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To be world class and be classified as a world class manufacturer, manufacturing organisations need to have a number of critical ingredients: one such ingredient is that of an appropriate performance measurement system. Measurement systems incorporating financial and non‐financial measures have been a topic of considerable interest to both business practitioners and academics for most of the 1990s. A voluminous amount of attention has focussed on manufacturing industry, especially regarding the selection and implementation of non‐financial performance measures. Throughout the 1990s, various novel frameworks have been devised to aid manufacturing organisations to select and implement measures. This paper will outline one such framework that was developed taking into account industry design requirements. Results of the framework having been implemented will be illustrated through a short case study, with the framework’s potential and shortcomings being discussed.

This paper discusses the application of the balanced score‐card (BSC) concept as a widely used management framework for optimal measurement of organisational performance within NHS facilities directorates and discusses the fundamental points to cover in its implementation. Thereby, the paper identifies this framework as a strategic measurement and management system for facilities management. BSC formulation within NHS estates and facilities is described as a case study based on a facilities directorate situated in the north west of England, and discussion covers its implementation procedures, evaluation standards and reporting process. The paper further establishes the conceptual framework for performance management for the facilities directorate, as well as consistent techniques useful in undertaking the performance management administration and system oversight functions.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of exogenous factors in the strategic performance of construction companies. A conceptual model is proposed where strategic performance is influenced by a two‐dimensional construct composed of market conditions and strategic alliances.

A questionnaire survey was administered to 73 construction companies. Structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data and test the hypothesis that strategic performance is impacted by exogenous factors. The individual constructs used in the study passed the internal reliability test, all factor loadings were statistically significant at α=0.05, all goodness of fit indices consistently indicated a good fit, and the hypothesized path coefficient was large and significant at α=0.05.

The hypothesis was supported by the data and analysis. Indeed, macro‐economic, political, legal, socio‐cultural conditions and the level of competition and demand are expected to impact differentiation strategies, and market/project/partner selection strategies. The quality of the relationships with government agencies and clients is expected to influence client/project/market selection strategies, while the quality of the relationships with labor unions may affect the ability to differentiate by using innovative construction methods, materials and equipment.

It is likely that endogenous factors such as company resources, capabilities and project management competencies also impact strategic performance. But the study is confined only to the exogenous factors of market conditions and strategic alliances.

The findings of the study benefit construction company executives in that they make the executives more cognizant of the market environment and they draw the executives' attention to the importance of alliances with other parties. While market conditions are beyond the control of construction executives, relationships with other parties are somewhat within their sphere of influence.

Only a few studies have ever investigated non‐financial measures to assess the effectiveness of company strategies. Also, exogenous factors which are unavoidable in a project environment were also rarely discussed in the construction management literature. The originality of this study is that it uses non‐financial measures to assess the effects of exogenous factors on strategic performance.

MORE than 80 delegates from 20 countries attended the two‐day International Symposium on Remote Visual Inspection of Aircraft at the Edwardian International Hotel, Heathrow, London, in December.

This study analysed international publications related to the performance evaluation (PE) theme to compare the public and private sectors with a focus on the metrics and a reflection on the consideration of each sector's characteristics.

In total, two bibliographic portfolios (BPs) were selected with the aid of the Knowledge Development Process-Constructivist (ProKnow-C) instrument, and the literature was systematically and critically reviewed to construct a theme literature map; the metrics analysed the performance evaluation systems (PESs) used in the studies and identified each sector's characteristics and PES behaviour based on these characteristics.

The two sectors stand out because of the low incidence of articles with cardinal scales, which enable the measurement and identification of the consequences of performance that are below or above the target. The behaviour of the sector characteristics was unusual, especially regarding the user and the organisational structure; it was found that the presence or absence of critical factors, such as communication, may prove to be a differential of success or failure. An absence of the organisation's particularities when designing and using a PES was noted.

The contributions relate to (1) identification of the public and private sector characteristics based on the selected literature, which helps in understanding the critical success and failure factors of an organisation's PES, especially with regard to metrics adequacy for each context; and (2) verification of the paths taken by the literature in both sectors.

This chapter summarizes the knowledge on sleep and restitution. Sleep constitutes the recuperative process of the central nervous system. The use of the brain during wakefulness will lead to depletion of energy in the cortical areas locally responsible for activity. The level of depletion is monitored and sleep is initiated when critical levels are reached. The attempts to initiate sleep are perceived as sleepiness or fatigue. The ensuing sleep then actively restores brain physiology to normal levels. This also results in restored alertness, memory capacity, and mood. Also, peripheral anabolic processes (secretion of growth hormone and testosterone) are strongly enhanced and catabolic process (secretion of cortisol and catecholamines) are strongly suppressed. In the long run, reduced or impaired sleep leads to metabolic diseases, depression, burnout, and mortality. Stress and irregular hours are among the main causes of disturbed sleep.