scholarly journals Identifying building obsolescence: towards increasing buildings' service life

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 635-652
Author(s):  
Mohammad Pourebrahimi ◽  
Seyed Rahman Eghbali ◽  
Ana Pereira Roders

PurposeObsolescence is a decline or loss of utility of an object, building or product. Different types of building obsolescence decrease buildings’ utility and shorten their service life. The purpose of this paper is identification of building obsolescence types and the relevant factors that affect buildings to become obsolete. It is also intended to categorise building obsolescence types to provide a contribution towards increasing building service life and delivering sustainability.Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review is applied to conduct this research. It follows five steps: (1) formulating the research question; (2) locating studies; (3) selecting and evaluating relevant studies; (4) analysing the findings; (5) reporting and making use of the results.FindingsVia this study, it is revealed that there are 33 types of building obsolescence. They are clustered in 10 categories regarding their conceptual and causing aspects and are presented based on their recurrence in the literature. According to the findings, economic obsolescence (including economic, financial and market obsolescence types) and functional obsolescence (including functional, use and utility obsolescence types) are the most remarkable categories.Originality/valueInvestigating the literature makes it clear that building obsolescence types have been studied intermittently with infrequent profound exploration of the relationship between them. This paper presents a comprehensive identification of building obsolescence types and introduces obsolescence categories that classify connected obsolescence types. It is a new framework for further studies on building obsolescence to find more effective prevention strategies to mitigate social, economic and environmental consequences of building obsolescence.

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 407-452 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugénia Pedro ◽  
João Leitão ◽  
Helena Alves

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to determine the predominant classification of intellectual capital (IC), in terms of components, using the literature of reference on the relationship between IC and performance and considering multi-dimensional analysis axes (MAAs): organisational, regional and national. Design/methodology/approach A systematic literature review (SLR) is presented focussing on empirical studies on IC published in the period 1960-2016. A protocol for action is defined and a research question is raised, gathering data from the databases of: Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar. A social network analysis is also provided to determine the type of networks embracing groups, IC individual components and performance type. Findings Of the 777 papers included in the SLR, 189 deal with the relationship between IC and performance. The paper highlights the greater development of empirical studies starting from 2004; the organisational MAA is the most studied. The most frequently used groups of components in studies dealing with IC’s influence on performance corresponds to a triad of human capital; structural (organisational or process) capital; and relational (social or customer) capital, which determine positively the performance of organisations/regions/countries, but their influence is not linear and depends on various factors associated with the context and surrounding environment. Practical implications This study has wide-ranging implications for politicians/governments, managers and academics, providing empirical evidence about the relationships between the components of IC and performance, by MAAs, and a global vision and better understanding of how those IC components have developed and how they are related to performance. Originality/value Due to the high number of references covering a wide range of disciplines and the various dimensions (e.g. organisational, regional and national) that form IC, it becomes fundamental to carry out an SRL and systematise its MAAs to deepen knowledge about what has been discovered/developed in this domain, in terms of empirical studies, in order to situate the topic in a wider theoretical-practical context. The paper is exceptionally wide-ranging, covering the period 1960-2016. It is one of the first clarifying studies on systemisation of the literature on IC, by MAA, and an in-depth study of IC’s impact on the performance of organisations/regions and countries which may serve as a guideline for future studies using the taxonomy proposed.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 614-628 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irene Daskalopoulou

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate how different types of social capital contribute to the satisfaction with democracy (SWD) in Greece. Understanding the relationship between different variants of social capital and SWD allows one to situate the Greek democracy in the continuum of democracy types, from primary to modern. Design/methodology/approach The study uses microdata extracted from the European Values Surveys of 2002-2010 and multivariate regression analysis. Findings The results are compatible with a conception of the Greek political organization as a civil virtue democracy. A change in the nature of the relationship is observed after the recent economic crisis in the country. Research limitations/implications The study contributes to the empirical knowledge regarding the relationship between different variants of social capital and SWD. Originality/value Using a typology approach, the micro-relationship between democracy and social capital is analyzed as embedded in a continuum of different democracy types. In addition, this is the first study that uses microdata to analyze the effect of social capital upon SWD in Greece. The results of the study provide valuable understanding of the social and institutional arrangements that might sustain Greece’s efforts to meet its overall developmental challenges.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doug Carroll

Energy Efficiency of Vehicles educates readers about energy and the environment and the relationship between the energy we use and the environment. The world is at a point in time when people need to make very important decisions about energy in the next few decades. This book enables readers to utilize our scientific knowledge to make good rational decisions. Energy Efficiency of Vehicles provides information on: Calculations related to energy, power, and efficiency, and the impact of using different types of energy on the environment. Environmental consequences of consuming energy. Models related to impact of city driving on the energy efficiency and fuel economy of cars and trucks.


2020 ◽  
pp. 123-158
Author(s):  
Sandra Halperin ◽  
Oliver Heath

This chapter shows how to develop an answer to a particular research question. It first considers the requirements and components of an answer to a research question before discussing the role of ‘theory’ in social science research, what a ‘theoretical framework’ is, and what a hypothesis is. It then explores the three components of a hypothesis: an independent variable, a dependent variable, and a proposition (a statement about the relationship between the variables). It also looks at the different types of hypotheses and how they guide various kinds of research. It also explains why conceptual and operational definitions of key terms are important and how they are formulated. Finally, it offers suggestions on how to answer normative questions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 655-674
Author(s):  
Robert Ogulin ◽  
Gustavo Guzman ◽  
Subasinghage Maduka Nuwangi

Purpose This paper aims to develop a conceptual taxonomy for building requisite knowledge capabilities for different supply chain network (SCN) types. Specifically, it examines knowledge capabilities required for three types of SCNs: efficient, collaborative and agile SCNs. Design/methodology/approach This paper integrates two bodies of thought (i.e. knowledge management and organisational learning) and applies them to SCNs. An abductive research process is used to develop this conceptual taxonomy. Findings The conceptual taxonomy details three archetypical knowledge capabilities – exploitation, exploration and ambidextrous. Those knowledge capabilities are required for efficient, collaborative and agile SCNs, respectively. Research limitations/implications This paper is conceptual and theory-based. The next stages of the research seek to further strengthen the explanatory value of the taxonomy through empirical validation. Practical implications The taxonomy developed in this paper provides a valuable and pragmatic tool for managerial decision-making in the context of SCNs. Specifically, it provides a roadmap for practitioners since the study develops an understanding of the relationship between knowledge capabilities and types of SCNs. Originality/value This is one of the earliest studies that attempt to unearth requisite knowledge capabilities for different types of SCNs.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 574-584 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anni Rajala

Purpose Relationship learning is viewed as an important factor in enhancing competitiveness and an important determinant of profitability in relationships. Prior studies have acknowledged the positive effects of interorganizational learning on performance, but the performance measures applied have varied. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between interorganizational learning and different types of performance. The paper also goes beyond direct effects by investigating the moderating effects of different research designs. Design/methodology/approach This paper applies a meta-analytic approach to systematically analyze 21 independent studies (N = 4,618) to reveal the relationship between interorganizational learning and performance. Findings The findings indicate that interorganizational learning is an important predictor of performance, and that the effects of interorganizational learning on performance differ in magnitude under different research conditions. Research limitations/implications The paper focuses on interorganizational learning, and during the data collection, some related topics were excluded from the data search to retain the focus on learning. Practical implications The study evinces the breadth of the field of interorganizational learning and how different research designs affect research results. Moreover, this meta-analysis indicates the need for greater clarity when defining the concepts used in studies and for definitions of the concepts applied in the field of interorganizational learning to be unified. Originality/value This study is the first to meta-analytically synthesize literature on interorganizational learning. It also illuminates new perspectives for future studies within this field.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 98-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Omneya A. Marzouk

Purpose The study aims to investigate the differences among urban and rural consumers in terms of their energy and water sustainable consumption behaviour levels and drivers and also empirically blueprint conceptual frameworks highlighting urban and rural consumer drivers to consume sustainably. Design/methodology/approach This research follows an exploratory design using a qualitative approach; 14 in-depth interviews followed by one focus group were conducted with urban consumers; on the other hand, 18 in-depth interviews followed by one focus group were conducted with rural consumers. Findings The findings show that no differences exist among urban and rural consumers in terms of both their sustainable consumption levels and their drivers to consume sustainably; such findings were encapsulated in the form of one conceptual framework pertinent to both urban and rural consumers; it has the following relevant factors: consumers’ attitudes toward conservation, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, self-preference, public media influence, perceived economic value and perceived moral obligation to be relevant antecedents of conservation behaviour, which – in turn – drives sustainable purchase behaviours with the moderating effect of socio-demographic variables. Originality/value This paper contributes to extant literature as it provides evidence for the drivers of sustainable consumption behaviours of urban versus rural consumers in emerging countries; it also tentatively answers the question of whether the socio-demographic variables infer a difference in consumers’ sustainable consumption; finally, it studies sustainable consumption from a novel perspective with a focus on the relationship between its two pillars.


2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 46-67
Author(s):  
Shakti Bodh Bhatnagar ◽  
Jitendra Kumar Mishra ◽  
Asif Ali Syed

Purpose The literature on customer behaviour has attracted significant attention towards customer loyalty; however, customer disloyalty has not been adequately studied. The purpose of this paper is to identify factors leading to customer disloyalty and develop a comprehensive framework for understanding various dimensions of customer disloyalty in retail banking services. Design/methodology/approach The study is descriptive in nature. Variables associated with customer disloyalty were identified from literature and subsequently factor analysis has been applied to derive the significant factors leading to customer disloyalty. Data were collected through a structured questionnaire administered to 357 retail banking customers. EFA and CFA have been employed to determine relevant factors. Findings This study found that customer disloyalty comprises of, both, attitudinal and behavioural components. Further, the study revealed three factors – unfair practices, unfulfilled services and poor interaction leading to behavioural disloyalty and negative image leading to attitudinal disloyalty. Surprisingly, the study found that pricing and competitor’s attraction do not affect, both, attitudinal disloyalty and behavioural disloyalty. Research limitations/implications The study contributes to customer behaviour literature by understanding customer disloyalty as a distinct concept in comparison to much prevalent customer switching. It addition, this study empirically identified factors leading to behavioural disloyalty and attitudinal disloyalty. Originality/value The originality lies in that fact that it is the only empirical study which has studied customer disloyalty through attitudinal disloyalty lenses. Subsequently, it has also attempted to fill the gap in available literature by studying the relationship between attitudinal disloyalty and behavioural disloyalty.


2019 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 951-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ni Wayan Rustiarini ◽  
Sutrisno Sutrisno ◽  
Nurkholis Nurkholis ◽  
Wuryan Andayani

Purpose This study aims to examine the effects of fraud triangle (pressure, opportunity and rationalization) on individual fraudulent behavior in Indonesian public procurement. Empirical research in this area is relatively sparse. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected using laboratory experiments. Findings The results revealed that fraudulent behavior is higher when an individual has high pressure and high opportunity. These factors play an important role in determining individual rationalization. Most of participants used “displacing responsibility” to rationalize their actions. This study also demonstrated that negative affect mediates the relationship between fraudulent behavior and rationalization. Research limitations/implications First, fraudulent behavior research cannot be separated from social desirability bias. Second, the experiments only involved individual decision-making, not in groups. Finally, this study did not examine the effectiveness of rationalization in reducing negative affect. Practical implications Over the years, the government has only focused on the identification of pressure and reduction of opportunities, but ignored individual psychological reasons. Considering that procurement fraud is always increasing, the government must more focus on individual reasons to design an effective prevention and detection system. Social implications There are various conflicts of interest in public procurement budgeting. These conflicts can distort resource allocation and causes budget leakage. As a result, the government is incapacitated to achieve social and economic goals of the community. Originality/value There is limited research about fraud in public procurement budgeting, especially in developing countries. In addition, the fraud triangle research, which focuses on rationalization is still limited.


2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (7) ◽  
pp. 1398-1411 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris Welter ◽  
Sharon Alvarez

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to describe how discovery and creation opportunities transition from one to the other and thereby clarify the relationship between opportunity types. This theoretical work will offer insight for studying opportunities and clarify the different practical implications of different opportunity types. Design/methodology/approach – To further the understanding of opportunity types, the paper employs Dubin’s (1978) theory building methodology focussing specifically on the concepts of system states. Approaching opportunity types as system states clarifies the relationship between discovery and creation opportunities. Findings – This research argues that opportunities transition from creation opportunities to discovery opportunities. Furthermore, understanding the opportunity state can clarify the practical implications for entrepreneurs. In particular, entrepreneurs in discovery states employ different processes regarding human resources, strategy, financing, planning, leadership, and potential competitive advantage than entrepreneurs pursuing creation states. Originality/value – This paper offers value to researchers by clarifying the differences between opportunity types. To date, there has been little to no investigation into how opportunity types change from one type to another. This research offers to clarify the debate about the existence of different opportunity types and move the discussion forward theoretically. Additionally, this manuscript offers practical insights for entrepreneurs pursuing different types of opportunities.


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