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The paper investigates the link between academic innovation and new venture creation. It presents a case study of an Italian firm that has developed an innovative business model, transforming academic innovation into new ventures and tackling some of the key challenges of the academic entrepreneurial process. This case is particularly interesting because it can be seen as an "Enterprises Factory" that has already created 14 startups. It differs from both incubators and venture capital funds because it combines different forms of support—including both technical competencies to develop the innovation and managerial and entrepreneurial skills to create a new venture—and also acts as a founder of each new venture. The paper has theoretical and practical implications since it describes how this innovative business model fosters academic entrepreneurship, and it provides a model for possible replication in different contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to introduce a practice-ready systematic methodology for the management of storage assignments and allocation decisions as well as an assessment of the resulting performance in an order picking system (OPS). Built on extant and well-known metrics of performance this method implements a double cross-analysis through an original visual tool that is easy to understand by warehousing managers and practitioners. This tool is organized in two main steps. The first step is a cross-analysis that combines multiple performance indicators to help the decision-maker understand whether an OPS provides the scope for performance improvement. A comparison with potential storage configurations is then conducted in the second step through a tailored multi-scenario cross-analysis, which attempts to identify the best combination of allocation and assignment policies capable of minimizing the overall traveling performance. The proposed methodology is applied to a significant real-world OPS. The selected case study represents a reference framework for decision-makers and practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study of ground collapse (30 m wide and 16 m deep) during tunnelling under a water channel in the city of Hangzhou, China. The ground collapse damaged the constructed tunnel locally, and remedial measures had to be taken to resume the tunnelling works. In this paper, a forensic geotechnical and geological study was undertaken in which the geological condition at the collapsed site was reviewed, the causes for the collapse were investigated, and the development of the soil failure mechanism was evaluated. Remediation measures undertaken at the project site are also discussed. During this forensic investigation study, the strata over the tunnel was found to be of low strength and furthermore erodible to groundwater seepage. Groundwater seepage was detected, which was attributed to be the triggering force that contributed to the collapse. Tunnelling construction using explosives for blasting rocks was attributed to be one of the causes of the failure. A four-step rapid remediation measure was proposed on site, which included filling of the collapsed crater, reinforcement of collapsed debris in the tunnel, grouting and dewatering, and removal of debris and tunnelling. Tunnelling was resumed soon thereafter. The field monitoring data validated effectiveness of the proposed rapid remediation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language workbenches are touted as a promising technology to engineer languages for use in a wide range of domains, from programming to science to business. However, not many real-world case studies exist that evaluate the suitability of language workbench technology for this task. This paper contains such a case study. In particular, we evaluate the development of mbeddr, a collection of integrated languages and language extensions built with the Jetbrains MPS language workbench. mbeddr consists of 81 languages, with their IDE support, 34 of them C extensions. The mbeddr languages use a wide variety of notations—textual, tabular, symbolic and graphical—and the C extensions are modular; new extensions can be added without changing the existing implementation of C. mbeddr's development has spanned 10 person-years so far, and the tool is used in practice and continues to be developed. This makes mbeddr a meaningful case study of non-trivial size and complexity. The evaluation is centered around five research questions: language modularity, notational freedom and projectional editing, mechanisms for managing complexity, performance and scalability issues and the consequences for the development process. We draw generally positive conclusions; language engineering with MPS is ready for real-world use. However, we also identify a number of areas for improvement in the state of the art in language engineering in general, and in MPS in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an optimization of the industrial guide-way vehicle that aims to improve running stability at increased speeds. A guide-way vehicle was used to transfer products in various manufacturing industries. Using Design Of Experiment(D.O.E.), the design prototype was optimized. The improved design prototype and its design parameters were obtained by a case study determined by the engineering discussion. The computational model for the optimization was validated by correlation with the test results. Through this procedure, the optimization method presented in this paper has been proven to be effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Location choice is a crucial planning task with major influence on a company's future orientation and competitiveness. It is quite complex, since multiple location factors are usually of decision-relevance, incomparable, and sometimes conflictual. Further, ongoing urbanization is associated with locational dynamics posing major challenges for the regional location management of companies and municipalities. For example, respecting urban space as location factor, a scarcity growing over time leads to different assessment and requirements on a company's behalf. For both companies and municipalities, there is a need for location development which implies an active change of location factor characteristics. Accordingly, considering locational dynamics is vital, as they may be decisive in the location decision-making. Although certain dynamics are considered within conventional Facility Location Problem (FLP) approaches, a systematic consideration of active location development is missing so far. Consequently, they may propagate long-term unfavorable location decisions, as major potentials associated with company-driven and municipal development measures are neglected. Therefore, this paper introduces a comprehensive decision support framework for the Regional Facility Location and Development planning Problem (RFLDP). It provides an operationalization of development measures, and thus anticipates dynamic adaptations to the environment. An established multi-criteria approach is extended to this new application. A complementary guideline ensures its meaningful applicability by practitioners. Based on a real-life case study, the decision support framework's strength for practical application is demonstrated. Here, major advantages over conventional FLP approaches are highlighted. It is shown that the proposed methodology results in alternative location decisions which are structurally superior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This is a case study focused on the development of LOVOT, a consumer home robot that went on sale in 2019. Since its unveiling in 2018, approximately 20,000 people have visited the LOVOT demonstration event as of the end of July 2019. In practical terms, LOVOT lives at home with the user long-term, similar to a companion animal; LOVOT performs continuous natural motion for user comfort. We applied movements using professional animator techniques based on the principles of traditional animation to LOVOT. We have identified specific practical techniques in home robot animation through iterative prototyping in our synergetic development of character animation techniques and tools. In this paper, we introduce our practical methods to develop many behaviors in a single robotic agent and is the collaborative efforts of a group of people with diverse professional backgrounds. Furthermore, we summarize how traditional techniques of character animation were applied, and new techniques were required from the perspective of professional animators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While global sourcing often implies that the firm needs to, for example, redesign the procurement organization and make decisions on what to centralize and what to manage locally, global sourcing also has direct implications for management of the buyer–supplier interface. This study takes an organization design focus and addresses global sourcing organization design as well as provides illustrations on how to integrate the buyer–supplier interface for global sourcing. Integration is conceptualized as coordination and cooperation. The paper is based on an embedded unit case study of a global technical industrial product and service systems provider, TechInd (pseudonym). Data was collected from TechInd as well as from six of its suppliers. The findings indicate that the global sourcing organization structure, as well as the differences in the buyer's sourcing and supplier's sales organizations, pose requirements for management of the interface in terms of coordination and cooperation. Challenges arising particularly due to differences in geographical scope and level of centralization can be managed by introducing the key account role and alignment of incentives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Proper maintenance policy can play a vital role for effective investigation of product reliability. Every engineered object such as product, plant or infrastructure needs preventive and corrective maintenance. Case description: In this paper we look at a real case study. It deals with the maintenance of hydraulic pumps used in excavators by a mining company. We obtain the data that the owner had collected and carry out an analysis and building models for pump failures. The data consist of both failure and censored lifetimes of the hydraulic pump. Discussion and evaluation: Different competitive mixture models are applied to analyze a set of maintenance data of a hydraulic pump. Various characteristics of the mixture models, such as the cumulative distribution function, reliability function, mean time to failure, etc. are estimated to assess the reliability of the pump. Akaike Information Criterion, adjusted Anderson-Darling test statistic, Kolmogrov-Smirnov test statistic and root mean square error are considered to select the suitable models among a set of competitive models. The maximum likelihood estimation method via the EM algorithm is applied mainly for estimating the parameters of the models and reliability related quantities. Conclusions: In this study, it is found that a threefold mixture model (Weibull-Normal-Exponential) fits well for the hydraulic pump failures data set. This paper also illustrates how a suitable statistical model can be applied to estimate the optimum maintenance period at a minimum cost of a hydraulic pump. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers in the 21st century are facing new challenges as a result of the expanding possibilities of ICT integration in every aspect of the school milieu. Studies have shown the potential of teacher professional development (TPD) that is tailored to local conditions as well as global components and takes advantage of mutual support among teachers, as well as modeling of effective practices. The goal of the paper is to consider the issue of TPD with reference to the usage of ICT as a lever for educational change in a systemic manner, based on the application of local as well as international research. This paper will synthesize some key issues and challenges for TPD in the ICT-saturated 21st century, illustrated in four cases presented herein, which synthesize elements of practice and theory. Based on the literature and the four case studies, we suggest a conceptual model for identifying and evaluating TPD practices using ICT as a lever for educational change and innovation, accompanied by research aimed to develop TPD models. We include suggestions for more effectively linking research to practice and will lay out possible research directions, as a means of facilitating evidence-based decisions and policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of HMD: Praxis der Wirtschaftsinformatik is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of HMD: Praxis der Wirtschaftsinformatik is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The growth of energy service company (ESCO) markets in the private sector is restricted by a fragmented and highly uncertain market and by customers who are often unknowledgeable and unwilling. This study explores the potential role of utility companies as intermediaries in connecting supply-side ESCOs with potential demand-side customers in a manner that ensures customer satisfaction. The paper adopts a customer-centric, service-dominant logic perspective to examine how a utility company facilitates value co-creation in an in-depth case study of an extensive retrofit programme in the Emirate of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates. The findings underline several value co-creation roles associated with the utility company intermediary, notably relationship-enabling, communication-enabling and knowledge-enabling roles. We conclude with recommendations on how utility companies can facilitate the co-creation of value at the ESCO–customer interface and, hence, support the development of ESCO markets towards decarbonising the built environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the first steps in innovation projects and entrepreneurial initiative involves formulating a Business Model (BM) that describes the value creation, delivery and capturing logic of a business idea. However, when formulating a BM for networked enterprises, the alignment of the collective BM, supporting the joint service or product on offer, and the underlying operational processes of the networked businesses, need to be taken into account. This paper analyses the concept of Business Model Alignment (BMA) based on qualitative case studies of two Smart Living projects in Finland and China. To begin with, a Business Model framework (STOF) is applied to describe the high-level BM. Next, the Value, Information and Process (VIP) framework is applied to analyse BMA. The case studies show that an analytical framework, such as the VIP model, helps reveal the hurdles that may undermine BMA and, as a result, obstruct BM implementation. This paper contributes to existing BM literature by identifying the steps that are necessary to move from an abstract, often strategy-driven BM, of collaborating enterprises towards an aligned BM that can be implemented. This paper also contributes to theory formation by identifying the issues that play a role in achieving BMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Early Childhood is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Use of tablet technologies, like the iPad, are now commonly used in families and have become customary in the everyday lives of children. This paper explores how the use of iPads at school influences children’s activities at home and how children’s activities at school can be influenced by home activities. A case study of one child (aged 5.8 years) in Year 1 in a primary school in Saudi Arabia is presented to explore the relationship between children’s active engagement with iPads at home and school. In the case study, video observations of the child’s iPad activities at home and school are analysed. The research draws upon cultural-historical theory and concepts of demands and motives. The argument is made that the introduction of iPads into the classroom generates new demands on children and stimulates new motives towards the use of iPads in both the school and at home. This can generate a reciprocal digital relationship that advances child development in ways that support changes in classroom practices as well as at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Logistics service providers become increasingly aware of the need to collaborate to face challenges such as globalization and the heightened expectations of customers. This paper focuses on horizontal cooperation between logistics service providers in road transportation and introduces two novel conceptual models. Firstly, a decision framework for the development and management of horizontal logistics alliances is presented. This framework provides support to logistics service providers considering horizontal collaboration and allows for the analysis of the decision process underlying horizontal logistics alliances. The cyclical framework consists of five stages and attributes a central position to continuous evaluation. Secondly, an easy-to-use typology is proposed which defines six horizontal collaboration types based on their activity scope and degree of structural intertwinement. The typology provides logistics service providers with insights in the various horizontal collaboration types, including some key management questions. Both models are validated by knowledgeable practitioners and are applied to two real-life case studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishing a scientific and applicative safety management assessment system is crucial in improving safety performance of organizations. Currently, there are few studies on owners’ safety management assessment systems. Based on the behavioral-based safety theory, this paper explores the links among safety management system, safety management behavior, safety management state and safety performance, which constitute an assessment model that characterizes the features of safety management. It then proposes a safety management indicator system that applies to real estate owners. The applicability and effectiveness of the system is verified by a four-year case study with a real estate owner. Relationships between safety management system, safety management behavior, safety management state, and their main impacting factors are obtained. Results indicate that the assessment model makes safety evaluation clearer and demonstrates significant correlations between different safety management issues. Owners’ safety management system is established and implemented favorably under the safety management assessment indicator system. This paper presents a profound understanding of safety management assessment, in which the safety management assessment model and the indicator system is applied effectively in practice. To improve safety management level, specific theoretical and practical implications lead researchers and practitioners to pay more attention to safety management assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on a case study of a three-generation family business, this paper explores the antecedents and consequences of female leadership in contemporary Chinese family business. Our findings suggest that institutional change in contemporary China affects the role of female family members in the family system, which eventually gave rise to female leadership in China’s family businesses. We also propose that in comparison to male leadership, female leadership in Chinese family business is more concerned with balancing work-family conflict; more dependent upon the family’s endowment of resources; and more likely to favor a participative (rather than authoritative) decision-making style. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study describing reliability analysis comparisons due to different maintenance decisions for punching tool sets that are used for perforating in a line-making process. Field maintenance data for punching tools are classified according to different maintenance decisions. The data were analyzed further to identify the best fit distribution models. The related reliability characteristics are then revealed and discussed. The reliability analysis results of four different major maintenance decisions shows that the short-term view indicates no significant differences of mean-time-to-failure (MTTF) for the equipment. However, the range (lower and upper limit values) for MTTF for each replacement decision package can be used by a maintenance engineer for equipment spare parts planning. The results found that the failure rate of the equipment was due to replacement decisions packages that are in a deteriorating state. Thus, the maintenance engineering team noticed that the determination of optimum preventive maintenance time is beneficial and cost effective. This study concludes the importance of reliability analysis to better understand the probability nature of the subject under consideration, i.e., it helps a technical team to utilize proper preventive maintenance and spare parts planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to analyze and discuss the evolution towards sustainable coffee supply chain and its management in Vietnam. Coffee is a major agricultural export commodity of Vietnam with the export value accounts for 3% of national GDP in 2014 and provides a livelihood for approximately 2.6 million people. However, the sector is facing enormous challenges as the current farming methods and processing infrastructure have been unsustainable resulting in many catastrophic impacts on the environment such as deforestation and soil degradation that have the potential to lead to a decrease in the quality of coffee beans. Using a case study in Buon Me Thuot City, Daklak, Vietnam, the paper analyses the key factors influencing the sustainable coffee supply chain management in Vietnam. Our analysis confirms that although productivity is high, and farmers have positive experiences in this sector, sustainability issues are emerging. For instance, the farmers have experienced soil erosion and a lack of water and as such are now more willing to incorporate sustainability initiatives in their production and processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a study that investigated the range of institutional support needs of international students at one Australian university with a view to increasing understanding of their needs and the ways in which support was provided. The study involved a number of data collection methods including focus groups, key informant interviews and a larger scale survey, undertaken in an inductive and sequential process. The results indicated that the levels of awareness about services differed, that lack of knowledge of how to access a service and finding information about it were key reasons for non-use, and that the helpfulness of staff impacted on the perception of services as useful. The paper concludes by recommending a reconsideration of current practices to move towards a model of student support service provision in which the student is at the centre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Politische Vierteljahresschrift is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Vibrations due to pile and sheet pile driving are known to cause discomfort for people, as well as damage to nearby buildings and structures. To enable prediction of ground vibration levels it is important to acknowledge the wave patterns induced in the ground to correctly determine which attenuation model to adopt. This paper presents wave patterns in the ground due to vibratory sheet pile driving based on field measurements from three case studies. The results show different wave patterns in the ground. At the ground surface the wave patterns are elliptical, resembling Rayleigh waves. At depth in the soil the wave patterns are instead strongly polarized in different directions, indicating the presence of P- and S-waves. Moreover, wave patterns tend to become more irregular with increasing distance from the source. This paper contributes to an improved understanding of wave patterns in the ground during vibratory sheet pile driving, forming a platform for the development of a reliable prediction model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the growing body of reshoring literature has focused on why firms reverse a prior location decision. While valuable, this work needs extending to how the decision to reshore is operationalised. Using a two-stage approach, this paper presents a conceptual framework that covers both why and how firms reshore. The framework also utilises contingency theory to identify the factors that influence these decisions. It is therefore claimed to be more comprehensive than others frameworks found in the literature. First, a systematic literature review deductively develops an initial framework. Second, a revised version of the framework is presented using evidence from a single, exemplar case of captive reshoring in the textiles industry. The case evidence identifies new factors and extends a typology of reshoring decisions proposed in the literature to more accurately reflect the dynamic, complex, and incremental nature of the onshore-offshore-reshore location and ownership decision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, sustainable supply chains have emerged to emphasize the importance of social and environmental concerns along with economic factors in supply chain management. In this context, there is a necessity for mathematical models that indicate environmental aspects and the social effects of the supply chain network. In the present study, a new multi-product production, distribution, and transportation, in which the economic, environmental, and social effects under CO2 emission to fill this gap are presented. Additionally, service technology under various criteria in the social aspects and time window for the earliest and latest arrival time of products to main distribution centers are provided. Also, other novelties of this paper, the environmental effects to open main and local distribution centers, warehouses, and pharmacies are considered as environmental effects. So, the main contributions of this paper are to develop a multi objective, dynamic production and distribution planning using time windows in service technology of sustainable pharmaceutical supply Chain Network. In this regard, the mathematical model is formulated as a mixed-integer linear programming model. Moreover, a Benders decomposition approach is appropriately extended to solve the presented model. In the proposed approach, the problem is decomposed into two models of sub-problem and a master. The master problem is developed by means of preprocessing and valid inequalities. The general and relative efficiency of the model and approach is experimentally assessed. The pharmaceutical production and distribution system of France is considered as a real case study in this paper. Eventually, the results indicate that the proposed approach considerably outperforms, and the efficiency of the developed model is verified through a set of sensitivity analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of International Business Studies is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The nominal group technique (NGT) is a method to elicit healthcare priorities. Yet, there is variability on how to conduct the NGT, and limited guidance on how to analyse a diverse sample of multiple groups. This paper addresses some of this ambiguity, and explores whether different approaches to analysis provide the same outcome/s. Conceptual papers and empirical studies were identified via PubMed and informed an adapted version of the NGT. Twenty-six nominal groups were conducted, which provided in-depth knowledge on how to best conduct this method. Pilot group data were used to compare different analysis methods and to explore how this impacted on reported outcomes. Data analyses for large data-sets are complex; thematic analysis is needed to be able to conduct across group comparisons of participant priorities. Consideration should be given not just to the strength, i.e. sum of votes, or relative importance of the priority, but to the voting frequency, i.e. the popularity of the idea amongst participants; our case study demonstrated that this can affect priority rankings for those ideas with the same score. As a case study, this paper provides practical information on analysis for complex data sets. Researchers need to consider more than one analysis process to ensure that the results truly reflect participant priorities. A priority that has a high score may not necessarily reflect its popularity within the group; the voting frequency may also need to be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has become an essential topic with regard to the relationship between business and the wider society. It is a complex and controversial phenomenon that can best be addressed via systems theory and the sensemaking perspective. This paper proposes a way to link a dialectical systems perspective with communications that includes the sensemaking and dialogic collective approaches, which help to build systems of organised activities that aim to find solutions to complex problems from a holistic perspective. Companies are increasingly aware that if they wish to be successful actors in their business and societal relationships, the traditional sole focus on maximising profit is counterproductive, especially in terms of sustaining their value chains. A holistic approach to CSR and the value chain involves companies integrating their stakeholders along their value chains, especially at the downstream and upstream extremes (their customers and suppliers). This paper illustrates its theoretical perspectives with a case study of JYSK, a multinational company based in Denmark, which demonstrates how the company based its actual management of CSR on its willingness to learn from its own actions and from the actions of others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of LCA in waste management is an emerging field in France and other European countries. This paper provides feedback on the methodological challenge of incorporating LCA results in decision making processes. LCA is expected to answer the demand for global and exhaustive environmental evaluation of waste management scenarios particularly well, whereas its methodological suitability for this particular field is still under discussion. One unanswered question is how to ensure “satisfactory” incorporation of LCA results in the decision making process, i.e. between multi-criteria analysis and simplification. This paper provides evidence from a case study in which non-aggregated LCA results were fed into the decision making process at an early stage in the planning process with the involvement of the stakeholders. Interviews with different stakeholders as well as in-depth analysis of documentation on the decision making process concerned, and of the LCA, allow us to discuss how the multi-criteria character of LCA and its results fit the process despite diverging points of view. The results of the case study were interpreted in an interdisciplinary dialogue between researchers in LCA methodology and social scientists. In terms of research findings, we report that appropriation and comprehension of the non-aggregated LCA results were rather high, also by the stakeholders involved. In our case, the successful incorporation of non-aggregated multi-criteria results was not so much a problem of comprehensibility as might be expected. Instead, our case study sheds light on the complex political roles LCA can play in waste management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of integrating history into mathematics education is widely recognised in the literature and advocated in curricula worldwide, including in China. However, under the influence of the long-standing centrally designed curricula, teachers in China are accustomed to content- and teacher-centred examination-driven teaching practices. Adopting a life story approach, this paper reports the case of a mathematics teacher who integrated history into her mathematics teaching during the initial two years of her teaching in a Shanghai high school. The agentic perspective adopted in the study allows us to focus on how the teacher's agency was enacted and achieved when engaging in teaching practices. Our findings reveal the roles played by personal qualities, prior experiences, and the structure and culture of schooling in the teacher's agency in integrating history into teaching under a dominant performance-driven context. Implications of the results for integrating history into teaching in restricted contexts are then discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Coaching - Theorie & Praxis is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The engagement model for problem solving was developed as a response to soft systems methodology being difficult to implement in certain circumstances. In the years since the original paper was published, the model has developed into an iterative problem solving approach for the assessment, creation and implementation of new ideas in difficult problem situations. This case study paper exemplifies the kind of work undertaken through the use of the model and provides a practical scenario for how one might apply it. The case study takes place in a higher education environment and relates to the development of a capstone course for management majors. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban labs are open innovation ecosystems, i.e. places, either promoted by companies or local institutions or spontaneously established by active citizens, wherein the current problems and challenges associated with a city are discussed and possibly innovative solutions are designed and implemented. Urban labs usually face complexity in managing the contributions of several heterogeneous actors. The paper presents the Urban Lab Methodology (ULM), which supports the management of urban labs by integrating Soft System Methodology with an open innovation framework previously developed by the authors. The former is a methodology to facilitate the structuration and solution of complex problems involving different stakeholders, whereas the latter aims at suggesting an association between the innovation context and the open innovation practices to be adopted. ULM is used to analyze the case study of Manifesto della Città Vecchia e del Mare ('The Old Town and Sea Manifesto'), a urban lab created in Taranto (Italy) in 2014. The analysis shows that theoretical prescriptions are to a great extent coherent with the real course of action and ULM is relatively easy to be adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversion tunnels are important structures for hydropower projects but are always placed in locations with less favorable geological conditions than those in which other structures are placed. Because diversion tunnels are usually large and closely spaced, the rock pillar between adjacent tunnels in weak rocks is affected on both sides, and conventional support measures may not be adequate to achieve the required stability. Thus, appropriate reinforcement support measures are needed, and the design philosophy regarding large parallel tunnels in weak rocks should be updated. This paper reports a recent case in which two large parallel diversion tunnels are excavated. The rock masses are thin- to ultra-thin-layered strata coated with phyllitic films, which significantly decrease the soundness and strength of the strata and weaken the rocks. The behaviors of the surrounding rock masses under original (and conventional) support measures are detailed in terms of rock mass deformation, anchor bolt stress, and the extent of the excavation disturbed zone (EDZ), as obtained from safety monitoring and field testing. In situ observed phenomena and their interpretation are also included. The sidewall deformations exhibit significant time-dependent characteristics, and large magnitudes are recorded. The stresses in the anchor bolts are small, but the extents of the EDZs are large. The stability condition under the original support measures is evaluated as poor. To enhance rock mass stability, attempts are made to reinforce support design and improve safety monitoring programs. The main feature of these attempts is the use of prestressed cables that run through the rock pillar between the parallel tunnels. The efficacy of reinforcement support measures is verified by further safety monitoring data and field test results. Numerical analysis is constantly performed during the construction process to provide a useful reference for decision making. The calculated deformations are in good agreement with the measured data, and the calculated forces of newly added cables show that the designed reinforcement is necessary and ensures sufficient stability. Finally, the role of safety monitoring in the evaluation of rock mass stability and the consideration of tunnel group effect are discussed. The work described in this paper aims to deepen the understanding of rock mass behaviors of large parallel tunnels in weak rocks and to improve the design philosophy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arising from a practical problem in German rail passenger transport, a prototype for a multi-period railway crew scheduling problem with attendance rates for conductors is developed and evaluated in this paper. The consideration of attendance rates is of increasing importance in regional transport networks and requires decision support. For this purpose business analytics is applied in order to offer an approach to transform real-world data to concrete operational decision support (action). The focus here is on the analysis step using a new set covering model with several essential restrictions integrated for the first time. A hybrid column generation approach is applied, which solves the pricing problem by means of a genetic algorithm. The artifact is evaluated with the help of a case study of three real-world transport networks. It is shown that the hybrid solution approach is able to solve the problem more effectively and efficiently compared to conventional approaches used in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Requirements communication plays a vital role in development projects in coordinating the customers, the business roles and the software engineers. Communication gaps represent a significant source of project failures and overruns. For example, misunderstood or uncommunicated requirements can lead to software that does not meet the customers' requirements, and subsequent low number of sales or additional cost required to redo the implementation. We propose that requirements engineering (RE) distance measures are useful for locating gaps in requirements communication and for improving on development practice. In this paper, we present a case study of one software development project to evaluate this proposition. Thirteen RE distances were measured including geographical and cognitive distances between project members, and semantic distances between requirements and testing artefacts. The findings confirm that RE distances impact requirements communication and project coordination. Furthermore, the concept of distances was found to enable constructive group reflection on communication gaps and improvements to development practices. The insights reported in this paper can provide practitioners with an increased awareness of distances and their impact. Furthermore, the results provide a stepping stone for further research into RE distances and methods for improving on software development processes and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major mining slope failure occurred in July 2012 on the East wall of the LAB Chrysotile mine in Canada. The major consequence of this failure was the loss of the local highway (Road 112), the main commercial link between the region and the Northeast USA. LiDAR scanning and subsequent analyses were performed and enabled quantifying the geometry and kinematics of the failure area. Using this information, this paper presents the back analysis of the July 2012 failure. The analyses are performed using deterministic and probabilistic limit equilibrium analysis and finite-element shear strength reduction analysis modelling. The impact of pit water infilling on the slope stability is investigated. The impact of the mining activity in 2011 in the lower part of the slope is also investigated through a parametric analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The core research question that is discussed in this paper is: 'How is the future constructed in corporate strategy-making practice?' The answer is provided through the analysis of a single case study that was conducted in the context of a Hungarian children's book publishing company. The results show that apart from consciously and deliberately applied future anticipation and/or foresight tools and techniques in strategising practices, other managerial activities may also lead to foresightful actions, specifically, everyday strategy-making practices, e.g., future-oriented product design, employee selection and cooperation with supply chain partners. In summary, moderate growth, risk management, trust and fair stakeholder management practices are the key factors that comprise an active future-creating strategy. With a few examples that are taken from the everyday life of the subject company, the paper describes these characteristics and examines their roles in shaping the corporate future in the strategising practices of the present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volunteer convergence refers to the mass movement of volunteers toward affected areas following disaster events. Emergency management professionals sometimes refer to volunteer convergence as 'the disaster within the disaster,' which is an indicator of the tremendous challenge that managing the post-disaster influx of spontaneous volunteers presents. In order to develop effective strategies for managing volunteer convergence, it is imperative that emergency managers and coordinators understand the nature of convergence from a quantitative perspective. This paper presents a case study of volunteer convergence following the April 2011 tornado disaster in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and represents the first academic study to rigorously analyze volunteer convergence data. Specifically, we characterize selected stochastic variables that are relevant to volunteer task assignment within the context of a disaster relief warehouse environment using data collected during tornado relief efforts in May 2011. Time series analysis and a hierarchical clustering method based on the Kruskal-Wallis test revealed both non-stationarity and non-homogeneity in the data with respect to time of day, day of the week, and number of weeks past the disaster event. We also discuss the implications of our findings with respect to modeling relief center convergence as a queuing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The description of process of psychotherapy in single case study is crucial to improve the art and craft of psychotherapy. However, despite widespread acceptance of its importance among academicians there is dearth of descriptive accounts of case studies. The present paper attempts to describe the process of assessment and formulation highlighting the possible traps professionals may fall prey to using case study method. The case study describes psychotherapy with a couple who came with the chief complaint of empty nest syndrome with one parent at the center of problem. The detailed evaluation led to an alternative formulation following system's approach paving way for better management plan. The paper emphasizes the need to take a step back, especially in the cases of where 'obvious' easy explanations are available. The time spent on the assessment could become a game changer, as happened in the present case. However, it has its own drawbacks as it may require significant time, energy and courage on the part of clients, therapists and systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The architecture of a large software system is widely considered important for such reasons as: providing a common goal to the stakeholders in realising the envisaged system; helping to organise the various development teams; and capturing foundational design decisions early in the development. Studies have shown that defects originating in system architectures can consume twice as much correction effort as that for other defects. Clearly, then, scientific studies on architectural defects are important for their improved treatment and prevention. Previous research has focused on the extent of architectural defects in software systems. For this paper, we were motivated to ask the following two complementary questions in a case study: (i) How do multiple-component defects (MCDs)-which are of architectural importance-differ from other types of defects in terms of (a) complexity and (b) persistence across development phases and releases? and (ii) How do highly MCD-concentrated components (the so called, architectural hotspots) differ from other types of components in terms of their (a) interrelationships and (b) persistence across development phases and releases? Results indicate that MCDs are complex to fix and are persistent across phases and releases. In comparison to a non-MCD, a MCD requires over 20 times more changes to fix it and is 6 to 8 times more likely to cross a phase or a release. These findings have implications for defect detection and correction. Results also show that 20% of the subject system's components contain over 80% of the MCDs and that these components are 2-3 times more likely to persist across multiple system releases than other components in the system. Such MCD-concentrated components constitute architectural 'hotspots' which management can focus upon for preventive maintenance and architectural quality improvement. The findings described are from an empirical study of a large legacy software system of size over 20 million lines of code and age over 17 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper argues that attitudes to SOA follow a typical hype cycle from Technological Trigger, Peak of Inflated Expectations, and a Trough of Disillusionment to the more recent realization that SOA is a concept that may offer certain benefits but has several limitations. The main research question studies how the attitude to SOA changes in various phases of the hype cycle, how the SOA implementation cycle and an increase in business process maturity (BPMa) are interconnected and which factors influence the transition between the hype cycle phases. The paper shows that an organization's success with implementing SOA depends on its ability to match the SOA implementation with an increase in BPMa. The dual purpose of implementing SOA is shown in the first framework: to assure the coherence of IT assets and to assure business/IT alignment. In the second framework, the interconnection of SOA and BPMa and its role in transiting through the hype cycle phases is outlined. The findings are analyzed using a longitudinal case study of a large Slovenian company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper depicts the development of reference data models for strategic key performance indicator systems specific to waste management firms providing a new comprehensive typology of generic models for data warehouse solutions. Additionally, a development methodology for industry solutions is applied, which, given the empirically founded typification process and the theoretically derived performance measurement systems, is characterized by a high degree of structure and transparency. The new approach thus systematically integrates both inductive-empirical and deductive-analytical elements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a view of vulnerability attempting to capture a constitutive dimension of most disasters, that is their radically surprising moment. Therefore, it builds a conceptual framework, which captures the moment of surprise itself, as well as, its consequences for people by developing a dynamic and actor-oriented understanding of vulnerability. It begins with an outline about how to observe and explain vulnerability by offering a brief overview of how the discussion on vulnerability has evolved over the last 30 years or so. In a second step, the interrelation of knowledge, ignorance and vulnerability is specified. Therefore, a basic understanding of surprises is developed, which is then further distinguished in everyday surprises and 'radical surprises'. The theoretical argument is substantiated by a case study on a city in Germany, which was severely affected by the 2002 August flood. The paper concludes with some more general implications for the discussion on the interrelation of local knowledge, the dynamics of vulnerability and the occurrence of 'radical surprises'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formal specification component of verification can be exported to simulation through the idea of property checkers. The essence of this approach is the automatic construction of an observer from the specification in the form of a program that can be interfaced with a simulator and alert the user if the property is violated by a simulation trace. Although not complete, this lighter approach to formal verification has been effectively used in software and digital hardware to detect errors. Recently, the idea of property checkers has been extended to analog and mixed-signal systems. In this paper, we apply the property-based checking methodology to an industrial and realistic example of a DDR2 memory interface. The properties describing the DDR2 analog behavior are expressed in the formal specification language stl/psl in form of assertions. The simulation traces generated from an actual DDR2 interface design are checked with respect to the stl/psl assertions using the amt tool. The focus of this paper is on the translation of the official (informal and descriptive) specification of two non-trivial DDR2 properties into stl/psl assertions. We study both the benefits and the current limits of such approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although corruption has become a hot topic in organizational research, few studies have examined how it is socially constructed. To partially bridge this gap, the present paper takes a critical discursive perspective on the representation of corruption in the media. The empirical focus is on the media coverage of a corruption scandal that revolved around two instances of formal corruption charges and successive acquittals. Based on the analysis, the paper exemplifies how the media makes sense of and gives sense to controversial activities in response to changing and at times contradictory information. In particular, the paper highlights interplay between four dominant discourses—transgression, political, public scapegoating, and individualistic—that that were mobilized throughout the media coverage. These discourses were intimately linked with wider dynamics between problematizing and restorative media framings and thus provided crucial means of reconstructing and reformulating the (il)legitimacy of the reported activities throughout the scandal. While the findings are context specific, this study suggests that similar interplay and dynamics are important aspects of media sensemaking around controversial activities related to corruption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]