A Model For Improving Ethics In Construction Materials And Products Supply Chain Using Blockchain

There are countless materials and products that make up a building, including cladding, glazing, roofing, floors, ceilings, systems, etc., and the hidden and fragmented structure of the supply chain makes it highly vulnerable to several forms of ethical breaches at different tiers. Consumers also are increasingly concerned about where the products they are buying come from, highlighting important areas of concern that include the ethical, environmental, and social issues. Whereas current research identifies digitalization as a key part of providing transparency and increasing fairness in supply chains, and blockchain technology is lauded as having the potential to deliver this. However, while there has been a growing emphasis on ethics in construction in recent years, and an increase in studies around blockchain, there remains a paucity of studies related to how blockchain may help to improve the environmental and social dimensions of ethics in construction supply chains. A gap that this study fills through a holistic triple bottom line (TBL) approach. To achieve this, the study aims to develop and validate a model for improving ethics in construction materials and products supply chains (CMPSC) following the TBL construct using blockchain technology. The study also explores the current state of ethics in the CMPSC and the implementations of blockchain for ethics and applies the learnings to develop a conceptual model to improve environmental, social and business ethics in the CMPSC using blockchain. The model was then refined and validated via a dual-phase validation protocol consisting of expert interviews and focus group discussions. A total of 30 participants participated in this study, this comprised of 16 construction industry supply chain professionals, 10 professionals in the ethics/ sustainability in construction and 4 blockchain technology experts. NVivo 12 was utilised to thematically analyse both the interviews and the focus group data. This approach was utilised to investigate the data from both a data-driven perspective (a perspective based on coding in an inductive way); and from the research question perspective (to check if the data is consistent with the research questions and if it provides sufficient information). The 30 interviews resulted in 4 high-level themes, 15 mid-level themes and 28 low-level themes, with the total number of codes within the themes being 721. The analysis of the focus group data resulted in 3 high-level themes and 10 mid-level themes, bringing the total number of codes within all themes to 74. Results from this study revealed that the effectiveness of current ethical measures in the CMPSC has been limited due to weak implementation and compliance, the inability of the government to play its role, and the outright denial of unethical practises within supply chains. Results also show that even though greater emphasis is placed on the business component of ethics while the environmental or social component may only receive as much attention if it can be monetised or if it is demanded; nonetheless, the current state of ethics in the CMPSC remains weak across the three dimensions examined. Further results show that while blockchain may help improve ethics in the CMPSC, in addition to the transparency and digitization that technology provides, the need for education and the upholding of personal ethical values by supply chain players are key to the success of both current and new ethical supply chain initiatives. Individuals must first be made ethically aware in order to act ethically; only then may the implementation of a technological tool prosper. The main contribution of this study to knowledge is the development of a model for improving ethics in the CMPSC within the TBL construct through blockchain technology. The model developed in this study provides practical clarity on how blockchain may be implemented within fragmented supply chains and a significant understanding of a socio-technical approach to addressing the issue of ethics within construction supply chains. It also has a vital role in helping the intended users and actors improve their knowledge of the technology and how blockchain can help to improve ethics in the CMPSC and also understand their roles and responsibilities on the network, thereby providing a framework and prerequisite guidance for the Blockchain-as-a-Service (BaaS) providers in the development of the computer model (blockchain network). The findings of this thesis demonstrate new insights and contribute to the existing body of knowledge by further advancing the discussion on the role of the blockchain in the construction industry

The Impact Of Application Of Value Clarification Technique (Vct) Towards Ecoliteracy And Critical Thinking Skill Student Of Social Science In Primary School

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the application of Value Clarification Technique (VCT) to ecoliteracy and critical thinking skills of elementary school students in learning Social Science. The method used in this study is a quasi experimental design withnon-equivalent control group design, using the two study groups. Subjects in this study were students of class IVSDN Cijerah Indah, Bandung Kulon District Bandung City. The experimental group was given the treatment of learning Value Clarification Technique (VCT) and the controlgroup was given conventional learning. The results showed that in general there is a difference between learners ecoliteracy experimental class and control class and critical thinking skills among learners experimental class and control class after each class has been getting treatment that has been set. Keywords: value clarification technique (VCT), critical thinking skill, ecoliterac

High-Quality Outdoor Learning

This open access book reviews evidence and case studies on the effects of outdoor learning on teachers and learners. It shows how real-world learning outside the classroom contributes to unlocking the full potential of learners, demonstrating its benefits for academic learning, social competencies, personal and emotional development, psychological well-being, and physical activity and health. In addition, the book highlights how outdoor learning nurtures environmental awareness and helps learners to tackle current sustainability challenges. Its focus on high-quality learning makes it a unique contribution to the implementation of SDG 4. Aimed at lecturers at teacher training universities, teachers, professional educators, coaches, and multipliers who train staff of educational NGOs, as well as decision makers on all levels of education systems, this book is of interest to all those who seek a more in-depth understanding of the future of education

The drivers of Corporate Social Responsibility in the supply chain. A case study.

Purpose: The paper studies the way in which a SME integrates CSR into its corporate strategy, the practices it puts in place and how its CSR strategies reflect on its suppliers and customers relations. Methodology/Research limitations: A qualitative case study methodology is used. The use of a single case study limits the generalizing capacity of these findings. Findings: The entrepreneur’s ethical beliefs and value system play a fundamental role in shaping sustainable corporate strategy. Furthermore, the type of competitive strategy selected based on innovation, quality and responsibility clearly emerges both in terms of well defined management procedures and supply chain relations as a whole aimed at involving partners in the process of sustainable innovation. Originality/value: The paper presents a SME that has devised an original innovative business model. The study pivots on the issues of innovation and eco-sustainability in a context of drivers for CRS and business ethics. These values are considered fundamental at International level; the United Nations has declared 2011 the “International Year of Forestry”

Tematski zbornik radova međunarodnog značaja. Tom 3 / Međunarodni naučni skup “Dani Arčibalda Rajsa”, Beograd, 10-11. mart 2016.

In front of you is the Thematic Collection of Papers presented at the International Scientific Conference “Archibald Reiss Days”, which was organized by the Academy of Criminalistic and Police Studies in Belgrade, in co-operation with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, National Police University of China, Lviv State University of Internal Affairs, Volgograd Academy of the Russian Internal Affairs Ministry, Faculty of Security in Skopje, Faculty of Criminal Justice and Security in Ljubljana, Police Academy “Alexandru Ioan Cuza“ in Bucharest, Academy of Police Force in Bratislava and Police College in Banjaluka, and held at the Academy of Criminalistic and Police Studies, on 10 and 11 March 2016. The International Scientific Conference “Archibald Reiss Days” is organized for the sixth time in a row, in memory of the founder and director of the first modern higher police school in Serbia, Rodolphe Archibald Reiss, PhD, after whom the Conference was named. The Thematic Collection of Papers contains 165 papers written by eminent scholars in the field of law, security, criminalistics, police studies, forensics, informatics, as well as by members of national security system participating in education of the police, army and other security services from Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Greece, Hungary, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine and United Kingdom. Each paper has been double-blind peer reviewed by two reviewers, international experts competent for the field to which the paper is related, and the Thematic Conference Proceedings in whole has been reviewed by five competent international reviewers. The papers published in the Thematic Collection of Papers contain the overview of contemporary trends in the development of police education system, development of the police and contemporary security, criminalistic and forensic concepts. Furthermore, they provide us with the analysis of the rule of law activities in crime suppression, situation and trends in the above-mentioned fields, as well as suggestions on how to systematically deal with these issues. The Collection of Papers represents a significant contribution to the existing fund of scientific and expert knowledge in the field of criminalistic, security, penal and legal theory and practice. Publication of this Collection contributes to improving of mutual cooperation betw

Winona Daily News

https://openriver.winona.edu/winonadailynews/2040/thumbnail.jp

Volume 30, Number 03 (March 1912)

Some Facts about Musical Ireland Artistic Aims in Piano Playing (interview with Harold Bauer) Chopin and the Tempo Rubato Centurion Composers of Opera Mendelssohn\u27s Phenomenal Memory Gluck\u27s Operatic Ideals How to Execute Mordents, Trills and Appoggiaturas Modern Italian Opera: Its Tendencies and Its Composers Offenbach\u27s Remarkable American Experiences Making a Success of the Pupils Recital: With Important Suggestions upon Overcoming Stage Fright Ten Most Important Epochs in Musical History Adventurous Composer of Maritanahttps://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/etude/1577/thumbnail.jp

The oxidative dehydrogenation of n-Hexane and n-Octane over vanadium magnesium oxide catalysts.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.Vanadium magnesium oxide (VMgO) catalysts with different vanadium loadings were synthesized and tested for catalytic activity using pure «-hexane and «-octane as feeds. High surface area catalysts were obtained by the wet impregnation of magnesium oxide with an aqueous ammonium metavanadate solution. The optimum loading of vanadium was shown to be 19 % (calculated as weight % of V205). Catalysts were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), inductively coupled plasma - atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES), Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET) surface area, differential scanning calorimetry - thermogravimetric analysis (DSC-TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), laser Raman spectroscopy (LRS), x-ray induced photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Magnesium oxide (MgO) and magnesium orthovanadate (Mg3(V04)2 were the only phases observed in each catalyst. VMgO catalysts were tested under both oxygen-rich and oxygen-lean conditions. «-Hexane as feed yielded benzene, 1-hexene, 2-hexene, propane, propene, carbon oxides and water as products, n- Octane as feed yielded styrene, ethylbenzene, xylene, benzene, octenes, carbon oxides and water. 19VMgO was promoted with different loadings of molybdenum oxide (M0O3), cesium oxide (Cs20), antimony oxide (Sb20s), niobium oxide (Nb205), bismuth oxide (Bi203) and tellurium oxide (Te02). The promoted catalysts were tested in specially designed and constructed parallel fixed bed continuous flow reactors