Yvonne J. Moogan, Steve Baron and Steve Bainbridge
The article reports results of a longitudinal survey, which assesses the importance of decision‐making attributes by potential higher education students. Conjoint analysis is…
Abstract
The article reports results of a longitudinal survey, which assesses the importance of decision‐making attributes by potential higher education students. Conjoint analysis is applied to establish candidates’ utilities of identified key decision‐making attributes – course content, location and reputation – on two separate occasions over a 14 month period. The full profile approach is employed in order to capture all the alternative combinations present. The main contribution of this article is the assessment of changes in the weightings of the key attributes over the period. Findings indicate that in the early stages of the decision‐making process, prospective students view course content as the most significant factor, but that as the consumption process nears, location becomes increasingly important. Reputation is an exchangeable element throughout and is considered less important. Implications for the marketing of higher education courses are discussed.
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The Student Christian Movement (SCM) arose from the formal integration in one unit of a number of different strands of student‐run evangelical religion in British Universities(1)…
Abstract
The Student Christian Movement (SCM) arose from the formal integration in one unit of a number of different strands of student‐run evangelical religion in British Universities(1). The Jesus Lane Sunday School in Cambridge, staffed by students, had been open since 1827. David Livingstone's visit to Cambridge in 1858 inspired the Church Missionary Union and in the same period Cambridge students began a Daily Prayer Meeting. In 1877, the students brought their various efforts together into the Cambridge Inter‐Collegiate Christian Union (CICCU). Similar movements were developing in other colleges. The first major links were created by the “Cambridge Seven”. Even at the end of the period of the “Saints” (as Wilberforce and his fellow evangelicals were known), more than three‐quarters of the men who volunteered for foreign missions were artisans, shop‐boys, labourers and apprentices(2).
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Steve W. Heim, Mostafa Ajallooeian, Peter Eckert, Massimo Vespignani and Auke Jan Ijspeert
The purpose of this paper is to explore the possible roles of active tails for steady-state legged locomotion, focusing on a design principle which simplifies control by…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the possible roles of active tails for steady-state legged locomotion, focusing on a design principle which simplifies control by decoupling different control objectives.
Design/methodology/approach
A series of simple models are proposed which capture the dynamics of an idealized running system with an active tail. These models suggest that the overall control problem can be simplified and effectively decoupled via a proper tail design. This design principle is further explored in simulation using trajectory optimization. The results are then validated in hardware using a one degree-of-freedom active tail mounted on the quadruped robot Cheetah-Cub.
Findings
The results of this paper show that an active tail can greatly improve both forward velocity and reduce body-pitch per stride while adding minimal complexity. Further, the results validate the design principle of using long, light tails compared to shorter heavier ones.
Originality/value
This paper builds on previous results, with a new focus on steady-state locomotion and in particular deals directly with stance phase dynamics. A novel design principle for tails is proposed and validated.
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Studies of BIM examine the potential benefits in maintenance. There is also a perspective maintenance teams should be involved early in the building project process. The purpose…
Abstract
Purpose
Studies of BIM examine the potential benefits in maintenance. There is also a perspective maintenance teams should be involved early in the building project process. The purpose of this paper is to address the lack of understanding on learning processes for BIM in maintenance in the early building project stage.
Design/methodology/approach
Case study is used to examine the context maintenance learn about BIM. Maintenance managers and project managers were interviewed where discussions centred on a new build project which introduced BIM and how it would impact current practices.
Findings
Learning happens at the early building project stage for BIM into maintenance influenced by external and internal contexts. The external context focuses on the UK government on being a catalyst for explorative learning. Meaning is added by maintenance teams through exploiting what is learnt from the external influence which is contextualized within current activities. Internal shaping of BIM is explored through building scenarios and exploitation learning occurs from past experiences of change which are inferred onto BIM. There is a necessary balance between exploration and exploitation learning in order to shape BIM for maintenance.
Research limitations/implications
The paper is limited to one case study, however, it takes an in-depth look at the development of BIM in maintenance and how it is understood in maintenance.
Originality/value
The contribution of the paper examines the context of learning in which BIM is shaped in maintenance.
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Lars Esbjerg, Steve Burt, Hannah Pearse and Viviane Glanz-Chanos
– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role that retailers play in innovation in the food sector.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role that retailers play in innovation in the food sector.
Design/methodology/approach
Analysis is based on interviews with retailers and food suppliers from Belgium, Denmark and the UK.
Findings
The findings show that in different ways retailers act both as caretakers of consumer interests and as barriers to innovation. Retailers are not interested in new technologies per se, but whether new technologies and the products made using them provide clearly identifiable benefits to consumers. These products must carry minimum risk for the retailer and there is a clear need for benefits to be communicated in commercial rather than technological terms to both retailers and consumers.
Research limitations/implications
The main limitation is that the study is based on interviews with retailers and suppliers in three countries.
Practical implications
Food suppliers developing new products based on novel technologies need to identity and communicate clear benefits to consumers if their products are to be adopted by grocery retailers.
Originality/value
This paper extends the understanding of the important role that retailers play in the diffusion of new innovative food products, services and technologies to consumers.