Vivian W.Y. Tam, Lei Liu and Khoa N. Le
This paper proposes an intact framework for building life cycle energy estimation (LCEE), which includes three major energy sources: embodied, operational and mobile.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper proposes an intact framework for building life cycle energy estimation (LCEE), which includes three major energy sources: embodied, operational and mobile.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review is conducted to summarize the selected 109 studies published during 2012–2021 related to quantifying building energy consumption and its major estimation methodologies, tools and key influence parameters of three energy sources.
Findings
Results show that the method limitations and the variety of potential parameters lead to significant energy estimation errors. An in-depth qualitative discussion is conducted to identify research knowledge gaps and future directions.
Originality/value
With societies and economies developing rapidly across the world, a large amount of energy is consumed at an alarming rate. Unfortunately, its huge environmental impacts have forced many countries to take energy issues as urgent social problems to be solved. Even though the construction industry, as the one of most important carbon contributors, has been constantly and academically active, researchers still have not arrived at a clear consensus for system boundaries of life cycle energy. Besides, there is a significant difference between the actual and estimated values in countless current and advanced energy estimation approaches in the literature.
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Laura Almeida, Vivian W.Y. Tam, Khoa N. Le and Yujuan She
Occupants are one of the most impacting factors in the overall energy performance of buildings, according to literature. Occupants’ behaviours and actions may impact the overall…
Abstract
Purpose
Occupants are one of the most impacting factors in the overall energy performance of buildings, according to literature. Occupants’ behaviours and actions may impact the overall use of energy in more than 50%. In order to quantify the impact that occupant behaviour has in the use of energy, this study simulated interactions between occupants and the systems present in two actual buildings. The main aim was to compare the deviations due to occupant behaviour with the actual conditions and energy use of the two buildings.
Design/methodology/approach
The buildings used as a case study in this research were green buildings, rated according to the Australian Green Star certification system as a 6-star and a non-rated building. The two buildings are university buildings with similar characteristics, from Western Sydney University, in Sydney, Australia. A comparison was performed by means of building simulations among the use of energy in both buildings, aiming to understand if the green rating had any impact on the energy related to occupant behaviour. Therefore, to represent the actual buildings' conditions, the actual data related with climate, geometry, systems, internal loads, etc. were used as input variables in the simulation models of the green and the non-rated buildings. Both models were calibrated and validated, having as target the actual monitored use of electricity.
Findings
Occupants were categorized according to their levels of energy use as follows: saving, real and intensive energy users. Building simulations were performed to each building, with varying parameters related with lighting, plug loads, windows/doors opening, shading and air conditioning set points. Results show that occupant behaviour may impact the buildings' energy performance in a range of 72% between the two extremes. There is no significant relationship between the green rating and the way occupants behave in terms of the energy use.
Originality/value
This study intends to show the impact of different categories of occupant behaviour in the overall energy performance of two university buildings, a non-rated and a green-rated building, having as reference an actual representation of the buildings. Additionally, the study aims to understand the main differences between a green-rated and a non-rated building when accounting with the previous categories.
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Vivian W.Y. Tam and Khoa N. Le
Various method have been used by organisations in the construction industry to improve quality, employing mainly two major techniques: management techniques such as quality…
Abstract
Purpose
Various method have been used by organisations in the construction industry to improve quality, employing mainly two major techniques: management techniques such as quality control, quality assurance, total quality management; and statistical techniques such as cost of quality, customer satisfaction and the six sigma principle. The purpose of this paper is to show that it is possible to employ the six sigma principle in the field of construction management provided that sufficient information on a particular population is obtained.
Design/methodology/approach
Statistical properties of the hyperbolic distribution are given and quality factors such as population in range, number of defects, yield percentage and defects per million opportunities are estimated. Graphical illustrations of the hyperbolic and Gaussian distributions are also given. From that, detailed comparisons of these two distributions are numerically obtained. The impacts of these quality factors are briefly discussed to give a rough guidance to organisations in the construction industry on how to lower cost and to improve project quality by prevention. A case study on a construction project is given in which it is shown that the hyperbolic distribution is better suited to the cost data than the Gaussian distribution. Cost and quality data of all projects in the company are collected over a period of eight years. Each project may consist of a number of phases, typically spanning about three months. Each phase can be considered as a member of the project population. Quality factors of this population are estimated using the six sigma principle.
Findings
The paper finds that by using a suitable distribution, it is possible to improve quality factors such as population in range, yield percentage and number of defects per million opportunities.
Originality/value
This paper is of value in assessing the suitability of the hyperbolic and Gaussian distributions in modelling the population and showing that hyperbolic distribution can be more effectively used to model the cost data than the Gaussian distribution.
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Huu Minh Nguyen, Thi Hong Tran and Thi Thanh Loan Tran
“The world needs science, science needs women” is the message given by UNESCO in the program for the development of women in science” (UNESCO, 2017). In Vietnam, women’s…
Abstract
“The world needs science, science needs women” is the message given by UNESCO in the program for the development of women in science” (UNESCO, 2017). In Vietnam, women’s participation and achievements in scientific research is considered a great and important resource for industrialization and modernization. Even so, are there gender differences in scientific achievement in the social science research institutes in Vietnam? What factors influence the scientific achievement of female social researchers? The answers will be based on data from a 2017 survey with a sample of 756 researchers, of which 77.6% were female. The survey was conducted by the Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences, a leading, ministry-level national center for the social sciences in Vietnam. This chapter analyzed the scientific achievements of researchers through their position as principal investigators of research projects and their publications, and factors that may impact this. Bivariate and multivariate analyses of factors that may affect the scientific achievement of researchers found that gender differences in academic achievement in the social sciences in Vietnam was still prevalent. Female researchers’ scientific achievements were lower than those of their male counterparts. The contribution to science of Vietnamese female researchers was limited by many different factors; the most important were the academic rank of the researchers and gender stereotype that considered housework the responsibility of women.
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This paper aims to investigate the influence of collaborative culture and knowledge sharing on innovation performance via moderating role absorptive capacity.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the influence of collaborative culture and knowledge sharing on innovation performance via moderating role absorptive capacity.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper used structural equation modeling to examine the level of how collaborative culture and knowledge sharing impact on innovation performance using data collected from 271 Vietnamese firms.
Findings
The research findings show knowledge sharing mediates the relationship between collaborative culture and innovation performance. It highlights the moderating role of absorptive capacity in fostering the effects of tacit and explicit knowledge sharing on innovation performance.
Research limitations/implications
Further research should examine the potential moderating effects of absorptive capacity in the knowledge management–innovation relationship to bring deeper understanding on the role of knowledge resource and innovation.
Practical implications
This paper offers leaders a deeper understanding of the necessary factors and conditions to promote innovation performance in their firms.
Originality/value
This paper significantly contributes to theoretical and practical initiatives of innovation by highlighting the antecedent roles of collaborative culture, the mediating role of knowledge sharing and moderating role of absorptive capacity.
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Phong Ba Le, Le Thai Phong and Khoa Dinh Vu
The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of transformational leadership (TL) on frugal innovation (FI) of hotel and restaurant firms through the mediating role of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of transformational leadership (TL) on frugal innovation (FI) of hotel and restaurant firms through the mediating role of knowledge sharing (KS) and moderating role of information technology utilization (ITU).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper used a quantitative research method and structural equation modeling to test the relationship among the latent factors based on a sample of 315 participants from 113 hotel and restaurant firms.
Findings
Findings show the significant impacts of TL on FI directly or indirectly via the mediating role of tacit and explicit KS behaviors. It highlights the important role of ITU in fostering influence of KS behaviors on FI.
Practical implications
The paper provides managers and directors in the Vietnamese restaurant and hotel industry with valuable insights into the development of leadership programs focusing on TL practices to improve the knowledge resource and FI capabilities of firms.
Originality/value
This study contributes to bridging research gaps in the literature and advances the insights of the key antecedents and appropriate conditions to pursue FI of hotel and restaurant firms.
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Phong Ba Le, Dat Tho Tran, Thuy Minh Thu Phung and Khoa Dinh Vu
The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of transformational leadership (TL) on firm's frugal innovation. It also deepens understanding of appropriate mechanisms and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to explore the influence of transformational leadership (TL) on firm's frugal innovation. It also deepens understanding of appropriate mechanisms and conditions to improve specific aspects of frugal innovation namely frugal functionality, frugal cost and frugal ecosystem by examining the mediating role of knowledge management capability (KMC) and moderating mechanism of collaborative culture.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper utilized structural equation modeling and cross-sectional design to test hypotheses in the proposed research model using data collected from 351 participants in 112 Vietnamese firms.
Findings
The findings indicate that KMC significantly mediates TL's effects on aspects of firm's frugal innovation namely frugal functionality, frugal cost and frugal ecosystem. In addition, the influence of KMC on frugal functionality is different and depended on the extent of collaborative culture in an organization.
Research limitations/implications
The paper has significantly contributed to increasing the understanding of the link between TL and specific aspects of frugal innovation by highlighting the important role of KMC and positive effects of collaborative climate in an organization.
Originality/value
The paper is unique in the attempts to provide the valuable initiatives and integration view of leadership practices for improving specific dimensions of frugal innovation of firms in developing and emerging market.
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Xuan Hoang Khoa Le, Hakan F. Öztop and Mikhail A. Sheremet
The performance of solid fins inside a differentially heated cubical cavity is numerically studied in this paper. The main purpose of the study is to make an optimization to reach…
Abstract
Purpose
The performance of solid fins inside a differentially heated cubical cavity is numerically studied in this paper. The main purpose of the study is to make an optimization to reach the maximum heat transfer in the enclosure having the solid fins with studied parameters.
Design/methodology/approach
The considered domain of interest is a differentially heated cube having heat-conducting solid fins placed on the heated wall while an opposite wall is a cooled one. Other walls are adiabatic. Governing equations describing natural convection in the fluid filled cube and heat conduction in solid fins have been written using non-dimensional variables such velocity and vorticity taking into account the Boussinesq approximation for the buoyancy force and ideal solid/fluid interfaces between solid fins and fluid. The formulated equations with appropriate initial and boundary conditions have been solved by the finite difference method of the second of accuracy. The developed in-house computational code has been validated using the mesh sensitivity analysis and numerical data of other authors. Analysis has been performed in a wide range of key parameters such as Rayleigh number (Ra = 104–106), non-dimensional fins length (l = 0.2–0.8), non-dimensional location of fins (d = 0.2–0.6) and number of fins (n = 1–3).
Findings
From numerical methods point of view the used non-primitive variables allows to perform numerical simulation of convective heat transfer in three-dimensional (3D) regions with two advantages, namely, excluding difficulties that can be found using vector potential functions and reducing the computational time compared to primitive variables and SIMPLE-like algorithms. From a physical point of view, it has been shown that using solid fins can intensify the heat transfer performance compared to cavities without any fins. Fins located close to the bottom wall of the cavity have a better heat transfer rate than those placed close to the upper cavity surface. At high Rayleigh numbers, increasing the fins length beyond 0.6 leads to a reduction of the average Nusselt number, and one solid fin can be used to intensify the heat transfer.
Originality/value
The present numerical study is based on hybrid approach for numerical analysis of convective heat transfer using velocity and vorticity that has some mentioned advantages. Obtained results allow intensifying the heat transfer using solid fins in 3D chambers with appropriate location and length.
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Mai Anh Thi Nguyen, Hui Lei, Khoa Dinh Vu and Phong Ba Le
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of cognitive proximity on supply chain collaboration and how it relates to radical and incremental innovation.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of cognitive proximity on supply chain collaboration and how it relates to radical and incremental innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is based on quantitative approach to analyze the data of 218 firms in a developing and transition economy. The proposal model is tested with exploratory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM).
Findings
The authors’ findings show that cognitive proximity facilitates decision synchronization and incentive alignment in the supply chain. Furthermore, the authors’ results indicate that information sharing and decision synchronization are determinants of radical innovation while incentive alignment is a determinant of incremental innovation.
Research limitations/implications
This study was cross-sectional, so the authors could not consider the control variable such as sectors or firms’ size. It is hard to control the specific features of cognitive proximity in one single industry when using cross-sectional data. In future investigations, it may be possible to use a different dimension of proximity to explain the implementation of collaboration for innovation.
Originality/value
This study attempted to explore the role of cognitive proximity on supply chain implementation process in the context of a transition economy. Moreover, the authors’ findings provide the clearer understanding of the relationship between collaboration and innovation.
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Do The Khoa, Huy Quoc Gip, Priyanko Guchait and Chen-Ya Wang
The hospitality industry has recently witnessed explosive growth in robotization with the replacement of robots in many areas. Yet, a key consideration in this robotics wave is…
Abstract
Purpose
The hospitality industry has recently witnessed explosive growth in robotization with the replacement of robots in many areas. Yet, a key consideration in this robotics wave is whether competition (i.e. robots take over all human tasks) or collaboration (i.e. humans collaborate closely with robots to perform work better) will define the future of the hospitality workspace. The purpose of this paper is to shed light on this controversial issue by taking a collaborative perspective to address the future human–robot relationship in hospitality workplace (i.e. cobotic team).
Design/methodology/approach
Drawing upon relevant theories and extant robotics literature, this paper will develop a critical reflection on the management of future cobotic team as a new phenomenon in hospitality industry.
Findings
The successful management of cobotics in hospitality lies in three interrelated key domains: feeling intelligence training for frontline employees, ethics governance for cobotics and trust building toward robot partners.
Practical implications
How to manage this cobotic team efficiently will be a focus for hospitality managers in the coming years. This paper offers several managerial insights for hospitality managers and practitioners regarding effectively managing the future collaboration between humans and robots within a dynamic work environment.
Originality/value
This study addresses cobotics as a critical yet unaddressed shift in the contemporary hospitality sector and proposes a framework highlighting three key domains for managing this cobotic team effectively. This framework also sets the direction to encourage more future empirical research exploring cobotic workforce in hospitality.