scholarly journals Actions, attitudes and beliefs of occupants in managing dampness in buildings

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Blay ◽  
Kofi Agyekum ◽  
Alex Opoku
Keyword(s):  
Driving Force ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Health Effect ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Health Impact ◽  
Attitudes And Beliefs ◽  
Moisture Movement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Proof Construction

PurposeDampness in buildings affects the health of occupants, structural stability and energy efficiency of buildings. Solutions to managing dampness focus on promoting the use of damp-proof construction materials, enhancing methods to avoid the introduction of moisture during construction and creating the awareness on the health effect of dampness. These solutions are incomplete without the identification of behaviours that occupants require to manage dampness. Given that dampness is characterised by the availability of a source, a route for the moisture to travel and driving force for moisture movement, the occupants can be said to play a significant role in contributing to dampness. The paper aims to discuss these issues.Design/methodology/approachAs a result, this study seeks to examine the behaviours of occupants manifested to manage dampness in residential buildings. To achieve the aim, a qualitative research method was employed, under which interviews were carried out. Occupants in households in the northern and southern parts of England were interviewed to identify the actions, attitudes and beliefs in managing dampness.FindingsThe findings revealed actions such as aeration and the use of anti-damp sprays. From the findings, dampness instilled attitudes such as anger, moodiness and unhappiness. In addition, dampness instilled cleaning habits in occupants due to the lack of comfort moulds create and the awareness of its health impact.Research limitations/implicationsThis research also contributes to existing debates on dampness reduction specifically in residential buildings.Originality/valueThe identification of these behaviours creates the awareness for occupants on their roles in managing dampness and how dampness affects their behaviours in addition to the health impact.

A benchmarking approach to the progress of green materials and systems’ use in the UAE construction industry

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 315-327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aly Elgayar ◽  
Salwa Mamoun Beheiry ◽  
Alaa Jabbar ◽  
Hamad Al Ansari
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Relative Importance ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Past ◽  
Green Materials ◽  
Importance Index ◽  
Regulatory Guidelines

Purpose Over the past decade, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) introduced several green regulatory guidelines, federal decrees, and a considerable number of environmentally friendly initiatives. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to investigate the top green materials and systems used currently in the UAE construction industry as per the new laws dictate as well as see if professionals are switching over to incorporate more green materials, systems, and/or designs. Design/methodology/approach The work involved reviewing internationally popular green materials and systems for construction, developing a questionnaire based on the literature review, surveying professionals in the seven UAE emirates, and ranking the findings based on the relative importance index. Findings Findings found the top used green materials and system in the UAE’s construction industry. As well as identified that there is a communication gap between the design and implementation phases that is possibly hindering the use of more green materials and systems. Originality/value This study sets a baseline to measure the UAE’s progress over the coming years in terms of integrating more green construction materials, systems, methodologies, and trends.

Shared learning in restaurant kitchens

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-34
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Driving Force ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Reading Time ◽  
Cutting Edge ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Shared Learning ◽  
Cooking Shows ◽  
Pertinent Information ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings – Cooking is big business right now. Television cooking shows are highly popular and this in turn is generating interest in cooking as a pastime. As a result, many professional chefs are becoming celebrities, endorsing products and publishing books. Less obvious is their role as the leader of a team and the driving force behind the development of apprentice chefs. They set the pace and direction of learning in the kitchen and have an important role as a coach and facilitator. Practical implications – The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world’s leading organizations. Originality/value – The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Driving forces and structural changes of China as a market provider for Korea

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 194-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yongqi Feng ◽  
Tianshu Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Driving Force ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Consumption Expenditure ◽  
Input Output ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fixed Capital Formation ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to provide a better understanding of the driving forces and structural changes of China as a market provider for Korea. This paper gives the answers for the following questions: How do China’s final demands trigger the growth of its imports from Korea? And what’s the impact of China’s final demands on the import in different industries? Design/methodology/approach Based on the Multi-Regional Input-Output model and World Input-Output Table database, this paper constructs the non-competitive imports input-output (IO) table of China to Korea. According to this table, we can calculate the induced imports coefficient and comprehensive induced import coefficients of China’s four final demands for imports from Korea in the 56 industries in China. Findings Among the four driving forces, the strongest one is changes in inventories and valuables. The impact of final consumption expenditure and fixed capital formation is much lower than that of changes in inventories and valuables, but they have a broader impact for the 56 industries. This paper finds out the China’s import induction of the final demands to Korea peaked in 2005 and 2010 and decreased greatly in 2014, so the position of China as market provider for Korea will no longer rise substantially, contrarily it will be in a steady state. Originality/value First, this paper constructs the non-competitive IO table to analyze the market provider issues between two countries and provides practical ways and methods for studies on the issues of imports and market provider. Second, this paper investigates the different roles of four final demands on driving force of China as market provider for Korea and the structural changes of China as a market provider for Korea among 56 industries from 2000 to 2014.

Cameroonian perspectives on entrepreneurship: discovering subcultural heterogeneity

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 258-277
Author(s):  
Dave Valliere
Keyword(s):  
National Culture ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Q Methodology ◽  
Public Policies ◽  
Attitudes And Beliefs ◽  
Cultural Attitudes ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Regional Effects ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose This paper aims to explore cultural attitudes and beliefs about entrepreneurship in the southwestern region of Cameroon. This study also identifies the existence of subcultural variations with important implications for the development of entrepreneurial activities in Cameroon. Design/methodology/approach The paper uses the hybrid qualitative/quantitative Q methodology to survey and analyze a purposively diverse sample of individuals and thereby discover subcultural structures and patterns to the attitudes and beliefs that exist in Cameroonian culture. Findings This study discovers three distinct subcultures that differ significantly in their attitudes and beliefs about entrepreneurship. These subcultures can neither be predicted from commonly used national measures of cultures, such as those of Hofstede, nor are they directly attributable to regional effects. Research limitations/implications The author calls into question the continuing use of national culture as a construct in explaining and predicting entrepreneurial activities, through discovery of subcultures at odds with national measures. Further research should be undertaken to assess the prevalence within Cameroonian society of the three widely different subcultures identified here. Practical implications This paper highlights the importance of incorporating subcultural variations in attitudes and beliefs (whether regional, tribal or other) in the development and implementation of public policies to affect national entrepreneurship. Originality/value The paper applies a novel methodology to qualitatively explore the subjective variations in the meaning and value of entrepreneurship in Cameroonian society, and to quantitatively develop a structure or typology to these variations.

Energy consultants calculating sustainability for residential buildings

Facilities ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (11/12) ◽  
pp. 825-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roger Andre Søraa ◽  
Håkon Fyhn ◽  
Jøran Solli
Keyword(s):  
Design Process ◽  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Implementation Process ◽  
Building Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the role of a particular energy calculator in enhancing the energy efficiency of existing homes by asking how this calculator was developed and how it is domesticated by craftspeople working as energy consultants.Design/methodology/approachThe study is based on qualitative interviews with users and producers of the energy calculator (n= 22), as well as participation in energy consultation training.FindingsThe paper finds that, in the energy calculator, there is a striking lack of connection between the domestication and script because of lack of energy consultants’ involvement in the design and implementation process.Practical implicationsThe enrolment of energy consultants as energy calculator users earlier in and throughout the design process could be valuable in making the transition to an energy-efficient and environmentally friendly building sector.Social implicationsThe paper argues for recognition of the role of energy consultants, especially craftspeople, as participants in the design process for tools of governance. This is a call to acknowledge the value of particular skills and experiences possessed by craftspeople doing home consultation.Originality/valueBy understanding the intricate developer–user synchronicity in tools developed for upgrading the building sector, energy mitigation can be made more effective.

Evaluation of occupant's adaptive thermal comfort behaviour in naturally ventilated courtyard houses

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Peiman Pilechiha ◽  
Alireza Norouziasas ◽  
Hoorieh Ghorbani Naeini ◽  
Kasmir Jolma
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Comfort ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Construction Materials ◽  
Parametric Models ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Seasonal Movement ◽  
Indoor Thermal Comfort ◽  
Adaptive Thermal Comfort ◽  
Vernacular Buildings ◽  
Hourly Basis

PurposeIn vernacular buildings, many climatic and passive solutions have been used to create indoor thermal comfort. Seasonal occupant movement is an example of a traditional response to increasing thermal comfort. This article investigates the influence of these user behaviours on thermal comfort in courtyard houses.Design/methodology/approachParametric models of three different scenarios of courtyard houses are simulated. The courtyard houses are located in Shiraz, Iran, and share the same orientation and construction materials. To enhance the accuracy of the study, the indoor adaptive thermal comfort (ATC) analysis is performed with three different window-to-wall ratios (WWR) of 25, 50 and 75%. The ACT analysis is performed on an hourly basis for summer and winter scenarios.FindingsThe results demonstrate that the indoor ATC is 8.3% higher in winter than in the summer in the seasonal zones. During the summer, the amount of ATC is relatively sustained in all zones. Unlike common beliefs, seasonal movement can enhance the ATC, especially during winter, specifically in the northern part of the courtyard. In northern zones, the seasonal movement of occupants improves the indoor ATC from 10.1 to 23.7%, and in southern zones, the improvement is from 2.2 to 4.8%.Originality/valueThis research presents a new numerical investigation into occupants' seasonal movements in courtyard houses during summer and winter. It provides a precise pattern to show how much this seasonal movement can affect the habitant's ATC.

Offsite construction in the Australian low-rise residential buildings application levels and procurement options

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tong Lin ◽  
Sainan Lyu ◽  
Rebecca Jing Yang ◽  
Linda Tivendale
Keyword(s):  
Construction Industry ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
Analysis Method ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
High Rise ◽  
The World ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Selection Of

PurposePrefabricated housing has become a boom industry across the world; however, the uptake of offsite construction (OSC) approaches in Australian low-rise buildings is rather low compared with high-rise buildings in other countries. This study aims to investigate and analyse the adoption of different levels of OSC approaches and the selection of different procurement options in Australian low-rise residential buildings.Design/methodology/approachThe research objectives were pursued through a mixed research method. An empirical questionnaire survey was carried out with 35 professionals in the Australian building and construction industry. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 interviewees and analysed using thematic analysis method in NVivo software.FindingsThe research results found that the most suitable OSC level for Australian low-rise buildings is components-based prefabrication and identified the barriers to OSC uptake for each OSC level. The study also showed that the best option of procuring prefabricated products is from Australian manufacturers, followed by Australian suppliers/dealers and overseas manufacturers. Panelised prefabrication and components-based prefabrication are ranked as the most suitable OSC approaches for Australian manufacturers. Modular prefabrication is regarded as the most suitable for overseas manufacturer, while components-based prefabrication is the most suitable for Australian suppliers/dealers.Originality/valueThe selection of various OSC approaches and different procurement options in the low-rise residential buildings are scarcely explored topic, and thus, this study provides knowledge of interest for both researchers and practitioners.

How to nurture a transformative digital culture in the workplace

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-9
Author(s):  
Mark Williams
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Revolution ◽  
Driving Force ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Training And Development ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
Candidate Selection ◽  
Digital Tools ◽  
Digital Culture ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Opening Up

Purpose HR is at the very heart of this cultural revolution, and everything from candidate selection and onboarding right through to training and development play a key role. Design/methodology/approach This paper draws on Microsoft research highlighting productivity and digital transformation. Findings Organisations can future proof themselves by letting their employees become the driving force in the transition to digital. Originality/value This paper encourages readers to extend beyond simply using digital tools, opening up new channels of communication and inspiring new ways of thinking within an otherwise very traditional.

Revisiting the (mis)pricing of the accrual anomaly

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 210-224
Author(s):  
Felix Canitz ◽  
Christian Fieberg ◽  
Kerstin Lopatta ◽  
Thorsten Poddig ◽  
Thomas Walker
Keyword(s):  
Stock Returns ◽  
Driving Force ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Related Factor ◽  
Accrual Anomaly ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Extant Literature ◽  
Limits To Arbitrage ◽  
Abnormal Accruals

Purpose This paper aims to hunt for the driving force behind the accrual anomaly and revisit the risk versus mispricing debate. Design/methodology/approach In sorts of stock returns on abnormal and normal accruals, the authors find that abnormal accruals are the driving force behind the accrual anomaly. The authors then construct characteristic-balanced portfolios from dependent sorts of stock returns on the abnormal accrual characteristic and a related factor-mimicking portfolio to test whether the accrual anomaly is due to risk or mispricing (Daniel and Titman, 1997; Davis et al., 2000). Findings Similar to Hirshleifer et al. (2012), the authors find that the accrual anomaly is due to mispricing and that the measure of accruals used in Hirshleifer et al.’s study (2012) is a very broad measure of accruals. The authors therefore recommend the use of abnormal accruals in future research. Originality/value The results suggest that there are limits to arbitrage or behavioral biases with regard to the trading of low-accrual firms. Showing that the accrual effect is driven by the level of abnormal accruals, the findings of this study strongly challenge the rational risk explanation proposed by the extant literature.

Common incentives for teamwork – the unspoken contract's significance

2014 ◽  
Vol 20 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 65-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan M. Berlin
Keyword(s):  
Driving Force ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Shared Responsibility ◽  
Practical Work ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Organisation ◽  
The Common ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The aim of this paper was to identify and study common incentives for teamwork. Design/methodology/approach – The study was designed as a case study. The case consists of teamwork at a university hospital. At the hospital, ten psychiatric teams were studied for a period of four years (2008-2011). Each team was followed for 12-18 months. Data were collected through interviews (n=48) and observations (n=52) of the teamwork at treatment conferences. Findings – The common incentives identified consist of shared responsibility, appreciation and long-sightedness. The incidence of a silent contract is highlighted as an explanation for the team's cohesion. Research limitations/implications – The study is conducted in a public organisation within one field. The results should therefore be interpreted with some caution. Practical implications – The study is useful for practitioners to understand the importance of common incentives as a collective driving force. By developing well-adapted common incentives, the practical work can be developed, refined and improved. Originality/value – The significance of common incentives and the unspoken contract in the team is identified.

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