270 research outputs found

    Tradition and Innovation in Construction Project Management

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    This book is a reprint of the Special Issue 'Tradition and Innovation in Construction Project Management' that was published in the journal Buildings

    Lélektan és hadviselés 5.

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    Life cycle sustainability assessment for selecting construction materials in the preliminary design phase of road construction projects

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    Road construction project activities cause severe harm to the environment as they consume a tremendous volume of materials and release pollutants into the environment. Besides, an increasing number of researchers is participating in work related to sustainability in the construction industry as well as road construction projects. Similar to other life cycles, a strong influence on sustainability is exerted in the early phases of road construction projects, especially in the preliminary design phase. Especially selecting materials is one of the most critical tasks in this phase because it contributes considerably to the achievement of sustainability targets. For enabling a conscious and systematic selection of materials, a significant evaluation of materials with regard to the three dimensions of sustainability is necessary. However, a well-elaborated and mature instrument supporting such an evaluation has not been developed and presented in literature until now. In the contrary, several studies revealed that the material-dependent activities and the life cycle analysis have been neglected so far. Moreover, selecting materials in the preliminary design phase is mainly based on designers’ experience and not on the application of analytic methods. Such selection is highly error-prone. In this thesis, current material selection methods for sustainable development in the preliminary design phase were analyzed. Initially, material selection studies conducted in the early design phase were analyzed to determine the relevant issues. The result emphasized that the integration of sustainability into material selection in the preliminary design phase encountered many obstacles, such as unavailable information and databases. Then, the most important sustainability criteria for selecting road construction materials were identified, covering the economic, environmental, and social dimensions of sustainability. Next, approaches which suggest the application of LCC, LCA, Social LCA, MCDM, and LCSA in road construction material selection are discussed in order to identify their limitations. Accordingly, this thesis developed an instrument based on the LCC, LCA, Social LCA, MCDM methods, and LCSA for assessing the sustainability performance of road construction materials in the preliminary design phase. The instrument is intended to help designers select the most sustainable materials by addressing the issues that emerge in the preliminary design phase. Firstly, a procedure model for evaluating the sustainability performance of road construction materials is suggested. It is based on two existing procedure models. One is a decision theory-based procedure model for sustainability-oriented evaluations. The model is divided into two levels, with the overall sustainability performance evaluation at the first level and the evaluation of the economic, environmental, and social performances at the second level. Although this procedure model demonstrates some benefits and has been utilized in some cases, the four-step LCA procedure, according to ISO 14044, appears to be more prevalent and well-established. Therefore, it is suggested here to integrate both approaches. This procedure model contributes to integrating the LCC, LCA, and Social LCA). Secondly, this instrument for assessing the sustainable performance of materials is further developed based on the step-by-step models of three pillars of sustainability. This allows for employing numerical methods from the LCC, LCA and Social LCA and thereby reducing the mistakes from the experience-based selection of designers. The proposed instrument also addresses the specific challenges of material selection in the preliminary design phase. The LCC could refine all material-dependent costs incurred during the life cycle and evaluate the material alternatives' total cost. Besides, it defines long-term outcomes by dividing the material life cycle into many consecutive phases and applying the time value of money into the calculation. For the LCA, two scenarios are proposed to solve the problems concerning the lack of available information in the preliminary design phase. Besides, the environmental performance of material-dependent activities, such as the usage of equipment and labor, is also considered in the method. The Social LCA is developed based on the Performance Preference Point (PPR) approach and the Subcategory Assessment Method (SAM) to assess the social performance of road construction materials. The method also shows the potential to support the designers in selecting the most social-friendly material by considering the material-dependent activities and stakeholders. The LCC, LCA, and Social LCA analyses integrated into the LCSA to come up with the general perspective of sustainable level. From the perspective of decision-makers, the importance level of sustainability dimensions might be different. The study suggests applying the AHP method and Likert Scale to evaluate the weightings and then integrating them into the LCSA model to assess the general sustainability performance of road construction materials. After that, a ternary diagram can be drawn to provide a comprehensive picture of the road construction material selection in dependence on these weightings. The assessment of two alternatives, “concrete bricks” and “baked bricks”, was conducted as a case study to illustrate and demonstrate the procedure model

    "Green" supplier selection problem solving in information systems on the SAP-basis

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    Análisis del uso de escalas de medida de influencia en el proceso analítico de redes (ANP) para la toma de decisiones multicriterio

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    [ES] La toma de decisiones en situaciones complejas y dinámicas representa un gran desafío para los tomadores de decisiones, quienes deben considerar múltiples criterios interdependientes. En este contexto, los métodos de análisis multicriterio de decisión (MCDA) son ampliamente utilizados, pero la mayoría de ellos asumen que los criterios son independientes, lo cual no es aplicable en la mayoría de los problemas del mundo real. El proceso analítico en red (ANP) es una técnica de MCDA que permite modelar las interacciones entre los criterios de decisión, lo que la hace más aplicable a problemas reales. ANP es una generalización del método de proceso jerárquico analítico (AHP), pero a diferencia de este último, reconoce las influencias recíprocas entre los elementos en un problema de toma de decisiones. ANP utiliza una red ponderada y dirigida para modelar estas interacciones, lo que permite una modelización más realista y precisa del problema. Aunque ANP es el método preferido para modelar situaciones de interdependencia y retroalimentación, presenta desafíos en la práctica, particularmente debido al gran número de comparaciones por pares requeridas. Esta tesis aborda la complejidad de ANP y su principal desafío: las matrices de comparación por pares que miden la influencia de un elemento sobre otro en la red. Se presenta un modelo híbrido de ANP simplificado con la técnica DEMATEL que reduce el número de comparaciones por pares necesarias mediante la utilización de escalas de influencia directa, lo que lo hace más factible de aplicar en la práctica. Además, se han recomendado escalas de medición de influencia directa para normalizar los valores numéricos obtenidos, dividiendo por la suma en lugar de una matriz de transición. La medida se vuelve más precisa con más divisiones de escala. En el estudio de caso presentado, se demostró que la propuesta de modelo combinado DEMATEL basado en ANP puede reducir en promedio el 42% del número de preguntas necesarias en comparación con el modelo ANP original, y aun así obtener resultados similares.[CA] La presa de decisions en situacions complexes i dinàmiques representa un gran desafiament per als prescriptors, els quals han de considerar múltiples criteris interdependents. En aquest context, els mètodes d'anàlisi multicriteri de decisió (MCDA) són àmpliament utilitzats, però la majoria d'ells assumeixen que els criteris són independents, la qual cosa no és aplicable en la majoria dels problemes del món real. El procés analític en xarxa (ANP) és una tècnica de MCDA que permet modelar les interaccions entre els criteris de decisió, la qual cosa la fa més aplicable a problemes reals. ANP és una generalització del mètode de procés jeràrquic analític (AHP), però a diferència d'aquest últim, reconeix les influències recíproques entre els elements en un problema de presa de decisions. ANP utilitza una xarxa ponderada i dirigida per modelar aquestes interaccions, la qual cosa permet una modelització més realista i precisa del problema. Encara que ANP és el mètode preferit per modelar situacions d'interdependència i retroalimentació, presenta desafiaments en la pràctica, particularment a causa del gran nombre de comparacions per parells requerides. Aquesta tesi aborda la complexitat d'ANP i el seu principal desafiament: les matrius de comparació per parells que mesuren la influència d'un element sobre un altre en la xarxa. Es presenta un model híbrid d'ANP simplificat amb la tècnica DEMATEL que redueix el nombre de comparacions per parells necessàries mitjançant l'utilització d'escales d'influència directa, la qual cosa el fa més factible d'aplicar en la pràctica. A més, s'han recomanat escales de mesura d'influència directa per normalitzar els valors numèrics obtinguts, dividint per la suma en lloc d'una matriu de transició. La mesura es torna més precisa amb més divisions d'escala. En l'estudi de cas presentat, es va demostrar que la proposta de model combinat DEMATEL basat en ANP pot reduir en promig el 42% del nombre de preguntes necessàries en comparació amb el model ANP original, i encara obtenir resultats similars.[EN] Decision-making in complex and dynamic situations poses a great challenge for decision makers who must consider multiple interdependent criteria. In this context, multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) methods are widely used, but most of them assume that criteria are independent, which is not applicable in most real-world problems. Analytic network process (ANP) is an MCDA technique that allows modeling the interactions between decision criteria, making it more applicable to real-world problems. ANP is a generalization of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), but unlike the latter, it recognizes reciprocal influences between elements in a decision-making problem. ANP uses a weighted and directed network to model these interactions, allowing for a more realistic and accurate modeling of the problem. Although ANP is the preferred method for modeling interdependence and feedback situations, it presents challenges in practice, particularly due to the large number of pairwise comparisons required. This thesis addresses the complexity of ANP and its main challenge: the pairwise comparison matrices that measure the influence of one element on another in the network. A simplified hybrid ANP model with the DEMATEL technique is presented, which reduces the number of pairwise comparisons required by using direct influence scales, making it more feasible to apply in practice. Additionally, recommended direct influence measurement scales have been suggested to normalize the numerical values obtained by dividing by the sum instead of a transition matrix. The measure becomes more precise with more scale divisions. In the case study presented, it was demonstrated that the proposed DEMATEL-ANP combined model can reduce on average 42% of the necessary questions compared to the original ANP model, and still obtain similar results.Schulze González, EA. (2023). Análisis del uso de escalas de medida de influencia en el proceso analítico de redes (ANP) para la toma de decisiones multicriterio [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/19668

    The role of green recruitment on organizational sustainability performance: A study within the context of green human resource management

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    In light of the increasing recognition among modern business communities regarding the importance of implementing environmentally sustainable practices, this study thoroughly examines the concept of green recruitment (GR) and its subsequent impact on organizational sustainability performance (OSP). Situated within the shift from conventional to contemporary organizational frameworks that prioritize capacity, this study emphasizes the crucial importance of integrating sustainability into recruitment processes. This alignment ensures that human resource practices are in line with both environmental and organizational goals. The primary purpose emerges as a thorough examination and identification of sixteen critical factors that intersect GR and OSP, using insights from both the current literature and expert viewpoints, so this fills a crucial gap in the existing research. This study utilizes an integrated ISM-DEMATEL strategy to systematically reveal the hierarchical and relational patterns that are inherent in the connections between GR and OSP variables. This technique allows for a thorough comprehension of how these variables interact with each other. The findings highlight several important variables, emphasizing the complex network of interdependencies among the elements studied. The suggested model in this research encapsulates its originality, as it not only sheds light on the interdependent interactions for policy- and decision-makers but also establishes a foundation for future research in this field.</jats:p

    Urban-Rural-Partnerships

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    This is a reprint of the Special Issue “Urban-Rural-Partnerships: Sustainable and Resilient” in Land, which, based on the URP2020 objectives, invited original contributions dealing with interactions in regional systems, particularly between urban and rural actors, institutions and projects to tackle great societal challenges. The 16 contributions published included conceptual and methodological papers, as well as case studies dedicated to striking examples and providing transferable knowledge and solutions. The guest editors hope that the contributions will stimulate learning processes on various levels, i.e. cross- and transdisciplinary as well as from the local level to entire regions to the broader European and international levels, in order to foster an understanding of integrated regional and urban–rural development

    A Fuzzy Modelling of a Hybrid MCDM Method for Supplier Selection = Egy hibrid MCDM-módszer fuzzy modellezése a beszállítók kiválasztásához

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    This article examines the significance of supplier selection in the procurement process, which has grown in prominence as a result of globalization and outsourcing. When selecting the best suppliers, supply chain managers must consider a variety of quantitative and qualitative aspects, as these have a substantial impact on supply chain performance. Multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approaches can help in this process by taking into account many competing considerations. However, due to uncertainties and ambiguity, supplier selection is a complex process, and fuzzy multi-criteria decision-making approaches can be used to determine the best supplier for the company's key operations. This research suggests a hybrid MCDM strategy that makes use of fuzzy modeling to help with complex decision-making processes. Organizations can improve their supply chain performance by selecting the best supplier based on numerous parameters such as cost, quality, delivery time, and supplier reputation. Jelen tanulmány a beszállítók kiválasztásának jelentőségét vizsgálja a beszerzési folyamatban, amely a globalizáció és a kiszervezés következtében egyre nagyobb jelentőségre tett szert. A legjobb beszállítók kiválasztásakor az ellátási lánc vezetőinek számos mennyiségi és minőségi szempontot kell figyelembe venniük, mivel ezek jelentős hatással vannak az ellátási lánc teljesítményére. A többkritériumos döntéshozatal (MCDM) megközelítések számos egymással versengő szempont figyelembevételével segíthetnek ebben a folyamatban. A bizonytalanságok és a többértelműség miatt azonban a beszállító kiválasztása összetett folyamat, és a fuzzy többkritériumú döntéshozatali megközelítések segítségével meghatározható a vállalat kulcsfontosságú műveleteihez legmegfelelőbb beszállító. Ez a kutatás egy hibrid MCDM stratégiát javasol, amely a fuzzy modellezést használja fel a komplex döntéshozatali folyamatok segítésére. A szervezetek számos paraméter, például a költségek, a minőség, a szállítási idő és a beszállító hírneve alapján a legjobb beszállító kiválasztásával javíthatják ellátási láncuk teljesítményét

    Sustainable food supply chain research

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    Preface: A sustainable food supply chain delivers value in terms of profit and promotes the well-being of people and the planet. However, achieving sustainable food supply chains remains a significant challenge despite efforts to ensure more efficient food production and distribution globally. In tandem with policies and practices ensuring sustainable food supply systems, scientific research in this discipline has employed organizational theories such as the resource-based view, institutional and transactional cost theory, dynamic capabilities theory, and stakeholder theory to understand drivers and inhibitors associated with achieving more sustainable food value chains around the world. The extant scholarship on the sustainable food supply chain has evolved in different directions as a response to different food industry dynamics. However, consistent catalysts to such an evolution have been environmental variability and shock events that manifest as extreme climatic changes and natural hazards that are felt to different degrees in various geographical areas. The effects of environmental variability on food supply chains can be experienced at the local, regional, national, and global scales, but the supply chain disruptions due to the current COVID-19 pandemic cut across global and local food supply chains, and recovery strategies are being explored. Behind this backdrop, this collection of scientific articles seeks to understand the dynamic ramifications of the environmental variability on sustainable food supply chains to improve resilience. Other objectives of this collection of scientific work include to map the state of the art of sustainable food supply chain research before and during the pandemic as an essential benchmark to enable sustainable food research academics, students, and practitioners to gauge the trajectory of sustainable food supply chain research following the COVID-19 pandemic and to provide a systematic view of current research on the sustainable food supply chain to serve as a useful seminar reference for future research following the COVID-19 pandemic
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