There are many cognitive training tests purporting to both measure older people’s cognitive performance, several of which come with associated training that are deemed to improve…
Abstract
There are many cognitive training tests purporting to both measure older people’s cognitive performance, several of which come with associated training that are deemed to improve cognition. This chapter describes cognitive tests that have been claimed to be linked to driver behaviour, and that training on them could improve driver behaviour. Of special interest are tests that could be completed at home on a computer, as it is suggested this could capture many individuals who are worried about attending a driver assessment centre and are not likely to be referred. Findings suggest that UFOV (Useful Field of View) Time Making Trail (A and B) and Dual N have research suggesting that training on them could improve driver performance for older drivers. However, the robustness of the research is debateable. There are also two physiological tests – a neck and shoulder and a general fitness test that also show promising results for improving driver performance. In addition, education and training is purported to improve driver behaviour, but although there is positive feedback from older people who attend and some short-term improvements, research on long-term improvements on driver behaviour are not yet evident. Overall, there are promising results from individual cognitive, physiological tests and from education and training suggesting that reflection on action and feedback from the task is important to improving driver performance but more research is needed.
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R. Konda, K.P. Rajurkar, R.R. Bishu, A. Guha and M. Parson
Design of experiments is one of the many problem‐solving quality tools that can be used for various investigations such as finding the significant factors in a process, the effect…
Abstract
Design of experiments is one of the many problem‐solving quality tools that can be used for various investigations such as finding the significant factors in a process, the effect of each factor on the outcome, the variance in the process, troubleshooting the machine problems, screening the parameters, and modeling the processes. Many industries use this tool to stay competitive worldwide by designing robust products as well as improving quality and reliability of a product. By using strategically designed and statistically performed experiments, it is possible to study the effect of several variables at one time, and to study inter‐relationships and interactions. Proposes a strategy to apply the design of experiments to study and optimize the performance of a process. Additionally, the formulation and solution to a multi‐objective optimization problem have been presented. As a case study, experimental design technique used by the authors to study the performance of a wire electrical discharge machining process for machining beryllium copper alloys is presented.
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Di Wang, Deborah Richards, Ayse Aysin Bilgin and Chuanfu Chen
Chrysi Alexiadou, Nikolaos Stylos, Andreas Andronikidis, Victoria Bellou and Chris A. Vassiliadis
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the need to evaluate perception-based quality in service encounters. It sets out to diagnose potential mismatches in how customers and…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the need to evaluate perception-based quality in service encounters. It sets out to diagnose potential mismatches in how customers and front-line employees perceive quality in high-involvement service settings, based on the premise that any initiative toward quality enhancement in service encounters is advisable only when employees and customers evaluate quality utilizing common perceptual structures.
Design/methodology/approach
The study utilizes invariance analysis. The survey involved 165 bank branches and 1,522 respondents (463 front-line employees and 1,059 customers) and operationalized the same set of questions for both groups of participants. Multisample confirmatory factor analysis tested a series of measurement models.
Findings
Results revealed equivalence for tangibles, responsiveness and assurance but also mismatches between customers and front-line employees perceptions of reliability and empathy.
Practical implications
Findings add to current knowledge of how both groups of participants evaluate quality in service encounters and are discussed with reference to managerial consequences for perception-based quality mismatches.
Originality/value
So far only a few studies have simultaneously examined front-line employees’ and customers’ perceptions of service quality in service encounters. Unlike previous research designs, this study addresses the critical aspect of potential mismatches in how customers and employees perceive service quality, and presents a methodological procedure to detect them.
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Ali Azadeh, Mahdokht Kalantari, Ghazaleh Ahmadi and Hossein Eslami
Construction materials comprise a major part of the total construction cost. Given the importance of bitumen as a fundamental material in construction projects, it is imperative…
Abstract
Purpose
Construction materials comprise a major part of the total construction cost. Given the importance of bitumen as a fundamental material in construction projects, it is imperative to have an accurate forecast of its consumption in the planning and material sourcing phases on the project. This study aims to introduce a flexible genetic algorithm-fuzzy regression approach for forecasting the future bitumen consumption.
Design/methodology/approach
In the proposed approach, the parameter tuning process is performed on all parameters of genetic algorithm (GA), and the finest coefficients with minimum errors are identified. Moreover, the fuzzy regression (FR) model is used for estimation. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) is used for selecting among GA, FR or conventional regression (CR). To show the applicability of the proposed approach, Iran’s bitumen consumption data in the period of 1991-2006 are used as a case study.
Findings
Production, import, export, road construction and price are considered as the input data used in the present study. It was concluded that, among all the forecasting methods used in this study, GA was the best method for estimating.
Practical implications
The proposed approach outperforms the conventional forecasting methods for the case of bitumen which is a fundamental economic ingredient in road construction projects. This approach is flexible, in terms of amount and uncertainty of the input data, and can be easily adapted for forecasting other materials and in different construction projects. It can have important implications for the managers and policy makers in the construction market where accurate estimation of the raw material demand is crucial.
Originality/value
This is the first in this field introducing a flexible GA-FR approach for improving bitumen consumption estimation in the construction literature. The proposed approach’s significance has two folds. Firstly, it is completely flexible. Secondly, it uses CRs as an alternative approach for estimation because of its dynamic structure.
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Manali Chatterjee and Titas Bhattacharjee
This study aims to understand the influence of R&D intensity and ownership concentration on performance of Indian technology SMEs, at the intersection of “value creation”…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to understand the influence of R&D intensity and ownership concentration on performance of Indian technology SMEs, at the intersection of “value creation” perspective of corporate governance and country cultural context in innovation.
Design/methodology/approach
Cross-sectional data of 264 Indian technology SMEs have been employed to probe the impact of ownership and R&D intensity on market performance of the technology SMEs.
Findings
This study does not find support of individual influence of R&D intensity on SME performance. The authors find support for the “value creation” hypothesis of corporate governance in Indian technology SME context. This study finds that interaction of promoter's ownership concentration and R&D intensity has a positive influence on the performance of Indian technology SMEs.
Research limitations/implications
This study has deployed cross-sectional data. Future studies can examine the “value creation” hypothesis based on panel data for a long-run understanding. Ownership can be further segregated into different categories of ownership in future studies.
Practical implications
This study underscores on distinct necessity in the concentrated ownership in the context of Indian technology SMEs. The findings of the study may encourage policymakers to focus on the “value creation” of the technology SMEs than “value protection.”
Originality/value
This study aims to understand the market value of R&D practice of SMEs. The findings of this study establish that R&D intensity individually may not have any significant influence on SME performance. R&D intensity coupled with concentrated ownership can significantly increase SME performance. Thus, this study identifies factors that can help in SME innovation and growth options. Additionally, this study advocates for the fact concentrated ownership in technology SMEs of India by establishing the link with SME performance.
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Iwan Vanany, Ghoffar Albab Maarif and Jan Mei Soon
Halal food market has grown significantly over the years. As consumers are becoming more aware of the significance of halal food products and certification, food industries will…
Abstract
Purpose
Halal food market has grown significantly over the years. As consumers are becoming more aware of the significance of halal food products and certification, food industries will benefit from a model that controls and assures halal food production. Quality function deployment (QFD) is a tool to support product design and improve food quality systems. Thus, the purpose of this study is to propose a multi-phased QFD model to identify key processes and prioritise programmes to improve halal food production.
Design/methodology/approach
The matrix in the first phase was designed using the halal assurance system (HAS) requirements and the set of production process. The relationships between HAS requirements and a set of halal critical factors [i.e. raw material (chicken), workers, procedures and documentation, equipment and premises] were established in the second phase. In the final phase, potential problems and improvement programmes arising under each critical halal phase were identified. The QFD model was developed and applied in a chicken processing plant in Indonesia.
Findings
In Matrix 1, slaughtering, meat processing and meat delivery were identified as the key process, whilst equipment, procedures and documentation and workers were determined as the most critical halal factors in Matrix 2. The final phase of the QFD approach assisted the chicken processing plant in reducing potential issues by identifying key improvement programmes. The prioritisation of improvement programmes also supports the company in decision-making and allocating their resources accordingly.
Practical implications
The multi-phased QFD model can be designed and adapted to specific food industry. It can be used to assure halal food production and inform food industry which area to prioritise and to allocate resources accordingly. The improvement of halal food production will assist food companies to target and access international markets.
Originality/value
This study proposed a new multi-phased QFD model that can be used as a halal food assurance and prioritisation tool by the food industry. This model will benefit food industry intending to implement halal assurance scheme in their process, halal auditors and policymakers.
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Michel Rod, Nicholas J. Ashill, Jinyi Shao and Janet Carruthers
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships among three dimensions of service quality that influence overall internet banking service quality and its subsequent…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships among three dimensions of service quality that influence overall internet banking service quality and its subsequent effect on customer satisfaction in a New Zealand banking context.
Design/methodology/approach
Internet banking service customers of a national bank in New Zealand completed a self‐administered questionnaire. Data obtained from the customers were analysed using the SEM‐based partial least squares (PLS) methodology.
Findings
The results show significant relationships among online customer service quality, online information system quality, banking service product quality, overall internet banking service quality and customer satisfaction.
Originality/value
Little attention has been given in the literature to understanding the service quality dimensions that influence overall internet banking service quality and the specific outcome of customer satisfaction. By expanding previous research in internet banking service quality, this paper empirically examines the relationships between three service quality dimensions, overall internet banking service quality and customer satisfaction.