Michael A. Beauregard and Steven K. Ayer
The discretionary expense budget required to maintain public infrastructure has declined in recent years, even as public expectations and accountability for performance have…
Abstract
Purpose
The discretionary expense budget required to maintain public infrastructure has declined in recent years, even as public expectations and accountability for performance have increased. The purpose of this paper is to leverage previously reported research to create a decision support tool (DST) for prioritizing institutional facility maintenance.
Design/methodology/approach
A structured literature review was developed to identify critical aspects of facility maintenance shown to have a positive relationship with academic performance in K-12 schools within the USA. Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) serves as a framework for a multi-criteria DST based on the findings of the literature review. Finally, a targeted focus group of industry professionals was used to validate the usability of the resulting DST.
Findings
The framework for the DST developed for this study effectively represents the scale and scope of an institutional facility. Results of the study suggest that when evaluating multi-criteria work orders, the proposed visual AHP methodology can be used to generate usable DSTs to assist with the prioritization of work.
Practical implications
This study provides a methodology for building a multi-criterion DST leveraging precedent research, using a visual AHP to assist facility management (FM) decision-makers in the prioritization of routine work orders.
Originality/value
The developed process indicates a practical approach to incorporating disparate research findings into a concise and useable manner to guide FM decision-makers, who have traditionally not been able to explicitly leverage this information to make evidence-based spending decisions.
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Zahra Ghorbani, Steven K. Ayer and John I. Messner
A significant challenge arises from the inconsistent terminology used to describe augmented reality (AR) technology, leading to confusion and hindered communication. The purpose…
Abstract
Purpose
A significant challenge arises from the inconsistent terminology used to describe augmented reality (AR) technology, leading to confusion and hindered communication. The purpose of this paper is to address the absence of a comprehensive taxonomy to define AR use cases in the architecture, engineering, construction and operation (AECO) domain and present a structured approach to developing one.
Design/methodology/approach
A literature review was conducted to identify AR use cases and use case taxonomies in the AECO and other industry domains in the Compendex database. This review resulted in the identification of 315 AR use cases. From the identified taxonomies, one was selected based on its comprehensiveness, relevance and applicability to the AECO industry. Leveraging this taxonomy from the manufacturing domain, this study validated, refined and added classes to the taxonomy through a content analysis of the existing AECO AR use cases. Additional critical categories were identified from existing taxonomies to enhance the taxonomy. A subset of 63 use cases was then used to validate the refined taxonomy.
Findings
The resulting taxonomy comprises two main dimensions: context-related and technology-related. The context-related dimension encompasses six classes, including the field of application, effect level, manual action category, context awareness capability, collaboration mode and interaction functions. The technology-related dimension encompasses the aim of augmentation, proximity to reality, hardware, location, content positioning, time and scale.
Originality/value
The taxonomy provides a comprehensive framework for categorizing and understanding AR use cases in the AECO industry using the domain language. By providing a structured framework for exploring AR applications, the proposed taxonomy may not only facilitate standardized communication but also foster creativity when designing an AR use case.
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Michael A. Beauregard and Steven K. Ayer
The purpose of this paper is to explore the value of K-12 indirect facility maintenance and operation expense spending in Arizona and how the prioritization of work enables…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the value of K-12 indirect facility maintenance and operation expense spending in Arizona and how the prioritization of work enables academic performance.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected from more than 200 academic districts over a five-year period to measure the correlation between plant maintenance and operations and academic outcomes. A qualitative analysis provided an in-depth understanding of how routine work is prioritized.
Findings
Results of the correlative model indicate that no positive relationship exists between academic performance and facility expense spending within the sample population. The lack of a positive correlation may be a result, in whole or in part, of many variables. The qualitative analysis, however, provided a more in-depth understanding of how academic districts manage educational facilities and how the prioritization of work may factor into a correlation.
Originality/value
This paper addresses the link between academic performance, expressed in terms of a return-on-assets, and facility management. The contribution of this paper is the documentation of facility maintenance and operations organizational structures to include the method of prioritizing routine work and the process of indirect expense spending in support of K-12 public education in the state of Arizona.
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In recent decades, interest in digital transformation (DX) within the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry has significantly increased. Despite the existence…
Abstract
Purpose
In recent decades, interest in digital transformation (DX) within the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry has significantly increased. Despite the existence of several literature reviews on DX research, there remains a notable lack of systematic quantitative and visual investigations into the structure and evolution of this field. This study aims to address this gap by uncovering the current state, key topics, keywords, and emerging areas in DX research specific to the AEC sector.
Design/methodology/approach
Employing a holistic review approach, this study undertook a thorough and systematic analysis of the literature concerning DX in the AEC industry. Utilizing a bibliometric analysis, 3,656 papers were retrieved from the Web of Science spanning the years 1990–2023. A scientometric analysis was then applied to these publications to discern patterns in publication years, geographical distribution, journals, authors, citations, and keywords.
Findings
The findings identify China, the USA, and England as the leading contributors in the field of DX in AEC sector. Prominent keywords include “building information modeling”, “design”, “system”, “framework”, “adoption”, “model”, “safety”, “internet of things”, and “innovation”. Emerging areas of interest are “deep learning”, “embodied energy”, and “machine learning”. A cluster analysis of keywords reveals key research themes such as “deep learning”, “smart buildings”, “virtual reality”, “augmented reality”, “smart contracts”, “sustainable development”, “building information modeling”, “big data”, and “3D printing”.
Originality/value
This study is among the earliest to provide a comprehensive scientometric mapping of the DX field. The findings presented here have significant implications for both industry practitioners and the scientific community, offering a thorough overview of the current state, prominent keywords, topics, and emerging areas within DX in the AEC industry. Additionally, this research serves as an invaluable reference and guideline for scholars interested in this subject.
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Ronald J. Berger, Carla Corroto, Jennifer Flad and Richard Quinney
Medical uncertainty is recognized as a critical issue in the sociology of diagnosis and medical sociology more generally, but a neglected focus of this concern is the question of…
Abstract
Medical uncertainty is recognized as a critical issue in the sociology of diagnosis and medical sociology more generally, but a neglected focus of this concern is the question of patient decision making. Using a mixed methods approach that draws upon autoethnographic accounts and third-party interviews, we aim to illuminate the dilemmas of patient decision making in the face of uncertainty. How do patients and supportive caregivers go about navigating this state of affairs? What types of patient–doctor/healthcare professional relationships hinder or enhance effective patient decision making? These are the themes we explore in this study by following patients through the sequence of experiencing symptoms, seeking a diagnosis, evaluating treatment protocols, and receiving treatments. In general, three genres of culturally available narratives are revealed in the data: strategic, technoluxe, and unbearable health narratives.
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Paul E. Levy, Steven T. Tseng, Christopher C. Rosen and Sarah B. Lueke
In recent years, practitioners have identified a number of problems with traditional performance management (PM) systems, arguing that PM is broken and needs to be fixed. In this…
Abstract
In recent years, practitioners have identified a number of problems with traditional performance management (PM) systems, arguing that PM is broken and needs to be fixed. In this chapter, we review criticisms of traditional PM practices that have been mentioned by journalists and practitioners and we consider the solutions that they have presented for addressing these concerns. We then consider these problems and solutions within the context of extant scholarly research and identify (a) what organizations should do going forward to improve PM practices (i.e., focus on feedback processes, ensure accountability throughout the PM system, and align the PM system with organizational strategy) and (b) what scholars should focus research attention on (i.e., technology, strategic alignment, and peer-to-peer accountability) in order to reduce the science-practice gap in this domain.
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Stephanie L. Ayers, Flavio F. Marsiglia, Steven Hoffman, Jildyz Urbaeva and Jaime Booth
The purpose of this study is to identify the association between risky sexual behaviors and migration intentions among adolescents living in Guanajuato, Mexico.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify the association between risky sexual behaviors and migration intentions among adolescents living in Guanajuato, Mexico.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected by self‐administered questionnaires to students enrolled in an alternative schooling system in Guanajuato, Mexico, during the school year of 2006‐2007. The sample size for this study includes 538 unmarried students, 35 percent male, ages 14‐19. Ordinal logistic regression is used to estimate the odds of engaging in risky sexual behaviors.
Findings
The results reveal that male adolescents with higher intentions to migrate have significantly higher odds of engaging in risky sexual behaviors than both males who are less interested in migrating and females, regardless of their migration intentions.
Practical implications
Interventions on both sides of the US/Mexico border are needed in order to address this concern particularly among males who express a desire to migrate to the US someday.
Social implications
These findings highlight the importance of examining risky sexual behaviors even before migration to the US occurs. By engaging in high risk sexual behaviors prior to migrating, adolescents are putting themselves and both their sexual partners in Mexico and their future sexual partners in the US at increased risk of contracting STIs and HIV.
Originality/value
The study examined risky sexual behavior of adolescents in Mexico prior to migration. Knowledge about risky sexual behaviors prior to departure is vital for policy makers and researchers as they seek to design and implement interventions aimed at quelling this growing public health concern.
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Anna Marie Johnson, Claudene Sproles and Latisha Reynolds
The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper introduces and annotates periodical articles, monographs, and audiovisual material examining library instruction and information literacy.
Findings
The findings provide information about each source, discusses the characteristics of current scholarship, and describes sources that contain unique scholarly contributions and quality reproductions.
Originality/value
The information may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.
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The presence of mature masculinity is slowly reshaping contemporary action cinema in the twenty-first century. It is a phenomenon that rejects the unrealistic view that action…
Abstract
The presence of mature masculinity is slowly reshaping contemporary action cinema in the twenty-first century. It is a phenomenon that rejects the unrealistic view that action heroes are embodiments of Apollo and Ares in human flesh. Instead, action heroes are viewed as flawed characters who cannot escape the realities of their corporeality, mortality and humanity. The following chapter is an examination of a particular type of action hero archetype that combines ageing with virtuous and mature masculinity. Here I use Tom Cruise's development and portrayal of Ethan Hunt in the Mission: Impossible series as a lens through which to highlight the presence of the virtuous and mature hero archetype in action cinema.
Cruise's representation of heroic masculinity is significant because it achieves three separate goals. First, Cruise's mature masculinity repudiates the hardbody model by showing its deficiencies as a male archetype. Second, it introduces a version of an action hero that emphasises the benefits of ageing and mature masculinity. Lastly, Cruise's onscreen presence redoubles the idea that heroic masculinity is motivated by a deep sense of morality, duty and a desire to serve the greater good. As the model of the mature and virtuous hero becomes more prevalent, as I argue, it not only reshapes action cinema but also produces cinematic representations of heroic masculinity that are more positive in terms of showing the importance of maturity, virtue, and public service.