Life Case Study Research Articles

Planning third generation minigrids: Multi-objective optimization and brownfield investment approaches in modelling village-scale on-grid and off-grid energy systems

Access to reliable and sustainable electricity is still precluded for a large share of global population living in rural areas of developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. Hybrid microgrids are considered a suitable solution for providing affordable and reliable access to electricity to isolated communities. Properly planning and sizing such systems is although an aspect that can greatly influence the sustainability of the intervention, and the arrival to the market of the third generation minigrids poses new challenges to the process. Three main challenges are identified as pivotal for the proper sizing of new generation microgrids: arrival of the main grid, inappropriateness of Net Present Cost as only objective function in the strategy selection process, and necessity to operate on already existing minigrids. Such aspects are addressed in this work by proposing a methodological advancement to an existing open-source microgrid sizing model: a grid outage model alongside the definition of new constraints and variables for the optimization problem with grid-connected microgrids, a multi-objective optimization option, and a brown-field optimization option. The new version of the model is tested on real life case studies in rural Rwanda (greenfield) and Mozambique (brownfield), proving the profitability of grid-connected and grid-extension solutions for sufficiently low connection distances. Sensitivity analyses are performed to assess variations in system size, cost and CO2 emissions with respect to microgrid and grid connection parameters.

A novel bi-objective optimization model for an eco-efficient reverse logistics network design configuration

Ecological sustainability has become a top priority for governments and business practitioners because of the massive surge in electronic waste (e-waste). This ecological context has compelled electronic firms to adopt reverse logistics (RL) and to invest in advanced technologies with a focus on sustainable recovery practices and on reducing excessive carbon emissions (CEs). This study proposes a multi-objective mixed integer programming (MOMIP) model for configuring a RL network design; it incorporates multiple products, multiple recovery facilities, multiple processing technologies, and a selection of vehicle types. The novelty of this study lies in its consideration of four green technologies (inspection, dismantling, repair/refurbishing, and recycling facilities), and its efforts to maximize return yield potential in the form of product, components, and material recovery. The main objective of the model is to minimize overall RL network cost and environmental impact due to processing and transportation. Further, a weighted goal programming technique is used to determine efficient solutions and furnish a trade-off among the conflicting objectives. The mathematical model is validated utilizing a real life case study of an electronics manufacturing firm in India. The total RL network cost and emissions are both reduced, and different technologies are selected automatically for the RL processing facilities. The results demonstrate that the return yield increases significantly with the greener technology selections. The study also draws significant implications, specifically that carbon tax regulatory policies aid in significantly reducing carbon emissions to a large extent along with increasing product return yield. Hence, the results will help industrial managers in their strategic and tactical decision making. Their evaluations of recovery options, technology selection, and vehicle selection with regard to economic and ecological impact will permit decision makers to gain valuable managerial insights.

Wind Turbine Blade Waste Circularity Coupled with Urban Regeneration: A Conceptual Framework

With the vast majority of scientists agreeing that the only hope in mitigating the adverse effects of climate change is to drop our carbon emissions to net zero by 2050, the decarbonization of the electricity sector is an environmental emergency. Wind energy can be a leader in the energy transition to a carbon emission-free economy. However, the wind energy transition must be carefully implemented to mitigate the economic, environmental, and social consequences of this change. Blade waste from end-of-life wind turbines is the Achilles’ heel of this energy transition and the main impediment to its full acceptance. Aiming to support efficient blade waste management and therefore to ensure sustainable wind energy transition, we conduct a two-fold methodology. In the first part, we propose a novel conceptual framework of upcycling and downcycling end-of-life solutions in an urban regeneration setting. In the second part, we use the case study method to illustrate the aspects of our conceptual framework by analyzing real life case studies. This study suggests that end-of-life blades are used in the cement coprocessing of waste and in architectural projects under urban regeneration transformation processes, closing the material loop according to the circular economy and sustainability principles.

The Future of Relations between Indonesia and the Middle East Region in Terms of Geopolitics as Indonesia's 2020-2024 Strategic Plan

Purpose - This research examines the future relations between Indonesia and the middle east region regarding geopolitics as Indonesia's 2020-2024 strategic plan.Methodology - This study is qualitative. This research is a live case study that is used on a legal issue that has not ended or is currently happening, as well as conducting an extensive review of existing literature, scholarly articles, books, reports, and policy documents related to Indonesia's strategic plan, geopolitics, and the Middle East region. Analyze and synthesize the information to identify trends, perspectives, and potential future scenarios.Findings - The Middle East Region has various problems that occur in various aspects. However, the problems that occur are still said to be unable to be resolved by both parties alone but require one of the parties to participate in paving the way for peace between the Arab countries. Indonesia is considered capable of being a mediator because of the principles they carry out, namely a Free and Active Foreign Policy, close and harmonious relations between Indonesia and the Middle East Region in all aspects, and a continuous feeling of sympathy for one another.Implication - Foreign relations in the Middle East Region are included in the Strategic Plan by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia as the primary goal in enhancing world peace based on the fourth paragraph of the Preamble of the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. Indonesia's geopolitical concept indeed has led and can be carried out specifically concerning the interaction of relations with countries in the Middle East Region.

Protagonismo juvenil no ensino médio: reflexões acerca da elaboração e implementação dos jogos interclasses

Abstract The question that guides this study is: how can interclass games be constituted as teaching content from the perspective of youth protagonist in high school physical education? The objective is to discuss and analyze the possibilities and limitations that involve interclass games as teaching content within a high school. Thus, an ethnographic case study of everyday school life was carried out. For this purpose, interclass games were organized in a high school, based on the structures of youth protagonist. The results indicate that the knowledge/doing inherent to sports can assume not only a place of knowledge to be applied in a competitive environment, but as structures that allow understanding the sociocultural place of sport.

Competence of managers from the perspective of corporate social responsibility: The case study

Sustainable enterprises development and their social responsibility determine harmonic development of entire economy, which constitutes higher priority than a profit value of single company. In the conclusion, managers who manage these companies should take into their account during their managerial activities, the good of entire society, in the same time stop to concentrate exclusively on processes leading directly to maximization of capital productivity. In the light of many analysis and conscious public opinion, this is the way the concept of business should be understood. This paper presents the results of research which the objectives were to elaborate empirical pattern of managerial staff competency profile for the organization operating in the high social responsibility sector and its comparison to the single real life case study. On the bases of the research results it is possible to conclude that managerial consciousness about social responsibility issue happens to be on the satisfactory level, but it does not mean that reality fits the pattern, especially from the perspective of singular competences like for instance honesty.

An efficient approach for the petrol station replenishment problem: an Algerian case study

In a logistic process, the goods distribution is an important task. It is also a critical activity that needs to be optimised according to company policy. The petrol station replenishment problem (PSRP) is one of the transportation problems concerned with replenishing a set of fuel stations with the different petroleum products. This problem presents a particular case of the multi-compartment vehicle routing problem (MC-VPR). In this paper, a new bi-objective approach is proposed in order to treat the PSRP. A novel MILP model is proposed based on a real life case study (the Algerian company of fuel distribution NAFTAL). Two objectives are considered: gain maximisation and carbon emissions minimisation. The economic objective is optimised independently of the environmental one, and then they are joined by adapting a multi-objective method 'LP-metric'. Finally, computational results are presented in order to show the efficiency of our green approach for a sustainable transportation system.

GeroCast: Using podcasting to deliver living cases in gerontology education

Objective: To describe the creation of an educational podcast with ‘living cases’ of older adults to support students’ learning on a gerontology course and report on students’ evaluation of the project. Setting: Gerontology course in a graduate programme. Method: We developed a podcast series based on interviews with older adults in the community following recent guidelines for creating educational podcasts. The podcast episodes were used in a case-based group assignment to work on during the course and to present findings at the end. Evaluation: Student experiences were evaluated using a mixed-methods survey. Results: From November 2019 to January 2021, case-based podcasts, averaging 17 minutes in length, were created and evaluated. Most students found the content of the podcasts relevant to working with older adults and increased their understanding of the issues facing members of that population. Qualitative analysis of the survey findings found that the overall strengths of the podcasts were that they were well structured, provided an authentic, real-world experience, allowed listeners to experience an innovative teaching strategy, promoted reflection, and encouraged students to consider a future career working with older adults. Students also recommended ways to improve the podcasts. Conclusion: Delivering living case studies using podcasts is a feasible, inexpensive and effective teaching method for improving physiotherapy students’ attitudes towards caring for older adults. Students enjoyed learning via the podcasts and found them a valuable way to better understand the issues facing older adults. The living case podcasts could have broad applicability to other aging and health courses.

Perceived usability evaluation of learning management systems via axiomatic design with a real life application

PurposeUsage of learning management systems (LMSs) has become widespread with the disruption of face-to-face educations after the COVID-19 pandemic. There are several software products, usually named as LMS to enable and support distance education. However, selection of a suitable LMS is a complex multiple criteria decision making (MCDM) problem that requires consideration of many criteria and inputs from different parties like students, academicians, education managers, etc. Usability evaluation of LMS is one of the critical steps in deciding which LMS system to be adapted. There are several studies related to usability evaluation of LMS in the literature, but utilization of MCDM methods and real life case studies are very rare. Based on this motivation, perceived usability evaluation of SAKAI-LMS that is in use at an academic department is performed by employing axiomatic design procedure (ADP). This paper aims to discuss the aforementioned issues.Design/methodology/approachADP is considered as a suitable MCDM method for perceived usability evaluation as it allows an easy approach to data fusion and setting performance targets for decision makers. A questionnaire is developed to collect data from three types of system users about predetermined usability criteria and their importance. After detailed statistical analyses and weighting criteria via analytical hierarch process (AHP), ADP is carried out to evaluate usability of the LMS.FindingsIt is found that the proposed ADP based approach is easy to apply in practical circumstances and able to quantify perceived usability of the LMSs.Research limitations/implicationsThe proposed approach provides an easy and practical evaluation of perceived usability of the LMSs for decision makers who are responsible for the implementation of LMSs. The developed novel and practical MCDM-based perceived usability approach for LMS in this study has been verified through a real life case study at an academic department. Perceived usability results, therefore, reflects only the views of this focus group and are not generalizable.Originality/valueFirst time in the literature, a comprehensive ADP based MCDM approach is proposed based on the analyses of the related literature and information gathered from the system users.

Model-Based Test Sequence Generation and Prioritization Using Ant Colony Optimization

The paper presents an approach to generate and optimize test sequences from the input UML activity diagram. For this, an algorithm is proposed called Unified Modelling Language for Test Sequence Generation (UMLTSG) that uses a search-based algorithm, named Test Sequence Prioritization using Ant Colony Optimization (TSP ACO) to generate and optimize test sequences. The algorithms overcome the existing limitations of handling complex decision-making activity such as conditional activity, fork activity, and join the activity. The optimization process helps to reduce the number of processing nodes that leads to minimizing the time and cost. The proposed approach experiments on a well-known application Railway Ticket Reservation System (RTRS). APFD metric measures the effectiveness of our approach and found that the prioritized order of test sequences achieved 20% higher APFD score. Apart from this, the authors have also experimented on six real life case studies and obtained an average of 52.16% reduction in redundant test paths.

Artificial intelligence enabled robots for stay experience in the hospitality industry in a smart city

PurposeThe hospitality industry has witnessed numerous changes to enhance the stay experience of guests. To offer a memorable stay experience, the industry has started deploying intelligent robots. Therefore, this case study aims to examine and explore artificial intelligence (AI) enabled robots in hospitality industry in order to enhance guest experience in a smart city.Design/methodology/approachSemistructured interviews have been conducted at Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels and Residences, Seoul, South Korea, to understand the stay experience of guests regarding services offered by AI enabled robots. The authors have selected employees for interviews since employees listen and witness the guest experience directly. Out of 214 employees in the hotel with varied experience and background, 26 interviews are conducted.FindingsThrough a systematic approach of coding, the authors have identified that deploying AI enabled robots facilitates the automation, information gathering, personalization and seamless service in the hospitality industry of a smart city. Further, with a back-and-forth mapping mechanism based on epistemological principles, the authors made four propositions that lead to the development of a research framework.Research limitations/implicationsThe practicing managers of hospitality industry can employ AI enabled robots within the scope of improving and automating the processes that can also offer increased personalization to enhance the stay experience, which is expected in a smart city.Originality/valueThe study offers a unique contribution to literature, since it is a live case study, and the information is from the practicing employees of a well-known organization in a hospitality sector from a smart city (Novotel Ambassador Seoul Dongdaemun Hotels and Residences, Seoul, South Korea).

Capacity development challenges and solutions for Natura 2000: an approach through blended learning

AbstractCapacity development is essential for the effective management of protected areas and for achieving successful biodiversity conservation. European Natura 2000 sites form an extensive network of protected areas and developing the capacity of staff at all levels is a priority that will positively influence the appropriate implementation of conservation actions. In this study we identify the main challenges and potential solutions to developing the skills, knowledge and tools required for effective Natura 2000 site management. Our findings are based on a case study of the European project LIFE e-Natura2000.edu, which focuses on capacity development in practical biodiversity conservation and management through integrated and blended learning experiences (i.e. a combination of face-to-face and virtual teaching). We illustrate the main elements for successfully building capacity within a variety of knowledge and experience backgrounds and operating levels related to the management of Natura 2000 sites. Multifaceted, blended learning approaches are key to tackling the various needs of Natura 2000 managers in terms of skills, knowledge and tools.

The Appropriateness of Design Cognition for Entrepreneurship Education of Engineering Students

The study argues that the needs of engineering students for managerial education are distinct and evolving over time towards entrepreneurial mindset due to new industrial and technological trends. Consequently, managerial education of engineering students is shifting towards Science and technology entrepreneurship education (STEE). Moreover, considering the relevance of design cognition in entrepreneurship and engineering, it is argued that STEE can tackle the challenge more effectively by incorporating design cognition in the education process. Propositions are derived from research literature, and a teaching model approach is proposed that elaborated on the incorporation of cognitive acts of design in various aspects at ontological, didactical, and contextual levels in STEE. The proposed framework views education as a process of co-construction, centered on students where the role of teacher is like a coach. Students work in teams and practice the cognitive acts of design that lead to the development of interpersonal, entrepreneurial, and managerial skills. For this purpose, open-ended questioning, real life case studies, problem and project based learning, and lean methodology are proposed as effective content and pedagogies to promote the entrepreneurial behaviors required in the current industrial scenario.

Employee safety: Building a case for stricter punishment for malicious complaints under the POSH act

Purpose: Every Act is prone to being misused and the same is true for the POSH Act as well. The authors intend to understand this unexplored area of research in the context of Indian workplaces. The section where the punishment prescribed for a woman making a malicious complaint is the same as a male respondent found guilty. Despite this clear provision, complaints are still made with a malicious intent.Design Methodology/Approach: Real life case studies were analysed by POSHCA team members and their associates from amongst over 100 complaints handled over an eight year period of 50 plus organisations pan-India. An attempt was made to understand the reasons why women made malicious complaints. Three case studies are produced here as sample cases to understand the situations that led to levelling of false allegations against males. Findings: It was analysed that malicious complaints can be mainly categorized into the following three segments-1)To take leave allowed under the “interim period” when inquiry is on2)To arm twist for personal gains3)For taking revenge against work-related mattersPractical Implications: The fear created amongst male colleagues and especially the superiors because of the misuse by women for their personal gain creates an unproductive workplace. In the long run, the superiors begin to avoid hiring women and this goes against the “Diversity and Inclusion Policy” and creates a gender imbalance which again is counter-productive. Here lies the need for stronger steps to be taken to deter women from misusing the noble POSH Act. Also, there is a psychological and societal loss for men who take years to build their reputation and promotions through honesty and hard work.Originality/Value: This paper is an original piece of work of practitioners who handle complaints in the capacity of External Counsels on the Internal Complaints Committees of organisations differing in size/ownership/ locations etc. This contribution by the authors adds value to the literature on the implementation of the Act in India.

Robust supplier-selection and order-allocation in two-echelon supply networks: A parametric tolerance design approach

In this paper, we study the integrated supplier-selection and order-allocation problem in a two-echelon make-to-order supply chain motivated by the belt conveyor industry. In our setting, the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) can source its single product from multiple suppliers in the first echelon who themselves source the sub-components of the product from multiple other suppliers in the second echelon. Within the second echelon, the suppliers fall into clusters of product supply networks based on their capability to produce a part. OEM in our setting is interested in determining the optimal tolerances for its supply network members to operate so as to minimize the variability introduced into the total supply chain costs. To obtain the optimal supplier-selection and order-allocations under a periodic review demand policy, we model the problem as a mixed-integer non-linear programming (MINLP) formulation. We further incorporate the Taguchi Method of Tolerance Design (TMTD) into our model, leading to robustness of our solutions while maintaining optimality in supplier-selection and order-allocation decisions. We test our model using a real-world case study and derive critical insights. Our numerical results demonstrate a 51% improvement in coefficient of variation of the objective function when our method is applied to the real life case study. Additionally, we show that as the level of confidence of the decision-maker on the range for a critical parameter increases, the gains from our methodology significantly increase.

A talent management based framework for developing sustainable quality of work life in architectural design firms in Egypt

PurposeThis research aims to develop a talent management (TM) based framework to achieve a sustainable quality of work life (QWL) in architectural design firms (ADFs) in Egypt.Design/methodology/approachA research methodology consisted of literature review, case studies and a survey questionnaire, was designed to achieve the abovementioned aim. Firstly, the literature review was used to investigate the work environment's demotivating factors in ADFs, TM strategies and process to depict the relationship between developing sustainable QWL and TM and finally explore how TM can assist in achieving Egypt's vision 2030. Secondly, three case studies of ADFs from Denmark, Norway and Singapore were analysed to investigate the role of TM in developing sustainable QWL. Thirdly, a survey questionnaire was carried out with a representative sample of ADFs in Egypt to examine their perception and application of TM towards developing sustainable QWL. Based on the results of the above, the research developed and validated a framework to facilitate the implementation of TM as an approach for developing sustainable QWL in ADFs in Egypt.FindingsThrough literature review, the research identified the highest 28 demotivating factors that affect the QWL in ADFs and grouped them into seven categories. In addition, TM strategies for sustainable business are identified and quantified. Results of the case studies confirmed the most common demotivating factors and highlighted the TM strategies adopted to develop sustainable QWL. Findings of data analysis showed that the highest-ranked demotivating factors that encounter ADFs were “poor organizational culture”, “negative leadership behaviour” and “project induced stress”. Furthermore, the TM strategies that have the highest rank were “performance recognition”, “helping employees objectively assess their skills, strengths and weaknesses”, “creating a family-friendly work environment” and “proper reward system”. These findings informed the research findings and helped in the development of the proposed framework.Practical implicationsThis research presents a practical framework to facilitate the development of sustainable QWL in ADFs in Egypt. It was based on the findings of literature review, case studies and survey questionnaire. The framework explained in a workable way the objectives of the framework functions; required activities; tools and techniques; involved personnel and needed resources and output. The framework was validated by representative sample of ADFs in Egypt to ensure its practicability and viability for implementation. Moreover, strategies to facilitate the framework implementation were suggested.Originality/valueThe research identified, categorised and analysed the architects' demotivating factors and defined the TM strategies and characteristics of sustainable QWL in ADFs. In addition, real life case studies validated the identified factors and investigated the most effective TM strategies in ADFs. The research tackled a topic that received scant attention in construction literature especially in Egypt. In addition, this paper developed and validated a TM based framework to achieve a sustainable QWL in ADFs in Egypt. It represents a synthesis that is novel and creative in thought and adds value to the knowledge in a manner that has not previously occurred.

Coordination in a not-for-profit organisation during the COVID-19 pandemic: organisational sensemaking during planning meetings

PurposeThe authors examine how a not-for-profit organisation (NPO) coordinates NPO's actions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic to remain focussed on strategic and operational goals.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted a live case study of an NPO as the crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded. Drawing on a sensemaking perspective that incorporates sensegiving, the authors develop a framework of five types of organisational sensemaking. The authors analyse weekly planning meetings during which managers discussed past performance, forecast performance and the forecast duration of current cash reserves.FindingsThe authors show how three of the five types of organisational sensemaking helped to coordinate actions. The authors highlight how accounting information triggers organisational sensemaking processes; but depending on the type of organisational sensemaking, accounting information has little further role. The authors also show that the stability of decisions depends on the types of organisational sensemaking.Practical implicationsThe authors show how coordination as a management control practice is enabled by organisational sensemaking within an NPO during a crisis. Organisational sensemaking enabled the agreement of actions, which enabled coordination. Accounting practices provided trigger mechanisms to facilitate organisational sensemaking.Originality/valueSince this study is the first to examine sensemaking processes and accounting practices in coordination in an NPO in a pandemic, the authors contribute to the limited research on NPOs during crises and on the management control practice of coordination. The authors extend the accounting literature on sensemaking by showing that, whilst accounting triggers organisational sensemaking, accounting is only implicated in one type of organisational sensemaking and by revealing the different outcomes of the different types of organisational sensemaking.

Change Management: A Case Study of the Conversion of the State-Owned Indian Telecom Department into a Company, the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL)

Telecom Sector in India remained as a monopoly for over a century managed by the State until 2000. By that time restructuring of Telecom services gained momentum in many countries, theworld over. In line with the changes, taking place the world over, the State-owned monopoly Telecom Organization, the Department of Telecom in India was converted as Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), a Company with effect from 1st October 2000 and made to operate as one of the Telecom companies. This paper is a live case study of the nature of the challenges and difficulties the BSNL faced in the transition period of changeover and to study the strategies adopted by the BSNL to overcome them. Also to study the effect on the performance of the newly formed BSNL and to study what do the government sector employees perceive to be the appropriate approach for change initiatives of this type of changeover.

On Translation of Shaanxi Dialect-featured Works Based on Gideon Toury’s Theory of Translation Norms: A Case Study of Life and Its English Translation

This research analyzes Chloe Estep's translated version Life（《人生》）in a descriptive and explanatory way based on Gideon Toury's Translation Norms. By investigating the reason why Estep chose to translate this book under the influence of preliminary norm, the orientation of her translation governed by initial norm and specific translation strategies guided by operational norm, the paper intends to prove Translation Norms to some degree influence translating process and more importantly analyze Estep's strategy and skills on translating Shaanxi dialect-featured words and sentences. By investigating the forming mechanism behind this translated work, the paper hopes to make some contribution to translating Shaanxi dialect-featured literary works and descriptively analyzing the translated version of Chinese literature.

A Practical Decision Tool to Evaluate and Rank Potential Solutions for Expected Downhole Drilling Problems During the Well-planning Phase

Currently, the main objective of oil operating companies is to increase drilling efficiency and minimize drilling costs; this can be achieved in several ways. One of them is the curtailment of downhole events associated with trouble time by obtaining the key factors that drive the best proactive solutions in terms of cost and effectiveness. From this perspective, the core focus of this paper is to present a detailed description to develop an integrated decision tool that will assist well planner engineers in evaluating multiple solutions considered to address a downhole problem anticipated during the well construction process. The tool presented here provides the means of assessing a particular solution's cost and anticipated effectiveness by generating an evaluation matrix based on two intercorrelated decision-driving indices, technical and monetary. To theoretically validate the concept, an artificial case study was created to find the best solution in mitigating a bit balling problem. The results of the case study reveal that: the concept is indeed theoretically applicable. However, a real life case study must be performed to prove the concept practically.