Engineering Organizations Research Articles

Effect of project organization elements on the mental health of project management practitioner in AEC projects

PurposeDue to the frenetic and dynamic working conditions ascribed to architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) project organizations, enormous research has addressed the poor mental health propensity of project management practitioners (PMPs). However, research has not considered the distant factors related to organizational design causing poor mental health. Therefore, this study addresses the problem by integrating institutional theory, agency theory and resource-based theory (RBT) to explore the relationship between organizational design elements: project governance, knowledge management, integrated project delivery, project management skills and mental health management indicators. Examples of mental health management indicators include social relationships, work-life balance and project leadership.Design/methodology/approachPurposive sampling method was adopted to collect survey data from 90 PMPs in 60 AEC firms in Australia. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was utilized to test the relationship between the variables.FindingsThe research found that project governance, knowledge management and integrated project delivery are positively correlated to mental health management indicators. However, the research finding suggests that project management skills have a negative impact on mental health management indicators.Originality/valueThe findings offer guidelines to AEC firms on achieving positive mental health management outcomes through concentration on project governance, knowledge management and integrated project delivery. It further calls for a reconsideration of existing project management skills causing poor mental health management outcomes.

Unconscious system-psychodynamics within a German 4IR engineering company in South Africa.

This article focuses on systems psychodynamics and particularly on the CIBART-model which explores conflict, identity, boundary, authority, role and task and how these phenomena work out on an unconscious level. Therefore, this article presents empirical findings on CIBART in a German multinational engineering organization operating in South Africa. For this study, 16 managers where interviewed on their transformation toward Industry 4.0 with special interest in the interconnection how CIBART aspects play out in the South African context. Findings show that all of the CIBART-phenomena are important during the transformation to more advanced technological levels and restructuring processes. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations are given how to deal with systems-psychodynamic influences within the organization.

PESTEL analysis of mental health management of project management practitioners (PMPs) in architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) project organization

PurposeArchitectural, engineering and construction (AEC) project organizations are under constant pressure to improve the mental health of project management practitioners (PMPs) due to complexity and dynamism involved in project management practices. Drawing on institutional theory, this research explores how external environmental factors, political factors, economic factors, social factors, technological factors, environmental factors and legal factors (PESTEL), influence mental health management indicators that contribute to positive mental health.Design/methodology/approachPurposive sampling method was used to collect survey data from 82 PMPs in 60 AEC firms in Australia. Structural equation modelling was used to test the hypotheses based on 82 items of data collected from PMPs.FindingsOverall, this study revealed interesting findings on the impact of external environmental factors on mental health. The hypothesized positive association between political factors and mental health management indicators was rejected. The data supported the proposed hypothetical correlation between economic factors and mental health management indicators and the influence of social factors on mental health management indicators. Moreover, a hypothetical relationship between technological factors and mental health management indicators was supported. The significant positive impact of environmental factors on mental health management indicators proposed was supported, and legal factors’ positive correlation on mental health management indicators was also supported.Originality/valueDespite the limitations, the present findings suggest that all the external environment factors except political factors shape mental health management outcomes.

African vultures optimization algorithm for optimization of shell and tube heat exchangers

Abstract Nature-inspired optimization algorithms named meta-heuristics are found to be versatile in engineering design fields. Their adaptability is also used in various areas of the Internet of things, structural design, and thermal system design. With the very rapid progress in industrial modernization, waste heat recovery from the power generating and thermal engineering organization is an imperative key point to reduce the emission and support the government norms. However, the heat exchanger is the component applied in various heat recovery processes. Out of the available designs, shell and tube heat exchangers (SHTHEs) are the most commonly adopted for the heat recovery process. Hence, cost minimization is the major aspect while designing the heat exchanger confirming various constraints and optimized design variables. In this study, cost minimization of the SHTHE is performed by applying a novel metaheuristic algorithm which is the African vultures optimization algorithm (AVOA). Adopting the AVOA for the best-optimized value (least cost of heat exchanger) and the design parameters are realized, confirming all the constraints. It was found that the AVOA is able to pursue the best results among the rest of them and can be used for the cost optimization of the plate-fin and tube-fin heat exchanger case studies.

Engineer-Centred Design Factors and Methodological Approach for Maritime Autonomy Emergency Response Systems

Commercial deployment of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASSs) is close to becoming a reality. Although MASSs are fully autonomous, the industry will still allow remote operations centre (ROC) operators to intervene if a MASS is facing an emergency the MASS cannot handle by itself. A human-centred design for the associated emergency response systems will require attention to the ROC operator workplace, but also, arguably, to the behaviour-shaping constraints on the engineers building these systems. There is thus a need for an engineer-centred design of engineering organisations, influenced by the current discourse on human factors. To contribute to the discourse, think-aloud protocol interviewing was conducted with well-informed maritime operators to elicit fundamental demands on cognition and collaboration by maritime autonomy emergency response systems. Based on the results, inferences were made regarding both design factors and methodological choices for future, early phase engineering of emergency response systems. Firstly, engineering firms have to improve their informal gathering and sharing of information through gatekeepers and/or organisational liaisons. To avoid a too cautious approach to accountability, this will have to include a closer integration of development and operations. Secondly, associated studies taking the typical approach of exposing relevant operators to new design concepts in scripted scenarios should include significant flexibility and less focus on realism.

A Case Study Analysis of Pregnancy Discrimination and Women-Friendly Workplaces in U.S. Engineering and Technical Organizations

Women represent 50% of workers in the United States but only 28% of the employees at 51 of the top U.S. engineering and technology organizations. Engineering and technology firms have experienced significant challenges in creating more women-friendly cultures. According to Women Who Tech’s most recent survey, 75% of female employees have experienced offensive jokes, 54% experienced unwelcome physical contact, 51% had sexually-oriented comments directed at them, and 35% were propositioned for sex. The purpose of this project is to investigate the consequential impact of organizational dynamics bias and discrimination against women TECH 2022, which is a healthcare information technology and biotechnology consulting firm via a management consulting organizational development (OD) framework case study analysis.

Caught in a net: Opportunities and Challenges of a Netnographic Study

This paper reports on the opportunities and challenges associated with the use of the qualitative methodology of netnography, an interpretative method which represents a written description of fieldwork emerging from on-line or computer mediated data. Specifically, a humanist netnography which focussed on answering research questions connected with deep social values with the aim to influence social change within the context of business and management research was applied. Over the course of 26 months, a total of 2033 comments from a bespoke, in-house social media monitoring tool were analysed and ratified through triangulation with 107 posts from an engagement survey. The data was captured within an automation and engineering organisation in the private sector in England. The context of the study was to use netnographic research to explore the impact on employees subjected to the implementation of multiple, consecutive redundancy programmes. The aim was to understand areas of concern for employee wellbeing and identify opportunities to improve the redundancy implementation strategy. Humanist netnography was applied to allow a specific focus on the culture of the community within the organisational setting, and the emotions experienced amongst employees within this community. The findings highlight that netnograhic research can offer rich and meaningful data when used in a controlled, digital environment for organisations as well as for academic research. This study discusses the opportunities associated with netnography and how the use of in-house bespoke social media monitoring tools can help drive and improve organisational effectiveness. In addition, this paper identifies challenges associated with the use of netnography such as the little perceived value of emoticons defined as symbolic netnography, as real meaning were found in the expressed words. Concerns with respect to ethical considerations and protecting individual participants when using netnographic data are discussed.

The Influence of Information and Communication Technology on the Business Performance of the Incubated Small Business Enterprises in Tanzania

This study analyzed the influence of information and communication technology (ICT) on the business performance of incubated small business enterprises (SBEs) in Tanzania. Purposive sampling and structured questionnaires were used on fifty SBEs incubated at the Tanzania Engineering and Manufacturing Development Organization (TEMDO) incubation center from a population of incubated SBEs in various government institutions, including the Small Industries Development Organization (SIDO) Centre of Agricultural Mechanization and Rural Technologies (CARMMATEC), the Tanzania Industrial Research and Development Organization (TIRDO), and the Tanzania Engineering and Manufacturing Development Organization (TEMDO). Statistical Package for Social Science and R Programming Language were used for data analysis The study established that ICT increases SBE’s market access through information accessibility (70%), market share (80%), promotion strategies (88%) and financial conveniences (74%). Furthermore, SBEs can boost their operational outputs by creating a favorable business environment (64%), lowering business barriers (78%), increasing speed to market (72%), and improving business efficiency (50%). Moreover, SBEs with the aid of ICT have a high chance of increasing business profit through increased sales volume (76%), income level (82%), profit margin (60%) and liquidity level (52%). However, the observed low rating on business efficiency and liquidity due to factors related to the availability and affordability of ICT infrastructure must be addressed to the substantial influence of ICT on SBEs’ business performance.

Brief Discussion on the Main Points of Construction Organization and Management of Landscape Architecture Engineering

Brief Discussion on the Main Points of Construction Organization and Management of Landscape Architecture Engineering

ROLE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) TOOLS FOR ASSURING QUALITY IN SOFTWARE

Artificial intelligence (AI) plays a significant role in multiple aspects of human life. AI computational and simulation tools have been implemented and tested for computational study and data analysis. In computer science and software engineering, effective and intelligent analysis of the results is necessary. Since AI-based tools are designed for business needs, software engineering organizations use them for software quality assurance (SQA) purposes. A cost-effective and rapid analysis gives a better market-oriented approach for professionals in the software development industry. According to the international report of quality, 64 percent of organizations use AI to optimize business processes within QA strategies. This study highlights software-industry and IT-based approaches in software houses. The software houses in Pakistan selected for investigation are related to SQA. Modern machine learning models have been a part of SQA for the last few years. Furthermore, the study also investigates the AI tools which have been used for SQA. The latest trends and techniques are investigated for better quality assurance. We propose an approach for SQA by applying an AI-based tools survey. AI-based tools provide an effective software development and quality assurance solution. The results show that 70 percent of software houses in Pakistan are not applying AI-based tools to maximize SQA. The comprehensive approaches have been studied to identify basic issues and challenges with adopting AI-based tools for SQA. The future trends and current models of machine learning (ML) are also discussed to verify quality assurance. In addition, machine learning models that are already implemented are used in this work to verify the topic’s authenticity.

A strategic framework managing challenges of integrating lean construction and integrated project delivery on construction megaprojects, towards global integrated delivery transformative initiatives in multinational organisations

PurposeBuilt environment encounters substantial risks and challenges in its evolution towards sustainable development. International businesses and multinational engineering organisations face global connectivity challenges between business units, especially during the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19), which has profoundly disrupted the construction industry throughout the world. That raises the need to manage global connectivity as a main strategic goal of multinational architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) organisations. This study aims to develop a strategic framework managing challenges of integrating lean construction (LC) and integrated project delivery (IPD) on construction megaprojects (CMPs) towards global integrated delivery (GID) transformative initiatives in multinational AEC organisations.Design/methodology/approach“Mixed research methods” involving a two-stage quantitative and qualitative research approach is adopted. The qualitative research methodology consists of a literature review to assess challenges to integrate LeanIPD&GID on CMPs. There is an assessment of conceptualisation of LeanIPD&GID and GID strategy placements, development of LeanIPD&GID integration framework and future of work (FOW) global initiatives with multiple validations. The analysis involved semi-structured interviews and focus group techniques. Stage 2 consisted of an empirical questionnaire survey that shaped the foundation of analysis and findings of 190 respondents from 23 countries with an extensive cosmopolitan experience of megaprojects in construction. The survey examined a set of 20 challenges to integrate LeanIPD&GID on CMPs resulting from a detailed analysis of extant literature after validation. Descriptive and inferential statistical tests were exploited for data analysis and percentage score analysis.FindingsThe research conceptualised LeanIPD&GID principles, proposed GID strategy placements, a framework for managing challenges of LeanIPD&GID transformative initiatives, FOW global initiatives and key performance indicators (KPIs). It concluded that the most significant challenges to integrate of LeanIPD&GID on CMPs are “lack of governmental incentives, policies, regulations or legal frameworks”, “lack of client’s awareness and IPD experience amongst key stakeholders”, “lack of organisation’s senior-management and client’s commitment to IPD approaches”, “resistance of industry to change from traditional procurement to IPD” and “lack of integrated synergies between LC, IPD working towards LeanIPD&GID”. Awareness of building information modelling (BIM) in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is higher than LC, and LC awareness is higher than IPD knowledge. While BIM adoption in the MENA region is higher than LC, LC is still taking its first steps, and IPD has little implementation. LeanBIM is slightly integrated, while LeanIPD integration is almost not present.Originality/valueThe research findings, conclusions and recommendations provide a proposed framework for implementation, KPIs and GID strategy placements for LeanIPD&GID transformative initiatives to integrate LeanIPD&GID on CMPs and FOW global initiatives. This will allow project key stakeholders to place emphasis on managing LeanIPD&GID challenges identified in this research and commence GID strategies. The study has provided effective practical strategies for enhancing integration of LeanIPD&GID transformative initiatives on CMPs.

Effect of discretisation on extreme rainfall analysis: A study of Jaipur city in India

A location-based evaluation of the effect of discretisation on extreme rainfall estimates has been reported in the present study using the hourly rainfall records. This analysis aims to develop a correction model to find rainfall correction factor (RCF) for the metro city, Jaipur in the state of Rajasthan, India. Further, the study addressed the effect of clock hour correction factor (CHCF) on extreme rainfall recorded in the discrete-time interval and compared with the corresponding value suggested by IS 5542-2003. The CHCF was computed using annual maxima series (AMS), and peak-over-threshold (POT) approaches in deriving the rainfall values. The hourly rainfall measurement used to evaluate the differences in extremes evaluated using sliding window (SW) aggregation and fixed window (FW) observation for 24-hour maximum rainfall depth. The extreme value analysis was performed, and the model was checked for its reliability. The peak rainfall depth-duration-frequency curve was plotted for observed 24-hr and 1-hr duration peak rainfall depth. The 1-hour duration peak rainfall was computed for 25-, 50- and 100-year return period using the conversion factor given in Flood estimation report (sub-zone 1b) and compared with the present study results. The peak rainfall for the different return periods for 1-hour and 24-hour duration was worked out which will be useful to the design engineer as per the recent guidelines of the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organization (CPHEEO, 2019).

Knowledge activities applied | towards a holistic knowledge management approach in the software industry

PurposeThis paper aims to close the gap between the generic concept of knowledge activities (KAs) and implementing them in the context of software engineering organisations concentrating on the non-technical aspects, such as team organisation and practices.Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative research used a questionnaire with practitioners such as software developers and team leads who were asked to provide feedback on a set of team practices and measures typically used in software engineering projects and assess their relation to the activities of acquiring, codifying, storing, maintaining, transferring and creating knowledge. The obtained results were analysed using frequency analysis and further descriptive statistics yielding a matrix linking the investigated team practices and measures to KAs.FindingsTeam practices and measures commonly applied in software engineering can be facilitated to trigger particular KAs. While most of these team practices and measures originate from agile methods, they are not restricted to these. A purposeful composition can help in assembling a balanced set of KAs aimed at fostering given knowledge goals in software engineering organisations.Practical implicationsBy bridging the communication and terminology gap between knowledge management research and software engineering practitioners, this work lays the foundation for assessing software teams’ knowledge profiles more easily and creating prerequisites for implementing knowledge management by facilitating common practices and measures often already part of their daily work. Hence, overhead can be avoided when implementing knowledge management.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study investigating application and relevance of KAs in the software industry by linking them to practices and measures well-accepted in software engineering, thus providing the necessary vocabulary for the implementation of knowledge management in software development teams.

The Influence of Professional Engineering Organizations on Women and Underrepresented Minority Students’ Fit

Our work focuses on women and underrepresented minority (URM) students’ cultural models of engineering success (CMES) or beliefs about doing well in engineering. Because of its consequential effect on persistence, we pay special attention to the fit domain of CMES—student feelings of belonging in their engineering program. We examine 1) how student fit is affected by participatory social capital (i.e., participation in professional engineering organizations [PEOs] that have as part of their mission a goal to assist students in their STEM education and careers), as well as 2) the factors that affect students’ decisions to participate in PEOs. Due to the traditional prioritization of majority norms in engineering programs, women and URM students’ CMES may conflict with the cultures manifested in engineering departments. Analysis of interviews with 55 women and URM engineering students shows that PEOs, particularly gender- and race-focused PEOs, affect students’ feelings of fit. PEOs affect student fit positively and primarily through expressive social capital—emotional support wherein students feel they fit in because PEOs provide a sense of community and opportunities to be around successful women and URM engineers. PEOs also allow students to build instrumental social capital, such as academic and professional skills, including networking and knowledge development. Encouragement from others and their desire to be around people like themselves played a central role in students joining PEOs. However, students identified time, financial, and fit issues that discouraged them from participating in PEOs. This investigation illuminates how socially distant others from PEOs affect student fit, extending previous work which uncovered how more proximal others affect fit as well as previous work finding that URM students participating in PEOs were more likely to persist in their engineering program. Research, theory, and practice applications are presented.

Методичні рекомендації щодо активізації мисленнєвої діяльності майбутніх офіцерів-прикордонників під час навчання

The experience of teaching the authors the basics of exact sciences, which contribute to the formation of logical thinking and intellectual abilities of cadets, testifies to the problem of low level of their interest and educational activities. The issue of finding ways to increase the motivation and activation of thought activity of future border guard officers while studying the basics of exact sciences is relevant. The introduction of the military-border component in the process of teaching fundamental disciplines helps to increase the motivation of cadets and intensify their thought activity, forms analytical skills and the ability to think logically that in further professional activities will help quickly make correct, adequate situations, sound decisions. The most successful form of organization of such professionally oriented training is laboratory work, during which future border guard officers solve problems of applied content. The article considers methodological approaches to the introduction of the military-border component in the educational process of training future border guard officers. The content of the cycle of laboratory works on the basics of information processing, the implementation of which will lead to the formation of motivation and activation of thought activity of cadets. Examples of practical tasks of military-border direction for performance in laboratory works that require knowledge, skills and abilities of cadets acquired during the study of the module "Fundamentals of Statistical Analysis" on the basics of information processing are given. The authors of the article present the content of tasks that are assigned to self-performance, and which are close to those that may arise during the performance of professional duties by border guard officers, as well as the criteria for evaluating reports on laboratory work. The use of the presented tasks in laboratory classes helped to improve the quality and success of the study of the discipline "Fundamentals of Information Processing". Іn the future it is planned to develop and test a similar cycle of laboratory work for teaching elective courses in the educational program "Organization of engineering and technical units of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine" such as operations research, systems analysis, mathematical programming. Key words: thought activity, training, future border officers, military border component, laboratory work

CYBERCRIME AND THE NATURE OF INSIDER THREAT COMPLEXITIES IN HEALTHCARE AND BIOTECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING ORGANIZATIONS

This article explores the nature of cybersecurity professionals being insider threats to their own organization, as well as the general increase in harder-to-detect threats coming from an ever-widening acceptance of third-party insiders, which organizations, biotechnology engineering, and other healthcare organizations rely on. After examining the current and emerging literature on how individuals are motivated to engage in problematic workplace behaviors as a means of gaining their specific goal or need, the paper articulates malicious cybersecurity insider threat indicators, then provides best practices for reducing the risk of these threats in healthcare and biotechnology engineering organizations.

ЗАКОНОМІРНОСТІ ФОРМУВАННЯ ПРОДУКТИВНОСТІ І ПРОПУСКНОЇ ЗДАТНОСТІ ЗАСОБІВ ОБСЛУГОВУВАННЯ

The article considers systems in which the moments of receipt of the service request and the length of the services themselves, which are called queuing systems (QMS), are variable and random. 111 Examples of QMS in the field of technical operation of road transport are: posts, lines, areas of repair shops, trucking companies, spare parts warehouses, fuel and lubrication dispensers of gas stations, etc. It is established that the initial flow of requirements depending on the characteristics of the QMS are generally serviced and non-serviced requirements. For road transport, it is mandatory to perform the necessary maintenance and repair work, ie the output flow, as a rule, consists of serviced requirements, ie serviceable cars. The classification of the queuing system according to various factors influencing the efficiency of the means of service and methods of intensification of production is described. current indicators, and the complexity (t) of technical impacts, their dependence on the type, brand, modification of rolling stock, mileage from the beginning of operation, driver qualifications, operating conditions, the adopted maintenance and repair system, organization and management of engineering and technical service of the enterprise technical base, technology of execution and mechanization of works .. With regard to the technical operation of cars, the most common are closed and open, single- and multi-channel SMO, with the same type and specialized service devices, with single- and multi-phase service, without losses or with a limit on the length of the queue or time spent on it. Absolute capacity depends on the following factors: the accepted structure of enterprises or specializations of divisions, the level of organization and management of maintenance and repair; technological level of works; provision of production technical base; level of mechanization of works; qualification and provision of repairmen, spare parts, materials.

Технологии и материалы для ремонта автомобильных дорог в районах распространения много-летнемерзлых грунтов

This paper addressed the selection of overhaul methods for roads in the permafrost area. Ensuring the strength and stability of the road base and engineering structures under the permafrost conditions and deep seasonal freezing of soils remains one of the main scientific and technical challenges of road construction and maintenance in the northern regions. The main factors causing the failure of road structures were reviewed, including both climate change and complex geological and hydrogeological conditions of the area. Since the construction of the Amur Road, the deformation has been observed in many of its sections. In 2012, the Federal State Institution of Road Management “Zabaykalye”, to-gether with engineering and scientific organisations, developed a target programme for inspecting such sections. The article discusses the renovation measures and technologies elaborated under this programme, which include the construction of culverts, rockfills, thermal diodes and cooling layers, awnings, and protective berms. The monitoring of the repaired sections shows insignificant defor-mation of the road surface and road base; 55 % of the sections were fully stabilised. However, the fi-nal assessment of the permafrost stabilisation will take a longer time. The establishment of an effective system of engineering-geocryological monitoring for the Amur Road should become the most im-portant measure, whose implementation will allow dangerous deformations to be prevented and effi-cient measures for protecting the roadbed from their negative impact to be developed.

Men of Science and Standards: Introducing the Metric System in Nineteenth-Century Brazil

This article addresses the question of how standards were determined and disseminated in an era before the formation of agreed upon standards or the existence of governing bodies, by examining the case of nineteenth-century Brazil. It argues that the experience in Brazil was similar to that of other nations: individuals engaged in mathematical, scientific, engineering, and statistical organizations created networks of professional societies, intertwined with international diplomacy and domestic legislators, to promote the adoption of the metric system. It analyzes the process from idea to advocacy culminating in national implementation on the eve of the 1875 International Convention of the Meter, to which Brazil was signatory.

ИНТЕРАКТИВНЫЙ ТРЕНАЖЕР ДЛЯ ОБУЧЕНИЯ ПЕРСОНАЛА ОАО «РЖД» НАВЫКАМ ОПЕРАТИВНЫХ ПЕРЕКЛЮЧЕНИЙ

The paper is devoted to decrease of a number of accidents and electrical injuries in electrical power engineering organizations. The author proposes an interactive complex of training exercises aimed at training electrical personnel of alternating current railways in safe methods of operating switching in schemes of electric substations. Practising a skill of virtual operating switching on a training simulator will allow the personnel to decrease the probability of mistakes in future, which will contribute to reduction of a number of accidents and injuries in operation. The developed training simulator adapts to the scheme of any traction substation on the JSC «RZD» railway network, which creates the possibility for replication of the product, enlargement of its functional possibilities and exchange of experience of its use.