How and why physicists and chemists use blogs

This study examined how and why chemists and physicists blog. Two qualitative methods were used: content analysis of blog and “about” pages and in-depth responsive interviews with chemists and physicists who maintain blogs. Analysis of the data yielded several cross-cutting themes that provide a window into how physicists and chemists use their blogs and what value they receive from maintaining a blog and participating in a blogging community. The article concludes with a discussion of implications for supporting scientists’ work

Global Trade, Admiralty Law And Zero Sum Games

A shipment of heavy sand from Australia was contaminated by sea water during a hurricane. Upon examination of the ship’s hold hatches, it was determined by the consignee that the hold hatches were in poor repair and faulty. Immediate compensation for the insurance deductible and shipping expense was demanded of the ship’s owners. Claiming an act of God under Admiralty Law, the ship’s owner refused payment. Upon consultation with maritime attorneys, the consignee decided to apply a provision of maritime law and “arrest” the ship to force payment

Case Study on Design Management: Inefficiencies and Possible Remedies

Delivering better products with a reduced lead time and less resources has become the primary focus of design management. The aim of this work is to revisit typical design management inefficiencies and discuss possible remedies for these problems. To this end, a case study and interviews with seven Estonian architects were carried out. The data obtained was analyzed within the framework of the transformation-flow-value theory of production. Despite its failure to deliver customer value, a single-minded transformation view of operations has been the dominant approach taken in design management and processes, leading to inefficiencies in design practices

If CPM is so bad, why have we been using it so long?

Why has the Critical Path Method (CPM) been used so widely for so long given its inability to produce predictable outcomes? For shedding light on this paradox, the formative period of the CPM is analysed from two main angles. First, how was the CPM embedded into the construction management practice? Second, what was the methodological underpinning of the development of the CPM? These questions are researched through a literature review. In terms of embeddedness into practice, it turns out that the CPM morphed from being a way of production control, into a method for contract control. In consequence, the promotion of the CPM by owners has been crucial for pushing this method to be the mainstream approach to scheduling and production control. Regarding methodological underpinning, it turns out that the CPM was developed as a way of optimization, as part of the quantitative methods movement. This movement was largely based on the axiomatic approach to research. In good alignment with that approach, there was no attempt to empirically test quantitative models and their outcomes. In this context, the unrealistic assumptions and conceptualizations in CPM did not surface in forty years. These results are argued to be helpful in critical discussions on the role and merits of CPM and on the methodologies to be used in construction management research

Salt Water Product Contamination During Trans Atlantic Shipments: Management Decisions And Legal Implications A Case Study

A ceramic manufacturing plant received a shipment of heavy sand that was contaminated with salt water during a Trans Atlantic voyage. The ship’s captain and the ship owners claimed it to be an “Act of God” as the ship went through a hurricane. Examination of the hatch covers indicated that they were faulty and compensation for the damaged cargo was demanded. The demand was refused by the ship’s owners and the cargo owner chose to “arrest” the ship to force payment

Today's Learner, Preferences In Teaching Techniques

The computer age is here. Students are tuned in to the latest digital devices and methods available today. Most students are exposed to short messages with video enhancements. This gives rise to a student who gets frustrated and bored with the standard lecture technique of years past. To achieve a greater effectiveness and learning outcome in delivering a lecture and subsequent learning, the professor has to know and understand the changes that are occurring in today’s learner. This paper presents findings of a study comparing the perceptions of first year freshmen business students’ with upper class business students’ perceptions as to how learning and assessment should occur in the classroom. The study also evaluates the differences between the various types of business majors

Overview of building information modelling in healthcare projects

In this paper, we explore how BIM functionalities together with novel management concepts and methods have been utilized in thirteen hospital projects in the United States and the United Kingdom. Secondary data collection and analysis were used as the method. Initial findings indicate that the utilization of BIM enables a holistic view of project delivery and helps to integrate project parties into a collaborative process. The initiative to implement BIM must come from the top down to enable early involvement of all key stakeholders. It seems that it is rather resistance from people to adapt to the new way of working and thinking than immaturity of technology that hinders the utilization of BIM

Complexity in Designing Energy Efficient Buildings: Towards Understanding Decision Networks in Design

Most important decisions for designing energy efficient buildings are made in the early stages of design. Designing is a complex interdisciplinary task, and energy efficiency requirements are pushing boundaries even further. This study analyzes the level of complexity for energy efficient building design and possible remedies for managing or reducing the complexity. Methodologically, we used the design structure matrix for mapping the current design tasks and hierarchical decomposition of lifecycle analysis for visualizing the interdependency of the design tasks and design disciplines and how changes propagate throughout the system, tasks and disciplines. We have visualized the interdependency of design tasks and design disciplines and how changes propagate throughout the system. Current design of energy efficiency building is a linear and one-shot approach without iterations planned into the process. Broken management techniques do not help to reduce the complexit