Co‐operative education receives worldwide interest and attentionhas been given to the better implementation of the policy ofsynthesizing education and production. There has also…
Abstract
Co‐operative education receives worldwide interest and attention has been given to the better implementation of the policy of synthesizing education and production. There has also been a focus on the integration of students into the world of work. The principle was adopted in the BEng course in Building Services Engineering offered by the Hong Kong Polytechnic and it is recognized that industrial training forms an essential part in the development of a building services engineer. The HKIE has identified a training scheme for the training of graduates and the scheme in the building services discipline has been undertaken by undergraduates in the BEng (Hons) course for the past four years. Evaluates the effectiveness of the scheme through a survey carried out in which students were asked questions about the training they received. Suggests recommendations, as a consequence of the survey, to improve the training system, including its technical content, management and administration.
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Y.N. Au Yeung, L. Gow, C.C. Lai, W.F. Ho, A. Sivan and J. Ledesma
Action research involves practitioners in attempting to improvetheir own teaching through cycles of planning, acting, observing andreflecting. This idea was adopted by a group of…
Abstract
Action research involves practitioners in attempting to improve their own teaching through cycles of planning, acting, observing and reflecting. This idea was adopted by a group of interested staff to evaluate the industrial training in the third year of the four‐year sandwich course, B.Eng. (Hons) in Building Services Engineering, at Hong Kong Polytechnic. As there are foreseen difficulties in locating suitable and adequate high quality industrial placements, research was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of the existing arrangement. Assesses attitudes of BSE staff, students and industrial supervisors towards the training. Results of the survey indicated that objectives of the training were not wholly fulfilled. Suggestions are included to improve the management of the training system.
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Zhonghua Gou and Stephen Siu‐Yu Lau
The purpose of this article is to present a sick building syndrome (SBS) survey in open‐plan offices. The design factors (indoor plants, workstation partitions, and operable…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to present a sick building syndrome (SBS) survey in open‐plan offices. The design factors (indoor plants, workstation partitions, and operable windows) that predict SBS were described for architects and interior designers, and the indoor environmental characteristics (thermal comfort, air quality, noise and lighting) that contribute to SBS symptoms were also investigated.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used a standard Building Use Studies (BUS) questionnaire that included sick building syndrome symptoms, environmental satisfaction and perception, and background information about the respondents and their office space. The questionnaire was conducted in 30 offices of building‐related professionals in Hong Kong. There were 469 Chinese office workers that participated.
Findings
Indoor plants and operable windows were related to a reduction of SBS symptoms; while workstation partitions did not affect the incidence of SBS symptoms. There were fewer sick building syndrome symptoms reported in the more satisfied respondents.
Originality/value
This study highlights a perception‐based solution for facilities design and management.
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Built facilities, in order to be sustainable, have to be operated and maintained by practitioners who possess the appropriate types and levels of knowledge. The study reported in…
Abstract
Purpose
Built facilities, in order to be sustainable, have to be operated and maintained by practitioners who possess the appropriate types and levels of knowledge. The study reported in this paper aims to identify the available higher education programmes in this relation and to investigate what kinds of education are needed by the operation and maintenance (O&M) practitioners in Hong Kong.
Design/methodology/approach
The published information of the building‐related programmes offered by the local higher education institutions was reviewed. A questionnaire, designed, piloted and distributed with the support given by the leading O&M society in Hong Kong, was used to survey the perceptions and opinions of the practitioners.
Findings
No education programme had been tailored for producing professionals to meet the rising demand for O&M works. The practitioners indicated their strong wish to learn more, in particular, about energy and environmental management, and testing and commissioning. Their desire for dedicated O&M programmes was also overwhelming.
Research limitations/implications
The survey and analysis method used in the study may be taken to investigate the education needs in other developing industries.
Practical implications
The relatively low levels that the practitioners perceived about their knowledge in most aspects of their works imply that there is room for improving work quality through enhancing O&M education.
Originality/value
The survey findings unveiled the contemporary education needs of the O&M practitioners, which are essential information that supports the development of some matching courses.
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Anne Morris and Peter Dennison
Sick building syndrome is recognized by the World HealthOrganization. It is characterized by employees suffering from a range ofsymptoms which are associated with being in a…
Abstract
Sick building syndrome is recognized by the World Health Organization. It is characterized by employees suffering from a range of symptoms which are associated with being in a particular building and are relieved by leaving it or staying away. Discusses the results of a survey which examined the extent and possible causes of sick building syndrome in libraries. Questionnaires were sent to all academic libraries in Great Britain together with a sample of public libraries. The evidence suggests that sick building syndrome exists in libraries and that air‐conditioned libraries are more likely to be affected than those which are naturally ventilated.
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Since China initiated its “go global” policy that promotes its overseas investment, China’s Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) has increased almost twenty times during the…
Abstract
Since China initiated its “go global” policy that promotes its overseas investment, China’s Outward Foreign Direct Investment (OFDI) has increased almost twenty times during the last 10 years, reaching $55.9 billion in 2008. The issue of internationalization of Chinese OFDI has attracted increasing attention of researchers from a business perspective. This article systematically reviews the previous studies on overseas investments by Chinese MNEs and discusses the characteristics of Chinese internationalization behavior at both firm level and country level. The internationalization of Chinese companies cannot be understood as a simple game of “catch up” with established MNEs, and more firm‐level empirical studies should be carried out on how these characteristics influence firms’ strategic decisions.
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Francis W.H. Yik, Joseph H.K. Lai, W.L. Lee, K.T. Chan and C.K. Chau
The purpose of this paper is to narrow the diverse views of the industry stakeholders on two controversial issues, namely the scope of core competence of building services…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to narrow the diverse views of the industry stakeholders on two controversial issues, namely the scope of core competence of building services engineers (BSEs) and the statutory role that they should play, which were encountered in an extensive research study on the building services profession of Hong Kong.
Design/methodology/approach
An expert panel was formed and the Delphi method was applied to resolve the controversies. In the Delphi process, every panel member was provided with complete opinions expressed by all other panel members in each round of the deliberation.
Findings
Sufficient support was found for the proposition that professional BSEs should be competent in handling air‐conditioning, electrical, fire services, and plumbing & drainage works, and that the government authorities should mandate the design and compliance certification of electrical and fire services installations by BSEs.
Research limitations/implications
Although the Delphi method has not been hitherto applied to resolve the controversies addressed in the study, it was proven to be a very effective tool in seeking majority opinions from a group of experts. The same approach may be taken in similar studies in future.
Practical implications
The core competence identified should be made as a minimum requirement for practitioners who wish to practise as professional BSEs. The views and comments given by the expert panel members are informative references to public policy makers.
Originality/value
This was the first ever study conducted in an attempt to identify the core competence and statutory role of BSEs in Hong Kong.
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The objective of this study is to investigate how country risk, different political actions from the government and bureaucratic behavior influence the activities in industry…
Abstract
The objective of this study is to investigate how country risk, different political actions from the government and bureaucratic behavior influence the activities in industry supply chains (SCs) in emerging markets. The main objective of this study is to investigate the influence of these external stakeholders’ elements to the demand-side and supply-side drivers and barriers for improving competitiveness of Ready-Made Garment (RMG) industry in the way of analyzing supply chain. Considering the phenomenon of recent change in the RMG business environment and the competitiveness issues this study uses the principles of stakeholder and resource dependence theory and aims to find out some factors which influence to make an efficient supply chain for improving competitiveness. The RMG industry of Bangladesh is the case application of this study. Following a positivist paradigm, this study adopts a two phase sequential mixed-method research design consisting of qualitative and quantitative approaches. A tentative research model is developed first based on extensive literature review. Qualitative field study is then carried out to fine tune the initial research model. Findings from the qualitative method are also used to develop measures and instruments for the next phase of quantitative method. A survey is carried out with sample of top and middle level executives of different garment companies of Dhaka city in Bangladesh and the collected quantitative data are analyzed by partial least square-based structural equation modeling. The findings support eight hypotheses. From the analysis the external stakeholders’ elements like bureaucratic behavior and country risk have significant influence to the barriers. From the internal stakeholders’ point of view the manufacturers’ and buyers’ drivers have significant influence on the competitiveness. Therefore, stakeholders need to take proper action to reduce the barriers and increase the drivers, as the drivers have positive influence to improve competitiveness.
This study has both theoretical and practical contributions. This study represents an important contribution to the theory by integrating two theoretical perceptions to identify factors of the RMG industry’s SC that affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. This research study contributes to the understanding of both external and internal stakeholders of national and international perspectives in the RMG (textile and clothing) business. It combines the insights of stakeholder and resource dependence theories along with the concept of the SC in improving effectiveness. In a practical sense, this study certainly contributes to the Bangladeshi RMG industry. In accordance with the desire of the RMG manufacturers, the research has shown that some influential constructs of the RMG industry’s SC affect the competitiveness of the RMG industry. The outcome of the study is useful for various stakeholders of the Bangladeshi RMG industry sector ranging from the government to various private organizations. The applications of this study are extendable through further adaptation in other industries and various geographic contexts.
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Yi Li, Lei Yao and Richard M. Jones
As a world leader in the textiles and clothing trade, Hong Kong has played an important role in world denim products trade. To obtain a sound understanding of the current status…
Abstract
As a world leader in the textiles and clothing trade, Hong Kong has played an important role in world denim products trade. To obtain a sound understanding of the current status and position of Hong Kong in the world denim trade, the authors carried out a comprehensive statistical survey of the Hong Kong denim industry. This paper reports detailed analyses on the production, sales and trade of denim products in Hong Kong. The analysis on trade covers imports, domestic exports and re‐exports of denim fabric and apparel products.