bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A quasi‐three‐dimensional numerical calculation procedure for periodically fully‐developed heat and fluid flow
Authors: Nakayama A. , Kuwahara F. 
Published: May 2005

PurposeTo introduce a novel numerical calculation procedure for periodically fully developed heat and fluid flow, which can treat three‐dimensional velocity and temperature fields, using a two‐dimensional storage.Design/methodology/approachThe three‐dimensional Navier‐Stokes equation and energy equation have been transformed into quasi‐three‐dimensional forms. An appropriate set of explicit periodic boundary conditions have been obtained for thermally fully developed flow through a general three‐dimensional periodic structure, exploiting the volume averaging theory.FindingsThe proposed numerical procedure has been found inexpensive and efficient. Its validity has been proved by comparing the results obtained for a bank of long cylinders in yaw against available experimental data.Originality/valueSince no explicit sets of periodic boundary conditions of this kind have been reported before, they will be exploited by researchers and practitioners interested in efficient numerical computations of three‐dimensional periodic heat and fluid flows.
The congruence of quality values in higher education
Authors: Telford Ronnie , Masson Ron 
Published: May 2005

PurposeTo investigate, in the context of university education, the relationship between the congruence of the quality values held by the students, the teaching staff and the university senior management and the level of student satisfaction.Design/methodology/approachThe research was carried out within a large Business School in a major UK University through a set of focus groups and questionnaires investigating the quality values held by the three main participant stakeholders.FindingsFor the case example a coherent framework of quality values relevant to higher education has been established, and the relative importance attached to each element in this framework by the different stakeholders has been identified. While many values are shared there are significant differences between the stakeholders and there is generally no student dissatisfaction on issues where the stakeholders do not share the same values.Research limitations/implicationsLimited in that the research was carried out in single Faculty in one UK university, though a typical example of those in the UK none the less.Practical implicationsContributes to the body of knowledge on participants quality values and it's implications for student participation and satisfaction.Originality/valueThe paper identifies a framework of relevant values and relationships that will be of use to those interested in this field.
Towards understanding the impeders of strategy implementation in higher education (HE)
Authors: Rahimnia Alashloo Fariborz , Castka Pavel , Sharp John M. 
Published: May 2005

PurposeTo identify the impeders of strategy implementation in the higher education (HE) sector of Iran.Design/methodology/approachA structured questionnaire was distributed to the academic staff from Iranian Universities. The questionnaire consisted of closed and open questions. Data were gathered from the major universities in different regions of the country.FindingsMajor impeders towards strategy implementation in the HE sector of Iran are outlined and the nature of these impeders are explained and the relationships among them are explored.Research limitations/implicationsThe research, through the use of the structured questionnaire, delivered a set of generic impeders; however a detailed picture of implementation of strategies needs further investigation.Practical implicationsThrough the analysis of the most prevalent impeders, this paper informs Iranian academics about possibilities for change and improvement.Originality/valueThe case of the HE sector development in Iran is something rarely dealt with in the literature; hence the paper fills this gap. Moreover, we look closely at the growth of research activities as the main strategy and indicate the impeders of strategy implementation in the HE of Iran.
End‐user perspectives on use of project extranets in construction organisations
Authors: Ruikar K. , Anumba C.J. , Carrillo P.M. 
Published: May 2005

PurposeWeb‐based technologies such as project extranets have introduced a new concept for communication and collaboration during construction projects. Project extranets have been used in the industry for some time now to manage information and document flows throughout the lifecycle of construction projects. Very few end‐user companies already using project extranets have documented and disseminated information about the implications of using this technology in terms of the impact on their businesses, benefits incurred and possible drawbacks. This paper aims to present findings from the UK.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology is case studies conducted with end‐users of a leading project extranet application in the UK.FindingsFindings suggest that some of the perceived drawbacks of using project extranets are in fact not viewed as drawbacks by end‐user companies. Also, the benefits incurred appear to outweigh some of the issues. The end‐user organisations believe that an increasing number of organisations will be encouraged to use project extranets when they see “visionaries” and “market leaders” such as themselves, benefiting from the technology and leading the way to its wider adoption.Originality/valueWider dissemination of this knowledge will encourage more construction companies to adopt the technology which has a proven record of success on projects for which it has been used. The paper highlights the drivers for the adoption of this technology and its impact on end‐user business processes. It also documents the end‐user viewpoint on the benefits and drawbacks of using project extranets.
A building cost estimation model based on cost significant work packages
Authors: Tas Elcin , Yaman Hakan 
Published: May 2005

PurposeThe objectives of this paper are to discuss the constraints stemming from the unstructured nature of the cost estimation practice in Turkey and introduce a generic computer aided building cost estimation model based on a cost significant technique for Turkish construction sector public projects in its detailed design phase.Design/methodology/approachThe research design was based on the simplified version of the bill of quantities method and a cost significant estimating model works on a cost database was suggested to overcome the problems. Underlying principles and basic steps of cost estimation based on cost significant work packages was explained by means of manual calculations.FindingsIn order to automate the manual building cost estimation process, the software based on cost significant work packages was developed.Research limitations/implicationsThe software is currently in the testing phase and is being used for educational purposes. Making use of both public sector and current market prices in the cost estimation process, increasing number of projects stored in the database for more accurate results, estimating costs of different types of projects and calculating the cost significant value factor more precisely by using statistical techniques, those being employed by global cost models are suggested for future research.Practical implicationsAs the number of the similar projects in database is increased, the accuracy of the cost estimation is also increased.Originality/valueEstimators and graduate students can use the software to estimate building cost of public housing projects in its detailed design phase.
Consumer perceived risk in successive product generations
Authors: Sääksjärvi Maria , Lampinen Minttu 
Published: May 2005

PurposeThe study examines the consumer perceived performance risk in successive product generations.Design/methodology/approachThe results are based on ten focus group interviews. We divide risk into two different levels based on its criticality (attribute and functionality) to be able to assess more than its mere presence in an innovation.FindingsThe study shows performance risk to differ between generations representing different innovation levels, and that this risk is moderated by whether the consumer has usage experience of the original innovation. The results show that the risk consumers perceive is more critical in a modified successor than in an original innovation provided that consumers have usage experience of the latter one.Practical implicationsThis study has implications for companies aiming at reducing consumer perceived risk in innovative product launches.Originality/valuePerceived risk is an important construct in innovation adoption research. Although it has been used to measure and predict individual adoption patterns towards a single innovation, little research has examined its impact on successive product generations. The results offer both theoretical and practical implications.
Dispersed leadership predictor of the work environment for creativity and productivity
Authors: Politis John D. 
Published: May 2005

PurposeThis paper examines the relationship between the dimensions of dispersed – self‐management – leadership and a number of work environment dimensions conducive to creativity and productivity.Design/methodology/approachThe study involves a questionnaire‐based survey of employees from a high technology organisation operating in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A total of 104 useable questionnaires were received from employees who are engaged in self‐managing activities. These were subjected to a series of correlational and regression analyses.FindingsThere are three major findings in this research. First, the relationship between dispersed leadership and the “stimulant” dimensions of the work environment for creativity is positive and significant. Second, the relationship between dispersed leadership, with the exception of encouraging self‐reinforcement, and the “obstacle” dimensions of the work environment for creativity is negative and significant. Finally, the findings have clearly shown that the “stimulant” dimensions of the work environment for creativity have a positive and significant impact on both creativity and productivity.Practical implicationsThe study shows that the role of the leader is to be the provider of a context and situation for creativity and productivity. Thus, the art of leading creative organisations in the UAE is the art of handling people and the task of leadership in such organisations is to provide the people with the work – environmental – conditions under which they can exercise their creativity.Originality/valueThe paper clarifies which of the dispersed leadership behaviours best predict the dimensions of the work environment conducive to creativity and productivity. The paper will assist organisations in the UAE in identifying those particular leader behaviours that appear to have an impact on creativity and productivity.
DiffuNET: The impact of network structure on diffusion of innovation
Authors: Shaw‐Ching Liu Ben , Madhavan Ravindranath , Sudharshan D. 
Published: May 2005

PurposeTo provide an explicit model to address the relationships between the structural characteristics of a network and the diffusion of innovations through it. Further, based on the above relationships, this research tries to provide a way to infer diffusion curve parameters (innovation coefficient and imitation coefficient) from network structure (e.g. centralization).Design/methodology/approachBased on the network and innovation literatures, we develop a model explicitly relating the structural properties of the network to its innovation and imitation potential, and in turn to the observed diffusion parameters (innovation and imitation coefficients). We first employ current theoretical and empirical results to develop postulates linking six key network properties to innovation and imitation outcomes, and then seek to model their effects in an integrative manner. We argue that the innovation and imitation potentials of a network may be increased by strategically re‐designing the underlying network structure. We validated the model by searching the published empirical literature for available published data on network properties and innovation and imitation coefficients.FindingsWe validated the model by searching the published empirical literature for available published data on network properties and innovation and imitation coefficients. The results reported from various relevant research papers support our model.Practical implicationsThis research shows that the innovation and imitation potentials of a network may be increased by strategically re‐designing the underlying network structure; hence, provide guidelines for new product managers to enhance the performance of innovative products by re‐design the underlying network structure.Originality/valueThe model developed in this paper is a breaking through result of synthesizing various traditions of diffusion research, ranging from anthropology and economics to marketing which were developed independently. The research explicitly modeled the diffusion process in terms of the underlying network structure of the relevant population allowing managers and researchers to directly link the diffusion parameters to the structural properties of the network. By doing so, it added value by making it possible to infer diffusion potential from directly measurable network properties. Vis‐à‐vis the network diffusion literature in particular, we added value by “unpacking” the diffusion process into innovation and imitation processes that form the building blocks of contagion. Moreover, we developed a holistic structural model of network diffusion which integrates the several network properties that have hitherto been studied separately.
Configured for innovation: the case of palliative care
Authors: Davison Graydon 
Published: May 2005

PurposeTo begin a process of understanding how palliative care organisations are configured to enable innovative multidisciplinary patient care teams and their management in an uncertain, complex and dynamic environment.Design/methodology/approachA range of literature was reviewed to suggest configuration and characteristics that were tested using semi‐structured interviews with the senior medical staff member at each of three Australian case study organisations. Data gathered from these interviews was supplemented with data gathered from semi‐structured interviews with multidisciplinary management teams and patient care teams dealing with inpatients and home‐care patients.FindingsA hybrid configuration is suggested, based on Mintzberg's typology of organisations. Responses from interviews modify some characteristics of the suggested configuration, though generally appearing to support it. Characteristics of the external and internal environments are described.Research limitations/implicationsPalliative care is rarely written off outside the healthcare literature and comparatively infrequently within it. Configuration is used to suggest the characteristics of innovative teams in an uncertain, dynamic, complex environment. The use and management of multidisciplinary patient care teams in palliative care offers interesting insights for a broad range of organisations.Practical implicationsA contribution to the discourse on the relationship between configuration and innovation based in organisations without commercial imperative, delivering multi‐level care for and by people involved in the end‐of‐life process.Originality/valueThe paper continues a line of publications, beginning in 2002, describing the management of innovation in multidisciplinary palliative care teams. The originality and value of this paper and this line of research is in taking a management view of a unique environment that offers insights and lessons to a broad range of organisations.
Real estate portfolio construction and estimation risk
Authors: Lee Stephen , Stevenson Simon 
Published: May 2005

PurposeThe use of modern portfolio theory (MPT) in the construction real estate portfolios has two serious limitations when used in anex anteframework: the intertemporal instability of the portfolio weights; and the sharp deterioration in performance of the optimal portfolios outside the sample period used to estimate asset mean returns. Both problems can be traced to wide fluctuations in sample means. Aims to prove that the use of a procedure that ignores the estimation risk due to the uncertain in mean returns is likely to produce sub‐optimal results in subsequent periods.Design/methodology/approachThis study extends previousex ante‐based studies by evaluatingex postoptimal portfolio allocations in subsequent test periods by using methods that have been proposed to reduce the effect of measurement error on optimal portfolio allocations.FindingsWhile techniques designed to handle estimation risk in capital market studies have yielded promising results, they are not completely successful in improving out‐of‐sample performance in this case. It is hypothesised that such results are due to the cyclical nature of property and that the contrarian and mean‐reversion effects picked up in studies of stocks and bonds are not captured when an asset such as direct property is examined. This conclusion is also supported by the strong performance of the tangency portfolios, and in particular the classical unadjusted Sharpe portfolio, over the shorter horizons, which would be consistent with a cyclical momentum effect.Originality/valueThe results suggest that the consideration of the issue of estimation risk is crucial in the use of MPT in developing a successful real estate portfolio strategy.
Managing product variety in quotation processes
Authors: Bramham Jo , MacCarthy Bart , Guinery Jane 
Published: May 2005

PurposeManufacturers across many sectors increasingly operate in high variety environments. Research evidence suggests that variety has a negative impact on performance. However, the research literature is limited on the enablers that allow variety to be managed effectively and efficiently at the “front‐end” of an organisation and in quotation processes in particular.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents case analysis of the quotation processes from manufacturers operating in high‐variety environments. Qualitative process modelling tools have been developed to allow representation of process complexities and informal process elements.FindingsFindings are presented on generic mechanisms for absorbing and mitigating the impact of variety on quotation processes. A generic quotation process model is presented comprising four key decisions centres: customization request initiation and information gathering on customer needs, classification of requests, resource control, and identification of information for reuse.Practical implicationsThe implications of the study for the automation of quotation processes in high variety and mass customization environments are discussed and it is speculated that different decision centres will dominate in different environments.Originality/valueThe generic model developed by this research offers insight into the functioning of the core process elements of the quotation system. Reviewing an organisation's structure and the information systems infrastructure supporting these decision centres should lead to the identification of potential system or reorganisation improvements.
A case study of product modularization on supply chain design and coordination in Hong Kong and China
Authors: Lau A.K.W. , Yam R.C.M. 
Published: May 2005

PurposeModular product design is a practice manufacturers frequently adopt to develop new products. Some literature has reported the importance of the modular product design and its effect on supply chain management. However, until now, very few empirical researches have examined the relationship of product modularisation and supply chain design and coordination. Furthermore, the exploration on how manufacturers capitalize upon product modularization with supply chain design and coordination is rarely reported. This paper addresses this gap.Design/methodology/approachThis paper conducted a case study to review the experience of an Audio Consumer Electronics Manufacturer (ACEM) in Hong Kong and China. This company has successfully integrated modular product design with supply chain design and coordination for more than five years.FindingsResults indicate that product modularization affects supply chain design, whereas product innovation influences on supply chain coordination.Originality/valueThis study explores new relationships between supply chain and modular product design into three propositions for further studies. The first proposition shows that supply chain for modular product design has one more level than integrated product design in multiple‐tier supply chain. The second proposition shows that, regardless of either a modular or integrated product, an innovative product requires closer supply chain coordination than a conventional product in new product development. The final proposition shows that product modularization with close supply chain design and coordination brings down the inventory level, improve the quality of conformance and reduce development lead time.
Multi‐attribute information technology project selection using fuzzy axiomatic design
Authors: Kulak Osman , Kahraman Cengiz , Öztayşi Başar , Tanyaş Mehmet 
Published: May 2005

PurposeSignificant productivity improvements have been experienced in business by information technology (IT) implementations in latest decades. However, IT project selection is an important problem because a significant part of IT expenditure is wasted and almost half of IT projects realize no net benefits. Since axiomatic design (AD) has the characteristics of multi‐attribute evaluation, it is proposed for multi‐attribute comparison of information technology systems (ITS).Design/methodology/approachThe comparison of ITS is made for the cases of both complete and incomplete information. The crisp AD approach for complete information and the fuzzy AD approach for incomplete information are developed. The numerical applications of both crisp and fuzzy AD approaches in the comparison of ITS are also given.FindingsThe AD approach takes into account the design range of each criterion, determined by the designer. Thus, the alternative providing the design ranges is selected in AD approach while the alternative meeting the criteria at their best levels is selected in many other methods. This opportunity is not possible when many other existing methods such as AHP, fuzzy AHP, and scoring models are used. The AD approach also differs from many other existing methods from the point of the rejection of an alternative when it does not meet the design range of any criterion.Research limitations/implicationsFor future research, it is suggested that researchers study weighted crisp and fuzzy AD approaches.Originality/valueThis paper is the first which develops the fuzzy AD approach and uses it in the comparison of ITS.
A study of enterprise human resource competence appraisement
Authors: Liu Xiaohong , Ruan Da , Xu Yang 
Published: May 2005

PurposeFor an enterprise, the competence of human resource is more important than the intellect or the basic quality of human resource. This paper aims to present a competence appraisement model of human resource in an enterprise.Design/methodology/approachThe paper puts forward the appraisement index architecture of enterprise human resource competence on the foundation of adopting the concept and models of competence, and establishes a general model of the enterprise human resource competence appraisement.FindingsThe results obtained in this paper provide a foundation to establish a relatively reasonable and efficient enterprise appraisement system of human resources.Originality/valueThe research offers information about the enterprise appraisement information processing system of human resources.