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1 – 10 of 10Daniela Cortés, Albert Anton Traxler and Dorothea Greiling
While research on sustainability reporting in the construction industry has already provided comprehensive findings, the purpose of this paper is to answer the question of how…
Abstract
Purpose
While research on sustainability reporting in the construction industry has already provided comprehensive findings, the purpose of this paper is to answer the question of how construction companies anchor the topic of sustainability in their strategic and operative management control practices. The implementation of sustainable business models and sustainability strategies requires proper management control instruments or mechanisms that support the transformation process or make it possible in the first place.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative content analysis based on deductive and inductive procedures was conducted. 39 sustainability reports published by the largest construction companies in the EU were examined.
Findings
Valuable insights are provided by showing which control instruments and mechanisms are used to improve corporate sustainability performance as well as how these are linked systematically. The results show that the focus is on strategic planning, cultural and administrative controls, while short-term targets, which could set out the path to achieving the long-term sustainability goals set, are often not reported. Strategic stakeholder theory and legitimacy theory provide explanations for the use of management control practices identified.
Originality/value
Previous studies often focus on selected single control practices and miss holistic approaches for investigating corporate sustainability in construction companies. Furthermore, theoretical perspectives with instrumental and socio/political views on corporate sustainability help us explain the control practices applied. Moreover, practitioners, standard setters and legislators can use the findings for sustainability management or for developing standards and legislation.
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Ravichandrakumar K.B. and Lalgudi Ramachandran Ganapathy Subramanian
Flow separation over an aircraft’s wing beyond a specific angle of attack is challenging. Flow boundary layer manipulation has been investigated to improve aerofoil lift and…
Abstract
Purpose
Flow separation over an aircraft’s wing beyond a specific angle of attack is challenging. Flow boundary layer manipulation has been investigated to improve aerofoil lift and mitigate flow separation difficulties including stall and drag. This is solved via active or passive flow control. Active flow control method moving surface boundary (MSB) enhances shear flow momentum, making it effective. MSB is easier than suction and blowing. Asymmetrical airfoils, which generate lift in aircraft wings, have received less MSB research than symmetrical ones. The purpose of this study is to asses the design efficacy of MSB’s NACA 2412 aerofoil.
Design/methodology/approach
To observe the performance of MSB in NACA 2412, a computational model has been created, and aerodynamical performance has been analyzed.
Findings
The study results show that the NACA 2412 with MSB has better aerodynamic efficiency than the NACA 2412 base design. It works best when it reaches its optimal speed and the delay in flow separation works well.
Research limitations/implications
Limitations may include specific aerofoil applicability, external factors and simulation constraints. Implications guide future research for broader insights and applications.
Practical implications
Improving asymmetrical aerofoil performance, mitigating stall effects, reducing drag and optimizing designs with moving surface boundary. Insights gained can enhance overall aircraft efficiency and flow control techniques.
Originality/value
The MSB flow control in a chambered aerofoil is less explored and not explored enough in wing-based aerofoils, and the optimal cylinder speed ratio trend has been discussed at each angle of attack studied.
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Javad Bakhshi, Hamed Golzad, Igor Martek, M. Reza Hosseini and Eleni Papadonikolaki
This study aims to investigate the complexity factors associated with BIM-enabled projects. BIM has been widely promoted as a potential solution to numerous challenges that hinder…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the complexity factors associated with BIM-enabled projects. BIM has been widely promoted as a potential solution to numerous challenges that hinder productivity in construction projects, owing to its numerous advantages. Nevertheless, it is crucial to acknowledge the heightened complexity it introduces to project workflows, stakeholder coordination and information management.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs the Delphi method to identify and extract complexity factors specific to BIM-enabled projects. A panel of industry and academic experts is engaged to discern and prioritise these factors based on their expertise and knowledge.
Findings
The study reveals a comprehensive list of 34 complexity factors that significantly impact BIM-enabled projects. Among the most influential factors are laws and regulations, variety of procurement methods, technical capabilities of teams, project manager competence, information transfer capacity, range of project deliverables and diversity of project locations. The findings highlight the importance of these factors and emphasise the need for proactive and adaptive management to navigate their impact and achieve positive project outcomes.
Originality/value
This study introduces the DEBACCS framework, a metric-based model designed to understand and evaluate complexity within BIM-enabled projects. DEBACCS stands for seven key dimensions: diversity, emergence, belonging, autonomy, connectivity, context and size. These dimensions represent essential aspects for gauging project complexity. By applying the concept of complexity from project management to BIM, the study offers valuable insights for practitioners and researchers. It provides a unique perspective on the challenges and considerations associated with implementing and managing BIM in construction projects. The findings have practical value for practitioners, enabling them to better understand and address the implications of complexity in BIM-enabled projects, ultimately leading to improved project outcomes.
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Ky Nam Nguyen, Quang Anh Phan and Ngoc Minh Nguyen
This paper aims to examine the management status quo of archaeological heritage in Vietnam seen in the case of Vuon Chuoi, a complex of Bronze Age sites located in Central Hanoi…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the management status quo of archaeological heritage in Vietnam seen in the case of Vuon Chuoi, a complex of Bronze Age sites located in Central Hanoi, which has been believed to be Hanoi’s first human settlement. Like other archaeological sites located in urban areas, this site has been under threat of destruction caused by land encroachment pressure. Although researchers have long waged a campaign for preservation, the dissensus among key stakeholders and the dispute over responsibility have left this site at the heart of an interminable polemic over legislation.
Design/methodology/approach
This research utilises a qualitative approach, and the primary data were collected throughout multiple field trips in 2019 and 2020. Several open-ended interviews were conducted with various state and nonstate actors involved in the Vuon Chuoi Complex’s management process. The discussion was also supported by analysing related legal documents retrieved from national archives and official online directories.
Findings
This paper dissects the current legislative and administrative framework applied in governing heritage in general and archaeological sites in Vietnam, in particular. The results indicate that existing flaws in Vietnam’s legal system are detectable, and the unsystematic organisation has led to deferment of the decision-making processes. Also, there is an apparent difference found in the attitude of the bodies in charge toward the treatment of listed and unlisted sites.
Originality/value
This research outlines that in the wake of urbanisation and industrialisation in Vietnam, a consensus among key stakeholders and an inclusive legal system are required to help preserve archaeological sites in urgent need of attention. Although several Vietnamese laws and regulations have been put into practice, they have shown critical barriers and gaps in conserving Vietnamese cultural heritage.
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Binh Thi Thanh Dang, Wang Yawei and Abdul Jabbar Abdullah
The study attempts to examine the impact of the US-China trade war on Vietnamese exports to the United States, which has consistently served as a key market for Vietnamese goods…
Abstract
Purpose
The study attempts to examine the impact of the US-China trade war on Vietnamese exports to the United States, which has consistently served as a key market for Vietnamese goods and services in recent decades. The heterogeneous effects of the trade war on different export sectors are also evaluated.
Design/methodology/approach
The secondary data on Vietnamese exports to the US at a 6-digit level is collected from UN Comtrade. Besides, the difference-in-differences (DiD) method is employed to analyze the impact of the trade war on exports from Vietnam to the United States.
Findings
The findings revealed a 14% increase in total Vietnamese exports to the United States due to the trade war. Examining heterogeneous effects, certain industries, such as plastics, iron or steel articles, textiles and garments, and machinery and mechanical appliances, experience significant benefits. However, the study did not identify statistically significant effects on other sectors, such as electrical machinery products, agricultural and forestry, and furniture.
Originality/value
The paper is one among limited studies considering the causal effects of the trade war on a developing country, accounting for the heterogeneous effects on different export sectors.
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Fernando García-Monleón, Elena González-Rodrigo and María-Julia Bordonado-Bermejo
The purpose of this research is to investigate the differences between financial crises of fear and confidence and the differential behavior between downtrends and recovery.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this research is to investigate the differences between financial crises of fear and confidence and the differential behavior between downtrends and recovery.
Design/methodology/approach
Five national stock markets have been analyzed – the USA (SP500), China (Hang Seng), Spain (IBEX 35), Japan (Nikkei) and Germany (DAX) – through the evolution of three world economic crises: the mortgage bubble crisis of 2007 in the first place, with special attention to the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers, which will be treated as an independent crisis process, and the crisis caused by COVID-19. The behavioral finance theory, with the support of the complexity theory in the field of risk management, will establish the different behavioral biases that explain the differences between the two types of crises, fear and confidence, when confronted with risk.
Findings
Economic crises resulting from a shocking event, addressed as crises of fear in this research, such as Lehman Brothers or COVID-19, are fast-moving; all the economies analyzed show a common pattern of evolution. The difference is found in the recovery periods in which the previous parallelism does not continue. Crisis events that arise from a social context, addressed as crises of trust in this research, follow similar patterns in their evolution; nonetheless, the start date presents higher variations than those originated by a shock. These crises also lack parallelism between fall and recovery.
Practical implications
Understanding crisis process patterns may help to prevent them and alleviate their effects when they occur.
Originality/value
Understanding crisis process patterns may help to prevent them and alleviate their effects when they occur. This constitutes an original field of research.
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This study explores how transformative pedagogy enhances project-based learning in architectural education. It presents a studio case study implementing a process-based approach…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores how transformative pedagogy enhances project-based learning in architectural education. It presents a studio case study implementing a process-based approach and a student-led design programme. It promotes creativity, critical thinking and autonomy while advocating for pedagogical adaptation towards dynamic, systemic learning experiences in architecture education.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs a qualitative approach, drawing on a literature review and action research from the authors’ design studio experience. A quantitative component was included in the student feedback survey. The studio practice incorporates real-world market challenges in the Kosovar context into student-driven programmes, structuring the process through a problem-solving approach in a fourth-year design studio.
Findings
The results showed high student satisfaction with the process-based, student-centred approach, improving design initiatives, self-confidence and responsibility. Structured presentations and assessments support iterative improvements and reflection. However, workload management remains a challenge.
Research limitations/implications
This study’s context-specific nature suggests that future research could benefit from diverse educational settings to assess the generalisability of the proposed approach.
Practical implications
This research provides practical insights for educators to improve students’ autonomy and critical thinking through student-centred problem-solving approaches, enabling them to take greater responsibility for their design processes.
Social implications
Student-led programmes help with social responsibility and ethical awareness, aligning education more closely with the complexities of real-world situations.
Originality/value
This study positions transformative pedagogy as a way to tailor educational practices, proposing an additional trajectory shaped by integrating student-led design programmes that echo real-world challenges and emphasise student-centred learning through iterative processes and continuous reflection.
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Liang Xiang and Hyun Jung Park
This study aims to provide a new perspective on the impact of mortality threats on consumer behavior through the lens of brand anthropomorphism. It examines the mediating effects…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide a new perspective on the impact of mortality threats on consumer behavior through the lens of brand anthropomorphism. It examines the mediating effects of control and connectedness motives and the moderating effects of brand roles on the relationship between mediators and brand attitudes.
Design/methodology/approach
A preliminary study explored the relationship between pandemic-induced mortality threats and attitudes toward anthropomorphized brands. Study 1 investigated the underlying mechanism, and Study 2 examined the moderating effects of servant or partner roles. Study 3 confirmed the mortality threat effect on anthropomorphic brand attitudes in the absence of the pandemic.
Findings
The study revealed that mortality threats enhanced the desire for control and connectedness, which strengthened attitudes toward anthropomorphized brands. The results also indicated matching effects between the motivations for anthropomorphism and brand roles.
Originality/value
This research offers novel insights into the effects of pandemic-induced mortality threats and mortality threats in non-pandemic contexts on anthropomorphic motives. It highlights the influence of these psychological needs on consumer responses to brand roles and provides insights for brand management during a crisis.
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In recent years, the concept of logistics cluster has attracted the attention of several researchers and practitioners. It is an agglomeration of different types of companies and…
Abstract
Purpose
In recent years, the concept of logistics cluster has attracted the attention of several researchers and practitioners. It is an agglomeration of different types of companies and operations: notably, those providing logistics services, such as supply chain organization, storage and distribution. The paper focuses on this concept by examining the factors influencing logistics service providers (LSPs) to enter the logistics clusters.
Design/methodology/approach
An exploratory qualitative study based on semi-structured interviews was conducted. Regarding the sample size, the author interviewed 31 professionals belonging to logistics clusters located in the Moroccan economic metropolis: Casablanca.
Findings
The results show that the cost reduction, the reputation of the cluster, the learning from other LSP, the communal services, the geographical proximity, and the role of public authorities are the main factors impacting the entry of LSPs into these clusters.
Practical implications
The findings of this study provide several practical insights for LSPs, government authorities, and cluster managers. For LSPs, understanding the key factors influencing their entry into logistics clusters—such as cost reduction, proximity and the role of public authorities—enables them to make strategic decisions that optimize their operations and enhance competitiveness. For cluster managers, the study highlights the importance of maintaining a strong cluster reputation and fostering collaboration between LSPs to attract new entrants. Finally, public authorities can leverage the insights to design policies that incentivize LSPs to join clusters by providing infrastructure, financial support and governance structures that align with industry needs.
Originality/value
This theme has never been investigated. Therefore, this research expands the literature review and tries to examine this gap of literature by studying the factors that can affect the adhesion of LSPs to these clusters.
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Edicleia Oliveira, Serge Basini and Thomas M. Cooney
This article aims to explore the potential of feminist phenomenology as a conceptual framework for advancing women’s entrepreneurship research and the suitability of…
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to explore the potential of feminist phenomenology as a conceptual framework for advancing women’s entrepreneurship research and the suitability of interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to the proposed framework.
Design/methodology/approach
The article critically examines the current state of women’s entrepreneurship research regarding the institutional context and highlights the benefits of a shift towards feminist phenomenology.
Findings
The prevailing disembodied and gender-neutral portrayal of entrepreneurship has resulted in an equivocal understanding of women’s entrepreneurship and perpetuated a male-biased discourse within research and practice. By adopting a feminist phenomenological approach, this article argues for the importance of considering the ontological dimensions of lived experiences of situatedness, intersubjectivity, intentionality and temporality in analysing women entrepreneurs’ agency within gendered institutional contexts. It also demonstrates that feminist phenomenology could broaden the current scope of IPA regarding the embodied dimension of language.
Research limitations/implications
The adoption of feminist phenomenology and IPA presents new avenues for research that go beyond the traditional cognitive approach in entrepreneurship, contributing to theory and practice. The proposed conceptual framework also has some limitations that provide opportunities for future research, such as a phenomenological intersectional approach and arts-based methods.
Originality/value
The article contributes to a new research agenda in women’s entrepreneurship research by offering a feminist phenomenological framework that focuses on the embodied dimension of entrepreneurship through the integration of IPA and conceptual metaphor theory (CMT).
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