Post-occupancy evaluation of research and academic laboratory facilities

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 797-810 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad A. Hassanain ◽  
Muizz O. Sanni-Anibire ◽  
Abubakar Sadiq Mahmoud ◽  
Wahhaj Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Research Laboratory ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Satisfaction Index ◽  
Post Occupancy Evaluation ◽  
Performance Requirements ◽  
Laboratory Facilities ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Technical Features ◽  
Academic Laboratory

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present the post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of academic and research laboratory facilities. This is based on the premise that the performance of such facilities is directly connected to the productivity, health and wellbeing of its users. Design/methodology/approach The paper was carried out in two phases, first, the performance requirements for academic and laboratory facilities were identified through the extant literature. Furthermore, a questionnaire survey was developed to carry out a POE of existing academic and research laboratory facilities in a university campus in Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire was designed using a Likert scale of one to five. Finally, the satisfaction index was computed, and rates of satisfaction with the various performance requirements were determined. Findings The paper resulted into 74 performance requirements grouped into three categories. The respondents showed general satisfaction with most of the performance requirements. However, dissatisfaction was observed in performance requirements related to technical features and the availability of sustainability features. Such findings suggest the growing importance of such technical and sustainable features in modern-day laboratories. Originality/value Though few studies have employed POE in assessing the performance of academic facilities, there is still a gap regarding its application to the laboratory facilities. Thus, the originality of this study is evident in its presentation of a set of performance requirements and its further application as a case study.

Design quality assessment of campus facilities through post occupancy evaluation

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad A. Hassanain ◽  
Muizz O. Sanni-Anibire ◽  
Abubakar Sadiq Mahmoud
Keyword(s):  
Quality Assessment ◽  
Indoor Environment ◽  
Residential Buildings ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Design Quality ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Post Occupancy Evaluation ◽  
Air Ventilation ◽  
Academic Buildings ◽  
Surrounding Areas

PurposeThis study aims to present the design quality assessment of facilities on a university campus in Saudi Arabia.Design/methodology/approachForty-nine standardized design quality indicators (DQIs) have been adopted for the study. These were classified into relevant categories including: “Indoor Environment, Safety and Maintenance,” “Furniture, Utilities and Spaces” and “Privacy, Appearance and Surrounding Areas.” A web-based survey was used to obtain responses from 207 respondents. The survey was designed based on a Likert scale of satisfaction and was analyzed to obtain the satisfaction indices (SI) as well as Design Quality Scores (DQS).FindingsOccupants were dissatisfied the “level of noise generated from within the space,” “amount of natural light from daylighting systems” and “ease of control of air ventilation systems” among others. The DQS revealed that residential buildings had the highest design quality in terms of “Indoor Environment, Safety, and Maintenance” and “Privacy, Appearance and Surrounding Areas.” Administrative buildings had the best design quality in terms of “furniture, utilities and spaces.” Academic buildings had the lowest design quality in terms of “Indoor Environment, Safety and Maintenance” and “Privacy, Appearance and Surrounding Areas.”Originality/valueUltimately, the study demonstrated how the adoption of a standard set of DQIs could facilitate the standardization of design quality evaluation in the property sector as well as identify best practices through comparison and benchmarking.

Study to promote the sustainable mobility in university

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 871-886
Author(s):  
Ana Paula Scheffer ◽  
Viviane Pagnussat Cechetti ◽  
Lisandra Paola Lauermann ◽  
Eliara Riasyk Porto ◽  
Francisco Dalla Rosa
Keyword(s):  
Urban Mobility ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Sustainable Mobility ◽  
Urban Centers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
Sustainable Urban Mobility ◽  
Technical Features ◽  
The University

Purpose The United Nations (2030 Agenda) recognize the need to work with sustainable urban mobility problems such as traffic jams, pollution, inadequate infrastructure are becoming recurring issues in urban centers, directly affecting the quality of life. Such an unsustainable system is frequently observed at universities, as these houses a large concentration of people and vehicles, without proper planning. To promote sustainable strategies at universities, this research aims to focus on the sustainable mobility plan (SMP) applied at the University of Passo Fundo (UPF). Design/methodology/approach Bibliographic research about the current mobility of the campus has been carried out. A questionnaire was distributed to understand opinions about the subject of key people. Findings The priority treatment given to vehicles, mostly, is an alert factor, which must be solved immediately, considering the need of planning and restructuring it. The suggestions of possible solutions were also relevant, and are being considered for the plan’s implementation. Originality/value This study stands out for using the 2030 Agenda, specifically Goal 11 (Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable), using the university campus as a study object. The mobility plan elaboration was constituted by several actions to fill all parts of the mentioned goal. This study stands out because its methodology can be used in other universities besides UPF and also, to a larger scale, in cities, with similar technical features.

Key performance indicators for the evaluation of academic and research laboratory facilities

2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 208-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abubakar Sadiq Mahmoud ◽  
Muizz O. Sanni-Anibire ◽  
Mohammad A. Hassanain ◽  
Wahhaj Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Performance Indicators ◽  
Research Laboratory ◽  
Rating Scales ◽  
Functional Performance ◽  
Key Performance Indicators ◽  
Importance Rating ◽  
Two Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Comprehensive List ◽  
Laboratory Facilities

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to develop a comprehensive list of key performance indicators (KPIs) that can be employed in determining the functional performance of academic and research laboratory facilities.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a two-phase approach. First, a thorough literature review was conducted to identify potential KPIs specific to the performance of laboratory facilities. This was followed by an assessment of the KPIs by 12 respondents including 6 professionals and 6 users. The KPIs were arranged in the form of a questionnaire survey containing response columns for agree/disagree, and importance rating scales for evaluation. The relative importance index values were also computed.FindingsThe result of the study was a comprehensive list of 161 KPIs classified into nine categories including: space, access/circulation, utilities and waste, environmental conditions, furniture, appearance/finishes/image, communications, storage within the space and special building features. These KPIs were perceived to be at varying levels of importance by the respondents.Originality/valueThough previous studies developed KPIs for the performance of facilities, these KPIs are not universal. Thus, the originality of this study is in its identification of a comprehensive set of KPIs unique to the design, evaluation and management of research and academic laboratory facilities.

An evaluation of the functional performance of research and academic laboratories using the space syntax approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 516-528 ◽  
Author(s):  
Muizz O. Sanni-Anibire ◽  
Mohammad A. Hassanain ◽  
Abubakar Sadiq Mahmoud ◽  
Wahhaj Ahmed
Keyword(s):  
Functional Performance ◽  
Spatial Configuration ◽  
Space Syntax ◽  
Research Experience ◽  
Chemistry Teaching ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Type D ◽  
Laboratory Facilities ◽  
Functional Efficiency ◽  
Academic Laboratory

Purpose University research and academic laboratory facilities are key elements in the support of a successful education and research experience. World-class universities consider the functionality of these facilities as a matter of high priority. The functionality of research and academic laboratory facilities is strongly linked to the productivity of students, teachers and researchers who use these facilities. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the functional performance of eight university laboratories using the space syntax approach. Design/methodology/approach The methodology involved the measurements and drawing of as-built floor plans of selected academic and research laboratories. The main benchmarks involved in measuring the functional efficiency, such as mean depth (MD) of space and real relative asymmetry (RRA), were analyzed using the A-graph software and Microsoft Excel spreadsheets. Findings The results show that “Type D” (chemistry teaching laboratory) and “Type C” (concrete teaching/research laboratory) laboratories have the tendency to be more accessible, efficient and flexible compared to the other laboratory layouts with MD and RRA values of 5.947 and 3.472, and 4.287 and 1.674, respectively. Practical implications This study shows that the functional efficiency of academic and research laboratories can be influenced by the spatial configuration of the space, as presented by the space syntax theory. Space syntax benchmark elements, such as MD, RRA, R and H*, can be used to compare various spatial arrangements, and the results can inform decisions on ways to re-arrange the space for optimum efficiency. Originality/value It is hoped that the idea of space syntax theory in the evaluation of the functional efficiency of laboratory facilities, illustrated in this research, is of significant contribution to the enhancement of the research and educational experience of concerned stakeholders in teaching and research environments.

Post occupancy evaluation of a flexible workplace facility in Saudi Arabia

2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 102-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammad A. Hassanain ◽  
Ali K. Alnuaimi ◽  
Muizz O. Sanni-Anibire
Keyword(s):  
User Satisfaction ◽  
Functional Performance ◽  
Workplace Flexibility ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Satisfaction Index ◽  
Post Occupancy Evaluation ◽  
Index Approach ◽  
Open Plan ◽  
Questionnaire Surveys

Purpose This paper aims to present an assessment of user satisfaction of an innovative workplace design, otherwise known as flexible workplaces. Design/methodology/approach The study first sought to establish the level of flexibility of the workplace through the identification of flexibility criteria presented in a checklist format. In total, 29 criteria were identified and subsequently assigned weights by ten professionals. These professionals further assessed a case study office building through a walkthrough exercise to determine its level of flexibility. Furthermore, a post occupancy evaluation (POE) was conducted to assess the level of users’ satisfaction with functional performance elements. Questionnaire surveys were administered to 142 users, with a 63 per cent response rate. The feedback was analyzed and presented using the mean satisfaction index approach. Findings The results showed that the total flexibility achieved by the facility is 67.63 per cent, which is considered to be “averagely flexible”. The POE results also showed that users were strongly dissatisfied (SD) with the “adequate number of enclosed offices,” which is one of the corner-stones of flexibility where open-plan offices are strongly encouraged. Users expressed dissatisfaction with other issues, while their overall satisfaction with the facility was noted. Originality/value This study is based on the premise that innovative workplace facilities will only fulfill its intended objectives if designers consider the satisfaction of its users. The study makes a specific contribution in the assessment of workplace flexibility and occupants’ satisfaction of flexible workplaces. This will be of significant value to facility managers, designers and space planners involved in the design and management of workplace facilities.

How label and nutritional claims affect consumers’ acceptance, buying intention and quality perception toward a beverage made from cashew nut

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (6) ◽  
pp. 1243-1251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Cabral Rebouças ◽  
Maria do Carmo Passos Rodrigues ◽  
Silvia Maria de Freitas
Keyword(s):  
New Product ◽  
Quality Attributes ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cashew Nut ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Perception Of Quality ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Mango Juice ◽  
Hedonic Scale

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the influence of the front of a package label and the nutritional claims linked to it over consumers’ expectations as to acceptance, purchase attitude and perception of quality characteristics of a new functional beverage made from cashew nut milk and added with mango juice and prebiotic substances. Design/methodology/approach Three versions of the front label were developed, which differed just by the type of nutritional claim presented (“0 per cent lactose and 0 per cent cholesterol; 0 per cent lactose, 0 per cent cholesterol and source of fibers, 0 per cent lactose, 0 per cent cholesterol and antioxidants”) and were evaluated in two phases, expectation and informed. For the evaluation, consumers used a multi-attribute scale, the nine-point hedonic scale and a nine-point semi-structured buying attitude scale. Findings The labels created a positive expectation on the consumers regarding the quality attributes, overall impression (mean = 6.0 “Like slightly”) and buying attitude (mean = 6.0 “Would probably buy”). After tasting the beverage associated with labels (informed phase), consumers kept a positive evaluation. The t-test performed between the pair of means of both phases showed that there has not been a significant difference regarding the quality attributes (p > 0.05), special, attractive, nutritive, healthy and buying attitude (Label 1, p = 0.26; Label 2, p = 0.18; Label 3, p = 0.26) in all labels. Originality/value The authors evaluated how the influence of label and nutritional claims in regards to a new product, a beverage made from cashew nut, affects its acceptance, buying attitude and characteristics of quality. Until this moment, there are no studies that evaluate how external attributes affect the acceptance of this beverage totally unique in the Brazilian market.

LinkedIn and recruitment: how profiles differ across occupations

2014 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 583-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Zide ◽  
Ben Elman ◽  
Comila Shahani-Denning
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Social Networking Sites ◽  
Personal Information ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Group Member

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the elements of a LinkedIn profile that hiring professionals focus on most, and then examine LinkedIn profiles in terms of these identified elements across different industries. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology was comprised of two phases. In the first phase, researchers interviewed hiring professionals to determine their usage of LinkedIn. In the second phase, LinkedIn group member profiles from three industries – HR, sales/marketing and industrial/organizational (I/O) psychology – were compared on the 21 variables identified in Phase 1 (n=288). Findings – χ2 and ANOVA tests showed significant differences with respect to ten of the LinkedIn variables in how people presented themselves across the three groups. There were also several gender differences found. Research limitations/implications – A general limitation was the use of a qualitative research approach. A limitation of Phase 1 was that only a small sample of New York City-based hiring professionals was interviewed. Perhaps a wider, more diverse sample would have yielded different variables. In terms of Phase 2, it is possible that just utilizing the second connections of the researchers limited the generalizability of findings. Practical implications – User unwillingness to fully complete the LinkedIn profile suggests that it may not have replaced the traditional resume yet. Sales/marketing professionals were more likely than HR and I/O psychology professionals to complete multiple aspects of a LinkedIn profile. Women were also less likely than men to provide personal information on their profiles. Originality/value – Most of the empirical research on social networking sites has focussed on Facebook, a non-professional site. This is, from the knowledge, the first study that systematically examined the manner in which people present themselves on LinkedIn – the most popular professional site used by applicants and recruiters worldwide.

Smart practices in HEIs and the contribution to the SDGs: implementation in Brazilian university

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Liane Dalla Gasperina ◽  
Janaina Mazutti ◽  
Luciana Londero Brandli ◽  
Roberto dos Santos Rabello
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Waste Reduction ◽  
Infrastructure Management ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Southern Brazil ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Sustainability Research ◽  
Development Goals

Purpose Smart campuses can be seen as the future of higher education efforts, especially for their contributions to sustainability and to encourage innovation. This paper aims to present the benefits of smart practices in a Higher Education Institutions and highlights its connections to the sustainable development goals (SDGs). Design/methodology/approach The methodology is divided into three steps: first, an international search and assessment of smart practices at universities; second, the identification of smart practices in a university campus in southern Brazil; and third, the presentation of the benefits of smart practices and their relationship with the SDGs. Findings The results showed that globally, the area most covered by smart practices in universities is the environment and, specifically, focused on waste reduction. in the context of this case study, the benefits of implementing smart practices mainly reach SDGs 4 and SDG 9, especially due to aspects of teaching technologies for the new classroom models and the optimization of campus infrastructure management. Practical implications The study encourages other universities to implement smart practices in their campuses, to becoming smart campuses while they also collaborate in achieving the SDGs while raising the discussion on the importance of committed actions taken on a university campus with the UN SDGs, to leverage synergies on campus operations at universities. Originality/value This paper presents a set of smart practices that universities are applying both globally and locally (in southern Brazil). In addition, it contributes to sustainability research by showing how smart practices have the potential to promote SDGs in universities, especially through campus operations.

A comparative study of formal coaching and mentoring programmes in higher education

2022 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenni Jones ◽  
Helen A. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Undergraduate Students ◽  
Business School ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Application Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Record Keeping ◽  
Practice Recommendations ◽  
Matching Process ◽  
Two Phases

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to evaluate two coaching and mentoring programmes focused on the ever-increasingly important aim of enhancing the chances of professional level employment for undergraduate students, at two UK universities. In addition, to offer recommendations to enhance coaching and mentoring success within higher education (HE).Design/methodology/approachTwo similar programmes are compared; the first study is a coaching programme delivered in two phases involving over 1,500 students within the business school. The second study is a mentoring programme involving over 250 students over a ten-year period within the business school at a different institution.FindingsThe two programmes have been compared against the key success criteria from the literature, endorsed by coaching and mentoring experts. The results highlight the importance of integrating with other initiatives, senior management commitment, budget, an application process, clear matching process, trained coaches and mentors, induction for both parties, supportive material, ongoing supervision and robust evaluation and record keeping.Research limitations/implicationsThe research focuses on two similar institutions, with comparable student demographics. It would have been useful to dig deeper into the effect of the diverse characteristics of coach/mentor and coachee/mentee on the effectiveness of their relationships. In addition, to test the assumptions and recommendations beyond these two institutions, and to validate the reach and application of these best practice recommendations further afield.Practical implicationsThe results identify a number of best practice recommendations to guide HE institutions when offering coaching and mentoring interventions to support career progression of their students.Originality/valueThere are limited comparison studies between universities with undergraduate career-related coaching and mentoring programmes and limited research offering best practice recommendations for coaching and mentoring programmes in HE. The top ten factors offered here to take away will add value to those thinking of running similar programmes within HE.

A sustainability internship program: strategies for creating student stewards for sustainability

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hongor Miller ◽  
Byron Ronald Miller Jr ◽  
Jeffrey Spoelstra
Keyword(s):  
Local Community ◽  
Leadership Skills ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Behavior Changes ◽  
University Campus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Assessment Scores ◽  
Post Test ◽  
Internship Programs ◽  
Method Of Evaluation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the strategies and an effective model for creating and implementing a sustainability internship program at a university campus. Design/methodology/approach This study assessed Western Michigan University’s sustainability program’s interns’ gain of environmental knowledge on sustainability topics via pre- and post-test assessments. A sample of 50 interns between fall 2016 and spring 2019 comprising six cohorts participated in this study. Data were analyzed using statistical package for social sciences to calculate descriptive statistics and sign tests. Findings The sign tests of the accumulative internship pre- and post-test assessment scores significantly increased for all 14 sustainability knowledge dimensions. Research limitations/implications The pre- and post-test assessments of the internship program are unable to track and predict the long-term behavior changes of the interns after the completion of the program. Therefore, a future longitudinal study is needed. Practical implications This sustainability internship program’s content and experiential learning model has been proven to be effective in increasing interns’ knowledge of sustainability issues and creating sustainability stewards. Institutions and universities should consider creating their own sustainability internship program based on Western Michigan University's program using pre- and post-test assessments as a method of evaluation. Social implications The internship programs’ main strength is that it offers students from all academic backgrounds an opportunity to dig deep into sustainability issues, build new social networks, gain knowledge, develop leadership skills, become sustainability stewards and immediately apply what they have learned on campus and in their local community. On-campus internships are unique learning opportunities worthy of study and refinement. Originality/value This research paper is unique because it analyzes the combined pre- and post-test scores of six cohorts of interns’ across multiple knowledge dimensions of sustainability. This study empirically shows that the combined interns’ sustainability knowledge across all dimensions significantly increased from the pre- to post-test over the semester-long program.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document