Institutional Repository of Academic Research University of Macedonia
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2215 research outputs found
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The pollution traveling salesman problem with refueling
No full textThis study presents the Pollution Traveling Salesman Problem with Refueling, a novel optimization problem which integrates two recently proposed variants of the Traveling Salesman Problem: the Pollution Traveling Salesman Problem and the Traveling Salesman Problem with Refueling. The proposed problem captures the operational dynamics of a real-world routing scenario involving a single vehicle originating from a central depot and delivering products to end customers. When considering the vehicle's fuel tank capacity and fuel consumption during the routing process, the need to visit fuel stations for refueling arises. To address this complex problem, a new mixed integer linear programming model was developed, and the Gurobi solver was employed to solve smaller instances. For the effective resolution of larger practical problem cases, a two-stage double adaptive general variable neighborhood search method was proposed. The proposed methodology exhibits comparable efficiency to a commercial solver, demonstrating notably low execution time requirements. To further assess its performance, a comparative study was conducted on TSPLib instances. In comparison to various solution approaches documented in the open literature, encompassing both Variable Neighborhood Search-based and alternative methods, our proposed approach consistently yields highly competitive results within low execution times.16710666110670
Measuring the patronage intentions among football fans: the role of corporate social responsibility, brand credibility and brand equity
No full textPurpose: The study aims to identify critical factors that influence football fans’ support of their favorite team by examining the impact of social responsibility, brand credibility and team brand equity on patronage intentions of professional football teams. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey collected data from 331 football fans of the Persian Gulf Premier League (PGPL) in Iran. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings: The findings revealed that corporate social responsibility (CSR) is able to influence brand equity, brand credibility and patronage intentions. Also, brand equity and brand credibility were found to be positively related to patronage intentions. In addition to that, the findings show that brand equity and team credibility partially mediate the relationship between CSR and patronage intentions. Practical implications: The findings provide valuable insights to sports teams/club managers aiming to attract new fans and retain current ones by investing in CSR and enhancing brand credibility and equity. Strategies to integrate CSR into relationship marketing and brand management are outlined. Originality/value: This study empirically highlights the critical role of adhering to CSR and the effects of brand credibility and equity in enhancing patronage intentions among football team fans.25360061
Integrating online learning into service quality assessment in higher-education its influence on student satisfaction
No full textPurpose: Online learning gained ground during the pandemic and has continued to be used in the post-Covid era. Items related to online learning should be included in service quality assessment. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of service quality, which includes the online learning dimension, on student satisfaction in higher-education in a blended learning environment. Design/methodology/approach: A total of 452 valid questionnaires were collected from business undergraduate students enrolled in public universities in Greece. A modified version of HEdPERF is used to evaluate service quality. Due to the extensive use of online learning, an additional dimension was added to the HEdPERF scale which focuses on online education, a field that has not yet been widely examined. Structural equation modeling is used to examine the relationships between service quality, and student satisfaction. Findings: The research findings verify the six-structure scale of the HEdPERF instrument (non-academic aspects, academic aspects, reputation, access and programs issues and online learning), providing satisfactory results in terms of reliability and validity tests. Service quality dimensions such as academic aspects, access, program issues and online learning are the influential dimensions of student satisfaction in a blended learning context. Originality/value: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no previous study has expanded traditional service quality instruments to include the dimension of service quality of online learning
Management accountants with a growth mindset and changes in the design of costing systems: The role of organisational culture
No full textBased on implicit person theories, this paper investigates the relationship between the growth mindset of management accountants and changes in the design of costing systems, as well as the role that organisational culture plays in this relationship. Using survey data from 146 management accountants of manufacturing companies, we find that management accountants who have a growth mindset increase the complexity, inconclusiveness, and functionality of their firm's costing system, compared to those who have a fixed mindset. Additionally, our results show that innovation-oriented culture (a dimension of organisational culture) strengthens the relationship between growth mindset and changes in the design of the costing system.6422085211
On value efficiency analysis and targeted benevolence cross efficiency
No full textIn this article, we examine the relation between cross efficiency and Value Efficiency Analysis, two Data Envelopment Analysis related models for peer appraisal assessment. Particularly, we show that the Targeted Benevolence cross efficiency formulation is equivalent to the Value Efficiency Analysis model if either (i) the “reference” unit, i.e. the one whose vector of optimal multipliers is used to evaluate all others in the Targeted Benevolence formulation, or (ii), its radial projection if it is inefficient, is chosen as the Most Preferred Solution in Value Efficiency Analysis. An immediate implication of this result is an alternative and most frequently shorter way to compute the Targeted Benevolence cross-efficiency matrix, as we can do so by solving a series of Value Efficiency Analysis problems, each of which uses a different unit or its radial projection if it is not efficient as the Most Preferred Solution. For this purpose, we provide a four-step algorithm, from which it is clear that in most of the cases it is not necessary to solve all the relevant problems. This depends on the number of inefficient units that are (radially) projected in the strongly efficient frontier and the number of different sets of peers for these units.75112101211
Software Engineering Practices in Smart Contract Development: A Systematic Mapping Study
No full textSmart Contracts are pieces of software that are deployed in Blockchain infrastructures to enable the interaction (and production of value) between unknown parties, without intermediaries, but in a trustworthy and transparent manner. A key to Smart Contracts’ success is their delivery to excellent standards of quality (e.g., security, documentation, code understandability etc.). To achieve this goal, the development of Smart Contracts needs to be driven by proven software engineering practices. In this paper, we conducted a systematic mapping study to get a comprehensive overview on how “good” software engineering practices are applied to Smart Contract Development. To identify primary studies that lie on the intersection of software engineering and smart contract development, we have selected specific publication venues and queried the literature. After applying the selection criteria, 113 studies were identified, analyzed, and synthesized results have been reported. The results provided some actionable implications for researchers and practitioners.15452 LNCS360367Product-Focused Software Process Improvement. PROFES 202
Warranty, free service and rework policy for an imperfect manufacturing system with SAR sensitive demand under emission taxation
No full textThe aim of this study is to illustrate the impact of warranty/free service period, specific absorption rate (SAR) of the products, rework policy and emission taxation on the optimal business policy of an imperfect production inventory system in the current highly uncertain/intensified market situation. In this study, the customers’ demand is considered to be influenced by the warranty/free service period along with a permissible SAR of the items. As a result, the manufacturer invests in order to provide warranty period/free service period and fixing an appropriate SAR for the products which are shown in production cost, service cost and SAR reduction investment. Three distinct scenarios are analysed separately regarding the marketing assimilation of defective items. Each suggested scenario relying on the system is quantitatively validated using an example. Furthermore, manufacturers are bound to pay carbon emission tax due to the carbon emission during the production process. Due to high non-linearity of the objective function, a numerical example is solved using the artificial hummingbird algorithm (AHA). From the numerical experiment, it is observed that the optimal policy of the system is strongly influenced by the price and duration of the warranty, emission taxation rate and moderately affected by the SAR of the product. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is carried out, and its effect are shown graphically in order to provide guidance to the competent manager of the firm.18710976
New multi criteria decision making technique based on neutrosophic QUALIFLEX method
No full textThe field of Multicriteria Decision Making (MCDM) has advanced significantly, with methods like QUALIFLEX playing a key role by integrating concordance and discordance measures for robust decision outcomes. This paper introduces an innovative extension, neutrosophic QUALIFLEX, which incorporates neutrosophic sets to better handle uncertainty and indeterminacy. Neutrosophic logic manages truth, indeterminacy, and falsity simultaneously, offering a nuanced approach compared to traditional models. The scope of this article is the application of neutrosophic QUALIFLEX to staff selection in business, a scenario often plagued by high uncertainty. Preliminary results show that neutrosophic QUALIFLEX provides superior performance, delivering more accurate and reliable rankings of candidates. This method addresses the limitations of conventional MCDM approaches, improving decision-making accuracy and expanding the theoretical foundations of MCDM for future research and applications in complex environments. This contribution to the literature bridges a critical gap by addressing the limitations of conventional MCDM methods in dealing with ambiguous and indeterminate information. The integration of neutrosophic sets into the QUALIFLEX framework not only improves decision-making accuracy but also expands the theoretical foundations of MCDM, paving the way for future research and application in complex decision environments.73748
Educational Programming Environments for Enhancing Conceptual Design in the Object-Oriented Paradigm: A Systematic Mapping Study
No full textTeaching and learning programming, and especially Object-Oriented Programming (OOP), is a complicated and challenging task. Students have to comprehend various OOP concepts and utilize them for designing object-oriented programs. Various types of educational programming environments, such as microworlds and educational games, have been devised for supporting novices mainly in comprehending OOP concepts. However, such environments do not usually support students in the conceptual design of object-oriented programs of a considerable length and complexity. In this paper, we focus on a systematic mapping study (SMS) of educational programming environments for enhancing the conceptual design in OOP, which relies on modularity, abstraction and encapsulation. The research questions investigate the intended learning outcomes, the empirical evidence on the effectiveness, and the teaching/learning technologies used by educational programming environments for enhancing the conceptual design in OOP. The findings can support instructors in selecting appropriate tools for their courses and researchers in the field of educational programming environments for OOP.6217010
Sustainability indices nexus: Green economy, ESG, environment and clean energy
No full textIn this article, we examine the spillover effects and connectedness among four prominent sustainability-related indices. We analyze daily data spanning from August 8, 2014, to April 12, 2023, to explore the interrelationships among the Green Economy Index, the World Environmental, Social, and Governance Index, the Global Environment Index and the Global Clean Energy Index. Particularly, we observe a clustering characteristic where both the Green Economy Index and the World Environmental, Social, and Governance Index exhibit a net-contributing behavior, especially during and after the COVID-19 outbreak. Global Environment Index, on the other hand, exhibits a net-receiving role, which became strong during the COVID-19 outbreak. Further, the Global Clean Energy Index demonstrates a neutral role, although it shows a net-receiving trend after the year 2022. Finally, dynamic analysis confirms the evolving nature of these interconnectedness measures, highlighting their sensitivity to events and shifting economic conditions over time.9610361