Development of Optical Character Recognition Software Package for Mobile Phones

Optical Character Recognition (OCR) is a technique through which any textual information contained in images are extracted and converted into editable text format. The various OCR software packages which are available in desktop computer with scanner suffer from one primary constraint- MOBILITY. We have developed an OCR application for mobile phones. All the procedures needed for extracting the text would be performed within the mobile phone, eliminating the need for bulky devices like scanners, desktops and also laptops. Hence it would provide the user the much needed ‘anywhere, anytime’ feature for OCR. The computational power of mobiles is increasing day by day making it easier to run image processing operations for OCR application. Also the resolution of camera in mobile is increasing to match the resolution of scanners. After the document is processed, it can be communicated to another user by email facility of mobile phones as text files. The aim of this paper is to investigate the various issues involved in developing this OCR application in mobile phones. Further design and future scope for this application is elaborated giving insight to the development process. The motivation here was to provide a general purpose framework for OCR application in mobile phones. The framework is developed in a modular fashion

Challenges negating virtual construction project team performance in the Middle East

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Emerald in Built Environment Project and Asset Management on 25/01/2022. The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version.Purpose Over the last couple of decades, many organisations are increasingly adopting virtual team concepts, and construction companies in the Middle East are no exception. Members of a virtual team are geographically scattered and represent diverse cultures. Thus, challenging issues emerge more frequently than in a traditional team. There are challenges associated with space and time as well as high client’s demand. Therefore, this study aims to identify and probe the causes of the challenges in virtual project teams in the construction industry of the Middle East. Design/methodology/approach A list of challenges was derived through a comprehensive review of relevant literature. Questionnaire survey was conducted with professionals who are involved in construction virtual project teams. Further, the factor analysis technique was used to analyse the survey responses. Findings Results show that the challenges in virtual team arrangement in the Middle East construction industry can be grouped into seven categories, namely: organisational culture, conflict within the team, characteristics of the team members, trust within the team members diversity of the team, communication and training, and cohesion in the team. Understanding of these factors will drive the needed platform to support effective virtual project teams in the Middle East. Originality/value This study raises the prospect that organisations may establish an environment for team members to achieve higher levels of virtual cooperation by concentrating on these potentially crucial factors. This, in turn, will encourage further innovation and performance within construction organisations

Exploring factors affecting trust in construction virtual project teams

© 2021 The Authors. Published by OMICS. This is an open access article available under a Creative Commons licence. The published version can be accessed at the following link on the publisher’s website: https://www.omicsonline.org/open-access/exploring-factors-affecting-trust-in-construction-virtual-project-teams.pdfMany organizations have embraced a new reality of virtual working, which poses new challenges for leaders. Virtual teaming has numerous advantages, but it also increases the danger of misalignment and lack of cooperation, which may have a negative impact on team trust and employee engagement if not done correctly. Team leaders and organizations must understand the strategies for establishing and maintaining trust in Virtual Project Teams (VPTs) to maintain team members performance after transitioning to decentralized workplaces. This study examines the process of building trust in VPTs by analyzing the factors that influence trust in virtual teams. Qualitative interviews with ten experienced professionals in the Middle East’s construction sectors were conducted to gain insights for the study. The study results revealed that factors influencing trust among VPTs in the Middle East construction sector show some unique attributes. The effects of prominent factors, including organizational culture, communication, diversity, leadership, and task-technology fit, and team member characteristics on trust-building in VPTs were identified. Understanding the interdependence between these factors and trust will help virtual team members remain focused on achieving effectiveness and efficiency in their work

Interpretive structural model of trust factors in construction virtual project teams

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Emerald in Construction Innovation: Information, Process, Management on 17/01/2022. The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Available online: https://doi.org/10.1108/CI-09-2021-0179Purpose Organisational dependence on virtual project teams (VPTs) is growing dramatically due to the substantial benefits they offer, such as efficiently achieving objectives and improving organisational performance. One of the major issues that influence the effectiveness of VPTs is trust building. The study aims to determine the key factors of trust in VPTs and design a model by identifying the interrelationships among the trust factors. Design/methodology/approach Focus group discussion was employed to gather data on factors affecting trust in VPTs and their interrelationships. Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) was used to establish the relationship among the factors. MICMAC analysis was conducted to identify the driving power and the dependence power towards effective VPTs in the construction sector. Findings The finding revealed that ‘characteristics of team members’ (such as ability, integrity, benevolence, competence, reliability and professionalism) is the most significant factor for building trust in virtual team members. Some factors were further identified as having high driving power, while others were defined as having high dependence variables. Practical implications The findings will assist construction managers and practitioners dealing with VPTs identify the factors influencing trust among team members. Taking cognisance of the factors that influence 34 trust will enable them to design more effective virtual team arrangements. Originality/value As the first research of its kind using ISM technique, the study offers insights into interrelationships between trust factors in the construction VPTs. It provides guides for construction managers on the effective management of trustworthy VPTs

Interpretive structural model of trust factors in construction virtual project teams

This is an accepted manuscript of an article published by Emerald in Construction Innovation: Information, Process, Management on 17/01/2022. The accepted version of the publication may differ from the final published version. Available online: https://doi.org/10.1108/CI-09-2021-0179Purpose Organisational dependence on virtual project teams (VPTs) is growing dramatically due to the substantial benefits they offer, such as efficiently achieving objectives and improving organisational performance. One of the major issues that influence the effectiveness of VPTs is trust building. The study aims to determine the key factors of trust in VPTs and design a model by identifying the interrelationships among the trust factors. Design/methodology/approach Focus group discussion was employed to gather data on factors affecting trust in VPTs and their interrelationships. Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) was used to establish the relationship among the factors. MICMAC analysis was conducted to identify the driving power and the dependence power towards effective VPTs in the construction sector. Findings The finding revealed that ‘characteristics of team members’ (such as ability, integrity, benevolence, competence, reliability and professionalism) is the most significant factor for building trust in virtual team members. Some factors were further identified as having high driving power, while others were defined as having high dependence variables. Practical implications The findings will assist construction managers and practitioners dealing with VPTs identify the factors influencing trust among team members. Taking cognisance of the factors that influence 34 trust will enable them to design more effective virtual team arrangements. Originality/value As the first research of its kind using ISM technique, the study offers insights into interrelationships between trust factors in the construction VPTs. It provides guides for construction managers on the effective management of trustworthy VPTs