Search results

The purpose of this paper is to describe the knowledge management (KM) loop process in a work package (WP)-based project engineering management method. The purpose of the KM loop is the routine capture of learnings to improve work practices in both the project and the firm.

A conceptual model for a project KM loop is developed by researching various KM theories found in the literature and incorporating the most applicable concepts and bridging any gaps in an attempt to overcome the reported impediments to learning in projects. A specific WP-based project engineering method (the STBQ method) is chosen as the framework for illustrating the workings and advantages of the KM loop. The author’s experiential judgement is used in applying selected academic concepts to create a KM process particularly useful for consulting engineering firms engaged in the detailed design phase of heavy industrial projects notwithstanding the fact that it may be beneficial in other project environments.

Completion of a WP can be used as a natural point in time for the collection of lessons learned (LL). At post-WP debriefing meetings, intuitive learnings can be contributed by individuals and interpreted in the context of the recently completed WP. When seen to be applicable, the project engineer integrates this newly gained experiential knowledge into the project’s job instructions for immediate implementation on other WPs remaining in the project scope. Through the project manager, these new or revised job instructions are proposed as candidates for new or revised standard practices to the senior managers of the engineering firm who can institutionalize them by approval for use in other in-progress or future projects.

The KM loop described here is specifically intended to be used with the STBQ method where the 100 per cent rule is applied and where each WP sub-team is tasked with the delivery of their WP safely, on-time, on-budget and with no quality deficiencies as the criteria for success of their WP. A research limitation is that capturing learnings throughout the project does not solve the problem of capturing post-project learnings from design errors surfacing during construction, in commissioning, or after start-up during on-going operations and maintenance. Nonetheless, innovative ideas and improvements can be found during the detailed engineering phase and the KM loop captures these for intra-project and inter-project use.

The extra effort of decomposing requirements into WPs not only helps control project costs, schedule, quality and safety but also provides an effective way to capture knowledge from project learnings for intra-project and inter-project use.

The lessons-learned sessions held at the completion of each WP provides an opportunity to provide motivation and morale boosting to the WP sub-team members.

This paper contributes what is believed to be the first WP-based KM loop in project engineering management using a specific application of the 4I framework of organizational learning. In addition, when applied in the STBQ method or any other method that uses interim WPs for both planning and reporting, the LL sessions can be pre-scheduled and budgeted separately from the subject WP. This helps to overcome the problem widely reported in projects that not enough calendar time or person-hours can be spared to attend the LL sessions.

Aims This paper examines (a) the relationship between notifications to the Home Office Addicts Index and deaths of notified addicts, and (b) the survival rates of such addicts.Design and participants Data came from the Home Office Addicts Index covering (a) notifications of opiate and cocaine addicts seeking treatment in the UK between 1966 and 1996, and (b) deaths of notified addicts between 1967 and 1996.Measurement Date of first notification; date of death; numbers of notifications in different times.Findings The proportion of addicts dying compared to the number of new notifications 20 years earlier rose from 2 to 7 in 10 between 1988 and 1993. There is constancy in the relationship between numbers of death and new notifications for up to 10 years before death. The proportion of the cumulative notified population dying between 1985 and 1993 remained consistent at 0.6% or 0.7%. The average length of time between first notification and death increased by six months between 1985‐90 and 1991‐96. Whilst the absolute number of deaths rose between 1984 and 1993, the proportion of newly notified addicts dying each year fell from 2.1% to 0.5%.Conclusions An increase in notifications was directly associated with a proportionate increase in addict deaths. One can expect the number of serious‐end drug users who die to increase with time, especially given the continuing role played by opiates ‐ chiefly heroin and methadone ‐ and increasingly cocaine in drug‐related deaths. At the same time, one can expect such individuals to survive for longer periods than did addicts in past decades.

This purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the status of e‐finance and discuss related issues and challenges. Provides data about growth of e‐finance in the last decade. Introduces advances and innovations in e‐finance and challenges facing the financial services and IT industries.

The paper employs the archival method of reviewing related literature (theoretical, applied and empirical) and organizing and presenting the topics to provide an overview of e‐finance status.

The major contributions and finding of this paper include all areas of e‐finance, application of technology to e‐finance, growth of the e‐finance in the financial services industry.

The paper provides areas of e‐finance that face many different challenges and calls for further research in a number of areas related to e‐finance technology and the interface of financial services and IT.

The paper brings all scattered information and data about e‐finance under one umbrella that would make scholars and practitioners aware of advances in e‐finance and applications of innovations and new technology to financial services provided.

The main value or contribution of this paper is bringing together most of available literature, advances, innovations, application of IT in the financial services industry and showing how organizations could benefit from such innovations. It also provides ideas to scholars for further research in this area.

A narrative review of existing research literature was conducted to identify practices that are likely to improve the quality of de-escalation and use-of-force training for police officers.

Previous reviews of de-escalation and use-of-force training literature were examined to identify promising training practices, and more targeted literature searches of various databases were undertaken to learn more about the potential impact of each practice on a trainee's ability to learn, retain, and transfer their training. Semi-structured interviews with five subject matter experts were also conducted to assess the degree to which they believed the identified practices were relevant to de-escalation and use-of-force training, and would enhance the quality of such training.

Twenty practices emerged from the literature search. Each was deemed relevant and useful by the subject matter experts. These could be mapped on to four elements of training: (1) commitment to training (e.g. securing organizational support for training), (2) development of training (e.g. aligning training formats with learning objectives), (3) implementation of training (e.g. providing effective corrective feedback) and (4) evaluation and ongoing assessment of training (e.g. using multifaceted evaluation tools to monitor and modify training as necessary).

This review of training practices that may be relevant to de-escalation and use-of-force training is the broadest one conducted to date. The review should prompt more organized attempts to quantify the effectiveness of the training practices (e.g. through meta-analyses), and encourage more focused testing in a police training environment to determine their impact.

This research has been conducted with the aim of determining if celebrity endorsers in political party advertising have a significant impact on UK voter intentions. The use of celebrity endorsements is commonplace in the USA, but little is known about its effects in the UK. This research also aims to incorporate the use of celebrity endorsements in political party advertising with the political salience construct. Political salience represents how prominent politics and political issues are in the minds of the eligible voter.

A 2 (endorser: celebrity; non‐celebrity)×2 (political salience: high; low) between‐subjects factorial design experiment was used. The results show that celebrity endorsements do play a significant role in attitudes towards the political advert, attitudes towards the endorser and voter intention. However, this effect is significantly moderated by political salience.

The results show that low political salience respondents were significantly more likely to vote for the political party when a celebrity endorser is used. However, the inverse effect is found for high political salience respondents.

The results offer significant insights into the effect that celebrity endorsers could have in future elections and the importance that political salience plays in the effectiveness of celebrity endorsement. If political parties are to target those citizens that do not actively engage with politics then the use of celebrity endorsements would make a significant impact, given the results of this research.

This research would be of particular interest to political party campaigners as well as academics studying the effects of advertising and identity salience.