Michael Opara, Robert Rankin, Ran Ling and Thien Le
In this study, the authors revisit Alberta's public-private partnership (P3) program after 20 years of field level experience by retracing its historical emergence and…
Abstract
Purpose
In this study, the authors revisit Alberta's public-private partnership (P3) program after 20 years of field level experience by retracing its historical emergence and institutional evolution given its political context. Specifically, the authors adopt a path dependence perspective to reconstruct and reexamine Alberta's P3 program emergence, reflect on the successes achieved, and articulate challenges that must be overcome to institutionalize P3s as part of Alberta's infrastructure delivery environment in the future.
Design/methodology/approach
Adopting a constructivist approach and a case-based methodology, the authors (re)analyze the activities of governmental agents, private industry, and other actors as part of a new infrastructure policy introduced in 2002 to transform the provincial institutional landscape to accommodate P3.
Findings
The authors find Alberta's P3 emergence was driven by the necessity of its infrastructure deficits, political expediency, and resource scarcity. Furthermore, with well-entrenched conservative political actors as gatekeepers, Alberta's P3 implementation demonstrated stability and incremental change simultaneously, consistent with core elements of path dependency. Following the introduction of P3 in Alberta, the province lacked formal institutional structures that would transition its P3 program from good to great and enable it to become firmly embedded in the public infrastructure delivery landscape. With the subsequent absence of P3-convinced (political) leadership and uncertainty about its P3 policy direction, Alberta was unable or unwilling to consolidate the progress made at the start of the program.
Originality/value
Most recently, the emergence of new political leadership in Alberta has (re)catalyzed policy progress, pointing toward a more methodical program approach, and suggesting a rediscovered confidence in P3s in the province with the establishment of a P3 Office (P3O), including nascent formal rules for unsolicited bids. These recent changes in our view make for a much more anchored policy and could lead to program sustainability and eventual institutionalization. Given the unpredictability of the recent political change, a more robust analysis of the relationship between political party control, leadership, and P3 stability is required to anticipate future policy and organizational obstacles.
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In the 21st Century, a region 's growth and prosperity will depend upon its intermodal transportation infrastructure and its ability to efficiently move goods, materials, and…
Abstract
In the 21st Century, a region 's growth and prosperity will depend upon its intermodal transportation infrastructure and its ability to efficiently move goods, materials, and people within the system whether it be from origin to destination; from supplier to customer through the various levels of the supply-chain; or from point to point within the system. Planning for the future focuses on improving a region 's intermodal transportation system efficiencies and infrastructure, its connection to other economies, and on the development of logistics institutions and facilities.
With China 's rapidly developing economy and society, record numbers of new modern facilities such as airports, ports, highways, logistics parks and warehouses are being built. Along with this, companies have made extensive investments in information technologies and software to support the tremendous growth that has taken place in the logistics industry. The development and improvement of China's historic inland water transport system is essential to their continued future growth and prosperity. In Korea, past and present National Governments have emphasized the importance of developing a North East Asian Logistics and Business Hub in their region and have worked on strategies, which include water transport, as part of an important national agenda to that end.
This article looks at how trade flows in the Yangtze and Yellow Sea Regions and between China and South Korea might be enhanced by application of improved shipping methods in marine commerce that will promote economic growth in the region. The application of logistics practices and use of barges is explored for the movement of containers on inland and coastal waterways as well as in short sea shipping which could greatly facilitate the region 's situation with respect to future economic growth.
Noel Scott, Brent Moyle, Ana Cláudia Campos, Liubov Skavronskaya and Biqiang Liu
Marco Bettiol, Mauro Capestro, Eleonora Di Maria and Stefano Micelli
The paper refers to the framework of ambidexterity to explain the strategic paths of manufacturing SMEs in turbulent times, by investigating SMEs' strategic reaction to the…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper refers to the framework of ambidexterity to explain the strategic paths of manufacturing SMEs in turbulent times, by investigating SMEs' strategic reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors adopted an inductive approach methodology. Using a qualitative research method, Italian manufacturing SMEs in different industries were interviewed to outline how they have faced the negative effects of the COVID-19 by considering the strategies implemented during the pandemic.
Findings
The study identifies three ambidextrous strategies for manufacturing SMEs to positively overcome the COVID-19 crisis: (1) playing different roles within the same market (business-to-business and business-to-consumer) simultaneously, (2) simultaneous entrance and management of multiple markets and (3) exploiting manufacturing knowledge for exploring product and business model innovation (simultaneous learning processes).
Research limitations/implications
Results enrich the theoretical discussion on ambidexterity and SMEs, by stressing the strategic dimension of ambidexterity and including a more fine-grained analysis of the different firm’ strategic paths in times of crisis.
Practical implications
The paper provides practical suggestions for manufacturing SMEs on how they can react during turbulent times and crises by implementing ambidextrous strategies also thanks to the use of digital technologies.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to outlining the conditions for SMEs' resilience in the international competitive context by highlighting the perspective of ambidexterity based on the analysis of multiple case studies from manufacturing industries.
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Jingcheng Wen, Yihao Qin, Ye Bai and Xiaoqing Dong
Express freight transportation is in rapid development currently. Owing to the higher speed of express freight train, the deformation of the bridge deck worsens the railway line…
Abstract
Purpose
Express freight transportation is in rapid development currently. Owing to the higher speed of express freight train, the deformation of the bridge deck worsens the railway line condition under the action of wind and train moving load when the train runs over a long-span bridge. Besides, the blunt car body of vehicle has poor aerodynamic characteristics, bringing a greater challenge on the running stability in the crosswind.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, the aerodynamic force coefficients of express freight vehicles on the bridge are measured by scale model wind tunnel test. The dynamic model of the train-long-span steel truss bridge coupling system is established, and the dynamic response as well as the running safety of vehicle are evaluated.
Findings
The results show that wind speed has a significant influence on running safety, which is mainly reflected in the over-limitation of wheel unloading rate. The wind speed limit decreases with train speed, and it reduces to 18.83 m/s when the train speed is 160 km/h.
Originality/value
This study deepens the theoretical understanding of the interaction between vehicles and bridges and proposes new methods for analyzing similar engineering problems. It also provides a new theoretical basis for the safety assessment of express freight trains.
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Talat Islam, Saleha Sharif, Hafiz Fawad Ali and Saqib Jamil
Nurses' turnover intention has become a major issue in developing countries with high power distance cultures. Therefore, the authors attempt to investigate how turnover intention…
Abstract
Purpose
Nurses' turnover intention has become a major issue in developing countries with high power distance cultures. Therefore, the authors attempt to investigate how turnover intention among nurses' can be reduced through paternalistic leadership (PL). The authors further investigate the mediating role of job satisfaction between the associations of benevolent, moral and authoritarian dimensions of PL with turnover intention. Finally, the authors examined perceived organizational support (POS) as a conditional variable between job satisfaction and turnover intention.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors collected data from 374 nurses working in public and private hospitals of high power distance culture using a questionnaire-based survey on convenience basis.
Findings
Structural equation modeling confirms that benevolent and moral dimensions of PL positively affect nurses' job satisfaction which helps them reduce their turnover intention. While the authoritarian dimension of PL negatively affects job satisfaction to further enhance their turnover intention. In addition, the authors noted POS as a conditional variable to trigger the negative effect of job satisfaction on turnover intention.
Research limitations/implications
The authors used a cross-sectional design to collect responses and ensured the absence of common method variance through Harman's Single factor test.
Originality/value
This study identified the mechanism (job satisfaction and POS) through which benevolent, moral and authoritative dimensions of PL predict turnover intention among nurses working in high power distance culture.
研究目的
護士有離職意向,在擁有高權力距離文化的發展中國家,已成為一個重大的問題。因此,我們擬探討如何可以透過採用家長式領導、把護士離職的意欲減低,繼而研究工作滿足感,在離職意向與家長式領導中仁慈、道德和獨裁這三個層面的關係中所起的中介作用。最後,我們就組織支持感,作為是工作滿足感與離職意向之間的一個條件變數,進行了研究。
研究設計/方法/理念
本研究透過採用在便利的基礎上進行的問卷調查,從374名在高權力距離文化的公營和私營醫院內工作的護士取得數據,進行分析。
研究結果
結構方程模型證實了家長式領導中的仁慈和道德這兩個層面,會對可減低護士離職意欲的工作滿足感,產生積極的影響。家長式領導中的獨裁層面、則會對護士的工作滿足程度產生負面的影響,繼而增強其離職意欲。而且,我們確認了組織支持感是一個會增強工作滿足感與離職意向之間負相聯的條件變數。
研究的局限/啟示
我們以橫斷面的設計法來收集回應,並透過採用哈曼 (Harman) 的單因素檢定法,來確保共同方法變異不會存在。
研究的原創性/價值
本研究確定了一個 (工作滿足感與組織支持感) 機制,透過這機制,家長式領導中的仁慈、道德和獨裁這三個層面可預測於高權力距離文化工作的護士的離職意向。