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Design and build (D/B) construction methods have gained more importance in recent years for their potential advantages in improving project performance. There are, however, a number of problems that are commonplace in D/B procurement, which, when they interact with each other, can lead to project time and cost overrun problems. The most important among them are design changes, together with communication and coordination lapses among concerned parties. Past research has focused only on the characteristics of the traditional construction, or separate sub‐systems such as different phases or human resource input to projects. An attempt is made in this paper to improve D/B project time and cost performance. A generic system dynamics model is developed that incorporates major sub‐systems and their relationships inherent in D/B constructions projects. It is validated and calibrated for a typical large D/B infrastructure project using time and cost overrun problems experienced in Thailand. Extensive simulations with many policies, individually or in various combinations, show that improvement in time or cost can be made with proper policy combinations that reflect strong interactions between the whole design and build system and can be derived only if these interactions are accounted for. To achieve overall improvement in both time and cost, the combination of full overtime schedule, average material ordering, and fast track construction with moderate crashing of design is most appropriate. If cost is the focus, extending the construction schedule, combined with material ordering based on actual need, and design and build with traditional construction method is the best solution.

Functionality as a measure of project performance encompasses definitions across literature, relevance and essentiality in construction as the industry moves towards sustainable construction. Functionality in this section shows details in social functionality, as well as functionalities expressed in assessing, implementing project performance within set out target and goal. Furthermore, for functionality to be truly experienced in construction, many factors have to be gotten right. One of such is decision making that tends towards standard expatiated in the contract agreed without compromising budget, performance, collaboration, health and safety, communication, profit, satisfaction, quality, project cost, profitability among others.

This paper aims to describe the development and application of a manpower planning system for the Slovenian armed forces using a system approach, system dynamics (SD) and numerical optimization.

The model of the hierarchical manpower system was developed by SD methodology and formulated in discrete time space. The problem of tracking the goal trajectories in the eight topmost ranks at the prescribed boundaries was solved by application of the quadratic performance index and finite automata (FA) which was used for classification of acceptable strategies. Genetic algorithms (GA) as well as pattern search were compared at the numeric optimization.

Employing SD and a system approach increases the understanding of the system control. The definition of an optimum strategy, which would consider only target values for ranks within prescribed parameter boundaries, could provide an undesired oscillatory solution. Inclusion of rules by FA to determine acceptable strategies based on the time response of a strategy provided acceptable, nonoscillatory solutions. GA and pattern search were considered where pattern search was shown to be significantly more suitable for the task of control strategy determination.

The developed system and methodology was applied by the Slovenian Armed Forces in the process of restructuring.

The developed approach permits a moderate transition to the new desired structure. Restructuring without a clear understanding of the system structure and dynamics might result in undesired social impacts such as strikes and riots.

Provision of the systemic view of the hierarchical manpower system and application of FA to determine the proper control of a complex system.

The purpose of this paper is to propose an integrated approach to modeling and measuring supply chain performance and stability using system dynamics (SD) and the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA).

SD and ARIMA models were developed, respectively, for modeling and measuring supply chain performance and for further analyzing and projecting supply chain stability for long‐term management. A case study from a typical semiconductor equipment manufacturing company is used to illustrate and validate the proposed method.

Effectiveness and efficiency, with six corresponding indicators (product reliability, employee fulfillment, customer fulfillment, on‐time delivery, profit growth, and working efficiency), were found to be the most significant factors in the performance of the supply chain. The results of the combined model provide evidence that supply chain performance of the case company is up to standard (average OPIN=0.64) and is considered stable, but still far from outstanding. Continuous improvement, especially in supply chain efficiency, is suggested in order to maximize performance.

This integrated approach is innovative and creates a new way for other disciplines. This study provides a practical and easy‐to‐use model that enables senior and top management decision makers and operation managers involved in the supply chain to assess, forecast, and take anticipatory action so that the supply chain can experience improvement in a timesaving and effective manner and achieve excellence in performance.

In higher education, the appreciation and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) has led to debate and polarization. This study examines how the institutional environment at universities impacts the value perception and intention to adopt AI in higher education. It seeks to optimize the adoption pathway by identifying essential “must-have factors” and “value drivers.”

Employing the technology-organization-environment (TOE) framework alongside the technology acceptance model (TAM) framework and perceived value concepts, this research utilizes a partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach complemented by necessary condition analysis (NCA), a novel approach in this context, which allows us to distinguish between critical antecedents and value drivers in the evaluation and adoption of AI technology.

Results indicate that organizational complexity, readiness, competency, compatibility and competitive advantage significantly affect the perceived value of AI, mediated by stakeholders’ perceptions of its ease of use and usefulness. These factors enhance the intention to adopt AI in higher education. Perceived usefulness has the highest effect size and the importance of ease of use differs between Europe and South America. External factors like partner support and competitive advantage are necessary considerations to be met, while competitive advantage and some internal factors are sufficient conditions for AI adoption.

The study underscores the importance of certain institutional factors, setting priorities for management actions in AI adoption. It differentiates between the general appreciation of AI and the intention of practical implementation, highlighting the role of partner support as a necessary condition, although a non-value-driving factor.

This study aims to carry out numerical modeling to predict aerodynamic noise radiation from four different Savonius rotor blade profile.

Incompressible unsteady reynolds-averaged navier-stokes (URANS) approach using gamma–theta turbulence model is conducted to obtain the time accurate turbulent flow field. The Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings (FW-H) acoustic analogy formulation is used for noise predictions at optimal tip speed ratio (TSR).

The mean torque and power coefficients are compared with the experimental data and acceptable agreement is observed. The total and Mono+Dipole noise graphs are presented. A discrete tonal component at low frequencies in all graphs is attributed to the blade passing frequency at the given TSR. According to the noise prediction results, Bach type rotor has the lowest level of noise emission. The effect of TSR on the noise level from the Bach rotor is investigated. A direct relation between angular velocity and the noise emission is found.

The savonius rotor is a type of vertical axis wind turbines suited for mounting in the vicinity of residential areas. Also, wind turbines wherein operation are efficient sources of tonal and broadband noises and affect the inhabitable environment adversely. Therefore, the acoustic pollution assessment is essential for the installation of wind turbines in residential areas.

This study aims to investigate the radiated noise level of four common Savonius rotor blade profiles, namely, Bach type, Benesh type, semi-elliptic and conventional. As stated above, numbers of studies exploit the URANS method coupled with the FW-H analogy to predict the aeroacoustics behavior of wind turbines. Therefore, this approach is chosen in this research to deal with the aeroacoustics and aerodynamic calculation of the flow field around the aforementioned Savonius blade profiles. The effect of optimal TSR on the emitted noise and the contribution of thickness, loading and quadrupole sources are of interest in this study.

Ich habe genug (I have enough) BWV 82 is one of the best known, most regularly performed and consistently recorded of J.S. Bach's approximately 200 extant sacred cantatas.¹ In the text, by an anonymous author, the narrator repeatedly expresses their readiness to die, in faith that they will be received by their saviour in eternal life. The whole cantata expresses a fearless ‘longing for death’ (Schweitzer, 1911/1966, p. 114), coupled with a serene contentment. Bach's setting of this text for religious purposes not only supports the sentiments expressed by the narrator but colours, illuminates, vitalises and elevates it in ways that startle the ear, quicken the spirit and stir the imagination. In the third and final aria of the cantata, Bach employs an almost-jaunty dance rhythm to accompany the narrator's anticipatory delight in their own death, liberated from worldly and bodily suffering. After identifying some of the ingenious ways Bach animates the text, I offer some speculations and elaborations as to how and why this work has had such an enduring presence in the Western musical canon, for believers and non-believers alike.

The causal relationships between factors related to building information modelling (BIM) adoption in the Thai architectural and engineering design industry are presented. A model is proposed to explain and forecast the adoption behaviours in the industry. This paper aims to define and compare policies for the adoption of BIM using a company case study.

The system dynamics (SD) approach was used. Four companies were selected as case studies for formulating a causal loop diagram. One of the companies was chosen for collecting the quantitative data for the SD model simulation during a ten-month study period. Tests of model validation were conducted for confirmation of, and confidence in, the model.

An SD model was formulated for studying BIM adoption. Four policies of BIM adoption were defined to compare with the normal operating business for the company and used as the case study. The quantitative outputs of the SD model revealed that BIM training was the best choice to optimise company performance.

The case studies comprised architectural and engineering design companies in Thailand; therefore, the findings may not be generalisable to other Thai construction organisations or to other countries.

The methodology and findings can be used as guidelines for other organisations or countries that are considering BIM adoption to improve their operations.

The paper highlights the optimum policy for BIM adoption to achieve efficient and effective implementation.

In this observation study the theory of conglomerated conflict behavior is tested. The impact of seven conflict behaviors on substantive and relational conflict outcomes is examined through multiple independent observations of 103 Dutch nurse managers handling a standardized conflict. Results show that process controlling is most important for achieving substantive outcomes, whereas problem solving, confronting, and forcing are most important for relational outcomes. In addition, substantive and relational outcomes are positively related. Implications for managerial practice and training are discussed.