Cary L. Cooper and Rachel Davies Cooper
How many women know what it feels like to have made that heart‐stopping discovery of a lump in the breast? A discovery which may lead to a complete change in their normal way of…
Abstract
How many women know what it feels like to have made that heart‐stopping discovery of a lump in the breast? A discovery which may lead to a complete change in their normal way of life. A friend perhaps? Or your mother? Or you? Of course, eight out of ten lumps are harmless, but the two out of ten that are not can mean cancer.
The librarian and researcher have to be able to uncover specific articles in their areas of interest. This Bibliography is designed to help. Volume IV, like Volume III, contains…
Abstract
The librarian and researcher have to be able to uncover specific articles in their areas of interest. This Bibliography is designed to help. Volume IV, like Volume III, contains features to help the reader to retrieve relevant literature from MCB University Press' considerable output. Each entry within has been indexed according to author(s) and the Fifth Edition of the SCIMP/SCAMP Thesaurus. The latter thus provides a full subject index to facilitate rapid retrieval. Each article or book is assigned its own unique number and this is used in both the subject and author index. This Volume indexes 29 journals indicating the depth, coverage and expansion of MCB's portfolio.
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MICHAIL KAGIOGLOU, RACHEL COOPER, GHASSAN AOUAD and MARTIN SEXTON
The complexity of construction projects and the fragmentation of the construction industry undertaking those projects has effectively resulted in linear, uncoordinated and highly…
Abstract
The complexity of construction projects and the fragmentation of the construction industry undertaking those projects has effectively resulted in linear, uncoordinated and highly variable project processes in the UK construction sector. Research undertaken at the University of Salford resulted in the development of an improved project process, the Process Protocol, which considers the whole lifecycle of a construction project whilst integrating its participants under a common framework. The Process Protocol identifies the various phases of a construction project with particular emphasis on what is described in the manufacturing industry as the ‘fuzzy front end’. The participants in the process are described in terms of the activities that need to be undertaken in order to achieve a successful project and process execution. In addition, the decision‐making mechanisms, from a client perspective, are illustrated and the foundations for a learning organization/industry are facilitated within a consistent Process Protocol.
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Cary L. Cooper and Rachel Davies
The role of women in society is radically changing in most Western countries. Vast numbers of women are beginning to work full‐time and to aspire to climb the same “organisational…
Abstract
The role of women in society is radically changing in most Western countries. Vast numbers of women are beginning to work full‐time and to aspire to climb the same “organisational ladders” as their male counterparts. Indeed, the latest figures from the US Department of Labor indicate that the “typical American family” with a working husband, a homemaker wife, and two children now makes up only seven per cent of all US families. In addition, whereas in 1960 31 per cent of all married women in the US were working, as were 19 per cent of women with children under six, by 1975 the comparable figures were substantially higher at 44 and 37 per cent respectively.
Patricia Tzortzopoulos, Martin Sexton and Rachel Cooper
Different process models have been developed by academia and industry to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the design and construction activity in response to the need…
Abstract
Purpose
Different process models have been developed by academia and industry to enhance the effectiveness and efficiency of the design and construction activity in response to the need for improving performance. However, the effective and widespread adoption and use of process models have been limited, and the benefits resulting from these endeavours have been ambiguous at best and non‐existent at worst. This paper synthesises the key general and construction‐specific literature related to process model implementation around a generic model, providing a systematic picture on the current knowledge on implementation.
Design/methodology/approach
Secondary data sources were reviewed, criticised and synthesised. The books and academic papers identified focused on the areas of process management in construction and manufacturing, change management and knowledge/technology transfer.
Findings
The paper concludes that the body of literature related to process model implementation lacks an integrated focus and cohesion, and the need to appropriately locate and operate the implementation strategy within a visible organisational context is not adequately addressed.
Research limitations/implications
The paper review and synthesis are limited to relevant literature within the context of implementation of process models.
Practical implications
Gaps in the literature are identified and discussed, and a set of questions proposed to stipulate future research.
Originality/value
The paper originality relates to providing a broad, systemic perspective on the complexity of process models implementation, analysing it from different but interrelated conceptual lenses.
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Ghassan Aouad, Michail Kagioglou, Rachel Cooper, John Hinks and Martin Sexton
The 1970s and 1980s have witnessed the development of many technological advances in the construction industry. At the same time, IT has been perceived as a driver for many of the…
Abstract
The 1970s and 1980s have witnessed the development of many technological advances in the construction industry. At the same time, IT has been perceived as a driver for many of the construction business and operational processes. The 1990s have seen a technological shift in the construction sector from IT driven solutions to IT enabling ones. The industry, however, has become frustrated with the failing of IT as many companies have invested in the wrong technologies without addressing business needs. This is now being rectified by developing IT systems that support business processes taking into account process, people and cultural needs. This paper describes how IT systems are being developed within a major EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) funded research project in order to help the construction industry develop feasible technological IT solutions. This is achieved by considering the co‐maturation of processes and IT within the context of process improvement.
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This article aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.
Design/methodology/approach
The briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.
Findings
Strategic design is increasingly at the heart of organizations' corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Immediate evidence of this, as Koo and Cooper point out, can be seen in the way that the term is heard increasingly these days in the business world. In other words, a previously philanthropic term has become an ever more strategic one.
Practical implications
The article provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.
Originality/value
The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to‐digest format.
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Ricardo Codinhoto, Patricia Tzortzopoulos, Mike Kagioglou, Ghassan Aouad and Rachel Cooper
The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual framework that categorises the features and characteristics of the built environment that impact on health outcomes.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present a conceptual framework that categorises the features and characteristics of the built environment that impact on health outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
An extensive literature review was carried out. A total of 1,163 abstracts were assessed, leading to 92 papers being reviewed.
Findings
There is a considerable amount of evidence linking healthcare environments to patients' health outcomes, despite the lack of clarity in relation to cause‐effect relationships.
Originality/value
The paper proposes a theoretical framework linking different built environment characteristics to health outcomes. This framework provides a structure to group causal effects according to their relation with design features, materials and ambient properties, art and aesthetic aspects and use of the built environment.
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Christopher T. Boyko, Rachel Cooper, Caroline L. Davey and Andrew B. Wootton
Designers and planners in the UK are being asked by government to address sustainability. This paper seeks to explore how such issues can be addressed with the urban design…
Abstract
Purpose
Designers and planners in the UK are being asked by government to address sustainability. This paper seeks to explore how such issues can be addressed with the urban design process. From the literature, it is unclear when specific sustainability issues should be addressed, who actually makes decisions and what influences them, or how different stakeholders are engaged.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study is presented, focusing on the early stages of an urban design and redevelopment process taking place in a deprived region of the UK. Interviews with key decision‐makers and observations were conducted and subsequently analysed using content analysis.
Findings
The findings show that the process adopted by clients and consultants was relatively similar to that identified by the literature. The importance of creating a sustainable community, and of addressing deprivation and poor services was recognised from the outset. Sustainability was referred to in the briefing to select a team of consultants to develop a vision and regeneration framework. However, specific problems related to sustainability, such as crime and poor health, were not communicated through the briefing documents, for fear of deterring private investment. Indeed, the need to attract private investment was a key aspect of early stage of the urban design process.
Originality/value
This paper highlights potential difficulties of addressing sustainability at the early stage of the design process, when private sector backing is such a crucial component of the regeneration.
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In the last four years, since Volume I of this Bibliography first appeared, there has been an explosion of literature in all the main functional areas of business. This wealth of…
Abstract
In the last four years, since Volume I of this Bibliography first appeared, there has been an explosion of literature in all the main functional areas of business. This wealth of material poses problems for the researcher in management studies — and, of course, for the librarian: uncovering what has been written in any one area is not an easy task. This volume aims to help the librarian and the researcher overcome some of the immediate problems of identification of material. It is an annotated bibliography of management, drawing on the wide variety of literature produced by MCB University Press. Over the last four years, MCB University Press has produced an extensive range of books and serial publications covering most of the established and many of the developing areas of management. This volume, in conjunction with Volume I, provides a guide to all the material published so far.