Integration strategies for advanced construction technologies in the US AECO industry

Advanced Construction Technologies (ACTs) have fundamentally altered the way the US Architecture, Engineering, Construction, and Operations (AECO) industry operates. Over the past few decades, the US AECO industry has undergone a technological awakening, which promises to improve project quality and efficiency in a multitude of ways. The shift towards technology adoption began with Building Information Modeling (BIM), which for many years struggled to gain acceptance due to a largely ad-hoc integration strategy for organizations. As technologies continue to emerge and develop beyond, and in parallel with BIM, there are no tools available to help evaluate, plan and integrate such advancements in US AECO workflows. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with US AECO industry technology experts to establish a cursory list of the factors which impede or promote the successful integration of ACTs. These factors were evaluated, ranked and rated through a Delphi study, conducted with a panel of industry experts who at the time specialized or leveraged ACTs. A novel continuously iterative Delphi platform was deployed to gain the requisite expert input for the importance rating and impact ranking for each of the factors cited as influential in technology integration. The collected data was used to help bridge the identified gap between ACT development and successful integration of ACTs into US AECO industry workflows. Within the context of existing technology integration theories, this study identifies and evaluates factors which influence technological integration success within the US AECO industry. This study begins the process of establishing a foundation of understanding as it relates to meaningful ACT integration.

Mapping the customer centric weather index insurance service design using quality function deployment

PurposeThe present paper aims to propose a framework on weather index insurance (WII) service design by using quality function deployment (QFD).Design/methodology/approachThis study utilizes QFD technique to propose a customer oriented framework on WII service design. In initial phase, customer and design requirements were gathered to derive the relationship between customers' and managers' voice for construct the house of quality (HOQ). Later on, prioritized customer and design requirements as QFD outcome were utilized to develop the action plan matrix in order to suggest the future action plans.FindingsThis study proposed a customer centric framework on WII service design to address the customer requirements. Findings show that adequate claim payments, hassle free prompt claim payment and transparency in losses computation are prioritized customer requirements with highest importance rating, whereas, accurate claim estimation, claim management system and advancement of technology are prioritized service design necessities with highest importance rating.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed WII service design can enhance the quality of WII service by attain the higher standards of WII service in order to completely satisfy the customers.Practical implicationsThe proposed WII service design can provide a solution to the problems faced by WII industry by improve the customer's service experience and satisfaction.Originality/valueBased on best of author's knowledge, this paper first proposed a framework on WII service design by integrating customer and design requirements by using QFD.

The Effectiveness of I-AM Human Resources Information System Application at PT Pertamina (Persero)

This study discusses the effectiveness of implementation of Human Resource Information System (HRIS) I-AM application in improving the quality of employee service at PT Pertamina (Persero). Although this I-AM application helps employees, most of them are reluctant to use it. Therefore, this research intends to evaluate the effectiveness of the I-AM HRIS implementation by using the Delone model, McLean Information System Success model, and Quality Function Deployment analysis. Fifty employees are selected by performing convenience sampling techniques . The result shows that there are four indicators in the dimension of system quality which did not fulfil the employees’ desire. Out of four indicators which failed to fulfill the employees’ desire, The speed of administration process as well as the ease of the human resource administration process are among the highest technical importance rating and relative weight which literally means high-interest rate and should be redesigned to improve employee service through I-AM HRIS.

ACTUALIZATION OF EXTRA-ECONOMIC FACTORS OF INFORMATION SOCIETY IN NEW ECONOMY SYSTEM OF STATE, REGIONS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL STRUCTURES

The article substantiates the actualization of extra-economic factors in context of transformation processes and globalization challenges of information development of socioeconomic relations. The need to study this part of the components is also associated with the processes of modernization, regresstion of moral and spiritual qualities, loss of cultural identity and originality in achieving individual and regional goals. The formation and establishment of these factors in the information society requires new coordinaton efforts from the state regarding the effectiveness of activity of economic entities. The purpose of the article is to identify the role and particularities of the influence of extra-economic factors on the development of the Ukrainian economy and society as a whole during informatization. Methods of research are used in the work are the following: scientific generalization (when systematizing various components of extraeconomic factors); abstract-logical and theoretical generalization (when formulating conclusions); comparison (in the process of identifying the degree of influence of individual factors); concretization (when clarifying the concept of extra-economic factors); systematization, sociological analysis (when determining the rating of the importance of factors), etc. The author’s clarification of the essence of extra-economic factors, which are presented mainly as moral and spiritual, creative components connected with consciousness by eternal human values, is carried out. The object of research is the partcularities of the formation of such socio-cultural components as political aspects, trust, information, culture, mentality, religion, format of generation of Millennials, which can be decisive in achieving the goals of social transformation and can also hinder the development of these processes during informatization. The particularities of the impact of extra-economic factors on the development of socio-economic processes and phenomena are outlined, in particular: increasing profitability and reducing business depenses, intensifying innovation, increasing employment, forming value-labor orientations of workers, overcoming loss of the employees’ personal identity, modernization, cultural-spiritual and economic reproduction, opportunities for alternative employment, etc. The results of a sociological study regarding the determination of importance rating of extra-economic factors, which allowed to determine the main positions of these factors in the social and labor attitudes of domestic respondents and to outline certain social creativity in the development of socio-economic processes. Keywords: information society, new economy system, extra-economic factors, trust, state and regions, entrepreneurship, innovations. JEL Classification D83, J22, O33 Formulas: 0; fig.: 0; tabl.: 2; bibl.: 22.

Beyond Average: Providers' Assessments of Indices for Measuring Pain Intensity in Patients With Chronic Pain

Introduction: Effective clinical care for chronic pain requires accurate, comprehensive, meaningful pain assessment. This study investigated healthcare providers' perspectives on seven pain measurement indices for capturing pain intensity.Methods: Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with a purposeful sample from four US regions of 20 healthcare providers who treat patients with chronic pain. The qualitative interview guide included open-ended questions to address perspectives on pain measurement, and included quantitative ratings of the importance of seven indices [average pain, worst pain, least pain, time in no/low pain, time in high pain, fluctuating pain, unpredictable pain]. Qualitative interview data were read, coded and analyzed for themes and final interpretation. Standard quantitative methods were used to analyze index importance ratings.Results: Despite concerns regarding 10-point visual analog and numeric rating scales, almost all providers used them. Providers most commonly asked about average pain, although they expressed misgivings about patient reporting and the index's informational value. Some supplemented average with worst and least pain, and most believed pain intensity is best understood within the context of patient functioning. Worst pain received the highest mean importance rating (7.60), average pain the second lowest rating (5.65), and unpredictable pain the lowest rating (5.20).Discussion: Assessing average pain intensity obviates obtaining clinical insight into daily contextual factors relating to pain and functioning. Pain index use, together with timing, functionality and disability, may be most effective for understanding the meaning to patients of high pain, how pain affects their life, how life affects their pain, and how pain changes and responds to treatment.

Not all depressive symptoms matter equally: Ratings of the relative importance of nine DSM symptoms in a sample of Indian adolescents

Background: There is widespread debate about the extent to which western diagnostic criteria for depression are appropriate cross-culturally. A key aspect of this debate involves the extent to which individual symptoms are considered important, impairing, and concerning by individuals in low- and middle-income countries. Here, we describe a novel method to understand the degree to which symptoms of depression are most important to individuals, and we illustrate its application in a non-western sample.Methods: We surveyed 1,237 Indian adolescents (47.8% female, Mage= 14.11). Adolescents received the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, a measure of nine DSM-derived depressive symptoms. For each symptom, participants answered three questions designed to assess the degree to which they perceive the symptom as distressing and impairing. The three scores were averaged to form a Subjective Importance Rating (SIR) for each symptom.Results: Anhedonia received the highest SIR, followed by Sad Mood, Suicidal Ideation, and Feeling like a Failure; Psychomotor Problems received the lowest SIRs. Females reported greater SIRs than males, and older students reported greater SIRs than younger students. There was a non-linear relationship between participants' own depressive symptoms and SIRs.Limitations: Participants were recruited from the general population; findings may not generalize to patients or individuals in other countries.Conclusion: Not all symptoms of depression were viewed as equally important. We discuss how the SIR approach can help global mental health researchers identify specific symptoms that are considered most concerning, evaluate the cross-cultural relevance of western diagnostic criteria, and inform the validation of measurement tools.

An Integrated Importance-Performance Analysis and Modified Analytic Hierarchy Process Approach to Sustainable City Assessment

Sustainable urban development has been a popular subject in urban studies and related disciplines. Owing to the challenges faced by cities worldwide to accommodate the growing urban populations, it is becoming ever more important for innovative research on sustainable urban development to be performed to help cities achieve sustainability. This study develops and tests an integrated approach to sustainable city assessment, which is a combination of importance-performance analysis (IPA) and modified analytic hierarchy process (AHP). Questionnaires designed following the IPA concept were distributed to residents of three cities. The importance scores from the collected data were factorized and the relative scores of the factors were then converted into pairwise comparisons using a formula developed in this study. The derived criteria weights were applied to the performance scores to evaluate the cities’ relative overall sustainability performance. This approach replaces the AHP’s 1–9 scale with the IPA’s importance rating scale, which is a Likert scale, in the questionnaire. Based on the findings, implications and future research suggestions were provided.

Identifying the challenges to implementing a neuromuscular warm-up in pre-elite netball

Objective To identify challenges for implementing Netball Australia’s ‘Knee injury prevention for Netballers and Enhance performance and Extend play’ (KNEE) program for 17/U & 19/U State (i.e. regional/provincial representative) teams. Design Concept mapping, a mixed-methods approach incorporating qualitative and quantitative data collection and analyses. Setting Pre-elite netball. Participants Thirty-nine netball coaches, strength & conditioning coaches and physiotherapists working with State 17/U & 19/U teams. Methods Participants brainstormed challenges to implementing the KNEE program, sorted the challenges into groups based on similar meaning and rated the importance and difficulty of overcoming each challenge on a scale from 0 (least important/easiest to overcome) to 5 (most important/hardest to overcome). Results Forty-six statements (i.e. challenges) were identified and organised into the following eight clusters (mean importance rating out of 5, mean difficulty rating out of 5): ‘athlete engagement’ (3.31, 2.48); ‘supervision and correction of technique’ (3.03, 2.67); ‘time constraints’ (2.79, 2.59); ‘athlete technique’ (2.70, 2.64); ‘education’ (2.56, 2.16); ‘support staff resourcing’ (2.51, 2.67); ‘program flexibility and adaptability’ (2.02, 1.85); and ‘coach and support staff prioritisation’ (1.95, 1.81). Nineteen statements/challenges had above average ratings for importance (2.63) and difficulty (2.41). Conclusions This study identified ‘athlete engagement’, ‘supervision and correction of technique’, ‘time constraints’, ‘athlete technique’, ‘education’ and ‘support staff resourcing’ as the most important and difficult challenges to implementing the KNEE program in pre-elite netball. These multi-factorial challenges are the main barriers to implementing the KNEE program. They can be addressed using the implementation driver’s framework.

A Delphi study to explore and gain consensus regarding the most important barriers and facilitators affecting physiotherapist and pharmacist non-medical prescribing

Non-medical prescribing was introduced into the United Kingdom to improve patient care, but early research indicated a third of Allied Health Professionals may not use their prescribing qualification. A previous literature review, highlighting factors influencing prescribing, identified only papers with nursing and pharmacy participants. This investigation explored consensus on factors affecting physiotherapist and pharmacist non-medical prescribers. A three round Delphi study was conducted with pharmacist and physiotherapist prescribers. Round One comprised information gathering on facilitators and barriers to prescribing participants had experienced, and underwent content analysis. This was followed by two sequential consensus seeking rounds with participants asked to rate the importance of statements to themselves. Consensus criteria were determined a priori, including median, interquartile range, percentage agreement and Kendall’s Coefficient of Concordance (W). Statements reaching consensus were ranked for importance in Round Three and analysed to produce top ten ranks for all participants and for each professional group. Participants, recruited October 2018, comprised 24 pharmacists and 18 physiotherapists. In Round One, content analysis of 172 statements regarding prescribing influences revealed 24 themes. 127 statements were included in Round Two for importance rating (barriers = 68, facilitators = 59). After Round Two, 29 statements reached consensus (barriers = 1, facilitators = 28), with no further statements reaching consensus following Round Three. The highest ranked statement in Round Three overall was: “Being able to prescribe to patients is more effective and really useful working [in my area]”. Medical support and improved patient care factors appeared the most important. Differences were noted between physiotherapist and pharmacist prescribers regarding the top ten ranked statements, for example team working which pharmacists ranked higher than physiotherapists. Differences may be explained by the variety of practice areas and relative newness of physiotherapy prescribing. Barriers appear to be post or person specific, whereas facilitators appear universal.

Porównanie doświadczeń religijnych w okresie wczesnej, średniej i późnej dorosłości

Comparison between Religious Experiences in Early, Middle and Late Adulthood The aim of the study was to examine the differences in religious experience in early, middle and late adulthood. The study examined 608 people who were a part of catholic religious communities. Religious Experience Scale, which includes five dimensions: Importance rating, Negative experiences, God’s support, Entrusting in God and Openness to God, was used. Statistical analyzes showed that the level of religious experience was significantly differentiated by the age of the respondents for four out of five dimensions of Religious Experience: Importance rating, God’s support, Entrusting in God and Negative experiences. People in late adulthood were characterized by the highest level of Importance rating, God’s support, Entrusting in God and the lowest level of Negative experiences compared to people in early and middle adulthood. The nature of late adulthood – i.e., the ability to discover the specificity of religious experience to understand and interpret the signs of God’s presence and action in everyday events – may account for the observed effects. The results of the study add to the knowledge on religious experience depending on the developmental stage of the person. They could be used to adjust the character of pastoral counseling to the needs of specific age groups of adult clients.