Is good enough 'making do'?: An investigation of inappropriate processing in a small design and build company

Purpose: The aim was to address behaviour that led to inappropriate processing in a small design and build contracting organisation that employs direct labour. The objective was to reduce process waste and improve the value delivered to clients. This formed part of a larger knowledge transfer project (KTP) to improve performance on construction sites through the application of lean thinking. Methodology: Action research was used to identify and bring about change within the contracting organisation. The method was applied to live construction projects in the social housing sector in the greater London area. The intervention was to raise the awareness of site personnel to the importance of finishing tasks through informal discussions and visual management techniques. Findings: Raised awareness of the importance of finishing work to allow other trades to follow on unimpeded led to significant improvements in the quality and flow of work. This helped to contribute to significant savings in time and cost. Practical implications: This applied research is practical and cost effective to apply to live projects managed by small and medium sized contracting organisations. Academic implications: the observations made reveal a form of waste in construction that has not been widely recognised in the literature on Lean. Research limitations: Findings relate to a small SME with directly employed labour, therefore the findings have limited applicability. Further applied research is required to determine the generalisation of the approach/findings to organisations that subcontract their labour Originality/value: Provides a unique insight into the practical application of lean thinking tools and process improvement

Entrepreneurship construction consultancy

This study is an exploration of entrepreneurship in its relation to consultancy in the construction industry. Highly skilled and specialised knowledge based professional service sector has been the fastest growing business sector across industries in the past two decades. Despite this growth, understanding of entrepreneurship in this business segment is limited. Lack of information has created a gap in the knowledge about new business entities establishing themselves in this sector. The study endeavours to bridge this gap. Nine interviews were conducted with ten entrepreneurs and senior managers of consultancy firms operating in the city of London. Their experience of establishing and running a professional practice is captured, analysed and presented. The study builds upon previous research done on entrepreneurship, and interviews with business founders in this sector. Various aspects of entrepreneurship are explored to understand how a new business practice is established and developed in this industry segment. The study discovers that previous research done was not sufficient to understand entrepreneurial behaviour within this sector. Respondents of this study have provided with additional information that is complementary to previous research. Key words: Entrepreneurship Construction consultancy Professional services Small business and Young practices or firms

Entrepreneurship construction consultancy

This study is an exploration of entrepreneurship in its relation to consultancy in the construction industry. Highly skilled and specialised knowledge based professional service sector has been the fastest growing business sector across industries in the past two decades. Despite this growth, understanding of entrepreneurship in this business segment is limited. Lack of information has created a gap in the knowledge about new business entities establishing themselves in this sector. The study endeavours to bridge this gap. Nine interviews were conducted with ten entrepreneurs and senior managers of consultancy firms operating in the city of London. Their experience of establishing and running a professional practice is captured, analysed and presented. The study builds upon previous research done on entrepreneurship, and interviews with business founders in this sector. Various aspects of entrepreneurship are explored to understand how a new business practice is established and developed in this industry segment. The study discovers that previous research done was not sufficient to understand entrepreneurial behaviour within this sector. Respondents of this study have provided with additional information that is complementary to previous research. Key words: Entrepreneurship Construction consultancy Professional services Small business and Young practices or firms

Impact Assessment of New Pearl Millet Technology in Arid Rajasthan

This paper has assessed the impact of high-yielding short-duration pearl-millet hybrid on farmers’ income in the arid region of Rajasthan. The decomposition of total change in net returns has shown that adoption of modern technology accounted for 86 per cent of the incremental net income, in which the share of varietal change was 58 per cent. This suggests that there is a considerable potential of raising farm income through widespread dissemination of modern pearl millet technology in Rajasthan

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Not AvailableA study was carried out at the research farm of the Central Arid Zone Research Institute, Jaisalmer, during 2005–09 to evaluate 5 landraces of Indian myrrh [Commiphora wightii (Arn.) Bhandari], namely ‘Dantiwara’, ‘Mangaliawas’, ‘Kukma-Bhuj’, ‘Bhind-Murena’ and ‘Jaisalmer Local’ in relation to changes in growth behaviour and total phenol content in 4-year-old planted plants. Out of all the 5 landraces, plant height (197.4 cm), number of branches (9.3), Stalk collar diameter (62.2 mm), main stem diameter and crown spread (266.5 cm) was recorded significantly higher in ‘Mangaliawas’, followed by ‘Jaisalmer Local’, ‘Dantiwara’, ‘Kukma-Bhuj’ and ‘Bhind-Murena’ in all the successive years. Maximum amount of phenol was recorded in ‘Jaisalmer Local’. Hence ‘Mangaliawas’, ‘Jaisalmer Local’ and ‘Dantiwara’ can be used for hyper arid situation at Thar desertNot Availabl

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Technical Bulletin on "Impact of Shelterbelts in Arid Region of Western Rajasthan"Technical Bulletin on "Impact of Shelterbelts in Arid Region of Western Rajasthan"Not Availabl

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Not AvailableCommiphora wightii is one of the major guggal gum-resin producing species in India. It has never been brought under cultivation and the species is now considered endangered. Growth performances and morphological parameters were assessed during 2008 and 2009 at Jaisalmer, in the hyper arid part of India, for five provenances of Commiphora wightii, viz., Dantiwara, Mangaliawas, Kukma-Bhuj, Bhind-Murena, and Jaisalmer local. Observations revealed a significant amount of variation for plant height, stem girth, number of branches per plant, crown spread, leaflet shape, and 100 seed weight. The provenances have shown measurable growth responses, which were sufficient for a conclusive remark. Such variation among different populations may be due to different intensities of natural selection acting upon the traits in their natural habitat. Results of this study are important for the conservation of the genetic variation of the species and for future improvement schemes: they indicate that genetic differences exist among provenances of guggal (Commiphora wightii), with Jaisalmer local, Mangaliawas, and Dantiwara showing satisfactory performance for cultivation in arid parts of India.Not Availabl