The role of business manager attitudes and perceptions in driving climate change risk action in the agricultural sector in Uganda

Much is already known about climate change risk mitigation and adaptation globally. However, much needs to be done to make this knowledge cascaded down to a business manager in the agricultural sector in Uganda. This study aimed to understand the role of business manager perceptions and attitudes in influencing climate change risk action in business organizations in the agricultural sector in Uganda with its particular climatic, social and economic circumstances. An assessment was made of whether and how the climate change risk perceptions of business managers from 16 companies engaged in downstream agricultural processing differ from 15 managers engaged in commercial agricultural production in Uganda. The study utilized a phenomenological approach using comparative case study method. The respondents were selected purposively from managed agriculture processor and producer companies. It is believed that the study of perceptions and beliefs involves uncovering tacit knowledge, knowledge in the minds of managers which cannot easily be articulated and documented. The study therefore made use of George Kelly’s Personal Construct theory and its repertory grid analysis technique for data collection, a very useful tool for making tacit knowledge explicit. The study examined nine risks as elements for the repertory grid exploring how business managers perceive there risks and how such perceptions influence their climate change risk action in the agriculture sector in Uganda. The study also intended to identify if there are variations in climate change risk perception between the agriculture producers and processors in Uganda. The personal constructs generated from respondents during the grid interviews are the units of analysis. The results were analyzed using Content analysis, and Honey’s data analysis procedures. The results indicate that as long as business managers perceive climate change risks to have an effect on their business continuity or survival, their production capacities, their profitability, their marketing decisions, affect their cost of production, influence their investment decisions, there are available response options, and consider that they have the capacity to manage those risks, they will take immediate action to put in place strategies to respond to those climate change risks. There is no appreciable variation in climate change risk perception between producers and processors. The study results provide policy makers an opportunity to understand what concerns business owners along the agriculture value chain for them to respond to climate change risks and also informs business owners the areas of key concern that they have to reflect on as they consider climate change risk strategies

Understanding CO2 flow measurement for carbon capture and storage (CCS) transport applications

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is a decarbonization solution, particularly suited to industries with hard-to-abate emissions such as cement, iron & steel, and fertilizer production. However, as a prerequisite for commercialisation of CCS, accurate measurement is required for quantifying CO2 streams across the CCS value chain and to comply with a range of environmental legislation and regulations. Unlike other industrial process fluids such as water, oil, and natural gas, it is still unclear whether current commercially available metering technologies can meet the requisite accuracy levels, specifically the ±2.5% accuracy recommended within the EU/UK European Trading Scheme for CO2 mass transfer. Therefore, this research is aimed towards gaining a comprehensive understanding of flow measurement of CO2 under relevant CCS transport conditions. This understanding is crucial for examining the capabilities of both Coriolis and orifice meters under more realistic CCS transport conditions, specifically assessing whether these CCS metering technologies meet the MRR Tier 4 MPE requirement. The experimental study predominantly focuses on evaluating the performance of two distinct designs of Coriolis meters and an orifice meter, across gas, liquid, and supercritical conditions, using both pure CO2 and CO2-rich mixture samples. In order to understand the influence of non-condensable gas impurities in CCS flow operations, a review of relevant thermodynamic modelling equations was conducted. These models play a relevant role in predicting the optimal transport conditions for the CO2-rich mixtures. Moreover, a dedicated laboratory-scale gravimetric flow facility was designed for conducting CO2 flow measurement tests. Using this facility, flow measurement tests were conducted to evaluate the performance of the selected meters under gas, liquid, and supercritical flow conditions. Additional tests were conducted to assess the performance of one of the Coriolis meters with light energy carrier gases (hydrogen-methane blend). The findings from these flow experiments indicate that the non-condensable impurities, such as N2, H2, O2, Ar, and CH4 have a relatively minor impact on Coriolis meters, with maximum mean absolute errors of 0.51%, 0.26%, and 0.56% observed in gas, liquid, and supercritical CO2 flow conditions, respectively. However, the impact of these impurities, which is often associated with an increase in the compressibility of the fluid and reduction in density or homogeneity of the fluid, tends to become apparent with different Coriolis designs or quality of flow operation (flow rates and regions). In the case of the test orifice meters, impurities also have a less noticeable impact during gaseous flow conditions, with the highest recorded mean absolute error reaching approximately 1%. However, the impact of these impurities becomes more noticeable in liquid and supercritical flow conditions, resulting in maximum mean absolute errors of 2.84% and 11.14%, respectively. It is worth noting that although impurities seem to have a more pronounced effect in these dense phases (high density liquid and supercritical phases), a substantial component of these errors can be attributed to uncertainty in the density measurements. These results conclude that Coriolis metering technology as a robust choice for CCS metering, underscoring its suitability for accurate measurements in single phase CO2 transport conditions, as well as in handling other relevant low-carbon fluids. Meanwhile, the performance of orifice meters in gaseous flow conditions emphasizes their effectiveness and potential applicability in repurposed gas pipeline infrastructures for CCS transport applications. The overall outcome of this study helps contribute towards understanding flow measurement capabilities of specific commercially available CCS metering technologies. The assessment of these meters offers crucial insights and measurement data to understand how well some existing flow metering technologies, currently employed in the oil and gas industry, can be adapted for CCS transport metering applications. The study also helps understand the impacts of non-condensable gas impurities in CCS flow operations, showing how well these impacts can be handled to improve flow activities

Sounding out blue carbon : a review of integrated data collection using acoustic techniques to support cost-effective quantification, and subsequent accreditation, of blue carbon

Blue carbon was first introduced as a term to highlight the importance of marine and intertidal habitats for climate change mitigation. Adopted into policy mechanisms, the need for integration of ecologic, economic, and societal values in eco-social-economics became evident as a key requirement of blue carbon research. This thesis explores, details, and critically evaluates existing approaches to blue carbon research, data gaps, and quantification techniques. Subsequently, blue carbon research in this thesis is explicitly framed with the relevance of habitat stock and sequestration quantification to future research needs, carbon accreditation processes, and policy mechanisms. This thesis comprises seven chapters. The first chapter, Introduction, presents the importance of blue carbon to climate change mitigation, key components of marine carbon cycles, current blue carbon research gaps, and research goals of the thesis. The second chapter, redefining blue carbon with adaptive valuation for global policy, further delves into the policy context, eco-social-economics, and carbon accreditation criteria by critically evaluating blue carbon definitions. In this chapter a redefinition of blue carbon is proposed with additional recommendations to support the uptake of blue carbon research in policy frameworks. There are three central data chapters, focusing on seagrass, maerl, and horse mussel habitats, that assess the suitability of Sub-Bottom Profiling (SBP) data for quantification of blue carbon sediment thickness. These chapters provide novel data on seagrass, maerl, and horse mussel bed sediment thickness and use core data to ground-truth SBP data and support image analysis and sediment identification. Drop-Down Video (DDV) is also used to align measures of biodiversity, as habitat % coverage, to sediment thickness. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) pathway analysis is then used to determine the key factors, and differences between abiotic and biotic variables, on seagrass, maerl, and horse mussel bed sediment thickness. These central data chapters, and the data presented in them, are then used to support novel predictive models in Chapter 6, Adaptive Stacked Species Distribution Models (AS-SDMs), which update areal extents, carbon stocks, and sequestration potential of seagrass, maerl, and horse mussel habitats in Orkney. Key areas for conservation are identified and valuated to support engagement with policy makers and community stakeholders. The key outputs and findings of the thesis are summarised in Chapter 7, Conclusions

Unpacking service failure across customer journey and performance management within the B2B and B2C business context : an insight from Iran

This thesis draws upon two consolidated theoretical frameworks of attribution blame theory and process theory. Underpinned by this framework, this study conducts semi-structured interviews with 30 Iranian service providers who are mainly managers or key marketing staffs and 21 international customers which are categorized into wholesales (travel agencies’ managers) and retails (individual travellers). The thesis examines and looks at customer experience (CX) and customer journey (CJ) from a dual vantage point: that of the customers and the company. It thoughtfully considers all the concurrent processes involved in the delivery and promotion of services. The findings illustrate that there are some macro and micro reasons behind service failure and Iranian service providers seem to have more control over the micro reasons. However, this is not understandable by the clients and most respondents seemed to ignore the source of failure and they expected the agency to reassure them that they would handle the problem as soon as possible. This consumer behaviour contradicts two factors of the attribution blame theory called stability and controllability and verifies the fact that if failure is perceived temporary then the customers are prone to forgive and forget. This thesis discusses the methods Iranian agencies use to check if they are performing well and if the customers are satisfied. Travel agents seemed to be using different methods to address these evaluation needs according to the customer phase in their journey with these inbound agencies. The respondents summarised methods for controlling and measuring performance and customer satisfaction in three main phases; evaluation and control before, during (social and technical control)and after the tour (getting feedback). This thesis argues how Iranian agencies evaluate their total performance regarding the tour operation. The findings indicate that most of the service providers seemed to be happy with their performance. However, they suggested meeting the international standards and keeping the clients glad is challenging because Iran is a developing country and lacks good tourism infrastructures. Similarly, most clients seemed satisfied with their trips to Iran and the services they received. The reason seemed to be not only the services they received from the agencies but also the destination’s beauty, local people’s hospitality and low expectation for Iran. This thesis points out service recovery features and methods that were helpful and made the customer re-buy the service. Respondents highlighted the importance of choosing a good tour guide, honesty, reliability, reassurance, accessibility, trust between the parties, efficiency and speed of recovery journey and clarity and speed of communication as the prominent features of dealing with an SF. Meanwhile, they believed that apart from these factors, service providers should not neglect people’s cultural and personality differences while choosing a proper recovery method. Overall, most participants emphasised the significant role of the tour guide in making or breaking the tour.Heriot-Watt University scholarshi

When Primes adopt brokers in supplying complex infrastructure projects : a TCE and structural hole perspective

Purpose: In some complex public private infrastructure projects, the Prime contractor (the Prime) relies on professional brokers to buy from, and coordinate with, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) activity. Broker, the Prime and OEM triads are formed. In most purchasing studies on complex performance (PCP) it is the Client who contracts with a Prime that is studied, and their relationship. Extant operations management literature has very little to say on why or when these broker roles exist and on how these professional brokers add value, which also suggests very little understanding of the Primes’ purchasing challenges as well as their corresponding solutions. This silence has driven the overarching aim of this thesis in exploring rationales of a Prime in adopting professional brokers in complex infrastructure projects. Design/methodology/approach: Four work packages are formed from observations and 34 interviews conducted in various engineering projects in the global power plant construction and retrofitting sector. Interview questions are informed by theoretical insights to investigate the nature of Primes’ challenges and how they are resolved by professional brokers. Transaction cost economics (TCE) provides this study with a foundational explanation for why brokers exist (trilateral governance), which is then complemented by the nuances of broker behaviour provided by structural hole theory. Finding: This thesis provides an empirically derived typology of a Prime’s scope of challenges, and Prime-OEM’s position in sourcing from OEMs in complex infrastructure projects. The typology confirms Prime’s challenge in materialising clear specifications for archetypal complex product and systems, as well as oligopolistic market patterns such as soaring and non-negotiable service price proposed by limited suppliers. However, shifting the perspective from the Client to the Prime reveals novel procurement challenges in sourcing non-archetypal complex product and systems. For example, procurement at project initiation phase could see client-imposed language and geographical barriers and asymmetric transaction interest. In addition, at project delivery phase asymmetric financial terms and conditions, problems directing sub-system OEMs on technical specifications and on-site services could emerge. This thesis finds that Primes are seen to purposefully adopt different categories of professional brokers to target specific procurement challenges. A common characteristic of these brokers is their relationship continuity with OEMs based on historical interactions and/or perception of future transactions, which is absent from the Primes in temporary, one-of-a-kind project settings. Through adopting different brokers in different project stages, Primes could focus on major tasks that form their competitive advantages such as project management and on-site construction work. Relevance/contribution: This study examines the under investigated area of PCP by expanding the typology of procurement challenges addressed in the literature, as well as the solutions. Such investigation refines the definition of procurement complexity by identifying two additional factors (i.e., the extent of interdependency of technical specifications from other product/service, and the extent of iterative process in defining technical specifications of the product/service) that describe the level of infrastructure complexity of product and service in complex infrastructure projects. In addition, the identification of five broker categories extends the approaches that encourage value co-creation between buyers and suppliers on top of formal (i.e., legal rules, standards and remedies etc.) and informal governance (i.e., workshops, incentives and punishments etc.) mechanisms introduced in the PCP literature. The adoption of TCE and structural hole lenses in this thesis confirms the applicability of TCE in a social network context, and the applicability of structural hole theory in a transaction-oriented context. For practitioners, this thesis contributes to prime contractors who undertake similar purchasing activities for complex infrastructure projects. In particular, prime contractors could benefit from this thesis by recognising similar procurement challenges, and the collection of approaches in resolving the corresponding challenges through the adoption of appropriate brokers

MOF-based materials for the photocatalytic conversion of CO2

The main force behind anthropogenic driven climate change is the emission of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane. The increase in the atmospheric concentrations of these gases at its root is due to humanity’s over reliance on hydrocarbons as a form of energy and a source of materials for use in industry. Alternative energy sources and implementing Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies are measures being taken to address the emissions from the energy and manufacturing sectors. The reorganisation of the energy sector also presents an opportunity for CO2 utilisation (CCU)technologies to act as alternative sources of hydrocarbon products through the conversion of carbon dioxide. Typically, CO2 utilisation processes require a lot of energy and harsh reaction conditions, however one of the most promising methods of CO2 utilisation comes in the form of CO2 photoreduction. Through this process CO2 is converted into value-added products using light under mild reaction conditions making use of a well-designed photocatalyst. This thesis consists of six chapters outlining work carried out since 2018 focusing on the design and synthesis of photocatalysts for CO2 photoreduction. Chapter 1 is an introduction to the field beginning with a wider discussion of the current climate crisis, and CCUS before moving on to describe the fundamental principles of CO2 photoreduction and the current state-of-the-art photocatalysts. Chapter 2 details the methods of synthesis and provides a description of the photoreduction system used to evaluate the performance of the synthesised photocatalyst. It includes a discussion of the characterisation techniques used to analyse the samples as well as the equations used. Chapter 3 discusses a TiO2 photocatalyst derived from the calcination of MIL-125-NH2, it was found to be highly selective towards CO generation which is unusual in purely TiO2 based photocatalysts. Chapter 4 expands upon the work in Chapter 3 with the aim of improving the performance of the photocatalyst whilst maintaining the excellent selectivity that had been observed. This is achieved through the formation of a composite with UiO-66-NH2, and it was found that the inclusion of the MOF shifts the selectivity towards CO production. Chapter 5 explores further the work with metal oxide/MOF pairings through the synthesis of Cu2O/UiO-66-NH2 composites. This is the first time that a Cu(I) oxide MOF composite has been reported without the presence of copper in the form of Cu(0 or II). This thesis aims to show the potential of metal oxide MOF pairings for CO2 photoreduction.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) funding

Fast hyperparameter optimisation of graph neural network for molecular property prediction

In the evolving domain of graph neural networks, there is a growing effort focused on predicting molecular properties. However, a noticeable gap persists, as much of the research overlooks the comprehensive exploration of hyperparameters—a crucial aspect for achieving positive outcomes in graph neural network applications. This underscores the vital role of hyperparameter optimisation, despite the challenge posed by resource-intensive procedures. To address this gap and overcome the challenge, our study achieves significant advancements. Firstly, we summarise graph neural networks for molecular property prediction into a structured framework, systematically identifying key hyperparameters for optimisation. Secondly, we introduce an innovative hierarchical evaluation strategy embedded in a genetic algorithm named HESGA, expediting optimisation by early elimination of unpromising solutions. This approach demonstrates improved efficiency and cost-effectiveness compared to traditional Bayesian optimisation. Thirdly, we propose the implementation of a binary tree to model the hyperparameter space, further enhancing HESGA’s effectiveness. Lastly, guided by empirical insights, we present a hybrid evaluation strategy that surpasses advanced optimisation methods, demonstrating reduced computational costs and accelerated optimisation. Overall, our research not only addresses the challenge of elevated computational expenses in hyperparameter optimisation but also enhances graph neural network performance, effectively bridging the research gap in hyperparameter optimisation for graph neural networks in the context of predicting molecular properties

Strategic drivers for market penetration in Zambia’s insurance industry

This study investigated the key strategic drivers for market penetration, explicitly focusing on Zambia’s insurance sector. Insurance penetration in Zambia is still relatively low compared to the African average and those in developed markets. Several strategic factors are hypothesised to influence this lower penetration. However, some studies on strategic management suggest a positive correlation between effective strategy formulation and implementation and market penetration. There is no documented evidence suggesting this theory has been critically investigated in Zambia’s insurance sector. Thus, this study sought to examine this theory regarding the Zambian insurance sector and understand the strategic factors that impact insurance uptake. Specific strategic management factors explored were leadership competency score, organisational structure, and culture, including the effect of innovation and technology and government policies on other variables and market penetration. The research followed a positivist paradigm employing a quantitative mode of inquiry with a cross-sectional survey design, where a sample of respondents from 30 insurance firms was used for primary data collection. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) using Smart Partial Least Square (Smart PLS4) and Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software facilitated data analysis. The study findings suggest that organisational culture exerts a positive and statistically significant impact on market penetration. However, leadership competency and organisational structure within insurance firms exhibit a counterintuitive impact, as they were found to have a statistically insignificant effect on market penetration. Further, the research uncovered the nuanced interplay of experience as an additional determinant of market penetration in the Zambian insurance landscape. The findings underscore the significance of strategic management in influencing market penetration and contribute to the literature by adding the Zambian insurance industry perspective. These findings contribute to an enhanced understanding of the Zambian insurance sector and hold relevance for a broader spectrum of industries. The insights from this study put forth a practical model to guide effective strategy formulation and implementation, fostering sustainable market penetration. The study provides a valuable resource for insurance industry practitioners, policymakers, and academics seeking to navigate Zambia's intricate landscape of market penetration and strategic development. The findings encourage a nuanced perspective on strategy and market dynamics, offering a foundation for future research and industry enhancement

Knowledge-related processes critical to the enabling of systematic software asset reuse in a global IT company

This research presents a case study on the knowledge management processes critical for achieving systematic software asset reuse in a global IT company. Reusing a software asset and its related artefacts at selected other business clients drives innovation, increases efficiency and can generate several million dollars in revenue from just one reuse. To date, known software asset reuse success is limited. Despite practical relevance, research has stagnated by mainly investigating technical reuse aspects. This thesis addresses three gaps in the literature by looking from a business perspective at the intellectual capital required for software asset reuse, presenting five real-life software asset reuses and detailing the knowledge management processes towards systematic software asset reuse. The answers to the research questions advance the academic literature in the fields of intellectual capital, circular economy and knowledge. Theoretical implications are: The intellectual capital required for systematic software asset reuse is a particular software asset, the reusable software asset, further defined here. The circular economy is enriched by adding a two-step distribution task to the reuse process. The thesis refines knowledge management concerning intangible reuse. A new finding is that software asset reuse requires a proactive decision to anticipate a scarcity of knowledge in space or time, which has been identified as the software asset reuse trigger. Reuse sets in before the life end of the software asset is reached. It creates parallel software instances via abstraction, repurposing and adaptation. These boost the asset lifetime as they are logically linked. They represent tailored solutions for a heterogeneous client base and, therefore, target business-to-business niche markets. This thesis makes an original contribution to knowledge by identifying that collaborative sharing of the change required for one client with existing reusers leads to improved software quality, surpassing that of other software constructs. Further, it claims that reusable software assets target a parallel market to software products. This research significantly contributes to practice: First, by demonstrating that reuse is only feasible if the software asset can be adapted. Second, one reason for being of some reusable software assets is to stop the flood of less funded individual software trying to serve the same need. Third, a managerial guide provides advice on building reuse capabilities in the IT organisation to support the change that drives software asset reuse

Assisted living - an agent based architecture for automated cognitive assessment

Dementia is a broad category for chronic and progressive diseases affecting the brain, which are defined as a decline in cognitive abilities severe enough to affect performance of activities of daily living. Accurate diagnosis is essential to support pro-active and personalised care practices. Current assessments of Dementia are designed to measure cognitive abilities in isolated and artificial situations. The benefits of these tests are limited as testing may not translate well to real world situations. The vision is for assessment and assistive systems that can be kept consistently in tune with the needs of their users, by more easily incorporating the input from human experts and by using an explicit user model. A customised agent architecture was implemented to enable discrete event simulations of ADLs, and to track human actions in a sensorised kitchen environment. A cognitive user model was developed based on declarative and semantic memory, and was evaluated on a common cognitive assessment with a data set of 149 older adults. An automated cognitive assessment protocol was proposed and implemented based on these observations of kitchen ADLs, and evaluated with a user study of 30 participants. A system architecture linking automated assessment and automated assistance was proposed