Reza Hosseini Rad, Mansoor Toorani and HamidReza Zarei
This paper aims to increase protection behavior of epoxy coating on aluminum alloys with plasma electrolitic oxidation (PEO) process as pretreatment and to investigate the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to increase protection behavior of epoxy coating on aluminum alloys with plasma electrolitic oxidation (PEO) process as pretreatment and to investigate the corrosion properties of duplex coating system on aluminum alloy.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used micro structure study, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) investigation, water uptake investigation and pull-off test.
Findings
This study was done to investigate the effect of urea as an additive, which alters the current density and time of process parameters in the protective performance of epoxy coating on the aluminum substrate. The protective behavior of double-layer coatings was examined using EIS in 3.5 per cent NaCl solution. In addition, the adhesion strength of double-layer coatings was evaluated using pull-off test, and the results demonstrated that the adhesion strength of sample with higher content of urea and current density is about two times that of sample without PEO preparation.
Originality/value
The protective properties and adhesion strength of epoxy coating can be increased with PEO pretreatment.
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Zahra Fallah Ebrahimi, Chin Wei Chong and Reza Hosseini Rad
The aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact of total quality management (TQM) practices on role stressors in Iranian manufacturing SMEs in order to determine the relationship…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to evaluate the impact of total quality management (TQM) practices on role stressors in Iranian manufacturing SMEs in order to determine the relationship between the multidimensionality of TQM practices and role ambiguity, role conflict and role overload.
Design/methodology/approach
Questionnaires are administrated to 410 employees of 100 different manufacturing SMEs in Iran.
Findings
The results support important negative association among some of TQM practices (such as employee involvement, information analysis, process management, supplier management, strategic planning and customer focus) and role conflict, role ambiguity, role overload. By utilizing multiple regression analysis, information analysis, supplier management, employee involvement, process management, customer focus, strategic planning are found to have significant and negative relationship with role stressors. Leadership and human resource focus are found to have significant and positive relationship with role stressors.
Practical implications
This model is perfect for practical usage by SME managers to estimate the perceptions of role stressors of employees in TQM oriented firms. The findings recommend that manufacturing should look into ways of improving the major roles of TQM practices in order to decrease the negative role stressors of employees.
Originality/value
TQM practices emerge to be related to role stressors (role ambiguity, role conflict and role overload), attending to an obvious noticeable gap in the previous studies of TQM and the psychological welfare of employees.
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Soraya Nassri, Saeed Talebi, Faris Elghaish, Kayvan Koohestani, Stephen McIlwaine, M. Reza Hosseini, Mani Poshdar and Michail Kagioglou
High-level labor waste is a major challenge in construction projects. This paper aims to identify, quantify and categorize labor waste in the context of Iranian housing…
Abstract
Purpose
High-level labor waste is a major challenge in construction projects. This paper aims to identify, quantify and categorize labor waste in the context of Iranian housing construction projects.
Design/methodology/approach
This research uses a case study approach, with empirical data collected through direct observations and semi-structured interviews.
Findings
Having triangulated the findings from the literature review and empirical studies, a list of eight types of waste was derived for the thirteen observed laborers in ten case study projects. The empirical studies allowed the labor waste identified from the literature to be verified and refined by considering it in the context of the observed activities, and led to two new types of waste being identified which were not considered in the literature. Findings indicate that nearly 62% of laborers' time is spent on non-value-adding activities. It appeared that “unnecessary movement,” “waiting” and “indirect work” make up the highest labor waste.
Research limitations/implications
This research focuses only on onsite resource flows in a housing construction site. It does not include offsite flows such as material delivery to site.
Originality/value
The findings have provided substantial evidence on type and amount of labor waste and provide a solid basis to stimulate construction actors to participate in reducing labor waste and improving productivity.
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Stephanie Rock, M. Reza Hosseini, Bahareh Nikmehr, Igor Martek, Sepehr Abrishami and Serdar Durdyev
The built environment is a major source of carbon emissions. However, 80 per cent of the damage arises through the operational phase of a building’s life. Office buildings are the…
Abstract
Purpose
The built environment is a major source of carbon emissions. However, 80 per cent of the damage arises through the operational phase of a building’s life. Office buildings are the most significant building type in terms of emission-reduction potential. Yet, little research has been undertaken to examine the barriers faced by building operators in transitioning to a green operation of the office buildings in their care. This study aims to identify those barriers.
Design/methodology/approach
Building facilities managers with between 7 and 25 years’ experience in operating primarily Melbourne high-rise office buildings were interviewed. The sample was taken from LinkedIn connections, with ten agreeing to participate in semi-structured interviews – out of the 17 invitations sent out. Interview comments were recorded, coded and categorised to identify the barriers sought by this study.
Findings
Seven categories of barriers to effecting green operation of office buildings were extracted. These were financial, owner-related, tenant-related, technological, regulatory, architectural and stakeholder interest conflicts. Difficulties identifying green operation strategies that improved cost performance or return on investment of buildings was the major barrier.
Practical implications
Government, policymakers and facilities managers themselves have been struggling with how to catalyse a green transition in the operation of office buildings. By identifying the barriers standing in the way, this study provides a concrete point of departure from which remedial strategies and policies may be formulated and put into effect.
Originality/value
The uptake of green operation of office buildings has been extremely slow. Though barriers have been hypothesised in earlier works, this is the first study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, that categorically identifies and tabulates the barriers that stand in the way of improving the green operational performance of office buildings, drawing on the direct knowledge of facilities experts.
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Gholam Reza Sharifzadeh, DJavad Ghoddoosi-Nejad, Susan Behdani, Elaheh Haghgoshayie, Yibeltal Siraneh and Edris Hasanpoor
The Iranian patients’ rights charter defines patient rights as a reflection of fundamental human rights in the field of medicine and incorporates all elements of patient rights…
Abstract
Purpose
The Iranian patients’ rights charter defines patient rights as a reflection of fundamental human rights in the field of medicine and incorporates all elements of patient rights accepted in international texts. The purpose of this paper is to study the way in which diabetes patients’ rights are being exercised in everyday hospital practice in Birjand, Iran.
Design/methodology/approach
A cross-sectional study design was used in 2014. The sample size was estimated 150 patients, out of which 108 diabetes patients completed questionnaire. The questionnaire of diabetes patients’ perspectives on the patients’ rights was used to collect data. The questionnaire consists of 22 questions. Data entry and analysis were carried out using SPSS software (version 22). Descriptive and inferential statistics were calculated with all survey items and total scores, as well as demographic data.
Findings
The response rate was 72 percent. Overall, the mean score percentage of diabetes patients’ perspectives on the patients’ rights was 74.04± 8.4. Furthermore, statistical significant differences were found among diabetes patients in relation to patients’ perspectives on the patients’ rights according to highest level of education (F=16.52, p=0.002), their habitat(t=3.49, p=0.001), age groups (F=18.70, p=0.0001) and the duration of the disease (F=5.16, p=0.007). The results showed that no statistically significant differences were observed among diabetes patients in relation to diabetes patients’ perspectives on the patients’ rights according to their gender (F=1.57, p=0.12) and marital status (F=1.56, p=0.09).
Originality/value
Clinicians can provide care based on patients’ rights, and their knowledge of patients’ rights needs to be evaluated. Educational courses, leaflets, booklets and posters can be helpful in this regard. In addition, professional organizations and the Ministry of Health need to be more sensitive to this issue.
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Reza Hafezi, Ahmad Borumand Kakhki, Maziar Attari, Zohreh Besharati Rad and Ashraf Sadat Pasandideh
Many devices needed electrical power to work, thus, major energy carriers such as oil and gas were used to generate electrical power via converter mechanisms and special…
Abstract
Purpose
Many devices needed electrical power to work, thus, major energy carriers such as oil and gas were used to generate electrical power via converter mechanisms and special technologies. The microturbine is a developed technology that is remarkable for its relatively high performance and ability to use several types of fuels. Microturbines are economically feasible because of the production of combined heat and power and small-scale applicability. This study aims to investigate microturbine technology development to support modern energy access in a developing country (i.e. Iran).
Design/methodology/approach
This paper presents a technology foresight methodology to create plausible futures of microturbine development in Iran when the country faces different driving forces and uncertainties. On other hand, the paper deals with a theoretical question: how to select appropriate foresight methodology? A procedure is proposed, which equipped the research team to select appropriate method combinations based on Popper’s diamond. Finally, the selected methodology includes defining focal issues environmental scanning and patent analysis aimed at developing five plausible scenarios for microturbine development future in Iran and creating shared visions among policymakers.
Findings
This paper proposed a series of scenarios on the path to developing microturbine technology. The scenario development logic in a participatory way contains a common four-quarter technique that attempts to depict scenarios based on two critical uncertainties inclusive energy price and technology obsolescence, which will shape the future. Also, a scenario is presented to describe a wild card that can disturb the desired futures. Such materials help decision-makers to policies under plausible conditions that guarantee a robust policy basket.
Originality/value
The originality of this paper can be studied based on two aspects, first, the methodology that provides a systematic method selections procedure in an emerging complex technology development program. Second, from the practical aspect, this paper is one of the very first attempts to manage the microturbine technology development program. Then, results are used to feed the policy-making process in Iran.
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Seyed Reza Mortezaei, Mahmood Hosseini Aliabadi and Shahram Javadi
The purpose of this paper is to present an analytical calculation for estimating the leakages field distribution in surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motors (SMPMSMs…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present an analytical calculation for estimating the leakages field distribution in surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous motors (SMPMSMs) according to a sub-domain field model for eccentricity fault detection.
Design/methodology/approach
The magnetic field domain is classified into four sub-domains of PMs, air gap, stator core and outer region. In the proposed method, the governing equations taking the rotor eccentricity effect into account per region and the interface boundary conditions between sub-domains are formulated using the regular perturbation technique, Taylor series and Fourier series expansion. Maxwell's equations are solved in different regions in the polar coordinate system regarding the boundary conditions.
Findings
The radial and tangential components of electromagnetic field distribution in all sub-domains of one SMPMSM are obtained using the proposed method analytically. Finite element analysis is used to validate the results of the proposed method; the results indicated that the analytical model matches the finite-element prediction up to 30% eccentricity, except for some peak values that depend on the harmonic order value. The results of this paper demonstrated that in the event of eccentricity, an asymmetric magnetic field is generated in the outer region of the machine. Although its amplitude is small, it can be an indicator for detecting eccentricity faults from the outside environment of the machine.
Originality/value
The formulas presented in this paper can be applied as a new technique for detecting eccentricity faults in these motors from the outside environment.