Key risk factors affecting renewable energy independent power producer (IPP) set-up projects in developing countries

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 1340-1355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Nii Addy ◽  
Stephen Akunyumu ◽  
Barbara Simons
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
The Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Set Up ◽  
High Level ◽  
Survey Approach

Purpose Sustained access to efficient electricity plays an essential role in improving living conditions of people and contributes to the economic development of the nation as a whole. Volta River Authority (VRA) mainly manages the generation plants (hydropower sources and thermal plants) alongside independent power producers (IPPs). Power generation in the country has been influenced by myriads of factors. Thus, the purpose of this study is to assess the key risk factors affecting renewable energy of IPPs set-up project in Ghana. Design/methodology/approach Quantitative approach was adopted for the study. Empirical investigation was carried out using the survey approach. The likelihood of occurrence of the risk and the degree of impact of same motivated the use of risk significance index to analyze the data and make deductions from the results. Findings From the study, three key risk factors have high level of severity, which include long and complex procedures for authorization of project activities, stability of the policy environment and ease of obtaining rights to land. These risks could be found in the business/strategic risks and policy/regulatory risks categories, respectively. A total of 25 key risk factors had moderate level of severity and 12 key risk factors have low level of severity on renewable energy IPP set up projects. Practical implications Top-ranked risk factors require maximum attention. The identified risks should be alleviated with strategies to reduce levels of severity by targeting either the likelihood of occurrence or the level of impact. This will serve as a catalyze to promoting renewable energy IPP set-up projects in Ghana. Originality/value Key contribution of the paper to the body of knowledge is demonstrated by the empirical evidence of the risks IPPs are likely to encounter in setting up renewable energy plants in Ghana. The distinctive attribute of this study is further demonstrated by the fact that it focused on the set-up stage, which is a critical stage in the renewable energy provision value chain.

Mixed embeddedness of Brazilian entrepreneurs in Toronto

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Pessoa de Queiroz Falcão ◽  
Michel Mott Machado ◽  
Eduardo Picanço Cruz ◽  
Caroline Shenaz Hossein
Keyword(s):  
Service Sector ◽  
The Body ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Immigrant Entrepreneurship ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Brazilian Government ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Multi Method Approach ◽  
High Level ◽  
Entrepreneurial Activities

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to investigate how social integration, immigrant networks and barriers to ventureing affect the entrepreneurial activities of Brazilians in Canada, indicating how mixed embeddedness takes place in that context.Design/methodology/approachData were collected in Toronto, through the application of a survey with 74 Brazilian entrepreneur respondents and 42 semi-structured interviews with selected subjects, thus representing a multi-method approach. The analysis included descriptive statistics from the survey data and a qualitative analysis of the trajectories and life stories of Brazilian immigrants.FindingsOur sample comprises respondents with a high level of education and proficiency in English, coming predominantly from the southeast of Brazil, white, aged from 30 to 49. The majority of businesses are small and related to the service sector. The article contributes to the literature by discussing the elements related to mixed embeddedness, including the need for cultural adaptation and for the creation of networks as a crucial element for business venturing.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focuses on entrepreneurs regardless of their businesses sector or formality/informality status. It could be used as an instrument to support Canadian public policies for welcoming Brazilians and for the Brazilian government to prevent the evasion of potential entrepreneurs.Originality/valueThe article contributes to the body of knowledge of immigrant entrepreneurship in Canada and of Brazilian entrepreneurship overseas. The results suggest factors that may be relevant to the expansion of their business, such as social networking, cultural embeddedness and adaptation of the products/services to a wider range of target customers.

Significant risk factors associated with facilities management (FM) outsourcing

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 771-796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dubem I. Ikediashi ◽  
Stephen O. Ogunlana
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Significant Risk ◽  
The Body ◽  
Healthcare Sector ◽  
Public Healthcare ◽  
Facilities Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Healthcare Facilities ◽  
Factors Associated ◽  
Body Of Knowledge

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to extend the body of knowledge on healthcare facilities management (FM) by investigating the risks associated with outsourcing of FM services in hospitals. Design/methodology/approach – The paper relied on two strands of methodology common with pragmatic research. Questionnaire survey (QS) used data from 208 respondents representing ten hospitals while three out of the ten hospitals involved in the QS were selected based on their willingness to enter the case study (CS) interview. Data collected were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics for QS and using narrative techniques by discussing themes, sub-themes for the CS. Findings – Findings established 24 out of the 35 risk factors as critical, four factors as somehow critical, and five factors as not critical. Besides, nine risk factors were found to be significantly loaded on the five risk categories. The rank analysis also revealed that the top five critical risk factors are: inexperience and lack of requisite skills; possibility of fraud by vendor; financial failure of chosen vendor; vendor opportunism; and fall in morale of employees. Originality/value – The study provides an unambiguous contribution to exiting body of knowledge on outsourcing risks as it relates to healthcare FM. It reinforces the theory that risks exist in any form of relationship but developed a distinct body of factors associated with outsourcing of FM services particularly from the context of Nigeria’s public healthcare sector.

Survival strategies of built environment organisations in a challenging economy

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 861-876 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Omoregie Aghimien ◽  
Emmanuel Imuetiyan Aghimien ◽  
Akinlolu Oyebobola Fadiyimu ◽  
Taiwo Fadeke Adegbembo
Keyword(s):  
Built Environment ◽  
Financial Management ◽  
Factor Loading ◽  
The Body ◽  
Survival Strategies ◽  
Economic Downturn ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Survey Approach ◽  
Structured Questionnaire

Purpose The economic downturn in Nigeria calls for the need to appraise the survival strategies being adopted by organisations within the built environment, as it plays a major role in the development of every nation. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to appraise the survival strategies of organisations within the built environment, with a view to showcasing these strategies to ensure continuous survival of organisations within the industry. Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a survey approach, and construction professionals across the six geo-political zones of the country were sampled using structured questionnaire. Data gathered were analysed using percentage, Kruskal–Wallis H-test and factor analysis. Findings The study revealed that organisation- and workforce management-related strategies are the most adopted survival strategies in the country, as they have the highest factor loading and accounts for about 37 per cent of the total extracted factors. This is followed by the adoption of strategies relating to organisation’s innovation, diversification, financial management and organisation’s networking, the combination of which accounts for 27.5 per cent of all extracted factors. Research limitations/implications Findings of this study imply that although organisations within the built environment see the need for effective management of their organisation and workforce in a bid to survive in the harsh economic situation of the country, more need to be done as regards the other identified survival strategies, as they can help ensure the survival of these organisations. Originality/value This study contributes to the body of knowledge as it showcases the survival strategies being adopted by the different organisations within the built environment in the challenging Nigerian economy, as against the usual common practice of studying specific organisations within the industry.

QoS in higher education institutions: the concept, a literature review and future directions

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Gyan Prakash
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Student Satisfaction ◽  
Value Chain ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Body ◽  
Teaching Excellence ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Body Of Knowledge

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to understand the meaning and operationalisation of quality of service (QoS) in the context of higher education institutions (HEIs).Design/methodology/approachA systematic literature review of 167 articles published in various peer-reviewed journals between 1990 and 2019 is performed.FindingsThe findings reveal that around 40 dimensions have been used to conceptualise QoS in HEIs. Reliability followed by responsiveness, tangibility, empathy, assurance, programme design, academic and non-academic processes, reputation and facilities have received the highest attention. The most popular approach is empirical, and surveys and single-context studies are the most popular methods. The United Kingdom (UK) leads research on quality in HEIs, followed by the United States of America (USA) and India.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper contributes to the body of knowledge by presenting a comprehensive synthesis of articles addressing QoS in HEIs.Practical implicationsPolicymakers and academic administrators can use the findings of this study to conceptualise student satisfaction along the educational value chain. The discussion on HEIs’ and students’ perspectives will help policymakers create teaching excellence.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the body of knowledge by presenting a unified synthesis of various strands of the literature on QoS in HEIs.

Bundling in public–private partnership projects – a conceptual framework

2019 ◽  
Vol 69 (6) ◽  
pp. 1177-1203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tharun Dolla ◽  
Boeing Laishram
Keyword(s):  
Value Chain ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Transaction Cost Economics ◽  
Public Private Partnership ◽  
The Body ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Firm Level ◽  
Private Partnership ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Body Of Knowledge

Purpose The performance of public–private partnership (PPP) projects depends on how the project has been structured. The traditional PPP option analysis for structuring project scope and size relating to the bundling of functions concerning a single component of the value chain will need to be extended to handle multi-component sectors such as municipal solid waste (MSW) in formulating the project scope. This analysis is currently missing in the extant literature. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach Through a comprehensive literature review as the methodological backbone, this study develops a testable holistic framework for the procurement of MSW PPP projects that examines how various factors of bundling affect the performance of the PPP projects. Findings Using transaction cost economics, agency and auction theories, the review identifies that innovation, maturity, quality specifiability, scope, competition, information asymmetries and transaction attributes have a significant influence on the performance and success of the PPP projects. Research limitations/implications Alternative supply chain management possibilities and firm-level organisational ways can be predicted using this framework to strategize the solutions for the municipal infrastructure. Based on this contribution, future research can test the framework to increase the knowledge of bundling theory about how to structure network infrastructure PPP projects. Originality/value Studies on how to bundle/unbundle the projects having components of the value chain are in a nascent stage. The present study attempts to extend the body of knowledge on PPP to the complexity of bundling both the functions and components of the value chain in structuring the PPP project scope.

Framing a promotional offer as free-with-purchase or as a bundle? The perspective of information salience

2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-507
Author(s):  
Hsuan-Hsuan Ku ◽  
Szu-Han Wang ◽  
Hao-Wei Chiang
Keyword(s):  
Underlying Mechanism ◽  
The Body ◽  
Perceived Benefits ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Key Driver ◽  
Information Salience ◽  
Concept Of Information ◽  
High Level ◽  
Published Research

PurposeBased on the concept of information salience, the research investigates the factors that might drive potential differences in consumers' preferences between offers framed as free with purchase or as a bundle.Design/methodology/approachFour experiments examined how participants' preferences for bundled offers or free-with-purchase offers varied as a function of the perceived benefits to be obtained from the supplementary products (studies 1a and 1b) and identified participants' sensitivity to the price of the supplementary component as a mediator of the framing effect of a promotional offer (study 2) and the provision of information facilitating the drawing of comparisons as the boundary condition constraining the effectiveness of a free-with-purchase offer (study 3).FindingsResults show that a bundled offer is preferable to a free-with-purchase offer when the supplementary product provides a high-level rather than a low-level benefit and identify price sensitivity as an underlying mechanism behind the observed effect. Furthermore, consumers' sensitivity to the value of the focal product in the deal brought to their attention by comparative information makes a fair charge for a relatively unattractive component the preferable offer.Originality/valueWhile much of the existing published research on bundled offers focuses on the assigning of discounts to individual products in the bundle, this study adds to the body of knowledge by showing that variation in perceived benefits is the key driver of different responses to a free-with-purchase offer versus a bundled offer.

scholarly journals Drivers of integration of green into supplier selections: a systematic literature review

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tonny Ograh ◽  
Joshua Ayarkwa ◽  
Dickson Osei-Asibey ◽  
Alex Acheampong ◽  
Peter Amoah
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Supplier Selection ◽  
Current Knowledge ◽  
The Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Narrow Scope ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Policy Direction ◽  
High Level

PurposeThis paper aims to provide a systematic review of extant literature on supplier selection by identifying drivers of integration of Environmental Sustainability (ES) into supplier selection, with the aim of classifying them under broad categories for the development of a framework showing the interrelationships among them.Design/methodology/approachA search was ran for selected keyword themes using three powerful and rigorous search engines: Scopus, Google Scholar and Science Direct, to identify relevant articles from 12 peer-reviewed journals. These were desk reviewed through manual filtering to select drivers of integration of ES into supplier selection.FindingsThirty-one drivers identified from 41 relevant articles as propelling integration of ES into supplier selection were then classified into five categories: strong policy direction, high level of commitment, desire for high reputation, robust technology and availability of green products. This yielded a framework showing the interconnectedness among the drivers.Research limitations/implicationsThe study contributes to the body of knowledge by developing a classification of drivers of integration of ES into supplier selection. The interconnectedness brought to the fore a more subtle appreciation of the drivers of green integration, which could help expand current knowledge outside the narrow scope of isolated drivers. This study provides detailed analyses of drivers of green integration into supplier selection.Originality/valueThis paper provides a comprehensive review of drivers of integrating green into supplier selection, which is lacking in the body of knowledge on ES.

scholarly journals Antecedents and outcomes of health risk perceptions in tourism, following the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maksim Godovykh ◽  
Abraham Pizam ◽  
Frida Bahja
Keyword(s):  
Health Risk ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Risk Perceptions ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
The Body ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
New Approach ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Body Of Knowledge

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to clarify the concept of perceived risks, identify the main antecedents and outcomes of health risk perceptions and propose a conceptual model of health risk perceptions in tourism. Design/methodology/approach This paper provides a review of the literature on customer risk perceptions, along with their antecedents and outcomes, and proposes a conceptual model of health risk perceptions in tourism. Findings Key findings reveal that the main factors of health risk perceptions can be broadly classified into cognitive, affective, individual and contextual components. The proposed conceptual model of health risk perceptions provides a theoretically integrated overview of relationships between all groups of factors, tourists’ risk perceptions and travel intentions. Originality/value The paper contributes to theory by offering a new approach to health risk perceptions in tourism, which remain underexplored in previous studies. The literature review adds to the body of knowledge by introducing four main groups of factors affecting tourists’ health risk perceptions, while the conceptual model proposes relationships between these factors, tourists’ risk perceptions and travel intentions.

Local voices and action: concluding discussion

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 126-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry David Gibson ◽  
Festus Tongwa Aka ◽  
Ruiti Aretaake ◽  
Sarwar Bari ◽  
Guillaume Chantry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Local Level ◽  
Theoretical Framework ◽  
The Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Local Populations ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
Underlying Risk

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the findings from the body of case studies offered in the issue, combined with three external perspectives on local voices and action. Design/methodology/approach Using as its basis the eight key case studies and three external contributions to the special issue, the paper offers a theoretical framework as a basis for discussion of this material. Through this, it identifies possible modes of action understood through the theoretical framework and elaborated through the specific cases. It concludes with proposals for further work. Findings The discussion finds that from a local perspective, the ambitions of local populations and local NGOs to achieve emancipatory change depend on the scope for local collaboration and partnerships to exercise influence on underlying risk factors. It resolves the suggested tension between operating within, and outside the system through the concept of “legitimate subversion”. Originality/value It is felt that the original recording of case studies of local level action combined with the process of iterative critical reflection on the part of the contributors offers a novel approach to knowledge creation from practice, and offers insights bridging theoretical and practitioner perspectives into means of addressing underlying risk factors affecting local populations.

scholarly journals Short industrial placements – developing an activity framework to support teaching and learning

2014 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 256-270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Judith K. Shawcross ◽  
Tom W. Ridgman
Keyword(s):  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
The Body ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Multi Stage ◽  
Literature Searches ◽  
Detailed Level ◽  
Work Integrated Learning ◽  
Activity Groups ◽  
High Level

Purpose – This paper identifies the activities to be undertaken by students during short industrial placements. The purpose of this paper is to obtain a better understanding of what students do during their placements and provide a framework that supports both teaching and learning. This research focuses on a masters-level programme that contains a series of four, two week industrial placements where groups of two students work on a real and significant issue for the host company. Design/methodology/approach – A framework, developed from literature, describes a placement in terms of 17 high-level activity groups. A multi-stage action research method was applied to test the framework and develop a more detailed level framework. This used insights gathered from students, tutors and researchers on all 80 placements undertaken during the 2012-2013 academic year. Findings – The 17 high-level activity groups and their configuration in the framework were confirmed. For the 12 process activity groups, 64 activities were identified and included into a detailed level framework. For the five through-placement activity groups some specific activities were captured and further work remains to capture the others. Originality/value – These complex industrial placements can now be described consistently to students, companies and tutors using an evidence-based framework. Literature searches have not identified any other equivalent research-based frameworks. Other HE programmes also use similar industrial placements and this framework will provide a basis to support these and add to the body of knowledge in work integrated learning.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document