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1 – 10 of 14P. Saraga, C.V. Newcomb, P.R. Lloyd, D.R. Humphreys and D.J. Burnett
Parallel projection optics is a feature of the vision control employed by Philips for unpacking deflection units from cartons using a gantry robot and camera, and for mounting…
Abstract
Parallel projection optics is a feature of the vision control employed by Philips for unpacking deflection units from cartons using a gantry robot and camera, and for mounting them on picture tubes using a PUMA and three cameras.
A.J. George and Julie-Anne Tarr
To increase university–industry collaboration and research commercialisation, the Australian government recently introduced the Intellectual Property (IP) Framework, a set of…
Abstract
Purpose
To increase university–industry collaboration and research commercialisation, the Australian government recently introduced the Intellectual Property (IP) Framework, a set of online standard contracts. This follows a predecessor standard contract initiative, the IP Toolkit, which has not previously been evaluated. This paper aims to examine standard contracting in the innovation sector, tracing the policymaking behind the IP Toolkit using the lens of Macneil’s relational contract theory, to assess prospects of success for the new IP Framework, and similar initiatives in other jurisdictions.
Design/methodology/approach
This is a disciplined-configurative case study, drawing on qualitative secondary data analysis and applying Macneil’s relational contracting theory to guide case construction and generate hypotheses around likely success of standard contracting initiatives (stakeholder sentiment, stakeholder adoption). Within-case analysis process-traces development of the IP Toolkit, to discover what the policymakers wanted, knew and computed – and to detail observable implications Macneil’s theory predicts. Its themes are triangulated with multiple sources.
Findings
The case study, via Macneil’s theory, confirms the first hypothesis (resistant stakeholder sentiment) and partly validates the second hypothesis (low levels of adoption), demonstrating limited suitability of standard contracting in the dynamic and highly uncertain space of university–industry collaboration.
Research limitations/implications
The study provides insights into the limited role that standard contracts can play in improving national collaborative research and development performance.
Originality/value
This is a novel theory-driven case study triangulated with previously unpublished data on the IP Toolkit’s website usage, and data from recent consultations on the new IP Framework. It has broader implications for other jurisdictions considering adoption of the standard contract model.
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The advent of low cost miniature solid state cameras now makes eye‐in‐hand robot vision a practical possibility. This paper discusses the advantages of eye‐in‐hand vision and…
Abstract
The advent of low cost miniature solid state cameras now makes eye‐in‐hand robot vision a practical possibility. This paper discusses the advantages of eye‐in‐hand vision and shows that with the Unimation VAL operating system it is easier to use than is possible with static overhead cameras.
Arnt O. Hopland and Sturla Kvamsdal
Although Norway is an affluent country, there is widespread and long-lasting worry related to the condition of public purpose buildings. The purpose of this paper is to study how…
Abstract
Purpose
Although Norway is an affluent country, there is widespread and long-lasting worry related to the condition of public purpose buildings. The purpose of this paper is to study how the condition of local public purpose buildings affect citizen satisfaction with local public services in Norwegian local governments, using data from two Norwegian survey data sets.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper investigates how the conditions of local public purpose buildings affect residents’ satisfaction with local public services, using data from two Norwegian survey data sets. The data is analyzed using regression analysis.
Findings
This paper finds a significantly positive relationship between building conditions and overall satisfaction with local public services, kindergartens and schools. This paper finds no such relationship between building conditions and satisfaction with nursing homes. This paper quantifies the average expected impact on public service satisfaction from a hypothetical one unit improvement in building conditions, as measured on the building condition scale, and discuss this impact in the context of expenditure on public services.
Originality/value
There is widespread worry that poor facilities adversely impact public services, but the size and significance of this impact are open questions. This paper contributes by offering new insights into the relationship between the condition of public buildings and provision of public services. The results indicate how the state of public facilities should be considered a part of the production function for public services.
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There is a popular perception that particular ethnic groups have a stronger sense of filial responsibility than is found in Western European societies, which has led to a belief…
Abstract
There is a popular perception that particular ethnic groups have a stronger sense of filial responsibility than is found in Western European societies, which has led to a belief that formal services are not required by minority groups. However, it has been suggested that some minority ethnic older people are actually in greater need of support, because of factors such as poorer health and lower socio‐economic status, than the white majority in Britain. Employing data from the 2005 Home Office Citizenship Survey, ethnic group differences in help given to family members are examined. Contrary to prevailing assumptions, there was only one ethnic group difference; black Caribbean older people had significantly lower odds than white British people of supporting members of their household. Support was equally likely among all other minority groups and the white British group, providing nationally representative evidence for an idea only previously speculated upon.
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Van Thac Dang, Ninh Nguyen and Jianming Wang
A review of 67 articles in the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) literature published from 2010 to 2020 reveals that none of prior studies have determined the IEQ of physical…
Abstract
Purpose
A review of 67 articles in the indoor environmental quality (IEQ) literature published from 2010 to 2020 reveals that none of prior studies have determined the IEQ of physical retailers and its impact on consumers. To fill such a gap, this study investigates the influence of physical retailers' IEQ on consumer purchase intention. The mediating roles of hedonic experience and perceived brand value (PBV) in this relationship are also determined. Furthermore, the moderating effect of perceived service quality (PSQ) on the link between physical retailers' IEQ and PBV is clarified in this study.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze a sample data of 996 consumers in China.
Findings
Results show that physical retailers' IEQ has a positive impact on consumer purchase intention. Hedonic experience mediates the link between IEQ and purchase intention. PBV also mediates the relationship between IEQ and purchase intention and that between hedonic experience and purchase intention. In addition, PSQ moderates the relationship between IEQ and PBV.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to determine the impact of IEQ on consumers in the physical retailer context. Specifically, this study enriches our knowledge about the relationship between physical retailers' IEQ and consumer purchase intention with the mediating and moderating mechanisms of hedonic experience, PBV and PSQ. The findings fill the research gaps in the IEQ literature that has ignored the impact of IEQ on consumers' perception and behavioral intention in the physical retailer context. Furthermore, this research provides evidence for retailer managers to understand and improve physical stores' IEQ.
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Employees’ satisfaction and productivity is one of the main interests of employers. Psychological comfort can cause dissatisfaction with their work. Thus, it is important to…
Abstract
Purpose
Employees’ satisfaction and productivity is one of the main interests of employers. Psychological comfort can cause dissatisfaction with their work. Thus, it is important to understand what factors contribute to employees’ satisfaction in workplaces. The purpose of this paper is to identify the weight of contribution of each design parameter on increasing psychological satisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
The study included 579 employees in five offices in The Netherlands through an online survey. The typologies of offices vary in terms of office layouts, orientations and façade. Additionally, a parameter of desk location was included as this factor may be associated with user satisfaction. Kruskal–Wallis H test, categorical regression, and logistic regression analyses were performed to examine the impact of these design parameters on psychological user satisfaction.
Findings
The results revealed the impact of design parameters on the psychological satisfaction. The parameters of office layouts and desk locations were the significant predictor factors for the probability of satisfaction variables (e.g. privacy, concentration, communication, social contact and territoriality). The parameters for optimal satisfaction were found in cellular office, north-west oriented workstation and 4 m away from a window.
Originality/value
Psychological comfort is an inevitable aspect in user satisfaction studies. This paper, therefore, measures and predicts the relationship between design factors and employees’ satisfaction through case studies in The Netherlands. The findings help designers, architects, planners and facility managers to develop user-focussed office design principles supporting employees’ work performance.
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Yasser Baharfar, Mahmoud Mohammadyan, Faramarz Moattar, Parvin Nassiri and Mohammad Hassan Behzadi
This paper aims to present the most influential factors on classroom indoor PM2.5 (Particulate Matter < 2.5 µ), determining the level of PM2.5 concentration in five pre-schools…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present the most influential factors on classroom indoor PM2.5 (Particulate Matter < 2.5 µ), determining the level of PM2.5 concentration in five pre-schools located in the most densely populated district of the Tehran metropolitan area (district 6) as a case study to consider the children's exposure to air pollutants and introducing a suitable model, for the first time, to predict PM2.5 concentration changes, inside pre-schools.
Design/methodology/approach
Indoor and outdoor classes PM2.5 concentrations were measured using two DUSTTRAK direct-reading instruments. Additional class status information was also recorded; concurrently, urban PM2.5 concentrations and meteorological data were obtained from the fixed monitoring stations and Meteorological Organization. Then, the predicted concentrations of the indoor PM2.5, from introduced multiple linear regression model via SPSS, compared with the nearest urban air pollution monitoring stations data.
Findings
The average outdoor PM2.5 concentration (43 ± 0.32 µg m−3) was higher than the mean indoor (32 ± 0. 21 µg m−3), and both were significantly (p < 0.001) surpassing the 24-h EPA standard level. The indoor PM2.5 concentrations had the highest level in the autumn (48.7 µg m−3) and significantly correlated with the outdoor PM2.5 (r = 0.94, p < 0.001), the number of pupils, ambient temperature, wind speed, wind direction and open area of the doors and windows (p < 0.001). These parameters, as the main determinants, have led to present a 7-variable regression model, with R2 = 0.705, which can predict PM2.5 concentrations in the pre-school classes with more than 80% accuracy. It can be presumed that the penetration of outdoor PM2.5 was the main source of indoor PM2.5 concentrations.
Research limitations/implications
This study faced several limitations, such as accessibility to classrooms, and limitations in technicians' numbers, leading to researchers monitoring indoor and outdoor PM concentrations in schools once a week. Additionally, regarding logistical limitations to using monitoring instruments in pre-schools simultaneously, correction factors by running the instruments were applied to obtain comparable measurements.
Originality/value
The author hereby declares that this submission is his own work and to the best of its knowledge it contains no materials previously published or written by another person.
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