Human resource allocation to multiple projects based on members’ expertise, group heterogeneity and social cohesion

Project managers regularly allocate human resources to construction projects. This critical task is usually executed by fulfilling the minimum project staffing requirements normally based around the quantity and competence of project members. However, research has shown that team performance can increase by up to 10% and 18%, respectively, as a consequence of the group members’ heterogeneity and social cohesion. Also, there is currently no practical quantitative tool which incorporates these aspects to allow project managers to achieve this task efficiently and objectively. A new quantitative model for the effective allocation of human resources to multiple projects, which takes into account group heterogeneity and social cohesion is proposed. This model is easy to build, update and use in real project environments with the use of a spreadsheet and a basic optimization engine (e.g. Excel Solver). A case study is proposed and solved with a Genetic Algorithm to illustrate the model implementation. Finally, a validation example is provided to exemplify how group heterogeneity and social cohesion condition academic achievement in an academic setting

MODEL OF THE COHESION MEASUREMENT OF THE ORGANISATION'S PERSONNEL STRATEGY

Purpose: Basic purpose of the article is identifying the cardinal elements of organisational strategy cohesion. Empirical challenge was to create an universal strategic tool for measuring the personnel strategy cohesion in a context of actions other functional strategies. Methodology/approach:For establish theoretical backgrounds authors analysed selected literature of strategic management. Pilot case studies were conducted in a large company from a restaurant industry. The study confirmed the usability of such approach.Findings: The model tool of studying the personnel strategy cohesion with the operational actions should be addressed to strategic objectives of smaller companies. For larger companies, the proposed model of analysis of the strategy cohesion and operational actions provides opportunities in monitoring the effectiveness of human resource management. Strategic management according to the Kaplan-Norton approach, aids knowledge about the personnel perspective combined with other perspectives of the strategy.Implications: The presented analyses concerning the analysis of cohesion at the level of the organisation general strategy. Personnel strategy should be considered in the context of the organisation's size and the beliefs of managers concerning the usability of the Kaplan-Norton approach. Effective conduct of the tool indicates the practical potential for testing the personnel strategy cohesion as a qualitative measure of the staff development perspective.Originality of the paper: Empirical researches results confirmed the adopted assumptions associated with the context of cohesion, due to the characteristics of the sample. The paper is an approach for creating a tool for testing strategy cohesion

An Introduction to Slice-Based Cohesion and Coupling Metrics

This report provides an overview of slice-based software metrics. It brings together information about the development of the metrics from Weiser’s original idea that program slices may be used in the measurement of program complexity, with alternative slice-based measures proposed by other researchers. In particular, it details two aspects of slice-based metric calculation not covered elsewhere in the literature: output variables and worked examples of the calculations. First, output variables are explained, their use explored and standard reference terms and usage proposed. Calculating slice-based metrics requires a clear understanding of ‘output variables’ because they form the basis for extracting the program slices on which the calculations depend. This report includes a survey of the variation in the definition of output variables used by different research groups and suggests standard terms of reference for these variables. Our study identifies four elements which are combined in the definition of output variables. These are the function return value, modified global variables, modified reference parameters and variables printed or otherwise output by the module. Second, slice-based metric calculations are explained with the aid of worked examples, to assist newcomers to the field. Step-by-step calculations of slice-based cohesion and coupling metrics based on the vertices output by the static analysis tool CodeSurfer (R) are presented and compared with line-based calculations

Reconciling Synthesis and Decomposition: A Composite Approach to Capability Identification

Stakeholders' expectations and technology constantly evolve during the lengthy development cycles of a large-scale computer based system. Consequently, the traditional approach of baselining requirements results in an unsatisfactory system because it is ill-equipped to accommodate such change. In contrast, systems constructed on the basis of Capabilities are more change-tolerant; Capabilities are functional abstractions that are neither as amorphous as user needs nor as rigid as system requirements. Alternatively, Capabilities are aggregates that capture desired functionality from the users' needs, and are designed to exhibit desirable software engineering characteristics of high cohesion, low coupling and optimum abstraction levels. To formulate these functional abstractions we develop and investigate two algorithms for Capability identification: Synthesis and Decomposition. The synthesis algorithm aggregates detailed rudimentary elements of the system to form Capabilities. In contrast, the decomposition algorithm determines Capabilities by recursively partitioning the overall mission of the system into more detailed entities. Empirical analysis on a small computer based library system reveals that neither approach is sufficient by itself. However, a composite algorithm based on a complementary approach reconciling the two polar perspectives results in a more feasible set of Capabilities. In particular, the composite algorithm formulates Capabilities using the cohesion and coupling measures as defined by the decomposition algorithm and the abstraction level as determined by the synthesis algorithm.Comment: This paper appears in the 14th Annual IEEE International Conference and Workshop on the Engineering of Computer Based Systems (ECBS); 10 pages, 9 figure

Cohesion, team mental models, and collective efficacy: Towards an integrated framework of team dynamics in sport

A nomological network on team dynamics in sports consisting of a multi-framework perspective is introduced and tested. The aim was to explore the interrelationship among cohesion, team mental models (TMM), collective-efficacy (CE), and perceived performance potential (PPP). Three hundred and forty college-aged soccer players representing 17 different teams (8 female and 9 male) participated in the study. They responded to surveys on team cohesion, TMM, CE and PPP. Results are congruent with the theoretical conceptualization of a parsimonious view of team dynamics in sports. Specifically, cohesion was found to be an exogenous variable predicting both TMM and CE beliefs. TMM and CE were correlated and predicted PPP, which in turn accounted for 59% of the variance of objective performance scores as measured by teams’ season record. From a theoretical standpoint, findings resulted in a parsimonious view of team dynamics, which may represent an initial step towards clarifying the epistemological roots and nomological network of various team-level properties. From an applied standpoint, results suggest that team expertise starts with the establishment of team cohesion. Following the establishment of cohesiveness, teammates are able to advance team-related schemas and a collective sense of confidence. Limitations and key directions for future research are outlined

Object-oriented cohesion as a surrogate of software comprehension: An empirical study

The concept of software cohesion in both the procedural and object-oriented paradigm is well known and documented. What is not so well known or documented is the perception of what empirically constitutes a cohesive 'unit' by software engineers. In this paper, we describe an empirical investigation using object-oriented (OO) classes as a basis. Twenty-four subjects (drawn from IT experienced and IT inexperienced groups) were asked to rate ten classes sampled from two industrial systems in terms of their overall cohesiveness; a class environment was used to carry out the study. Four key results were observed. Firstly, class size (when expressed in terms of number of methods) did not tend to influence the perception of cohesion by any subjects. Secondly, well-commented classes were rated most highly amongst both IT experienced and inexperienced subjects. Thirdly, the empirical study suggests that cohesion comprises a combination of various class factors including low coupling, small numbers of attributes and well-commented methods, rather than any single, individual class feature per se. Finally, the research supports the view that cohesion is a subjective concept reflecting a cognitive combination of class features; as such it is a surrogate for class comprehension

Indicators and methods for spatial cohesion research: difficulties and challenges in low-density regions

Previous research carried out by this same authors went through the analysis of data sources and their potential to apply the polycentrism approach to territories where the urban features is weak (specifically in Castilla-La Mancha, Spain). Lately, several hubs were identified as potential centres and sub-centres in a regional articulation, helping out to delimitate accurately the map of polycentrism and Functional Urban Areas (FUAs) for each of them. Currently, we hope to depict those FUAs, highlighting the spatial cohesion, and looking for a better geographical knowledge, in accordance with current European standards. The most common methods to characterize functional areas used to be linked with numerous variables, demographic and economic, usually available and updated. Nevertheless, to go deepen is a difficult task because the broad range of indicators involved and the outcomes of recent dynamics. The specific aim of this paper is reviewing methodologies and datasets sources frequently used in the spatial evaluation, stressing those which focus less populated or dispersed areas. The analysis is driven by the difficulty to effectively assess what spatial cohesion is and how can it be measured, especially in these zones where this concept is crucial to understand the regional development.