Search results for: multi-criteria decision process

Authors: Maryam Kalkatechi

Abstract:

Nowadays, parametric design, scientific analysis, and digital fabrication are dominant. Many architectural practices are increasingly seeking to incorporate advanced digital software and fabrication in their projects. Proposing an erudite design process that combines digital and practical aspects in a strong frame within the method was resulted from the dissertation research. The digital aspects are the progressive advancements in algorithm design and simulation software. These aspects have assisted the firms to develop more holistic concepts at the early stage and maintain collaboration among disciplines during the design process. The erudite design process enhances the current design processes by encouraging the designer to implement the construction and architecture knowledge within the algorithm to make successful design processes. The erudite design process also involves the ongoing improvements of applying the new method of 3D printing in construction. This is achieved through the ‘data-sketches’. The term ‘data-sketch’ was developed by the author in the dissertation that was recently completed. It accommodates the decisions of the architect on the algorithm. This paper introduces the erudite design process and its components. It will summarize the application of this process in development of the ‘3D printed construction unit’. This paper contributes to overlaying the academic and practice with advanced technology by presenting a design process that transfers the dominance of tool to the learned architect and encourages innovation in design processes.

Keywords: erudite, data-sketch, algorithm design in architecture, design process

Procedia PDF Downloads 260

Authors: Hiromi Takafuji

Abstract:

Flight attendant:FA is one of popular occupation, especially in Asian countries, and the decision to be hired is made after clearing a high multiplier. On the other hand, immediately after joining the company, they experience unique stress due to the fact that the organization requires them to perform security and customer service duties in a highly specialized and limited space and time. As a result, despite the high level of difficulty in joining the company, many new recruits retire early at a high rate. It is commonly said that 30% of new graduates leave the company within three years in Japan and speculated that Reality Shock:RS is one of the causes of this. RS is that newcomers experience refers to the stress caused by the difference between pre-employment expectations and post-employment reality. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the mechanism by which the expertise required of new FA and the expectation of expertise held by each of them cause reality shock, which affects motivation and the decision to leave. This study identified the professionalism required of new FA and the impact of that expectation for professionalism on RS through an exploratory study of the experiences and psychological processes of FA who left within three years. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with five FA who left a major Japanese airline at an early stage, and their experiences were categorized, integrated, and classified by qualitative content analysis. They were chosen under a number of controlled conditions. Then two major findings emerged: first, that pre-employment expectations defining RS were hierarchical, and second, that training amplified expectations of professionalism, which strongly influenced early turnover. From these, this study generated a model of RS generative process model of FA that expectations are hierarchical and influential. This could contribute to the prevention of mental health deterioration by reality shock among new FA.

Keywords: reality shock, flight attendant, early turnover, qualitative study

Procedia PDF Downloads 70

Authors: Kwan Hee Han

Abstract:

In today’s business environments, frequent change of customer requirements is a tough challenge to manufacturing company. To cope with these challenges, a production planning and scheduling (PP&S) function might be established to provide accountability for both customer service and operational efficiency. Nowadays, many manufacturing firms have utilized PP&S software solutions to generate a realistic production plan and schedule to adapt to external changes efficiently. However, companies which consider the introduction of PP&S software solution, still have difficulties for selecting adequate solution to meet their specific needs. Since the task of PP&S is the one of major building blocks of SCM (Supply Chain Management) architecture, which deals with short term decision making in the production process of SCM, it is needed that the functionalities of PP&S should be analysed within the whole SCM process. The aim of this paper is to analyse the PP&S functionalities and its system architecture from the SCM perspective by using the criteria of level of planning hierarchy, major 4 SCM processes and problem-solving approaches, and finally propose a classification framework of PP&S solutions to facilitate the comparison among various commercial software solutions. By using proposed framework, several major PP&S solutions are classified and positioned according to their functional characteristics in this paper. By using this framework, practitioners who consider the introduction of computerized PP&S solutions in manufacturing firms can prepare evaluation and benchmarking sheets for selecting the most suitable solution with ease and in less time.

Keywords: production planning, production scheduling, supply chain management, the advanced planning system

Procedia PDF Downloads 186

Authors: Pushpendra S. Bharti

Abstract:

Process yield of electric discharge machining (EDM) is directly related to optimal combination(s) of process parameters. Optimization of process parameters of EDM is a multi-objective optimization problem owing to the contradictory behavior of performance measures. This paper employs Grey Relation Analysis (GRA) method as a multi-objective optimization technique for the optimal selection of process parameters combination. In GRA, multi-response optimization is converted into optimization of a single response grey relation grade which ultimately gives the optimal combination of process parameters. Experiments were carried out on die-sinking EDM by taking D2 steel as work piece and copper as electrode material. Taguchi's orthogonal array L36 was used for the design of experiments. On the experimental values, GRA was employed for the parametric optimization. A significant improvement has been observed and reported in the process yield by taking the parametric combination(s) obtained through GRA.

Keywords: electric discharge machining, grey relation analysis, material removal rate, optimization

Procedia PDF Downloads 395

Authors: Manirath Wongsim

Abstract:

AIS plays an important role in business management, strategic and can provide assistance in all phases of decision making. Thus, many organisations needs to be seen as well adopting AIS, which is critical to a company in order to organise, manage and operate process in all sections. In order to implement AIS successfully, it is important to understand the underlying factors that influence the AIS adoption. Therefore, this research intends to study this perspective of factors influence and impact on AIS adoption’s success. The model has been designed to illustrate factors influences in AIS adoption. It also attempts to identify the critical success factors that organisations should focus on, to ensure the adoption on accounting process. This framework will be developed from case studies by collecting qualitative and quantitative data. Case study and survey methodology were adopted for this research. Case studies in two Thai- organisations were carried out. The results of the two main case studies suggested 9 factors that may have impact on in AIS adoption. Survey instrument was developed based on the findings from case studies. Two large-scale surveys were sent to selected members of Thailand Accountant, and Thailand Computer Society to further develop and test the research framework. The top three critical factors for ensuring AIS adoption were: top management commitment, steering committees, and Technical capability of AIS personnel. That is, it is now clear which factors impact in AIS adoption, and which of those factors are critical success factors for ensuring AIS adoption successes

Keywords: accounting information system, accounting information systems adoption, and inflecting AIS adoption

Procedia PDF Downloads 382

Authors: Charles L. Sigmund, M. A. Aed, Lissa Graciela Rivera Picado

Abstract:

One critical component of the training development process is the evaluation of the impact and value of the program. Oftentimes, however, learning organizations bypass this phase either because they are unfamiliar with effective methods for measuring the success or effect of the training or because they believe the effort to be too time-consuming or cumbersome. As a result, most organizations that do conduct evaluation limit their scope to Kirkpatrick L1 (reaction) and L2 (learning), or at most carry through to L4 (results). In 2021 Microsoft made a strategic decision to assess the measurable and monetized impact for all training launches and designed a scalable and program-agnostic tool for providing full-scale L5 return on investment (ROI) estimates for each. In producing this measurement tool, the learning and development organization built a framework for making business prioritizations and resource allocations that is based on the projected ROI of a course. The analysis and measurement posed by this process use a combination of training data and operational metrics to calculate the effective net benefit derived from a given training effort. Business experts in the learning field generally consider a 10% ROI to be an outstanding demonstration of the value of a project. Initial findings from this work applied to a critical customer-facing program yielded an estimated ROI of more than 49%. This information directed the organization to make a more concerted and concentrated effort in this specific line of business and resulted in additional investment in the training methods and technologies being used.

Keywords: evaluation, measurement, return on investment, value

Procedia PDF Downloads 173

Authors: Katejarinporn Chaiya, Jarumon Nookong, Nutthapat Kaewrattanapat

Abstract:

The purposes of this research were to develop and find users’ satisfaction after using the Decision Support System for Examination Selection. This research presents the design of information systems. In order to find the necessary examination of the statistics. Based on the examination of the candidate and then taking the easy difficulty setting statistics applied to the test. In addition, research has also made performance appraisals from experts and user satisfaction. By results of analysis showed that the performance appraisals from experts on the system as a whole and at a good level. mean was 3.44 and S.D. was 0.55 and user satisfaction per system as a whole and the good level mean was 3.37 and S.D. was 0.42 can conclude that effective systems are in a good level. Work has been completed in accordance with the scope of work. The website used developing this project is PHP, MySQL.5.0.45 for database.

Keywords: secision support system, examination, PHP, information systems

Procedia PDF Downloads 432

Authors: Abubakar Sulaiman

Abstract:

The paper examines how election observation influences electoral reforms in Nigeria. Over the years, election observation continues to play critical role in the electoral process specifically in Nigeria and Africa at large. Election observation keeps an eye on the electoral process and all the stakeholders during elections, to ensure that the process is fair to all contestants. While literature abound on this role of election observation on electoral process in Nigeria, scanty scholarly efforts have been made to appraise how election observation influences electoral reforms in Nigeria. Also, while election observation may play a role in ensuring that the electoral process is credible, specifically, its role in prvoking and eliciting various electoral reforms in the country has not been explored. The paper adopts the explanatory research design using secondary data and document analysis. Preliminary findings show that election observation has influenced electoral reforms in Nigeria in no small measure. The paper concludes that election observation is critical for result oriented electoral reforms in Nigeria, albeit, such reforms have to be implemented to the latter.

Keywords: electoral reforms, election observation, electoral process, developing country

Procedia PDF Downloads 146

Authors: Won Jung, Wan Emri

Abstract:

Ferrite magnet is widely used in many automotive components such as motors and alternators. Magnets used inside the components must be in good quality to ensure the high level of performance. The purpose of this study is to design input parameters that optimize the ferrite magnet production process to ensure the quality and reliability of manufactured products. Design of Experiments (DOE) and Statistical Process Control (SPC) are used as mutual supplementations to optimize the process. DOE and SPC are quality tools being used in the industry to monitor and improve the manufacturing process condition. These tools are practically used to maintain the process on target and within the limits of natural variation. A mixed Taguchi method is utilized for optimization purpose as a part of DOE analysis. SPC with proportion data is applied to assess the output parameters to determine the optimal operating conditions. An example of case involving the monitoring and optimization of ferrite magnet process was presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach. Through the utilization of these tools, reliable magnets can be produced by following the step by step procedures of proposed framework. One of the main contributions of this study was producing the crack free magnets by applying the proposed parameter design.

Keywords: ferrite magnet, crack, reliability, process optimization, Taguchi method

Procedia PDF Downloads 503

Authors: Agarana Michael C., Akinlabi Esther T., Pule Kholopane

Abstract:

In order to sustain the advantages of an advanced manufacturing technique, such as laser sintering, minimization of total processing cost of the parts being produced is very important. An efficient time management would usually very important in optimal cost attainment which would ultimately result in an efficient advanced manufacturing process planning and control. During Laser Scanning Process Scanning (SLS) procedures it is possible to adjust various manufacturing parameters which are used to influence the improvement of various mechanical and other properties of the products. In this study, Modelling and mathematical analysis, including sensitivity analysis, of the laser sintering process time were carried out. The results of the analyses were represented with graphs, from where conclusions were drawn. It was specifically observed that achievement of optimal total scanning time is key for economic efficiency which is required for sustainability of the process.

Keywords: modeling and analysis, optimal planning and control, laser sintering process, scanning time

Procedia PDF Downloads 82

Authors: P. Ghann, J. Shiguang, C. Zhou

Abstract:

Access control is one of the most challenging issues facing information security. Access control is defined as, the ability to permit or deny access to a particular computational resource or digital information by an unauthorized user or subject. The concept of usage control (UCON) has been introduced as a unified approach to capture a number of extensions for access control models and systems. In UCON, an access decision is determined by three factors: Authorizations, obligations and conditions. Attribute mutability and decision continuity are two distinct characteristics introduced by UCON for the first time. An observation of UCON components indicates that, the components are predefined and static. In this paper, we propose a new and flexible model of usage control for the creation and elimination of some of these components; for example new objects, subjects, attributes and integrate these with the original UCON model. We also propose a model for concurrent usage scenarios in UCON.

Keywords: access control, concurrency, digital container, usage control

Procedia PDF Downloads 307

Authors: Guo Rui, Cao Xinhu

Abstract:

In recent decades, the world has endured severe challenges in light of climate change, epidemics, geopolitics, terrorism, economic uncertainties, as well as regional conflicts and rivalries. The appropriate use of critical infrastructures (Cis) is confronted. Ports, as typical Cis cover more than 80% of the global freight movement. Within this context, even the minimal disruption of port operations could cause malfunction of the holistic supply chain network and substantial economic losses. Hence, it is crucial to evaluate port performance from the perspective of resilience. Research on resilience and risk/safety management has been increasing, however, it needs more attention, as it could prevent potential socio-economic losses and inspire decision-makers to make resilience-based decisions to answer the challenges, such as COVID-19. To facilitate better moves from decision-makers, ports need to identify proper factors influencing port resilience. Inappropriately influenced factor selection could have a cascading effect on undesirable port performances. Thus, a systematic evaluation of factors is essential to stimulate the improvement process of port resilience investigation. This study zooms into container ports considering their critical role in international trade and global supply chains. 440 articles are selected after relevance ranking, and consequently, 62 articles are scrutinized after the title and abstract screening. Forty-one articles are included for bibliographic analysis in the end. It is found that there is no standardized index system to measure port resilience. And most studies evaluate port resilience merely in the recovery phase. Only two articles cover absorption, adaption and recovery state. However, no literature involves the prevention state. Hence, a uniform resilience index system is expected with a clear resilience definition. And port safety and security should also be considered while evaluating port resilience.

Keywords: port resilience, port safety and security, literature review, index system, port performance

Procedia PDF Downloads 113

Authors: Fabian Saptouw

Abstract:

In the past decade there was a resurgence of interest in the value of ‘process’ and ‘craft’ within the social and artistic community. Theorist like Barbara Bolt and Paul Carter have eloquently argued for the importance of ‘theorizing out of practice’ and ‘material thinking’ in response to this trend. Time and labour intensive artistic production processes are however not generally included in this bracket and often labelled as either obsessive or absurd. Neither of these terms adequately conveys the conceptual importance of labour in relation to ‘process’ as manifested through this production method. This issue will be addressed by critically assessing the work of eight South African artists through the lens of contemporary process-based production. This will result in a more integrated view of the art-object, its art-historical trajectory, its materialisation as well as its production process. This paper will conclude by tying the characteristics of these artworks to international trends and provide a platform for the overall reconsideration of unalienated artistic labour.

Keywords: materiality, process art, practice-led research, unalienated labour

Procedia PDF Downloads 321

Authors: Tesfaye Alamirew Dessie

Abstract:

Our study focuses on developing a Model Predictive Controller (MPC) and evaluating it against a traditional PID for a pasteurization process. Utilizing system identification from the experimental data, the dynamics of the pasteurization process were calculated. Using best fit with data validation, residual, and stability analysis, the quality of several model architectures was evaluated. The validation data fit the auto-regressive with exogenous input (ARX322) model of the pasteurization process by roughly 80.37 percent. The ARX322 model structure was used to create MPC and PID control techniques. After comparing controller performance based on settling time, overshoot percentage, and stability analysis, it was found that MPC controllers outperform PID for those parameters.

Keywords: MPC, PID, ARX, pasteurization

Procedia PDF Downloads 143

Authors: Sakapas Saengchai

Abstract:

Study on the development of people's participation in environmental development was a qualitative research method. Data were collected by participant observation, in-depth interview and discussion group in Pathumthani province. The study indicated that 1) People should be aware of environmental information from government agencies. 2) People in the community should be able to brainstorm information, exchange information about community environment development. 3) People should have a role with community leaders. 4) People in the community should have a role to play in the implementation of projects and activities in the development of the environment and 5) citizens, community leaders, village committee have directed the development of the area. Maintaining a community environment with a shared decision. By emphasizing the process of participation, self-reliance, mutual help, and responsibility for one's own community. Community empowerment strengthens the sustainable spatial development of the environment.

Keywords: people, participation, community, environment

Procedia PDF Downloads 261

Authors: Ipek Kivanc, Demet Ozgur-Unluakin

Abstract:

Over the past years, technological innovations and advancements have played an important role in the industrial world. Due to technological improvements, the degree of complexity of the systems has increased. Hence, all systems are getting more uncertain that emerges from increased complexity, resulting in more cost. It is challenging to cope with this situation. So, implementing efficient planning of maintenance activities in such systems are getting more essential. Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDPs) are powerful tools for stochastic sequential decision problems under uncertainty. Although maintenance optimization in a dynamic environment can be modeled as such a sequential decision problem, POMDPs are not widely used for tackling maintenance problems. However, they can be well-suited frameworks for obtaining optimal maintenance policies. In the classical representation of the POMDP framework, the system is denoted by a single node which has multiple states. The main drawback of this classical approach is that the state space grows exponentially with the number of state variables. On the other side, factored representation of POMDPs enables to simplify the complexity of the states by taking advantage of the factored structure already available in the nature of the problem. The main idea of factored POMDPs is that they can be compactly modeled through dynamic Bayesian networks (DBNs), which are graphical representations for stochastic processes, by exploiting the structure of this representation. This study aims to demonstrate how maintenance planning of dynamic systems can be modeled with factored POMDPs. An empirical maintenance planning problem of a dynamic system consisting of four partially observable components deteriorating in time is designed. To solve the empirical model, we resort to Symbolic Perseus solver which is one of the state-of-the-art factored POMDP solvers enabling approximate solutions. We generate some more predefined policies based on corrective or proactive maintenance strategies. We execute the policies on the empirical problem for many replications and compare their performances under various scenarios. The results show that the computed policies from the POMDP model are superior to the others. Acknowledgment: This work is supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) under grant no: 117M587.

Keywords: factored representation, maintenance, multi-component system, partially observable Markov decision processes

Procedia PDF Downloads 123

Authors: T. Wejrzanowski, M. Grybczuk, E. Tymicki, K. J. Kurzydlowski

Abstract:

In the present study numerical simulations silicon carbide single crystal growth process in Physical Vapor Transport reactor are addressed. Silicon Carbide is a perspective material for many applications in modern electronics. One of the main challenges for wider applications of SiC is high price of high quality mono crystals. Improvement of silicon carbide manufacturing process has a significant influence on the product price. Better understanding of crystal growth allows for optimization of the process, and it can be achieved by numerical simulations. In this work Virtual Reactor software was used to simulate the process. Predicted geometrical properties of the final product and information about phenomena occurring inside process reactor were obtained. The latter is especially valuable because reactor chamber is inaccessible during the process due to high temperature inside the reactor (over 2000˚C). Obtained data was used for improvement of the process and reactor geometry. Resultant crystal quality was also predicted basing on crystallization front shape evolution and threading dislocation paths. Obtained results were confronted with experimental data and the results are in good agreement.

Keywords: Finite Volume Method, semiconductors, Physical Vapor Transport, silicon carbide

Procedia PDF Downloads 516

Authors: Jiwoo Park, Junseok Yoon, Jeong Kim, Beomsoo Kang

Abstract:

Multi-Point Stretch Forming (MPSF) process is suitable for flexible manufacturing, and it has several advantages including that it could be applied to various forming such as sheet metal forming, single curved surface forming and double curved one. In this study, a systematic numerical simulation was carried out for atypical double curved surface forming using the multiple die stretch forming process. In this simulation, urethane pads were defined based on hyper-elastic material model as a cushion for the smooth forming surface. The deformation behaviour on elastic recovery was also investigated to consider the exact result after the last forming process, and then the experiment was also carried out to confirm the formability of this forming process. By comparing the simulation and experiment results, the suitability of the multiple die stretch forming process for the atypical double curved surface was verified. Consequently, it is confirmed that the multi-point stretch forming process has the capability and feasibility of being used to manufacture the double curved surfaces of sheet metal.

Keywords: multi-point stretch forming, double curved surface, numerical simulation, manufacturing

Procedia PDF Downloads 467

Authors: Irfan Ullah Munir, Shen Yue, Muhammad Shahzad Ijaz, Saad Hussain, Syeda Yumna Zaidi

Abstract:

Financial literacy is fundamental to every decision-making process and has received attention from researchers, regulatory bodies and policy makers in the recent past. This study is an attempt to evaluate financial literacy in an emerging economy, particularly Pakistan, and its influence on people's stock market participation. Data of this study was collected through a structured questionnaire from a sample of 300 respondents. EFA is used to check the convergent and discriminant validity. Data is analyzed using Hayes (2013) approach. A set of demographic control variables that have passed the mean difference test is used. We demonstrate that participants with financial literacy tend to invest more in the stock market. We also find that association among financial literacy and participation in stock market gets moderated by gender.

Keywords: Financial literacy, Stock market participation, Gender, PSX

Procedia PDF Downloads 181

Authors: Lee Waters, Itay Basevitch, Matthew Timmis

Abstract:

Objectives: Eye tracking technology is a valuable method of assessing individuals gaze behaviour, but it does not unveil why they are engaging in certain practices. To address limitations in sport eye tracking research the present paper aims to investigate the gaze behaviours soccer officials engage in during successful and unsuccessful offside decisions, but also why. Methods: 20 male active amateur qualified (Level 4-7) soccer officials (Mage 22.5 SD 4.61 yrs) with an average experience of 41-50 games wore eye tracking technology during an applied attack versus defence drill. While reviewing the eye tracking footage, retrospective semi-structured interviews were conducted (M=20.4 min; SD=6.2; Range 11.7 – 26.8 min) and once transcribed inductive thematic analysis was performed. Findings and Discussion: To improve the understanding of gaze behaviours and how officials make sense of the environment, during the interview’s key constructs of offside, decision making, obstacles and emotions were summarised as the higher order themes while making offside decisions. Gaze anchoring was highlighted to be a successful technique to allow officials to see all relevant information, whereas the type of offside was emphasised to be a key factor in correct interpretation. Furthermore, specific decision-making training was outlined to be inconsistent and not always applicable. Conclusions: Key constructs have been identified and explained, which can be shared with soccer officials through training regimes. Eye tracking technology has also been shown to be a useful and innovative reflective tool to assist in the understanding of individuals gaze behaviours.

Keywords: eye tracking, gaze behvaiour, decision making, reflection

Procedia PDF Downloads 113

Authors: Hyun-Woo Cho

Abstract:

Automatic process monitoring schemes are designed to give early warnings for unusual process events or abnormalities as soon as possible. For this end, various techniques have been developed and utilized in various industrial processes. It includes multivariate statistical methods, representation skills in reduced spaces, kernel-based nonlinear techniques, etc. This work presents a nonlinear empirical monitoring scheme for batch type production processes with incomplete process measurement data. While normal operation data are easy to get, unusual fault data occurs infrequently and thus are difficult to collect. In this work, noise filtering steps are added in order to enhance monitoring performance by eliminating irrelevant information of the data. The performance of the monitoring scheme was demonstrated using batch process data. The results showed that the monitoring performance was improved significantly in terms of detection success rate of process fault.

Keywords: batch process, monitoring, measurement, kernel method

Procedia PDF Downloads 307

Authors: Jiahui Yang, John Quigley, Lesley Walls

Abstract:

In this paper, the authors develop a stochastic model regarding the investment in supplier delivery performance development from a buyer’s perspective. The authors propose a multivariate model through a Multinomial-Dirichlet distribution within an Empirical Bayesian inference framework, representing both the epistemic and aleatory uncertainties in deliveries. A closed form solution is obtained and the lower and upper bound for both optimal investment level and expected profit under uncertainty are derived. The theoretical properties provide decision makers with useful insights regarding supplier delivery performance improvement problems where multiple delivery statuses are involved. The authors also extend the model from a single supplier investment into a supplier portfolio, using a Lagrangian method to obtain a theoretical expression for an optimal investment level and overall expected profit. The model enables a buyer to know how the marginal expected profit/investment level of each supplier changes with respect to the budget and which supplier should be invested in when additional budget is available. An application of this model is illustrated in a simulation study. Overall, the main contribution of this study is to provide an optimal investment decision making framework for supplier development, taking into account multiple delivery statuses as well as multiple projects.

Keywords: decision making, empirical bayesian, portfolio optimization, supplier development, supply chain management

Procedia PDF Downloads 275

Authors: Adepoju A. A., Olapade-Ogunwole F., Ganiyu M. O.

Abstract:

This study examined women's empowerment in cassava production in southwest Nigeria. The contributions of the five domains namely decision about agricultural production, decision-making power over productive resources, control of the use of income, leadership and time allocation to women disempowerment, profiled the women based on their socio-economics features and determined factors influencing women's disempowerment. Primary data were collected from the women farmers and processors through the use of structured questionnaires. Purposive sampling was used to select the LGAs and villages based on a large number of cassava farmers and processors, while cluster sampling was used to select 360 respondents in the study area. Descriptive statistics such as bar charts and percentages, Women Empowerment in Agriculture (WEAI), and the Logit regression model were used to analyze the data collected. The results revealed that 63.88% of the women were disempowered. Lack of decision-making power over productive resources; 36.47% and leadership skills; 33.26% contributed mostly to the disempowerment of the women. About 85% of the married women were disempowered, while 76.92% of the women who participated in social group activities were more empowered than their disempowered counterparts. The findings showed that women with more years of processing experience have the probability of being disempowered while those who engage in farming as a primary livelihood activity, and participate in social groups among others have the tendency to be empowered. In view of this, it was recommended that women should be encouraged to farm and contribute to social group activities.

Keywords: cassava, production, empowerment, southwest, Nigeria

Procedia PDF Downloads 41

Authors: Kiana Keshavarz, Carmen Jaca, María J. Álvarez

Abstract:

The shift to a circular economy necessitates a substantial change in consumer behavior, a complex and unpredictable actor that proves challenging to guide toward sustainability. This systematic literature review addresses the pivotal role that consumers play in propelling a circular economy, emphasizing the critical gap between positive attitudes and responsible actions. In this review, we utilized two prominent databases, Scopus and Web of Science, during the months of July and August 2023. A comprehensive screening process considered 467 articles, ultimately including 115 in the study for detailed analysis. Recognizing the transformative potential of consumer behavior, the study examines three key phases of consumer interaction with products —pre-purchasing decision, careful usage, and post-use management—identifying consumer-centric strategies that boost sustainability in each phase. Contrary to the prevailing emphasis on post-management strategies in society, the synthesis highlights the profound impact of strategies enacted during the pre-purchasing decision phase. In the investigation of the persistent attitude-behavior gap, factors influencing this gap and impeding consumers from engaging in sustainable actions are identified based on behavioral theories. Subsequently, strategies aimed at diminishing barriers and boosting motivators, as outlined in the literature, are presented. Recognizing the transformative potential of consumer behavior, the study underscores the pivotal roles of policymakers, businesses, and governments in fostering a more sustainable future. Ultimately, there is a call for further research to enhance the depth of analysis. This could be achieved through a more focused approach, such as narrowing the scope to a specific industry or applying a specific behavioral theory.

Keywords: circular economy, consumer behavior, sustainability, attitude-behavior gap, systematic literature review

Procedia PDF Downloads 60

Authors: Ghulam Haider Haidaree, Nsenda Lukumwena

Abstract:

Today the world of research enjoys abundant data, available in virtually any field, technology, science, and business, politics, etc. This is commonly referred to as big data. This offers a great deal of precision and accuracy, supportive of an in-depth look at any decision-making process. When and if well used, Big Data affords its users with the opportunity to produce substantially well supported and good results. This paper leans extensively on big data to investigate possible smart solutions to urban mobility and related issues, namely road traffic accidents, its casualties, and fatalities based on multiple factors, including age, gender, location occurrences of accidents, etc. Multiple technologies were used in combination to produce an Information Communication Technology (ICT) based solution with embedded technology. Those technologies include principally Geographic Information System (GIS), Orange Data Mining Software, Bayesian Statistics, to name a few. The study uses the Leeds accident 2016 to illustrate the thinking process and extracts thereof a model that can be tested, evaluated, and replicated. The authors optimistically believe that the proposed model will significantly and smartly help to flatten the curve of road traffic accidents in the fast-growing population densities, which increases considerably motor-based mobility.

Keywords: accident factors, geographic information system, information communication technology, mobility

Procedia PDF Downloads 197

Authors: Elzbieta Babula, Juhyun Park

Abstract:

Tversky and Kahneman’s cumulative prospect theory assumes symmetric probability cumulation with regard to the reference point within decision weights. Theoretically, this model should be invariant under the change of the direction of probability cumulation. In the present study, this phenomenon is being investigated by creating a reference model that allows verifying the parameter interactions in the cumulative prospect theory specifications. The simultaneous parametric fitting of utility and weighting functions is applied to binary choice data from the experiment. The results show that the flexibility of the probability weighting function is a crucial characteristic allowing to prevent parameter interactions while estimating cumulative prospect theory.

Keywords: binary choice experiment, cumulative prospect theory, decision weights, parameter interactions

Procedia PDF Downloads 197

Authors: Vareesha Masood, Ammara Gul, Nabeeha Areej, Muhammad Asif Masood, Hamna Imran

Abstract:

The universal use of PDF files has prompted hackers to use them for malicious intent by hiding malicious codes in their victim’s PDF machines. Machine learning has proven to be the most efficient in identifying benign files and detecting files with PDF malware. This paper has proposed an approach using a decision tree classifier with parameters. A modern, inclusive dataset CIC-Evasive-PDFMal2022, produced by Lockheed Martin’s Cyber Security wing is used. It is one of the most reliable datasets to use in this field. We designed a PDF malware detection system that achieved 99.2%. Comparing the suggested model to other cutting-edge models in the same study field, it has a great performance in detecting PDF malware. Accordingly, we provide the fastest, most reliable, and most efficient PDF Malware detection approach in this paper.

Keywords: PDF, PDF malware, decision tree classifier, random forest classifier

Procedia PDF Downloads 75

Authors: Rawan Hakawati, Beatrice Smyth, David Rooney, Geoffrey McCullough

Abstract:

Targets have been set in the EU to increase the share of renewable energy consumption to 20% by 2020, but developments have not occurred evenly across the member states. Northern Ireland is almost 90% dependent on imported fossil fuels. With such high energy dependency, Northern Ireland is particularly susceptible to the security of supply issues. Linked to fossil fuels are greenhouse gas emissions, and the EU plans to reduce emissions by 20% by 2020. The use of indigenously produced biomass could reduce both greenhouse gas emissions and external energy dependence. With a wide range of both crop and waste feedstock potentially available in Northern Ireland, anaerobic digestion has been put forward as a possible solution for renewable energy production, waste management, and greenhouse gas reduction. Not all feedstock, however, is the same, and an understanding of feedstock suitability is important for both plant operators and policy makers. The aim of this paper is to investigate biomass suitability for anaerobic digestion in Northern Ireland. It is also important that decisions are based on solid scientific evidence. For this reason, the methodology used is multi-criteria decision matrix analysis which takes multiple criteria into account simultaneously and ranks alternatives accordingly. The model uses the weighted sum method (which follows the Entropy Method to measure uncertainty using probability theory) to decide on weights. The Topsis method is utilized to carry out the mathematical analysis to provide the final scores. Feedstock that is currently available in Northern Ireland was classified into two categories: wastes (manure, sewage sludge and food waste) and energy crops, specifically grass silage. To select the most suitable feedstock, methane yield, feedstock availability, feedstock production cost, biogas production, calorific value, produced kilowatt-hours, dry matter content, and carbon to nitrogen ratio were assessed. The highest weight (0.249) corresponded to production cost reflecting a variation of £41 gate fee to 22£/tonne cost. The weights calculated found that grass silage was the most suitable feedstock. A sensitivity analysis was then conducted to investigate the impact of weights. The analysis used the Pugh Matrix Method which relies upon The Analytical Hierarchy Process and pairwise comparisons to determine a weighting for each criterion. The results showed that the highest weight (0.193) corresponded to biogas production indicating that grass silage and manure are the most suitable feedstock. Introducing co-digestion of two or more substrates can boost the biogas yield due to a synergistic effect induced by the feedstock to favor positive biological interactions. A further benefit of co-digesting manure is that the anaerobic digestion process also acts as a waste management strategy. From the research, it was concluded that energy from agricultural biomass is highly advantageous in Northern Ireland because it would increase the country's production of renewable energy, manage waste production, and would limit the production of greenhouse gases (current contribution from agriculture sector is 26%). Decision-making methods based on scientific evidence aid policy makers in classifying multiple criteria in a logical mathematical manner in order to reach a resolution.

Keywords: anaerobic digestion, biomass as feedstock, decision matrix, renewable energy

Procedia PDF Downloads 436

Authors: Mustafa Tekke, Nurullah Kurt

Abstract:

This study examined the level of career maturity of undergraduate foreign students in a public university in Malaysia by examining on cultural aspect by using the Career Maturity Inventory. Two hundred and twenty nine (Male = 106, Female = 123) foreign students studying in various majors completed the Career Maturity Inventory and the scores of the foreign students on the CMI suggested that they had slightly higher levels than the mean level of maturity in career. Result was also supported by testing the feeling about major, consideration of changing major and planning after graduation, which indicated that foreign students had their own career decision making. However, this result should be viewed with caution within ethnic difference.

Keywords: career maturity, foreign students, career decision making, feeling about major, knowledge about major

Procedia PDF Downloads 287

Authors: Hyunjoo Park, Taehyun Kim, Taehyun Kim

Abstract:

The government that declared 'de-nuclearization' pushes up renewable energy policies such as solar power and wind power as an alternative to nuclear power generation. However, local residents who are concerned about the development and natural disasters have been hit by opposition, and related businesses around the country are experiencing difficulties. There is also a voice saying that installing a large wind power generator will cause landslides, low frequencies and noise, which will have a bad influence. Renewal is only a harmful and disgusting facility for the residents. In this way, it is expected that extreme social conflicts will occur in the decision making process related to the locally unwanted land-use (LULU). The government's efforts to solve this problem have been steadily progressing, but the systematic methodology for bringing in active participation and opinion gathering of the residents has not yet been established except for the simple opinion poll or referendum. Therefore, it is time to identify the factors that concern the local residents about the wind power generation facilities, and to find ways to make policy decision-making possible. In this study, we analyze the perception of people about offshore and onshore wind power facilities through questionnaires or interviews, and examine quantitative and qualitative precedent studies to analyze them. In addition, the study evaluates what factors affect the local acceptance of wind power facilities. As a result of the factor analysis of the questionnaire items, factors affecting the residents' acceptance of the wind power facility were extracted from four factors such as environmental, economic, risk, social, and management factor. The study also found that the influence of the determinants of local acceptance on the regional acceptability differs according to the demographic characteristics such as gender and income level. This study will contribute to minimizing the conflict on the installation of wind power facilities through communication among the local residents.

Keywords: factor analysis, local acceptance, locally unwanted land-use, LULU, wind power generation facilities

Procedia PDF Downloads 142