Sustainability drivers, barriers and outcomes: Evidence from European High Performance Manufacturing Industries

Implementing sustainability practices has become a requirement to be able to operate in several markets since the legal requirements are increasing and society (as well as customers) values sustainability behaviors more. The aims of this paper are (1) to analyze the impact that drivers and barriers have on Environmental practices implemented in the high performance manufacturing industries, (2) to identify the relevant drivers and barriers for these environmental practices, and finally, (3) to study the influence that Environmental practices have on companies´ Financial Performance. To carry out our research, we shall consider a European database of companies involved in the High Performance Manufacturing project. Partial Least Squares (PLS) will be used to test our hypotheses

The influence of a collaborative procurement approach using integrated design in construction on project team performance

Purpose – The purpose of the paper is to study the influence of procurement on the performance of integrated design teams. Design/methodology/approach – The research paradigm is based on Russian socio-constructivist approach to activity theory. Activity theory, as opposed to natural or social science, is a design science approach that focuses on the context aspect of project. A triangulation of qualitative research methods is used to investigate the dynamic of integrated teams in two different procurement contexts. Findings – The paper is conclusive regarding the influence of procurement on team efficiency. It demonstrates that traditional procurement processes reinforce socio-cognitive barriers that hinder team efficiency. It also illustrates how new procurement modes can transform the dynamic of relationships between the client and the members of the supply chain, and have a positive impact on teamperformance. Practical implications – The paper demonstrates first that problems with integrated design team efficiency are related to context and not process – they are not technical but socio-cognitive; second that fragmented transactional contracting increases socio-cognitive barriers that hinder integrated design team performance; third that new forms of relational contracting may help to mitigate socio-cognitive barriers and improve integrated design team performance, fourth that changing the context through procurement does not address the problem of obsolete design practices. Originality/value – The paper brings together theories of production in lean construction and social learning as a rival approach to traditional project management theory for demonstrating the importance of context on team performance

Occupational Therapy’s Role in Reducing Barriers for Team-Based Sports Participation for Adolescents

Participating in team-based sports has numerous benefits that includes not only increased physical fitness, but also cognitive abilities and academic performance. With the many benefits of participating in team sports can provide, it will be significant to understand adolescents\u27 specific barriers and assist in reducing the barriers for successful participation. The purpose of the capstone project was to identify and understand adolescent barriers to bridge the gap between conventional rehabilitation and team sports participation. Multiple barriers and motivators were identified including financial management, time management, and physical/athletic skill. Facing these determinants may possibly support in increasing team sports participation and be a guidance to overcome barriers. Results from this capstone project supported the literature that there are barriers to team sports participation and engagement in team sports is beneficial. This capstone project presented knowledge in the role that occupational therapy can implement in team sports participation and the importance of reducing barriers for participation in team sports. Participating in team-based sports has numerous benefits that includes not only increased physical fitness, but also cognitive abilities and academic performance. With the many benefits of participating in team sports can provide, it will be significant to understand adolescent\u27s specific barriers and assist in reducing the barriers for successful participation. The purpose of the capstone project was to identify and understand adolescent barriers to bridge the gap between conventional rehabilitation and team sports participation. Multiple barriers and motivators were identified including financial management, time management, and physical/athletic skill. Facing these determinants may possibly support in increasing team sports participation and be a guidance to overcome barriers. Results from this capstone project supported the literature that there are barriers to team sports participation and engagement in team sports is beneficial. This capstone project presented knowledge in the role that occupational therapy can implement in team sports participation and the importance of reducing barriers for participation in team sports.https://soar.usa.edu/otdcapstonessummer2021/1008/thumbnail.jp

The Effects of User Partnering and User Non-Support on Project Performance

Information system software development projects suffer from a high failure rate. One of many obstacles faced by project managers is non-supportive users, those not actively sharing in development responsibilities. The coordination activity of early partnering has been proposed in the literature to promote collaboration and enhance user support. The extent of partnering is considered in a model that relates partnering to the risks of user non-support and eventual project success. The model is developed from contingency theory, with residual performance risk as an intermediary variable. A survey of IS project membership provides the data, which indicates that partnering significantly relates to higher user support, less residual risk, and better project performance. Researchers may use variations on the model to examine other barriers to success and the techniques applied to lower the barriers. Practitioners should consider applying partnering techniques to improve software development project performance

Ya’ xo ch’oyne’ ch’o yal t’ sit-te’ a mentoring model for the Hoopa Valley Tribe to improve the academic performance of Native American students

This thesis project details a mentoring model developed for the Hoopa Valley Tribe to improve the academic performance of Native American students. The subject of academic performance of Native American students encompasses many issues and barriers. While the barriers are many, the Hoopa Tribal Learning Center could not examinate all of the barriers, therefore a mentoring program was designed to help students navigate through the barriers by providing culturally appropriate, structured mentoring support. The Hoopa Mentoring Program was based on current mentoring research and the historical methodology of the traditional education model of the Hupa people. The program has shown some remarkable improvements in the academic performance of its students. This thesis features some preliminary data of student performance before and after the academic intervention through the mentoring program. Finally, this project explores each of the program elements and details a step by step process to include all key stakeholders, identify at-risk students, get student buy-in, provide structured support by developing individualized education plans, continued accountability, adaptability, recognition, and ongoing mentoring support

Barriers for implementing reverse logistics in the construction sectors

Purpose: This paper aims to identify the barriers to implementing Reverse Logistics in the construction sector and rank the barriers between the stakeholder, the phase in the project life cycle, and the strategic factors on the emergence of obstacles in implementing reverse logistics. Design/methodology/approach: This research began by identifying barriers re- verse logistics through a systematic literature review. The method used in the systematic literature review was the PRISMA method. Next, the identification of barriers was assessed for their influence on successful reverse logistics implementation by the expert using a questionnaire instrument. The rating scale used was a Likert scale of 1 (greatly hinder the implementation of reverse logistics) to 5 (not significantly hinder the implementation of reverse logistics). Finally, the results of the expert assessment were used to rank barriers using TOPSIS. Findings: There are 38 barriers in this study, classified as market and competitor factors, policy factors, supply chain factors, economic factors, knowledge-related factors, government support factors, and operational factors. The classification of barriers based on the project life cycle aims to increase stakeholder collaboration on reverse logistics performance issues. The results of this study indicate that the lack of government support for the implementation of RL (GS1) is the obstacle with the highest rank. These barriers are related to government support factors and arise in the green initiation phase of the project life cycle approach. The government’s role as regulator and project owner will overcome GS1 barriers. Research limitations/implications: The limitation in the scope of this research is specific to the construction sector in developing countries, particularly Indonesia. The object of construction in this study is the case of the Penjagaan-Losari highway project. Further research that examines barriers based on the project life cycle by entering the company scale or studying the relationship between barriers can also be done. Practical implications: This study provides an analysis to stakeholders about the barriers in implementing reverse logistics. The ranking results become a reference for relevant stakeholders in developing a successful strategy for implementing reverse logistics and the PLC approach phases as a guideline for implementing the established strategy. Social implications: The stakeholder of the construction project has to learn with reverse logistics barriers to improve reverse logistics performance. Originality/value: This study analyzed reverse logistics implementation barriers in the construction sector in developing countries. The majority of research on reverse logistics implementation barriers examined the manufacturing sector in developed countries. This study also identifies barriers that show the relationship between barrier emergence in the project life cycle approach and stakeholders responsible for addressing barriers and associated problems. Previous research only identified obstacles based on stakeholder points of view and strategic factors in the implementation of reverse logistics. The drawback from the point of view of previous research is the difficulty of determining appropriate improvement efforts. Identifying barriers using a process-based approach such as the project life cycle will improve previous research weaknessesPeer Reviewe

From Nobel Prize to Project Management: Getting Risks Right

A major source of risk in project management is inaccurate forecasts of project costs, demand, and other impacts. The paper presents a promising new approach to mitigating such risk, based on theories of decision making under uncertainty which won the 2002 Nobel prize in economics. First, the paper documents inaccuracy and risk in project management. Second, it explains inaccuracy in terms of optimism bias and strategic misrepresentation. Third, the theoretical basis is presented for a promising new method called "reference class forecasting," which achieves accuracy by basing forecasts on actual performance in a reference class of comparable projects and thereby bypassing both optimism bias and strategic misrepresentation. Fourth, the paper presents the first instance of practical reference class forecasting, which concerns cost forecasts for large transportation infrastructure projects. Finally, potentials for and barriers to reference class forecasting are assessed.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1302.254

Barriers to enhancing project performance through experiential learning

Experiential learning has been empirically confirmed to enhance performance of project organisations. This research investigates the literature and included field surveys to get insights into the barriers (and by default any enablers) relating to project related knowledge transfer in project orientated organisations. It seeks to explore the reality and perceptions related to experiential learning within an international group of organisations to confirm expected obstacles to learning.The research follows a quantitative approach in the form of a field survey and includes qualitative insights gained from a secondary data review. It seeks to test the validity of propositions articulating suspected barriers to learning as it is experienced or perceived to exist within the selected sample of organisations.This study is unique as, although it build on previous research, it introduces a new dimension in that experiential learning aspects as experienced by international organisations are measured simultaneously with conditions within related local organisations. The results confirmed a similar outcome between the two groups in terms of the research propositions and must be used by project orientated organisations to create management awareness in terms of the reality of specific barriers so as to guide implementation of suitable corrective measures.Dissertation (MBA)--University of Pretoria, 2012.Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)unrestricte

A Prototype Toolkit For Evaluating Indoor Environmental Quality In Commercial Buildings

Measurement of building environmental parameters is often complex, expensive, and not easily proceduralized in a manner that covers all commercial buildings. Evaluating building indoor environmental quality performance is therefore not standard practice. This project developed a prototype toolkit that addressed existing barriers to widespread indoor environmental quality performance evaluation. A toolkit with both hardware and software elements was designed for practitioners around the indoor environmental quality requirements of the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers / Chartered Institution of Building Services / United States Green Building Council Performance Measurement Protocols. This unique toolkit was built on a wireless mesh network with a web-based data collection, analysis, and reporting application. The toolkit provided a fast, robust deployment of sensors, real-time data analysis, Performance Measurement Protocol-based analysis methods and a scorecard and report generation tools. A web-enabled Geographic Information System-based metadata collection system also reduced field-study deployment time. The toolkit was evaluated through three case studies, which were discussed in this report