Leaders have long understood the importance a belief system has on the productivity of their team. The authors explain how can such an intangible motivational force be addressed…
Abstract
Purpose
Leaders have long understood the importance a belief system has on the productivity of their team. The authors explain how can such an intangible motivational force be addressed and how leaders have the capability to influence a firm's success by inspiring positive beliefs.
Design/methodology/approach
Belief management involves recognizing those beliefs that both hinder and promote the advancement of a leader's vision. This includes the leader's beliefs as well as those of the team.
Findings
To begin managing beliefs, executives should take three initial steps: identify core belief, ask others what they believe, brand your beliefs.
Research limitations/implications
Dr Gregory Berns, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist at Emory University in Atlanta mapped the neurological effects of a belief exercise on his test subjects. Through the use of magnetic resonance imaging, Berns could see specific changes in cellular activity.
Practical implications
There's new evidence that a leader's beliefs are the foundations for each team's aspirations.
Originality/value
Leaders must not only tell people what they believe but let them know why they believe. If managed correctly, these beneficial beliefs will spread throughout a company to all its stakeholders.
Details
Keywords
Mohamed Hamed Zakaria and Ali Basha
The design of cantilever pile walls (CPWs) presents several common challenges. These challenges include soil variability, groundwater conditions, complex loading conditions…
Abstract
Purpose
The design of cantilever pile walls (CPWs) presents several common challenges. These challenges include soil variability, groundwater conditions, complex loading conditions, construction considerations, structural integrity, uncertainties in design parameters and construction and monitoring costs. Accordingly, this paper is to provide a detailed literature review on the design criteria of CPWs, specifically in cohesionless soil. This study aims to present a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge in this area.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper uses a literature review approach to gather information on the design criteria of CPWs in cohesionless soil. It covers various aspects such as excavation support systems (ESSs), deformation behavior, design criteria, lateral earth pressure calculation theories, load distribution methods and conventional design approaches.
Findings
The review identifies and discusses common challenges associated with the design of CPWs in cohesionless soil. It highlights the uncertainties in determining load distribution and the potential for excessive wall deformations. The paper presents various approaches and methodologies proposed by researchers to address these challenges.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the field of geotechnical engineering by providing a valuable resource for geotechnical engineers and researchers involved in the design and analysis of CPWs in cohesionless soil. It offers insights into the design criteria, challenges and potential solutions specific to CPWs in cohesionless soil, filling a gap in the existing knowledge base. The paper draws attention to the limitations of existing analytical methods that neglect the serviceability limit state and assume rigid plastic soil behavior, highlighting the need for improved design approaches in this context.
Details
Keywords
Ana C. Lopes, Álvaro M. Sampaio and António J. Pontes
With the technological progress, high-performance materials are emerging in the market of additive manufacturing to comply with the advanced requirements demanded for technical…
Abstract
Purpose
With the technological progress, high-performance materials are emerging in the market of additive manufacturing to comply with the advanced requirements demanded for technical applications. In selective laser sintering (SLS), innovative powder materials integrating conductive reinforcements are attracting much interest within academic and industrial communities as promising alternatives to common engineering thermoplastics. However, the practical implementation of functional materials is limited by the extensive list of conditions required for a successful laser-sintering process, related to the morphology, powder size and shape, heat resistance, melt viscosity and others. The purpose of this study is to explore composite materials of polyamide 12 (PA12) incorporating multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) and graphene nanoplatelets (GNP), aiming to understand their suitability for advanced SLS applications.
Design/methodology/approach
PA12-MWCNT and PA12-GNP materials were blended through a pre-optimized process of mechanical mixing with various percentages of reinforcement between 0.50 wt.% and 3.00 wt.% and processed by SLS with appropriate volume energy density. Several test specimens were produced and characterized with regard to processability, thermal, mechanical, electrical and morphological properties. Finally, a comparative analysis of the performance of both carbon-based materials was performed.
Findings
The results of this research demonstrated easier processability and higher tensile strength and impact resistance for composites incorporating MWCNT but higher tensile elastic modulus, compressive strength and microstructural homogeneity for GNP-based materials. Despite the decrease in mechanical properties, valuable results of electrical conductivity were obtained with both carbon solutions until 10–6 S/cm.
Originality/value
The carbon-based composites developed in this research allow for the expansion of the applicability of laser-sintered parts to advanced fields, including electronics-related industries that require functional materials capable of protecting sensitive devices against electrostatic discharge.