Max Chipulu

Project Management Learning: A Comparative Study Between Engineering Students’ Experiences in South Africa and the United Kingdom

This study explores how engineering students studying project management perceive their learning experiences. To facilitate an understanding of the constituent components of engineering students’ experiences and to understand how these experiences influence preferred learning styles, a comparative study of university students studying engineering in South Africa and the United Kingdom is conducted. The study finds no significant demographic differences in learning experiences across the two student cohorts. However, the South African cohort reports higher levels of overall experiences. They also report higher usage of online learning materials but lower levels of blended learning and individual critical evaluation skills experiences.

Thematic elements underlying the delivery of services in high-contact public service encounters

Earlier research alludes to the fact that enhanced information and systems (IS/IT) functionalities coupled with a lower degree of interaction with customers, the so-called zero- touch, real- time, self-service enhance services engagement. In this article, utilising a series of thematic elements drawn from two exploratory case studies, the authors suggest that the real enhancement of service delivery and increase in customer satisfaction, especially in frontline public service encounters, are not necessarily achieved through infusions of IS/IT, but from the adoption of a service philosophy which allows such organisations to de-emphasise IS/IT and instead focus on significant organisational factors in the area of enhanced human interaction.

Managing Competition Risk: A Critical Realist Philosophical Exploration

As firms act to meet competitive challenges, they separately vary their exposure to objectively real risks, and their subjective risk perceptions. Hence the ‘fit’ between each firms subjective risk map and its objective ‘riskscape’ is in constant flux. Realist thought, which emphasizes the separateness of mind from external reality, and sets itself the slow and painstaking task of improving the fit between the two, is therefore universally relevant for risk management. This simple ‘risk realism’ has value for academics wishing to analyse risk management practice and can provide useful working assumptions and procedural guidelines for practitioners. Mindful of both uses, this paper utilizes the philosophical thesis of critical realism to develop ontological and epistemological standpoints that relate specifically to what we call ‘competition risk’. Working from these standpoints we develop parallels between business and military engagements with competition risk. We explore what we treat as ontologically indistinct competition risk issues present across both contexts and conclude that firms can learn much from how the military deals with both ‘regular’ and ‘irregular’ forms of competition risk.

The criticality of transferable skills development and virtual learning environments used in the teaching of project management

Studies have found the development of transferable skills and the provision of virtual learning environments (VLEs) to be crucial to students who are learning project management. Taking these factors into consideration, this article explores why project management students have emphasized the importance of these two critical learning and teaching parameters in their developmental needs. The study was conducted utilizing focus groups consisting of 88 students in a UK higher education institution. Overall, we found the existence of five critical and applied themes grouped against transferable skills and the provision of VLEs under which students’ needs could be classified.

Prioritisation of performance indicators in air cargo demand management: an insight from industry

Purpose – Real operational data are used to optimise the performance measurement of air cargo capacity demand management at Virgin Atlantic Cargo by identifying the best KPIs from the range of outcome-based KPIs in current use. Design/methodology/approach – Intelligent fuzzy multi-criteria methods are used to generate a ranking order of key outcome-based performance indicators. More specifically, KPIs used by Virgin Atlantic Cargo are evaluated by experts against various output criteria. Intelligent fuzzy multi-criteria group making decision-making methodology is then applied to produce rankings. Findings – A useful ranking order emerges from the study albeit with the important limitation that the paper looked solely at indices focussing exclusively on outcomes while ignoring behavioural complexity in the production of outcomes. Originality/value – This paper offers a practical overview of the development of performance measures useful for air cargo capacity demand management.

Evaluation of forecasting models for air cargo

Purpose – Virgin Atlantic Cargo is one of the largest air freight operators in the world. As part of a wider strategic development initiative, the company has identified forecasting accuracy as of strategic importance to its operational efficiency. This is because accurate forecast enables the company to have the right resources available at the right place and time. The purpose of this paper is to undertake an evaluation of current month-to-date forecasting utilized by Virgin Atlantic Cargo. The study employed demand patterns drawn from historical data on chargeable weight over a seven-year-period covering six of the companys routes. Design/methodology/approach – A case study is carried out, where a comparison between forecasting models is undertaken using error accuracy measures. Data in the form of historical chargeable weight over a seven-year-period covering six of the companys most profitable routes are employed in the study. For propriety and privacy reasons, data provided by the company have bee...

Micro-Political Risk Factors for Strategic Alliances: Why Machiavelli's Animal Spirits Matter

Sociological perspectives on strategic alliances between firms are heavily influenced by economic theory. As such, they regard alliance entry, maintenance and exit decisions as following calculative rationalities concerned with the consequences for access to resources and transaction costs. Our theoretical article offers a contrasting sociological perspective whereby ‘animal spirits’ trump these calculative rationalities as factors in alliance decision making. Using Machiavellis well-known psychological realism, we explain how ‘vulpine’ and ‘leonine’ animal spirits can shape psychological and cultural contexts for the micro-political aspects of alliance decision making. This enables us to specify micro-political risk factors related to very common psycho-cultural differences, which we think all firms that forge alliances across cultural distance should consider.

Investment risk preference among Greek SME proprietors: a pilot study

Purpose – Current research in the area of risk management within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) appears predisposed towards risk, predominantly dealing with the willingness of SMEs to take on losses. However, in this pilot study, the authors aim to focus on a different aspect of risk management in SMEs, namely the risk preferences. Risk preferences in this case are regarded as the willingness of SME proprietors to take on risks that are likely to lead to investment gains. Design/methodology/approach – Data is gathered via a combination of a survey questionnaire and a probability scenario toolset. The authors sampled a total of 150 SME proprietors operating in Greece. The data was analysed using a combination of regression models and binomial tests. Findings – The results suggest that we cannot, as previous literature suggests, conclude that SME proprietors generally exhibit a negative risk preference. Originality/value – In light of Greeces recent economic difficulty, and in acknowledgement of...

CHP and its role in efficient energy production: a feasibility assessment model

Purpose – The way and manner in which energy is produced is known to have a significant impact on emissions. For this reason, the UK government has sought to enhance the efficiency of energy production/conversion by focusing on a number of energy production approaches, including Combined Heat and Power (CHP). The purpose of this paper is to describe a practical approach for assessing the feasibility of CHP.Design/methodology/approach – The authors provide an overview of Combined Heat and Power (CHP); describe a new and easy‐to‐implement feasibility and optimisation model to aid in the installation of CHP; and discuss the practical feasibility issues of CHP through an analysis of existing case studies using the proposed model. The modelling utilises regression models which are created using historical data obtained from public sources.Findings – Compared against alternatives, the model is shown to be particularly useful, as its functionality is embedded in resource‐intensive prime mover specifications obta...

Supply chain forecasting for the UK Chinook fleet

This article reports on a preliminary evaluation of the performance of UKTLCSs inventory and forecasting system. This is undertaken while making recommendations for new techniques for intermittent item demand. A total of 92 items are identified as largely intermittent. These items are identified by examining both cost drivers and the most expensive spare part consumables. Research into the current proprietary system identified an imprecision problem with the current forecasting approach. For example, it is shown that imprecision of the forecasting approach may have meant that the demands for a number of cost drivers are being substantially miscalculated. For propriety reasons, all data have been sanitised.