Search results

1 – 10 of 482
Per page
102050
Citations:
Loading...
Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 18 June 2019

Bassam A. Tayeh, Khalid Al Hallaq, Hafiz Zahoor and Abdulla H. Al Faqawi

The purpose of this paper is to prioritize the vital tools/techniques for the effective implementation of the last planner system (LPS) in the cross-cultural setting of a

449

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to prioritize the vital tools/techniques for the effective implementation of the last planner system (LPS) in the cross-cultural setting of a developing country, i.e. Gaza Strip. Besides, the potential benefits of implementing LPS are prioritized.

Design/methodology/approach

The significant techniques and likely benefits of LPS implementations were identified through comprehensive literature, followed by their verification through a pilot study. The quantitative data were collected using a questionnaire survey from 89 companies, operating in the Gaza Strip construction industry. The relative important index was calculated for prioritizing the significant tools/techniques (16) which support the effective LPS implementation, and highlighting the potential benefits (10) achieved through LPS implementation.

Findings

The results showed that the “use of visual devices to spread information in the construction site,” “attendance of key actors” and “look ahead plan” are the most important tools/techniques supporting LPS implementation. The top three potential benefits of implementing LPS include: “allows a better understanding of the program control,” “maximizes the co-operation and confidence among team members” and “allows the manager to better visualize the work program.” To prevent any waste in project time and to ensure the material supply and continuity of works, the study recommends advance supply and storage of demand materials, and early availability of the shop-drawings for acceptance by the superintendent.

Practical implications

The study’s findings are expected to guide the key construction stakeholders to prioritize their energies toward effective LPS implementation in the Gaza Strip.

Originality/value

Though this study pertains to Palestine, its methodology can be generalized in other countries and regions, having a similar work environment, after making necessary cultural adjustments.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 26 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 1 October 2003

A. Zahoor, M. Jaffar and M. Saqib

Levels of the selected major and minor elements (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Ni, Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn and Fe) in 11 summer fruits grown in Pakistan were estimated by the flame AAS method based on HNO…

748

Abstract

Levels of the selected major and minor elements (Na, K, Ca, Mg, Ni, Cr, Cd, Pb, Zn and Fe) in 11 summer fruits grown in Pakistan were estimated by the flame AAS method based on HNO3/HClO4 wet‐digestion method. The metal concentrations are expressed as X for triplicate sub‐samples with a standard deviation of ±1.0‐1.5 per cent. Of all the minor elements analyzed, Fe was found to be the dominant metal on mean basis as compared with other metals in fruits, its concentration being 14.25mg/kg. The increasing order of minor‐element concentration was: Cd<Pb<Zn<Cr<Ni<Fe. While for major elements, K concentration was found to be maximum as 409.7mg/kg and increasing order was: Ca<Na<Mg<K. In general, minor‐element concentrations were found to surpass the safe limit laid down by the World Health Organization. Fruits were found to be a rich resource of major elements.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science, vol. 33 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 20 September 2023

Marta Giovannetti, Arun Sharma, Deva Rangarajan, Silvio Cardinali and Elena Cedrola

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to major sales strategy and process changes as many interactions migrated from face-to-face to virtual environments. The nature of the interactions…

530

Abstract

Purpose

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to major sales strategy and process changes as many interactions migrated from face-to-face to virtual environments. The nature of the interactions changed, and sales firms, the sales function and salespeople created new processes to excel in virtual environments. As sales processes evolve further, this paper aims to focus on understanding the enduring shifts in sales strategy and processes. In addition, this study seeks to understand the characteristics of enduring shifts and how they are distinct from temporary shifts.

Design/methodology/approach

This qualitative analysis provides a comprehensive overview of the sales organizations and salespeople over the period from the start of the pandemic to early 2022. The authors interviewed 66 sales professionals from different countries and industries to better understand the temporary and enduring shifts in sales strategy and processes, adopting ad inductive and narrative approach.

Findings

There are four major findings. First, four key themes emerged: increased digitalization, resistance to digitalization, sales process changes and sales organization transformation. Second, changes are classified as temporary, permanent and accelerated changes. Third, some proposed changes were not supported. Finally, five findings were found that were not discussed in previous literature.

Originality/value

This paper finds distinctive findings that offer additional valuable insights that connect to and extend existing literature. These include emerging themes, classification shifts, unsupported proposed changes and unique findings.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. 39 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 18 June 2021

Samuel Ekung, Isaac Odesola and Alex Opoku

The pertinent information about green buildings (GB) is laden with cost misperceptions (CM) that are paraded into adoption decisions without factual clarifications. The…

212

Abstract

Purpose

The pertinent information about green buildings (GB) is laden with cost misperceptions (CM) that are paraded into adoption decisions without factual clarifications. The unsupported beliefs are fundamental to the disparaging low adoption of related technologies globally. The purpose of this paper is to explore the causes of CMs among construction stakeholders and why is it difficult to discredit this information?

Design/methodology/approach

The research adopted two-tier approaches involving a Delphi study and a questionnaire survey. Construction stakeholders and GB experts, totalling 415 were surveyed, while 12 professionals participated in the Delphi study. This study analysed data from 254 valid responses using Factor Analysis, Fussy Set Theory and Kruskal Wallis test to explain why CMs are prevalent.

Findings

The causes of CMs converge towards seven principal factors including low knowledge of GB practices, non-familiarity with performance metrics, inadequate evidence, poor-risk perceptions and reliance on the costs of exemplar projects. The results were explained using gaps in cost management, knowledge and sustainability accounting to show the critical improvements that can benefit GB adoption.

Practical implications

CMs are not abstract but develop from patterns that can be detected and understood within a specific context. Growing GB projects within a region would improve cost information, sustainability accounting, cost management and quality of evidence. GB cost information paraded into adoption decision processes are overestimated and overvalued beliefs of their financial implications. Tackling the important sources of CMs in the study is appropriate to improve rational decision-making aiding GB adoption.

Originality/value

This study untied causes of negative dispositions towards the cost of GB that distort stakeholders’ adoption decisions.

Details

Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology , vol. 20 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1726-0531

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 1 April 2022

Adil Zahoor and Danish Khan

This study aims to investigate whether frontline retail banking employees’ proactive personality helps in ameliorating customer engagement. This study further aims to investigate…

3139

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate whether frontline retail banking employees’ proactive personality helps in ameliorating customer engagement. This study further aims to investigate the mediational role of work engagement and service recovery performance in the employee proactivity – customer engagement relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

This study used a triadic approach for the collection of primary data. Each triad consisted of a customer, a frontline employee and an immediate colleague of the frontline employee. Structured questionnaires were used to solicit data from the respondents. Specifically, customers were asked to report their level of engagement with the bank and the recovery performance of the employee who redressed their grievances. Frontline employees responded to their level of work engagement while their colleagues reported about the proactive disposition of frontline employees at the workplace.

Findings

Empirical findings revealed under service scenario, Indian retail banking employees’ proactive disposition nurtures customer engagement. It was further observed that this relationship is sequentially mediated by work engagement and service recovery performance.

Originality/value

The role of frontline employees in enriching customer engagement has to date remained under-researched among marketing scholars. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the maiden attempt to relate frontline employee proactivity with customer engagement. Also, this study is one of the early research to investigate customer engagement under a service recovery context, thereby, opening pathways for further exploration.

Details

IIM Ranchi journal of management studies, vol. 1 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-0138

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 17 October 2024

Priyanka, Shikha N. Khera and Pradeep Kumar Suri

This study aims towards developing a conceptual framework by systematically reviewing the available literature with reference to job crafting under the lens of an emerging economy…

232

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims towards developing a conceptual framework by systematically reviewing the available literature with reference to job crafting under the lens of an emerging economy from South Asia, i.e. India, which is the largest country and the largest economy in the South Asian region.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a hybrid methodology of a systematic literature review (SLR) and bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer and Biblioshiny. Bibliometric analysis provides glimpses into the current state of knowledge like-trend of publication, influential authors, collaboration with foreign authors, the major themes and studied topics on job crafting in India etc. Further, a detailed SLR of the selected articles led to the development of the conceptual framework consisting of the enablers and outcomes of job crafting.

Findings

It discusses implications for academia, business and society at large, and also provides valuable insights to policymakers and practitioners paving the way for better adoption, customization and implementation of job crafting initiatives.

Originality/value

Owing to its own unique social, cultural, and economic characteristics, the dynamics of job crafting in India may vary from other countries and regions which can also be reflective of how job crafting operates in South Asia in general. As job crafting was conceptualized and later evolved mostly in the western context, our study assumes greater significance as it is the first study which attempts to systematically review the job crafting literature to understand how job crafting manifests in the Indian context and presents a conceptual framework for the same.

Details

Business Analyst Journal, vol. 45 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0973-211X

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 6 August 2020

Adil Zahoor

This study explores the driver influence of employee proactive personality on service recovery performance with work engagement as mediator. The moderating role of job resources…

792

Abstract

Purpose

This study explores the driver influence of employee proactive personality on service recovery performance with work engagement as mediator. The moderating role of job resources (social support, supervisory coaching and performance feedback) is also examined in the proactivity-performance linkage to analyze the interaction effect of employee proactivity and job resources on recovery performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Primary data pertaining to the constructs under investigation were collected using a structured questionnaire from 432 dyads of employees from four companies operating in the Indian retail banking sector. Each dyad comprised of one frontline employee and her peer (colleague). Responses to work engagement and job resources were self-reported by frontline staff, as peer ratings were solicited for frontline employees' proactivity and recovery performance.

Findings

Empirical findings suggest that frontline employees' proactive personality significantly ameliorates their work engagement which in turn exerts a positive driver effect on their service recovery performance. In the case of less proactive employees (those with a proactivity score of less than mean value), service recovery performance is boosted when they receive constant feedback on their recovery performance. The results, however, did not provide significant evidence with regard to the moderating role of social support and supervisory coaching.

Originality/value

This study is one of the maiden attempts to relate employee proactive personality with service recovery performance. Since the research relating personality with recovery performance is largely underexplored yet fundamentally important, this study expands the available literature by examining as to what type of employee is more likely to deliver superior service recovery performance with little organizational support.

Details

Journal of Contemporary Marketing Science, vol. 3 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2516-7480

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 25 March 2021

Hafiz Zahoor, Rashid Mehmood Khan, Ahsan Nawaz, Muhammad Ayaz and Ahsen Maqsoom

Earned Value Management (EVM) is widely used as a project performance measurement and forecasting technique. Nonetheless, it has not been fully explored in Pakistani construction…

888

Abstract

Purpose

Earned Value Management (EVM) is widely used as a project performance measurement and forecasting technique. Nonetheless, it has not been fully explored in Pakistani construction industry; where conventional progress reporting methodology (CPRM) is being followed having certain confines. It reports only the financial progress of a project, expresses feeble association between the duration and cost of activities, and forecasts flawed schedule and completion cost. This research implements EVM on under-construction building projects in Pakistan, and compares its upshots with the projects' actual records and with the outcomes of CPRM.

Design/methodology/approach

To assess the implementation of EVM on building projects, a set of specific criteria was established. Work Breakdown Structure, Organization Breakdown Structure and Control Points were established. The study has compared the EVM metrics with CPRM outcomes on three under-study building projects, and has deliberated on their mutual differences as well as their relationship with actual cost and schedule performance. Monthly figures of actual spending and completed activities were periodically recorded and compared with planned values for status indication. The graphs were generated to observe the correlation between the results of EVM and CPRM. The data was then extrapolated to forecast the schedule and cost values at completion.

Findings

The study discovered that trends of EVM in quantifying the project's cost and schedule performance were strongly correlated and were closer to the actual progress. It has also verified the EVM's soundness in forecasting the cost and schedule, required for project's completion. Contrarily, CPRM metrics could not precisely visualize the current and future, cost and schedule performance.

Originality/value

The case study concludes that EVM's incorporation in progress reporting regime can revolutionize the assessment procedures in Pakistan by rightly indicating the project's current status as well as visualizing the future performance. The study's methodology can also be extrapolated in other countries having similar work environment and economic conditions.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 29 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 15 May 2017

Hafiz Zahoor, Albert P.C. Chan, Ran Gao and Wahyudi P. Utama

The highest number of accidents in proportion to the employment rate is found in construction industry among all industries in Pakistan. The purpose of this paper is to identify…

1804

Abstract

Purpose

The highest number of accidents in proportion to the employment rate is found in construction industry among all industries in Pakistan. The purpose of this paper is to identify and prioritize the contributory factors of accident causation that can significantly reduce the rate of accident in the construction industry.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 32 contributory factors of accident causation were identified through a triangulation strategy comprising eight face-to-face semi-structured interviews with the academic and industry experts coupled with a comprehensive literature review. Delphi survey was then conducted among the four respondent groups (clients, contractors, safety official and academia) to prioritize these factors. A consensus was achieved among the respondent groups after conducting two rounds of Delphi survey. Finally, the results were validated using the technique of inter-rater agreement (IRA) analysis.

Findings

All the shortlisted accident causation factors were graded as “important” to “extremely important”. Moreover, a “moderate” to “strong level” agreement was developed among the respondent groups. The three most significant factors were highlighted as “poor enforcement of safety rules and regulations by the Government agencies”, “insufficient allocation of safety budget and safety incentives by the client”, and “insufficient provision of safety training and resources by the contractor”.

Practical implications

The findings will help the key stakeholders to prioritize their energies towards achieving zero accident in the construction industry. Moreover, addition of academic experts as one of the respondent groups will enhance the linkages between the academia and the industry practitioners.

Originality/value

Besides highlighting the underlying causes of construction accidents in Pakistan, a detailed methodology is presented in this study for the analysis and validation of the Delphi survey data, which can be extrapolated in other regions and industries for elements prioritization. The findings of the study can also be generalized for other developing countries having similar work environment. The results validation through the use of IRA analysis is an addition to the field of construction safety research. The study also authenticates the applicability of IRA analysis to assess the agreement level among the respondents.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. 24 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Access Restricted. View access options
Article
Publication date: 28 November 2024

Junaid Iqbal and Zahoor Ahmad Parray

This comprehensive study, grounded in social identity theory, aimed to explore the intricate dynamics between clan, adhocracy, hierarchy and market cultures within organizations…

55

Abstract

Purpose

This comprehensive study, grounded in social identity theory, aimed to explore the intricate dynamics between clan, adhocracy, hierarchy and market cultures within organizations, and their respective impacts on organizational citizenship behavior. Furthermore, the research investigated the mediating role of corporate social responsibility in this relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

The study gathered data from 477 bank employees in UT Jammu and Kashmir, utilizing a cluster sampling methodology. SPSS and AMOS were employed to assess the model and hypotheses, thereby strengthening the reliability of the results.

Findings

The findings significantly highlight the influential roles played by clan, adhocracy, hierarchy, and market cultures in shaping organizational citizenship behavior. Moreover, the study underscores the pivotal role of corporate social responsibility as a mediator in the relationship between these organizational culture dimensions and organizational citizenship behavior.

Originality/value

This research enhances the application of social identity theory in organizational settings. It offers valuable insights for managers and supervisors aiming to utilize organizational culture and corporate social responsibility initiatives to improve positive employee behaviors. The practical implications derived from this study provide actionable strategies to optimize workplace dynamics, fostering a culture that promotes organizational citizenship behavior. Ultimately, this contributes to improved organizational performance and employee satisfaction.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

1 – 10 of 482
Per page
102050