Gil Marom, Shahar Grossbard, Moti Bodek, Eran Neuman and David Elad
Ventilation of indoor spaces is required for the delivery of fresh air rich in oxygen and the removal of carbon dioxide, pollutants and other hazardous substances. The COVID-19…
Abstract
Purpose
Ventilation of indoor spaces is required for the delivery of fresh air rich in oxygen and the removal of carbon dioxide, pollutants and other hazardous substances. The COVID-19 pandemic brought the topic of ventilating crowded indoors to the front line of health concerns. This study developed a new biologically inspired concept of biomimetic active ventilation (BAV) for interior environments that mimics the mechanism of human lung ventilation, where internal air is continuously refreshed with the external environment. The purpose of this study is to provide a detailed proof-of-concept of the new BAV paradigm using computational models.
Design/methodology/approach
This study developed computational fluid dynamic models of unoccupied rooms with two window openings on one wall and two BAV modules that periodically translate perpendicular to or rotate about the window openings. This study also developed a time-evolving spatial ventilation efficiency metric for exploring the accumulated refreshment of the interior space. The authors conducted two-dimensional (2D) simulations of various BAV configurations to determine the trends in how the working parameters affect the ventilation and to generate initial estimates for the more comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) model.
Findings
Simulations of 2D and 3D models of BAV for modules of different shapes and working parameters demonstrated air movements in most of the room with good air exchange between the indoor and outdoor air. This new BAV concept seems to be very efficient and should be further developed.
Originality/value
The concept of ventilating interior spaces with periodically moving rigid modules with respect to the window openings is a new BAV paradigm that mimics human respiration. The computational results demonstrated that this new paradigm for interior ventilation is efficient while air velocities are within comfortable limits.
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Different higher education initiatives derived from the Bologna Process (BP) agenda have been recontextualised in each country depending on their starting points, their needs…
Abstract
Different higher education initiatives derived from the Bologna Process (BP) agenda have been recontextualised in each country depending on their starting points, their needs, their governments' political orientation and different institutions currently in power. This has led to discrepancies in the interpretation of BP objectives. In the case of the BP in Spain, the social dimension discourse (inclusion, equity and social justice) has prevailed in official documents, but pedagogical practices, driven by the actual process, have resulted in some detrimental outcomes. The educational approaches implemented involve student-centred teaching and learning to facilitate the adaptability of future professionals in the neoliberal context. The main interest in this chapter is in different student profiles: traditional students and those whose profile does not match the traditional student profile (because of being of an older age, concurrently working or having family commitments). The main objectives of this chapter are to analyse the effects of student-centred learning approaches related to the BP on different student profiles in terms of engagement, student experiences and academic results, as well as analyse their differential access to higher education. Quantitative analyses of two data sets have been conducted, including relevant data from Via Universitaria II (2018) report and the database of the Spanish Ministry of Education covering the timeframe between academic years 2015–2016 and 2020–2021. While the data from the latter source suggest the decrease of enrolment of non-traditional students (in terms of social class and age) over time, complementary data from the former source, that confirm these results, question the suitability of the so-called innovative student-centred learning approaches for all, as they seem to put traditional students in a more privileged position with regard to opportunities for academic progress. This analysis is essential for shedding light on the educational inequalities regarding non-traditional students in Spain in the framework of the BP.
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Carlos Ferro, Carmen Padin, Göran Svensson, Juan Carlos Sosa Varela, Beverly Wagner and Nils M. Høgevold
The purpose of this study is two-fold: to determine the extent to which companies’ efforts aimed at sustainable business practices consider stakeholders in their organisations and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is two-fold: to determine the extent to which companies’ efforts aimed at sustainable business practices consider stakeholders in their organisations and business networks, the marketplace and society; and to validate or refute a stakeholder framework of business sustainability efforts within focal companies, the marketplace, society and business networks.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on a questionnaire survey targeting large companies across industries and sectors in Spain. The sample consisted of 231 companies generating a useable response rate of 38.5 per cent. Exploratory factor analysis was performed on a cross-industry sample to test a five-dimensional framework.
Findings
This study reports on the validation of initial and refined factor solutions. The factor analysis confirmed five stakeholder dimensions related to business sustainability efforts of organisations, their business networks, marketplace and society. The validated results indicate satisfactory convergent, discriminant and nomological validity and reliability through time and across contexts.
Research limitations/implications
The stakeholder framework in connection with business sustainability efforts in supply chains consisting of five factors was validated: the focal company, downstream stakeholders, societal stakeholders, market stakeholders and upstream stakeholders. Suggestion for further research is provided.
Practical implications
The validated framework of stakeholders allows an insight into the environment in which stakeholders operate and how they influence the focal company.
Originality/value
The manuscript contributes to the validation of a stakeholder framework of business sustainability efforts within focal companies, their business networks, the marketplace and society. The measurement properties provide support for acceptable validity and reliability across contexts and through time.
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Margarida Custódio Santos, Célia Veiga, José António C. Santos and Paulo Águas
This study sought to assess the extent to which tourism research has considered sustainability as a success factor for tourism destinations. It also aims to identify the relevance…
Abstract
Purpose
This study sought to assess the extent to which tourism research has considered sustainability as a success factor for tourism destinations. It also aims to identify the relevance of the economic, environmental and socio-cultural dimensions of sustainability for tourist destination success, identify gaps in the literature and draw theoretical and practical implications and make recommendations.
Design/methodology/approach
The research methodology consists of a systematic literature review on sustainability as a success factor for tourism destinations.
Findings
Research interest in the topic is recent and mostly focused on environmental sustainability. Developing a sustainable tourism policy and performing adequate destination management are crucial for tourism destination success. It is also acknowledged that perceiving a destination as sustainable has a significant positive impact on tourists' experiences, purchasing behaviour and loyalty.
Originality/value
This study's value arises from the fact that, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no systematic literature review was yet been performed on the topic of sustainability as a success factor for tourism destinations.
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Benny Nuriely, Moti Gigi and Yuval Gozansky
This paper aims to analyze the ways socio-economic issues are represented in mainstream news media and how it is consumed, understood and interpreted by Israeli young adults…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyze the ways socio-economic issues are represented in mainstream news media and how it is consumed, understood and interpreted by Israeli young adults (YAs). It examines how mainstream media uses neo-liberal discourse, and the ways YAs internalize this ethic, while simultaneously finding ways to overcome its limitations.
Design/methodology/approach
This was a mixed methods study. First, it undertook content analysis of the most popular Israeli mainstream news media among YAs: the online news site Ynet and the TV Channel 2 news. Second, the authors undertook semi-structured in-depth interviews with 29 Israeli YAs. The analysis is based on an online survey of 600 young Israelis, aged 18–35 years.
Findings
Most YAs did not perceive mainstream media as enabling a reliable understanding of the issues important to them. The content analysis revealed that self-representation of YAs is rare, and that their issues were explained, and even resolved, by older adults. Furthermore, most of YAs' problems in mainstream news media were presented using a neo-liberal perspective. Finally, from the interviews, the authors learned that YAs did not find information that could help them deal with their most pressing economic and social issue, in the content offered by mainstream media. For most of them, social media overcomes these shortcomings.
Originality/value
Contrary to research that has explored YAs’ consumerism of new media outlets, this article explores how YAs in Israel are constructed in the media, as well as the way in which YAs understand mainstream and new social media coverage of the issues most important to them. Using media content analysis and interviews, the authors found that Young Adults tend to be ambivalent toward media coverage. They understand the lack of media information: most of them know that they do not learn enough from the media. This acknowledgment accompanies their tendency to internalize the neo-liberal logic and conservative Israeli national culture, in which class and economic redistribution are largely overlooked. Mainstream news media uses neo-liberal discourse, and young adults internalize this logic, while simultaneously finding ways to overcome the limitations this discourse offers. They do so by turning to social media, mainly Facebook. Consequently, their behavior maintains the logic of the market, while also developing new social relations, enabled by social media.
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Jasmina Berbegal-Mirabent, Inés Alegre and Dolors Gil-Doménech
Multiple crowdfunding platforms have been created over the last decade. Some have become extremely successful, but many others have failed. This study focuses on those strategic…
Abstract
Purpose
Multiple crowdfunding platforms have been created over the last decade. Some have become extremely successful, but many others have failed. This study focuses on those strategic choices that founders of crowdfunding platforms need to make early on and which determine the basic characteristics of a platform. Specifically, it examines which combination(s) of these initial strategic choices shape(s) the survival of a platform.
Design/methodology/approach
Qualitative comparative analysis is used to analyze the design configurations that are especially relevant for the long-term survival of crowdfunding platforms. Several robustness checks are performed. The empirical setting consists of a unique dataset of all crowdfunding platforms created in Spain over a period of ten years.
Findings
Ten configurations are obtained (four in the case of reward and donation platforms, and six for equity and lending), suggesting different paths to platform survival. Although equity and lending platforms tend to be more likely to survive than donation and reward platforms, the type of platform is not definitive. Another interesting observation is that when platforms fail, they do so quite fast.
Practical implications
We acknowledge that strategic choices are a combination of different elements; therefore, our approach offers a holistic view that mirrors the heterogeneity of resources and capabilities of entrepreneurs. Our study derives a different set of recommendations for lending and equity platforms than for reward and donation platforms, underlining the importance of designing and treating each type of platform in a particular way.
Originality/value
Most crowdfunding literature has the individual crowdfunding project as the main level of analysis. Research to date has focused on the characteristics that projects must possess to succeed. The present study explores differences at the platform level. Our research brings new evidence on some of the decisions entrepreneurs need to confront when starting a crowdfunding platform and provides useful recommendations that might help them increase the chances of survival for their platform.
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Diego Corrales-Garay, Marta Ortiz-de-Urbina-Criado and Eva-María Mora-Valentín
This paper aims to analyse the open data business models (ODBMs) as a source of knowledge and innovation to generate economic and social value. A framework for understanding ODBMs…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyse the open data business models (ODBMs) as a source of knowledge and innovation to generate economic and social value. A framework for understanding ODBMs is presented. First, the knowledge structure of the ODBMs literature is identified. Second, a conceptual model for analysing the ODBMs is proposed. And finally, the future trends in ODBMs research are discussed.
Design/methodology/approach
In this paper, co-word analysis is performed to identify the topics related with ODBMs.
Findings
The ODBMs structure of knowledge is articulated in five themes: business model, smart city, business ecosystem, decision-making and innovation. Based on these results, a five-step model for analysing ODBMs is proposed. Finally, a discussion of the future trends of ODBMs focussed on a knowledge management perspective, open data ecosystems and business intelligence is presented.
Originality/value
The paper presents a picture of what, where, for whom and for what ODBMs have been studied and develops a new model to explain the value creation process of ODBMs. Taking a step further, applying the principles and models of knowledge management and business intelligence to ODBMs is also recommended in order to transfer and transform open data into valuable knowledge that can be used for developing apps. In that context, the importance of encouraging collaboration between different agents in the so-called open data ecosystem is presented.
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Sama Khanmirzaee, Mostafa Jafari and Peyman Akhavan
Science parks play an important role in development of technology and are able to stimulate economic growth of the countries. The purpose of this paper is to study the role that…
Abstract
Purpose
Science parks play an important role in development of technology and are able to stimulate economic growth of the countries. The purpose of this paper is to study the role that science and technology parks (STPs) play in growth of knowledge-based economy.
Design/methodology/approach
Key factors affecting the competitive advantages and the World Bank indicators resulting in knowledge-based economy were displayed in the form of a questionnaire which was examined by experts. The questionnaire was designed to evaluate main factors and sub-factors of competitive advantages of the institutions, including aspects of human resources, research and development and technology transfer, facilities, market development and to assess the main criteria of knowledge-based economy known as pillars of the overall economic performance, the institutional regime and economic incentives, innovation system, education and information technology and communications.
Findings
The obtained results from the study on competitive advantages were evaluated and analyzed by using SPSS software and the results of the review on development of knowledge-based economy were modeled by SmartPLS software with partial least squares method. Eventually, the obtained model was tested and analyzed.
Originality/value
This study is an original contribution to the theory of STPs and knowledge-based economy. It was initiated to examine the role of STPs in development of knowledge-based economy and presentation schematic model.