The purpose of this paper is to provide first-hand experiences of running a hotel business in Nigeria from the perspective of an entrepreneur.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide first-hand experiences of running a hotel business in Nigeria from the perspective of an entrepreneur.
Design/methodology/approach
An informal interview was carried out via email. Max Menkiti is an entrepreneur in the hospitality industry with extensive experience in bootstrap start-ups and operations in the UK and Nigeria. He is currently the Director of Millennium Apartments and Studios in Lagos. Before that, he developed and operated the @venue series of boutique hotels. Max has over 11 years experience in the hospitality industry in Nigeria.
Findings
The interview offers valuable insights for researchers in hospitality industry entrepreneurship so as to understand the rationale for business decisions.
Originality/value
The backdrop for this paper is the business environment in Nigeria. The transcript makes available an insider’s view of the number and form of issues that entrepreneurs face in emerging economies.
Details
Keywords
This paper aims to profile the Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes issue “What are the issues facing human capital development in the hotel industry in Nigeria and how might…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to profile the Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes issue “What are the issues facing human capital development in the hotel industry in Nigeria and how might they be addressed?” with reference to the experiences of the theme editors, contributors from industry and academia and the theme issue outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses structured questions to enable the theme editors to reflect on the rationale for their theme issue question, the starting-point, the selection of the writing team and material and the editorial process.
Findings
Concerns have been raised about the absence of a strategic government policy for human capital development in Nigeria’s tourism sector, a task that individual businesses address in a fragmented and inefficient manner – and sometimes not at all. Likewise, a weak regulatory framework has given rise to imbalances in the employment relationship and business operations that do not create an enabling environment, a primary condition for developing knowledge, skills and attitude to acceptable service levels.
Practical implications
This paper reflects a sustained dialogue between leading Nigerian academics and senior industry practitioners about the barriers to workforce development and ways of unlocking the potential that exists for employment and professional development in hospitality and tourism.
Originality/value
This paper reports on the first comprehensive set of discussions between academics and practitioners about the human capital development challenges facing the hospitality and tourism industry in Nigeria. Specifically, the theme issue identifies key action steps needed to keep pace with industry development in Nigeria – the largest and fastest growing market in Africa.
Details
Keywords
Weiwei Zhang, Xianlong Jin and Zhihao Yang
The great magnitude differences between the integral tunnel and its structure details make it impossible to numerically model and analyze the global and local seismic behavior of…
Abstract
Purpose
The great magnitude differences between the integral tunnel and its structure details make it impossible to numerically model and analyze the global and local seismic behavior of large-scale shield tunnels using a unified spatial scale, even with the help of supercomputers. The paper aims to present a combined equivalent & multi-scale simulation method, by which the tunnel's major mechanical properties under seismic loads can be represented by the equivalent model, and the seismic responses of the interested details can be studied efficiently by the coupled multi-scale model.
Design/methodology/approach
The nominal orthotropic material constants of the equivalent tunnel model are inversely determined by fitting the modal characteristics of the equivalent model with the corresponding segmental lining model. The critical sections are selected by comprehensive analyzing of the integral compression/extension and bending loads in the equivalent lining under the seismic shaking and the coupled multi-scale model containing the details of interest is solved by the mixed time explicit integration algorithm.
Findings
The combined equivalent & multi-scale simulation method is an effective and efficient way for seismic analyses of large-scale tunnels. The response of each flexible joint is related to its polar location on the lining ring, and the mixed time integration method can speed-up the calculation process for hybrid FE model with great differences in element sizes.
Originality/value
The orthotropic equivalent assumption is, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, for the first time, used in the 3D simulation of the shield tunnel lining, representing the rigidity discrepancies caused by the structural property.
Details
Keywords
Muhammad Bilal Khan, Rehan Zahid, Ali Hussain Kazim and Khalid Javed
Depleting reserves of crude oils and their adverse environmental effects have shifted focus toward environment friendly and biobased lubricant base oils. Natural oils and fats act…
Abstract
Purpose
Depleting reserves of crude oils and their adverse environmental effects have shifted focus toward environment friendly and biobased lubricant base oils. Natural oils and fats act as good lubricants but they have low oxidation and thermal stability which makes them unsuitable for modern day uses. This paper aims to produce trimethylolpropane ester biolubricant from cottonseed oil and study the effects of its use in spark ignition (SI) engines.
Design/methodology/approach
In this work, cottonseed oil is converted to TMP lubricant by a two-step based catalyzed esterification. The lubricants thermophysical properties are then analyzed and a 20% blend with synthetic poly-alpha olefin is used in an spark ignition engine.
Findings
The produced lubricant has viscosity @100oC of 4.91 cSt, a viscosity index of 230 and a flash point of 202oC. When used as a 20% blend in a petrol engine, the rate of oil deterioration was reduced by 18%, however, the overall wear increased by 6.7%. However, this increase is offset by its improved environmental impacts.
Originality/value
In its current state, such a biolubricant can be used as an additive to most commercially available lubricants to improve oil deterioration characteristics and environmental impact. However, further work on improving biolubricant’s wear characteristics is needed for the complete replacement of mineral oil-based lubricants.