix ranked key competences of DB clients have been identified, which are, namely: the ability to clearly define project scope and objectives; financial capacity for the projects; capacity in contract management; adequate staff or consulting team; effective coordination with DB contractors; and experience with similar DB projects. Calculation of Kendall's coefficient of concordance (W) indicates a statistically significant consensus of panel experts on these top six key competences.Practical implicationsClients should clearly understand the competence requirements in DB projects and should assess their DB capability before going for the DB option.Originality/valueThe examination of DB client's key competences will help the client deepen the understanding of the DB system. DB clients can also make use of the research findings as guidelines to improve their DB competence.
Operation and maintenance
Authors: Yik Francis W.H. , Lai Joseph H.K. , Chau C.K. , Lee W.L. , Chan K.T. 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe survey reported here is intended to obtain an understanding of the general public's perception about building services and building services practitioners in Hong Kong.Design/methodology/approachTargeting a sampling error of within ±1 per cent at a confidence level of 95 per cent, a team of six surveyors conducted face‐to‐face interviews with 751 laypersons at places around 11 residential estates.FindingsOver 90 per cent of the general public know the presence of various building services installations in buildings and 12 per cent know that building services is the collective name of such installations. The general public are satisfied with the operability and reliability of building services installations but are just marginally satisfied with their performance at higher levels, such as energy conservation and indoor air quality control.Research limitations/implicationsA paucity of teenagers know about building services, which is a concern to the future development of both the building services profession and the facilities management (FM) industry in Hong Kong. Future work may investigate the situation in other regimes with a similar FM setting and study on how the profession is perceived for buildings with restricted access to the general public. Operation and maintenance personnel of the FM offices, who are approached by most people when problems with building services installations arise, are the key on the perceived image of building services professionals.Originality/valueIn addition to informing higher educational institutes the need to reinforcing promotion of building services engineering to school leavers, the findings can help professional institutions in formulating how the social status of building services engineers may be raised.
Dimensions of usability assessment in built environments
Authors: Rasila Heidi , Rothe Peggie , Kerosuo Heidi 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study the usability dimensions that end‐users utilise when they assess the usability of built environments in Finland.Design/methodology/approachThis study is carried out by utilising directed content analysis. A directed content analysis starts by creating (theoretical) pre‐understanding of possible categories and then goes on to test this pre‐understanding with empirical evidence.FindingsThe findings suggest that the users use 12 different dimensions when they assess the usability of built environments.Practical implicationsUnderstanding the usability dimensions end‐users use in assessing built environments makes it possible to make improvements in existing environments and in creating new environments that suit end‐user needs better.Originality/valueEven though discussion about usability dimensions and user experiences is vast, the existing discussion about usability dimensions in built environments is limited and this paper adds understanding of four “new” dimensions that have not been discussed previously in this particular context.
Applying continuous improvement in public reporting
Authors: Birnbaum David , Van Buren Jude 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThis paper aims to describe the history and growth of mandatory public reporting of healthcare‐associated infection rates and the philosophy and implementation of an evidence‐based total‐quality‐oriented state government program and also to provide critical appraisal of recognized assumptions underlying this movement.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides a narrative review of pertinent evaluation research literature and the authors' own experience.FindingsWashington is one of few states that hired experts in the subject area to develop its new program. It is one of the first exploring optimal ways to validate the rates reported, and one of very few taking evidence‐based approaches to all aspects of program design.Practical implicationsThe work provides a model for less‐developed agencies to follow.Originality/valueThis is a new and unprecedented role for state health departments, but offers opportunities to raise standards of practice through continuous quality improvement approaches with hospital partners while regaining public trust through transparency. Weak evidence supporting fundamental assumptions, and failure of prior approaches, indicate that we must explore new paths rather than follow established ones.
Quality of health care and patient satisfaction
Authors: Camgöz‐Akdağ Hatice , Zineldin Mosad 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe aim of this research is to examine the major factors affecting patients' perception of cumulative satisfaction and to address the question whether patients in Istanbul evaluate quality of health care to be similar or different to that of the Kazakhstani, Egyptian and Jordanian patients.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model including behavioural dimensions of patient‐physician relationships and patient satisfaction has been used for approach. As the empirical research setting, this study concerns people who are or were patients once in Istanbul hospitals.FindingsThe questionnaire was taken from another research regarding Egyptian and Jordanian medical clinics. The same research was also done by the authors in Kazakhstan in 2008. A total of 48 items (attributes) of the newly developed five quality dimensions (5Qs) by the second author were identified to be the most relevant.Practical implicationsThe results of this study can be used by the hospitals to reengineer and redesign creatively their quality management processes and the future direction of their more effective health care quality strategies.Originality/valueA 5Qs model to measure the patients' satisfaction of medical care is proposed as for previous studies for Kazakhstanian, Egyptian and Jordanian hospitals. As mentioned previously the 5Qs model encompasses technical, functional, interaction, infrastructure and the atmosphere qualities and services. The results can be used by the hospitals to reengineer and redesign creatively their quality management processes and the future direction of their more effective health care quality strategies.
A quality management system application to investigate and troubleshoot process failures
Authors: Balasundaram Mirunali , Tsai Miranda , Clarke Amanda , Leung Didi , Munro Sarah , Wagner Susan , Mayo Michael , Moore Richard , Holt Robert 
Published: April 2010

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss a practical approach taken by utilizing the non‐conformance/event management and failure investigation (FI) system to formally troubleshoot an actual process failure observed in the sequencing facility.Design/methodology/approachIn this study the authors describe how the cause for the poor quality sequence data, as indicated from the quality score, involving high molecular weight follicular lymphoma DNA samples for a study of tumor‐associated genome rearrangements was successfully identified and confirmed through the application of a well structured FI process.FindingsThrough this FI process the underlying causes were effectively identified, immediate corrective actions were executed and a preventative action to avoid or minimize reoccurrences was also implemented and monitored for effectiveness.Originality/valueThis paper establishes that by applying a systematic, documented FI process the underlying causes of a process failure in an organization can be effectively identified and appropriate corrective and preventative actions can be successfully adopted.