Results of monitoring at the British library excavation

The main phase of excavation for the basements of the British Library at St Pancras, London, was completed in 1987. The project included basements extending up to 25 m deep, through the London Clay and into the Lambeth Group. The excavations were formed using both the top-down method and open excavation with ground anchors. Existing major buildings lie within 25 m of the site and London Underground tunnels lie below and adjacent to the site. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of displacement monitoring; they are summarised in the paper and presented in more detail in online supplementary data files. The retaining walls advanced towards the site by up to about 32 mm and the clays expanded rapidly on unloading beneath the excavations, causing the Victoria Line tunnels to heave by up to 22 mm. The slow progress of the project provided an unusual opportunity to monitor ground and structure movements in the surroundings before site activity began. Ironically, it was found that the largest settlements of adjacent buildings were caused by the installation of equipment intended to measure the settlements. Extensive condition surveys were carried out, but no damage to adjacent structures or tunnels has been recorded. </jats:p

Reconciling transport models across scales: the role of volume exclusion

Diffusive transport is a universal phenomenon, throughout both biological and physical sciences, and models of diffusion are routinely used to interrogate diffusion-driven processes. However, most models neglect to take into account the role of volume exclusion, which can significantly alter diffusive transport, particularly within biological systems where the diffusing particles might occupy a significant fraction of the available space. In this work we use a random walk approach to provide a means to reconcile models that incorporate crowding effects on different spatial scales. Our work demonstrates that coarse-grained models incorporating simplified descriptions of excluded volume can be used in many circumstances, but that care must be taken in pushing the coarse-graining process too far

Resource-Based Theory, Competition and Staff Differentiation in Africa: Leveraging Employees as A Source of Sustained Competitive Advantage

This paper reports upon a research project designed to identify the extent to which and in what ways Human Resource (HR) managers in Africa view employees as a source of potential sustained competitive advantage (SCA) and whether Resource-based Theory (RBT) is being applied in practice. A qualitative research methodology is adopted, specifically a constructivist Grounded Theory Research Method (GTRM) approach. Data were collected through fifty-six semi-structured interviews from May 2015 through May 2016 with HR managers from 17 Sub-Saharan African countries. While the interviewees were not aware of RBT or consciously applying RBT principles and practices, many did see the potential for adopting a RBT model and the benefits it could deliver employees and the organization. However, some interviewees were skeptical of RBT and in all organizations represented by the sample there are many barriers to developing and implementing a RBT model. The study has advanced our knowledge of RBT in emerging African economies. The paper highlights a number of potential future research opportunities and acknowledges some of the study's limitations. There are potentially significant practical implications for companies in terms of maximizing employee capability and competitive advantage; opportunities currently being missed. There are implications for employees in terms of their development, job design and engagement and for HR managers developing HR strategy. The authors contend that this is the first empirical, multi-country study of Resource-based Theory in Africa

Professional Development for Human Resource Management Practitioners in NEST Second Tier Emerging Markets: A Three Country Study

This paper reports on a research project conducted to investigate the professional development needs of Human Resource (HR) professionals in three emerging markets: Kazakhstan, Philippines and South Africa. Furthermore, the research sought to identify the extent to which and in what ways these development needs were being met. The research adopted a qualitative methodology applying a Grounded Theory methodological framework for data collection and analysis. Ninety-five, semistructured, face-to-face interviews were conducted between March 2013 and October 2015. The data revealed that to a significant degree HR practitioners are having to initiate, and self-direct their own professional development which, they report, is much less beneficial than undertaking sponsored professional development events that are structured and group orientated. The research also found that there are numerous barriers to professional development including nepotism/favoritism, lack of money, lack of time and lack of available opportunities. There are implications for organizations, the HR profession and employees generally in relation to the proficiency of HR practitioners and the impact a lack of proficiency could have on the organization. Further, perhaps quantitative, research is encouraged to explore the issues raised here further with larger and other similar populations