Search results for: personnel organizational performance
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 14235

Search results for: personnel organizational performance

13605 Company's Orientation and Human Resource Management Evolution in Technological Startup Companies

Authors: Yael Livneh, Shay Tzafrir, Ilan Meshoulam

Abstract:

Technological startup companies have been recognized as bearing tremendous potential for business and economic success. However, many entrepreneurs who produce promising innovative ideas fail to implement them as successful businesses. A key argument for such failure is the entrepreneurs' lack of competence in adaptation of the relevant level of formality of human resource management (HRM). The purpose of the present research was to examine multiple antecedents and consequences of HRM formality in growing startup companies. A review of the research literature identified two central components of HRM formality: HR control and professionalism. The effect of three contextual predictors was examined. The first was an intra-organizational factor: the development level of the organization. We based on a differentiation between knowledge exploration and knowledge exploitation. At a given time, the organization chooses to focus on a specific mix of these orientations, a choice which requires an appropriate level of HRM formality, in order to efficiently overcome the challenges. It was hypothesized that the mix of orientations of knowledge exploration and knowledge exploitation would predict HRM formality. The second predictor was the personal characteristics the organization's leader. According the idea of blueprint effect of CEO's on HRM, it was hypothesized that the CEO's cognitive style would predict HRM formality. The third contextual predictor was an external organizational factor: the level of investor involvement. By using the agency theory, and based on Transaction Cost Economy, it was hypothesized that the level of investor involvement in general management and HRM would be positively related to the HRM formality. The effect of formality on trust was examined directly and indirectly by the mediation role of procedural justice. The research method included a time-lagged field study. In the first study, data was obtained using three questionnaires, each directed to a different source: CEO, HR position-holder and employees. 43 companies participated in this study. The second study was conducted approximately a year later. Data was recollected using three questionnaires by reapplying the same sample. 41 companies participated in the second study. The organizations samples included technological startup companies. Both studies included 884 respondents. The results indicated consistency between the two studies. HRM formality was predicted by the intra-organizational factor as well as the personal characteristics of the CEO, but not at all by the external organizational context. Specifically, the organizational orientations was the greatest contributor to both components of HRM formality. The cognitive style predicted formality to a lesser extent. The investor's involvement was found not to have any predictive effect on the HRM formality. The results indicated a positive contribution to trust in HRM, mainly via the mediation of procedural justice. This study contributed a new concept for technological startup company development by a mixture of organizational orientation. Practical implications indicated that the level of HRM formality should be matched to that of the company's development. This match should be challenged and adjusted periodically by referring to the organization orientation, relevant HR practices, and HR function characteristics. A relevant matching could enhance further trust and business success.

Keywords: control, formality, human resource management, organizational development, professionalism, technological startup company

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13604 Conceptualizing the Knowledge to Manage and Utilize Data Assets in the Context of Digitization: Case Studies of Multinational Industrial Enterprises

Authors: Martin Böhmer, Agatha Dabrowski, Boris Otto

Abstract:

The trend of digitization significantly changes the role of data for enterprises. Data turn from an enabler to an intangible organizational asset that requires management and qualifies as a tradeable good. The idea of a networked economy has gained momentum in the data domain as collaborative approaches for data management emerge. Traditional organizational knowledge consequently needs to be extended by comprehensive knowledge about data. The knowledge about data is vital for organizations to ensure that data quality requirements are met and data can be effectively utilized and sovereignly governed. As this specific knowledge has been paid little attention to so far by academics, the aim of the research presented in this paper is to conceptualize it by proposing a “data knowledge model”. Relevant model entities have been identified based on a design science research (DSR) approach that iteratively integrates insights of various industry case studies and literature research.

Keywords: data management, digitization, industry 4.0, knowledge engineering, metamodel

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13603 Identifying Barriers of Implementing Building Information Modelling in Construction

Authors: Kasra HosseinMostofi, Mohamadamin Oyar Hossein, Reza Mehdizadeh Anvigh

Abstract:

BIM is an innovative concept for the majority of firms operating in industry. BIM offers a new paradigm to design, construct, operate, and maintain a facility. However, even with the most conscientious use, stakeholders can run into trouble during its implementation on a project or within an organization. At times, project stakeholders are unaware of the challenges that they can face with the implementation at the project level or an organizational level. Therefore, the study aimed to identify and compile barriers associated with the BIM implementation at the project and organizational level, as per the literature. Despite the fact that innumerable advantageous involved in exploiting BIM, there are some barriers to implement it properly. These barriers have been proved as impediments for academicians and members of construction team project to take the maximum advantage of its utilization. Although some research has been conducted to identify these barriers regarding BIM implementation in construction industry, more research is needed to be carried out among academicians to identify these barriers in institutions, and most importantly, to make suggestions for eliminating these obstacles.

Keywords: building information modelling, construction, design and construction, designers

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13602 A Concept Analysis of Control over Nursing Practice

Authors: Oznur Ispir, S. Duygulu

Abstract:

Health institutions are the places where fast and efficient decisions are required and mistakes and uncertainties are not tolerated due to the urgency of the services provided within the body of these institutions. Thus, in those institutions where patient care services are targeted to be provided quality and safety, the nurses attending the decisions, creating the solutions for problems, taking initiative and bearing the responsibility of results in brief having the control over practices are needed. Control over nursing practices is defined as affecting the employment and work environment at the unit level of the institution, perceived freedom for organizing and evaluating nursing practices, the ability to make independent decisions about patient care and accountability for the results of such decisions. This study scrutinizes the concept of control over nursing practices (organizational autonomy), which is frequently confused with other concepts (autonomy) in the literature, by reviewing the literature and making suggestions to improve nurses’ control over nursing practices.

Keywords: control over nursing practice, nurse, nursing, organizational autonomy

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13601 Using Business Interactive Games to Improve Management Skills

Authors: Nuno Biga

Abstract:

Continuous processes’ improvement is a permanent challenge for managers of any organization. Lean management means that efficiency gains can be obtained through a systematic framework able to explore synergies between processes, eliminate waste of time, and other resources. Leaderships in organizations determine the efficiency of the teams through their influence on collaborators, their motivation, and consolidation of ownership (group) feeling. The “organization health” depends on the leadership style, which is directly influenced by the intrinsic characteristics of each personality and leadership ability (leadership competencies). Therefore, it’s important that managers can correct in advance any deviation from expected leadership exercises. Top management teams must assume themselves as regulatory agents of leadership within the organization, ensuring monitoring of actions and the alignment of managers in accordance with the humanist standards anchored in a visible Code of Ethics and Conduct. This article is built around an innovative model of “Business Interactive Games” (BI GAMES) that simulates a real-life management environment. It shows that the strategic management of operations depends on a complex set of endogenous and exogenous variables to the intervening agents that require specific skills and a set of critical processes to monitor. BI GAMES are designed for each management reality and have already been applied successfully in several contexts over the last five years comprising the educational and enterprise ones. Results from these experiences are used to demonstrate how serious games in working living labs contributed to improve the organizational environment by focusing on the evaluation of players’ (agents’) skills, empower its capabilities, and the critical factors that create value in each context. The implementation of the BI GAMES simulator highlights that leadership skills are decisive for the performance of teams, regardless of the sector of activity and the specificities of each organization whose operation is intended to simulate. The players in the BI GAMES can be managers or employees of different roles in the organization or students in the learning context. They interact with each other and are asked to decide/make choices in the presence of several options for the follow-up operation, for example, when the costs and benefits are not fully known but depend on the actions of external parties (e.g., subcontracted enterprises and actions of regulatory bodies). Each team must evaluate resources used/needed in each operation, identify bottlenecks in the system of operations, assess the performance of the system through a set of key performance indicators, and set a coherent strategy to improve efficiency. Through the gamification and the serious games approach, organizational managers will be able to confront the scientific approach in strategic decision-making versus their real-life approach based on experiences undertaken. Considering that each BI GAME’s team has a leader (chosen by draw), the performance of this player has a direct impact on the results obtained. Leadership skills are thus put to the test during the simulation of the functioning of each organization, allowing conclusions to be drawn at the end of the simulation, including its discussion amongst participants.

Keywords: business interactive games, gamification, management empowerment skills, simulation living labs

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13600 Employing Operations Research at Universities to Build Management Systems

Authors: Abdallah A. Hlayel

Abstract:

Operations research science (OR) deals with good success in developing and applying scientific methods for problem solving and decision-making. However, by using OR techniques, we can enhance the use of computer decision support systems to achieve optimal management for institutions. OR applies comprehensive analysis including all factors that affect on it and builds mathematical modeling to solve business or organizational problems. In addition, it improves decision-making and uses available resources efficiently. The adoption of OR by universities would definitely contributes to the development and enhancement of the performance of OR techniques. This paper provides an understanding of the structures, approaches and models of OR in problem solving and decision-making.

Keywords: best candidates' method, decision making, decision support system, operations research

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13599 The Impact of Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) on Corporate Financial Performance (CFP): Evidence from New Zealand Companies

Authors: Muhammad Akhtaruzzaman

Abstract:

The impact of corporate environmental social and governance (ESG) on financial performance is often difficult to quantify despite the ESG related theories predict that ESG performance improves financial performance of a company. This research examines the link between corporate ESG performance and the financial performance of the NZX (New Zealand Stock Exchange) listed companies. For this purpose, this research utilizes mixed methods approaches to examine and understand this link. While quantitative results found no robust evidence of such a link, however, the qualitative analysis of content data suggests a strong cooccurrence exists between ESG performance and financial performance. The findings of this research have important implications for policymakers to support higher ESG-performing companies and for management practitioners to develop ESG-related strategies.

Keywords: ESG, financial performance, New Zealand firms, thematic analysis, mixed methods

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13598 Human Quality Treatment and Organizational Growth: The Principle of Respect at Nestle Nigeria

Authors: Rose Ogbechie, Nicholas Anakwue

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In recent times, research has centered, in the area of Business Ethics, on the issue of human quality treatment (HQT), regarding the way people are dealt with, in organizations, taking into cognizance, respect for the dignity of the human person, as well as, the rights and responsibilities of the corporate individual. As such, the principle of respect is an essential ethical principle that should govern professional relationships in the workplace. There is a prevailing myth in the Nigerian business space, that to drive business success, business leadership must coerce and drive people, oftentimes, beyond comfort to meet work expectations. This has, most times, necessitated abuses and insults on subordinates in the workplace, and instituted a rigid hierarchy of management in business relationships. Nestlé Nigeria, one of the largest foods and beverage companies in Africa, provides a contrast to this myth in their success heuristic. Over the years in Nigeria, the company has registered significant successes in the Nigerian Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) Market, with stellar performances year-on-year, and a high-penetration rate of its products in the Nigerian consumer space. At the heart of the FMCG giant’s success and culture is the principle of respect—respect for stakeholders, respect for all peoples, respect for cultures, respect for the environment. Utilizing qualitative research methods, through interviews and focus group discussions with Nestlé’s stakeholders, this paper explores the ethical principle of respect, and how, through it, human quality treatment influences positively organizational growth.

Keywords: human quality treatment, respect, Nestlé Nigeria, FMCG, organizational growth

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13597 Ensuring Quality in DevOps Culture

Authors: Sagar Jitendra Mahendrakar

Abstract:

Integrating quality assurance (QA) practices into DevOps culture has become increasingly important in modern software development environments. Collaboration, automation and continuous feedback characterize the seamless integration of DevOps development and operations teams to achieve rapid and reliable software delivery. In this context, quality assurance plays a key role in ensuring that software products meet the highest quality, performance and reliability standards throughout the development life cycle. This brief explores key principles, challenges, and best practices related to quality assurance in a DevOps culture. This emphasizes the importance of quality transfer in the development process, as quality control processes are integrated in every step of the DevOps process. Automation is the cornerstone of DevOps quality assurance, enabling continuous testing, integration and deployment and providing rapid feedback for early problem identification and resolution. In addition, the summary addresses the cultural and organizational challenges of implementing quality assurance in DevOps, emphasizing the need to foster collaboration, break down silos, and promote a culture of continuous improvement. It also discusses the importance of toolchain integration and capability development to support effective QA practices in DevOps environments. Moreover, the abstract discusses the cultural and organizational challenges in implementing QA within DevOps, emphasizing the need for fostering collaboration, breaking down silos, and nurturing a culture of continuous improvement. It also addresses the importance of toolchain integration and skills development to support effective QA practices within DevOps environments. Overall, this collection works at the intersection of QA and DevOps culture, providing insights into how organizations can use DevOps principles to improve software quality, accelerate delivery, and meet the changing demands of today's dynamic software. landscape.

Keywords: quality engineer, devops, automation, tool

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13596 Exploring the Application of Human Resource Management Bundles: A Case Study

Authors: Maniam Kaliannan

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Studies on best practice or “bundles” of human resource management aims at providing a ‘universal solution’ to organizations yet critics challenge this view and place importance on the architecture of human resource processes in response to the dynamic needs of organizations. This paper identifies these best practices and explores how the applications of selected human resource management practices to a case study help solved their human resource problems. The case study includes insights on the problems faced; the approach taken to identify its root causes and explores how selected human resource management practices helped managed the overall predicament. The case study results supports the importance of aligning ‘bundles’ of practices with organizational architecture and ensuring that the architecture of human resource practices evolve with the changing needs of organizations. In addition, a framework based on the events of the case study is proposed to systematically manage their human resources

Keywords: bundles, best practices, human resource management, organizational architecture, framework

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13595 Increasing Employee Productivity and Work Well-Being by Employing Affective Decision Support and a Knowledge-Based System

Authors: Loreta Kaklauskiene, Arturas Kaklauskas

Abstract:

This employee productivity and work well-being effective system aims to maximise the work performance of personnel and boost well-being in offices. Affective computing, decision support, and knowledge-based systems were used in our research. The basis of this effective system is our European Patent application (No: EP 4 020 134 A1) and two Lithuanian patents (LT 6841, LT 6866). Our study examines ways to support efficient employee productivity and well-being by employing mass-customised, personalised office environment. Efficient employee performance and well-being are managed by changing mass-customised office environment factors such as air pollution levels, humidity, temperature, data, information, knowledge, activities, lighting colours and intensity, scents, media, games, videos, music, and vibrations. These aspects of management generate a customised, adaptive environment for users taking into account their emotional, affective, and physiological (MAP) states measured and fed into the system. This research aims to develop an innovative method and system which would analyse, customise and manage a personalised office environment according to a specific user’s MAP states in a cohesive manner. Various values of work spaces (e.g., employee utilitarian, hedonic, perceived values) are also established throughout this process, based on the measurements that describe MAP states and other aspects related to the office environment. The main contribution of our research is the development of a real-time mass-customised office environment to boost employee performance and well-being. Acknowledgment: This work was supported by Project No. 2020-1-LT01-KA203-078100 “Minimizing the influence of coronavirus in a built environment” (MICROBE) from the European Union’s Erasmus + program.

Keywords: effective decision support and a knowledge-based system, human resource management, employee productivity and work well-being, affective computing

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13594 Increasing a Computer Performance by Overclocking Central Processing Unit (CPU)

Authors: Witthaya Mekhum, Wutthikorn Malikong

Abstract:

The objective of this study is to investigate the increasing desktop computer performance after overclocking central processing unit or CPU by running a computer component at a higher clock rate (more clock cycles per second) than it was designed at the rate of 0.1 GHz for each level or 100 MHz starting at 4000 GHz-4500 GHz. The computer performance is tested for each level with 4 programs, i.e. Hyper PI ver. 0.99b, Cinebench R15, LinX ver.0.6.4 and WinRAR . After the CPU overclock, the computer performance increased. When overclocking CPU at 29% the computer performance tested by Hyper PI ver. 0.99b increased by 10.03% and when tested by Cinebench R15 the performance increased by 20.05% and when tested by LinX Program the performance increased by 16.61%. However, the performance increased only 8.14% when tested with Winrar program. The computer performance did not increase according to the overclock rate because the computer consists of many components such as Random Access Memory or RAM, Hard disk Drive, Motherboard and Display Card, etc.

Keywords: overclock, performance, central processing unit, computer

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13593 Relationship between Perceived Level of Emotional Intelligence and Organizational Role Stress of Fire Fighters in Mumbai

Authors: Payal Maheshwari, Bansari Shah

Abstract:

The research aimed to study the level of emotional intelligence (EI) and organizational role stress (ORS) of fire-fighters and the relationship between the two variables. Hundred and twenty fire-fighters were selected from different fire stations of Mumbai by purposive sampling. The firefighters who had the basic training, a minimum experience of 2 years and had been on the field during a crisis situation were selected for the study. The firefighters selected ranged from 23-58 years of age, and the number of years of experience ranged from 2 to 33 years. The findings of the study revealed that majority of the firefighters perceived themselves to be at an above average (57) and high (58) level of EI (M=429.35, SD=38.712). Domain-wise analysis disclosed that compared to self-awareness (92) and relationship management (93), more number of participants perceived themselves in the high category in the domains of self-management (108) and social management (106). Further, examination of the subdomain scores conveyed that a large number of participants rated themselves in the average level of these skills of accurate self-assessment (50), emotional self-control (50), adaptability (56) initiative (41), influence (66), change catalyst (53), and conflict management (50). With relation to the stress variable, it was found that almost half the number of the participants (59) rated themselves as having an average level of stress (M=137.44, SD=28.800). In most of the domains, majority of the participants perceived themselves as having an average level of stress, while in the domain of role isolation, self-role distance, and role ambiguity, majority of the firefighters rated themselves as having a low level of stress. A strong negative correlation (r=-.360**, p=.000) was found between EI and ORS. This study is a contribution to the literature and has implications for fire-fighters at the personal level, for the policymakers, and the fire department.

Keywords: emotional intelligence, organizational role stress, firefighters, relationship

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13592 Review of Influential Factors on the Personnel Interview for Employment from Point of View of Human Resources Management

Authors: Abbas Ghahremani

Abstract:

One of the most fundamental management issues in organizations and companies is the recruiting of efficient staff and compiling exact and perfect criteria for testing the applicants,which is guided and practiced by the manager of human resources of the organization. Obviously, each part of the organization seeks special features and abilities in the people apart from common features among all the staff in all units,which are called principal duties and abilities,and we will study them more. This article is trying to find out how we can identify the most efficient people among the applicants of employment by using proper methods of testing appropriate for the needs of different of employment by using proper methods of testing appropriate for the needs of different units of the organization and recruit efficient staff. Acceptable method for recruiting is to closely identify their characters from various aspects such as ability to communicate, flexibility, stress management, risk acceptance, tolerance, vision to future, familiarity with the art, amount of creativity and different thinking and by raising proper questions related with the above named features and presenting a questionnaire, evaluate them from various aspect in order to gain the proper result. According to the above explanations, it can be concluded which aspects of abilities and characteristics of a person must be evaluated in order to reduce any mistake in recruitment and approach an ideal result and ultimately gain an organized system according to the standards and avoid waste of energy for unprofessional personnel which is a marginal issue in the organizations.

Keywords: human resources management, staff recuiting, employment factors, efficient staff

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13591 Implementation of the Quality Management System and Development of Organizational Learning: Case of Three Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Morocco

Authors: Abdelghani Boudiaf

Abstract:

The profusion of studies relating to the concept of organizational learning shows the importance that has been given to this concept in the management sciences. A few years ago, companies leaned towards ISO 9001 certification; this requires the implementation of the quality management system (QMS). In order for this objective to be achieved, companies must have a set of skills, which pushes them to develop learning through continuous training. The results of empirical research have shown that implementation of the QMS in the company promotes the development of learning. It should also be noted that several types of learning are developed in this sense. Given the nature of skills development is normative in the context of the quality demarche, companies are obliged to qualify and improve the skills of their human resources. Continuous training is the keystone to develop the necessary learning. To carry out continuous training, companies need to be able to identify their real needs by developing training plans based on well-defined engineering. The training process goes obviously through several stages. Initially, training has a general aspect, that is to say, it focuses on topics and actions of a general nature. Subsequently, this is done in a more targeted and more precise way to accompany the evolution of the QMS and also to make the changes decided each time (change of working method, change of practices, change of objectives, change of mentality, etc.). To answer our problematic we opted for the method of qualitative research. It should be noted that the case study method crosses several data collection techniques to explain and understand a phenomenon. Three cases of companies were studied as part of this research work using different data collection techniques related to this method.

Keywords: changing mentalities, continuing training, organizational learning, quality management system, skills development

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13590 Tourists' Percepion of Osun Osogbo Festival in Osogbo, Osun State Nigeria

Authors: Yina Donald Orga

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Osun Osogbo festival is one of the biggest art festivals in Nigeria with over 235, 518 tourist visits in 2014. The purpose of this study is to generate data on the tourists’ perception of Osun Osogbo Festival in Osogbo, Osun State Nigeria. Based on the population of 199, 860 tourist visits at Osun Osogbo festival in 2013, Krejcie and Morgan sample size table was used to select 768 tourists/respondents. Likert questionnaire were used to elicit data from the respondents. Descriptive statistic was used to describe the characteristics of respondents and analyse the tourists’ perception of the festival. The findings from data analysed suggest that the trend of domestic and international tourist visits in the past ten years for the festival had shown a consistent increase since 2004 except in 2007 and 2008 and continue to increase up to 2013. This is an indication that the tourists are satisfied with traditional, historical and authenticity features of the festival. Also, findings from the study revealed that the tourists are not satisfied with the number of toilets at Osun Sacred Grove, crowd control of visitors during the festival, medical personnel to cater for visitors during the festival, etc. In view of the findings of the study, the following recommendations are suggested; provision of more toilets at Osun Sacred grove, Osogbo Heritage Council to recruit festival guides to help control the huge crowd at the festival, the Government of State of Osun in conjunction with Red Cross Society should engage adequate medical personnel to cater for medical needs of visitors at the festival, etc.

Keywords: festival, perception, positive, tourists

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13589 Absorptive Capabilities in the Development of Biopharmaceutical Industry: The Case of Bioprocess Development and Research Unit, National Polytechnic Institute

Authors: Ana L. Sánchez Regla, Igor A. Rivera González, María del Pilar Monserrat Pérez Hernández

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The ability of an organization to identify and get useful information from external sources, assimilate it, transform and apply to generate products or services with added value is called absorptive capacity. Absorptive capabilities contribute to have market opportunities to firms and get a leader position with respect to others competitors. The Bioprocess Development and Research Unit (UDIBI) is a Research and Development (R&D) laboratory that belongs to the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN), which is a higher education institute in Mexico. The UDIBI was created with the purpose of carrying out R and D activities for the Transferon®, a biopharmaceutical product developed and patented by IPN. The evolution of competence and scientific and technological platform made UDIBI expand its scope by providing technological services (preclínical studies and bio-compatibility evaluation) to the national pharmaceutical industry and biopharmaceutical industry. The relevance of this study is that those industries are classified as high scientific and technological intensity, and yet, after a review of the state of the art, there is only one study of absorption capabilities in biopharmaceutical industry with a similar scope to this research; in the case of Mexico, there is none. In addition to this, UDIBI belongs to a public university and its operation does not depend on the federal budget, but on the income generated by its external technological services. This fact represents a highly remarkable case in Mexico's public higher education context. This current doctoral research (2015-2019) is contextualized within a case study, its main objective is to identify and analyze the absorptive capabilities that characterise the UDIBI that allows it had become in a one of two third authorized laboratory by the sanitary authority in Mexico for developed bio-comparability studies to bio-pharmaceutical products. The development of this work in the field is divided into two phases. In a first phase, 15 interviews were conducted with the UDIBI personnel, covering management levels, heads of services, project leaders and laboratory personnel. These interviews were structured under a questionnaire, which was designed to integrate open questions and to a lesser extent, others, whose answers would be answered on a Likert-type rating scale. From the information obtained in this phase, a scientific article was made (in review and a proposal of presentation was submitted in different academic forums. A second stage will be made from the conduct of an ethnographic study within this organization under study that will last about 3 months. On the other hand, it is intended to carry out interviews with external actors around the UDIBI (suppliers, advisors, IPN officials, including contact with an academic specialized in absorption capacities to express their comments on this thesis. The inicial findings had shown two lines: i) exist institutional, technological and organizational management elements that encourage and/or limit the creation of absorption capacities in this scientific and technological laboratory and, ii) UDIBI has had created a set of multiple transfer technology of knowledge mechanisms which have had permitted to build a huge base of prior knowledge.

Keywords: absorptive capabilities, biopharmaceutical industry, high research and development intensity industries, knowledge management, transfer of knowledge

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13588 Interactively Developed Capabilities for Environmental Management Systems: An Exploratory Investigation of SMEs

Authors: Zhuang Ma, Zihan Zhang, Yu Li

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Environmental concerns from stakeholders (e.g., governments & customers) have pushed firms to integrate environmental management systems into business processes such as R&D, manufacturing, and marketing. Environmental systems include managing environmental risks and pollution control (e.g., air pollution control, waste-water treatment, noise control, energy recycling & solid waste treatment) through raw material management, the elimination and reduction of contaminants, recycling, and reuse in firms' operational processes. Despite increasing studies on firms' proactive adoption of environmental management, their focus is primarily on large corporations operating in developed economies. Investigations in the environmental management efforts of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are scarce. This is problematic for SMEs because, unlike large corporations, SMEs have limited awareness, resources, capabilities to adapt their operational routines to address environmental impacts. The purpose of this study is to explore how SMEs develop organizational capabilities through interactions with business partners (e.g., environmental management specialists & customers). Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV) and an organizational capabilities perspective, this study investigates the interactively developed capabilities that allow SMEs to adopt environmental management systems. Using an exploratory approach, the study includes 12 semi-structured interviews with senior managers from four SMEs, two environmental management specialists, and two customers in the pharmaceutical sector in Chongqing, China. Findings of this study include four key organizational capabilities: 1) ‘dynamic marketing’ capability, which allows SMEs to recoup the investments in environmental management systems by developing environmentally friendly products to address customers' ever-changing needs; 2) ‘process improvement’ capability, which allows SMEs to select and adopt the latest technologies from biology, chemistry, new material, and new energy sectors into the production system for improved environmental performance and cost-reductions; and 3) ‘relationship management’ capability which allows SMEs to improve corporate image among the public, social media, government agencies, and customers, who in turn help SMEs to overcome their competitive disadvantages. These interactively developed capabilities help SMEs to address larger competitors' foothold in the local market, reduce market constraints, and exploit competitive advantages in other regions (e.g., Guangdong & Jiangsu) of China. These findings extend the RBV and organizational capabilities perspective; that is, SMEs can develop the essential resources and capabilities required for environmental management through interactions with upstream and downstream business partners. While a limited number of studies did highlight the importance of interactions among SMEs, customers, suppliers, NGOs, industrial associations, and consulting firms, they failed to explore the specific capabilities developed through these interactions. Additionally, the findings can explain how a proactive adoption of environmental management systems could help some SMEs to overcome the institutional and market restraints on their products, thereby springboarding into larger, more environmentally demanding, yet more profitable markets compared with their existing market.

Keywords: capabilities, environmental management systems, interactions, SMEs

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13587 The Effect of Integrated Reporting on Corporate Financial Performance: A Bibliometric Analysis

Authors: Adhila Sandra Devy, Evangeline Syalomita Silitonga

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The landscape of corporate governance and accountability has led to the emergence of Integrated Reporting (IR) in response to the shortcomings of traditional reporting frameworks. Developed by The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), IR aims to offer stakeholders a comprehensive view of a company’s performance by integrating financial and non-financial disclosures. This study analyzes literature on Integrated Reporting and Corporate Financial Performance from 2013 to 2024, employing a descriptive analysis methodology. 31 relevant articles were gathered from various sources, indicating a positive correlation between integrated reporting and financial performance, albeit without conclusive evidence of long-term impact.

Keywords: integrated reporting, corporate financial performance, corporate performance, firm performance, bibliometric analysis

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13586 Social Network Roles in Organizations: Influencers, Bridges, and Soloists

Authors: Sofia Dokuka, Liz Lockhart, Alex Furman

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Organizational hierarchy, traditionally composed of individual contributors, middle management, and executives, is enhanced by the understanding of informal social roles. These roles, identified with organizational network analysis (ONA), might have an important effect on organizational functioning. In this paper, we identify three social roles – influencers, bridges, and soloists, and provide empirical analysis based on real-world organizational networks. Influencers are employees with broad networks and whose contacts also have rich networks. Influence is calculated using PageRank, initially proposed for measuring website importance, but now applied in various network settings, including social networks. Influencers, having high PageRank, become key players in shaping opinions and behaviors within an organization. Bridges serve as links between loosely connected groups within the organization. Bridges are identified using betweenness and Burt’s constraint. Betweenness quantifies a node's control over information flows by evaluating its role in the control over the shortest paths within the network. Burt's constraint measures the extent of interconnection among an individual's contacts. A high constraint value suggests fewer structural holes and lesser control over information flows, whereas a low value suggests the contrary. Soloists are individuals with fewer than 5 stable social contacts, potentially facing challenges due to reduced social interaction and hypothetical lack of feedback and communication. We considered social roles in the analysis of real-world organizations (N=1,060). Based on data from digital traces (Slack, corporate email and calendar) we reconstructed an organizational communication network and identified influencers, bridges and soloists. We also collected employee engagement data through an online survey. Among the top-5% of influencers, 10% are members of the Executive Team. 56% of the Executive Team members are part of the top influencers group. The same proportion of top influencers (10%) is individual contributors, accounting for just 0.6% of all individual contributors in the company. The majority of influencers (80%) are at the middle management level. Out of all middle managers, 19% hold the role of influencers. However, individual contributors represent a small proportion of influencers, and having information about these individuals who hold influential roles can be crucial for management in identifying high-potential talents. Among the bridges, 4% are members of the Executive Team, 16% are individual contributors, and 80% are middle management. Predominantly middle management acts as a bridge. Bridge positions of some members of the executive team might indicate potential micromanagement on the leader's part. Recognizing the individuals serving as bridges in an organization uncovers potential communication problems. The majority of soloists are individual contributors (96%), and 4% of soloists are from middle management. These managers might face communication difficulties. We found an association between being an influencer and attitude toward a company's direction. There is a statistically significant 20% higher perception that the company is headed in the right direction among influencers compared to non-influencers (p < 0.05, Mann-Whitney test). Taken together, we demonstrate that considering social roles in the company might indicate both positive and negative aspects of organizational functioning that should be considered in data-driven decision-making.

Keywords: organizational network analysis, social roles, influencer, bridge, soloist

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13585 Organizational Resilience in the Perspective of Supply Chain Risk Management: A Scholarly Network Analysis

Authors: William Ho, Agus Wicaksana

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Anecdotal evidence in the last decade shows that the occurrence of disruptive events and uncertainties in the supply chain is increasing. The coupling of these events with the nature of an increasingly complex and interdependent business environment leads to devastating impacts that quickly propagate within and across organizations. For example, the recent COVID-19 pandemic increased the global supply chain disruption frequency by at least 20% in 2020 and is projected to have an accumulative cost of $13.8 trillion by 2024. This crisis raises attention to organizational resilience to weather business uncertainty. However, the concept has been criticized for being vague and lacking a consistent definition, thus reducing the significance of the concept for practice and research. This study is intended to solve that issue by providing a comprehensive review of the conceptualization, measurement, and antecedents of operational resilience that have been discussed in the supply chain risk management literature (SCRM). We performed a Scholarly Network Analysis, combining citation-based and text-based approaches, on 252 articles published from 2000 to 2021 in top-tier journals based on three parameters: AJG ranking and ABS ranking, UT Dallas and FT50 list, and editorial board review. We utilized a hybrid scholarly network analysis by combining citation-based and text-based approaches to understand the conceptualization, measurement, and antecedents of operational resilience in the SCRM literature. Specifically, we employed a Bibliographic Coupling Analysis in the research cluster formation stage and a Co-words Analysis in the research cluster interpretation and analysis stage. Our analysis reveals three major research clusters of resilience research in the SCRM literature, namely (1) supply chain network design and optimization, (2) organizational capabilities, and (3) digital technologies. We portray the research process in the last two decades in terms of the exemplar studies, problems studied, commonly used approaches and theories, and solutions provided in each cluster. We then provide a conceptual framework on the conceptualization and antecedents of resilience based on studies in these clusters and highlight potential areas that need to be studied further. Finally, we leverage the concept of abnormal operating performance to propose a new measurement strategy for resilience. This measurement overcomes the limitation of most current measurements that are event-dependent and focus on the resistance or recovery stage - without capturing the growth stage. In conclusion, this study provides a robust literature review through a scholarly network analysis that increases the completeness and accuracy of research cluster identification and analysis to understand conceptualization, antecedents, and measurement of resilience. It also enables us to perform a comprehensive review of resilience research in SCRM literature by including research articles published during the pandemic and connects this development with a plethora of articles published in the last two decades. From the managerial perspective, this study provides practitioners with clarity on the conceptualization and critical success factors of firm resilience from the SCRM perspective.

Keywords: supply chain risk management, organizational resilience, scholarly network analysis, systematic literature review

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13584 Firm Performance and Evolving Corporate Governance: An Empirical Study from Pakistan

Authors: Mohammed Nishat, Ahmad Ghazali

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This study empirically examines the corporate governance and firm performance, and tries to evaluate the governance, ownership and control related variables which are hypothesized to affect on firms performance. This study tries to evaluate the effectiveness of corporate governance mechanism to achieve high level performance among companies listed on the Karachi Stock Exchange (KSE) over the period from 2005 to 2008. To measure the firm performance level this research uses three measures of performance; Return on assets (ROA), Return on Equity (ROE) and Tobin’s Q. To link the performance of firms with the corporate governance three categories of corporate governance variables are tested which includes governance, ownership and control related variables. Fixed effect regression model is used to test the link between corporate governance and firm performance for 267 KSE listed Pakistani firms. The result shows that corporate governance variables such as percentage block holding by individuals have positive impact on firm performance. When CEO is also the chairperson of board then it is found that firm performance is adversely affected. Also negative relationship is found between share held by insiders and performance of firm. Leverage has negative impact on the performance of the firm and firm size is positively related with the firms performance.

Keywords: corporate governance, performance, agency cost, Karachi stock market

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13583 To Be a Nurse in Turkey: A Comparison Based on International Labour Organization's Nursing Personnel Recommendation

Authors: Arzu K. Harmanci Seren, Feride Eskin Bacaksiz

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The shortage of nursing personnel is considered one of the most important labour force issues in health sector of developed countries since early 1970s. International Labour Organization developed standards for working conditions of nurses in collaboration with World Health Organization with the aim of helping to solve nursing shortage problem all over the world. As a result of this collaboration, ILO Nursing Personnel Convention (C. 149), and the accompanying Recommendation (R. 157) were adopted in 1977. Turkey as a country that has a serious nurse shortage problem, has been a member of ILO since 1932, and has not signed this convention yet. This study was planned to compare some of the working standards in Convention with the present working conditions of nurses in Turkey. The data were collected by an on line survey between 19 January-16 February 2015 for this cross-sectional study. Participants were reached through social network accounts in collaboration with nursing associations. Totally 828 nurses from the 57 provinces of Turkey participated in the study. Survey was consisted of 14 open ended questions related to working conditions of nurses and 34 Likert statements related to nursing policies of the facilities they are working in. The data were analysed using the IBM SPSS 21.0 (licensed to Istanbul University) software. Descriptive and comparative statistics were performed. Most of the participants (81.5%) were staff and 18.5% of them were manager nurses. Most of them had baccalaureate (57.9%) or master (27.4%) degree in nursing. 18.5% of the participants were working in private hospitals, 34.9% of them in university hospitals and 46.6% of them were in Ministry of Health Hospitals. It was found that monthly working schedules were announced mostly 7 days ago (18%), working time of nurses was at least 8 hours (41.5%) and at most 24 hours (22.8%) in a day and had time for lunch or dinner 25.18 (SD=16.66), for resting 21.02 (SD=29.25) minutes. On the other hand, it was determined that 316 (43.2%) nurses did not have time for lunch and 61 (7.9%) of them could not find time for eating anything. It was also explored they were working 15-96 hours in a week (mean=48.28, SD=8.89 hours), 4-29 days in a month (mean=19.29, SD=5.03 days) and 597 (72%) nurses overworked changing form 1 hour to 150 hours (32.80, SD=23.42 hours) before the month in which surveys were filled. Most of the participants did not leave the job due to the sickness (47.5%) even if they felt sick. Also most of them did not leave the job due to any excuse (67.2%) or education (57.3%). This study has significance because of nurses from different provinces participated in and it provides brief information about the working conditions of nurses nationwide. It was explored that nurses in Turkey were working at worse conditions according the International Labour Organization’s recommendations.

Keywords: nurse, international labour organization, recommendations for nurses, working conditions

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13582 Investigating the Impact of Enterprise Resource Planning System and Supply Chain Operations on Competitive Advantage and Corporate Performance (Case Study: Mamot Company)

Authors: Mohammad Mahdi Mozaffari, Mehdi Ajalli, Delaram Jafargholi

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The main purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of the system of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and SCM (Supply Chain Management) on the competitive advantage and performance of Mamot Company. The methods for collecting information in this study are library studies and field research. A questionnaire was used to collect the data needed to determine the relationship between the variables of the research. This questionnaire contains 38 questions. The direction of the current research is applied. The statistical population of this study consists of managers and experts who are familiar with the SCM system and ERP. Number of statistical society is 210. The sampling method is simple in this research. The sample size is 136 people. Also, among the distributed questionnaires, Reliability of the Cronbach's Alpha Cronbach's Questionnaire is evaluated and its value is more than 70%. Therefore, it confirms reliability. And formal validity has been used to determine the validity of the questionnaire, and the validity of the questionnaire is confirmed by the fact that the score of the impact is greater than 1.5. In the present study, one variable analysis was used for central indicators, dispersion and deviation from symmetry, and a general picture of the society was obtained. Also, two variables were analyzed to test the hypotheses; measure the correlation coefficient between variables using structural equations, SPSS software was used. Finally, multivariate analysis was used with statistical techniques related to the SPLS structural equations to determine the effects of independent variables on the dependent variables of the research to determine the structural relationships between the variables. The results of the test of research hypotheses indicate that: 1. Supply chain management practices have a positive impact on the competitive advantage of the Mammoth industrial complex. 2. Supply chain management practices have a positive impact on the performance of the Mammoth industrial complex. 3. Planning system Organizational resources have a positive impact on the performance of the Mammoth industrial complex. 4. The system of enterprise resource planning has a positive impact on Mamot's competitive advantage. 5.The competitive advantage has a positive impact on the performance of the Mammoth industrial complex 6.The system of enterprise resource planning Mamot Industrial Complex Supply Chain Management has a positive impact. The above results indicate that the system of enterprise resource planning and supply chain management has an impact on the competitive advantage and corporate performance of Mamot Company.

Keywords: enterprise resource planning, supply chain management, competitive advantage, Mamot company performance

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13581 Evaluation of Food Services by the Patients in Hospitals of Athens in Greece

Authors: I. Mentziou, C. Delezos, A. Nestoridou, G. Boskou

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Introduction: The system of production and distribution of meals can have a significant impact on the food intake of hospital patients who are likely to develop malnutrition. In hospitals, the consequences of food borne infections can range from annoying to life-threatening for a patient, since they can lead up to death in vulnerable groups. Aim: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the satisfaction of the patients from the food services in Greek hospitals. Methods: Eleven hospitals of the Attica region were chosen. The sample derived from 637 adult patients who were hospitalized in those hospitals, during the period September 2009 - April 2010. Tailor made questionnaires were used to interview patients upon their satisfaction from the current food service system as well as from the total quality management system of the hospital. The number of completed questionnaires was proportional to the hospital capacity. Results: The majority of the patients seem to be pleased from the quality and the variety of the meals; they judged positively the behaviour of the food service personnel and the hygiene of serving conditions. Patients made suggestions for more frequent meals, larger variety of choices and better presented meals served under proper hygiene conditions by the personnel. Conclusions: The results indicate that the patients are satisfied in regards to the meal choices and the serving methods. However, factors like temperature and hygiene conditions are not always perceived to be in a way that fulfills the necessary prerequisite requirements. A total quality management system as a driver for better patient satisfaction is Indispensable.

Keywords: evaluation, food service, HACCP, hospital, patients

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13580 The Supply Chain Operation Reference Model Adaptation in the Developing Countries: An Empirical Study on the Egyptian Automotive Sector

Authors: Alaa Osman, Sara Elgazzar, Breksal Elmiligy

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The Supply Chain Operation Reference (SCOR) model is considered one of the most widely implemented supply chain performance measurement systems (SCPMSs). Several studies have been proposed on the SCOR model adaptation in developed countries context; while there is a limited availability of previous work on the SCPMSs application generally and the SCOR model specifically in developing nations. This paper presents a research agenda on the SCOR model adaptation in the developing countries. It aims at investigating the challenges of adapting the SCOR model to manage and measure supply chain performance in developing countries. The research will exemplify the system in the Egyptian automotive sector to gain a comprehensive understanding of how the application of the SCOR model can affect the performance of automotive companies in Egypt, with a necessary understanding of challenges and obstacles faced the adaptation of the model in the Egyptian supply chain context. An empirical study was conducted on the Egyptian automotive sector in three companies considering three different classes: BMW, Hyundai and Brilliance. First, in-depth interviews were carried out to gain an insight into the implementation and the relevance of the concepts of supply chain management and performance measurement in the Egyptian automotive industry. Then, a formal survey was designed based on the SCOR model five main processes (plan, source, make, deliver and return) and best practices to investigate the challenges and obstacles faced the adaptation of the SCOR model in the Egyptian automotive supply chain. Finally, based on the survey results, the appropriate best practices for each process were identified in order to overcome the SCOR model adaptation challenges. The results showed that the implementation of the SCOR model faced different challenges and unavailability of the required enablers. The survey highlighted the low integration of end-to-end supply chain, lacks commitment for the innovative ideas and technologies, financial constraints and lack of practical training and support as the main challenges faced the adaptation of the SCOR model in the Egyptian automotive supply chain. The research provides an original contribution to knowledge by proposing a procedure to identify challenges encountered during the process of SCOR model adoption which can pave a way for further research in the area of SCPMSs adaptation, particularly in the developing countries. The research can help managers and organizations to identify obstacles and difficulties of the SCOR model adaptation, subsequently this can facilitate measuring the improved performance or changes in the organizational performance.

Keywords: automotive sector, developing countries, SCOR model, supply chain performance

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13579 Entrepreneurship Education as an Enhancement of Skills for Graduate Employability: The Case of the University of Buea

Authors: Akumeyam Elvis Akum, Njanjo Thecla Anyongo Mukete, Fonkeng George Epah

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Globally, the goal of higher education is to enhance graduate employability skills. Paradoxically, Cameroon’s graduate employability rate is far below the graduation rate. This worrisome situation caused the researcher to hypothesize that the teaching and learning experiences account for this increasing disparity. The study sought to investigate the effect on graduate employability of the teaching of organizational, problem-solving, innovation, and risk management skills on graduate employability. The study adopted a descriptive survey design with a quantitative approach. Data was collected by quantitative techniques from a random sample of 385 graduates using closed-ended structured questionnaire. Generally, findings revealed that entrepreneurship education does not sufficiently enhance graduate employability in the University of Buea. Specifically, the teaching of organizational skills does not significantly enhance their employability, as an average of 55% of graduates indicated that the course did not sufficiently help them develop skills for planning, management of limited resources, collaboration, and the setting of priorities. Also, 60% of the respondents indicated that the teaching of problem-solving skills does not significantly enhance graduate employability at the University of Buea. Contrarily, 57% of the respondents agreed that through their experiences in entrepreneurship education, their innovation skills were improved. The study recommended that a practical approach to teaching should be adopted, with attention to societal needs. A framework to ensure the teaching of entrepreneurship to students at the undergraduate level is recommended, such that those who do not continue with university studies after their Bachelor’s degree would have acquired the needed skills for employability.

Keywords: employability, entrepreneurship education, graduate, innovative skills, organizational skills, problem-solving skills, risk management skills

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13578 Sharing Tacit Knowledge: The Essence of Knowledge Management

Authors: Ayesha Khatun

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In 21st century where markets are unstable, technologies rapidly proliferate, competitors multiply, products and services become obsolete almost overnight and customers demand low cost high value product, leveraging and harnessing knowledge is not just a potential source of competitive advantage rather a necessity in technology based and information intensive industries. Knowledge management focuses on leveraging the available knowledge and sharing the same among the individuals in the organization so that the employees can make best use of it towards achieving the organizational goals. Knowledge is not a discrete object. It is embedded in people and so difficult to transfer outside the immediate context that it becomes a major competitive advantage. However, internal transfer of knowledge among the employees is essential to maximize the use of knowledge available in the organization in an unstructured manner. But as knowledge is the source of competitive advantage for the organization it is also the source of competitive advantage for the individuals. People think that knowledge is power and sharing the same may lead to lose the competitive position. Moreover, the very nature of tacit knowledge poses many difficulties in sharing the same. But sharing tacit knowledge is the vital part of knowledge management process because it is the tacit knowledge which is inimitable. Knowledge management has been made synonymous with the use of software and technology leading to the management of explicit knowledge only ignoring personal interaction and forming of informal networks which are considered as the most successful means of sharing tacit knowledge. Factors responsible for effective sharing of tacit knowledge are grouped into –individual, organizational and technological factors. Different factors under each category have been identified. Creating a positive organizational culture, encouraging personal interaction, practicing reward system are some of the strategies that can help to overcome many of the barriers to effective sharing of tacit knowledge. Methodology applied here is completely secondary. Extensive review of relevant literature has been undertaken for the purpose.

Keywords: knowledge, tacit knowledge, knowledge management, sustainable competitive advantage, organization, knowledge sharing

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13577 Characterization of Kevlar 29 for Multifunction Applications

Authors: Doaa H. Elgohary, Dina M. Hamoda, S. Yahia

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Technical textiles refer to textile materials that are engineered and designed to have specific functionalities and performance characteristics beyond their traditional use as apparel or upholstery fabrics. These textiles are usually developed for their unique properties such as strength, durability, flame retardancy, chemical resistance, waterproofing, insulation and other special properties. The development and use of technical textiles are constantly evolving, driven by advances in materials science, manufacturing technologies and the demand for innovative solutions in various industries. Kevlar 29 is a type of aramid fiber developed by DuPont. It is a high-performance material known for its exceptional strength and resistance to impact, abrasion, and heat. Kevlar 29 belongs to the Kevlar family, which includes different types of aramid fibers. Kevlar 29 is primarily used in applications that require strength and durability, such as ballistic protection, body armor, and body armor for military and law enforcement personnel. It is also used in the aerospace and automotive industries to reinforce composite materials, as well as in various industrial applications. Two different Kevlar samples were used coated with cooper lithium silicate (CLS); ten different mechanical and physical properties (weight, thickness, tensile strength, elongation, stiffness, air permeability, puncture resistance, thermal conductivity, stiffness, and spray test) were conducted to approve its functional performance efficiency. The influence of different mechanical properties was statistically analyzed using an independent t-test with a significant difference at P-value = 0.05. The radar plot was calculated and evaluated to determine the best-performing samples. The results of the independent t-test observed that all variables were significantly affected by yarn counts except water permeability, which has no significant effect. All properties were evaluated for samples 1 and 2, a radar chart was used to determine the best attitude for samples. The radar chart area was calculated, which shows that sample 1 recorded the best performance, followed by sample 2. The surface morphology of all samples and the coating materials was determined using a scanning electron microscope (SEM), also Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy Measurement for the two samples.

Keywords: cooper lithium silicate, independent t-test, kevlar, technical textiles.

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13576 Elements of a Culture of Quality in the Implementation of Quality Assurance Systems of Countries in the European Higher Education Area

Authors: Laura Mion

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The implementation of quality management systems in higher education in different countries is determined by national regulatory choices and supranational indications (such as the European Standard Guidelines for Quality Assurance). The effective functioning and transformative capacity of these quality management systems largely depend on the organizational context in which they are applied and, more specifically, on the culture of quality developed in single universities or in single countries. The University's concept of quality culture integrates the structural dimension of QA (quality management manuals, process definitions, tools) with the value dimension of an organization (principles, skills, and attitudes). Within the EHEA (European Higher Education Area), countries such as Portugal, the Netherlands, the UK, and Norway demonstrate a greater integration of QA principles in the various organizational levels and areas of competence of university institutions or have greater experience in implementation or scientific and political debate on the matter. Therefore, the study, through an integrative literature review, of the quality management systems of these countries is aimed at determining a framework of the culture of quality, helpful in defining the elements which, both in structural-organizational terms and in terms of values and skills and attitudes, have proved to be factors of success in the effective implementation of quality assurance systems in universities and in the countries considered in the research. In order for a QA system to effectively aim for continuous improvement in a complex and dynamic context such as the university one, it must embrace a holistic vision of quality from an integrative perspective, focusing on the objective of transforming the reality being evaluated.

Keywords: higher education, quality assurance, quality culture, Portugal, Norway, Netherlands, United Kingdom

Procedia PDF Downloads 72