bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The case for sustainable laboratories: first steps at Harvard University
Authors: Woolliams Jessica , Lloyd Matthew , Spengler John D. 
Published: January 2007

PurposeLaboratories typically consume 4‐5 times more energy than similarly‐sized commercial space. This paper adds to a growing dialogue about how to “green” a laboratory's design and operations.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is divided into three sections. The first section reviews the background and theoretical issues. A case is made for sustainable laboratories, introduce the Harvard Green Campus Initiative's (HGCIs) study of potential energy reduction in Harvard's research laboratories and examine other issues including: behavioral change, technical change, and the required codes and suggested standards that influence laboratory design and operations. Next, a survey conducted through a partnership between HGCI, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), and Laboratories for the twenty‐first century (Labs21) to clarify issues surrounding use of codes and standards in high‐performance laboratory design and maintenance is introduced.FindingsSurvey findings highlight the confusion among survey participants surrounding the applications and interpretations of current lab guidelines, codes and standards, particularly addressing sustainable performance. The findings suggest that confusion has financial, environmental, and human health consequences, and that more research is needed to define the operational risks to laboratory workers. Findings indicate that many energy efficient technologies and strategies are not routinely specified in lab design, perhaps in part due to confusion concerning the guidelines, standards and codes.Research limitations/implicationsAlthough the survey sample size is too small to be statistically significant, it does provide valuable insight into the general confusion surrounding the applications and interpretations of current codes and guidelines, especially those addressing sustainable performance.Practical implicationsThe practical implications of this research are many, including that there are many opportunities for technical and behavior improvements within modern university laboratories that yield great energy savings. This is critical as laboratories are one of the most energy‐intense building types on a university campus.Originality/valueThe critical originality of the paper is provided in the analysis of the obstacles to achieving the great potential energy savings that exist within the university laboratory context.
Deterring sustainability in higher education institutions
Authors: Velazquez Luis , Munguia Nora , Sanchez Margarita 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo explore some of the factors that could obstruct the implementation of the sustainability initiatives in higher education institutions as a way for assisting key players to improve the effectiveness of their potential or current sustainability initiatives and being ready for the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development.Design/methodology/approachIt was conducted a literature review of published and unpublished articles, conference proceedings, university reports, books, and website documents. It was not target any specific discipline. However, most of the material was from engineering, economics, sociology, and related sciences. The time frame of the literature review was from 1990 to 2002. Important references prior to 1990 were also analyzed.FindingsThe adequate conditions for the successful implementation of sustainability programs do not exist. There are many obstacles preventing the success of sustainability initiatives on campuses around the world. However, sustainability initiatives on campuses are flourishing despite these difficulties.Originality/valueUsually, literature about sustainability on campus is focused most on good experiences, paying little or no attention to describe the issues hampering their evolution. What went wrong is mentioned without sufficient consideration or given a secondary status making it impossible to learn from bad experiences. This paper reveals several failures as a way to anticipate solutions for overcoming institutional barriers confronted in particular situations.
Making decisions using the balanced scorecard and the simple multi‐attribute rating technique
Authors: Valiris George , Chytas Panagiotis , Glykas Michael 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to address the measure selection problem and to propose the use of a multi‐criteria approach to address the problem more effectively. The main objective of this research is to propose a methodology (not a new performance measurement framework) that will support existing measurement framework(s) during the process of performance measurement systems' design, implementation and use, and to advance the decision‐making process.Design/methodology/approachConforming to the most favoured approach, the balanced scorecard is adopted to illustrate the proposed methodology. This paper briefly illustrates the application of the proposed methodology. This illustration is based on a real case study from a Greek financial institution, which has considered the proposed methodology in order to select appropriate measures. The paper begins with a brief literature review on the balanced scorecard, the theory of MCDM and smart technique. In section three the proposed methodology is presented and each of the stages involved. The paper then illustrates the proposed methodology.FindingsThe greatest significance of the methodology suggested here is that it provides a structure to guide decision makers through the process of measure selection. Criteria must be identified and considered systematically, as must alternatives (i.e. measures).Originality/valueWhile the smart was chosen to select appropriate measures for the balanced scorecard, the basic approach used in formulating the problem serves also as a framework for the application of other multi‐criteria approaches to this problem as well as to other performance measurement frameworks. Ultimately, better quality decisions will result; both as a consequence of the support provided by the multi‐criteria tools and as a result of a structure that will help the decision makers to better understand the issues associated with the problem involved.
Revolutionising the voting process through online strategies
Authors: Smith Alan D. , Clark John S. 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo provide practitioners of information management with an overview and framework to explore the various controversies associated with the methods of traditional methods of voting with electronically enhanced voting via the internet (I‐voting). The current paper is centered on the assumption that I‐voting is the next logical step in applying online information‐gathering and retrieval technologies to the field of e‐government.Design/methodology/approachA review of the applied literature on electronically enhanced voting methods with potentials associated with internet voting, as well as from practical experience, resulted in a basic model for discussion of the emergent nature of I‐voting.FindingsI‐voting would reduce the cost for staffing polling stations, and also the funds needed to pay for voting machines. I‐voting could also reduce the number of errors made by both the voters and the electoral administrators, and allow for easier adoption of uniform standards in the ballot format, since it could be transmitted via the internet from a central election agency to all local and regional polling places. Bridging the digital divide and internet security issues may be the most important barriers that must be overcome if I‐voting becomes a viable option in the USA.Research limitations/implicationsIt may be years, if ever, before a truly secure, relatively risk‐free internet service, such as I‐voting, is developed. However, despite the controversies associated with election fraud, the numerous current voting systems that are in place suffer from the same problems associated with online informational exchanges; but, for the most part, nations still conduct their businesses and the political systems are still relatively stable.Practical implicationsOwing to recent voting débâcles in the USA, the public is demanding a more reliable and secure method of voting. Currently, many nations are moving more toward electronically enhanced voting methods with the long‐term goal being internet voting. Unfortunately, there are heated debates about the pros and cons of handing over the right to vote, using a system that is prone to security risks from outside sources.Originality/valueIn the short term, there should be increased interest in establishing national and international standards for testing and certification of electronic and I‐voting systems and their IT‐infrastructure. It is a basic premise of the present study that voting online increases voter participation, which can only be viewed in a positive light.
E‐government and the transformation of public administrations in EU countries
Authors: Torres Lourdes , Pina Vicente , Royo Sonia 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to study the development of e‐government initiatives at the regional and local level in the EU through the opinion of those agents directly involved in the projects.Design/methodology/approachThe authors wrote a questionnaire that was sent to the regions and the largest cities of EU countries, in order to find out their degree of involvement in e‐government initiatives. Responses were received from 47 regional and local governments.FindingsAt present, most regional and local governments have a web site, although in most cases it is little more than a governmental billboard. E‐government is not likely to remodel governance in the short term, since democracy initiatives are not on the present agenda of most EU countries. The survey findings show that e‐government initiatives are still predominantly non‐interactive and non‐deliberative. They tend to reflect present service delivery patterns, not transform them.Research limitations/implicationsThe construction and management of web sites is becoming an essential element of modern public administration, but little is known about how these initiatives are being implemented. Given the substantial investment in time and other resources for governmental online initiatives, it is essential to begin to evaluate governmental web site initiatives in terms of quality and effectiveness.Originality/valueThis work is of value as, to date, there are very few studies that benchmark local government web sites across the EU.
Visualizing overlap and rank differences among web‐wide search engines
Authors: Jacsó Péter 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo compare the performance of different search engines, highlighting the overlap and rank differences.Design/methodology/approachPresents results of an overlap test search series among traditional CD‐ROM indexing/abstracting databases since the mid‐1980s, web databases, and authors' own polysearch engine, and reviews Google Scholar.FindingsFinds that overlap is minimal among web‐wide search engines which crawl and index the mostly unstructured open web; and that overlap among Google Scholar and the native search engines is far less than the ideal 100 per cent in the optimal context of crawling and indexing highly‐structured and metadata‐rich collections.Originality/valueReinforces the existing view that for comprehensive searches one must search more than one database. Highlights and recommends several very good search engine sites.
Interfaces to knowledge organization systems in Canadian digital library collections
Authors: Shiri Ali , Molberg Keri 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to report an investigation into the ways in which Canadian digital library collections have incorporated knowledge organization systems into their search interfaces.Design/methodology/approachA combination of data‐gathering techniques was used. These were as follows: a review of the literature related to the application of knowledge organization systems, deep scanning of Canadian governmental and academic institutions web sites on the web, identify and contact researchers in the area of knowledge organization, and identify and contact people in the governmental organizations who are involved in knowledge organization and information management.FindingsA total of 33 digital collections were identified that have made use of some type of knowledge organization system. Thesauri, subject heading lists and classification schemes were the widely used knowledge organization systems in the surveyed Canadian digital library collections.Research limitations/implicationsThe target population for this research was limited to governmental and academic digital library collections.Practical implicationsAn evaluation of the knowledge organization systems interfaces showed that searching, browsing and navigation facilities as well as bilingual features call for improvements.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the following areas: digital libraries, knowledge organization systems and services and search interface design.
Performance of question‐based vs keyword‐based search engines and effect of web user characteristics on search engine performance
Authors: Ozmutlu Seda 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to investigate whether question and keyword‐format queries are more successfully processed by search engines encouraging answers to searching and keyword‐format querying, respectively. This study aims to investigate whether web user characteristics and choice of search engine affects the relevancy scores and precision of the results.Design/methodology/approachThe results of two search engines, Google and AskJeeves, were compared for question and keyword‐format queries. It was observed that AskJeeves was slightly more successful in processing question‐format queries, but this finding was not statistically supported. However, Google provided results on keyword‐format queries and the entire set of queries, which were statistically superior to those of AskJeeves.FindingsAnalysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the age of web user is not as affective on the relevancy score and precision of results as other factors. Interactions of the main factors were also affective on the relevancy scores and precision, meaning that the different combinations of various factors cause a synergy in terms of relevancy scores and precision.Research limitations/implicationsThis was a preliminary work on the effect of user characteristics on comprehension and evaluation of search query results. Future work includes expanding this study to include more web user characteristics, more levels of the web user characteristics, and inclusion of more search engines.Originality/valueThe findings of this study provide statistical proof for the relationship between the characteristics of web users, choice of search engine and the relevancy scores and precision of search results.
Implementing the KPMG Value Explorer
Authors: Andriesson Daniel 
Published: January 2007

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe the results of an empirical study into the critical success factors for implementing an intellectual capital valuation method, the KPMG Value Explorer.Design/methodology/approachFor this study the design approach was used as research methodology.FindingsThe research shows the strengths and weaknesses of the method and identifies four general critical success factors for the implementation of intellectual capital valuation and measurement tools.Research limitations/implicationsThe research was based on six case studies. Application of the method with other companies may provide further grounding of the conclusions.Practical implicationsThe research shows that practitioners who want to implement an intellectual capital valuation or measurement method must: perform a proper diagnosis of the problem at hand; have knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the method they want to use; understand the application domain of the method – the class of problems and the class of contexts for which the method needs to provide a solution; and possess the necessary skills to implement the method.Originality/valueSuccessfully implementing a method for the valuation or measurement of intellectual capital is not an easy task. Practitioners yet receive little support from the intellectual capital research community. Little research has been done into the factors that influence the success of a method. This paper is a first attempt at systematically identifying some of the factors for the successful implementation of an intellectual capital valuation or measurement method.
The art of space management
Authors: Steiner Jon 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTechnological innovations and IT developments have been hailed as the key influence on changing work‐styles. However, the workplace is being shaped more and more by people and their needs. Supported by industry research, this paper aims to identify and explore some of the various elements and forces that have an impact on the space planning process.Design/methodology/approachThe paper gathers current thought leadership, trends and external research together with the author's research, comments and opinions on optimizing space management. Global workplace trends are compared to author's observations in Dubai.FindingsReal estate costs, building attributes, space planning concepts, technology and product innovations for the workplace are examined, as they have an influence on the role of people in the workplace. A case study provides the background and details of a revolutionary work‐style – iWork, developed by Sun Microsystems, and shows how it was adapted to meet the requirements of their regional headquarters in Dubai.Research limitations/implicationsThe current phenomenal growth of Dubai could impact some cited statistics over a short period of time.Practical implicationsThe paper offers guidelines and ideas for facilities managers to assess the possibility of adopting similar space planning and work‐style programmes within their own organisations.Originality/valueAside from the practical space planning guidelines, the paper also offers facility managers an introductory insight the challenges of establishing an office in Dubai – one of the fastest growing economies and cities in the world.
Soft landings
Authors: Way Mark 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo disseminate information on a new scope of Service for building projects that embodies post occupancy evaluation.Design/methodology/approachThe paper draws upon recent practical experience in the field by the author and examples the background and detail of the new scope of service.FindingsThe results of field experience are exampled. Topical research is used to underpin the recommendations.Originality/valueThis paper contains the justification for a novel method of delivering new buildings and the detail of the methodology. It will be of practical value to project managers, estates directors and facilities managers.
Optimising supplier management and why co‐dependency equals mutual success
Authors: Rogers Paul A. 
Published: January 2007

PurposeTo provide a reference paper for managers responsible for procuring services, advocating the use of strong relationship models, based on co‐dependency and collaboration between the supplier and purchaser of services.Design/methodology/approachBased on a combination of research into this topic coupled with the authors empirical knowledge through consulting case studies. The theory, as derived from the research supports, reinforces the authors' findings from dealing with client projects.FindingsAcknowledges that the burden of transaction cost economics encourages aggregation of the services supply chain which in turn, when managed carefully facilitates an improved working/partnering opportunity with a few select suppliers. The suppliers benefit in turn by increasing volumes, allowing them to protect margins and the purchasers benefit through overall lower total cost of service, more attentive suppliers and potentially a much enhanced working relationship.Practical implicationsPractical guide for both practitioners (facilities/property/technology managers) as well students involved in procurement/logistics, supply chain studies.Originality/valueThis paper fulfils an identified area of research and offers practical guidance on how to implement a programme that achieves enhanced service supplier relationships.
Ways to reduce patient turnaround time and improve service quality in emergency departments
Authors: Sinreich David , Marmor Yariv 
Published: January 2007

PurposeRecent years have witnessed a fundamental change in the function of emergency departments (EDs). The emphasis of the ED shifts from triage to saving the lives of shock‐trauma rooms equipped with state‐of‐the‐art equipment. At the same time walk‐in clinics are being set up to treat ambulatory type patients. Simultaneously ED overcrowding has become a common sight in many large urban hospitals. This paper recognises that in order to provide quality treatment to all these patient types, ED process operations have to be flexible and efficient. The paper aims to examine one major benchmark for measuring service quality – patient turnaround time, claiming that in order to provide the quality treatment to which EDs aspire, this time needs to be reduced.Design/methodology/approachThis study starts by separating the process each patient type goes through when treated at the ED into unique components. Next, using a simple model, the impact each of these components has on the total patient turnaround time is determined. This in turn, identifies the components that need to be addressed if patient turnaround time is to be streamlined.FindingsThe model was tested using data that were gathered through a comprehensive time study in six major hospitals. The analysis reveals that waiting time comprises 51‐63 per cent of total patient turnaround time in the ED. Its major components are: time away for an x‐ray examination; waiting time for the first physician's examination; and waiting time for blood work.Originality/valueThe study covers several hospitals and analyses over 20,000 process components; as such the common findings may serve as guidelines to other hospitals when addressing this issue.