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The purpose of this paper is to understand emerging future orientations, women’s effective leadership and further examine its impact on government support in the context of higher education institutions.

A cross-sectional survey with 500 full-time women employees, working in Saudi Arabia Public University, was selected using a quantitative approach and analysed on the proposed hypotheses.

The initial prediction was that future orientations is significant on women’s leadership effectiveness as well as on government support, to the extent that it is associated with women’s leadership effectiveness where it tends to have a stronger relationship. Surprisingly, the indirect effect of government support on the relationship between future orientations on women’s leadership effectiveness was not significant.

Academic scholars/leaders in higher education should realize that the development of women leadership has a positive effect on future orientations. Policymakers and leaders of higher education institutions should focus on women leaders to improve their leadership effectiveness.

From the perspective of emerging nations, this paper extends the knowledge regarding the complexity leadership theory which explains the development of women’s leadership effectiveness and provides empirical evidence.

Big data have rapidly developed as a viable solution to many problems faced in engineering industries. Specifically, in the industry of water resource engineering, where there is a tremendous amount of data, various big data techniques could be applied to achieve innovative and efficient solutions for the industry. This study reviewed the proposal of big data as potential approaches to solve various difficulties encountered in managing water resources and related applications in Malaysia. The advantages and disadvantages of big data applications have also been discussed along with a brief literature review and some examples of case studies.

The purpose of this paper is to report an investigation on the advancement of QA to TQM for construction contractors in Hong Kong.

The investigation is based on a questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was answered by 40 respondents working in construction contractors in Hong Kong including project managers, section managers, senior engineers and quality managers. The data obtained from the questionnaire survey were then analysed.

The results of the questionnaire survey are presented in the form of the levels of application of QA and TQM as practised by the contracting organizations in Hong Kong. The findings suggest that contractors are fully familiar with the application of QA but are less familiar with that of TQM. Both QA and TQM items that are mostly practised and seldom practised are discussed. In association with the findings, potential areas for exploratory studies in quality management systems and the quality culture of the Hong Kong construction industry are suggested.

The paper explores new directions in the advancement of QA to TQM for construction contractors and offers help to practitioners in providing a direction for construction quality management improvement.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have implemented preventive measures that may negatively affect the physical and mental health of older adults. This study aims to investigate the changes in life satisfaction, depressive symptoms and quality-of-life (QoL) of older adults during the post-COVID-19 pandemic in Oman.

A prospective four-week follow-up study was conducted in one health-care center in Muscat, Oman. Convenience sampling was used, and the recruitment was from November 2021 to October 2022, with 38 participants aged 60–81, of whom 36 completed the study. The study evaluated changes in psychological well-being over time and analyzed gender differences.

The study revealed a positive impact of the preventive measures on the QoL (F = 3.08, p = 0.032) and a reduction in depressive symptoms (F = 3.09, p = 0.045). However, there was no significant change in life satisfaction (F = 1.90, p = 0.165). In particular, older women reported decreased depression (F = 5.31, p = 0.006), while older men reported improved QoL (F = 4.27, p = 0.025).

Few studies have reported on the well-being issues of older adults in Oman during the pandemic. Thus, the findings of this study can contribute to the international understanding of the impact of pandemics on the well-being of older adults in Oman and help health-care professionals tailor health-care programs for older adults in the community setting.

This study provides valuable insights into the well-being of older adults in Oman during the pandemic. Understanding the effects of long-term health hazards is crucial for developing community-level intervention plans and strategies for older adults in the community setting.

The present study aims to evaluate the effect of climate change on the flood hazard potential in the Kelantan River Basin using current and future scenarios.

The intensity-duration-frequency (IDF) was used to estimate the current 50- and 100-year return period 24-h design rainfall, and the climate change factor (CCF) was used to compute the future design rainfall. The CCF was calculated from the rainfall projections of two global climate models, CGCM1 and CCSM3, with different pre-processing steps applied to each. The IDF data were used in the rainfall-runoff-inundation model to simulate current and future flood inundation scenarios.

The estimated CCF values demonstrate a contrast, whereby each station had a CCF value greater than one for CGCM1, while some stations had a CCF value of less than one for CCSM3. Therefore, CGCM1 projected an aggravation and CCSM3 a reduction of flood hazard for future scenarios. The study reveals that topography plays an essential role in calculating the CCF.

To the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study to examine flood projections in the Kelantan River Basin. It is, therefore, hoped that these results could benefit local managers and authorities by enabling them to make informed decisions regarding flood risk mitigation in a climate change scenario.

Structuring learning and maximising the use of knowledge in manufacturing organisations can further Trinidad and Tobago’s (T&T) quest to diversify its energy‐based economy, promote sustainable development and enhance the creativity and competence of its population. Existing Organisational Learning (OL) and Knowledge Management (KM) models have not sufficiently integrated soft elements (e.g., culture) and hard elements (e.g., technology) to enable direct application within T&T’s manufacturing sector. This paper discusses the conceptual foundations of OL/KM, and identifies several key OL/KM elements (such as culture, KM tools and instruments, learning processes and learning practices) that would be used to devise a holistic manufacturing OL model. A research agenda is also presented, by which the model would be validated.

This paper aims to review the concepts and constructs of some common models and frameworks advocated for knowledge management (KM) and organisational learning (OL) in literature. It sets forth a critical enquiry towards the integration of KM and OL practices and their relationship with the concepts of the learning organisation (LO) and chaordic organisation/enterprise (CO/CE).

A literature search of KM and OL was conducted through the use of multiple ProQuest databases spanning the period from 1996 to 2009. This paper reviews 18 studies, focusing on recognition of major KM and OL approaches and contributions adopted in industry. Besides, a host of 14 KM and OL models and frameworks is used to identify various important considerations in practice.

Many researchers and practitioners have been attempting to integrate the theories of KM and OL into organisational practice. A considerable number of them are concerned largely with information systems and technology. Conceptual knowledge transfer, knowledge acquisition and creation, and learning models underlie much of the work being done in the field. Some studies have forwarded the call for systems integration and organisational effectiveness. Systems approaches, culture, and the LO and CO/CE concepts are among the most popularly cited factors for the development of a holistic model.

A close relationship between KM and OL has emerged during the past 14 years, with applications related to LO and CO/CE emerging slowly in the past decade. Further research is needed to expand the integrative relationship through the development of explicitly stated theories and models with empirical evidence.

There is a need to integrate the theories of KM and OL with the OL concepts to make them more comprehensible, better aligned and applicable to specific fields of work and to best management practice.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant changes in consumer behaviour, which has had a cascading effect on consumer-centric logistics. As a result, this study conducts a focused literature review of pandemic-related consumer behaviour research to address two research questions: 1) what are the pandemic's direct effects on consumer consumption behaviour, with an emphasis on changes in their basic and psychological needs? and 2) what are the consequences of behavioural changes on consumer-centric logistics?

The scientific procedure and rationales for systematic literature review (SPAR-4-SLR) protocol and the theory, context, characteristics and methodology (TCCM) framework were adopted as a guideline to map, refine, evaluate and synthesise the literature. A total of 53 research articles were identified for further analysis.

Using Maslow's hierarchy of human needs as a theoretical guide, this review synthesises the COVID-19 pandemic's effects on consumer behaviour into four categories: abnormal buying behaviour, changes in consumer preferences, digitalisation of shopping behaviour and technology-related behaviour. Furthermore, four consumer-centric logistics propositions are proposed based on the four aspects of consumer behavioural changes.

This study outlines the significant behavioural changes in consumers in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic and how these changes impact consumer-centric logistics, with implications for managing consumers' involvement in logistics and pointing out future research directions.

Traditional construction materials and methodologies are often perceived to be unproductive, labour-intensive and detrimental to the environment. Mass-engineered timber (MET) is a new structural material that is capable of overcoming numerous issues that otherwise affect the built environment. This study was formulated to assess the current attitude and perception of young Singaporeans towards the concept of Engineered Timber Residential Buildings (ETRBs).

The study employs the mixed-method approach. Questionnaires were used as the primary mode of data gathering. These were disseminated to Singaporeans between the age of 18 and 35 years. A total of 179 valid responses were gathered. Semi-structured interviews were subsequently conducted with six individuals with different demographics in order to gain further insightful opinions and to allow cross validation of responses.

Statistical analysis revealed that 80% of respondents were willing to accept ETRBs, but a lack of awareness and knowledge of MET and the presence of misconceptions, such as an association with deforestation, may present concerns. The study also revealed that individual acceptance of ETRBs is not affected by demographics.

The production of MET involves lower overall carbon emissions than that of conventional materials, and this also allows adoption of the Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DfMA) concept and offers the benefit of carbon sequestration. Residential buildings are the second most common building type in Singapore; significant benefits can be gained if MET is used as the primary material for residential buildings. In general, young stakeholders in Singapore welcome the concept of ETRBs, despite possessing uncertainties about ETRBs—understandable given that the material lacks a track record of usage. Public authorities are thus advised to explore the feasibility of materialising the concept of ETRBs as an option for public housing.

This paper aims to discuss an integrated paradigm that aligns the measures of knowledge management (KM) performance to attain corporate goals in organisations. It presents the main findings of an exploratory study on the use of the paradigm and the accompanied self-assessment scheme in industrial enterprises in Trinidad and Tobago (T&T).

An integrated knowledge management (IKM) model was derived, incorporating the guiding principles of the Total Quality Management/Business Excellence Models. A host of 20 elements was advocated under 5 assessment criteria, namely, Senior management leadership, KM processes, people development, continuous improvement and results orientation. A four-level self-assessment scheme was developed for facilitating users to determine the maturity status of IKM performance in organisations. An exploratory study was conducted with respondents of 18 companies in T&T. A results-oriented methodology with a self-assessment instrument (includes a set of questionnaire and facilitative tools) was used to acquire the industry practitioners’ views on the potential applicability of the IKM model. The study compared the current with the expected organisational performance and explored the relevance of integrating KM and PM practices in these participating organisations.

The findings provided some useful data sources and managerial insights in integrating KM/PM initiatives with reference to groups of large enterprises vs small- and medium-sized companies in T&T. Empirical evidence showed that the self-assessment analysis could help participating organisations utilise their resources and keep up with improvement progress. The objectives, emphasis and administrative context of the KM/PM integration could be changed with varying resources, constraints and maturity status of organisations.

Future research could validate the self-assessment paradigm of KM performance in enterprises across various industry sectors, with the emphasis on human–technology–organisation interactions.

It is anticipated that adapting the IKM model and using it for regular self-assessments could help industrial enterprises to enhance their KM and PM capabilities for attaining improvement goals. The results could facilitate information sharing of best practices and create conditions conducive to continuous performance improvement.