The widespread adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies has drastically increased the breadth and depth of attack surfaces in networked systems, providing new mechanisms for the ...intrusion. In the context of smart-world critical infrastructures and cyber-physical systems, the rapid adoption of the IoT systems and infrastructures without thorough consideration for the risks and vulnerabilities has the potential for catastrophic damage to the privacy, safety, and security of individuals and corporations. While the IoT systems have the potential to increase productivity, accountability, traceability, and efficiency, their potential weaknesses are also more abundant. In this paper, we provide critical consideration of the security of the IoT systems as applied to smart-world critical infrastructures. Particularly, we carry out a detailed assessment of vulnerabilities in IoT-based critical infrastructures from the perspectives of applications, networking, operating systems, software, firmware, and hardware. In addition, we highlight the three key critical infrastructure IoT-based cyber-physical systems, namely the smart transportation, smart manufacturing, and smart grid. Moreover, we provide a broad collection of attack examples upon each of the key applications. Furthermore, we introduce a case study, in which we assess the impacts of potential attacks on critical IoT-based systems, using the smart transportation system as an example. Finally, we provide a set of best practices and address the necessary steps to enact countermeasures for any generic IoT-based critical infrastructure system.
Here this study presents a comprehensive performance and forecasting analysis of the As-Samra wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) in Jordan, with two main objectives. Firstly, a thorough evaluation of ...the plant's performance is conducted. The analysis involves independently assessing historical operational conditions, plant production, and their statistical correlations using various statistical techniques. The second objective focuses on developing a data-driven forecasting approach to predict the plant's production one month in advance, using multiple machine learning models. The results highlight the effectiveness of principal component analysis (PCA) in simplifying operational data, revealing distinct operational clusters, and identifying seasonal production patterns while showing correlations between operational conditions and overall power production. The support vector machine (SVM) forecasting model emerged as the top performer, showcasing the potential of a hybrid forecasting approach. The findings offer valuable perspectives for enhancing operational efficiency, refining production planning, and ultimately improving the environmental impact of the plant.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
In recent years the historical subject base in psychobiography has expanded from a traditional focus on White (Caucasian) subjects to a broader more culturally inclusive population of significant ...personalities throughout history. A critical component of strong multicultural psychobiography is the inclusion of anchoring theories of psychology that are rooted in socio-cultural-political context. To psychologically profile culturally diverse individuals with only traditional Western theories of psychology and psychiatry (e.g. medical models, psychodynamic, existential, cognitive-behavioral) limits the ability of the research to accurately capture the
(lived experience) of extraordinary individuals in proper cultural context. This article reviews specific psychological theories that have recently set a foundation for more nuanced and culturally contextualised psychological profiles of historic personalities who represent diverse racial/ethnic/cultural backgrounds. Among the theories covered are the
(IAPP), an
(Native American) model of psychobiography, as well as theories and models on
(Black racial identity development),
,
(PCI),
(QBRID), and
, among others. Examples of applications of these culture-centered theories to psychobiography, drawn from the present authors recently completed psychobiographies, as well as from other researchers internationally, are presented.
Recent years have seen a vivid debate on the epistemological foundations of comparative urban research. Remarkably, comparative case study research practice has remained unaffected by these wider ...debates and empirical research processes often stay a 'black box'. Thus, we identify an unmet need for a critical and transparent reflection of conceptual foundations and empirical processes. Based on a review of EU-funded projects in the field of territorial cohesion, we discuss minimum standards of comparative case study research. These standards encompass the theoretical framework of the study, the objective of comparison, questions regarding the ambition to generalize, the case study selection strategy, and potential trade-offs. We conclude that researchers should be more explicit in their way of carrying out comparative research. Eventually, this transparency supports both a fruitful debate on comparative case study designs and the soundness of academic and policy conclusions.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
PurposeThe purpose of this research is to provide a theoretical explanation of the strategic and structural changes occurring in US omnichannel retail supply chains. Using longitudinal data, the ...research documents transitions in retailers' supply chain strategies, specifically related to the order fulfillment process. It further offers explanation for how and why these transitions occurred.Design/methodology/approachThis research uses a process theory lens to explain the business model transformation of the omnichannel order fulfillment process. Using a case study approach, a longitudinal multicase study was conducted with six large US retailers over a span of 10 years. Within-case and cross-case analysis identifies the sequence and rationale of different strategic and structural shifts in retailers' omnichannel order fulfillment strategy.FindingsThe within- and cross-case analyses offer insight into how the transitions occur, at what rate they occur across several different retailers, and why the rate can differ across the stages of omnichannel transition among retailers. The research documents that retailers took varied approaches to strategically develop and structurally change their order fulfillment processes in their transition to omnichannel retail. The findings reveal that these approaches are dependent on retailers' store-based logistics capabilities and specific supply chain arrangements within their retail segment.Research limitations/implicationsThe longitudinal and theoretically driven approach provides researchers a better understanding of the business model transformation in US retail omnichannel operations. This approach builds theoretical context around why and how strategic and structural changes in omnichannel fulfillment occurred over time. It also explains the underlying omnichannel phenomenon more accurately than research focused on discrete changes at a single point in time.Practical implicationsThe findings and managerial insights can assist practitioners in understanding how environmental changes have led to strategic and structural shifts across different stages of omnichannel fulfillment evolution. These insights also provide guidance to retailers that are currently in early stages of developing their omnichannel fulfillment strategy.Originality/valueLogistics and fulfillment operations of retailers have changed dramatically over the last 10–15 years. The authors apply a process theory lens to explain how and why retailers have integrated their channels to achieve omnichannel success at the store level.
AbstractTimber floors are prone to exhibit vibration levels, which can cause discomfort to the occupants. In the last 20 years, ambient vibration tests have become very popular due to the many ...advantages they have over traditional forced vibration tests when dealing with civil engineering structures. Furthermore, sensitivity analyses and black-box” optimization algorithms can support the development of refined finite-element models that accurately predict the structures’ responses based on the experimental modal parameters. However, applications of these methods and techniques to timber structures are scarce compared with traditional materials. This paper presents and discusses the findings of an experimental testing campaign on a lightweight timber floor. At first, each component of the assembly was tested separately under different boundary conditions. Then, the authors evaluated the behavior of the whole floor assembly. In a second step, the authors carried out a covariance-based sensitivity analysis of finite element (FE) models representative of the tested structures by varying the different members’ mechanical properties. The results of the sensitivity analysis highlighted the most influential parameters and supported the comparison among diverse FE models. As expected, the longitudinal modulus of elasticity is the most critical parameter, although the results are very dependent on the boundary conditions. Then automatic modal updating algorithms tuned the numerical model to test results. As a concluding remark, the experimental and numerical results were compared with the outcomes of a simplified analytical approach for the floor’s first natural frequency estimate based on current European standards.
AbstractDespite extensive research into attitudes and practice surrounding the uptake of off-site production technologies, there is limited understanding of how best to integrate their use into ...business processes at the organizational level. Drawing on an action-research case study with a leading U.K. house-building organization, this paper scrutinizes the processes through which off-site technologies were adopted and utilized. The use of off-site methods was fundamentally framed by the key stages and business milestone reviews of the house-building process, which together represented a complex and multilayered structure of business management. Five off-site reviews were aligned with the business processes. Strategies for integrating the use of off-site technologies are examined. It was crucial to establish an overall off-site strategy and integrate it into the process from land acquisition on. Organizational learning embraced the adoption of off-site methods, whereas extra reporting and management efforts introduced bureaucracy. Culture change was commonly perceived as difficult and painful. Earlier engagement with supply chains was advocated for favoring the off-site approach and improving business efficiency, whereas it also demanded greater commitment of the house builder to specific supply chains and therefore exposed the business to risks associated with planning and market changes. The strategies should facilitate building companies’ strategic management of off-site technology.
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DOBA, FGGLJ, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Purpose
This study aims to examine how case study research has been applied in the field of human resource development (HRD).
Design/methodology/approach
The authors examined HRD case study research ...by analyzing 118 refereed, empirical case study articles published between 2000 and 2020 in three Academy of HRD-sponsored journals.
Findings
Findings suggest that case studies have an established place in HRD research. The disciplinary convention has been exploratory case studies, which, to a greater extent, draw on single-case research designs. When examining the proportion of case study articles in relation to all empirical, peer-refereed publications in the journals, the authors found a slight decline in case study research publications in recent years. The results of our post hoc exploratory analysis indicate that HRD case study research that contributes to theory development by eliciting concepts and their relationships is likely to receive more scholarly attention than case studies that provide rich descriptions of the phenomenon. The results also suggest that it is rather case study’s contribution to theory than selected features of case study that attracts scholars’ attention.
Originality/value
The study identified several approaches to conducting case study research that have received less attention by HRD researchers. The authors encourage HRD researchers to expand their repertoire of case study approaches. The authors also provide recommendations addressing the issues of methodological self-awareness, rigor and transparency in case study research.
The severe scarcity of critical medical supplies caused by the COVID-19 pandemic led to considerable procurement challenges in the healthcare supply chain (HCSC). As ensuring the availability of such ...supplies during disruptions is critical, the debate on how to increase supply chain resilience in healthcare has gained new momentum. We present empirical evidence from a multi-tier case study spanning nine European medical supplies manufacturers and hospital groups. Based on the resource dependence theory, we investigated procurement-related strategies to improve medical supplies availability. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 39 procurement and supply chain management experts and derived seven propositions on buffering and bridging approaches for managing evolving resource dependencies and thereby strengthening supply chain resilience in a pandemic. Overall, we confirm the resource dependence theory's applicability for explaining companies' mitigation measures in a pandemic disruption. We find that bridging measures within the healthcare supply base, such as offering procurement support for suppliers or leveraging long-term buyer-supplier relationships, are more effective for securing medical supplies than buffering measures. Complementing bridging with buffering, such as extended upstream procurement or resource sharing among hospitals, can lead to superior risk mitigation as capacities of the present supplier base may not suffice. Furthermore, we extend the resource dependence theory by showing that the severity of disruptions caused by a pandemic triggers new forms of buffering external to the HCSC. Both traditional and new buffering measures establish novel flows of medical supplies in the HCSC that can enable higher supply security in a pandemic.
•A healthcare supply chain case study during the COVID-19 pandemic is conducted.•Supply chain resilience measures are explored using the resource dependence theory.•Bridging is more effective than buffering to improve medical supplies availability.•Complementing bridging with buffering leads to better risk management.•Severe pandemic disruptions trigger novel, cross-industry buffering measures.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
This study examines the organization of resource-constrained innovation from a business model perspective. Using a multiple case study design, we demonstrate that the ability to organize ...resource-constrained innovation is built on cost, good-enough, frugal, and reverse innovation capabilities. Cost innovation does not always lead to a new product, rather it is a way to reduce operational costs through the value creation activities of a business model to achieve resource-constrained innovation. Good-enough innovations are developed through existing platform reengineering and localization through value creation activities. We demonstrate that frugal innovations are developed based on new product architectures and applications that can create completely new market segments to compete against non-consumption. Reverse innovations refer to frugal innovations that are characterized by higher market novelty because they create completely new market segments in developed and developing markets for value capture.
•Resource-constrained innovation is built on cost, good-enough, frugal and reverse innovation capabilities.•Cost innovation reduces operational costs through the value creation activities to achieve resource-constrained innovation.•Good-enough innovations are developed by platform reengineering and localization through value creation activities.•Frugal innovations are developed through new product architectures and applications that can create new market segments.•Reverse innovations with higher market novelty create new markets in developed and developing markets for value capture.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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