YEISON JULIAN CAMARGO, Leonardo Juan Ramirez and Ana Karina Martinez
The current work shows an approach to solve the QoS multicast routing problem by using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO).The problem of finding a route from a source node to…
Abstract
Purpose
The current work shows an approach to solve the QoS multicast routing problem by using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The problem of finding a route from a source node to multiple destination nodes (multicast) at a minimum cost is an NP-Complete problem (Steiner tree problem) and is even greater if Quality of Service -QoS- constraints are taken into account. Thus, approximation algorithms are necessary to solve this problem. This work presents a routing algorithm with two QoS constraints (delay and delay variation) for solving the routing problem based on a modified version of particle swarm optimization.
Design/methodology/approach
This work involved the following methodology: 1. Literature Review 2. Routing algorithm design 3. Implementation of the designed routing algorithm by java programming. 4. Simulations and results.
Findings
In this work we compared our routing algorithm against the exhaustive search approach. The results showed that our algorithm improves the execution times in about 40% with different topologies.
Research limitations/implications
The algorithm was tested in three different topologies with 30, 40 and 50 nodes with and a dense graph topology.
Originality/value
Our algorithm implements a novel technique for fine tuning the parameters of the implemented bio-inspired model (Particles Swarm Optimization) by using a Genetic Meta-Optimizer. We also present a simple and multi implementation approach by using an encoding system that fits multiple bio-inspired models.
Karina Scatolino Mesquita, Vanessa Rios de Souza, Jéssica Ferreira Rodrigues, Camila Carvalho Menezes, Soraia Vilela Borges, João de Deus Souza Carneiro and Ana Carla Marques Pinheiro
People are increasingly concerned about food and health and seek for functional and sugar-free products. However, there are technological challenges when adding functional…
Abstract
Purpose
People are increasingly concerned about food and health and seek for functional and sugar-free products. However, there are technological challenges when adding functional components and substituting sugar in foods. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the influence of packaging and storage time on the sensory profile of functional diet guava preserve added with prebiotics, supporting the development of functional and sugar-free products and contributing to the product variety in the market.
Design/methodology/approach
A two-factor full factorial design was conducted in triplications that evaluated transparent and opaque packaging vs storage time (six months). The products were stored in packages with different light permeability (transparent and opaque). Quantitative descriptive analysis (QDA) and acceptance tests were performed.
Findings
The packaging material did not affect the sensory changes of functional diet guava preserve during the six months of storage. QDA test showed that from three months of storage the original characteristics of the product were lost and a slight decrease in overall acceptance was observed after four and six months. However, during the six months the products had good acceptance; consequently, it was not possible to establish their rejection before this period.
Research limitations/implications
More detailed studies regarding a longer storage period, including the physical and chemical measurements must be done to clarify other points about the influence of packaging and storage time on the sensory profile of functional diet guava preserve added with prebiotics. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further.
Practical implications
The development of a functional and sugar-free preserve is a good alternative to provide a product that meets the actual consumer desires and adds value to the product. However, there are technological challenges when adding functional components and substituting sugar in foods. Thus, this study provides important information for the development of sugar-free and functional products, and to prolong their shelf life.
Originality/value
There are few studies with respect to the sensory aspects during the storage of functional preserves. Thus, this work will aid future studies, supporting the development of functional and sugar-free products and contributing to the product variety in the market.
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Nuria Gisbert-Trejo, Eneka Albizu, Jon Landeta and Pilar Fernández-Ferrín
This article aims to present the differences in implementation between individual mentoring programs (IMPs) and group mentoring programs (GMPs).
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to present the differences in implementation between individual mentoring programs (IMPs) and group mentoring programs (GMPs).
Design/methodology/approach
This exploratory study used semi-structured interviews with 16 experts: mentoring program (MP) coordinators, consultants and mentors. During the interviews, the steps in implementing a mentoring program were reviewed and discussed by practitioners.
Findings
Based on the interviews and contrasting with the proposed implementation model, the authors compared IMPs and GMPs. The results highlight the role of the GMP coordinators, especially in the selection of mentors, mentees and generating resources that favor the beneficial effects of group dynamics on mentoring processes.
Practical implications
This model for implementing MPs and the differences identified between IMPs and GMPs provide practical help to program coordinators (PCs) and mentors to deploy MPs by highlighting the relevant aspects.
Originality/value
Mentoring is a Human Resource Development (HRD) technique whose implementation at the program level needs further deepening for practitioners. This is the first work that emphasizes the differences to be considered in the design and implementation of MPs by taking the individual or group dimension of mentoring.
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This paper aims to provide an assessment of tourism promotion in tourist destinations and airports (TPTDs) and to organize and classify the literature on tourism promotion, with…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide an assessment of tourism promotion in tourist destinations and airports (TPTDs) and to organize and classify the literature on tourism promotion, with the aim of staging the importance of this topic and encouraging future research in the projection of tourism and marketing sectors.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses the Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI) database to analyze the bibliometric in TPTDs topic from 2000 to 2021. Additionally, the paper also uses the visualization of similarities (VOS) viewer software to map graphically the bibliographic material. The graphical analysis uses bibliographic coupling, co-citation, citation and co-occurrence of keywords.
Findings
This study provides an amended new definition of tourism promotion, which is the efficient management of a destination’s resources and strategic plans by destination marketing organizations (DMOs) to adapt the tourism supply to market trends and will empower tourists to visit such destinations. Furthermore, results also show a new paradigm applied to TPTDs topic and classified in five first-order research streams. Digital and mobile marketing, infrastructure, branding, quality, accessibility and information factors about a specific destination which are mostly demanded by tourists are considered as an important means of promotion for the tourism industry.
Originality/value
The contribution of this study is important to identify new challenges and opportunities for researchers, DMOs, airport and airlines operators and stakeholders, as disentangling existing contradictions and applying new theoretical framework to make better future decisions by researchers and organizations to provide higher quality to new research in the context of the TPTDs.
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Javier Martínez-Falcó, Bartolomé Marco-Lajara, Eduardo Sánchez-García and Luis A. Millan-Tudela
The aim of this research is to carry out a bibliometric analysis of the academic literature indexed in the Core Collection of the Web of Science (WoS) on happiness management in…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this research is to carry out a bibliometric analysis of the academic literature indexed in the Core Collection of the Web of Science (WoS) on happiness management in companies during the period between 2000 and 2022. In particular, the variables used to keep the scientific production under study are as follows: (1) time evolution, (2) publication format, (3) categories, (4) authors, (5) institutions, (6) journals, (7) publishers and (8) countries.
Design/methodology/approach
To carry out the analysis, the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) methodology is followed, using the WoS database for data collection and VosViewer to create the network maps.
Findings
The results show, among other aspects, the accelerated growth rate of the scientific production studied since 2017, the use of publications in articles as the main format for disseminating research results, the relevance of the business category as the area of study in which most of the scientific production examined falls as well as the predominant role of the publishers Emerald, Springer and Elsevier in the publication of scientific documents on the subject under analysis.
Originality/value
There are different reasons that justify the originality of the study. First, the research advances the understanding of the academic literature on happiness management at the corporate level. Second, to the best of the authors' knowledge, there are no previous bibliometric studies that have addressed this topic. Third, the research analyses the literature under analysis from the first record to the year 2022, assuming an update of the previous narrative and systematic reviews carried out on the subject studied.
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Ana Gissel Gutiérrez Buitrago, Jose Aguilar, Ana Ortega and Edwin Montoya
This article presents a fuzzy cognitive map for the evaluation of innovation in organizations.
Abstract
Purpose
This article presents a fuzzy cognitive map for the evaluation of innovation in organizations.
Design/methodology/approach
The purpose of this paper is to develop a model to evaluate the innovative capacity of organizations based on fuzzy cognitive maps (FCM), particularly for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). The specification of the innovation evaluation model based on FCM was carried out with the “Intelligent Decision Support System” methodology. It is a six-step methodology: selection of experts, definition of concepts and relationships, model design, inference, interpretation and decision.
Findings
Our approach yielded good results in three case studies, effectively determining the level of innovation in an organization. The fuzzy cognitive maps demonstrated a high level of accuracy, with an accuracy of 82% in the Colombian case studies and 92% in the global case studies. These results highlight the effectiveness of the model for quantitatively assessing levels of innovation within organizations. Furthermore, the study revealed the most influential and essential innovative activities/variables within organizations, contributing significantly to the improvement of their operations and competitiveness.
Research limitations/implications
It is important to automate the definition of the relationships between the concepts of the context and of our FCM. It is also possible to improve the behavior of the FCM by analyzing the variables with a greater impact on the level of innovation and very dynamic in the context since they are the variables to be observed in real-time to follow the evolution of the innovative behavior of an organization.
Practical implications
The study found that innovative activities emerged as an influential factor in organizations, essential to improving their operations and competitiveness. Our model can help in identifying areas that require improvement to impact positively organizations. By improving innovation assessment through the FCM model, organizations can anticipate higher profitability because innovations are often closely tied to revenue generation and cost savings. The tool can determine the necessity of new products or services, improve operational processes or enter new markets.
Originality/value
The previous results in the literature show that although there are relevant advances on this topic, there is not enough knowledge to provide clear guidelines for evaluating innovation and improving performance in an organization using intelligent systems. Also, previous works have not defined a framework for evaluating innovation in MSMEs based on FCMs. They also do not use the data of an organization to assess the key characteristics related to innovation. This work applies FCM to automate the evaluation of the process and the capacity for innovation in an organization. These are the main differences between our approach and previous studies.
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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the success of the 50 EURO STOXX companies as measured by the earnings before taxes (EBT) and the percentage…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between the success of the 50 EURO STOXX companies as measured by the earnings before taxes (EBT) and the percentage of female members on their supervisory boards.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper relies on data extracted from the annual reports of the 50 EURO STOXX companies in 2015 and from financial websites.
Findings
The paper provides the existence of a weak correlation between companies’ performance as measured by EBT and the percentage of women on supervisory boards.
Research limitations/implications
This study has two main limitations: first, a single key performance indicator was used to measure firms’ success; and second, the study offers insights related only to the year 2015. The analysis could be extended over a larger time span while some other variables could be considered in a more holistic approach.
Practical implications
The paper raises awareness that there is much to be done with regard to the presence of women on boards, and readers, investors and business owners gain an insight on the business environment and women active on European corporate boards.
Originality/value
By concentrating on the companies of the EURO STOXX 50 Index, the study offers a good image of the European business environment.
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Nuria Gisbert-Trejo, Pilar Fernández-Ferrín, Eneka Albizu and Jon Landeta
This paper aims to identify, assess and classify the most significant mentee outcomes of formal mentoring processes aimed at managerial development.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to identify, assess and classify the most significant mentee outcomes of formal mentoring processes aimed at managerial development.
Design/methodology/approach
After conducting an extensive literature review to identify the most significant mentee outcomes in the management field, a survey was conducted with a sample of 80 experienced mentees. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) has been performed to simplify and contribute to operationalizing these results. Finally, focus group and nominal group techniques were conducted with practitioners to better understand the findings.
Findings
A total of 27 mentee outcomes have been identified in the literature. EFA analysis has allowed us to downsize the 27 outcomes into four factors encompassing the most relevant mentee outcomes. The authors then provide an interpretation and discussion of the results.
Originality/value
This work compiles, reviews and systematizes existing studies on mentee outcomes in the field of management, classifying the results in a novel manner.