Bob Giddings and Vladimir Ladinski
This paper aims to examine the implementation of a workspace strategy within Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council. It identifies the efficiencies that were achieved through the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the implementation of a workspace strategy within Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council. It identifies the efficiencies that were achieved through the increase in office workspace numbers, as well as the associated advantages of locating more people within the Civic Centre. Equally, this study examines the users’ perspective.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey was carried out in 2013, with Property and Design Services as a sample Council Department, to identify employees’ level of satisfaction with the implementation of the strategy. A paper-based questionnaire was handed to all participants. The primary comparison was their experience before and after changes to the workplace.
Findings
The results show that government targets for office space utilisation have been exceeded, thus supporting more efficient property asset management. The research has also established that the employees are generally satisfied with their new workspace.
Research limitations/implications
The issues are whether the reduced space per person can be mitigated by the design, and whether efficiency gains can be introduced without adversely affecting the users’ perception of their workplace.
Practical implications
The findings can guide future trends within the Council, as well as informing the implementation of similar workspace strategies in other organisations.
Originality/value
The originality of the study lies in a workspace strategy where the responses of users were taken seriously. Despite some concerns about distractions and lack of privacy, the employees responded that their overall satisfaction, and perceived productivity were unaffected by the strategy and reduced space per person.
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Lee Pugalis, Bob Giddings and Kelechi Anyigor
Across the global community the eradication of slums has been identified as a key project as part of the broader goal to eradicate poverty. Entrepreneurial efforts are viewed as a…
Abstract
Purpose
Across the global community the eradication of slums has been identified as a key project as part of the broader goal to eradicate poverty. Entrepreneurial efforts are viewed as a key means of ‘lifting’ people from poverty. Through a focus on Nigeria, this chapter examines slum upgrading programmes. The primary aim is to identify the opportunities and barriers facing inhabitants of informal settlements to realising entrepreneurial synergies that can occur in particular places.
Methodology/approach
A case study examination of the Kpirikpiri informal settlement in Ebonyi State, Nigeria was conducted that utilised a mixed-method approach. The research passed through three key phases. The first phase comprised a literature survey and review. The second phase involved a household survey to gather some baseline socio-economic and physical data that helped to fill the void of basic data. A total of 142 respondents participated in the survey, representing 10% of the total number of households in the area. The third phase involved the collection of qualitative data through focus group discussions and individual interviews.
Findings
Slum dwellers have skills and formal education equivalent to those in the Global North. Nevertheless, Nigerians tend to view entrepreneurial activities as secondary to other forms of employment, especially positions in the public sector. Paradoxically, slum dwellers place little trust in state authorities. Security of tenure is a major barrier to expanding entrepreneurial activities, as many landlords are reluctant to permit tenants to operate home-based enterprises, which is often a neglected element of place-based development strategies.
Research and practical implications
The chapter demonstrates the need for basic socio-economic datasets alongside user perspectives to shape the efficacy of development initiatives. In the case of Kpirikpiri, slum improvement programmes may have benefited from parallel educational programmes that expound the virtues of entrepreneurialism and concomitant training schemes, improved governance open to local social networks, less emphasis on physical upgrading of some forms of infrastructure and greater attention towards improving security of tenure as a path towards generating more home-based enterprises.
Originality/value of paper
The entrepreneurial potential of the inhabitants of informal settlements is under-acknowledged in ‘upgrading’ interventions and also underplayed in the research literature. The chapter draws some much needed critical attention to the opportunities and barriers facing inhabitants of informal settlements, which helps to challenge some dominant transnational policy assumptions.
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Chinthaka Niroshan Atapattu, Niluka Domingo and Monty Sutrisna
Cost overrun in infrastructure projects is a constant concern, with a need for a proper solution. The current estimation practice needs improvement to reduce cost overruns. This…
Abstract
Purpose
Cost overrun in infrastructure projects is a constant concern, with a need for a proper solution. The current estimation practice needs improvement to reduce cost overruns. This study aimed to find possible statistical modelling techniques that could be used to develop cost models to produce more reliable cost estimates.
Design/methodology/approach
A bibliographic literature review was conducted using a two-stage selection method to compile the relevant publications from Scopus. Then, Visualisation of Similarities (VOS)-Viewer was used to develop the visualisation maps for co-occurrence keyword analysis and yearly trends in research topics.
Findings
The study found seven primary techniques used as cost models in construction projects: regression analysis (RA), artificial neural network (ANN), case-based reasoning (CBR), fuzzy logic, Monte-Carlo simulation (MCS), support vector machine (SVM) and reference class forecasting (RCF). RA, ANN and CBR were the most researched techniques. Furthermore, it was observed that the model's performance could be improved by combining two or more techniques into one model.
Research limitations/implications
The research was limited to the findings from the bibliometric literature review.
Practical implications
The findings provided an assessment of statistical techniques that the industry can adopt to improve the traditional estimation practice of infrastructure projects.
Originality/value
This study mapped the research carried out on cost-modelling techniques and analysed the trends. It also reviewed the performance of the models developed for infrastructure projects. The findings could be used to further research to develop more reliable cost models using statistical modelling techniques with better performance.
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AS ALWAYS, at this the beginning of a New Year, we are incurably optimistic. Our credo can be summed up in one word: chiliasm, a belief that times will get better.
Abstract
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Steven W. Congden, Heidi M.J. Bertels, David Desplaces and Todd Drew
The case is derived from secondary sources, including publicly available reports and information about all companies directly or indirectly engaged in the industry. No primary…
Abstract
Research methodology
The case is derived from secondary sources, including publicly available reports and information about all companies directly or indirectly engaged in the industry. No primary sources were available.
Case overview/synopsis
This teaching case is designed for students to demonstrate their mastery of industry-level analysis in the emerging space tourism industry. It allows students to understand what constitutes the industry within the broader space sector and to apply analytical tools such as PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces, with the option to discuss strategic groups. Students gain insights into how the industry is evolving within its broader environment and how companies could respond or differentiate themselves. Information is also provided for students to consider the broader social impact of a relatively new industry from the perspective of sustainable development.
Complexity academic level
The case is written for undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in strategic management courses. The case placement is ideally in conjunction with industry-level analytical frameworks such as Porter’s Five Forces, PESTEL analysis, strategic groups (optional) and industry life cycle. Most strategic management textbooks cover these concepts in the first few chapters. For example, “Strategic Management, 14th edition” by Hill, Schilling and Jones (2023) covers these topics in chapter 2. Given that space tourism is an embryonic industry dependent on technological innovation, instructors might also use this case in innovation or entrepreneurship-related courses. This case could also be used to address critical issues, such as sustainability, in tourism management courses.