Small Medium Enterprises approach to leadership and lean during a global pandemic: a case study of Singapore’s tourism industry

This study has researched the challenges face by the leaders of SME attractions within the Singapore tourism industry during the global pandemic, known as COVID-19, and how leadership and lean concepts were adopted and/or utilised by the SME attraction leaders in response to these challenges. In describing COVID-19 it is clear that the pandemic has had a catastrophic impact on many industries globally, especially the tourism industry. Singapore, with a small population of just 5.5 million in 2020, reached a high of 19.11 million international visitors in one year in 2019, in which the Singapore tourism industry was very dependent on this visitation and spend. During COVID-19 international visitors was drastically reduced for a long period of time, therefore reduced a major section of revenue opportunity for SME attractions. This study attempts to identify the awareness of leadership and effective leadership styles adopted by SME attraction leaders in the time of crisis (COVID-19), and how lean and the implementation of lean can help to respond to the challenges presented. Research was conducted into a vast array of leadership and lean academic literature, and data was collected through a qualitative research approach, adopted in the format of semi structured interviews targeting SME attractions leaders who were in leadership roles during COVID-19. The research found the main challenges encountered by the SME attraction leaders during COVID-19 to be financial performance, job security and staff motivation. By emphasising the key findings in responses to the challenges found that there was a requirement for SME attraction leaders to adapt their leadership styles to the situation at hand, which identified the need for an adaptive leadership theory that incorporates much more than the transaction style of a one directional change. In addition, the study examined the adoption of lean concepts by the SME attraction leaders, which identified that there is a lack in a formal understanding of the lean concept across the industry. To support and guide SME attraction leaders navigate through a future crisis, the study developed three recommendations for SME attraction leaders to adopt to prepare and navigate through future crisis event. Adaptive leadership practices promote good leadership and effective team performance in different situation impacted by both internal and external environment. The incorporation of the lean fundaments contributes towards a lean strategy gaining a competitive and sustainable profit by eliminating waste. Collaboration with government agencies will help SME attractions to take advantage of support schemes early and effectively during a time of crisis. In conclusion the COVID-19 pandemic has been an important lesson that there is a requirement for SME attraction leaders to be› effectively prepared to navigate and recover through a future crisis events

The European Parliament and the UK’s renegotiation: what do MEPs think?

Debates about the future of UK-EU relations have paid little attention to the European Parliament. There have been no studies comparable to those that have looked into how member states view the renegotiation or might respond to a Brexit. Media reports indicate that the European Commission taskforce handling the UK renegotiation has even looked into ways of avoiding the Parliament becoming involved. Whether or not the Parliament will have any say in the renegotiation, it is clear that if Britain votes to withdraw then the EU Treaty’s withdrawal procedure guarantees the Parliament a say in any deal over an exit and a new UK-EU relationship. To find out the views of the European Parliament BrexitVote is beginning a series – compiled by Tim Oliver – in which MEPs from across the Parliament set out what they think of the UK-EU renegotiation, the idea of Brexit and – most importantly – what role they think the Parliament will play

Stable incidence rates of tuberculosis (TB) among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-negative South African gold miners during a decade of epidemic HIV-associated TB.

During the last decade, annual tuberculosis (TB) case-notification rates increased 4-fold, to >4000 cases/100000 person-years, in the study workforce, among whom prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was 30% in 2000. Three separate cohort studies, totalling 6454 HIV-negative participants, were combined and analyzed for time trends. Observed incidence of TB varied between 962 (1991-1994) and 1589 (1999-2000) cases/100000 person-years (P=.17, test for trend). There was, however, a progressive increase in age, and, for each period, older age was associated with increased incidence rates of TB (P<.001). Having adjusted for age differences, there was no significant association between incidence of TB and calendar period (P=.81, test for trend). Relative to 1991-1994, multivariate-adjusted incidence-rate ratios were 0.94, for 1995-1997, 0.96, for 1998-1999, and 1.05, for 1999-2000. Preventing a secondary epidemic of TB among HIV-negative individuals may be achievable with conventional means, even in settings with a high burden of HIV-associated TB

Defining the Role for Information Systems in Environmental Sustainability Measurement

Information Systems scholars have played a limited role in addressing the problem of environmental sustainability, resulting in calls for our community to become more actively involved in tackling this critical problem. One of the most significant hurdles standing in the way of progress is measurement. Sustainability measurement represents a complex issue requiring the expertise of many different fields. We propose that sustainability measurement principles, which represent adopted rules or methods for conducting measurement in practice, provide an important mechanism for building the necessary linkages between disciplines, while at the same time moving us forward in protecting our global environment. In this paper we outline eight essential measurement principles and provide illustrative examples of how IS can support and embody these principles. We conclude the paper with research directions in relation to the potential role of IS in sustainability measurement

Fast switching tunable laser sources for wavelength division multiplexing in passive optical access networks

Tunable laser structures with nanosecond switching time between wavelength channels and low-power injection locking are demonstrated on a low-cost platform. These lasers are suitable as source or slave lasers in WDM passive optical access networks

DEVELOPMENT OF A REPRODUCIBLE SCREENING METHOD TO DETERMINE THE MECHANISM AND EFFECT OF ORGANIC ACIDS AND OTHER CONTAMINANTS ON THE CORROSION OF ALUMINUM-FINNED COPPER-TUBE HEAT EXCHANGE COILS

Formicary corrosion is an insidious form of localized pitting corrosion. Notoya (1997b) wrote, ?In Japan, this type of corrosion is found in approximately 10% of cases of premature failure of copper tubes.? Attack characteristically features very small surface pits which are not visible to the un-aided eye, and random directional changes in the underlying copper metal. Attack is rapid. Failures have occurred before installation, shortly thereafter, or within several years later. Objectives of this Research Project Conduct an in depth literature search on the subject of formicary corrosion. Define the corrosion mechanism. Develop a test method that will reproduce formicary corrosion. Develop a test method for screening candidate materials that could cause formicary corrosion

A novel two-section tunable discrete mode Fabry-PÉrot laser exhibiting nanosecond wavelength switching

A novel widely tunable laser diode is proposed and demonstrated. Mode selection occurs by etching perturbing slots into the laser ridge. A two-section device is realized with different slot patterns in each section allowing Vernier tuning. The laser operates at 1.3 mum and achieves a maximum output power of 10 mW. A discontinuous tuning range of 30 nm was achieved with a side mode suppression greater than 30 dB. Wavelength switching times of approximately 1.5 ns between a number of wavelength channels separated by 7 nm have been demonstrated

COVID-19 and IS: Challenges and Opportunities for People, Careers, and Institutions

In one remarkable week, and in the face of a horrifying pandemic, information technology and systems were harnessed to dramatically transform education and office work. It wasn’t always pretty, but the IT infrastructure worked, at least for those fortunate to have access to it. Tele-medicine, remote work, distance education - concepts long touted but sparsely implemented - suddenly essential and transformational. Now that we have made it through the immediate impact of the pandemic, the long term implications and consequences are emerging. What is this pandemic driven, but IT shaped, new normal? What does it mean for families, careers, and businesses? What does it mean for higher education and our discipline? Our panelists will explore the challenges faced by doctoral students and early career professors, two career families, and small businesses. But we will also ask them to help identify new opportunities, particularly for research, new modes of education and greater engagement with industry

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Sex Differences in Social Contact Patterns and Implications for Tuberculosis Transmission and Control.

Social contact patterns might contribute to excess burden of tuberculosis in men. We conducted a study of social contact surveys to evaluate contact patterns relevant to tuberculosis transmission. Available data describe 21 surveys in 17 countries and show profound differences in sex-based and age-based patterns of contact. Adults reported more adult contacts than children. Children preferentially mixed with women in all surveys (median sex assortativity 58%, interquartile range [IQR] 57%-59% for boys, 61% [IQR 60%-63%] for girls). Men and women reported sex-assortative mixing in 80% and 95% of surveys (median sex assortativity 56% [IQR 54%-58%] for men, 59% [IQR 57%-63%] for women). Sex-specific patterns of contact with adults were similar at home and outside the home for children; adults reported greater sex assortativity outside the home in most surveys. Sex assortativity in adult contacts likely contributes to sex disparities in adult tuberculosis burden by amplifying incidence among men

Provider-initiated symptom screening for tuberculosis in Zimbabwe: diagnostic value and the effect of HIV status.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic value of provider-initiated symptom screening for tuberculosis (TB) and how HIV status affects it. METHODS: We performed a secondary analysis of randomly selected participants in a community-based TB-HIV prevalence survey in Harare, Zimbabwe. All completed a five-symptom questionnaire and underwent sputum TB culture and HIV testing. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of various symptoms and used regression analysis to investigate the relationship between symptoms and TB disease. FINDINGS: We found one or more symptoms of TB in 21.2% of 1858 HIV-positive (HIV+) and 9.9% of 7121 HIV-negative (HIV-) participants (P or = 2 weeks' duration, any symptom and a positive sputum culture had sensitivities of 48%, 81% and 65%, respectively; in HIV- participants, the sensitivities were 45%, 71% and 74%, respectively. Symptoms had a similar sensitivity and specificity in HIV+ and HIV- participants, but in HIV+ participants they had a higher positive and a lower negative predictive value. CONCLUSION: Even smear-positive TB may be missed by provider-initiated symptom screening, especially in HIV+ individuals. Symptom screening is useful for ruling out TB, but better TB diagnostics are urgently needed for resource-poor settings