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Article
Publication date: 4 January 2008

Markus Johansson, Lovisa E. Nord, Rudolf Kopecký, Andreas Fhager and Mikael Persson

The purpose of this study is to develop and compare two methods of determining the total field, including phase information, when only field amplitudes have been measured on a set…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop and compare two methods of determining the total field, including phase information, when only field amplitudes have been measured on a set of planes in the near field of a complex electromagnetic source.

Design/methodology/approach

The first method is a gradient‐based optimization algorithm, based on the adjoint fields. The second method employs an optimization algorithm based on the phase angle gradients of a functional.

Findings

The first method, the adjoint field method, is functioning well for a 2D test case. The second method, the phase angle gradient method, gives very good results for 3D test cases.

Research limitations/implications

The next step is to test the methods with results from real measurement data.

Practical implications

The developed methods are intended for use in dosimetry studies and other applications, where the field distribution from electromagnetic sources are needed.

Originality/value

The methods extend previously made constant phase approximations. The present methods are useful in situations where the electromagnetic source is hard to model.

Details

COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering, vol. 27 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0332-1649

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1999

Majed Al‐Mashari and Mohamed Zairi

This paper provides a holistic view of the Business Process Re‐engineering (BPR) implementation process. It reviews the literature relating to the hard and soft factors that cause…

14609

Abstract

This paper provides a holistic view of the Business Process Re‐engineering (BPR) implementation process. It reviews the literature relating to the hard and soft factors that cause success and failure for BPR implementation, classifies these factors into subgroups, and identifies key factors of success and failure. Finally, it explains how these factors influence the process of BPR implementation.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 5 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 3 March 2022

Kandas Cloete, Stefan Mann and Marion Delport

Among the many things that land reform in South Africa suffers from is the lack of scientific attention paid to the willingness of commercial producers to exit or contract. This…

Abstract

Purpose

Among the many things that land reform in South Africa suffers from is the lack of scientific attention paid to the willingness of commercial producers to exit or contract. This research aims to contribute to literature on this phenomenon.

Design/methodology/approach

The interplay between the business confidence and the opportunity costs of a farming enterprise represented in a survey sample of 450 commercial farm owners is investigated, paying special attention to owners who want to, but cannot exit.

Findings

The regression analysis suggests that both forces have a strong influence on structural change, as they depict the rather complex interplay between the two main factors that may keep farms in business, one of which is a positive business climate and the other the capital invested. A subsequent cluster analysis indicates that there is a major cluster of producers who are pessimistic about the prospects of their farming business, but who are unable or unwilling to leave their farms.

Research limitations/implications

A limitation of our study is the fairly small sample size (91 exiters in the sample), so caution is advised in generalising the results. Another limitation is the overrepresentation of the Western Cape.

Practical implications

It is likely that the productivity of South African agriculture could improve if some of these producers caught in the “system” could leave farming to create new opportunities for entrepreneurial entrants.

Originality/value

The importance of a captured state has been neglected both in theoretical frameworks and in practical concepts of commercial agriculture in South Africa.

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 49 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 March 2000

Majed Al‐Mashari and Mohamed Zairi

This paper presents a holistic review of the literature related to business process re‐engineering (BPR). It reviews some definitions of BPR and clarifies confusion around its…

6465

Abstract

This paper presents a holistic review of the literature related to business process re‐engineering (BPR). It reviews some definitions of BPR and clarifies confusion around its concepts, traces the evolution of BPR and identifies its main drivers, and discusses issues of integrating BPR with TQM, benchmarking and change management. It then provides a strategic view of BPR implementation, conceptualises the major role of IT in BPR, reviews BPR approaches, methodologies, techniques and software tools, and discusses the scope of BPR and level of radicalness as indicators of degree of change. Aspects of improving business through BPR and the impacts of IT‐enabled change on organisations are identified and, finally, current and future development of BPR concepts and practice are also reviewed.

Details

Business Process Management Journal, vol. 6 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-7154

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 8 November 2010

Lynn Martin

Purpose – To explore routes taken to start and grow businesses in science, engineering and technology (SET) sectors by 15 female entrepreneurs.Methodology/approach …

Abstract

Purpose – To explore routes taken to start and grow businesses in science, engineering and technology (SET) sectors by 15 female entrepreneurs.

Methodology/approach – Entrepreneurial routes are explored using the ‘possible selves’ perspective to explore why they felt able to continue in SET when many do not and how they envisaged themselves in relation to SET and enterprise.

Findings – All participants felt that SET was ‘normal’, so there had been ‘no problem’ in starting or running a SET business as a woman but gendered practice was embedded in how they operated, how they made decisions and how they envisaged the future. The heuristics used by participants were acceptance, adaptation and allowances to adapt to a male environment in SET and within entrepreneurship.

Research limitations/implications – This was a qualitative study, therefore, as is normally the case, offers insights but cannot be generalised to populations.

Practical implications – The comments by participants on their experience of university and to some extent secondary school curriculum showed when they were ‘turned off’ SET mainstream activities. Changes in curriculum content and format and awareness building for staff might address this.

Social implications – Gendered practice remains in organisations due to the norms and expectations of a wider society, this chapter shows how this works in SET environments.

Originality/value of chapter – This is a new study given the lack of work so far exploring entrepreneurial routes of women in SET especially using the possible selves perspective.

Details

Innovating Women: Contributions to Technological Advancement
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-0-85724-335-5

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 February 2014

Paraskeva Georgieva Wlazlak and Glenn Johansson

The purpose of this paper is to explore communication challenges related to geographic distance, with emphasis on differences in national culture and language between R&D and…

1097

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore communication challenges related to geographic distance, with emphasis on differences in national culture and language between R&D and manufacturing engineers, in a development project faced with uncertainty and equivocality.

Design/methodology/approach

The results originate from a longitudinal single-case study of a commercial product development project.

Findings

Three communication challenges are identified: clarity of shared information, intention to share information, and responsiveness to information received. The challenges are strongly associated with differences in national culture and language. The study also indicates that the communication challenges cannot only be handled by the use of rich communication media, but also by employment of communication media of low richness such as e-mails or “picture books”.

Research limitations/implications

The single-case study approach limits the ability to generalize the findings. Future research should thus focus on additional studies of geographically separated R&D and manufacturing.

Originality/value

The results from the study provide important insights for the management of product development in geographically dispersed settings. The findings emphasize the need to consider potential differences in national culture and language within a product development team. Acknowledging these differences and managing them properly can support efficiency of product development projects.

Details

Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, vol. 25 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-038X

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 10 December 2015

Chun Kit Lok

Smart card-based E-payment systems are receiving increasing attention as the number of implementations is witnessed on the rise globally. Understanding of user adoption behavior…

Abstract

Smart card-based E-payment systems are receiving increasing attention as the number of implementations is witnessed on the rise globally. Understanding of user adoption behavior of E-payment systems that employ smart card technology becomes a research area that is of particular value and interest to both IS researchers and professionals. However, research interest focuses mostly on why a smart card-based E-payment system results in a failure or how the system could have grown into a success. This signals the fact that researchers have not had much opportunity to critically review a smart card-based E-payment system that has gained wide support and overcome the hurdle of critical mass adoption. The Octopus in Hong Kong has provided a rare opportunity for investigating smart card-based E-payment system because of its unprecedented success. This research seeks to thoroughly analyze the Octopus from technology adoption behavior perspectives.

Cultural impacts on adoption behavior are one of the key areas that this research posits to investigate. Since the present research is conducted in Hong Kong where a majority of population is Chinese ethnicity and yet is westernized in a number of aspects, assuming that users in Hong Kong are characterized by eastern or western culture is less useful. Explicit cultural characteristics at individual level are tapped into here instead of applying generalization of cultural beliefs to users to more accurately reflect cultural bias. In this vein, the technology acceptance model (TAM) is adapted, extended, and tested for its applicability cross-culturally in Hong Kong on the Octopus. Four cultural dimensions developed by Hofstede are included in this study, namely uncertainty avoidance, masculinity, individualism, and Confucian Dynamism (long-term orientation), to explore their influence on usage behavior through the mediation of perceived usefulness.

TAM is also integrated with the innovation diffusion theory (IDT) to borrow two constructs in relation to innovative characteristics, namely relative advantage and compatibility, in order to enhance the explanatory power of the proposed research model. Besides, the normative accountability of the research model is strengthened by embracing two social influences, namely subjective norm and image. As the last antecedent to perceived usefulness, prior experience serves to bring in the time variation factor to allow level of prior experience to exert both direct and moderating effects on perceived usefulness.

The resulting research model is analyzed by partial least squares (PLS)-based Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) approach. The research findings reveal that all cultural dimensions demonstrate direct effect on perceived usefulness though the influence of uncertainty avoidance is found marginally significant. Other constructs on innovative characteristics and social influences are validated to be significant as hypothesized. Prior experience does indeed significantly moderate the two influences that perceived usefulness receives from relative advantage and compatibility, respectively. The research model has demonstrated convincing explanatory power and so may be employed for further studies in other contexts. In particular, cultural effects play a key role in contributing to the uniqueness of the model, enabling it to be an effective tool to help critically understand increasingly internationalized IS system development and implementation efforts. This research also suggests several practical implications in view of the findings that could better inform managerial decisions for designing, implementing, or promoting smart card-based E-payment system.

Details

E-services Adoption: Processes by Firms in Developing Nations
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78560-709-7

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 21 November 2016

Kou Murayama, Keise Izuma, Ryuta Aoki and Kenji Matsumoto

Studies in psychology have long revealed that making personal choice involves multiple motivational consequences. It has only been recent, however, that the literature on…

Abstract

Studies in psychology have long revealed that making personal choice involves multiple motivational consequences. It has only been recent, however, that the literature on neuroscience started to examine the neural underpinnings of personal choice and motivation. This chapter reviews this sparse, but emergent, body of neuroscientific literature to address possible neural correlates underlying personal choice. By conducting the review, we encourage future systematic research programs that address this topic under the new realm of “autonomy neuroscience.” The chapter especially focused on the following motivational aspects: (i) personal choice is rewarding, (ii) personal choice shapes preference, (iii) personal choice changes the perception of outcomes, and (iv) personal choice facilitates motivation and performance. The reviewed work highlighted different aspects of personal choice, but indicated some overlapping brain areas – the striatum and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) – which may play a critical role in motivational processes elicited by personal choice.

Details

Recent Developments in Neuroscience Research on Human Motivation
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78635-474-7

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 27 August 2014

Markus König, Christian Pfarr and Peter Zweifel

Preferences of both Alzheimer patients and their spouse caregivers are related to a willingness-to-pay (WTP) measure which is used to test for the presence of mutual (rather than…

Abstract

Purpose

Preferences of both Alzheimer patients and their spouse caregivers are related to a willingness-to-pay (WTP) measure which is used to test for the presence of mutual (rather than conventional unilateral) altruism.

Methodology

Contingent valuation experiments were conducted in 2000–2002, involving 126 Alzheimer patients and their caregiving spouses living in the Zurich metropolitan area (Switzerland). WTP values for three hypothetical treatments of the demented patient were elicited. The treatment Stabilization prevents the worsening of the disease, bringing dementia to a standstill. Cure restores patient health to its original level. In No burden, dementia takes its normal course while caregiver’s burden is reduced to its level before the disease.

Findings

The three different types of therapies are reflected in different WTP values of both caregivers and patients, suggesting that moderate levels of Alzheimer’s disease still permit clear expression of preference. According to the WTP values found, patients do not rank Cure higher than No burden, implying that their preferences are entirely altruistic. Caregiving spouses rank Cure before Burden, reflecting less than perfect altruism which accounts for some 40 percent of their total WTP. Still, this constitutes evidence of mutual altruism.

Value

The evidence suggests that WTP values reflect individuals’ preferences even in Alzheimer patients. The estimates suggest that an economically successful treatment should provide relief to caregivers, with its curative benefits being of secondary importance.

Details

Preference Measurement in Health
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-78441-029-2

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 December 2018

Mirko Guaralda, Severine Mayere, Glenda Caldwell, Jared Donovan and Markus Rittenbruch

Community involvement is a common strategy to negotiate changes to the built environment. Traditional community involvement approaches are increasingly augmented through playful…

Abstract

Purpose

Community involvement is a common strategy to negotiate changes to the built environment. Traditional community involvement approaches are increasingly augmented through playful elements or through the use of technology. The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of a community involvement approach aimed at expanding participants’ ability to contribute to the issue. Through the design of bespoke interactive approaches to asking questions and receiving responses, the InstaBooth shifts the involvement process toward an open discussion between community members.

Design/methodology/approach

The InstaBooth methodology established in this paper is based on the use of a physical interactive installation for situated community involvement and place-making, the InstaBooth. This methodology embeds design thinking and collaborative approaches to move the focus of the engagement from data gathering to data sharing and content co-creation.

Findings

In 2015, the authors worked with the local community of Pomona, Queensland, Australia, to inform the new masterplan for the town center by using the InstaBooth as a community involvement methodology. Examining the case of Pomona reveals how the InstaBooth approach allows participants to join a discussion about their own environment in a playful and unstructured way. This is achieved through the application of design thinking across three key phases of the community engagement; 1) planning the engagement strategy, 2) implementation of the strategy and deployment and 3) data co-analysis.

Originality/value

The InstaBooth is an interactive methodology which has allowed citizens to engage in the discussion about the future development of their town strengthening their sense of place and sense of community. The significance of this paper is applicable to others interested in community involvement and place-making, as it presents a novel methodology that combines different methods for different contexts while embedding co-creation in its approach.

Details

Journal of Place Management and Development, vol. 12 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1753-8335

Keywords

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