Smart Work Research Articles

Competitive Advantage among Indigenous Construction Firms in Competing with Expatriate Contractors in Nigeria

In recent times, the preference for expatriates in the contractual process in Nigeria has become an issue of controversy and general public interest. As a result, the high presence of these foreign expatriates has raised competitiveness in the construction sector, which is partly caused by indigenous enterprises' incapacity to meet the demands placed on them in terms of construction project delivery. This paper, therefore, investigates the factors influencing clients’ choice of contractor, examines the performance index of both expatriate and indigenous construction firms (ICFs), and analyzes the key performance indicators (KPI) for ICFs to increase their competitive advantage. The methodology involved the administration of structured questionnaires to a paper population of 384 construction experts comprising engineers, architects, quantity surveyors, builders, and project managers in Nigeria. With a response rate of 69%, frequencies/percentages, mean values, relative importance index (RII), and regression model were employed for the analysis. The findings revealed that the most important factors influencing clients’ choice are past performance and experience, equipment capabilities, and quality specification/standards. Additionally, this paper used six (6) KPIs (human resource management, financial management practices client-based strategy, organizational culture practices, smart work methods, and quality management practices) to model the performances of ICFs to increase their competitive advantage in Nigeria. This paper concluded that there is a higher performance of foreign expatriates in terms of time, cost, scope, quality, and satisfaction over their indigenous counterparts. This paper recommended that there is a need for ICFs to increase their equipment capacity and ability to undertake mega projects, develop an effective funding strategy to execute projects and collaborate with international partners to boost their level of competitiveness.

Comparing online cognitive load on mobile versus PC-based devices.

Navigating the web represents a complex cognitive activity that requires effective integration of different stimuli and the correct functioning of numerous cognitive abilities (including attention, perception, and working memory). Despite the potential relevance of the topic, numerous limitations are present throughout the literature about the cognitive load during online activities. The main aim of this study is to investigate cognitive load during comprehension and information-seeking tasks. In particular, we here focus on the comparison of the cognitive load required while performing those tasks using mobile or PC-based devices. This topic has become even more crucial due to the massive adoption of smart working and distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. A great effort is nowadays devoted to the detection and quantification of stressful states induced by working and learning activities. Continuous stress and excessive cognitive load are two of the main causes of mental and physical illnesses such as depression or anxiety. Cognitive load was measured through electroencephalography (EEG), acquired via a low-cost wireless EEG headset. Two different tasks were considered: reading comprehension (CO) of online text and online information-seeking (IS). Moreover, two experimental conditions were compared, administering the two tasks using mobile (MB) and desktop (PC) devices. Eleven participants were involved in each experimental condition, MB and PC, performing both the tasks on the same device, for a total of twenty-two people, recruited from students, researchers, and employees of the university. The following two research questions were investigated: Q1: Is there a difference in the cognitive load while performing the comprehension and the information-seeking tasks? Q2: Does the adopted device influence the cognitive load? The results obtained show that the baseline (BL) requires the lower cognitive load in both the conditions, while in IS task, the requirement reaches its highest value, especially using a mobile phone. In general, the power of all the brain wave bands increased in all conditions (MB and PC) during the two tasks (CO and IS), except for alpha, which is usually high in a state of relaxation and low cognitive load. People include website navigation into their daily routines, and for this, it is important to create an interaction that is as easy and barrier-free as possible. An effective design allows a user to focus on interesting information: many website architectures, instead, are an obstacle to be overcome; they impose a high cognitive load and poor user experience. All these aspects draw cognitive resources away from the user's primary task of finding and comprehending the site's information. Having information about how the cognitive load varies based on the device adopted and the considered task can provide useful indicators in this direction. This work suggests that using an EEG low-cost wearable device could be useful to quantify the cognitive load induced, allowing the development of new experiments to analyse these dependencies deeper, and to provide suggestions for better interaction with the web.

The Impact of Smart Working on Organization Performance

In the last years, several studies dealt with smart working (SW) and its evolution during the pandemic. Most of them discussed benefits, drawbacks and drivers for successful implementation. Few studies investigated the impact on organization performance. It is not clear to what extent SW, especially in the emergence phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, has impacted the organizations, both at macro- and micro- structure level, and whether it may result into increased productivity and better innovation performance. The paper aims at investigating whether and under which conditions companies that adopted SW during the Covid-19 pandemic improved their performance. To achieve such a goal, based on a literature review, we develop a theoretical framework to describe the impact of SW on organization performance. Then, we design and administer a survey to test it. In particular, a questionnaire to empirically test the framework is developed, administered, and validated. In the paper we present a preliminary analysis of the results of the survey, which offers some interesting insights for theory and practice. In particular, by analysing the impact of the implementation of this new work modality on the organization performance, the paper contributes to the research on SW. Also, by developing a valid and reliable questionnaire, we provide a useful tool to help investigate whether and to what extent SW allows for productivity increase and better innovation performance. The tools also help retrieving information about the workers’ perceptions regarding the implementation of smart working in their own company.

What makes work smart in the public sector? Insights from a bibliometric analysis and interpretive literature review

ABSTRACT Debate on smart working in the public sector is rich, yet poorly systematized. The article fills this gap through a domain-based literature review. A bibliometric investigation enabled us to cluster 72 relevant papers in 5 research streams based on bibliographic coupling. An interpretive approach was undertaken to analyse key themes addressed within and across the clusters. A blurred account of smart working emerged. Despite the triggers fostering the transition towards smart working, its contents are ambiguous. Smart work arrangements fall short in augmenting the individual control over job and impair interpersonal relationships at work, paving the way for dumb work.

FORMAL DIVERSITY AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS IN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCT DESIGN (KITCHEN APPLIANCES) AS A MODEL

The research included a study of the formal diversity and its ability to attract the recipient in the designs of industrial products، especially (kitchen utensils) through its performance and formal effectiveness, Which plays a key role in the development and diversity of design forms that are reflected on the aesthetic taste of the user through ease of use، lack of boredom and monotony in the forms of products and their ability to meet the needs of users over time with easiness. Technology has crossed the spatio-temporal boundaries from the development of production and the diversity of its means. Technology has changed the course of humanity with technological innovations and inventions, which made the industrial designer able to manipulate and diversify shapes and identify modern technologies in industrial products. Hence, we find that the formal diversity in kitchen tools helps in understanding and raising the level of user ability to suit its functionality or multiple uses and ease of choosing shapes models. From here، the researcher relied in her research on four chapters; the first included the setting forth of the research problem, which was determined by the following question: What is the formal diversity and its effectiveness in the industrial product design? As for the aim of the research, it was represented in reaching to determine the relationship of formal diversity in the design of the industrial product. As for the second chapter, it included two topics, the first is formal diversity in industrial products, and the second topic is formal diversity through the technical variable. As for the third chapter, it included research procedures, methodology, description and analysis of samples arriving at the results, conclusions, recommendations and suggestions, the researcher reached the most important results: 1- The formal diversity was characterized by high transparency through the designer's ability to diversify the design forms for the first and second models, through the diversity in shapes and in the complements that showed an aesthetic in the internal and external form with a variety of options in use for the user. 2- Modern technical developments and their diverse effects have greatly added to the design bodies، and sought to raise them to the highest levels of innovation and creativity and achieve harmony between aesthetic values with functional values. The modern technological development achieved the addition of new systems that increased the effectiveness of functional performance as well as the smart work mechanism through formal features and characteristics، and the sum of those features meet the needs of users and help products to be able to interact with them As for the conclusions, they included 1- Designs of industrial products for kitchen utensils have been linked to technical variables and their implications on designs in line with formal and functional systems within the data of the new era and what it devolves in the future. 2- Diversity and harmony in shapes in the design of kitchen utensils constitute a unit of shape and a point of visual attraction for the recipient through control options, performance and mechanisms of presentation.

Factors Associated With Telemedicine Use Among German General Practitioners and Rheumatologists: Secondary Analysis of Data From a Nationwide Survey.

Previous studies have demonstrated telemedicine (TM) to be an effective tool to complement rheumatology care and address workforce shortage. With the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, TM experienced a massive upswing. However, in rheumatology care, the use of TM stagnated again shortly thereafter. Consequently, the factors associated with physicians' willingness to use TM (TM willingness) and actual use of TM (TM use) need to be thoroughly investigated. This study aimed to identify the factors that determine TM use and TM willingness among German general practitioners and rheumatologists. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from a German nationwide cross-sectional survey with general practitioners and rheumatologists. Bayesian univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were applied to the data to determine which factors were associated with TM use and TM willingness. The predictor variables (covariates) that were studied individually included sociodemographic factors (eg, age and sex), work characteristics (eg, practice location and medical specialty), and self-assessed knowledge of TM. All the variables positively and negatively associated with TM use and TM willingness in the univariate analysis were then considered for Bayesian model averaging analysis after a selection based on the variance inflation factor (≤2.5). All analyses were stratified by sex. Univariate analysis revealed that out of 83 variables, 36 (43%) and 34 (41%) variables were positively or negatively associated (region of practical equivalence≤5%) with TM use and TM willingness, respectively. The Bayesian model averaging analysis allowed us to identify 13 and 17 factors of TM use and TM willingness, respectively. Among these factors, being female, having very poor knowledge of TM, treating <500 patients per quarter, and not being willing to use TM were negatively associated with TM use, whereas having good knowledge of TM and treating >1000 patients per quarter were positively associated with TM use. In addition, being aged 51 to 60 years, thinking that TM is not important for current and future work, and not currently using TM were negatively associated with TM willingness, whereas owning a smart device and working in an urban area were positively associated with TM willingness. The results point to the close connection between health care professionals' knowledge of TM and actual TM use. These results lend support to the integration of digital competencies into medical education as well as hands-on training for health care professionals. Incentive programs for physicians aged >50 years and practicing in rural areas could further encourage TM willingness.

Italians and smart working: A technical study on the effects of smart working on the society

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, “smart working” (hereafter SW) has become the norm for millions of workers around the world. A new way of working for most workers and in particular in Italy, a country where the use of SW was extremely rare before the pandemic. The aim of this paper, was to highlights whether smart working, adopted to face and survive global crises, could be really a suitable tool to generate benefits for companies, society, reduce environmental impacts and guarantee autonomy and flexibility for workers as well as a balance between private life. The analysis was conducted on a sample of 2753 individuals based in Italy during the period January and February 2021 using PLS-SEM model. The contribution of this study to research is identified in clarifying the potential of SW to create sustainable Smart Cities.

Enhancing motivation and psychological wellbeing in the workplace through conscious physical activity: Suggestions from a qualitative study examining workers' experience.

After COVID-19 restrictions, hybrid solutions were established that combined smart working and work in presence. Workplace conditions significantly impact employees' lives, particularly in terms of meeting their needs and promoting their wellbeing. Based on a socio-ecological and multilevel methodology, the UP150 concept (Proactive Office 150) represents a possible innovative solution to meet employees' needs and valorize flexible work. It encourages physical exercise and active breaks during the typical workday by using particular architectural modifications, a dedicated App, and physical activity professionals as wellness coaches. The present study is the last step of the preliminary actions planned to check the benefits of the UP150 concept and aims to explore the workers' perceptions after experiencing this project. The qualitative analysis of a preliminary survey (concerning information about the company structure and workers' habits) performed before conducting a randomized controlled trial intervention study and the analysis of the semi-structured interviews after 8 weeks of a UP150 experience served as datasets for this study and have been examined and discussed. In the preliminary survey, the young (under 40) and generally active (57% of the workers) reported being motivated to exercise but inhibited by a lack of time and a heavy workload. After 8 weeks at a modified workplace designed in accordance with the motive behind the UP150, the workers displayed noticeable positive perceptions and appreciation. The qualitative analysis confirmed and supported the effectiveness of the UP150 concept that previous research had already found in quantitative parameters related to employees' motor efficiency, psychophysical status, and amount of physical activity. Participants reported beneficial perceived effects on their wellness and psychophysical status following a UP150 experience. Moreover, the concept improved social relationships and increased motivation. In conclusion, the UP150 concept efficiently fostered a positive perception of physical exercise and directed the employees toward the assumption of healthy behaviors fitting the physical literacy paradigm.

The Cost-Effectiveness of the SMART Work & Life Intervention for Reducing Sitting Time.

Sedentary behaviours continue to increase and are associated with heightened risks of morbidity and mortality. We assessed the cost-effectiveness of SMART Work & Life (SWAL), an intervention designed to reduce sitting time inside and outside of work, both with (SWAL-desk) and without (SWAL-only) a height-adjustable workstation compared to usual practice (control) for UK office workers. Health outcomes were assessed in quality-adjusted life-years (QALY) and costs in pound sterling (2019-2020). Discounted costs and QALYs were estimated using regression methods with multiply imputed data from the SMART Work & Life trial. Absenteeism, productivity and wellbeing measures were also evaluated. The average cost of SWAL-desk was £228.31 and SWAL-only £80.59 per office worker. Within the trial, SWAL-only was more effective and costly compared to control (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER): £12,091 per QALY) while SWAL-desk was dominated (least effective and most costly). However, over a lifetime horizon, both SWAL-only and SWAL-desk were more effective and more costly than control. Comparing SWAL-only to control generated an ICER of £4985 per QALY. SWAL-desk was more effective and costly than SWAL-only, generating an ICER of £13,378 per QALY. Findings were sensitive to various worker, intervention, and extrapolation-related factors. Based on a lifetime horizon, SWAL interventions appear cost-effective for office-workers conditional on worker characteristics, intervention cost and longer-term maintenance in sitting time reductions.

Digital Promotion Strategy for the Smart Literacy Box Program (KOLECER) (Case Study on the Smart Literacy Box at the Regional Library and Archives Service of West Java Province)

This research is entitled "Digital Promotion Strategy for the Kolecer Program (Smart Literacy Box) (Case Study at the Office of the Library and Archives of West Java Province)". This study aims to determine the background of the program, the planning process for the promotion of the program and the promotion process for the Kolecer (Smart Literacy Box) program. This research uses a case study method, data collection is carried out through in-depth interviews, observation and documentation studies. Based on the research results, it is known that the Smart Literacy Box is the result of an evaluation of a similar program that was initiated by the previous Mayor of Bandung, who is now the Governor of West Java, Ridwan Kamil which was launched as a 100-day program for the elected West Java Governor in coordination with the Regional Library and Archives Service. West Java province. Digital promotion activities carried out in the form of promotions through social media, such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, then in collaboration with various parties, for example synergizing with mobile libraries, holding storytelling activities, book reviews, making pins and posters, direct socialization to the community, making proposals for the progress of the smart literacy box work program, and outreach to the Community Reading Park.

Science and special education teachers create inclusive classroom practice in science

The purpose of this research was to examine how co-teachers collaborate interdependently to make the science classroom inclusive for all students. Seven participants; two science teachers of School Smart; two science teachers of School Brainy; support teachers of School Smart and Brainy respectively; and Lily, the head of the inclusion program of School Brainy were selected purposively. As a qualitative description study, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and instructional document analysis. Data collected were analyzed through a deductive approach using co-teaching as a predetermined framework. The findings indicate that the co-teachers in two schools were teaching collaboratively through co-planning, co-instructing, and co-assessing. Co-teachers from both schools claimed that most of the time spent collaborating was on co-instruction rather than co-planning and co-assessment. In School Smart, the co-teaching between science and the support teacher, called an alternative teaching model, is operating more effectively in terms of planning, scheduled meetings to discuss instructional planning and its implementation compared to School Brainy. Co-teachers in School Smart work more interdependently and collaboratively than the co-teachers in School Brainy

The first 2 years of COVID-19 in Italy: Incidence, lethality, and health policies.

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is an ongoing pandemic that was first recognized in China in December 2019. This paper aims to provide a detailed overview of the first 2 years of the pandemic in Italy. Using the negative binomial distribution, the daily incidence of infections was estimated through the virus's lethality and the moving-averaged deaths. The lethality of the original strain (estimated through national sero-surveys) was adjusted daily for age of infections, hazard ratios of virus variants, and the cumulative distribution of vaccinated individuals. From February 24, 2020, to February 28, 2022, there were 20,833,018 (20,728,924-20,937,375) cases distributed over five waves. The overall lethality rate was 0.73%, but daily it ranged from 2.78% (in the first wave) to 0.15% (in the last wave). The first two waves had the highest number of daily deaths (about 710) and the last wave showed the highest peak of daily infections (220,487). Restriction measures of population mobility strongly slowed the viral spread. During the 2nd year of the pandemic, vaccines prevented 10,000,000 infections and 115,000 deaths. Almost 40% of COVID-19 infections have gone undetected and they were mostly concentrated in the first year of the pandemic. From the second year, a massive test campaign made it possible to detect more asymptomatic cases, especially among the youngest. Mobility restriction measures were an effective suppression strategy while distance learning and smart working were effective mitigation strategies. Despite the variants of concern, vaccines strongly reduced the pandemic impact on the healthcare system avoiding strong restriction measures.

Alcohol use disorder and liver injury related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Alcohol use disorder is a complex and heterogeneous phenomenon that can be studied from several points of view by focusing on its different components. Alcohol is a hepatotoxin whose metabolism creates profound alterations within the hepatocyte. The liver is the central organ in the metabolism of alcohol, a process that also involves other organs and tissues such as the brain, heart and muscles, but the most relevant organ is the liver. The anatomopathological alterations in the liver associated with the prolonged use of alcohol range from the simple accumulation of neutral fats in the hepatocytes, to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Alcohol abuse frequently leads to liver disease such as steatosis, steatohepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and tumors. Following the spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there was an increase in alcohol consumption, probably linked to the months of lockdown and smart working. It is known that social isolation leads to a considerable increase in stress, and it is also recognized that high levels of stress can result in an increase in alcohol intake. Cirrhotic patients or subjects with liver cancer are immunocompromised, so they may be more exposed to COVID-19 infection with a worse prognosis. This review focuses on the fact that the COVID-19 pandemic has made the emergence of alcohol-induced liver damage a major medical and social problem.

How breaks in nature can affect the users’ wellbeing: an experience based survey during the lockdown

Abstract Background In the occasion of COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, the life of citizens was greatly disrupted - from healthcare professionals to the smart workers - and consequently also the state of mood. On the basis of the scientific evidences in relation to the relationship between the built environment and health, a research group has promoted an investigation on the benefits that greenery can have on the psychophysical state of the users, especially healthcare staff and users at home. Objectives The methodology adopted is the Profile of Mood States, which provides experiential activity in nature - without any technological distraction- to evaluate the benefits on mood. The methodology adopted refer to the shorter version (34 items) designed by prof. Grove at the University of Western Australia. In relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, the experience based questionnaire is differentiated for healthcare staff and general users. The questionnaire is composed of a few questions, to be completed before and after an experience in nature of 20/30 minutes. The investigation requires to be carried out in private gardens, balcony and/or terrace with greenery, public green areas, etc. Results 300 participants (subdivided into 225 general users and 75 healthcare professionals) took part in the investigations. Data analysis highlighted the higher performances in anxiety, depression, anger, force, fatigue and confusion, in particular for users who had the experience in garden (-50/70%), and among the healthcare staff the best outcomes are related to who did the investigation during or after the workshift (-60/-90%). Conclusions Although it is well-known the benefits that nature affects positively on well-being and stress level of users, the investigation underlines that brief breaks in the nature - especially in period of great stress such as pandemic - can influence the well-being and mental health of users.

Classification of body postures using smart workwear

BackgroundDespite advancing automation, employees in many industrial and service occupations still have to perform physically intensive work that may have negative effects on the health of the musculoskeletal system. For targeted preventive measures, precise knowledge of the work postures and movements performed is necessary.MethodsPrototype smart work clothes equipped with 15 inertial sensors were used to record reference body postures of 20 subjects. These reference postures were used to create a software-based posture classifier according to the Ovako Working Posture Analysing System (OWAS) by means of an evolutionary training algorithm.ResultsA total of 111,275 posture shots were recorded and used for training the classifier. The results show that smart workwear, with the help of evolutionary trained software classifiers, is in principle capable of detecting harmful postures of its wearer. The detection rate of the evolutionary trained classifier (bar{a}_{ccr} = 0.35 for the postures of the back, bar{a}_{ccr} = 0.64 for the arms, and bar{a}_{ccr} = 0.25 for the legs) outperforms that of a TensorFlow trained classifying neural network.ConclusionsIn principle, smart workwear – as prototypically shown in this paper – can be a helpful tool for assessing an individual’s risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Numerous potential sources of error have been identified that can affect the detection accuracy of software classifiers required for this purpose.

Smart working perception in banking companies’ employees during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional pilot study

The COVID-19 pandemic forced companies to make decisions to re-assess working-time and location in order to ensure business survival. The resorting to Smart Working (SW) has been adopted to support business continuity, especially in the banking sector. This study aims at evaluating the attitude and opinions of the bank employees on SW, focusing on the demographic, social and occupational characteristics of the respondents. A cross-sectional study was carried out to investigate the attitudes of the banking workers towards SW. The research was conducted from September 2020 to April 2021 through a validated questionnaire administered online. The workers more interested in SW were younger than 45 years old (p < 0.001), with a high educational level (p = 0.001), and lived > 50 km away from the workplace (p < 0.001). Who reported an improved productivity was aged < 45 years, childless (p < 0.001), not married (p = 0.004).Who thought that working in smart mode has penalized the teamwork was older than 45 years (OR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.12-1.73), lived near the office (OR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.16-2.99). SW could help finding a balance between private and working life, modifying the traditional working activity. However, it could enhance the risk of social isolation, impacting negatively on the working motivation. Establishing good practices on SW could be useful in the short-term to improve the time-management, focus better on work, and prevent possible psychological consequences on banking workers.

Motion Tracking Smart Work Suit With a Modular Joint Angle Sensor Using Screw Routing

Activity data of workers can be used to manage their safety and working processes. To date, the adoption of motion measuring systems in industrial sites has been limited, due to cost and noisy environments. In this study, a motion-tracking smart work suit is presented to monitor the movements of workers. This system comprises modular joint-angle sensors that utilize a BoASensor mechanism, a conventional work suit with added sensor sleeves, and a monitoring device. The modularized joint-angle sensor can be easily attached or detached onto or from the normal work suit, improving its usability and washability. This suit could experience relative motion and deformation between the body, degrading sensor robustness, unlike conventional motion sensing suits. The screw sensor routing method is proposed to minimize the coordination effect between the sensor and skeletal system during body movements. Various postures recorded with the suit exhibited root mean square errors lower than 7.75% <inline-formula xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><tex-math notation="LaTeX">$\ $</tex-math></inline-formula> from the elbow range of motion (150°) compared with the inertial-measurement-unit-(IMU)-based motion tracker. It was determined that there exists statistical significance between the proposed screw-routing method and the IMU in precision, thereby demonstrating sensing robustness with various upper limb motions. Additionally, the linearity analysis revealed that screw-routing has the highest linear behavior. The proposed work suit is expected to be utilized in preventing industrial accidents at various sites, owing to its low production cost and high accessibility.

Kode Etik dan Etika Profesi

The professional code of ethics is the criteria for professional principles that have been outlined, so that it is known with certainty the professional obligations of old, new, or prospective members of a professional group. The professional code of ethics has determined the standardization of professional obligations of members of professional groups. So that the government or the public does not need to intervene to determine how professionals carry out their obligations. The professional code of ethics is basically a behavioral norm that is considered correct or already established and of course it is more effective if the behavioral norm is formulated properly, so as to satisfy all parties. The purpose of the code of ethics is for professionals to provide the best possible service to service users. The existence of a code of ethics will protect unprofessional actions. In professional ethics, a profession has a high moral commitment which is usually stated in the form of special rules that become a guide for everyone who develops the profession concerned. and adhered to by every profession. The goal is for professionals to provide the best services or products to the community and protect them from unprofessional actions, thereby gaining trust in the eyes of the public. The existence of a code of ethics that regulates the actions of a civil engineer or engineering graduate to avoid himself from all forms of action that will harm himself, society and the environment. So that the work should begin with sincere intentions and high moral commitment in order to develop the profession concerned. A Civil Engineer is required to work hard, be disciplined, not random and complete which must be balanced with smart work, namely following technological developments in their field, being innovative and able to solve problems in the best way.

Deep Learning-Based PC Member Crack Detection and Quality Inspection Support Technology for the Precise Construction of OSC Projects

Recently, the construction industry has benefited from the increased application of smart construction led by the core technologies of the fourth industrial revolution, such as BIM, AI, modular construction, and AR/VR, which enhance productivity and work efficiency. In addition, the importance of “Off-Site Construction (OSC)”, a factory-based production method, is being highlighted as modular construction increases in the domestic construction market as a means of productivity enhancement. The problem with OSC construction is that the quality inspection of Precast Concrete (PC) members produced at the factory and brought to the construction site is not carried out accurately and systematically. Due to the shortage of quality inspection manpower, a lot of time and money is wasted on inspecting PC members on-site, compromising inspection efficiency and accuracy. In this study, the major inspection items to be checked during the quality inspection are classified based on the existing PC member quality inspection checklist and PC construction specifications. Based on the major inspection items, the items to which AI technology can be applied (for automatic quality inspection) were identified. Additionally, the research was conducted focusing on the detection of cracks, which are one of the major types of defects in PC members. However, accurate detection of cracks is difficult since the inspection mostly relies on a visual check coupled with subjective experience. To automate the detection of cracks for PC members, video images of cracks and non-cracks on the surface were collected and used for image training and recognition using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and object detection, one of the deep learning technologies commonly applied in the field of image object recognition. Detected cracks were classified according to set thresholds (crack width and length), and finally, an automated PC member crack detection system that enables automatic crack detection based on mobile and web servers using deep learning and imaging technologies was proposed. This study is expected to enable more accurate and efficient on-site PC member quality inspection. Through the smart PC member quality inspection system proposed in this study, the time required for each phase of the existing PC member quality inspection work was reduced. This led to a reduction of 13 min of total work time, thereby improving work efficiency and convenience. Since quality inspection information can be stored and managed in the system database, human errors can be reduced while managing the quality of OSC work systematically and accurately. It is expected that through optimizing and upgrading our proposed system, quality work for the precise construction of OSC projects can be ensured. At the same time, systematic and accurate quality management of OSC projects is achievable through inspection data. In addition, the smart quality inspection system is expected to establish a smart work environment that enables efficient and accurate quality inspection practices if applied to various construction activities other than the OSC projects.

The Impact of Airline's Smart Work System on Job Performance of Cabin Crew.

Extant studies in medical and educational fields have demonstrated that employees’ device use (smartphones, tablet PCs, etc.) can enhance job performance. Correspondingly, global airline companies have made substantial investments to enhance passenger services. An earlier study examined the impact of flight attendants’ technology usage on job satisfaction by investigating the causal relationship between the benefits of tablet PC use, job performance, and its consequences. Based on the literature review, four advantages of technology use were derived: (1) efficiency, (2) convenience, (3) service effectiveness, and (4) pride. Additionally, three consequences of job satisfaction were derived: (1) team performance, (2) organizational commitment, and (3) turnover intention. Empirical data were collected from 208 flight attendants working for a South Korean airline, which provided tablet PCs for its employees. Data analysis revealed that work efficiency, convenience, and pride had a significant and positive impact on job satisfaction. However, flight preparation did not show a similar impact. This study is the first to investigate the benefits of using technology in the airline industry. Furthermore, it examined the convergence of airline management and information technology. The findings provide managerial implications for airline companies that are considering providing tablet PCs to flight attendants.