W.M. To

The implementation and performance outcomes of ISO 9000 in service organizations : an empirical taxonomy

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the patterns with which ISO 9000:2000 was implemented in service organizations, and to examine the performance outcomes and contextual factors which are associated with different ISO 9000:2000 implementation patterns.Design/methodology/approach – Based on a literature review of quality management practice, a questionnaire was developed based on quality management principles of ISO 9000:2000 and three propositions. The propositions were tested using responses from managers or executives in 45 service organizations.Findings – Cluster analysis shows that there are two markedly different ISO 9000:2000 implementation patterns among sample organizations. The analysis results also indicate that organizations with different ISO 9000:2000 implementation patterns performed differently in the two outcomes analysed.Research limitations/implications – Managers in service organizations must realize that ISO 9000:2000 is capable of generating a competitive advantage only...

A multiple regression model for urban traffic noise in Hong Kong

This article describes the roadside traffic noise surveys conducted in heavily built-up urban areas in Hong Kong. Noise measurements were carried out along 18 major roads in 1999. The measurement data included L10, L50, L90, Leq, Lmax, the number of light vehicles, the number of heavy vehicles, the total traffic flow, and the average speed of vehicles. Statistical analysis using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey test (p<0.05) reveals that the total traffic flow and the number of heavy vehicles are the most significant factors of urban traffic noise. Multiple regression was used to derive a set of empirical formulas for predicting L10 noise level due to road traffic. The accuracy of these empirical formulas is quantified and compared to that of another widely used prediction model in Hong Kong--the Calculation of Road Traffic Noise. The applicability of the selected multiple regression model is validated by the noise measurements performed in the winter of 2000.

Acoustic properties of rigid-frame porous materials — an engineering perspective

Sound propagation in rigid-frame porous materials is governed by the effective density and the effective bulk modulus of the fluid in the pore space. These quantities, for which analytical expressions have already been derived by other researchers, are frequency-dependent, complex and non-linear. However, because of the complexity of these expressions, it is difficult to obtain physical insight into the acoustic behaviour of the porous materials and to determine the dominant mechanism for sound absorption for a given material at a given frequency. Alternatively there are very simple expressions. In this paper the relationships between the complicated and relatively simple models are studied, and simple non-dimensional expressions for the characteristic impedance and wavenumber for sound propagation in rigid-frame porous materials are derived using the concepts of acoustic mass, stiffness and damping. An upper bound for thermal losses in a rigid-frame material is presented, and a simple rule of thumb is given for the required flow resistivity, porosity and tortuosity for a given thickness of porous material.

The causal relationship between electricity consumption and economic growth in a Gaming and Tourism Center: The case of Macao SAR, the People’s Republic of China

Abstract A number of Asian cities decided to establish gaming and resort facilities in order to capitalize on the growing number of gamblers and their family members in Asia. In doing so, they expect to sustain economic growth but, on the other hand, will consume a considerable amount of energy. Nevertheless, the causal relationship between economic growth and electricity consumption in this type of service-oriented territories has never been investigated. Using the historical data obtained from the Government of Macao SAR, we found that electricity consumption and economic growth in terms of gross domestic product are co-integrated for the period of 1999 Quarter 1–2008 Quarter 4. Moreover, vector error correction (VEC) models indicated a lack of short-run relationships but showed that there was a long-run equilibrium relationship between electricity consumption and gross domestic product. The accuracy of VEC models was assessed by using the mean squared error and the mean absolute error. The error analysis shows that VEC models reproduced time series of gross domestic product and electricity consumption in difference form accurately.

Size Distributions of the Aerosols Emitted from Commercial Cooking Processes

Exposure to cooking fumes may be responsible for respiratory health effects. However, the linkage between such exposures and these effects cannot be established without knowing the size distribution of the aerosols emitted from cooking activities. This study examined the size distribution of the aerosols generated by commercial cooking processes. It was found that the aerosol size distributions were lognormal. Several theoretical models can explain the lognormal characteristic of aerosols from cooking processes and the simplest one is a bounded multiplicative process that represents the growth (or shrinkage) of aerosols in a random manner. Our results showed that by defining the mode diameter (geometric mean diameter) and the dimensionless geometric standard deviation one could describe the size distribution of cooking fumes in general. This characterization model can be applied to cooking fumes from indoor as well as outdoor cooking processes. The results of our measurement also showed that the mode diameter of aerosols increased when cooking temperature increased. The normalized number concentration of sub-micrometer aerosols increased rapidly when cooking temperature increased especially in the size range between 0.1 and 1.0 μm, known as the accumulation mode.

ISO 9001:2000 implementation in the public sector

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to study the implementation of ISO 9001:2000 in the public sector, using data obtained from a small‐scale and service‐oriented economy – i.e. Macao SAR, the Peoples Republic of China.Design/methodology/approach – Based on a literature review on ISO 9001 development, a measurement instrument was established using the management principles of ISO 9001:2000 and hypotheses were developed to test the applicability and effectiveness of ISO 9001:2000. The instrument and hypotheses were tested using responses from managers and executives in public organizations.Findings – The results show that ISO 9001:2000 is useful in enhancing organizational performance in public organizations.Research implications – Mangers in public organizations must realize that simply adopting and maintaining the ISO 9001:2000 certificate is not enough. More resources and commitment are needed to achieve better organizational performance.Originality/value – The paper contributes to the literature by...

Benefits of implementing management system standards : a case study of certified companies in the Pearl River Delta, China

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent of implementing management system standards among ISO (and other) certified companies in the Pearl River Delta and its effect on the perceived benefits.Design/methodology/approach – A cross‐sectional survey of certified companies was carried out using a self‐administrated questionnaire. A total of 157 companies participated in the study.Findings – It was found that the majority of the responding companies implement more than one standardized management system, mostly adopting the quality management, environmental management, and occupational health and safety management systems (i.e. ISO9001, ISO14001, and OHSAS18001). Results show that companies certified to ISO9001 and ISO14001 gain more benefits than the others.Research limitations/implications – The study shows that companies implementing multiple management systems can have better corporate performance, product quality, and marketing edges than the others. The results indicate that differen...

Quality management framework for public management decision making

Purpose – This paper aims to explore the practice of quality management framework as a strategic tool for public management.Design/methodology/approach – The paper starts with a basic process‐based model; it then enhances the model with the quality management principles for continuous improvement. With identification of concerned factors from the literature, it examines their usefulness in the quality management system.Findings – An empirical analysis on the framework identifies eight factors: factual approach to decision making, use of quality tools, customer focus, leadership, involvement of people, process approach, mutually beneficial supplier partnership and internal results. The framework shows that leadership and customer focus are much more important than previously anticipated for successful implementation of quality management system.Research limitations/implications – Managers in public organizations must realize that all high performance organizations, whether private or public, are by princip...

Characterisation of Gas Phase Organic Emissions from Hot Cooking Oil in Commercial Kitchens

A large quantity of oily fumes is generated in fast food and Chinese restaurants from cooking oil kept at a high temperature in the kitchens. If these oily fumes are not properly abated, they can be a major source of organic emissions in some dense urban areas with a lot of restaurants such as found in Hong Kong. In the present study, the most commonly used cooking oil, peanut oil, was kept at 260°C in an environment typical of a commercial kitchen that consisted of a two-burner stir-frying cooking range, a single-tank electric fryer, a baffle-type grease extractor and an exhaust duct. Air samples were collected at the inlet of the grease extractor and the exit of the exhaust duct. Organic material was extracted from these samples and examined by gas chromatography and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. A new extraction protocol using a Soxhlet apparatus and freshly distilled chloroform as the solvent was established in this study. It was noticed that there was no appreciable breakdown of the oil composition at the temperature studied. The efficiency of the grease extractor was determined by obtaining the relative concentrations of gas phase organic composites at the sampling positions.

Emission of Carcinogenic Components from Commercial Kitchens in Hong Kong

Cooking fumes from commercial kitchens have long caused concern for those who live near them. Foodstuffs such as meat, fat, sugar, starch or oil can produce carbonaceous particles when cooked quickly at high temperatures. Carbonaceous particles discharged to the atmosphere can have significant environmental and health impacts, through lowering visibility and the health impact of fine particles on human beings. In this paper, we report a territorial-wide survey on the quantification of cooking fumes discharged from commercial kitchens of Chinese restaurants, Western restaurants and exotic food servicing areas. Results show that cooking fumes contain a wide spectrum of organic compounds including n-alkanes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), fatty acids (FAs) and aromatic amines (AAs). It should be noted that commercial kitchens differ considerably in size, modes of operations, raw materials, cooking practices and air pollution control equipment. Our analytical results indicate that there is no statistically significant difference on the composition of their discharge in terms of carcinogenic elements such as PAHs, but at the 5% significance level, the mean concentrations of n-alkanes at the discharge points of exotic food servicing areas are higher than at the discharges of Chinese or Western restaurants.