1,721,021 research outputs found
A framework for assessing the quality and functionality of logistics buildings
No full textLogistics real estate has been experiencing a recent rebirth also driven by industries such as e-commerce and retailing, searching for warehouses and cross-docking facilities compliant with their logistics needs. In order to identify the top class logistics buildings, the need has emerged for measuring both the quality (e.g. architectural and equipment features) and functionality (e.g. compliancy with logistics requirements) of warehouses. Literature reports examples of assessment models related to industrial buildings from a sustainability perspective (e.g. LEED, BREEAM certifications), but the measurement of their functionality and quality has been scarcely addressed so far. The present paper aims to fill this gap by developing an original model to assess logistics buildings, by identifying, structuring and rating the most relevant features of a warehouse. The proposed model assesses the degree of functionality and quality level of two types of logistics buildings: warehouses and cross-dock platforms. A three-phase methodology was adopted. First, a literature review on logistics real estate was performed to list significant warehouse features. Second, both structured interviews with experts and a Delphi method were used to adjust the list, and to evaluate the importance of each feature. As a result, a model was developed, structured into four sections, each divided into sub-sections. Each sub-section presents multiple-choice questions with response items. The significance of each section/item is described by the weights defined by experts, and the overall rating determines the quality level of the logistics building under assessment. Finally, the rating model was validated by pilot tests on a panel of existing warehouses and cross-dock platforms
Benchmarking logistics facilities: a rating model to assess building quality and functionality
Get PDFPurpose: Logistics real estate has been experiencing a recent rebirth led by the growth of retailing and e-commerce. Although these sectors are looking for facilities matching their logistics needs, the identification of the most suitable building becomes a challenging task. To date, from both the practitioner’s and academic perspectives there is a lack of models for assessing the quality of logistics facilities together with functionality (i.e. whether a warehouse is suitable for hosting a given logistics activity). The purpose of this paper is to fill this gap by developing a rating model for assessing the quality and functionality of logistics facilities.
Design/methodology/approach: A three-pronged methodology was adopted. First, a Systematic Literature Network Analysis (SLNA) was carried out to identify the relevant features that must be taken into consideration when assessing logistics real estate. Second, a Delphi method involving experts in the field was used to fine-tune the list of features that emerged from the SLNA process and to evaluate the importance of each feature from a company perspective. The rating model was developed and validated through pilot tests on 27 logistics facilities.
Findings: The rating model is divided into four sections: location, technical specifications, external spaces and internal areas. As an output, the model determines the building quality and main functionality, together with a gap analysis to detect the weakest emerging elements.
Originality/value: This research fills an identified research gap in the logistics real estate literature. Specifically, it offers a quantitative and shared evaluation method, which can be used to estimate building quality and functionality, thus extending the scope of the previous assessment methods available
Seventy-two shades of environmental sustainability in healthcare: A holistic framework proposal
No full textSustainability is emerging as a critical research domain, transcending industrial applications to also address healthcare issues. This necessitates the adoption of an all-encompassing holistic, multidimensional, and multi- stakeholder approach. In an era where economic growth has predominantly driven all industries, integrating environmental sustainability into business strategies and, subsequently, into daily operations is increasingly emerging. Different levels (macro, considering the national healthcare system; meso, focusing on a single hospital or healthcare facility; and micro, concerning the single process) might be considered to address the unmet need to transform the healthcare sector towards a net-zero emissions approach, especially for the environmental impacts and carbon footprint generated by this industry. A more comprehensive framework emerges as a priority for both scholars and practitioners, to manage and synthesize these aspects. To achieve this objective, a scoping literature review was conducted, including 72 articles, as the starting point for the development of a holistic framework, and then the Nominal Group Technique was applied to perform the validation phase, measuring the experts' agreement on the framework proposed. The latter comprises three principal dimensions: i) infrastructure, ii) organisation, and iii) technology, emerging as the primary units of analysis for evaluating environmental sustainability within the healthcare sector. By assessing these three main outlined dimensions, decision-makers and healthcare professionals can gain a comprehensive understanding of sustainability performance. This will guide the evaluation process and provide a structured approach to assess current and future practices, set targets, implement actions, and monitor progress towards environmentally sustainable goals. This is also important in relation to international and national policies, such as the 2030 Agenda. The present research aims to investigate the available evidence on the topic and suggest a new framework. This proposed model aims to overcome the existing limitations, related to already proposed one-dimensional framework or models concerning only limited and not integrated aspects (building, supply chain or HR management). It also aims to provide guidance to healthcare professionals and policymakers in making informed decisions and prioritising interventions that comply with environmentally sustainable principles
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Get PDFThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Get PDF“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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