bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The influence of a collaborative procurement approach using integrated design in construction on project team performance
Authors: Forgues Daniel , Koskela Lauri 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of the paper is to study the influence of procurement on the performance of integrated design teams.Design/methodology/approachThe research paradigm is based on Russian socio‐constructivist approach to activity theory. Activity theory, as opposed to natural or social science, is a design science approach that focuses on the context aspect of project. A triangulation of qualitative research methods is used to investigate the dynamic of integrated teams in two different procurement contexts.FindingsThe paper is conclusive regarding the influence of procurement on team efficiency. It demonstrates that traditional procurement processes reinforce socio‐cognitive barriers that hinder team efficiency. It also illustrates how new procurement modes can transform the dynamic of relationships between the client and the members of the supply chain, and have a positive impact on team performance.Practical implicationsThe paper demonstrates first that problems with integrated design team efficiency are related to context and not process – they are not technical but socio‐cognitive; second that fragmented transactional contracting increases socio‐cognitive barriers that hinder integrated design team performance; third that new forms of relational contracting may help to mitigate socio‐cognitive barriers and improve integrated design team performance, fourth that changing the context through procurement does not address the problem of obsolete design practices.Originality/valueThe paper brings together theories of production in lean construction and social learning as a rival approach to traditional project management theory for demonstrating the importance of context on team performance.
A project management prospective in achieving a sustainable supply chain for timber procurement in Banda Aceh, Indonesia
Authors: Zuo Kelvin , Potangaroa Regan , Wilkinson Suzanne , Rotimi James O.B. 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the alternative procurement procedures that will address the complexity of issues surrounding timber procurement for housing reconstruction after the Tsunami in Banda Aceh. It reviews construction supply chain management (SCM) and procurement philosophies with a project management (PM) perspective to facilitate the logistics of post‐disaster reconstruction.Design/methodology/approachBased on two fieldtrip experiences in Banda Aceh in 2006 (one month) and 2008 (two months) with the housing reconstruction program of an international non‐governmental organisation, this paper examines the modern literature on SCM and analyses this process associated with construction material procurement in practice, reviews the problems inherited in the Indonesian context and analyses the proposed procedures of local and international procurement of timber to streamline the supply for reconstruction in Banda Aceh, Indonesia.FindingsThe incorporation of sustainable considerations into the design of procurement routes in the overall PM process for post‐disaster construction should be well recognized. The paper shows that basic SCM philosophies of ensuring stakeholder integration and collaboration could reduce the problems in timber procurement in Banda Aceh. Sustainable construction and triple bottom lines criteria are proposed to ensure a value creation process for a wider stakeholder engagement and overall reconstruction project delivery.Originality/valueThe paper provides useful PM insights into SCM and sustainable construction literature. The case study reviews the timber procurement problems and goes further to present two alternative procurement models that could be implemented as more sustainable responses to post‐disaster reconstruction in Banda Aceh.
Implications of social responsibility investment for pension funds in Turkey
Authors: Michael Bryane 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThis paper aims to present to capital market regulators (particularly in Turkey) with options for regulating the quickly expanding area of socially responsible investment (SRI).Design/methodology/approachThe paper takes a public economics perspective, focusing on the social risks concomitant with equity investment, and presents options based on an economic analysis of the various regulatory options available to capital market regulators.FindingsThe paper finds that in the long run, the extent of national SRI‐related regulation will probably depend on the extent to which the social, environmental, and other risks targeted by SRI represent social risks (which can be mitigated by regulation as opposed to other policy instruments).Practical implicationsWhile Turkish private pension fund regulators should be mindful of wariness of other OECD member countries to regulate SRI, the particularity of the social risks faced by Turkish financial markets may militate for a unique national approach toward SRI regulation.Originality/valueThis study represents one of the first attempts to address the issue of domestic SRI regulation and to present evidence‐based conclusions in a policy oriented setting.
The determinants of Islamic banks' efficiency changes
Authors: Sufian Fadzlan , Akbar Noor Mohamad Noor Mohamad 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis on the performance of the Islamic banking sector in 16 MENA (Middle East and north Africa) and Asian countries.Design/methodology/approachA two‐stage procedure is followed to examine the efficiency of Islamic banking sectors in 16 MENA and Asian countries. First, data envelopment analysis (DEA) is used to estimate the technical, pure technical, and scale efficiency for each bank in the sample. Following previous research, an annual frontier specific to each year is constructed, as it is more flexible and thus more appropriate than estimating a single multiyear frontier for the banks in the sample. It has been pointed out that the principal advantage of having panel data is the ability to observe each bank more than once over a period of time. Nevertheless, the issue is also critical in a continuously changing business environment because the technology of a bank that is most efficient in one period may not be the most efficient in another. To an extent, this relieves also the problems related to the lack of random error in DEA by allowing an efficient bank in one period to be inefficient in another, assuming that the errors owing to luck or data problems are not consistent over time. In the second stage regression, Tobit regression is used to determine the impact of internal and external factors on Islamic banks' efficiency.FindingsThe results suggest that the MENA Islamic banks have exhibited higher mean technical efficiency relative to their Asian Islamic bank counterparts. The empirical findings suggest that during the period of study, pure technical inefficiency outweighs scale inefficiency in both the MENA and Asian countries banking sectors. Banks from the MENA region were found to be the global leaders by dominating the efficiency frontier during the period of study. Positive relationship was found between bank efficiency and loans intensity, size, capitalization, and profitability. The empirical results show that technically more efficient banks are those that have smaller market share and low non‐performing loans ratio. A multivariate analysis based on the Tobit model reinforces these findings.Originality/valueThe paper aims to fill a demanding gap in the literature by providing the latest empirical evidence on the determinants of the performance of Islamic banks in 16 MENA and Asian countries.
Islamic perspectives on leadership: a model
Authors: Ali Abbas J. 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this research is to address the notion of leadership in Muslim countries. It seeks to develop a model for understanding leadership in Islamic culture and discusses the factors which give rise to two types of leadership: the prophetic and caliphate.Design/methodology/approachThe article briefly surveys the socio‐economic and political forces which facilitate the emergence of certain leadership styles. The paper, then, suggests a model of leadership relevant to Islamic culture.FindingsTwo types of leadership were identified. Furthermore, the paper addresses the conflict between idealism and realism and the rise of authoritarian leaders.Practical implicationsThis paper offers policymakers and researchers various avenues on how to address the issue of leadership in an Islamic culture and presents a theoretical model for understanding issues pertaining to leaders and leadership in Muslim societies. Specific propositions pertaining to the effect of culture and society on leadership are offered.Originality/valueThe paper offers a genuine reflection on the nature of leadership. The issue of leadership and its linkage to culture has often been overlooked in the literature. In part, this is because most of the literature on leadership has been focused primarily on personality‐based relationships and relationships between leaders and followers. In this paper, it is argued that culture shapes personality and gives meaning to contextual and relational aspects of leadership.
Does China deserve the market economy status?
Authors: Rinaldi‐Larribe Marie‐José , Lightfoot William S. , Zhao Zhongxiu 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThroughout the past 30 years, major economic reforms have been implemented in China; in 2001, China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) was a major step, since it enabled the country to formally join the globalised world. But China entered the WTO without market economy status (MES), meaning that other countries can easily use the WTO international settlement body in antidumping procedures against Chinese firms. Since joining the WTO, Chinese authorities have repeatedly attempted to gain this status, arguing that considerable progress has been made in dealing with dumping, and that the transition process from a planned to a market economy (ME) has been considerable. This paper aims to explore the issues surrounding this situation.Design/methodology/approachThe authors searched the literature in order to understand the reasons why China has been denied the MES until now, according to previous analyses, in order to confront those findings with their own ideas on the subject. Moreover, they list the criteria used by the USA and the European Union (EU) in order to justify the non‐recognition of China as an ME, and they question whether the Chinese economy meets those criteria.FindingsThe paper assesses the extent of the reforms implemented, and determines the further stages that are needed in the transition process.Originality/valueThis paper is a viewpoint that enables readers to have a more precise idea of the present situation of the Chinese economy in terms of being or not an ME, an issue that is often raised but with no clear‐cut conclusion.
What is “the alcohol problem”?
Authors: Pratten John D. 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to identify the problems which exist in the excessive use of alcohol and to consider the origins of these problems to determine if they are new or long established.Design/methodology/approachThere is a heavy use of secondary sources drawn from the whole of the period studied. This is augmented by discussions with licensees, retired licensees and older customers, to collect their reflections on the industry.FindingsThe main problems caused by the excessive use of alcohol are not new, but go back centuries. As the users of alcohol itself have changed, so the attention paid to these problems has been intensified.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper reports the key problems of excessive alcohol consumption and examines some of the causes. Further work could examine such causes more carefully, and could include regional studies for comparison purposes.Practical implicationsThe paper demonstrates that there are a variety of problems and suggests that they should be addressed individually rather than seeking one answer to a series of age‐old questions.Originality/valueThe topic should be of interest to all those who claim to be concerned by excessive alcohol consumption.
Social aspects of alcohol consumption in Poland
Authors: Kubacki Krzysztof , Siemieniako Dariusz , Skinner Heather 
Published: June 2009

PurposeUnderpinning this research is an acknowledgement of the increasing attention paid to the social issues raised by young peoples' alcohol consumption. Although earlier research has identified a number of factors contributing to alcohol‐related problems in Poland, only a handful of studies attempted to better understand drinking patterns and their influence on alcohol consumption amongst Polish people. Therefore, this paper aims to explore the roles alcohol plays in the life of young people in Poland.Design/methodology/approachAll the data are collected on a university campus in Poland in late autumn 2007 from a group of ten university students. The research is conducted in three phases, using two research methods: focus groups and diaries. Purposive sample is used to establish two focus groups (Phases 1 and 3) each of which meet on two occasions, three weeks apart. In the first two week period between each focus group, respondents are asked to keep private diary (Phase 2) recording every occurrence that is, in their opinion, related to alcohol consumption.FindingsThe findings are themed around three major factors: quantity of consumed alcohol, frequency of consumption and location of consumption. However, the strongest issue is the pressure experienced by students around the social consumption of alcohol.Research limitations/implicationsAt a time when young peoples' alcohol consumption is attracting increasing attention from legislators and regulators, a better understanding of young consumers' behaviour may help government and other non‐profit organisations create well‐informed regulations, policies or educational programmes.Originality/valueAlthough there is significant amount of research into detrimental effects of excessive alcohol consumption on physical and psychological health of people in Poland, little research goes into wider social issues or beyond the most visible biological consequences of drinking as anti‐social behaviour.
A good night out: alcohol‐related behaviours in young adults
Authors: Ritchie Caroline , Ritchie Felix , Ward Richard 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to investigate drinking patterns; attitudes towards alcohol consumption and alcohol‐related behaviours amongst differing groups of young adults. A further aim is to investigate whether the drinking behaviours of undergraduate populations can be considered to be representative of young adult behaviours in general.Design/methodology/approachFour groups of young adult alcohol consumers are identified. The participants in the first two groups are aged between 18 and 23, one group being undergraduates and the second non‐graduates in work. Participants in the second two groups are aged between 24 and 29, one group comprising graduates in work, the second non‐graduates in work. 120 questionnaires were completed; 30 in each sample group, with an even gender distribution. Follow up one‐to‐one interviews are carried out with representatives from each group.FindingsAlthough a small study it is evident that whilst there are some similarities in behaviours between the differing sample groups significant differences in alcohol‐related behaviours dominate.Practical implicationsThe results suggest that utilising the results of research carried out amongst student populations to inform government policies with regard to the behaviour of young adults in general is unlikely to be successful in changing drinking behaviours.Originality/valueThis paper produces new insights into current drinking cultures and attitudes towards drinking in differing groups of young adults. Specifically, it compares behavioural norms between graduate and non‐graduate populations challenging much current research which is based upon student samples as being representative of the young adult population as a whole.
The licensee and problems drinking: a practitioner's view
Authors: Pratten Amanda J. 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explain the ethical issues faced by licensees and how they are addressed to ensure suitable behaviour by customers.Design/methodology/approachThe daily round of “problem drinkers” is identified, and the attitudes to their service examined.FindingsIn order to run a profitable business, only those who cause offence to others are likely to be refused service.Practical implicationsThis paper should provide academics and others not directly involved in the industry with an idea of some of the issues faced by licensees.Originality valueLittle work has been done on the opinions and attitudes of licensees to the issues of problem drinkers. This paper may help to rectify that.
Summary: what have we learned about alcohol control?
Authors: Pratten John D. 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this summary is to review the contribution made by this theme issue to the question: what are the possible solutions to the problem of excessive alcohol consumption?Design/methodology/approachProvides a summary to this special issue on excessive alcohol consumption.FindingsThat societal attitudes to alcohol consumption have changed and that the drinks industry is geared to provide a wide range of supply options.Practical implicationsThere are many stakeholders involved in the provision of alcoholic beverages and suppliers, vendors, licensees, regulators and other agencies will need to work closely together in order to limit what is viewed by many as an escalating problem.Originality/valueReviews some of the key contributions arising from this theme issue.
Clan particle swarm optimization
Authors: Ferreira de Carvalho Danilo , José Albanez Bastos‐Filho Carmelo 
Published: June 2009

PurposeParticle swarm optimization (PSO) has been used to solve many different types of optimization problems. In spite of this, the original version of PSO is not capable to find reasonable solutions for some types of problems. Therefore, novel approaches to deal with more sophisticated problems are required. Many variations of the basic PSO form have been explored, targeting the velocity update equation. Other approaches attempt to change the communication topology inside the swarm. The purpose of this paper is to propose a topology based on the concept of clans.Design/methodology/approachFirst of all, this paper presents a detailed description of its proposal. After that, it shows a graphical convergence analysis for the Rosenbrock benchmark function. In the sequence, a convergence analysis for clan PSO with different parameters is performed. A comparison with star, ring, focal, von Neumann and four clusters topologies is also performed.FindingsThe paper's simulation results have shown that the proposal obtained better results than the other topologies for the benchmark functions selected for this paper.Originality/valueThe proposed topology for PSO based on clans provides a novel form for information distribution inside the swarm. In this approach, the topology is determined dynamically during the search process, according to the success rate inside each clan.
Predator prey optimization for snake‐based contour detection
Authors: Nebti Salima , Meshoul Souham 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe a work that aims to solve contour detection problem using a planar deformable model and a swarm‐based optimization technique. Contour detection is an important task in image processing as it allows depicting boundaries of objects in an image. The proposed approach uses snakes as active contour model and adapts predator prey optimization (PPO) metaheuristic so that to define a new dynamic for evolving snakes in a way to reduce time complexity while providing good quality results.Design/methodology/approachIn the proposed approach, contour detection has been cast as an optimization problem requiring function minimization. PPO has been used to develop a search strategy to handle the optimization process. PPO is a population‐based method inspired by the phenomenon of predators attack and preys evasion. It has been proposed as an improvement of particle swarm optimization (PSO) where additional particles are introduced to repel the other particles into the swarm. The introduced dynamic is intended to achieve better exploration of the search space. In the design, a representation scheme has been first defined. Each particle either a predator or a prey is represented as a curve (snake) defined by a set of control points. The idea is then to evolve a set of curves using the dynamic governed by PPO model equations. As a result, the curve that optimizes a defined energy function is identified as the contour of the target object.FindingsApplication of the proposed method to a variety of images using a multi agent platform has shown that good quality results have been obtained compared to a PSO‐based method.Originality/valueNature inspired computing is an emergent paradigm that witnesses a growing interest because it suggests a new philosophy to optimization. This work contributes in showing its suitability to solve problems even it is still at infancy. In another hand, despite the amount of work done in image processing, it is still required to define new methods for image segmentation. This work outlines a new way to deal with this problem through the use of PPO.
Robust human posture analysis using incremental learning and recall based on degree of confidence of feature points
Authors: Shimada Atsushi , Kanouchi Madoka , Arita Daisaku , Taniguchi Rin‐Ichiro 
Published: June 2009

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to present an approach to improve the accuracy of estimating feature points of human body on a vision‐based motion capture system (MCS) by using the variable‐density self‐organizing map (VDSOM).Design/methodology/approachThe VDSOM is a kind of self‐organizing map (SOM) and has an ability to learn training samples incrementally. The authors let VDSOM learn 3D feature points of human body when the MCS succeeded in estimating them correctly. On the other hand, one or more 3D feature point could not be estimated correctly, the VDSOM is used for the other purpose. The SOM including VDSOM has an ability to recall a part of weight vector which have learned in the learning process. This ability is used to recall correct patterns and complement such incorrect feature points by replacing such incorrect feature points with them.FindingsExperimental results show that the approach is effective for estimation of human posture robustly compared with the other methods.Originality/valueThe proposed approach is interesting for the collaboration between an MCS and an incremental learning.