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1 – 10 of 13Farish Armani Hamidon, Faridah Lisa Supian, Mazlina Mat Darus, Yeong Yi Wong and Nur Farah Nadia Abd Karim
The host–guest molecules are often used in various fields and applications. This paper aims to discuss the role of host–guest complexes in the textile industry, focusing on…
Abstract
Purpose
The host–guest molecules are often used in various fields and applications. This paper aims to discuss the role of host–guest complexes in the textile industry, focusing on calixarenes as a potential adsorbent for hazardous dyes. The paper begins with an introduction to nanotechnology and its many uses, including textiles.
Design/methodology/approach
The risks associated with the utilisation of dyes and its adverse effects on the environment are then also highlighted. This paper also discusses the structure and characteristics of calixarenes and their potential use as an adsorbent to extract toxic metals from aqueous solutions. The paper also explains the molecular structure of calixarenes, especially the ability of its upper and lower rims, which can be altered to yield derivatives with various selectivities for diverse guest ions and small molecules. In addition, the application of various host–guest molecules in the textiles industry to extract dyes also had been discussed.
Findings
In conclusion, the paper highlights the essential in establishing a systematic review on the significance of selective adsorbents, such as calixarenes, to isolate particular targets from diverse matrices in the textile industry.
Research limitations/implications
Only discussing several applications for several host–guest molecules.
Originality/value
The paper concisely describes various host–guest molecule applications in the textile industry, with each molecule being elaborated upon in detail.
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Dennis B.K. Hwang and A. Blair Staley
Seeks to analyze the impact of recent accounting and auditing failures in the USA on US accounting and auditing in China, focusing on the practice of guanxi – the networks of…
Abstract
Purpose
Seeks to analyze the impact of recent accounting and auditing failures in the USA on US accounting and auditing in China, focusing on the practice of guanxi – the networks of informal relationships and exchanges of favors that dominate all business and social activities in Chinese societies.
Design/methodology/approach
Examines Chinese culture and uses historical precedents and parallels with Japanese culture to predict potential accounting and auditing problems.
Findings
Determines that guanxi has the potential to undermine the high standards of auditor independence, audit quality, and ethical behavior to which auditors must adhere.
Research limitations/implications
The review of Chinese culture and list of historical precedents is not exhaustive, and the standards are all US, which perhaps limits its usefulness elsewhere.
Practical implications
A very useful source of information on Chinese business behavior as it impacts accountants and auditors.
Originality/value
Enables policy makers and professional accountants to anticipate and predict how guanxi may threaten the progress made in improving financial management and reporting, and may undermine auditor independence, audit quality, and the quality of financial reporting.
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Vipula Sisirakumara Gunasekera and Siong-Choy Chong
This paper aims to review the knowledge management (KM) processes, knowledge conversion modes and critical success factors (CSFs) and contextualise them to the construction…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to review the knowledge management (KM) processes, knowledge conversion modes and critical success factors (CSFs) and contextualise them to the construction setting to guide effective KM implementation.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is conceptual in nature. It begins with a review of issues faced by construction organisations, which led them to consider implementing KM. This is followed by a comprehensive review of KM processes, knowledge conversion modes, KM CSFs and their application to the construction industry.
Findings
Based on the socialisation, externalisation, combination and internalisation (SECI) model, the knowledge conversion modes are discussed, linking them to the KM processes of knowledge creation, sharing, storage and application. The KM CSFs identified from construction literature suggest that they can be categorised into two groups, namely, factors within organisational control (managerial influence, technological influence and resource influence) and factors beyond organisational control (social influence, political influence, environmental influence, economic influence, industry influence and construction technology influence). The resulting review is discussed in terms of how construction organisations can implement KM effectively to achieve the desired project performance outcomes in terms of time, cost and quality.
Research limitations/implications
Although this paper has made some theoretical contributions, a quantitative analysis will further reinforce its value both in theory and practice, particularly in terms of applying the KM processes and CSFs to different organisational, industry and country settings. A quantitative research is being carried out in the major construction sector in Sri Lanka to establish the relationships between the KM processes, knowledge conversion modes and KM CSFs with project performance outcomes, which will be reported in a subsequent publication.
Practical implications
As the construction industry uses a considerable number of knowledge workers, implementing KM for project planning and execution is the key to sustaining the growth of construction organisations and industry, particularly when KM implementation is linked to project performance outcomes. Practical implications are provided in terms of what successful KM implementation entails.
Social implications
Effective KM implementation can serve as a conduit for construction organisations to build capacity and develop the ability to react quickly to social challenges brought about by different stakeholders, even before the project commences, so that the project performance outcomes will not be affected. Another social implication is the role played by project team members, in which efforts have to be put in place to facilitate the use of KM processes, so that teams can align project activities to the general good of their organisations.
Originality/value
A comprehensive KM framework that guides the construction industry on KM implementation is long overdue. This research represents the first of such attempts to view KM from a wider perspective, both in terms of internal and external influences affecting construction organisations. Once the conceptual framework developed is validated, it is expected to bring enormous benefits to different stakeholders.
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Javad Feizabadi and Somayeh Alibakhshi
To address how organizations should be malleable, the purpose herein is to draw on complementarity theory to examine the interaction effect of customer integration (i.e…
Abstract
Purpose
To address how organizations should be malleable, the purpose herein is to draw on complementarity theory to examine the interaction effect of customer integration (i.e. coordination) and shared relationship governance (i.e. cooperation) on supply chain adaptability and firm's performance.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey research design is adopted to collect primary data from 177 automotive components suppliers. After assessing the measures' psychometric properties, the hypothesized relationships are evaluated using hierarchical regression analysis supplemented by structural equation modeling and complementarity test.
Findings
In the context of industrial markets, and specifically the automotive component industry, a complementary interaction effect is found between coordination and cooperation. The complementary impact was significant in affecting the supply chain adaptability and the firm's performance. Our results refine the existing supply chain integration by highlighting the complementary effect of coordination and cooperation.
Practical implications
Understanding the true interaction effect between cooperation and coordination to develop supply chain integration avoids decision-makers' misperception over or underinvesting in activities. This research also provides key insights on the complementary effect of coordination and cooperation to establish structural flexibility in the supply chain and the ability to respond to the disruptions, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Originality/value
Understanding the true interaction effect between cooperation and coordination to develop supply chain integration avoids decision-makers' misperception over or underinvesting in activities. The implications for theory and practice are also presented.
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Sy Tien Do, Viet Thanh Nguyen and Chau Ngoc Dang
This study aims to discover the impact of failure factors on stakeholder coordination performance (SCP) in the finishing phase of high-rise building projects.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to discover the impact of failure factors on stakeholder coordination performance (SCP) in the finishing phase of high-rise building projects.
Design/methodology/approach
Firstly, this study identifies potential failure factors affecting coordination performance as well as criteria for measuring SCP in the finishing phase of high-rise building projects. Afterwards, a survey questionnaire is designed to collect data from high-rise building projects in Vietnam. Using the factor analysis method, the study discovers the failure constructs. A structural equation model is then built to uncover the relationships between failure constructs and SCP.
Findings
The study identified four failure constructs which could significantly affect SCP, namely traditional adversarial relationship (TAR), incompetent parties (IP), poor project planning and organization (PPO) and delays of parties toward construction works (DP). The developed model indicated that TAR, PPO and IP significantly affected stakeholders' coordination performance in the finishing phase of high-rise building projects.
Originality/value
The results of the study fill the gap in knowledge by discovering the causal relationships between failure constructs and SCP in high-rise building projects. The results might provide an initial guideline for stakeholders during the finishing phase of high-rise building projects to enhance their coordination performance.
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Vipula Sisirakumara Gunasekera and Siong Choy Chong
The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of knowledge management critical success factors (KM CSFs) on project management performance outcomes in major…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of knowledge management critical success factors (KM CSFs) on project management performance outcomes in major construction organisations in Sri Lanka. As a result, the significant KM CSFs are prioritised to support KM implementation.
Design/methodology/approach
This study is cross-sectional in nature, adopting the quantitative method of analysis. The research model includes nine KM CSFs (culture, leadership, organisational structure, IT support, T-shaped skills, training, teamwork, performance measurement and benchmarking) and nine items measuring project management performance outcomes. Data were collected from senior, middle and technical staff involved in projects by means of a self-administered survey questionnaire mailed to them.
Findings
The Pearson’s correlation coefficient suggests that all of the KM CSFs are adequately correlated except for organisational structure, which has a poor correlation with IT support, T-shaped skills, teamwork and benchmarking. The results of multiple linear regression show that four KM CSFs (T-shaped skills, teamwork, benchmarking and transformational leadership) are significantly and positively related to project management performance outcomes. The remaining five KM CSFs are not significant. The multiple-criteria decision-making analysis reveals that benchmarking, transformational leadership, teamwork and T-shaped skills are the main priority for the construction organisations to consider in implementing KM.
Research limitations/implications
Future studies should consider construction organisations of multiple sizes and include factors beyond organisational control, KM processes and the effects of demographic variables. Longitudinal studies are also imperative to determine the performance impact brought about by KM implementation over a period of time.
Practical/implications
Benchmarking, transformational leadership, teamwork and T-shaped skills should serve as the initial focus to support KM implementation to achieve the desired project management performance outcomes. It is only after these KM CSFs are in place that the construction organisations can concentrate on other factors.
Originality/value
This study contributes to a better understanding of the relationships between the KM CSFs and project management performance outcomes in the construction industry in Sri Lanka, which is still at its infancy stage of KM implementation. Prioritisation of the significant KM CSFs in supporting effective KM implementation in the construction organisations further enhances the value of this study.
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Gonzalo Maldonado-Guzmán and Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes
The need to improve sustainability in manufacturing firms, which would allow them to reduce the emission of pollutants and the generation of industrial waste, has stimulated the…
Abstract
Purpose
The need to improve sustainability in manufacturing firms, which would allow them to reduce the emission of pollutants and the generation of industrial waste, has stimulated the adoption of circular economy (CE) alongside lean manufacturing (LM) practices to significantly improve the sustainable performance of organizations. However, empirical evidence provided in previous studies and that has related the practices of LM, CE and sustainable performance do not allow establishing an interconnection between these three concepts. Therefore, this paper fills this gap in the literature by exploring the relationship between these three concepts.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative study in which data were collected from 460 managers working in the automotive industry in Mexico was conducted. The data allowed the testing and validation of four hypotheses through the use of partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS SEM).
Findings
The results obtained suggest that LM practices have a significant positive influence both on sustainable performance and CE. In turn, the results also demonstrate the existence of a significant positive relationship between CE and the sustainable performance of manufacturing firms in the automotive industry as well as that CE has a positive role in mediating the interconnection between LM practices and sustainable performance.
Practical implications
The results obtained from the present study will allow entrepreneurs in the automotive industry and industry professionals as well as government authorities to formulate more effective policies and strategies to support the improvement of environmental sustainability performance in the manufacturing sector.
Originality/value
This is one of the first studies that have investigated the relationship between LM, CE and sustainable performance, particularly, in the automotive sector.
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Sy Tien Do, Viet Thanh Nguyen and Nghia Hoai Nguyen
This study aims to examine the mutual influence of causes of variation orders (VOs), claims/disputes (CDs) on project performance (PP) and stakeholder performance (SP).
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the mutual influence of causes of variation orders (VOs), claims/disputes (CDs) on project performance (PP) and stakeholder performance (SP).
Design/methodology/approach
Firstly, this study identifies the VOs, the CDs, criteria for measuring the PP and criteria for measuring the SP. Then, a survey questionnaire is created to collect data from stakeholders in construction projects. Using the factor analysis method, this study discovers the constructs of the VOs, CDs, PP and SP. The relationships among the constructs are then uncovered using a structural equation model.
Findings
The research findings confirm that the VOs and CDs have a direct effect on the PP, as well as the PP’s effect on SP, whereas the VOs and CDs have no effect on the SP. It is strongly recommended that critical factors such as poor management, construction method change, design/scope problems, uncontrollable objective problems, impediment problems, lack of commitment among parties and lack of experience and competence of parties should be given special attention to improve the SP.
Originality/value
The results of the study fill the gap in knowledge by examining the mutual influence of the VOs, the CDs, the PP and the SP. Discovering the mutual influence will assist managers in improving the PP and the SP.
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Matteo Cristofaro, Pier Luigi Giardino, Sanjay Misra, Quoc Trung Pham and Hai Hiep Phan
This paper claims to identify the behavioral and cultural features that push to use, or not, cryptocurrencies for electronic commerce. Indeed, despite the use of cryptocurrencies…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper claims to identify the behavioral and cultural features that push to use, or not, cryptocurrencies for electronic commerce. Indeed, despite the use of cryptocurrencies for electronic commerce spreading worldwide at a fast and growing pace, there are supporters and detractors among their users. The analysis of what distinguish these two groups of users is fundamental for understanding their different intention to use cryptocurrencies for electronic commerce.
Design/methodology/approach
A survey has been administered to 2,532 cryptocurrencies’ users across the USA and China, collecting data on their behavioral predispositions and cultural features. Results were then analyzed through structured equation modeling.
Findings
Results showed that while attitude, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control and herding behavior have a positive impact on the intention to use cryptocurrencies for electronic commerce, financial literacy has no influence. Cultural dimensions amplified or reduced the discovered relationships and caused different effects: positive for the USA and negative for China when considering illegal attitude and perceived risk.
Originality/value
Theory of planned behavior, financial behavior and cultural factors can, all together, represent a useful framework for envisioning the behavior of users in adopting cryptocurrencies for electronic commerce purposes through a test of all its elements. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study considering behavior and cultural variables on the intention to use cryptocurrencies for electronic commerce as well as being the largest carried out, in terms of sample, on the cryptocurrency topic.
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Iván La Fé-Perdomo, Jorge Andres Ramos-Grez, Gerardo Beruvides and Rafael Alberto Mujica
The purpose of this paper is to outline some key aspects such as material systems used, phenomenological and statistical process modeling, techniques applied to monitor the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to outline some key aspects such as material systems used, phenomenological and statistical process modeling, techniques applied to monitor the process and optimization approaches reported. All these need to be taken into account for the ongoing development of the SLM technique, particularly in health care applications. The outcomes from this review allow not only to summarize the main features of the process but also to collect a considerable amount of investigation effort so far achieved by the researcher community.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper reviews four significant areas of the selective laser melting (SLM) process of metallic systems within the scope of medical devices as follows: established and novel materials used, process modeling, process tracking and quality evaluation, and finally, the attempts for optimizing some process features such as surface roughness, porosity and mechanical properties. All the consulted literature has been highly detailed and discussed to understand the current and existing research gaps.
Findings
With this review, there is a prevailing need for further investigation on copper alloys, particularly when conformal cooling, antibacterial and antiviral properties are sought after. Moreover, artificial intelligence techniques for modeling and optimizing the SLM process parameters are still at a poor application level in this field. Furthermore, plenty of research work needs to be done to improve the existent online monitoring techniques.
Research limitations/implications
This review is limited only to the materials, models, monitoring methods, and optimization approaches reported on the SLM process for metallic systems, particularly those found in the health care arena.
Practical implications
SLM is a widely used metal additive manufacturing process due to the possibility of elaborating complex and customized tridimensional parts or components. It is corroborated that SLM produces minimal amounts of waste and enables optimal designs that allow considerable environmental advantages and promotes sustainability.
Social implications
The key perspectives about the applications of novel materials in the field of medicine are proposed.
Originality/value
The investigations about SLM contain an increasing amount of knowledge, motivated by the growing interest of the scientific community in this relatively young manufacturing process. This study can be seen as a compilation of relevant researches and findings in the field of the metal printing process.
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