Strategic Process Research Articles

Customer Relationship Management and Competitive Advantage of Commercial Banks in Kenya

To meet the changing needs of their customers, commercial banks have been diversifying their services and product offerings. However, increased competition from other financial institution and telecommunication companies has caused commercial banks to fall short of their targets. Therefore, this study sought to investigate the influence of customer relationship management on competitive advantage of commercial banks in Kenya. The specific objectives of the study were to examine the influence of technology, customer orientation, stakeholder involvement and product customization on competitive advantage of commercial banks in Kenya. The study was guided by resource-based view theory, Ansoff matrix theory, diffusion of innovation theory and stakeholder theory. The research used descriptive research design. The target population for this study was four selected commercial banks in Kenya namely, Kenya Commercial Bank, Equity Bank, Cooperative bank, and Family bank. In respect of this study, the total number of respondents was 183 respondents comprising of 145 sales and marketing staff and 38 management staff. The respondents in this study were stratified according to their respective responsibilities. A simple random sampling technique was used to choose the respondents from each stratum. The sample size was 126 respondents. A structured questionnaire was used as data collection instrument. Questionnaires were piloted to 12 respondents from the National bank of Kenya because it is one of the commercial banks in Kenya. Content validity was used to measure research instrument validity. Reliability was measured using Cronbach alpha test. Qualitative data was analyzed qualitatively by organizing data into themes based on study objectives and the results will be presented in narrative form. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics such a mean and standard deviation. In addition, inferential statistics was applied using multiple regression analysis because there is more than one explanatory variable involved in this study. The analyzed data was presented using tables and figures. The study found from the regression analysis results that technology, customer orientation, stakeholder involvement and product customization had a positive significant influence on competitive advantage of commercial banks in Kenya. The study concluded that introduction of technology change’s organizational structure and, in so doing, alters the rules of competition, creates competitive advantage by giving companies new ways to outperform their rivals and changes whole new businesses, often from within a company’s existing operations. When customers feel that they are valued and their needs are being met, they are more likely to remain loyal to the bank. Effective engagement helps translate stakeholder needs into organizational goals and creates the basis of effective strategy development. Product customization leads to better customer insights because gaining customer insights provides businesses with a competitive advantage and helps them create products that customers are interested in. The study recommended that commercial banks in Kenya should increase automation of processes to increase efficiency and productivity while reducing costs. Commercial banks should put the customer at the very center of its values and goals and every department must be based on this philosophy. The commercial banks should have a clear vision derived from a robust strategic planning process, and an effective strategic plan or marketing plan can only come from stakeholder engagement. The commercial banks should understand their customers’ desires, preferences, and transaction habits to gain customer loyalty.

MODERN APPROACHES TO PROJECT PORTFOLIO MANAGEMENT IN THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

The project approach is successfully implemented in all areas of human activity, in particular in the transport industry, and has proven itself as an effective and efficient tool for managing transport companies. Considering the large number of areas of activity in the transport sector, it is expedient to combine individual projects that are being implemented into programs and portfolios. In this study, an analysis of scientific works in the transport industry was carried out, which showed that the current state of affairs in this field requires the development of strategic management tools and their implementation in their activities. The works of scientists on strategic management and management of project portfolios of companies in various fields of activity were also considered, which showed that the available works can become the basis for developing models and methods of managing project portfolios in the field of road construction, but do not fully take into account the peculiarities of this field. The authors propose the application of a portfolio approach to the company's activities in the field of road construction. In this work, a study of the development directions of the road industry was carried out and the sources of filling the state road fund, from which financing of the specified development directions was provided, were determined, as well as an analysis of the standard of project portfolio management was carried out. In order to improve the quality of project portfolio management in the field of road construction, it is advisable to improve the implementation of strategic management processes, portfolio management, and to introduce those processes that are not yet being implemented. This can also be done by developing and implementing project portfolio management information technology in the field of road construction, which will enable the implementation of strategic management and project portfolio management.

Modelling the significance of strategic orientation on green innovation: mediation of green dynamic capabilities

The increasing recognition of environmental concerns has prompted both nations and corporations to adopt green innovation as a significant strategy for addressing environmental risks and promoting sustainable development. To excel in this pursuit, companies must cultivate green dynamic capabilities, infusing environmental considerations into their strategic decision-making processes. The purpose of this study is to investigate the association between strategic orientation components and green dynamic capabilities, as well as their impact on green product and process innovation, in medium-to-large-sized manufacturing firms in China. Employing a quantitative methodology, an online cross-sectional research design was used to gather 582 valid responses through a structured questionnaire. Results indicated a positive association between learning orientation and green dynamic capabilities. Furthermore, green dynamic capability was found to mediate the relationship between learning orientation and green product and process innovation. However, no significant relationship was observed between green entrepreneurial orientation, market orientation, internationalisation orientation, and green dynamic capabilities. By conducting multi-group analysis and studying the context of Chinese manufacturing firms, this research contributes new insights into the relationship between resource-based theory constructs and green innovation, including the integration of green dynamic capabilities. The results emphasise the significance of adopting a learning mindset, developing green dynamic capabilities, and fostering green innovation. These findings offer useful insights for the Chinese manufacturing industry, enabling it to strengthen its competencies in green innovation.

Unveiling Qatarization: a strategic HRM perspective on the context of implementing successful workforce nationalization

This study is motivated by the infancy of literature on strategic HRM in regard to government policies and the lack of empirical research on the HRM policy of nationalization in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). As such, it adopts a process oriented strategic HRM perspective through developing and examining an integrative framework of the antecedents and outcomes of the quality of the implementation of the Qatarized workforce in Qatar. This framework is informed by three aspects of the strategic planning process, namely, formulation, implementation, and evaluation, as determinants of the quality of implementation of the Qatarization strategy and how the latter, along with the three sets of strategic planning variables, influence the success of this strategy. In surveying 313 managers from organizations in Qatar, the study contributes to several streams of the literature: strategic HRM, nationalization, and strategic management, where the findings show that the implementation quality of Qatarization strategy is shaped by all three as aspects of the strategic planning process and that the success of this strategy cannot adequately be targeted without such an integrative perspective. However, the findings also suggest that the three aspects do not contribute equally to the success of this strategy. These findings entail several implications for managers, including the importance of paying heed to the comprehensive concept of integrative strategic planning in general, and the important role that formal planning plays when ensuring the success of publicly mandated HRM strategies.

Clustering and Switching in Semantic Verbal Fluency: Their Development and Relationship with Word Productivity in Typically Developing Greek-Speaking Children and Adolescents.

Performance in semantic verbal fluency (SVF) tasks, mainly measured by the number of words of a particular semantic category produced within a limited time, is a widely accepted measure of cognitive functioning used in the neuropsychological assessment of children and adults. Two strategic processes, Clustering and Switching (C&S) have been proposed to underlie fluency processes and affect performance in the task. However, few studies have reported on the development of those cognitive strategies and their relationship with word productivity in typically developing children. Even fewer studies have covered a broad developmental period from preschool to adolescence or measured the effect of contextual factors in this relationship. Based on a sample of 472 typically developing Greek-speaking children aged 4;0 to 16;11 years, we investigated the development of SVF performance and reported on the degree to which it is affected by C&S strategies, children's sex, and level of parental education. Results revealed a large effect of age on word productivity and on the use of C&S strategies. Two switching factors (number of clusters and number of switches) and two clustering factors (mean cluster size and a novel measure, maximum cluster size), appeared to be significantly associated with word productivity, with the largest effect being attributed to the two switching factors. C&S factors, together with children's age and parental education, predicted 91.7% of the variance in the SVF score. Children's sex was not found to have a significant effect on either word productivity or C&S strategies. Results are discussed for their theoretical implications on the strategic processes underlying word production in typically developing children.

Implementation of strategic design in sustainable landscape development

Abstract This paper explores the implementation of strategic design in sustainable landscape development through a case study of the Neckar Landscape Park Student Competition. Drawing upon previous research on sustainable land use development, the study emphasizes the importance of integrated approaches and transdisciplinary thinking in managing landscapes. The strategic design process, characterized by analysis, synthesis and evaluation, is applied to address the socio-ecological and spatial challenges of the Neckar river valley. The findings highlight the potential of strategic design to create resilient and sustainable landscapes by combining scientific analysis and imaginative problem-solving. The case study exemplifies the value of strategic design in landscape architecture and offers insights for future landscape management.

Strength design optimization of sandwich composite structures under heavy dynamic loads

Recent researches have witnessed an increased interest in the Rapid Runway Repair (RRR) methods to rehabilitate damages that may be caused by different incidents, such as: natural disasters of earthquakes, floods or man-made vandalism in civil wars. RRR is a strategic process for airport operations for civil and peace-making missions. The current RRR techniques like precast concrete slabs, metal mats, and fiberglass mats have different pros and cons. The current study numerically investigates CFRP sandwich composite structure for RRR usage, where its strength is maximized by design optimization to reach the possible carrying aircraft wheel capacity and safety factors. The proposed composite structure is advantageous of no corrosion, low erection time, high capacity-to-weight ratio, same finish of runway surface and repaired area, and can be applied over spots of unlevelled or inadequate bearing capacity of 60 cm diameter. The strength of the basic design of composite sandwich structure is first assessed to its maximum allowed carrying aircraft wheel capacity by FE modelling. Secondly, The Genetic Algorithm (GA) optimization technique is applied for maximizing the strength of the composite structure webs satisfying the minimum safety factor of five failure criteria of Tsai-Wu, Tsai-hill, Hoffman, Hashin and maximum stress. Finally, the achieved results promoted the usage of the composite structure to operate at the taxiways, runways, and theoretically, landing and take-off areas.

Effect of Leadership in Strategic Planning on Performance of Faith Based Health Care Institutions in Meru County, Kenya

The primary objective of this study was to investigate the impact of strategic planning drivers on the performance of faith-based healthcare institutions in Meru County, Kenya. There were four specific objectives: to assess the influence of leadership in strategic planning, environmental scanning, stakeholder involvement, and the strategic planning formulation process on the performance of faith-based healthcare institutions in Meru County, Kenya. The research drew upon the Strategic Fit Theory, Porter's Competitive Advantage Theory, and Institutional Theory. Adopting a descriptive research design, the study targeted 421 employees across 23 faith-based healthcare institutions in Meru County. Using Yamane's formula for categorical data, the study focused on a sample size of 205 respondents. Quantitative data was collected through questionnaires distributed to respondents using a drop-and-pick method, while qualitative data was gathered from hospital administrators using an interview guide. The study employed frequencies, means, and standard deviation to present descriptive results. For inferential statistics, correlation analysis, regression analysis, and analysis of variance were used. The study's results revealed a positive and significant correlation between leadership, environmental scanning, stakeholder involvement, the strategy formulation process, and the organizational performance of faith-based healthcare institutions in Meru County. Regression analysis indicated that strategic planning drivers accounted for 59.5% of the variance in organizational performance. The study found that stakeholder involvement did not exert a significant influence on the performance of faith-based healthcare institutions. As a recommendation, the study suggests that faith-based healthcare institutions should enhance their strategic planning by strengthening collaborations with stakeholders, improving resource mobilization, evaluating threats and opportunities, and involving employees in the strategic planning formulation process. Additionally, the study recommends further research to assess the impact of the internal organizational environment on the performance of faith-based healthcare institutions in other counties in Kenya. Policymakers in faith-based organizations are encouraged to support individual organizations in developing strategic management guidelines that promote regulation and control.

Mediation of knowledge management processes in enabling strategic HR practices to achieve differentiation and cost-effectiveness

PurposeThis study explores how strategic human resource practices enhance the competitive capability of differentiation and cost-effectiveness by leveraging knowledge resources in Indian IT/software organizations. It examines the mediating effect of knowledge management (KM) processes in the relationship between strategic HR practices, competitive differentiation and cost-effectiveness capabilities.Design/methodology/approachAn online questionnaire survey collected data from 380 knowledge workers in 25 IT/software and consultancy firms. The authors checked data reliability and validity by conducting exploratory factor analysis in SPSS and confirmatory factor analysis in AMOS. The authors evaluated hypotheses using path analysis in structural equational modeling in AMOS.FindingsStrategic HR practices significantly and positively affect KM processes and competitive capabilities-differentiation and cost-efficiency. Both strategic HR practices and KM processes have a closer association with differentiation than cost-effectiveness. Knowledge management processes significantly and positively mediate between strategic HR practices and competitive capabilities. The mediation is more substantial in predicting differentiation than cost-effectiveness.Research limitations/implicationsIt is a cross-sectional study with a constrained capacity to predict accurate causal inferences; The authors call for future studies with longitudinal design and objective measures. Further studies are required to explore the impact of various strategic HR configurations on KMP to understand how different routes stimulate a particular competitive strategy. This conceptual framework can be validated across different industry types and sizes.Practical implicationsThis study provides practical insights to HR and knowledge managers regarding devising HR and KM processes to accomplish the goals of differentiation and cost-effective, competitive strategies. This study highlights that leveraging human capital for effective KM is crucial for gaining a competitive advantage.Originality/valueThe paper adds to the strategic HR and KM literature by exploring the mediating role of KM processes in enabling strategic HR processes to enhance differentiation and cost-effective, competitive strategies. It provides original empirical evidence from knowledge-intensive IT/software consultancies, particularly in India's emerging economy. It indicates the current state of HR practices adopted for optimum utilization of knowledge resources and the importance of differentiation strategy for Indian knowledge-intensive IT/software firms.

Мотивационная роль ESG-фактора при сделках экономической концентрации

The article is devoted to the consideration of the influence of the ESG factor (environment, social, governance) on M&A transactions (merger and acquisitions). The article substantiates the trend of economic transformations, reflecting the fact that environmental, social and corporate responsibility are becoming one of the most important areas of company development. Climate and environmental risks pose a threat to the financial stability of the business, its corporate image and social consumer loyalty. The article examines the degree of business involvement in the ESG agenda and provides a qualitative assessment of companies’ resource needs to achieve sustainable development goals. Using the opportunities provided by the green agenda, the company strengthens its ESG positions. The purpose of the study is to consider the role of the ESG factor in mergers and acquisitions. Based on the available research on the importance of mergers and acquisitions being an effective tool for business restructuring, the authors emphasize that the ESG factor is likely to be included in the overall motivational contour of concentration transactions. At the junction of two global strategic processes – the process of economic concentration and the process of sustainable development of companies in the field of ESG, the importance of studying the ESG factor, which has a motivating influence on mergers and acquisitions, is considered. The authors draw attention to the fact that the role and place of the little-studied ESG factor in the process of mergers and acquisitions, as well as the influence of the ESG agenda in the process of business concentration will increase at all stages of mergers and acquisitions. It is noted about the advantages of buying companies specializing in green technologies, which allows you to restructure the need for investment in the creation of modern and environmentally friendly technologies. The concept of sustainability is based on the efficiency of using limited resources, which is why the results of the study are of interest to companies focused on rapid growth using M&A transactions.

On-demand last-mile distribution network design with omnichannel inventory

E-commerce delivery deadlines are getting increasingly tight, driven by a growing ‘I-want-it-now’ instant gratification mindset of consumers and the desire of online and omnichannel retailers to capitalize on the growth of on-demand e-commerce. On-demand deliveries with delivery deadlines as tight as one or two hours force companies to rethink their last-mile distribution network, since tight delivery deadlines require decentralization of order picking and inventory holding to ensure close proximity to consumers. This fundamentally changes the strategic design process of last-mile distribution networks. We study the impact of incorporating inventory order-up-to level decisions into the strategic design process of last-mile distribution networks with tight delivery deadlines. We develop an approximate inventory model by including an estimate of the cost of late delivery and additional transportation due to local stock-outs in a newsvendor formulation. Such local stock-outs require an order to be delivered from a more distant facility, which may lead to late delivery and additional transportation cost. We integrate our approximate inventory model and a location–allocation mixed-integer program that determines optimal facility locations, associated order-up-to inventory levels, and fleet composition, into a metamodel simulation-based optimization approach. Our numerical analyses demonstrate that pooling the additional online inventory with brick-and-mortar (B&M) inventories leads to cannibalization by the B&M network and higher B&M service levels. However, the pooling benefits to the online network outweigh the cost of inventory cannibalization. Furthermore, we show under which circumstances omnichannel retailers may have an incentive to consolidate online inventory in specific B&M facilities.

Altruistic preferences in global emission games

This paper analyses the impact of altruism on the individual country goverments’ incentives to reduce global polluting emissions. The game theory perspective provides insights into the strategic decision-making processes of the governments regarding the problem of climate change. We propose a model of strategic interactions among countries in which each government is concerned with its own benefit, as well as with the benefits of all the other countries.The model is a vector-valued non-cooperative game that permits the representation of situations in which the preferences of the governments are incomplete and there is imprecision about the degrees of altruism. The focus is on the identification of the potential equilibria that will eventually be reached when the governments show different attitudes towards other countries or groups of countries. As a result, we show that the incorporation of altruism into the model produces equilibria with a positive effect on the reduction of emissions.

Thermodynamic Insights into Sustainable Aviation Fuel Synthesis via CO/CO2 Hydrogenation

The transformation of CO/CO2 hydrogenation into high-density sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) represents a promising pathway for carbon emission reduction in the aviation industry but also serves as a method for renewable energy assimilation. However, current hydrocarbon products synthesized through CO/CO2 often focus on various catalytic paths with high selectivity and high conversion rates rather than the synthesis of SAFs with complex components. This study undertakes a thermodynamic investigation into the direct or indirect synthesis of SAFs from CO/CO2 hydrogenation. By analyzing the synthesis of seven aviation fuels defined by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) D7566 standard, our study reveals a temperature-dependent reduction in the reaction driving force for all products. Specifically, for CO, ΔG transitions from approximately −88.6 J/(mol·K) at 50 °C to 26.7 J/(mol·K) at 500 °C, with the switch from negative to positive values occurring around 390 °C. Similarly, for CO2, ΔG values change from approximately −66.7 J/(mol·K) at 50 °C to 37.3 J/(mol·K) at 500 °C, with the transition point around 330 °C. The thermodynamic favorability for various hydrocarbon products synthesized is also examined, highlighting a transition at temperatures of around 250 °C, beyond which the thermodynamic drive for the synthesis of aromatic compounds increasingly surpasses that of cycloparaffin synthesis. Our findings also underscore that the products with a higher aromatic content yield a lower H2/CO2 ratio, thus reducing hydrogen consumption. The influence of cycloparaffin and aromatic proportions in the typical SAF products on the ΔG is also explored, revealing that an increase in cycloparaffin content in SAFs slightly elevates the ΔG, whereas an increase in aromatic content significantly reduces ΔG, thereby markedly enhancing the thermodynamic drive of the CO/CO2 hydrogenation reaction. These findings underscore the thermodynamic preference for synthesizing SAF with a higher proportion of aromatic compounds, shedding light on potential pathways for optimizing fuel synthesis to improve efficiency. Finally, the thermodynamic challenges and potential solutions involved in synthesizing SAFs via specific intermediate compounds are discussed, presenting opportunities for more strategic process schemes in industrial scenarios.

Evolutionary game theory and simulations based on doctor and patient medical malpractice under government regulation

Physicians-patients are the two crucial participants in medical malpractice. The government, as the central authority responsible for addressing medical malpractices, plays a pivotal role in this matter. Guided by governmental agencies, its regulations, administrative orders, and policies serve as the primary governance mechanisms to address medical malpractice, providing an effective means to balance the doctor-patient relationship and foster social harmony and stable development. A doctor-patient evolutionary game model developed based on the principles of information asymmetry and finite rationality. The study explores the strategic decision-making process of these two players within the context of medical malpractice. Through the manipulation of various parameters, the model's evolutionary equilibrium strategy is demonstrated using Vensim PLE Version 6.4 simulation. The findings reveal that government regulation, patient cognition, and the benefits associated with standardized medical practices are the pivotal factors influencing the doctor-patient evolutionary game system under government regulation. It is possible to mitigate medical malpractice through adjusting relative weights of differing strategic options, adding penalties for unlawful conduct, and normalizing malpractice charges on the basis of physicians' income from standardized practice. To effectively address medical malpractice, proposed measures include adjusting the regulatory framework, reasonably determining the strength of regulations regarding medical practitioners' illegal practices and patient medical malpractice behavior, diversifying regulatory approaches, establishing comprehensive physician–patient management systems for information to resolve medical malpractices.

Strategic Thinking and Competitive Advantage: Evidence from the Nigerian Pharmaceutical Industry

The focus of this study is on strategic thinking and competitive advantage in the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry. Competition is now based on knowledge, technology and the ability to serve customers fast and repeatedly. These are functions of strategic thinking in an organisation. We disaggregated strategic thinking into systems thinking, reflective thinking and creative thinking to ascertain their level of impact on the competitive advantage of firms in the pharmaceutical industry. Using data obtained from 91 employees drawn from three pharmaceutical companies in Nigeria, we adopted the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) technique in analysing the data. The analysis found significant effects of systems and creative thinking on the competitive advantage of pharmaceutical firms in Nigeria. In contrast, reflective thinking was not a significant component of the firm’s competitive advantage. The extraction effects of the components revealed that encouragement of individual employees through seeking their ideas on key decisions, leaders being part of the feedback process in the organisation, participative discussions and enhancement of practical skills of employees accounted for high variance in the firm’s strategic thinking and competitive advantage. The study concluded that companies in the Nigerian pharmaceutical industry have more attachment to systems thinking and creative thinking than reflective thinking. Part of the recommendations was adopting the strategic thinking process of plan, act, observe, reflect and plan again to enhance their competitive advantage in the pharmaceutical industry.

İşletmelerin Stratejik Planlama ve Karar Alma Süreçlerinde Metaverse Teknolojisinin Yönetim Bilgi Sistemleri Üzerine Katkıları

In the age of the digital revolution, the developments that are taking place are rapidly transforming daily life as well. In terms of digital platform users, the spread of personal computers, internet infrastructure, mobile devices and sensor technologies has affected working life and daily life. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Metaverse technology on management information systems and to reveal how it will affect strategic planning and decision-making processes in businesses. Additionally, the aim is to provide examples of the use of Metaverse technologies in work life and to identify the changes they will bring to business operations. The descriptive method was used in the study. It has been revealed that the use of Metaverse technology in the management, strategic planning and decision-making processes of businesses will provide cost, time savings and competitive advantage to businesses and cause these processes to work realistically and healthily. It is one of the most important factors that will enable businesses to follow these technological developments and make use of these technologies.

Comparison of Different Telemedicine Services to Pre-Evaluate Their Use in a New "Computational Hospital".

Future healthcare is transitioning toward a decentralization of patient care, in which personal care is increasingly moved at the patient home and surrounding areas, while hospitals concentrate primarily on procedures that cannot be performed elsewhere, such as surgeries or outpatient examinations. The healthcare system in the Liguria region (Italy) is currently developing a new Center for Computational and Technological Medicine (CMCT), which is intended to facilitate and support this transition. As a component of the strategic planning and design process, this study examines the development and organization of telemedicine services across a range of chosen Italian and European institutions that share similarities with CMCT in terms of scope and scale. We specifically focus on telemedicine services - how they are governed, their main fields of application. The analysis confirmed the growing importance of telemedicine as part of the new vision of medicine, in which the patient is at the center.

Investigation of the Effect of Strategic Management Process on Competitiveness

Stratejik yönetim, işletmenin amaç ve hedeflerine ulaşmasını sağlayan ve bir işletmenin tüm süreçlerine yön veren bir işletme yönetimi sürecidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, stratejik yönetim sürecinin işletmelerin rekabet gücü üzerindeki etkisinin araştırılmasıdır. Araştırma evrenini Tekirdağ ili Çerkezköy ilçesi Organize Sanayi Bölgesinde faaliyetlerine devam eden 293 işletme oluşturmaktadır. Bu işletmelerde üst düzey yönetici statüsünde çalışan kişilere anket uygulanarak, anket yöntemiyle veriler toplanmıştır. Toplanan veriler yapısal eşitlik modeli yöntemi kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlar, stratejik yönetim sürecinin rekabet gücü üzerinde pozitif bir etkiye sahip olduğunu göstermektedir. Bununla birlikte stratejik yönetim sürecinin aşamalarının kolektif bir şekilde yönetilmesinin gerekliliğine değinilerek planlama esnekliği ve planlama vizyonu aşamalarının güçlendirilmesinin rekabet gücünü arttıracağı belirlenmiştir.

Retrieval of temporal structure at recall can occur automatically

Temporal-structure, namely, the order in which events unfold over time, is one of the fundamental principles of episodic memory organization. A seminal empirical demonstration of the prominence of temporal structure in memory organization is the Temporal Contiguity Effect (TCE), whereby the proximity between two items at encoding predicts the likelihood of those two items being retrieved consecutively during recall. Recent studies have found that TCE occurs under a wide variety of conditions in which strategic control processes at encoding are reduced or even eliminated. This suggests that the encoding of temporal structure occurs automatically. Extending these findings, in the current study we asked whether the retrieval of temporal structure, as reflected by indices of the TCE, is influenced by strategic control processes at retrieval. To manipulate participants' ability to rely on strategic control processes, we compared standard recall performance (Full Attention condition) to a condition in which attention was divided between recall and a concurrent task (Divided Attention condition), which has been shown to disrupt such control processes. Across two experiments—one with standard encoding conditions and one with continual distraction during encoding—we found no differences in any index of the TCE between the two conditions. These results are all the more striking considering that in both experiments, dividing attention negatively affected overall recall performance compared to the Full Attention condition. Thus, while recall performance is reduced when disrupting strategic processes, the ability to use temporal structure to drive recall is not affected.

Analysis of Çanakkale City Center Active Green Area Potential in GIS Platform

While cities are facing challenges such as uncontrolled growth, population growth, and climate change, environment and human-friendly solutions are sought to create more livable urban areas. Green areas in cities play an important role in improving the quality of life quality of life for residents and reducing the risks of the disasters. Urban green area planning is a holistic and strategic process in which qualitative and quantitative factors should be considered in detail. This study focuses on determining the qualities and potentials of urban green areas in the city center of Çanakkale province in western Turkey and determining the amount of green area per capita, which is one of the quantitative factors. In addition, the study also aims to draw conclusions about the distribution and accessibility of urban green areas. Determining the amount, accesibility and distribution of active green areas, which are intensively used by urban dwellers for recreational purposes and are the determinants of the presence of green area in the city, is important in terms of forming the basis for strategies that improve urban quality of life. In this study, the active green areas in various urban landscapes were determined by utilizing high spatial resolution satellite remote sensing images and the spatial distribution and accessibility analysis were performed in a geographic information systems (GIS) platform. The findings of this study provide a basis for the development of local green area strategies and contribute to the current discourse on livable and sustainable urban development.