Search results

Land rents are sometimes set at a fixed percentage of land value called the ground rental rate, with the land value periodically revised. Intuitively the frequency of revision should affect the appropriate rental rate. This paper derives the relationship between the rental rate and the frequency of revision. Depending upon discount rales and the expected growth rale in land value, the relationship may be positive or negative. In addition the revision frequency governs the extent to which inflation driven increases in interest rates induce changes in the rental rate. The latter changes range from virtually nothing to changes in tandem with interest rates.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the roles that employee-initiated Lean improvement projects play in health care. Lean ideas are introduced to improve flow in health care. Although variability is detrimental to flow performance, it is unclear whether Lean initiatives set out to reduce this variability and the associated buffers.

Longitudinal field research is combined with an exploratory field-quasi-experiment. First, a large set of Lean interventions were explored and their focus classified. Semi-structured interviews with practitioners supported the initial findings regarding the focus. Second, this study investigated whether a knowledge deficiency could explain the identified focus through a quasi-experiment in which the authors’ stimulated knowledge on the roles of variability and buffers and then classified subsequent interventions.

The results reflected a narrow application of Lean, with most interventions directed at reducing direct waste. A quasi-experiment demonstrated that a small investment in knowledge enables the focus to shift toward buffers and variability issues – i.e. toward a more complete Lean approach.

This research supports the commonly held view that there is a tendency to focus on waste. Furthermore, a lengthy experience of Lean does not guarantee interventions will focus on buffers and variability, issues with arguably a higher complexity compared to obvious waste. However, small investments in knowledge can broaden the focus of practitioners’ interventions.

This study is one of the first to research the focus of Lean interventions through a data set spanning several years. The results are based on a unique data set covering a large number of documented Lean interventions.

In pursuit of affordable housing, the Sustainable Urban Development Act of 2021 contains regulations for community land trusts (CLTs) in Peru. This study aims to assess whether the CLT model can be an effective tool for low-income housing generation in the Peruvian context.

This study draws upon information collected from qualitative research and official statistical data to identify the main problems in the Peruvian housing sector. The authors gathered evidence from specialised literature to examine the benefits and drawbacks of CLT implementation and functionality as experienced in the USA, England and Canada in contrast to Puerto Rico and Brazil. To assess the potential effectiveness of the CLT model in Peru, the results from the examination of both groups of countries are analysed and contrasted with the evidence from the Peruvian experience.

Through micro-scale interventions in places with a consolidated sense of community, the CLT model can be an effective tool for affordable housing generation. However, no robust evidence suggests that the CLT model could be an effective tool for large-scale intervention in cities with disorganised and accelerated growth. Moreover, the level of housing affordability defined by the CLT model may be insufficient for people from the lowest-income percentiles.

Peruvian CLT adaptation will require a shift in individual property mind-sets. Furthermore, the model should be enhanced by governmental support through public subsidies and backed by mortgage loans and land grant programmes.

This chapter focusses on the research methodology of the completed project, drawing on what Martin (2008) described as ‘Indigenist’ research traditions or practices. The project drew upon tenets of critical race theory which developed over the life of a university teaching and learning project to support the praxis of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, or Indigenous,1 pre-service teachers on their final internships prior to graduating.

The broader project was conceptualised and framed within our prioritisation of Indigenist standpoint and critical race theory. Our project was designed to amplify the perspectives and voices of Indigenous students in situations where White, hegemonic relations appeared to constrain their potential achievement on practicum in socially unjust and often racist ways. Research into the achievement and success of Indigenous education graduates in Australia is dominated by non-Indigenous reporting, framed in deficit language of Indigenous ‘underachievement’, ‘barriers’, ‘lack’, and ‘disengagement’, rather than from their experience of injustice in their professional preparation as teachers.

The research design troubled how researchers like us ‘come to know’ Indigenous achievement in the higher education sector through the pre-service teachers’ words, impelling us to listen to stories of discrimination, rather than to official accounts of how they ‘failed’ to measure up to teacher standards. The attention to detail in the multi-site, micro-level practices in teacher education and the ways these unfold in situ for Indigenous students would not be possible without the Indigenist research methodology developed in partnership with Indigenous research colleagues and student co-researchers.

This chapter then serves to remind educational researchers that research is a practice and has practice architectures with particular hegemonic arrangements which have not transpired to serve the interests of Indigenous peoples. Honouring Indigenist standpoint and employing critical race theory in research design thus means paying particular and careful attention to the work that research practices do, on, to, and with communities, not normative (colonial) crafting of the praxis research problem.

This paper aims to identify the appropriate model to address the financial challenges in agricultural sector in Zanzibar. Since the middle of 1960, clove production has continually and significantly decreased because of some problems and challenges that include financial ones. The financial intermediaries such as banks, cooperatives and micro-enterprises provide micro-financing to the farmers with high interest rates along with collateral requirements. The numerous programmes, measures and policies adopted by the relevant parties to find out the solutions to the dwindling clove production have failed.

The authors will review and examine several existing financial models, identify the issues and challenges of the current financial models and propose an appropriate Islamic financing model.

The numerous programmes, measures and policies adopted by the relevant parties to find out the solutions to the dwindling clove production have failed. This study, therefore, proposed a Waqf-Muzara’ah-supply chain model to address the financial challenge. Partnership arrangement is also suggested in the model to mitigate the issues of high interest rates and collateral that constrains the financial ability of the farmers and their agricultural output.

The contribution of the agricultural sector to the economic development of Zanzibar Islands is considerable. As one of the important agricultural sectors, the clove industry was the economic backbone of the government of Zanzibar. This study is believed to be a pioneering work; hence, it is the first study that investigates empirically the challenges facing the clove industry in Zanzibar.

The objective of this chapter is to provide an approach to the farmland abandonment problem in Galicia, the Spain’s north-western region. We describe the land use pattern that characterized the traditional agricultural system, and analyze the process of structural adjustment and changes in land use recorded in the last 50 years. The empirical basis is provided mainly by an original elaboration of agricultural census data for the period 1982–2009. The results show that in the last five decades the area devoted to crops and pastures was constrained to a small portion of the territory (just over 20%), while the agro-livestock uses of hill land which were very important up to the mid-twentieth century disappeared. All this led to a remarkable expansion of abandoned land, which currently occupies at least 20% of the regional area. The drivers of this farmland abandonment are diverse and vary from one zone to another. But among them the conditioners derived from the structure of land ownership must be emphasized, coupled with the poor functioning of the land market and leasing. Land abandonment has had a major impact on the dynamics of the agricultural sector, limiting the size of farms and causing an increasing intensification in a small portion of the territory. This has also led to severe environmental problems, especially forest fires. Consequently, improving mobility and land use should be a priority of agricultural and rural development policies in this region.

Describes how Jaguar Cars in the UK is using robots to manufacture aluminium car bodies for its new XK sports car that is being built in the company's plant in Castle Bromwich, UK.

Describes the major production line techniques that are used in the manufacture of the body‐in‐white structure. These include self‐piercing rivets (SPRs), self‐tapping screws, MIG welding and adhesives.

The use of SPRs and self‐tapping screws are proving essential in the joining of aluminium components manufactured as extrusions, castings and pressings.

The introduction of SPRs and self‐tapping screws, adhesive bonding and MIG welding of cosmetic aluminium skin panels is the result of considerable research work on the part of Jaguar engineers and the company's suppliers, as well as Warwick University. Three of these techniques require the services of robots with their integrated controls. This work is likely to continue in order to reduce cycle times and improve overall product performance, both to the benefit of manufacturer and end‐user – the customer. This paper provides a unique insight into the development of a facility with islands of automation to produce aluminium body shells.

It is likely that arising out of development work into new techniques, processes and standards that will be used throughout the Ford organization, including other companies that form the Premier Automotive Group. Aston Martin, Land Rover and Volvo could all benefit from the technologies developed at Jaguar Cars.

This is the first time Jaguar Cars has used ABB robots in significant numbers to apply SPRs and self‐tapping screws to join aluminium components. ABB robots are also used for body shell inspection and MIG welding aluminum skin panels.

To describe how Jaguar Cars in the UK is making use of a robot‐based intelligent adaptive metal inert gas (MIG) welding process incorporating laser diode measurement of the gap in the joint between the aluminium C‐pillars and the aluminium roof structure of its new XK sports car that is being built in the company's plant in Castle Bromwich, UK.

Describes the sensor technology that is used to guide the robot in order to undertake the MIG welding path.

The use of MIG welding in this particular application is essential if a perfect surface is to be achieved in a critical area of the car body before the aluminium body shell enters the paint shop. The introduction of MIG welding in this particularly exposed region of the car's body shell has proved to be a challenging experience for a wide range of engineers at jaguar cars in the UK, from manufacturing engineers through to process engineers and metallurgists, and others. The MIG welding of cosmetic aluminium skin panels is the result of considerable research work on the part of Jaguar engineers and the company's suppliers, as well as staff at Warwick University. This work is likely to continue in order to achieve a complete understanding of the entire production process, as well as to reduce cycle times and improve overall product performance, both to the benefit of the manufacturer and the end‐user – the customer.

It is likely that arising out of development work into new MIG welding techniques and processes, new standards will be used throughout the Ford organization, including other companies that form the Premier Automotive Group. Aston Martin, Land Rover Volvo could all benefit from the technologies developed at Jaguar Cars.

This is the first time that Jaguar Cars has used an ABB 2400‐16 robot in conjunction with a laser diode sensor to measure the true position of a seam prior to welding, allowing the robot's path to be optimised for each individual vehicle. This paper provides a unique insight into the development of a root‐based intelligent adaptive MIG welding process to produce a perfectly finished body shell.

Within the contexts of globalization, rationalization and modularization, this article seeks to explore why Ford Europe performed so badly in the second half of the 1990s, sustaining heavy losses and falling market share. The causes of this are deep‐rooted and are traced to poor model development and a failure to realise that the market for cars was fragmenting with the emergence of new segments such as people carriers, sports utility vehicles and premium brand cars, etc. This was made worse by high costs due to excess capacity and a crucial weakness in diesel engine technology. Moreover, the European scene of operations appeared to be marginalized compared with developments in other parts of the world in Ford 2000. Ford’s response was a reorganization of its European management structure, the development of new models, an attack on its excess capacity and costs through plant closure and redundancies, the forming of strategic alliances to improve its position in diesel engine technology and transmissions and, finally, the development of its Premier Automotive Group.