55 research outputs found
Exploring earned value management in the Spanish construction industry as a pathway to competitive advantage
[EN] As a well established discipline and profession, project management has its distinctive tools and techniques. One of them that has been considered the embodiment of the core principles of project management is the Earned Value Management (EVM). In managing construction projects, the EVM has been considered as a suitable tool and hence, has been implemented in various construction industry but absent in some others. Taking into account the dynamic environment where construction companies have to operate, particularly in turbulence environments as the direct result of recent global economic downturn, this paper explores the potential implementation of EVM in one of the construction industry, the Spanish construction industry. The outcomes confirm the needs for and feasibility of implementing EVM as a structured approach in the industry to reposition the Spanish construction industry with the long term view to increase its project management maturity level as a pathway to gaining competitive advantage.Universitat Politecnica de Valencia [grant number 19701344]Sutrisna, M.; Pellicer, E.; Torres-MachĂ, C.; Picornell, M. (2018). Exploring earned value management in the Spanish construction industry as a pathway to competitive advantage. International Journal of Construction Management. 20(1):1-12. https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2018.1459155S112201Anbari, F. T. (2004). Earned value project management method and extensions. IEEE Engineering Management Review, 32(3), 97-97. doi:10.1109/emr.2004.25113Aram, J. D., & Walochik, K. (1996). Improvisation and the Spanish Manager. International Studies of Management & Organization, 26(4), 73-89. doi:10.1080/00208825.1996.11656695Brandon, D. M. (1998). Implementing Earned Value Easily and Effectively. Project Management Journal, 29(2), 11-18. doi:10.1177/875697289802900204Brown, A., & Adams, J. (2000). Measuring the effect of project management on construction outputs: a new approach. International Journal of Project Management, 18(5), 327-335. doi:10.1016/s0263-7863(99)00026-5Bryde, D. J. (2003). Modelling project management performance. International Journal of Quality & Reliability Management, 20(2), 229-254. doi:10.1108/02656710310456635Chen, H. L., Chen, W. T., & Lin, Y. L. (2016). Earned value project management: Improving the predictive power of planned value. International Journal of Project Management, 34(1), 22-29. doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2015.09.008De la Cruz, M. P., del Caño, A., & de la Cruz, E. (2006). Downside Risks in Construction Projects Developed by the Civil Service: The Case of Spain. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 132(8), 844-852. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9364(2006)132:8(844)Din, S., Abd-Hamid, Z., & Bryde, D. J. (2011). ISO 9000 certification and construction project performance: The Malaysian experience. International Journal of Project Management, 29(8), 1044-1056. doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2010.11.001Eldin, N. N. (1989). Measurement of Work Progress: Quantitative Technique. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 115(3), 462-474. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9364(1989)115:3(462)Gidado, K. I. (1996). Project complexity: The focal point of construction production planning. Construction Management and Economics, 14(3), 213-225. doi:10.1080/014461996373476Hastak, M., Halpin, D. W., & Vanegas, J. (1996). COMPASS—New Paradigm for Project Cost Control Strategy and Planning. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 122(3), 254-264. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9364(1996)122:3(254)D. Holt, G., & S. Goulding, J. (2014). Conceptualisation of ambiguous-mixed-methods within building and construction research. Journal of Engineering, Design and Technology, 12(2), 244-262. doi:10.1108/jedt-02-2013-0020Ibbs, C. W., & Kwak, Y. H. (2000). Assessing Project Management Maturity. Project Management Journal, 31(1), 32-43. doi:10.1177/875697280003100106Jugdev, K., & Thomas, J. (2002). 2002 Student Paper Award Winner: Project Management Maturity Models: The Silver Bullets of Competitive Advantage? Project Management Journal, 33(4), 4-14. doi:10.1177/875697280203300402Kim, E., Wells, W. G., & Duffey, M. R. (2003). A model for effective implementation of Earned Value Management methodology. International Journal of Project Management, 21(5), 375-382. doi:10.1016/s0263-7863(02)00049-2Kim, T., Kim, Y.-W., & Cho, H. (2016). Customer Earned Value: Performance Indicator from Flow and Value Generation View. Journal of Management in Engineering, 32(1), 04015017. doi:10.1061/(asce)me.1943-5479.0000377Laufer, A., & Tucker, R. L. (1987). Is construction project planning really doing its job? A critical examination of focus, role and process. Construction Management and Economics, 5(3), 243-266. doi:10.1080/01446198700000023Liberatore, M. J., Pollack-Johnson, B., & Smith, C. A. (2001). Project Management in Construction: Software Use and Research Directions. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 127(2), 101-107. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9364(2001)127:2(101)Mir, F. A., & Pinnington, A. H. (2014). Exploring the value of project management: Linking Project Management Performance and Project Success. International Journal of Project Management, 32(2), 202-217. doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2013.05.012Navon, R., & Haskaya, I. (2006). Is detailed progress monitoring possible without designated manual data collection? Construction Management and Economics, 24(12), 1225-1229. doi:10.1080/01446190600999097Onwuegbuzie, A. J., & Leech, N. L. (2005). Taking the «Q» Out of Research: Teaching Research Methodology Courses Without the Divide Between Quantitative and Qualitative Paradigms. Quality & Quantity, 39(3), 267-295. doi:10.1007/s11135-004-1670-0Oviedo-Haito, R. J., JimĂ©nez, J., Cardoso, F. F., & Pellicer, E. (2014). Survival Factors for Subcontractors in Economic Downturns. Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 140(3), 04013056. doi:10.1061/(asce)co.1943-7862.0000811Pellicer, E., Sanz, M. A., Esmaeili, B., & Molenaar, K. R. (2016). Exploration of Team Integration in Spanish Multifamily Residential Building Construction. Journal of Management in Engineering, 32(5), 05016012. doi:10.1061/(asce)me.1943-5479.0000438Potts, K., & Ankrah, N. (2008). Construction Cost Management. doi:10.4324/9780203933015Vanhoucke, M. (2012). Project Management with Dynamic Scheduling. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-25175-7Yazici, H. J. (2009). The Role of Project Management Maturity and Organizational Culture in Perceived Performance. Project Management Journal, 40(3), 14-33. doi:10.1002/pmj.20121Yu, A. G., Flett, P. D., & Bowers, J. A. (2005). Developing a value-centred proposal for assessing project success. International Journal of Project Management, 23(6), 428-436. doi:10.1016/j.ijproman.2005.01.00
A large age for the pulsar B1757-24 from an upper limit on its proper motion
The "characteristic age" of a pulsar usually is considered to approximate its true age, but this assumption has led to some puzzling results, including the fact that many pulsars with small characteristic ages have no associated supernova remnants. The pulsar B1757-24 is located just beyond the edge of a supernova remnant; the properties of the system indicate that the pulsar was born at the centre of the remnant, but that it has subsequently overtaken the expanding blast-wave. With a characteristic age of 16,000 yr, this implies an expected proper motion by the pulsar of 63-80 milliarcsec per year. Here we report observations of the nebula surrounding the pulsar which limit its proper motion to less than 25 mas/yr, implying a minimum age of 39,000 yr. A more detailed analysis argues for a true age as great as 170,000 yr, significantly larger than the characteristic age. From this result and other discrepancies associated with pulsars, we conclude that characteristic ages seriously underestimate the true ages of pulsars
Cosmic rays and molecular clouds
This paper deals with the cosmic-ray penetration into molecular clouds and
with the related gamma--ray emission. High energy cosmic rays interact with the
dense gas and produce neutral pions which in turn decay into two gamma rays.
This makes molecular clouds potential sources of gamma rays, especially if they
are located in the vicinity of a powerful accelerator that injects cosmic rays
in the interstellar medium. The amplitude and duration in time of the
cosmic--ray overdensity around a given source depend on how quickly cosmic rays
diffuse in the turbulent galactic magnetic field. For these reasons, gamma-ray
observations of molecular clouds can be used both to locate the sources of
cosmic rays and to constrain the properties of cosmic-ray diffusion in the
Galaxy.Comment: To appear in the proceedings of the San Cugat Forum on Astrophysics
2012, 27 pages, 10 figure
Serum insulin-like growth factor I evaluation as a useful tool for predicting the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis: a prospective study
BACKGROUND: Although experimental studies have demonstrated an important role of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in hepatocarcinogenesis, the clinical data about IGF-I in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are scarce and controversial. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first prospective study investigating the longitudinal correlation between modifications in serum IGF-I levels and the development of HCC in a cohort of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis. METHODS: One hundred fourteen consecutive patients with HCV-related Child Grade A cirrhosis were followed prospectively at the Second University of Naples for 56.4 +/- 12.0 months with ultrasound examinations of the liver and serum alpha-fetoprotein determination every 6 months. At each clinical evaluation, the severity of disease was graded according to the established Child-Pugh scoring system. Serum IGF-I levels were measured prospectively at the study entry and at least every 12 months throughout follow-up. RESULTS: Twenty patients (19.2%) developed HCC during follow-up. Eleven of these patients had persistent Child Grade A cirrhosis for the whole study, whereas the other 9 patients developed HCC after their cirrhosis progressed from Child Grade A to Grade B. In patients who remained free of HCC for the whole study, serum IGF-I concentrations did not modify significantly during follow-up. Conversely, in patients who developed HCC, IGF-I levels decreased significantly during follow-up (from 72.6 +/- 29.9 microg/L to 33.8 +/- 14.5 microg/L; P = 0.001). In these patients, the significant decrease occurred both in patients with persistent Child Grade A cirrhosis and in patients with cirrhosis that progressed from Child Grade A to Grade B. The reduction in IGF-I level preceded the diagnosis of HCC by 9.3 +/- 3.1 months. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study demonstrates that, in patients with HCV-related cirrhosis, 1) the development of HCC is accompanied by a significant reduction of serum IGF-I levels independent of the grade of impairment of liver function; and 2) modification of the IGF-I level precedes the morphologic appearance of HCC, permitting a precocious diagnosis of the tumor
Serum insulin-like growth factor Ievaluation as a useful tool foe predictimg the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis.
Serum insulin-like growth factor I evaluation as a useful tool for predicting the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis: a prospective study.
BACKGROUND: Although experimental studies have demonstrated an important role of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) in hepatocarcinogenesis, the clinical data about IGF-I in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are scarce and controversial. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first prospective study investigating the longitudinal correlation between modifications in serum IGF-I levels and the development of HCC in a cohort of patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis. METHODS: One hundred fourteen consecutive patients with HCV-related Child Grade A cirrhosis were followed prospectively at the Second University of Naples for 56.4 +/- 12.0 months with ultrasound examinations of the liver and serum alpha-fetoprotein determination every 6 months. At each clinical evaluation, the severity of disease was graded according to the established Child-Pugh scoring system. Serum IGF-I levels were measured prospectively at the study entry and at least every 12 months throughout follow-up. RESULTS: Twenty patients (19.2%) developed HCC during follow-up. Eleven of these patients had persistent Child Grade A cirrhosis for the whole study, whereas the other 9 patients developed HCC after their cirrhosis progressed from Child Grade A to Grade B. In patients who remained free of HCC for the whole study, serum IGF-I concentrations did not modify significantly during follow-up. Conversely, in patients who developed HCC, IGF-I levels decreased significantly during follow-up (from 72.6 +/- 29.9 microg/L to 33.8 +/- 14.5 microg/L; P = 0.001). In these patients, the significant decrease occurred both in patients with persistent Child Grade A cirrhosis and in patients with cirrhosis that progressed from Child Grade A to Grade B. The reduction in IGF-I level preceded the diagnosis of HCC by 9.3 +/- 3.1 months. CONCLUSIONS: This prospective study demonstrates that, in patients with HCV-related cirrhosis, 1) the development of HCC is accompanied by a significant reduction of serum IGF-I levels independent of the grade of impairment of liver function; and 2) modification of the IGF-I level precedes the morphologic appearance of HCC, permitting a precocious diagnosis of the tumor
K+ current stimulation by Cl- in the midgut epithelium of tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta)
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