The performance-risk indicators (PRI) in building performance rating tool for higher education buildings

2016 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natasha Khalil ◽  
Syahrul Nizam Kamaruzzaman ◽  
Mohamad Rizal Baharum ◽  
Husrul Nizam Husin
Keyword(s):  
Functional Performance ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Risk Indicators ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Preliminary Survey ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Safety Risk ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Performance Risk

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop a building performance (BP) rating tool concerning the health and safety risk of building users in higher educational buildings (HEB). This paper presents the findings of a preliminary survey, which is the establishment of performance-risk indicators (PRIs) as an initial construct for the development of BP rating tool. The construct items consist of three criteria as the main focus, namely performance element, risk frames and the indicators. Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts a qualitative approach to achieve the outcome for the preliminary survey. The determinants of the indicators were preliminarily compiled from literature and previous established BP evaluation (BPE) schemes. The initial construct of indicators are then further confirmed through semi-structured interviews involving 18 building operators in Malaysia’s public university buildings. Their views are needed to obtain suitability of the listed indicators for BP rating assessment to be used in the local HEB. The transcription and interpretation from the interview findings are carried out using Atlas.ti© qualitative software. Findings – The interpretation of the interview findings has supported the justification for this paper that there is no proactive action in executing BP assessment to mitigate risk towards users’ health and safety. The findings also revealed that there are 26 indicators that are rated as suitable to be used for the local context of Malaysia’s HEBs. The indicators are categorised under three performance elements, which are functional performance (FP), technical performance (TP) and indoor environmental performance (IEP). Research limitations/implications – Because the chosen building sample is HEBs, the indicators may not be generalised as the suitability of the items were determined from the respective operators. Therefore, it is recommended that further research is carried out for other types of buildings. Practical implications – The proposed PRIs have a significant role in the building maintenance and management in HEBs. The result is able to suggest methods for the management to improve and optimise the BP aspects by focusing occupants’ health and safety risk as a reactive process. Originality/value – This paper highlights the benefits of integrating two previously separate fields: BP and risk management (RM) and, thus, helps providing opportunities for improvement of BP and the relationships with risk and satisfaction of the users. It may initiate a new perspective in optimising the BP and mitigating the health, safety and environmental risk by sensitivity to changing needs of occupants in HEB.

Adaptive clothing features to support daily exercising needs of muscular dystrophy victimized women in Sri Lanka

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Niromi Seram ◽  
Rivini Mataraarachchi ◽  
Thanuri Jayaneththi
Keyword(s):  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Psychological Needs ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Daily Exercise ◽  
Custom Made

Purpose Exercising is a key approach adopted by muscular dystrophy patients to halt the weakening of muscles as it can eventually lead to serious immobility issues. Though it is essential to exercise on a daily basis for healthy living, there is no mention of any research effort in the current literature regarding the development of an apparel product for these mobility-affected patients that might assist them both in meeting their exercising needs and providing them some comfort in their daily living. Thus, this paper aims to focus on identifying the specific needs of muscular dystrophy victims and proposing special adaptive clothing solutions to support their daily exercise and mobility needs. Design/methodology/approach To achieve the objectives of this study, attention was focused on the muscular dystrophy afflicted women in Sri Lanka. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the female victims of muscular dystrophy and their lifestyles were observed carefully; additional data were gathered by holding semi-structured interviews with their physiotherapists. Further, interviews were conducted with both garment technologists and fabric technologists too. Data gathered through these methods were analyzed qualitatively using the principles of thematic analysis and then aggregate conclusions were drawn. Findings It was observed that the patients were engaged in special activities such as exercising three times a day besides following their normal day-to-day activities to maintain and develop muscle strength. It soon became evident that these women found it difficult to perform their daily exercise routines with their regular clothing and were looking for custom made clothing they could wear all day long in comfort and avoid the problems that arose while exercising. The study specifies the requirements that must be met to satisfy both generic and specific needs. Considering all these aspects some adaptive clothing solutions were proposed to support daily exercising activity with respect to comfort, convenience, health and safety, as well as socio-cultural and psychological needs. Originality/value The area of fusing generic and specific features to support the daily exercising needs of muscular dystrophy victims is an untouched field of experimentation and being a need of the disabled, the present study marks a milestone on the way to a novel area of apparel design, besides exploring a new field of research.

scholarly journals Fraud in overseas aid and the challenge of measurement

2015 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 184-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Button ◽  
Chris Lewis ◽  
David Shepherd ◽  
Graham Brooks
Keyword(s):  
High Risk ◽  
International Development ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the challenges of measuring fraud in overseas aid. Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on 21 semi-structured interviews with key persons working in the delivery of aid in both the public and voluntary sectors. It uses the UK Department for International Development as a case study to applying more accurate measures of fraud. Findings – This paper shows there are significant challenges to using fraud loss measurement to gauge fraud in overseas aid. However, it argues that, along with other types of measures, it could be used in areas of expenditure in overseas governments and charities to measure aid. Given the high risk of such aid to fraud, it argues helping to develop capacity to reduce aid, of which measuring the size of the problem is an important part; this could be considered as aid in its own right. Research limitations/implications – The researchers were not able to visit high-risk countries for fraud to examine in the local context views on the challenges of measuring fraud. Practical implications – The paper offers insights on the challenges to accurately measuring fraud in an overseas context, which will be useful to policy-makers in this context. Social implications – Given the importance of as much aid as possible reaching recipients, it offers an important contribution to helping to reduce losses in this important area. Originality/value – There has been very little consideration of how to measure fraud in the overseas aid context, with most effort aimed at corruption, which poses some of the same challenges, as well as some very different challenges.

Supporting, tinkering, adjusting and resisting: a typology of user translations of the built environment

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahlam Ammar Sharif ◽  
Andrew Karvonen
Keyword(s):  
Architectural Design ◽  
Participant Observation ◽  
User Involvement ◽  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Daily Basis ◽  
User Preferences ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type

PurposeArchitectural theorists have a long tradition of acknowledging the centrality of building users to architectural production. This article contributes to the discourse on architecture, actor–network theory (ANT), and users by proposing a typology of user translations ranging from supporting to tinkering to adjusting to resisting.Design/methodology/approachThe research utilises an ANT-inspired ethnography of sustainable lighting scripts at the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology (MIST). It comprises semi-structured interviews with MIST designers and students, and site visits and participant observation to understand how the users interpret the scripts and how they interact and change them on a daily basis.FindingsThere is a shared understanding that users do not simply receive architectural designs but interpret and change them to suit their preferences. The findings reveal the multiple ways that users interpret and respond to the assumptions of designers and in the process, recast the relations between themselves and their material surroundings.Originality/valueThe research contributes to acknowledging the centrality of users to architectural design processes and the interpretation of design scripts, addressing the limitation in current literature in demonstrating the diversity of ways that users react to such scripts. The research suggests that user actions have significant implications on long-term building performance. It accordingly points to the need for devising multiple means of user involvement in the design process and allowing greater flexibility in design scripts to improve the alignment with user preferences.

Exploring destination brand disengagement in a top-down policy context

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 347-363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Narcís Bassols ◽  
Thomas Leicht
Keyword(s):  
Place Branding ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Brand Strategy ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Top Down ◽  
Online Questionnaire ◽  
Bottom Up ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Study

Purpose This paper aims to analyze the case of Cartagena, Colombia, as a case of a failed destination branding. It also broadens the findings by connecting them to the extant literature about place branding, thus making this paper more explanatory. It tries to fit the fieldwork’s findings into the two main streams of branding research (bottom-up vs top-down). This paper also gives practical insights into the destination’s network of stakeholders and discusses ways to improve the destination’s management and branding. Design/methodology/approach This paper uses a mixed methodology approach. Field work consisted of online questionnaire to hospitality employees in the city plus semi-structured interviews conducted with 18 “expert” stakeholders in the destination. This paper is of empirical nature. Findings The main cause of the destination’s brand failure is found to be the top-down approach to the place brand strategy. The literature shows that cases such as this one are more common than assumed, and a possible way out of the problem is the application of bottom-up or “mixed” approaches, as these may circumvent the problems found. Research limitations/implications Cases like this one illustrate very well a local context but might be difficult to transfer to other contexts, so the generalization power of this paper is limited to similar places in the sociopolitical sense of the term. Practical implications For place branding practitioners and destination management organizations , this paper is a call for participative approaches which include all of the stakeholders of a place. Originality/value This paper offers an in-depth study of a branding case in Latin America, a part of the world relatively unexplored in the branding literature. On the basis of the presented case, this paper pitches top-down versus bottom-up approaches. Finally, it explains the findings by connecting the place to its broad geographical context.

Sustainability of Indian management education institutions

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 613-626
Author(s):  
Ritika Mahajan
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Management ◽  
Management Education ◽  
Business Schools ◽  
Visionary Leadership ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Private And Public ◽  
Orientation Training

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore perspectives of academicians in leadership positions in Indian business schools on the sustainability of management education institutions in India. Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 respondents including directors, deans and vice-chancellors of private and public sector institutions offering management programmes across India. The interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim for analysis. Findings All the respondents strongly supported the need for building sustainable management education institutions. Different factors affecting sustainability of institutions that emerged from the interviews included focus on local context and inter-disciplinarity, visionary leadership and culture, country specific curriculum and pedagogy, sustained industry-academia collaboration, faculty orientation, training, retention and growth. On the basis of the factors identified, a directional proposition with the perspective of blue ocean strategy is proposed. Originality/value There is a vast scope for exploring issues, challenges and strategies for building sustainable management education institutions. Literature in this field in the Indian context is very limited. This paper is one of the few attempts to study perspectives and experiences of leaders in Indian business schools on the sustainability of their institutions.

Building performance in the context of industry pressures

2014 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 527-543
Author(s):  
Craig Robertson ◽  
Dejan Mumovic
Keyword(s):  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Performance Assessment ◽  
Energy Gap ◽  
Building Energy ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Building Performance ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Actual Performance ◽  
Content Type

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the relationship between designed and actual building performance as represented in an Royal Institute of British Architects- and Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers-backed web-based comparison platform and the industry perception of the pressures surrounding building performance assessment. European directives and UK Parliamentary Acts have resulted in a range of mechanisms aimed at encouraging monitoring of energy consumption, responsive management and evidence-based design. Web-based feedback platforms aim to feed evaluation data back to industry anonymously; however, there exists a range of barriers and disincentives that prevent widespread and habitual engagement with building evaluation. Design/methodology/approach – Using energy data from the CarbonBuzzweb platform and a series of semi-structured interviews, a mixed-methods study has been carried out. Analysis of the characteristics of the existing energy discrepancy between designed and actual performance shows where variance typically occurs. Interviews with industry actors presents a synopsis of the perceived and actual legislative and procedural pressures that exist in relation to building performance assessment. Findings – The conclusions of this paper identify weaknesses in the current legislative and incentivisation mechanisms with regard to targeting building energy performance and industrial pressures that hinder broader industry engagement with post-occupancy evaluation. Originality/value – The recommendations arising from this study are for adjustments to the existing legislative framework to increase participation in meaningful building energy evaluation targeted at the specifics of the energy gap and the motivations of industrial actors. This will specifically help to reduce building energy consumption and associated carbon emissions.

scholarly journals The health and safety impact of construction project features

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Manu ◽  
Nii Ankrah ◽  
David Proverbs ◽  
Subashini Suresh
Keyword(s):  
Construction Project ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Causal Influence ◽  
Construction Design ◽  
Driving Mechanisms ◽  
Accident Causation ◽  
Proximate Causes

Purpose – Despite the established significance of underlying accident causes to health and safety (H&S), and the persistent reporting of the underlying accident causal influence of construction project features (CPFs) which emanate from pre-construction decisions, no empirical research has focused on CPFs in terms of assessing their degree of potential to influence accident occurrence. The purpose of this paper is to, therefore, investigate this facet of the accident causal influence of CPFs. Design/methodology/approach – A mixed method design was used involving semi-structured interviews, and a questionnaire survey of UK construction professionals. Findings – CPFs generally have a moderate or a high potential to influence accident occurrence, implying a fair or severe potential to cause harm in terms of the H&S of workers. The degree of potential of CPFs to influence accident occurrence is influenced by: the extent to which certain proximate causes of accidents are common/prevalent within CPFs;and the degree of potential of those proximate causes to influence accident occurrence. Originality/value – These findings provide insight into the H&S consequences of CPFs, awareness of which is essential if pre-construction project participants are to implement appropriate risk control measures especially in the early phases of projects to mitigate the accident causal influence of CPFs. The findings reinforce the contribution of clients and their design and project management teams to accident causation, the significance of the early planning of H&S in construction project delivery, and the importance of driving mechanisms such as the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.

Examining the role of ageing-in-place organisations in building older adults’ disaster resilience

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-26
Author(s):  
Claire Pendergrast ◽  
Basia Belza ◽  
Ann Bostrom ◽  
Nicole Errett
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
The United States ◽  
Local Context ◽  
Disaster Resilience ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Ageing In Place ◽  
Building Activities

Abstract Older adults are more susceptible to adverse health outcomes during and after a disaster compared with their younger counterparts. Ageing-in-place organisations such as senior centres and Villages provide social services and programming for older adults and may support older adults’ resilience to disasters. This study examines the role of ageing-in-place organisations in building disaster resilience for older adults. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 14 ageing-in-place organisation leaders in King County, Washington in the United States of America. The sample included representatives of five government-run senior centres, seven non-profit senior centres and two Villages. Interviews were audio-recorded and professionally transcribed. We used a combined inductive and deductive approach to code and thematically analyse the data. Ageing-in-place organisation leadership recognise disasters as a threat to older adults’ health and safety, and they see opportunities to provide disaster-related support for older adults, though the type and extent of participation in resilience-building activities reflected each organisation's unique local context. Organisations participate in a variety of disaster-related activities, though respondents emphasised the importance of collaborative and communication-focused efforts. Findings suggest that ageing-in-place organisations may be best equipped to support older adults’ disaster resilience by serving as a trusted source of disaster-related information and providing input on the appropriateness of disaster plans and messages for the unique needs of older adults ageing-in-place.

How transformative learning nurtures ecological thinking. Evidence from the Students Swap Stuff project

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 635-658
Author(s):  
Ingrid Molderez
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Safety Management ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Environmental Health And Safety ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Ecological Thinking

Purpose There is a growing call for novel approaches in education with respect to sustainable development. Transformative learning lacks empirical research. This paper responds to that gap and aims at analysing how transformative learning nurtures ecological thinking. Design/methodology/approach The Students Swap Stuff sustainability project is the result of a transformative and action-oriented learning process within the course Corporate Social Responsibility of the Master Environmental, Health and Safety Management, Faculty of Economics and Business at KU Leuven, Brussels, Belgium. Framed by the appreciative inquiry method, students set up a swapping system to limit overconsumption, waste and spillage caused by students’ stay in Brussels for a semester or longer. The paper is focusing on participatory action research, using semi-structured interviews with twenty-two participating students exploring whether their assumptions regarding the dominant paradigms in management have been transformed. Forty-nine participants in the closet swap completed a questionnaire related to their motivations. Findings The project was helpful in rethinking the traditional economic system and in decentering the economic element allowing for a different way of thinking, integrating trust and restoring the value of just giving. Four insights from the Students Swap Stuff project are relevant for other action-oriented learning approaches: start from a specific framework to guide the action; give enough time to dream what might be, but always link it to delivering what will be; insert sufficient moments of reflection; and give the students ample opportunities to express their feelings during the project. Research limitations/implications First, the research focused on one case, the Students Swap Stuff, with a limited number of students participating in the project. The aim of action-oriented learning, however, was not mere action, but the action had to lead to insights that are helpful for other cases and situations. Second, the interviews were set up between peers. Information about their background, such as families, preferred activities during leisure time, attitudes in favor of the environment, were not directly integrated in the semi-structured questions. This could be part of follow-up research emphasizing aspects of environmental psychology. Practical implications This study reveals that transformative and action-oriented learning demand a lot from students and lecturers. To avoid confusion on the concept “action,” praxis could be used to emphasize that thinking and doing exist simultaneously. Students learn in a natural way, but do not always see the effects immediately. Lecturers have to respond to this in a constructive way and have to include reflection moments on a regular basis. Originality/value Apart from the dominant research on students as objects, there is little research with students. This paper goes further by combining two stances: students as co-creators of knowledge; and students as participants in action research.

scholarly journals Workplace health and wellbeing in construction and retail

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 251-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Carmichael ◽  
Sarah-Jane Hannah Fenton ◽  
Monica Viviana Pinilla-Roncancio ◽  
Marea Sing ◽  
Steven Sadhra
Keyword(s):  
Pilot Study ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Health And Safety ◽  
Holistic Approach ◽  
Retail Sector ◽  
Workplace Health ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Health And Wellbeing ◽  
Industry Practice

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the nature of the health and wellbeing issues faced within the construction and retail sectors and the difficulties faced in addressing these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This is a small, qualitative pilot study based on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with a purposively sampled group of representatives with expert knowledge from seven firms in the construction sector and three firms in the retail sector. Findings – Health and safety concerns in construction were pervasive. Causes were strongly tied to industry practice and structures such as short-term and sub-contracting as well as long hours and a masculine culture. In the retail establishments concerns tended to be more holistic, focusing on wellbeing and encompassing work satisfaction. Industry leaders in construction are proactive in trying to address these issues, particularly in regard to safety. The multi-dimensionality of the concept of workplace wellbeing implies the need for a holistic approach to interventions. Research limitations/implications – This research was initiated as a pilot study, as part of a wider project in collaboration with a business partner, and is limited by the sample size. Practical implications – These findings should be incorporated into sector specific research on workplace wellbeing and occupational health initiatives. Social implications – Workplace wellbeing programmes need to be constructed holistically as wellbeing is a multi-dimensional concept encompassing quality of life as well as effects of work on health. Originality/value – An in-depth study with industry experts that increases knowledge of the underlying causes of workplace health and wellbeing issues in construction and retail and the barriers to addressing them.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document