Business Commons^™

Meeting The Sustainability Challenges: An Assessment Of Entrepreneurial Education, Anna Zherdeva, Intesar Madi, Abrar Alzankawi, Lucia Morales Dr, L. Pop, A. Soler-Dominguez, J.C. Saez

Conference papers

The importance of sustainability and entrepreneurship education is highlighted in this study. The world economies are facing significant challenges as they try to enable the transition towards more sustainable economic and business models. Therefore, at the centre of the transition process, it is critical to consider the role that business education can play and, more specifically, the role of business schools in integrating and supporting the development of skills and competencies that align with our contemporary society's needs. In this paper, we initially assess the need to connect entrepreneurial and sustainability education by exploring the educational offerings at Technological University …

Tdabc Capabilities For Performance Measurement: A Case Study In A Manufacturing Context, Siham Rahoui, Abubakar Ali, John Crowe, Amr Mahfouz

Conference papers

Supply chain costing presents a sophisticated alternative to traditional costing allowing an accurate cost estimation and effective decision making. In exploring different techniques, TDABC was not explored extensively compared to its peers. In addition to the infancy of the technique, there is an on-going debate about the capability of the TDABC specifically in manufacturing context. The present study contributes to the debate by applying TDABC at the logistics function of a manufacturing site and assesses it capability to measure performance in the stated context.

Simulation-Based Scenario Mapping Model To Investigate Post-Brexit Implications On The Irish Beef Export Sector: A Case Study, Amr Mahfouz, Rishi Choudhary

Conference papers

Purpose Brexit introduced a range of new tariffs and non-tariff barriers that will significantly disrupt Irish beef exports, particularly to the UK market. Firms should be able to accurately anticipate the adverse effects of Brexit trade barriers on the flow of their products and change their practices accordingly. This research introduces a scenario planning solution based on a process simulation technology to investigate the implication of Brexit risks on Irish beef export performance. Scenarios implications on the transportation time and shelf-life of Irish meat exports to the UK market are investigated.

Research Approach An agent-based and discrete event simulation model …

Embedding Sustainability Literacy In Business School Curricula Through Reflective Pedagogy: An Exploratory Study Of Student Reflections Of The Sulitest, Ciara Nolan Dr, Cormac H. Macmahon, Olivia Freeman, Alacoque Mcalpine, Lucia Walsh, Deirdre Duffy Dr

Conference papers

Purpose

Sustainability has emerged as a megatrend affecting all aspects of management practice. SDG 4.7 has mandated business schools to provide education for responsible leadership and to integrate sustainability principles in their curricula. Faculty are challenged to mainstream sustainability through engaging pedagogy that inspires and offers concrete tools. Yet, pedagogy has been viewed as a key challenge to embedding sustainability in management education.

Design / Methodology / Approach

We highlight the role of reflection in promoting the enhancement of sustainability literacy in business school curricula, supporting our proposition that management education for sustainability must have a reflective dimension that engages …

Using Sequential Mixed Methods To Evaluate The Contribution Of Absorptive Capacity (Acap), Anthony Paul Buckley, Francis Martin Behan

Conference papers

How might Absorptive Capacity (ACAP) (Cohen & Levinthal 1990,,Song et al. 2018) contribute to indigenous firm innovation and growth and how might the effects of this construct be evaluated at both firm and policy level? This paper demonstrates how a mixed methods research design and data analysis strategy can address the research question outlined above. Within the ‘mixed methods’ research genre, the design approach argued for here is for a ‘sequential mixed methods research’ approach. This is where one methodology is followed sequentially by another to add robustness to the overall findings from a study. The approach can also be …

Ideological Presuppositions In Media Coverage Of Corporation Tax Policy In The Uk And Ireland: A Critical Discourse Analysis, Ciara Graham, Brendan K. O'Rourke

Conference papers

The focus of this paper is to understand how the crisis of tax avoidance strategies is discursively treated, by looking at the representation of corporation tax in two mediated public discourses in the UK and Ireland. Specifically, it examines the coverage of two prominent, agenda-setting morning radio programmes: BBC’s Radio 4 ‘Today’ programme and RTE’s ‘Morning Ireland’. It does so by performing a Critical Discourse Analysis of the coverage of tax controversies of two high-profile global corporations, Google and Apple Inc, in order to demonstrate the embeddedness of ideology within mediated public discourses of the subject. Both of the tax …

Breaking Down Silos Through Authentic Assessment: A Live Case Analysis, Olivia Freeman, Rosie Hand, Aileen Kennedy

Conference papers

One of the aims of Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) is to create graduates who problem solve as socially responsible global citizens.We wanted to provide an opportunity for our students toaddress relevant, marketing and consumption challenges in new and innovative ways,and to develop analytical competences and professional skills and comportment in a real-life context.This paper describes the design,implementation and outcome of an inter-disciplinary and cross-programme ‘authentic assessment’ method which we have termed a ‘live case analysis’.The assessment comprised fieldwork, wider industry engagement, formative assessment components and a summative presentation.The method is discussed against the backdrop of a Curriculum Framework project …

Design As Entrepreneurship: Towards A Design-Specific Entrepreneurship Framework, Con Kennedy

Conference papers

Current thinking on entrepreneurship states there is no specific link between the entrepreneur and their enterprise. Design is an individual creative act; therefore, the practitioner is not separate from their idiosyncratic process. The Designer is the product offering. Designers form Design Enterprises, meaning that with this aspect of inseparability, the Design Entrepreneur is a different kind of entrepreneur than currently discussed. The literature on the topic discusses design as a creative output, not as entrepreneurship output. Like any enterprise, Design Enterprises must be profitable. There are many entrepreneurship processes, none of which seem to address the needs of the Design …

The Persistence Of Omniscience In Knowledge Management: Implications Or Future Research, Conor Horan, Conor P. Horan, John Finch

Conference papers

Abstract: This paper demonstrates the persistence of omniscience in Knowledge Management (KM) research. Omniscience as a concept has two dimensions ubiquity and utility. This idea of ubiquity is more prevalent when the management goal focuses on processing or transferring pre-existing knowledge efficiently to those who can make use of it. Ubiquity assumes that knowledge is freely available within the firm i.e. is omnipresent, waiting for it to be processed or transferred. The idea of utility assumes that knowledge and its relevance is fully understood by the firm. The firms and its managers are assumed to know the value and quality …

Competitive Strategies In Small And Medium Sized Enterprises (Sme's): A Cross- Case Analysis Of Irish Construction Professional Service Firms, Oluwasegun O. Seriki, Roisin Murphy

Conference papers

Strategy formulation aims to attain strategic fit between an organisation and its business environment in pursuit of competitive advantage. Although competitive strategy research is long established within industries such as manufacturing, financial services and IT, strategy within construction is still under-investigated by comparison. For construction professional service firms (CPSFs), the dearth of academic inquiry is even more apparent, partly due to the intangible nature of their service offerings, highly customised nature of their services and reliance on intellectual capital. The Irish construction sector is experiencing stable growth since following a prolonged recession, thus understanding the strategy process within professional service …

A Post-Brexit Transportation Scenario Analysis For An Agri-Fresh Produce Supply Chain, Amr Mahfouz, Declan Allen, Amr Arisha, Ralf Elbert, Michael Gleser

Conference papers

The ever-increasing demand for fresh and healthy products initiated an urgency for effective planning for Agri-Fresh Produce Supply Chains (AFPSC). However, AFPSC faces many challenges, including product vulnerability to market disruption and limited shelf-life. In case of a no-deal Brexit (i.e., the UK leaving the EU without an agreement), trade between Ireland and the UK will most probably be subjected to customs control. In effect, transportation delays and products deterioration rates will increase. Based on interviews with an Irish AFPSC forwarder, a simulation model was developed to investigate different systems' dynamics and operating rules under different delay patterns on the …

Investigating The Enduring Fascination With Dublin's Victorian Pubs, James Peter Murphy

Conference papers

Victorian pubs of Dublin have played an integral role in the social, cultural and economic history of Ireland’s capital from their early development in the front rooms and parlours of Dublin homes they are one of the most iconic elements of Irish culture. These pubs have always been a strange mixture of tradition and curiosity which forms an integral part of the rich tapestry of Dublin life dating back to their creation nearly 200 years ago. A proud brewing and distilling tradition of these pubs combined with their natural hospitality and sociability, have all contributed to making the pubs of …

Technological Mediated Applications At Sacred Heritages: Usefulness And Challenges- A Managerial Perspective, Vreny Enongene

Conference papers

The rapid development of technologies introduces smartness to all organisations and communities (Buhalis, & Amaranggana, 2014. P. 553), for which sacred heritages are no exception, as evident in their increasing use of technological mediated applications towards enhancing the visitors experience and data generation. This development in the use of technological applications, has in part been triggered by the identified changing needs and expectations of contemporary sacred site visitors, as well as their importance and role in changing the nature of the consumers expectations and the nature of the visitor’s experience.

Thus, applying these smart tourism concept in addressing the changing …

What Lessons Can Be Learned From The Delivery Of The First Building On The Grangegorman Campus Using Building Information Management (Bim)?, Pat O'Sullivan, Avril Behan

Conference papers

There is an acceptance that BIM, via data management, can be integrated with FM to reduce costs during the Operations and Maintenance stage of a project. However, what has not been documented is the ‘on the ground’ reality which can be reviewed as a lessons learnt exercise to improve the implementation of BIM FM for future projects. This case study sets out to explore the realities of a client’s adoption of BIM based upon the actual experience of the Greenway Hub. Rather than relying on anecdotal evidence the research was based upon the real practices and experiences of the Dublin …

Strategic Management In Irish Construction Professional Service Firms: A Comparative Study Across Professions, Oluwasegun Seriki, Roisin Murphy

Conference papers

The Irish construction industry has undergone substantial change in the past decade. Following a deep, lengthy recession the improving outlook of the construction sector makes the inquiry into strategy within the firms both timely and appropriate. Determining how construction organizations successfully adapt in a highly turbulent industry is critical to ensure survival in a highly cyclical industry sector. Strategizing in construction professional service firms (CPSFs) is not well documented, and there is little understanding of the strategy processes, and implications of these processes in the firms. As part of an ongoing study, the strategic management process in CPSFs is reviewed …

Construction Professional Service Firm Management: A Longitudinal Study Of Strategic Planning In Irish Quantity Surveying Practices, Roisin Murphy

Conference papers

This paper reports on the ongoing investigation of strategic planning in Irish Quantity Surveying practices. The construction industry in Ireland has undergone a period of significant change in the last five years fuelling a shift in focus from tactical to strategic planning in professional service firms operating within the sector. A previous paper identified the type, scope and extent of strategic planning within Quantity Surveying (QS) practices in Ireland in the years up to and during the economic downturn. The current paper expands on the previous research by identifying changes in approach to strategic management within these professional service firms …

Overcoming Fraud & Dishonesty In The Hospitality Industry, James Peter Murphy

Conference papers

The licensed industry is an increasingly competitive market place, many bars have responded by empowering staff and undertaking structural and management reforms in recent years. Undoubtedly, these changes have significantly raised the levels of customer service and enhanced customer satisfaction. Paradoxically these changes, combined with the responsibilities allocated to bar staff and management to supervise and manage bars with autonomous control have created more fertile conditions, scope and opportunity for dishonest actions by staff members.

The way licensed premises approach the issue of staff fraud is changing in response to the increased risk. Many bars have historically been anxious to …

Performance Management In Irish Public And Private Sector Organisations: Moving Towards Multicultural Performance Management Practice, Kevin Paul Corbett

Conference papers

The purpose of this paper is to analyse how performance management (PM) has evolved to its current presence in Ireland as a sophisticated management tool. This paper will focus on intercultural and cross-cultural PM, its communication and training in the process in Ireland. This paper will examine its practice in the Irish private and public sectors and will also analyse a study on low-skilled employment of predominately migrant labour in Dublin. This paper will make a case for the roll out of PM to all sectors of the Irish workforce, including temporary and contract workers.

Evaluating The Contribution Of Technology Start-Up Incubators – Exploring Methodological And Data-Related Conundrums., Anthony Paul Buckley, Stephen Davis

Conference papers

Policy makers in developed economies see merit in supporting the innovative abilities of technology entrepreneurs. It is hoped that from these highly–educated entrepreneur(s), new technology and service–based firms (NTBFs) can emerge. Indeed empirical evidence suggests that it is fast-growing young firms (Gazelles) which provide the bulk of new employment growth (Henrekson & Johansson, 2010; Storey & Greene, 2010). Technology start-up incubators are one of a number of micro-policy interventions with which the state attempts to support these technology entrepreneurs to develop and commercialise their innovations. Incubators offer a range of services such as shared office accommodation, shared support services, business …

An Integrated Approach Of Multi-Objective Optimization Model For Evaluating New Supporting Program In Irish Hospitals, Wael Rashwan, Heba Habib, Amr Arisha, Garry Courtney, Sean Kennelly

Conference papers

Hospitals are witnessing an inexorable growth in emergency admissions, which results in overcrowding and a poorer patient experience. The Acute Medicine Program (AMP) is one of the programs developed by the Irish health authority aimed at improving patient experience. To review the AMP intervention, this study applies a model that integrates three analytical approaches: simulation, multivariate factor analysis and multi-objective optimization. The simulation identified 14 different factors affecting five responses that were used to develop a Design of Experiments (DoE). Multivariate factor analysis used the DoE to determine the factors creating ‘bottlenecks’, such as downstream resources. The multi-objective optimization model, …

Understanding The Dynamic Behaviour Of Three Echelon Retail Supply Chain Disruptions, John Crowe, Mohammed Mesabbah, Amr Arisha

Conference papers

It is often taken for granted that the right products will be available to buy in retail outlets 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year. Challenges in achieving this continued on-shelf availability range from recession hit demand patterns to cost reduction driven strategies. Irish government initiatives to brand the country as a sustainable, reliable provider of food retail supply chains has resulted in increased importance on decision maker accuracy. The vulnerability of retail supply chain’s (RSC) to disruption is another catalyst in the complexity of the decision making process and a more robust understanding of disruption behavior is needed. …

Modeling Behaviour Of Nurses In Clinical Medical Unit In University Hospital: Burnout Implications, Wael Rashwan, Amr Arisha

Conference papers

High demand of healthcare services due to changes in population demography, technological and medical advancements, budget limitations have direct effect on medical staff and medical organizations in particularly hospitals. One of the major issues confronting the healthcare system is staff behavior when they get close to 'burnout' level. This study identifies factors affecting nurses' behavior and its impact on patients experience time using system dynamics. A particular focus is given to nurses in one of the medical clinical units in one of the largest hospitals in Ireland. Armed with a comprehensive system dynamic model that revolves around the staff stresses, …

An Integrated Lean Assessment Framework For Tyre Distribution Industry, Amr Arisha, Amr Mahfouz

Conference papers

Given the vital role of distribution units within the supply chains, this research aims to develop a comprehensive lean assessment framework that integrates Modelling and Simulation with Value Stream Mapping (VSM) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to assess the ‘leanness’ level in distribution business. The framework is applied on a distribution centre of a leading European company in the tyre manufacturing and distribution business. The framework helps decision makers to evaluate the effect of two lean distribution practices – Pull Order Replenishment and Class-Based Storage Policy – on company’s performances and is also used as a leanness Self-Assessment Tool.

A Review Of Knowledge Management In The Public Sector: A Taxonomy, Paul J. Mc Evoy, Amr Arisha, Mohamed Ragab

Conference papers

Purpose – Public organisations today face management challenges to cope with current markets in what’s known as a knowledge era. They primarily face adaptive challenges. Changes in communities, markets, business behaviour, competition, and most importantly technology around the globe are forcing all organisations to clarify their strengths, develop knowledge strategies, and learn new ways of managing their human capital. Governmental organisations also exhibit tendencies towards unusual and bureaucratic cultures mired in hierarchical structures, which create peculiar challenges that confront Knowledge Management (KM) efforts within the public sector. As public firms attempt to effectively manage their knowledge, organisational culture and structure …

An Empirical Estimation Of Statistical Inferences For System Dynamics Model Parameters, Mohammed Mesabbah, Wael Rashwan, Amr Arisha

Conference papers

For system dynamics simulation (SD) models, an estimation of statistical distributions for uncertain parameters is crucial. These distributions could be used for testing models sensitivity, quality of policies, and/or estimating confidence intervals for these parameters. Assumptions related to normality, independence and constant variation are often misapplied in dynamic simulation. Bootstrapping holds a considerable theoretical advantage when used with non-Gaussian data for estimating empirical distributions for unknown parameters. Although it is a widely acceptable approach, it has had only limited use in system dynamics applications. This paper introduces an application of Direct Residual Bootstrapping (DRBS) for statistical inference in system dynamic …

Optimization Of Resources To Improve Patient Experience In The New Emergency Department Of Mater Hospital Dublin, Heba Habib, Waleed Abo-Hamad, Amr Arisha

Conference papers

Healthcare systems globally are facing capacity issues due to the increased demand of health services, the high cost of resources and the level of quality anticipated of service providers. Emergency Departments (ED) are the most pressurized unit in healthcare systems due to uncertainty in demand and limited resources allocated. Mater Hospital (one of leading hospitals) in Dublin has built a new (state-of-the-art) unit for ED yet faced an issue in resourcing the unit to optimize performance. This paper presents an integrated solution to optimize the capacity of the new ED before opening to public and examine improvement interventions in the …

Integrating Simulation Modelling And Value Stream Mapping For Leaner Capacity Planning Of An Emergency Department, Esmat Swallmeh, Ayman Tobail, Waleed Abo-Hamad, James Gray, Amr Arisha

Conference papers

Recently, the application of lean thinking in healthcare has grown significantly in response to rising demand, caused by population growth, ageing and high expectations of service quality. However, insufficient justifications and lack of quantifiable evidence are the main obstacles to convince healthcare executives to adopt lean philosophies. This paper presents a real application of the successful implementation of a methodology that integrates Value Stream Mapping (VSM) and simulation modelling to improve an emergency department (ED) of a University hospital in Dublin. Appling lean approach in operations will minimize the patient waiting time and improve service time. VSM points out to …

Institutionalizing Industrial Development: The Cases Of Ireland And Taiwan, Paul Donnelly

Conference papers

Both Ireland and Taiwan are considered to have experienced “economic miracles” that, ex ante, could not have been predicted when the two countries started along the road of industrial development in the late 1940s / early 1950s through to the end of the 1960s. Taking the view that industrial development does not appear as a ready formed institution, as an essence that always-already existed, what is of interest in this paper is the work of institutionalizing or institutionalization as an on-going process. Accordingly, and through the lens of actor-network theory (ANT), the paper follows how both countries structured/organized themselves to …

Reducing Conflict And Violence In Hospitality Establishments., James Peter Murphy

Conference papers

Bar owners and staff members must be more concerned about safety and security issues. This is the result of a variety of factors, most notably recent legislative changes at national and international level and the subsequent high costs of assaults (including costs relating to litigation and compensation). Poor health, safety and security standards place staff members and customers at risk of serious injury if not death; employers suffer in terms of lost productivity and potentially higher premiums and the morale of the staff, as well as the industrial relations climate in the bar, can be adversely affected. At a minimum, …

Waste Management And Energy Recovery: A Significant Business Issue, James Peter Murphy

Conference papers

Waste Management and energy recovery has become a significant business issue for hospitality establishments in recent years. Hospitality establishments have to be more concerned about waste in their businesses and be able to adopt systems to reduce, reuse and recover waste. This challenge is the result of a variety of factors, most notably the charges involved in waste removal and cost of every businesses energy needs. Costs have grown dramatically, landfill capacity has become increasingly scarce and expensive. Stringent legislation has been introduced around the world to ensure optimum waste management and energy recovery practices in hospitality businesses. Opportunities have …