Exploring the feasibility of blockchain technology as an infrastructure for improving built asset sustainability

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Shojaei ◽  
Jun Wang ◽  
Andriel Fenner
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Blockchain Technology ◽  
Current State ◽  
Design Build

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to show the feasibility of blockchain technology to perform as an infrastructure for improving built asset sustainability by providing all the necessary information for better decision making at all the stages of its life cycle. Design/methodology/approach Blockchain technology can be used as a tool to build a reliable and secure decentralized information system to capture and disseminate all the data required for different sustainability assessment models. A model is designed and tested through a synthetic scenario to substantiate the research objective with empirical work. Findings It is shown that blockchain can revolutionize the current state of knowledge for long-term sustainability thinking and provide necessary information in different stages of the life cycle of a built asset. With the proposed decentralized, transparent and comprehensive database using blockchain, the life cycle assessment methods can become much more inclusive and reliable. The new holistic analysis of the built asset sustainability enables better decision making in design, build, operation and demolition of each asset. Originality/value This paper proposes and tests a model for using blockchain as an infrastructure to support built asset sustainability. Practitioners from different backgrounds at different stages of a built asset life cycle can use such a network to make better decisions and better assess the sustainability of their built assets.

scholarly journals Long-term trajectories of human civilization

foresight ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seth D. Baum ◽  
Stuart Armstrong ◽  
Timoteus Ekenstedt ◽  
Olle Häggström ◽  
Robin Hanson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Status Quo ◽  
Technological Transformation ◽  
Distant Future ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ethical Frameworks ◽  
Current State ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Future Time Period

PurposeThis paper aims to formalize long-term trajectories of human civilization as a scientific and ethical field of study. The long-term trajectory of human civilization can be defined as the path that human civilization takes during the entire future time period in which human civilization could continue to exist.Design/methodology/approachThis paper focuses on four types of trajectories: status quo trajectories, in which human civilization persists in a state broadly similar to its current state into the distant future; catastrophe trajectories, in which one or more events cause significant harm to human civilization; technological transformation trajectories, in which radical technological breakthroughs put human civilization on a fundamentally different course; and astronomical trajectories, in which human civilization expands beyond its home planet and into the accessible portions of the cosmos.FindingsStatus quo trajectories appear unlikely to persist into the distant future, especially in light of long-term astronomical processes. Several catastrophe, technological transformation and astronomical trajectories appear possible.Originality/valueSome current actions may be able to affect the long-term trajectory. Whether these actions should be pursued depends on a mix of empirical and ethical factors. For some ethical frameworks, these actions may be especially important to pursue.

Strengthening the weak link of Macao's responsible gambling practices: a consumer education perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chunli Ji ◽  
Sudhir H. Kale
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Weak Link ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Responsible Gambling ◽  
Consumer Education ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current State ◽  
Government Documents ◽  
The Government

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to assess the current state of consumer education in the context of responsible gambling in Macao and to suggest ways in which Macao could enhance its consumer education efforts to meet its challenges with regard to responsible gambling.Design/methodology/approachExploratory and interpretative approaches have been adopted to suggest why and how Macao should strengthen responsible gambling education. The methodology involved extensive review of relevant academic research, government documents and reports related to Macao's responsible gambling initiatives.FindingsEffective long-term responsible gambling education is needed in Macao to further people's understanding of gambling and gambler's fallacy. The government should take leadership in influencing all stakeholders toward effective initiatives and behaviors related to responsible gambling education.Originality/valueAlthough research on responsible gambling education is still in its infancy, its importance in reducing common misconceptions about gambling has already been established. This study contributes to strengthen Macao's responsible gambling practices by proposing several changes needed to provide desired outcomes through consumer education.

scholarly journals Public library planning: a routine practice?

2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (4/5) ◽  
pp. 237-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana R. Pacios
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Significant Rise ◽  
Planning Theory ◽  
Routine Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Routine Basis ◽  
Case Libraries

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study whether organisations, in this case libraries, continue to plan after having done so at least once, and whether they conduct planning on a routine basis. Design/methodology/approach The websites of 71 libraries, that in 2006 had a strategic or long-term plan, were analysed to determine whether in 2016 they had a new plan in place. Where there was none or where the name of the plan had changed, e-mails were sent to the head librarian to ascertain the reasons. Findings A total of 71.83 per cent of the libraries in the sample had a new plan underway in October 2016, i.e., ten years later. A significant rise (+8.03 per cent) in the number of three-year plans was observed relative to 2006, perhaps because the crisis and resulting uncertainty have induced libraries to narrow their decision-making windows. A preference for the term “strategic plan”: over “long-range plan” was also detected in 2016. Originality/value The study provides empirical evidence of the existence of routine planning. The continuity of plans in a series of libraries shows that in practice planning is a systematic, continuous and iterative activity, as contended in planning theory.

Human capital analytics: the winding road

2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morten Kamp Andersen
Keyword(s):  
Human Capital ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Full Potential ◽  
Medium Term ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current State ◽  
A Value ◽  
Being There ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the question: human capital analytics (HR analytics) – are we there yet? It will seek to clarify what is meant by “being there yet” and it will argue that the most positive proponents for this field are way too optimistic about the current state and what impact it will have on HR in the short-to-medium term but that the long-term outlook remain positive for the field. Design/methodology/approach This is a viewpoint paper and the conclusions draw upon the author’s experience in the field. Findings It has been widely acknowledged that HR analytics is still a fairly immature field and has not yet reached its full potential. In this viewpoint, the author argues that the most positive proponents for this field are way too optimistic about the current state and what impact it will have on HR in the short-to-medium term but that the long-term outlook remains positive for the field. The author names four main reasons why HR analytics is still in its infancy: maturity, mindset, organization and competencies. Practical implications If these four aspects are addressed, the HR analytics function will be able to contribute much more to HR’s role as a value generator. Originality/value Focusing on these aspects will set HR analytics up for success and will lead to potentially large shareholder value creation.

BIM-enabled sustainability assessment of material supply decisions

2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 668-695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alireza Ahmadian F.F. ◽  
Taha H. Rashidi ◽  
Ali Akbarnezhad ◽  
S. Travis Waller
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Supply Chain ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Social Impacts ◽  
Life Cycle Thinking ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Material Supply ◽  
Trade Offs

Purpose Enhancing sustainability of the supply process of construction materials is challenging and requires accounting for a variety of environmental and social impacts on top of the traditional, mostly economic, impacts associated with a particular decision involved in the management of the supply chain. The economic, environmental, and social impacts associated with various components of a typical supply chain are highly sensitive to project and market specific conditions. The purpose of this paper is to provide decision makers with a methodology to account for the systematic trade-offs between economic, environmental, and social impacts of supply decisions. Design/methodology/approach This paper proposes a novel framework for sustainability assessment of construction material supply chain decisions by taking advantage of the information made available by customized building information models (BIM) and a number of different databases required for assessment of life cycle impacts. Findings The framework addresses the hierarchy of decisions in the material supply process, which consists of four levels including material type, source of supply, supply chain structure, and mode of transport. The application is illustrated using a case study. Practical implications The proposed framework provides users with a decision-making method to select the most sustainable material alternative available for a building component and, thus, may be of great value to different parties involved in design and construction of a building. The multi-dimensional approach in selection process based on various economic, environmental, and social indicators as well as the life cycle perspective implemented through the proposed methodology advocates the life cycle thinking and the triple bottom line approach in sustainability. The familiarity of the new generation of engineers, architects, and contractors with this approach and its applications is essential to achieve sustainability in construction. Originality/value A decision-making model for supply of materials is proposed by integrating the BIM-enabled life cycle assessment into supply chain and project constraints management. The integration is achieved through addition of a series of attributes to typical BIM. The framework is supplemented by a multi-attribute decision-making module based on the technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution to account for the trade-offs between different economic and environmental impacts associated with the supply decisions.

scholarly journals The “long term” as an instrument for deploying neoliberalism: the case of the myth of long-term compensation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Terhi Chakhovich
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Time Orientation ◽  
Board Members ◽  
Archival Data ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Multiple Features ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThis study locates one surprisingly powerful ally of neoliberalism enabling its proliferation in certain contexts, the discursive notion of the “long term” (LT). Earlier literature has shown that neoliberalism is concerned with investors' decision-making that has been claimed to be based on LT forecasts. This research explains this focus on the “long term.”Design/methodology/approachShare-based compensation (SBC) is investigated in one case company. The data consist of interviews with executives, board members, analysts and owners and also of archival data on the executives' performance measurement and compensation.FindingsMuch research equates “share-based compensation” with “long-term compensation,” and the present study terms this relation “the myth of long-term compensation.” It is demonstrated that multiple features of share-based plans, characteristics of the management in question and contextual factors of the company and its governance tie in with the time orientation of such compensation. Multiple contradictions and irregularities in the literature on SBC are analyzed, undermining the claim that SBC is invariably LT oriented. Relying on Barthes' work, the study illustrates how LT SBC is a myth contributing to the ideology of neoliberalism.Research limitations/implicationsIt is proposed that the terms “share-based compensation” and “long term” be distinguished from each other for analytical and practical purposes. SBC, and thus neoliberalism, can sometimes be linked to the short term.Originality/value“Long term” is illustrated as a significant instrument for deploying ideologies.

They did not start the fire: reviewing and resolving the issue of physician stress and burnout

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 410-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Christine Babyar
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Intervention Studies ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Organizational Strategies ◽  
Physician Burnout ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Research Accountability ◽  
Physician Stress

Purpose Physician stress and burnout is a serious and common concern in healthcare, with over half of physicians in the USA meeting at least one criterion for burnout. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach A review on current state of physician stress and burnout research, from 2008 to 2016, was undertaken. A subsequent perspective paper was shaped around these reviews. Findings Findings reveal research strength in prevalence and incidence with opportunities for stronger intervention studies. While descriptive studies on causes and consequences of physician burnout are available, studies on interventions and prevention of physician burnout are lacking. Future research on physician stress and burnout should incorporate intervention studies and take care to avoid limitations found in current research. Accountability and prevention of physician burnout is the responsibility of the healthcare industry as a whole, and organizational strategies must be emphasized in future research. Originality/value The value of this research comes in the original comprehensive review, international inclusion and succinct summary of physician burnout research and strategies.

Employing needs-based funding formulae – some unavoidable tradeoffs

2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (7) ◽  
pp. 1092-1102
Author(s):  
Tal Gilead ◽  
Iris BenDavid-Hadar
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Resource Allocation ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Equity ◽  
School Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Funding Formula ◽  
Policy Goals ◽  
Theoretical Investigations ◽  
Schooling System

Purpose The method by which the state allocates resources to its schooling system can serve as an important instrument for achieving desired improvements in levels of educational attainment, social equity and other social policy goals. In many school systems, the allocation of school resources is done according to a needs-based funding formula. The purpose of this paper is to provide a deeper understanding of some significant tradeoffs involved in employing needs-based funding formulae. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on theoretical investigations of normative aspects involved in using needs-based funding formulae. Findings There are a number of underexplored complications and difficulties that arise from the use of needs-based funding formulae. Dealing with these involves significant tradeoffs that require taking normative decisions. Understanding these tradeoffs is important for improving the use of needs-based funding formulae. Originality/value The paper highlights three under-examined issues that emerge from the current use of needs-based funding formulae. These issues are: to what extent funding formulae should be responsive to social and economic needs? To what extent should funding formulae allow for the use of discretion in resource allocation? To what degree needs-based formulae funding should be linked to outcomes? By discussing these issues and the tradeoffs involved in them, the paper provides a deeper understanding of significant aspects stemming from the use of needs-based funding formulae. This, in turn, can serve as a basis for an improved and better informed process for decision making regarding the use of funding formulae.

Has Lean improved organizational decision making?

2016 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 536-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pascale Simons ◽  
Jos Benders ◽  
Jochen Bergs ◽  
Wim Marneffe ◽  
Dominique Vandijck
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Lean Management ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Organizational Decision Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Organizational Contexts ◽  
Sustainable Improvement ◽  
Care Processes ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Sustainable improvement is likely to be hampered by ambiguous objectives and uncertain cause-effect relations in care processes (the organization’s decision-making context). Lean management can improve implementation results because it decreases ambiguity and uncertainties. But does it succeed? Many quality improvement (QI) initiatives are appropriate improvement strategies in organizational contexts characterized by low ambiguity and uncertainty. However, most care settings do not fit this context. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether a Lean-inspired change program changed the organization’s decision-making context, making it more amenable for QI initiatives. Design/methodology/approach – In 2014, 12 professionals from a Dutch radiotherapy institute were interviewed regarding their perceptions of a Lean program in their organization and the perceived ambiguous objectives and uncertain cause-effect relations in their clinical processes. A survey (25 questions), addressing the same concepts, was conducted among the interviewees in 2011 and 2014. The structured interviews were analyzed using a deductive approach. Quantitative data were analyzed using appropriate statistics. Findings – Interviewees experienced improved shared visions and the number of uncertain cause-effect relations decreased. Overall, more positive (99) than negative Lean effects (18) were expressed. The surveys revealed enhanced process predictability and standardization, and improved shared visions. Practical implications – Lean implementation has shown to lead to greater transparency and increased shared visions. Originality/value – Lean management decreased ambiguous objectives and reduced uncertainties in clinical process cause-effect relations. Therefore, decision making benefitted from Lean increasing QI’s sustainability.

“That's not how I see it”: female and male perspectives on the academic role

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 497-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sue Shaw ◽  
Catherine Cassell
Keyword(s):  
Gender Differences ◽  
Business School ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
School Context ◽  
Empirical Work ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Academic Role ◽  
The Uk

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to provide a piece of empirical work that examines gender differences in how academics make sense of performance within university business schools in the UK.Design/methodology/approachThe research reported draws on data collected using a life history and repertory grid methodology with male and female interviewees from two university business schools.FindingsThe findings are discussed in relation to how academics understand what is valued about their role and what they believe the organisation rewards and values when it comes to promotion. Gender differences are shown to exist in the ways women and men define the academic role and in what they think is important both to themselves and the institution.Originality/valueThe paper presents original data on gender differences within a business school context.

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