The purpose of this paper is to analyse the enotourism sector, which is likely to continue to accelerate. As a product, it is well aligned with the hospitality and tourism…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the enotourism sector, which is likely to continue to accelerate. As a product, it is well aligned with the hospitality and tourism industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on information drawn from official sources.
Findings
In Porto, the Fladgate Partnership is currently developing a World of Wine concept which will bring together a number of attractions inside the old Port lodges in the centre of the city.
Originality/value
In a world looking for new experiences, enotourism is one of the few types of tourism that can literally touch all the senses.
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Annie Rolfe, Jill Franz and Adrian Bridge
Despite growing evidence of the impact of school facilities on wellbeing and educational outcomes, no attention has been given to understanding this impact in relation to the…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite growing evidence of the impact of school facilities on wellbeing and educational outcomes, no attention has been given to understanding this impact in relation to the interrelationship of design and procurement and their combined effect. This paper aims to address this gap by presenting the outcomes of a study of the design/procurement relationship pre-opening and post-opening of schools.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative case study methodology enabled in-depth exploration of six Australian Government schools procured through “public private partnerships” (PPP) or “design & construct” (D&C) and “design, bid, build” (DBB). Data collected through interviews with architects, education department officers, school principals and teachers were analysed thematically using techniques aligned with grounded theory methodology.
Findings
The paper reports three key findings: pre-opening of schools, budget impacts design similarly for procurement across PPP and (D&C/DBB) case schools; pre-opening of schools, prescriptive design impacts procurement similarly across PPPs and D&C/DBB schools; post-opening of schools, procurement impacts design and school operation in different ways across PPP and D&C/DBB schools. These findings point to a fundamental finding that it is design and procurement together that impacts well-being and educational outcomes as experienced by principals and teachers.
Practical implications
This research may be of practical value for education departments, architects, facility managers, school principals and teachers.
Originality/value
This paper provides original evidence of the relationship between procurement and design and their combined impact on student well-being and educational outcomes.
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Fah Choy Chia, Martin Skitmore, Jason Gray and Adrian Bridge
A comparison of international construction labour productivity (CLP) is carried out by the conventional use of exchange rates to convert national construction output to a common…
Abstract
Purpose
A comparison of international construction labour productivity (CLP) is carried out by the conventional use of exchange rates to convert national construction output to a common base currency. Such measurement is always distorted by price-level differences between countries and therefore the purpose of this paper is to adopt a purchasing power parities (PPPs) approach, which eliminates price-level differences, as an alternative means of comparing CLP.
Design/methodology/approach
PPP construction expenditure data from the World Bank’s International Comparison Programme 2011 and employment statistics maintained by the International Labour Organization are used to generate the CLP of 93 matching economies. A one-way analysis of variance is conducted to evaluate the relationship between the development status and the CLPs.
Findings
The CLPs of developed economies are higher than developing economies in both PPPs (real) and exchange rate (nominal) measurements. The real CLPs are always higher than nominal CLP in high-income, upper-middle-income, lower-middle-income and low-income economies. Both real and nominal CLPs converge along with the economic growth.
Research limitations/implications
The average figures used in the study may not always be the most representative statistics. The CLPs determined provide an initial approximation for comparison between different economies to gain further insights into the best practices and policies for the more successful economies. Future research is recommended to uncover the underlying factors of CLPs congruence.
Originality/value
The convergence of real and nominal CLPs when economies transit from a developing to developed status indicates that the construction product has transformed from a commonly understood non-internationally traded product to an internationally traded product.
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Moath Al Yahya, Martin Skitmore, Adrian Bridge, Madhav Nepal and David Cattell
The purpose of this paper is to varied a conceptual model for e-Tendering readiness in any construction organisation prior of implementing e-Tendering system.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to varied a conceptual model for e-Tendering readiness in any construction organisation prior of implementing e-Tendering system.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on conceptual model called e-Tendering readiness model (e-TRM), this paper empirically examines the e-TRM’s interactions and causal relationships between e-Tendering constructs and e-Tendering readiness. The paper uses the structural equation modelling technique to test the hypothesised positive inter-relationships. A questionnaire survey is conducted for respondents of construction organisations in Saudi Arabia to understand their current e-Tendering readiness and importance of e-Tendering variables.
Findings
Supported by empirical evidence, this paper recognised that three out of nine constructs have direct influences on the e-Tendering readiness. However, one of the constructs, which is for the first time hypothesised and tested has the most effect.
Research limitations/implications
Ultimately, the empirical test for the e-TRM is conducted in certain case (Saudi Arabia); however, the e-TRM needs to be tested in other case area for more verification.
Practical implications
The study findings update previous information technology/information system models in construction by adding this tested model to the research literature on traditional and electronic tendering and the body of knowledge in the construction industry.
Originality/value
The service providers construct is proposed and tested for the first time, which is necessary to support the successful e-Tendering implementation.
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Bo Xia, Nur Rosly, Peng Wu, Adrian Bridge and Josua Pienaar
The increasing need for sustainability-literate construction professionals has prompted higher education institutions to incorporate a sustainability agenda education into their…
Abstract
Purpose
The increasing need for sustainability-literate construction professionals has prompted higher education institutions to incorporate a sustainability agenda education into their construction courses. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the sustainability knowledge embedded into a quantity surveying (QS) undergraduate course.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) as a case study, analysis of sustainability knowledge embedded into the QS course is conducted by examining the content of QS course structure, unit aims, learning outcomes, assessment framework and weekly lecture and tutorial materials.
Findings
The results show that the “incorporation approach”, i.e. the practice of incorporating the sustainability themes into existing relevant subjects, is mainly used in delivering the sustainability knowledge to the QS students. Additionally, it is found that in its QS course, QUT has covered all aspects of sustainability comprehensively from an environmental viewpoint and with regard, to economic, social and governance aspects.
Practical implications
This research also proposes recommendations for further improvement of the sustainability education in the QUT QS course and beyond.
Originality/value
This study revealed the current practices and approaches of incorporating sustainability knowledge into QS education programme and addressed the knowledge requirements of future sustainability literate QS professionals.
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Azmeri Rahman, Adrian J. Bridge, Steve Rowlinson, Bryan Hubbard and Bo Xia
The purpose of this paper is to present a novel version of Dunning’s eclectic paradigm of internationalisation (OLI framework) to explain both inbound and outbound Foreign Direct…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a novel version of Dunning’s eclectic paradigm of internationalisation (OLI framework) to explain both inbound and outbound Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in multinational contracting.
Design/methodology/approach
The OLI factors and hypothesis are significantly developed to address a weakness in the OLI framework in its application to settings, such as multinational contracting, with extreme heterogeneity arising from extreme location specificity.
Findings
These developments advance Dunning’s seminal contribution and bring this to life in construction research that has barely applied the framework and, when doing so, has focused only on outbound FDI by multinational contractors (MCs).
Research limitations/implications
The power of the OLI framework is increased on explaining and predicting FDI in contexts that exhibit extreme heterogeneity associated with extreme location specificity. Furthermore, the operationalisation of key theories representing the framework’s OLI factors is made far more precise.
Practical implications
Engineering, construction and architectural managers, can now more reliably apply the OLI framework both in MCs’ outbound FDI decisions and in governments’ decisions to attract new MCs – or inbound FDI.
Originality/value
A significant advance is made in the OLI framework in settings with extreme location specificity, along with the operationalisation of key theories associated with the OLI factors, including the first steps to operationalise Coase’s Nobel prize-winning transaction cost thesis.
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Since it started in May 1998, InterAct's Bridges to Education programme has helped over 1000 clients with mental health issues to access lifelong learning. The underlying purpose…
Abstract
Since it started in May 1998, InterAct's Bridges to Education programme has helped over 1000 clients with mental health issues to access lifelong learning. The underlying purpose of the programme is to help clients involve themselves in their communities. Client feedback about the benefits is overwhelmingly positive. A few clients have not been helped. This article looks at factors that have led to the successes and factors that may have contributed to the small number of failures.
Nikolaos Lagos, Adrian Mos and Mario Cortes-cornax
Domain-specific process modeling has been proposed in the literature as a solution to several problems in business process management. The problems arise when using only the…
Abstract
Purpose
Domain-specific process modeling has been proposed in the literature as a solution to several problems in business process management. The problems arise when using only the generic Business Process Model and Notation (BPMN) standard for modeling. This language includes domain ambiguity and difficult long-term model evolution. Domain-specific modeling involves developing concept definitions, domain-specific processes and eventually industry-standard BPMN models. This entails a multi-layered modeling approach, where any of these artifacts can be modified by various stakeholders and changes done by one person may influence models used by others. There is therefore a need for tool support to keep track of changes done and their potential impacts. The paper aims to discuss these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use a multi-context systems-based approach to infer the impacts that changes may cause in the models; and alsothe authors incrementally map components of business process models to ontologies.
Findings
Advantages of the framework include: identifying conflicts/inconsistencies across different business modeling layers; expressing rich information on the relations between two layers; calculating the impact of changes taking place in one layer to the rest of the layers; and selecting incrementally the most appropriate semantic models on which the transformations can be based.
Research limitations/implications
The authors consider this work as one of the foundational bricks that will enable further advances toward the governance of multi-layer business process modeling systems. Extensive usability tests would enable to further confirm the findings of the paper.
Practical implications
The approach described here should improve the maintainability, reuse and clarity of business process models and in extension improve data governance in large organizations. The approaches described here should improve the maintainability, reuse and clarity of business process models. This can improve data governance in large organizations and for large collections of processes by aiding various stakeholders to understand problems with process evolutions, changes and inconsistencies with business goals.
Originality/value
This paper fulfills an identified gap to enabling semantically aided domain–specific process modeling.
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Zsófia Tóth, Peter Naudé, Stephan C. Henneberg and Carlos Adrian Diaz Ruiz
This paper aims to conceptualize corporate reference management as a strategic signaling activity in business networks. While research has extensively outlined how firms develop…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to conceptualize corporate reference management as a strategic signaling activity in business networks. While research has extensively outlined how firms develop and maintain social capital through business-to-business (B2B) relationships, less is known about how they signal their participation in business networks to develop this social capital. Therefore, this paper conceptualizes B2B references, in particular corporate online references (COR), as a tool through which firms “borrow” attractiveness from their business network. Through the lens of structural social capital theory, COR is shown to capture advantages related to interconnectedness between firms.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reports on a two-step qualitative and quantitative research design. First, the authors undertook a qualitative study that reports on the COR practices of senior business managers. A quantitative study then uses social network analysis (SNA) to audit a digital business network comprising 1,098 firms in a metropolitan area of the UK, referencing to each other through their corporate websites using COR.
Findings
The analyses find that COR practices contribute to building structural social capital in networks through strategic signaling. Firms do so by managing B2B references to craft strategic signals, using five steps: requesting, granting, curating, coding and decoding references. While the existing literature on business marketing portrays reference management as a routine and operational management practice, this investigation conceptualizes reference management, in particular COR, as a strategic activity.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to use SNA to represent B2B references in the form of COR as a network, which overlaps with (but is not entirely identical to) the business network. Further, the study re-conceptualizes reference management as a strategic signaling activity that leverages the firm’s participation in business networks to build structural social capital by borrowing attractiveness of prestigious business partners that leverages existing structural social capital. Finally, the paper coins and conceptualizes COR as an exemplar of referencing management and offers propositions for further research.
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This chapter illuminates the central role of kin networks and the routines they construct to maintain family ties and support young fathers in jail. Recent research demonstrates…
Abstract
This chapter illuminates the central role of kin networks and the routines they construct to maintain family ties and support young fathers in jail. Recent research demonstrates variation in incarcerated fathers’ contact with children. There is less focus on variation in contact with extended kin networks and how kin networks contribute to father–child contact during an incarceration period. Forty-three incarcerated young fathers (ages 19–26) in three Southern California jails, 79% of whom self-identified as Latino, were interviewed to explore fathers’ descriptions of family contact during jail. Incarcerated young fathers rely on kin networks to coordinate routines for contact during jail, including father–child contact. Father inclusion in family life during jail depends not only on the mother of the child but – perhaps integrally – extended paternal kin. Available paternal kin can facilitate connectedness between children and incarcerated fathers in family contexts of complicated parental circumstances (e.g., parental relationship dissolution). Family members mitigate family challenges to maintain ties despite carceral policies meant to isolate fathers from families and children. A continued focus on kin networks and their role in maintaining family connectedness is crucial to understanding and reducing the collateral consequences to family members and incarcerated persons following release from jail.