People-related Factors Research Articles

Factors Contributing to a Land Value Information System to Become a Solution for the Shortage of Property Transaction Evidence in Sri Lanka: Property Valuers’ Perception

In developing markets, obtaining comparable evidence for real estate valuations is often challenging. Land Value Information Systems that aim to gather, store, handle, retrieve, and perform land-related data for lawful, organizational, and institutional decision-making processes, have been used in developed countries to address this issue. However, Sri Lanka lacks a comprehensive land value information system. Thus, this study aimed to examine the factors that contribute land value information systems to become a potential solution in addressing lack of property transaction data, focusing on the perception of property valuers in Sri Lanka. A structured questionnaire, unstructured interviews and discussions were used with 30 professional real estate valuers in both qualitative and quantitative methods, revealing a positive attitude towards adopting the system. The advantages of such systems were aligned with time saving, accessibility to up-to-date data, convenience, etc., while concerns included disrupting the valuation industry’s monopoly and information security challenges. The contributing factors were identified under three main categories, technological factors, organizational factors and people factors. Study findings revealed that technological factors were ranked high as most impactful for the successfulness of a land value information system. While technological and organisational factors were deemed achievable during implementation, the study suggests additional efforts, such as establishing a help desk, conducting training programmes to address people-related factors.

The Effects of Demographic Factors on Professional Career Success: An Investigation of Higher Education Staff in South Africa

Professional career success has received great attention in the organisational management literature since the 1980s as organisations strive to attract and retain top talent, understanding the factors that contribute to career success has become imperative. Since it is an important topic for individuals, organisations and researchers, there have been efforts to comprehend the organisational elements and people-related factors that contribute to employees' professional career success. Located within the career development theory, this study aims to understand the sociodemographic aspects of academics that contribute to favourable perceptions of professional career success. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire on 253 male and female academics and the data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics, namely the Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. The results of the empirical survey revealed that there were practical significant differences among academics concerning their job classification, professional experience, and their perceptions of their career as successful. Nonetheless, the findings reported no statistically significant differences among gender and age of academics and their perception of successful professional careers. Additionally, the results showed that job classification and professional experience of academics were significant predictors of professional career success since individuals with higher job classifications often have more autonomy and decision-making power within their organisations and departments. Individuals with more professional experience may have a better understanding of their industry and are required to comply with its requirements. These findings may enrich career success theories and offer developmental recommendations to support academics’ professional career success in higher education institutions in South Africa.

Construction CSFs for ISO International Quality Management System

Abstract This study aims to discuss the critical success factors of introducing ISO international quality management system, to provide reference for Taiwan's traditional industries when they introduce the ISO international quality management system, and reduce various costs and time process of the introduction. Firstly, this study collects constructs from several relevant literatures, and categorizes 5 primary constructs and 20 secondary constructs based on the actual business situation of Taiwan’s traditional industry. In the second stage, Likert’s five-point scale is used to extract 3 secondary constructs with the highest scores under the 5 primary constructs respectively. The Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP) is used to carry out questionnaire survey and obtain the relative weights of various primary and secondary constructs. It obtains the relative weights of 5 primary constructs and several secondary constructs, the primary constructs are “policy-related factors”, “technology-related actors”, “people-related factors”, “documents and data”, and “management review”. Furthermore, it extracts 15 secondary constructs and puts forth 6 propositions as research conclusion. It is hoped that the findings can provide important reference basis for the introduction of ISO international quality management system in Taiwan’s manufacturing industry, and thus speed up the time process and reduce cost of the introduction. JEL classification numbers: C83, M15, O31. Keywords: Manufacturing industry, ISO, Critical success factors.

Significant Factors in Agile Software Development of Effort Estimation

The Agile effort estimation involves project-related and people-related factors. This research objective is to find the factors that influence Agile effort estimation significantly through path analysis using a structural equation model. This research built an agile effort estimation path coefficient model from six constructs from theories and previous studies. Project-related factors represent by requirement and design implementation constructs. People-related factors are measured by the construct of experience, knowledge, and technical ability. The last construct is the effort itself. SmartPLS is employed for the confirmatory composite analysis and the structural model assessment. The confirmatory composite analysis indicated that all constructs are reliable and valid. Furthermore, the structural model assessment found that all factors of project-related constructs have a positive relationship and significant influence, showing a coefficient path value of 59.1% between requirement and design implementation constructs. All constructs represent people-related factors indicated by the coefficient path value of 67% between experience and knowledge, 42.6% between experience and technical ability, and 54.4% between knowledge and technical ability. In addition, all constructs proved influential simultaneously to effort by 31.1%. Positively contribute provided by requirement, experience, and technology’s ability. Significantly influenced provided by constructs of the developer’s knowledge and technical ability. The largest effect is given by technical ability, knowledge, and experience on medium and small scales. Contrarily, both constructs from project-related effects can be negligible because there was no influence. Based on the result, this study concludes that the significant factors in Agile effort estimation are technical ability, knowledge, and experience.

Delineating the people-related features required for construction digitalisation

PurposeDigitalisation, which involves the use of digital technologies in transforming an organisation’s activities, transcends just the acquiring of emerging digital tools. Having the right people to drive the implementation of these technologies and attaining strategic organisational goals is essential. While most studies have focused on the use of emerging technologies in the construction industry, less attention has been given to the ‘people’ dimension. Therefore, this study aims to assess the people-related features needed for construction digitalisation.Design/methodology/approachThe study adopted pragmatic thinking using a mixed-method approach. A Delphi was used to achieve the qualitative aspect of the research, while a questionnaire survey conducted among 222 construction professionals was used to achieve the quantitative aspect. The data gathered were analysed using frequency, percentage, mean item score, Kruskal–Wallis H test, exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis.FindingsBased on acceptable reliability, validity and model fit indices, the study found that the people-related factors needed for construction digitalisation can be grouped into technical capability of personnel, attracting and retaining digital talent and organisation’s digital culture.Practical implicationsThe findings offer valuable benefits to construction organisations as understanding these identified people features can help lead to better deployment of digital tools and the attainment of the digital transformation.Originality/valueThis study attempts to fill the gap in the shortage of literature exploring the people dimension of construction digitalisation. The study offers an excellent theoretical backdrop for future works on digital talent for construction digitalisation, which has gained less attention in the current construction digitalisation discourse.

Challenges and solutions when adopting DevSecOps: A systematic review

DevOps (Development and Operations) has become one of the fastest-growing software development paradigms in the industry. However, this trend has presented the challenge of ensuring secure software delivery while maintaining the agility of DevOps. The efforts to integrate security in DevOps have resulted in the DevSecOps paradigm, which is gaining significant interest from both industry and academia. However, the adoption of DevSecOps in practice is proving to be a challenge. This study aims to systemize the knowledge about the challenges faced by practitioners when adopting DevSecOps and the proposed solutions reported in the literature. We also aim to identify the areas that need further research in the future. We conducted a Systematic Literature Review of 54 peer-reviewed studies. The thematic analysis method was applied to analyze the extracted data. We identified 21 challenges related to adopting DevSecOps, 31 specific solutions, and the mapping between these findings. We also determined key gap areas in this domain by holistically evaluating the available solutions against the challenges. The results of the study were classified into four themes: People, Practices, Tools, and Infrastructure. Our findings demonstrate that tool-related challenges and solutions were the most frequently reported, driven by the need for automation in this paradigm. Shift-left security and continuous security assessment were two key practices recommended for DevSecOps. People-related factors were considered critical for successful DevSecOps adoption but less studied. We highlight the need for developer-centered application security testing tools that target the continuous practices in DevSecOps. More research is needed on how the traditionally manual security practices can be automated to suit rapid software deployment cycles. Finally, achieving a suitable balance between the speed of delivery and security is a significant issue practitioners face in the DevSecOps paradigm.

DESTINATION ATTRACTIVENESS FROM THE VIEW OF TOURISTS – A CASE ANALYSIS ON THE TEMPLE CITY, BHUBANESWAR, INDIA

The history of Bhubaneswar in the state of Odisha can be dated back to 3rd century B.C. It is the largest city in the state, popularly known as the ‘Temple Town’ or ‘Temple City’ which receives thousands of tourists every year for its attractions. The principle aim of this paper is to find out the factors influencing the destination attractiveness with the help of the perception of tourists in the temple city of Bhubaneswar through their level of satisfaction. Apart from that, the study analyzed that how the key elements of a destination can contribute to its attractiveness which further enhances the destination’s image. The method advised in the paper was questionnaire method where the responses were taken on a five-point Likert scale. A sample of 100 tourists was taken to find out their perception regarding destination attractiveness. The data was analyzed through descriptive statistics, factor analysis and correlation. From the study it was found out that the core determinants of the attractiveness are the facilities provided in the destination and its support services while the secondary determinants consist of people-related factors. It was also found out that the people related factors and the support services and facilities are complementary to each other when it comes to destination attractiveness.

A COMPILATION OF FACTORS ASSOCIATED TO THE GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT OF AGILE PROJECTS: A SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

The demand for project success is increasing, while the number of failed projects are still high. Whilst Project Management Offices help in the governance of Information Technology projects, the trending issues and challenges in Agile projects need a great deal of attention. More organisations are embracing the agile method due to its popularity and the benefits it yields. Literature discusses various issues and challenges, with an absence of a holistic review to determine its frequency, impact, and classification systematically. This study attempts to identify the factors addressed in literature over the last 2 decades, producing a list of factors and ranking them according to the most addressed and the frequency of reference. A systematic literature review was undertaken to identify the relevant literature using specific keywords search and filter, arriving at a final list of 175 selected studies for the analysis work, which was used to identify 37 prominent factors affecting agile project success. The highest number of studies and factors discussed were between years 2014 and 2016. Project Governance faired as the most addressed factor, while People related factors were widely discussed. Current trends are focused on attaining project governance with a sound understanding of the agile principles, by people with the right attitude, knowledge, skills, and the ability to work well with the team. Project governance with the careful implementation of the agile method and its processes in stages, with the right support tools and technology, is most important for project success. Competence of project stakeholders possessing the right attitude, with great collaboration and teamwork capabilities, and the ability to garner a close relationship with the customer and clearly articulate changing requirements is key to delivering successful agile projects. Future work will include the understanding and identification of critical challenges and crucial factors for ensuring agile project management success. It is proposed to expand the research further into the project governance and people-related area.

Prioritizing and Ranking the Taxonomy of Factors Critical to GDPR Compliance

This study aims to unfold the myriad factors essential in the viewpoint of GDPR implementation. Additionally, this study will prioritize and rank the critical factors which would ensure the successful enablement of GDPR in any organization.The approach is to prioritize and rank the underlying factors for GDPR compliance by implementing an efficient multi-criteria decision-making technique, specifically the analytical hierarchy process. A well-defined taxonomy of twenty factors has been defined that spreads across the four broad categories of critical factors essential for the enablement of GDPR in an organization. Governance and People related factors get the highest priority and rank. Factors such as issuing privacy policy on the public platform, recruitment of GDPR experts have the highest priority. Additionally, with the help of Pareto analysis, it was discovered that the top eight factors account for 80% of the total weight age out of the twenty factors. This study focuses only on the pre-established components for GDPR implementation identified from previous notable works. The scope of the study is constricted to the insight of select GDPR experts also does not incorporate a broader spectrum of the Data Privacy ecosystem. This study contributes to the prioritization of factors for GDPR compliance in a two-fold manner. One, a complete classification of underlying factors is proposed, and two, they are prioritized and ranked to serve as a rulebook for GDPR practitioners while working towards the enablement of GDPR in their organization.

People-Related TQM Practices, Organisational Culture, Organisational Justice and Employee Work-related Attitudes for Quality Performance: A Research Agenda

Total Quality Management (TQM), adopted by organizations to improve performance, has often been reported to have failed. This paper reviews people-related TQM practices, organizational culture, organizational justice, and employee work attitudes (job satisfaction, turnover intention, and job involvement) to gain further insights into implementing TQM to yield anticipated quality performance. Employee work-related attitudes are posited as mediators in the relationship between people- related TQM practices and quality performance. In a unique contribution, the paper conceptualizes the synergistic effect of people-related TQM practices and other people-related factors (organizational culture and organizational justice) as predictors of enhanced employee work-related attitudes and quality performance.

Information and communication technology application challenges in the construction industry: A narrative review

The measure of construction activity affects the general wellbeing of the construction industry. An improved method of construction delivery reduces the problems encountered in the construction process. Studies posit that the use of Information and communication technologies (ICT) tends to improve construction output. However, there are barriers to ICT applications in the construction industry. To date several, the literature on challenges to ICT has been limited to a specific study area. This study conducted a narrative literature review to identify the challenges to ICT application in the construction industry across Europe, Australia, North-America, Africa, and Asia. The review was conducted using selected relevant academic journals from SCOPUS database. The findings from the review identified that challenges to ICT application are classified into Technology, Process and People related factors. The attitude of staff and Management to ICT, technical barriers and cost related factors are identified as the common factors to the three classified categories of challenges to ICT used in the construction industry. The implication of the findings is to address a platform for better and innovative construction process. It is also important in addressing people, process and technology which are interwoven for construction work.

Integrated model of critical success factors of construction projects: A case of Esfahan

Nowadays, the construction managers try to accomplish the projects on time and successful simultaneously. However, the concept of success is not clear in their mind. The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that effect on project success in the construction field; so, an integrated model of critical success factor for construction projects has been suggested. The proposed model consists of three categories of variables, i.e. people related factors, project related factors, and environmental factors. This model clarifies the definition of success in the mind of construction professionals and develops the critical success factors for construction projects through prior research. The novelty of this research is the comprehensive view of critical success factors in an integrated model format. The model has been tested on construction project managers in Esfahan. Findings show that in Esfahan the success of construction projects depends on people, project, and environment related factors, respectively. This paper clarifies the ambiguous definition of success in the mind of construction professionals.

Booking system, video conferencing (VC) solution and online forms for improving child psychiatric services in Pohjois-Savo region

Abstract
 Purpose Early detection and timely treatment of child psychiatric problems require multi-professional collaboration and interaction between primary and specialized health care. The “eHealth Services for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (eCAP), 2015-2018” project aims at improving child psychiatric services in peripheral areas by developing eHealth tools facilitating better cooperation between professionals working with children with mental health problems.
 Methods The online booking system allows the primary healthcare professionals in Pohjois-Savo region to book a video conference (VC) with experts in child psychiatry for consultation, supervision or follow-up of care. Background information gathered from the parents, teacher and the child by online forms helps the consult to prepare for the meeting, which can be carried out on computer, laptop, table or smartphone. The developed services will be evaluated based on the log data and user experiences from the pilot phase.
 Results The services will improve the quality, availability and cost-effectiveness of child psychiatric outpatient services in the region. Increased multi-professional collaboration among professionals will support preventive work, early identification and treatment in natural developmental environments of children. The travel needs for families are expected to decrease.
 Conclusions eHealth can help to meet the global challenge of providing sufficient, timely child psychiatric services in remote, sparsely populated areas with limited resources, but information security and compatibility of different technical applications require innovative solutions. Furthermore, the people-related factors are crucial in introducing a sustainable change: the users must understand the benefits and receive training to adopt the new tools and routines for their work.

Compliance, network, security and the people related factors in cloud ERP implementation

SummaryCloud enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a buzz in the information technology domain. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) do not have the financial budget to invest in on‐premise ERP solution. The use of cloud‐based services for SMEs has led to widespread diffusion of technology. The two big stakeholders in the cloud ERP are cloud user and cloud vendor. This paper brings out the factors that are under the influence of these two stakeholders. Critical success factors that are influenced by the people in the organization are considered for the study. Compliance, network, and security are the concerns that are under the control of cloud vendor. This study shows the factors that have an impact on the successful implementation of cloud ERP. An online questionnaire was designed and data from 208 respondents belonging to SMEs were collected. Structural equation modeling was used for data analysis. It was found that people‐related factors and compliance had an impact toward the successful implementation of cloud‐based services. Network and security factors did not show any significant impact on the implementation of cloud ERP. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

How Human Aspects Impress Agile Software Development Transition and Adoption

Many software companies are interested in using Agile methods in their software projects. Contrary to traditional software development methods, Agile methods are people oriented. This fact shows the significant role of individuals in these methods. Increasing prevalence of Agile methods forces software companies to consider people related factors as critical issues in adoption and transition to Agile methods and practices. This article focused on human aspects of Agile transformation process by conducting a Grounded Theory study involving 32 Agile experts. The main contribution of this article is identification and classification of diverse human aspects of Agile transformation process. Analyzing collected data showed that human aspects of Agile transformation process can be classified in several categories. While some of them are impediments to change, some others act as change accelerators. At the same time people’s perceptions about change process and incentive factors can shape and form human aspects during the Agile transformation process. Each of these categories encompasses its own factors which have negative or positive effect on change process.

The effect of service quality and satisfaction on destination attractiveness of sub-Saharan African countries: the case of Ghana

This paper examines the functional forms of service quality (SQ) and satisfaction in relation to destination attractiveness. It focuses on the varying influence of destination characteristics, customer economics, and demographic variables to explore how SQ might be used to improve value positioning and, therefore, potential attractiveness of Ghana as a destination choice for tourists. Using methods triangulation data collection protocol, the paper finds causal links between SQ and selected composites of destination attractiveness (destination attributes, support services, facilities, and people-related factors) in the degree to which they influence customer satisfaction and return-visit intentions. The paper contributes refreshing insights useful for segmentation marketing, tour planning, and product/service development. The implications are far-reaching when considered alongside the fact that Ghana is relatively a new entrant into the organised tourism marketing arena and has the consequent imperative to scale-up structural and human capabilities to compete effectively with the more established global competitors.

Pastoralism, sustainability, and marketing. A review

Pastoralism is a highly traditional production system for livestock and livestock products. Under the surface of a seeming stability a variety of pressures of the modern time all seem to accumulate to put the sustainability of the pastoralist production system to the test. Population growth and growing demand for meat, put pressure on the natural resources used by pastoralists because the grazing lands that are saved from encroachment or conversion into arable lands, may be overexploited. Changing climatic conditions, such as frequent droughts, put even more pressure on the system. With so many challenges coming together, it is important to analyze whether pastoralism in itself can be considered a sustainable production system that in principle can cope with these challenges and thus deserves support from policy, or whether the pastoralist production system has fundamental misfit with today’s challenges, in the sense that it is detrimental to the world’s scarce resources. The scientific literature on pastoralism provides an important entry point to such fact finding. This article therefore analyzes 125 recent research contributions to the literature on pastoralism on their inferences as to whether pastoralism is a sustainable production system for livestock-based products. The results show substantial consensus that pastoralism is seen as a sustainable production system for livestock and livestock products (78 of the 125 studies contain sustainability inferences, of which 58 infer that the pastoral system is sustainable, while only 2 come to a negative conclusion). A total of 18 studies point however at conditional factors. The main factors that can potentially explain differences in the conclusions on whether pastoralism is sustainable pertain among others to the domain of sustainability, including abiotic and biotic factors representing the planet dimension, mobility, adaptation, indigenous knowledge, institutions and population growth as people-related factors, and economic contribution as a profit-related factor. Other factors include the ecosystem and land use types, policy instruments, constant/flexible stocking, controlled/mobile grazing, and diversification policies, as well as academic discipline, research methods and geographic focus. A quantitative test shows that consideration of adaptation, institutions and mobility are most strongly related to the sustainability inference. Such studies suggest that pastoralists that can adapt to external conditions, that are supported by effective institutions and that can exercise mobility, are more likely to behave sustainably. We argue that marketing can help to meet these conditions. Because the role of marketing has received scant attention in the context of pastoralists and because it has often been narrowly interpreted as market integration, we further explain the potential role of marketing in sustainable pastoralism. The role of marketing comes down to a strategic competence that enables pastoralists to create value for target buyers with whom they may develop economic and social relationships that can be favorable for both parties. Because it is likely to stabilize prices and generate a long-term perspective on value creation, and therefore on resource use, marketing can contribute to a pastoral system that supports people, planet, and profit.

Preparing for Merger: An Art and Science Approach for Organisational Development

High failure rates continue to be reported for organizational change projects in general and mergers and acquisitions in particular, with the failures most often attributed to cultural incompatibilities or other people-related issues. The article identifies factors believed to be contributing to this situation, which mean that organisations are often inadequately prepared for the challenges of merger and integration. The Art and Science of TransformationTM framework developed by Schroeder & Schroeder, Inc. and two related organizational change readiness assessment tools are discussed as a suggested approach for improvement of the prospects for a successful merger. These enable organizations considering a merger to determine their current state of change readiness in terms of art and science skills as well as proven organizational change shaping levers, and identify the cultural and people-related factors that can facilitate or hinder transformation. In this way, potential risks can be identified and eliminated and key drivers of successful transformation can be strengthened. Keywords: Mergers, Organizational Transformation, Art and Science

Lean principles, practices, and impacts: a study on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

Lean as a business strategy is used to improve quality and service, eliminate waste, reduce time and costs, and enhance overall organizational effectiveness. Heightening challenges in competition in recent years have prompted many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to adopt lean to enhance firms’ competitiveness. This paper attempts to present an all-inclusive study and it examines various factors associated with the implementation of lean in SMEs in the U.S. The findings suggest that most of SMEs have a relatively accurate understanding of lean concept and philosophy. The primary reasons to implement lean are mainly internal, including reduce cost, improve profit margin, improve utilization of plant/facility, and maintain competitive position. A hierarchical cluster analysis was conducted to investigate lean status. It was discovered that both advanced adopters and beginners of lean are discovered. ANOVA test results show that there exist quite significant differences in terms of the degrees of lean implementation in SMEs. Varied lean tools and programs have been applied and they are positively related with firms’ performance. Lastly, the paper provides evidences that major lean barriers are encountered by SMEs regarding management or people related factors as well as key knowledge and know-how.

Project Manager Leadership Role in Improving Project Performance

:In spite of advances in the project management profession, research studies have shown that many projects fail, underlining the importance of the project manager's role as manager. Specifically, the manager's leadership role is of great importance in motivating people and creating an effective working environment in order for the project team to meet greater challenges in today's global economy. In this research study, using the literature review, important people-related factors of project performance are identified, then surveys and structured, personal interviews were used to develop a project manager leadership and management model, which helped to analyze underlying interactions among these factors and the role of leadership in project performance.