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Article
Publication date: 26 June 2024

Hossam Wefki, Mona Salah, Emad Elbeltagi, Asser Elsheikh and Rana Khallaf

Given the growing interest in modern construction techniques and the emergence of innovative technologies, construction site layout planning research has progressively been…

Abstract

Purpose

Given the growing interest in modern construction techniques and the emergence of innovative technologies, construction site layout planning research has progressively been investigating approaches to adopt innovative concepts and incorporate renewed approaches to improve widespread efficiency. This research develops a decision-making tool that optimizes construction site layout plans. The developed model targets two main objectives: minimizing material transportation costs and maximizing safety by optimally placing facilities on construction sites.

Design/methodology/approach

A novel approach is devised based on the integration of Building Information Modeling and Generative Design (BIM-GD). This engine is used to optimize the multi-objective site layout problems to identify layout alternatives in the early project stages. Parametric modeling uses Dynamo to construct the model and explore constraints initially. Finally, the GD environment is utilized to create different design alternatives, and then the decision-making procedure selects the most appropriate design alternative. Additionally, a case study is applied to validate the effectiveness of the developed model.

Findings

The results indicate the effectiveness of the proposed GD tool and its potential for more complex applications. The GD engine examined optimal layout plans, balancing different objectives and adhering to appointed geometric constraints. A case study was conducted to assess the model's effectiveness and showcase its suitability. Construction Site Layout Planning (CSLP) is an essential step in design that can influence considerable aspects, such as material transportation expenses and different safety standards on the site. Employing visual programming for parametric modeling within Dynamo-Revit creates an expedient and user-friendly platform for planning engineers who may require more programming expertise to create and program algorithmic models visually. Utilizing GD in CSLP has proven to be a powerful tool with consequential prospects for improving applications and executing more models.

Practical implications

The findings from this framework are intended to help construction practitioners select the most appropriate site layout during early project stages while incorporating different safety criteria inside construction sites to alleviate actual safety risks.

Originality/value

A new approach is proposed that utilizes an integrated BIM-GD engine to optimize multi-objective site layout problems. This approach targets two main objectives: minimizing material transportation costs and maximizing safety by optimally placing facilities in construction sites.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 July 2023

Mohamed M. Elsotouhy, Abdelkader M. A. Mobarak, Mona I. Dakrory, Mohamed A. Ghonim and Mohamed A. Khashan

Despite the significance of donations (Sadaqah) via mobile payment in Islamic countries, little is known about the variables influencing continuance intention toward using…

Abstract

Purpose

Despite the significance of donations (Sadaqah) via mobile payment in Islamic countries, little is known about the variables influencing continuance intention toward using m-payment for donations (Sadaqah). Based on the stimulus-organism-response (S-O-R) model, this research explores the influence of perceived quality (i.e. system, information, service) as a stimulus on customer satisfaction, engagement and delight as organisms, which then affects continuance intention toward using m-payment for donations (Sadaqah) as a response. Moreover, the study investigates the moderating role of Islamic religiosity.

Design/methodology/approach

Using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), a representative data sample of 419 Egyptian Muslims was analyzed to test hypotheses.

Findings

The findings revealed that all perceived quality constructs significantly positively affect customers' satisfaction. Customer satisfaction, in turn, positively affects customer engagement and delight. Moreover, customer engagement, delight and Islamic religiosity significantly positively affect continuance intention toward using m-payment for donations (Sadaqah). The findings also revealed that Islamic religiosity moderates the influence of customer engagement and customer delight on continuance intention toward using m-payment for donations (Sadaqah).

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine using m-payment for donations (Sadaqah) in an Islamic environment based on the S-O-R model.

Details

International Journal of Bank Marketing, vol. 41 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0265-2323

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 10 June 2020

Mona Soliman Gadelmola

The escalation of Turkish intervention in Arab internal affairs before and after the revolutions of the Arab Spring, particularly the military intervention. Sometimes Ankara…

3039

Abstract

Purpose

The escalation of Turkish intervention in Arab internal affairs before and after the revolutions of the Arab Spring, particularly the military intervention. Sometimes Ankara threatens with military intervention and sometimes establishes large military bases in Arab countries: Qatar, Somalia and Iraq. Moreover, it carries out extensive military operations within the borders of some Arab countries such as Iraq and Syria. This type of behavior requires a study that takes into consideration the reasons of such behavior and future implications on the relations between the Arab and Turkish parties.

Design/methodology/approach

The theoretical framework of the study will follow neorealism, as the basis for understanding Turkish pragmatic foreign policy adopted in managing its international relations and interests with various countries.

Findings

The situation in Afrin after a year of Turkish occupation confirms this. Erdogan may not go ahead with a new military operation in east Euphrates and northern Syria. He may prefer instead he may deem it better to control the safe area in the north through the revival of the agreement of Adana of 1998. However, Turkey's desire to control northern Syria, which represents a quarter of the country, faces tough resistance of Turkish groups, Russian-Syrian rejection and European-American resentment. Control of the Syrian north may be subject to concessions and consensus among these powers without excluding any of them.

Research limitations/implications

States in the international system, such as companies in the local economy, have the same main interest: that’s survival. It is worth noting that Waltz’s neorealistic theory cannot be applied to domestic national politics. It cannot contribute to the development of state policies relating to its international and internal affairs. His theory only helps to explain the reason behind the similar behavior of countries despite having different forms of governments and diversity of political ideologies. It also explains why the comprehensive international relations have not changed despite the growing decentralization of these countries.

Originality/value

How does neorealism explain Turkish military intervention in Syria since 2016?

Details

Review of Economics and Political Science, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2356-9980

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 9 December 2009

Shulamit Almog

The chapter contends that although Israeli reality is replete with legal issues, very few films deal directly with the law or with a legal process as a central theme. Contemporary…

Abstract

The chapter contends that although Israeli reality is replete with legal issues, very few films deal directly with the law or with a legal process as a central theme. Contemporary Israeli films are not very different from the early Israeli films in their embracement of a national heroic narrative, which typically leaves very little space for legal issues. The chapter demonstrates the absence of law from Israeli cinema by looking closely at war films, which are probably the most popular and influential Israeli films. War films reflect and in the same time participate in the construction of the Israeli collective consciousness, wherein the army experience is central. Tracing the way in which law is presented (or lacks representation) in them may shed light from a new angle on the role of law in shaping social and political norms in Israel.

Details

Studies in Law, Politics and Society
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-84950-696-0

Article
Publication date: 5 October 2015

Arch G. Woodside

This introductory paper aims to offer a rudimentary model that describes the antecedent recipes for creating native-visitors. The paper describes what is unique and valuable about…

2165

Abstract

Purpose

This introductory paper aims to offer a rudimentary model that describes the antecedent recipes for creating native-visitors. The paper describes what is unique and valuable about the seven articles that follow in their descriptions and explanations of the behavior of native-tourists. This special issue is to honor the originality and value of the contributions of tourism research’s leading critic, John Urry.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper presents a paradigm that includes eight profiles of tourists identified by low/high conjunctions of knowledge, training and authentication of performances of tourism places. The study calls for a normative stance that tourists should develop a sense of obligation to learn before visiting to enrich understanding of what they are seeing and to reduce the negative outcomes of the tourist gaze. The method includes describing the unique and valuable contributions in each of the seven following articles in the issue.

Findings

The analysis and outcomes are viewable best as propositions from a thought experiment. The seven articles that follow the introduction are appropriate data for a meta-review of the development of new meanings of tourism generated from the concept of native-tourist.

Research limitations/implications

This study may spur necessary additional work to confirm that native-tourists do interpret performing tourist places differently and more richly than naïve tourists.

Originality/value

The article is high in originality in establishing the benefits from studying native-tourists as unique contributors to clarifying and deepening the meanings of tourism drama enactments.

Details

International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, vol. 9 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6182

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 28 July 2023

Mona Jami Pour, Mahnaz Hosseinzadeh and Maryam Moradi

The Internet of Things (IoT), as one of the new digital technologies, has created wide applications in various industries, and one of the most influential industries of this…

Abstract

Purpose

The Internet of Things (IoT), as one of the new digital technologies, has created wide applications in various industries, and one of the most influential industries of this technology is the transportation industry. By integrating the IoT with the transportation industry, there will be dramatic changes in the industry, and it will provide many entrepreneurial opportunities for entrepreneurs to develop new businesses. Opportunity identification is at the heart of the entrepreneurial process, and entrepreneurs identify innovative goods or services to enter a new market by identifying, evaluating, and exploiting opportunities. Despite the desire of transportation managers to invest in the IoT and the increase in research in this area, limited research has focused on IoT-based entrepreneurial opportunities in the transportation industry. Therefore, the present study aims to identify IoT-based entrepreneurial opportunities in the transportation industry and examine their importance.

Design/methodology/approach

To achieve the research objective, the authors applied a mixed approach. First, adapting the lens of the industry value chain theory, a comprehensive literature review, besides a qualitative approach including semi-structured interviews with experts and thematic analysis, was conducted to identify the entrepreneurial opportunities. The identified opportunities were confirmed in the second stage using a quantitative survey method, including the Student t-test and factor analysis. Finally, the identified opportunities were weighted and ranked using the best worst method (BWM).

Findings

Entrepreneurial opportunities are classified into five main categories, including “smart vehicles”, “business partners/smart transportation supply side”, “supporting services”, “infrastructures”, and “smart transport management and control”. The infrastructures group of opportunities ranked the highest amongst the identified groups.

Originality/value

This study adds to the digital entrepreneurship opportunity recognition literature by addressing opportunities in a smart industry propelled by digital technologies, including developing new products or new applications of the available technologies. Additionally, inspired by the industry value chain theory, this article develops a framework including various digital entrepreneurial opportunity networks which are necessary to add value to any industry and, thus, could be applied by entrepreneurs to recognize opportunities for new intermediaries to enter other digital-based industries. Finally, the present study identifies the IoT-based entrepreneurial opportunities in the smart transportation industry and prioritizes them, providing practical insights regarding the creation of entrepreneurial ecosystems in the field of smart transportation for entrepreneurs and policymakers.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 30 no. 2/3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 October 2021

Mona M. Abdelhamid, Amira Hassan El Hakeh and Mohamed M. Elfakharany

The paper aims to clarify threats facing heritage management in developing countries. It investigates the challenges facing the application of the historic urban landscape…

Abstract

Purpose

The paper aims to clarify threats facing heritage management in developing countries. It investigates the challenges facing the application of the historic urban landscape approach (HUL) in the city of Alexandria in Egypt, where heritage is trapped between unplanned developments from one side and deterioration from another side.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses SWOT analysis regarding the heritage management approach of the historic site. Site observation, documentary reviews, an online questionnaire (due to the COVID situation) and some interviews with park visitors and shopkeepers have been adopted to capture the changes in the site management, specifically capturing the current status of the site.

Findings

The paper presented an empirical study covering the evolution of heritage management practices. It suggests that building and maintaining the synergy between the government, the private sector and the public is essential for the sustainability of urban development in the city of Alexandria. It also asserts that heritage is a major catalyst of urban regeneration in the city.

Research limitations/implications

This paper highlights major threats facing Alexandrian heritage. However, it lacks generalizability.

Practical implications

It suggests inclusive urban conservation strategies that are based on the HUL approach that would revitalize the historic core and assist in preserving both its tangible and intangible heritage. These strategies can help decision makers to develop more sustainable approaches in managing city heritage and achieving sustainable development of the city core.

Social implications

The paper presents a social implication through involving stakeholders in the sustainable revitalization project of Al-Shalalat district located in the city center of Alexandria.

Originality/value

The paper presents an empirical study that fulfills an identified need for adopting more sustainable strategies in heritage management in Alexandria.

Details

Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, vol. 13 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2044-1266

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 22 November 2017

Ali Taleb, Catalin Ratiu and Rick Molz

In this study, we explored the behaviour of two Canadian multinational companies operating in the context of Arab Spring events in Egypt in 2011.

Abstract

Purpose

In this study, we explored the behaviour of two Canadian multinational companies operating in the context of Arab Spring events in Egypt in 2011.

Design/methodology/approach

We conducted a fine-grained analysis of 171 documents of various secondary sources to understand the behaviour of the two firms in Egypt between 25 January 2011 and 30 June 2012.

Findings

We suggest that corporate diplomacy should be viewed as portfolios of interdependent actions rather than reactions to discrete events. We also underline the importance for organisations to have a proactive, holistic and inclusive corporate diplomacy strategy, with the objective to secure and balance both explicit political/legal licence and implicit social licence.

Research limitations/implications

We intentionally focused our empirical analysis on two Canadian firms operating in the same host country and belonging to the same industry. It would be useful to carry similar research in different organisational and institutional contexts.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 14 March 2024

Lázaro Florido-Benítez

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the metaverse platform in a social context to better understand the future of this tool in tourism cities and how this can help to improve…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the metaverse platform in a social context to better understand the future of this tool in tourism cities and how this can help to improve the well-being of residents in both digital and physical scenarios.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper, the current and probable developments in the metaverse, and its use in tourism cities and companies have been investigated. Moreover, this study develops, collects and examines the main metaverse definitions by expert authors and organizations as a methodology to ensure the transparency and credibility of the metaverse analysis.

Findings

Findings suggest that the fusion of the metaverse and tourism cities must create residents’ services and experiences in the new MetaTourPolis to help interact and connect citizens with the city’s institutions and companies, as well as make tourism cities more attractive, innovative, environmentally friendly and healthier places to live. Metaverse will bring new changes for residents and tourists, in fact, this virtual platform is already changing and improving the residents’ quality of life and people with disabilities in tourism cities. For instance, the metaverse platform has been implemented in Seoul, Santa Monica and Dubai MetaTourPolis to interact with their residents, including people with disabilities, to resolve bureaucratic and administrative problems, avoiding this group and the rest of the residents travelling by bus or car to the city’s institutions. In addition, several metaverse applications based on softbot tutors or metaverse virtual social centres have been developed to improve blind and impaired people, and elderly people’ quality of life, respectively.

Originality/value

A new concept called “MetaTourPolis” has been included to stage the relationship between tourism cities and the metaverse platform, where the fusion of metaverse and the new tourism polis of the 21st century will be at the service of citizens, tourists and companies, to create more sustainable, efficient, quantitative and environmental tourism cities.

Details

International Journal of Tourism Cities, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-5607

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 10 May 2013

Richard P. Smiraglia and Charles van den Heuvel

This paper seeks to outline the central role of concepts in the knowledge universe, and the intertwining roles of works, instantiations, and documents. In particular the authors…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper seeks to outline the central role of concepts in the knowledge universe, and the intertwining roles of works, instantiations, and documents. In particular the authors are interested in ontological and epistemological aspects of concepts and in the question to which extent there is a need for natural languages to link concepts to create meaningful patterns.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors describe the quest for the smallest elements of knowledge from a historical perspective. They focus on the metaphor of the universe of knowledge and its impact on classification and retrieval of concepts. They outline the major components of an elementary theory of knowledge interaction.

Findings

The paper outlines the major components of an elementary theory of knowledge interaction that is based on the structure of knowledge rather than on the content of documents, in which semantics becomes not a matter of synonymous concepts, but rather of coordinating knowledge structures. The evidence is derived from existing empirical research.

Originality/value

The paper shifts the bases for knowledge organization from a search for a universal order to an understanding of a universal structure within which many context‐dependent orders are possible.

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