Key attributes underpinning different markup decision between public and private projects : a China study

In the construction industry, contractors have to improve the efficiency of markup decision-making to survive from fierce business competition. The effect of client type on markup decision has been aware in previous studies and contractors are advocated to take account of decision factors properly when they are confronted with different types of projects. Nevertheless, the rationales behind the inclusion of different factors in markup decision-making for different projects sustain unknown. In this study, fifty-three factors were identified after extensive literature review and interviews with professionals. The identified factors were afterwards grouped under the headings of nine attributes and compiled in a questionnaire for survey in China. Using the Hotelling’s T-square test, it is found that three attributes (i.e., project characteristic, client characteristic, and macro condition) can explain the effect of client type on contractors’ markup decision. The research findings provide useful insights into the cognition of bid pricing as well as the improvement of bidding efficiency. While the research works were situated in China, contractors in other countries could benefit from the research findings in a similar vein.

Defining sustainability requirements for design-build (DB) contractor selection in public sector projects

The design-build (DB) delivery system is an effective means of delivering a green construction project and selecting an appropriate contractor is critical to project success. Moreover, the delivery of green buildings requires specific design, construction and operation and maintenance considerations not generally encountered in the procurement of conventional buildings. Specifying clear sustainability requirements to potential contractors is particularly important in achieving sustainable project goals. However, many client/owners either do not explicitly specify sustainability requirements or do so in a prescriptive manner during the project procurement process. This paper investigates the current state-of-the-art procurement process used in specifying the sustainability requirements of the public sector in the USA construction market by means of a robust content analysis of 40 design-build requests for proposals (RFPs). The results of the content analysis indicate that the sustainability requirement is one of the most important dimensions in the best-value evaluation of DB contractors. Client/owners predominantly specify the LEED certification levels (e.g. LEED Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum) for a particular facility, and include the sustainability requirements as selection criteria (with specific importance weightings) for contractor evolution. Additionally, larger size projects tend to allocate higher importance weightings to sustainability requirements.This study provides public DB client/owners with a number of practical implications for selecting appropriate design-builders for sustainable DB projects.

Establishing design thinking : accident, program frameworks and personal practices

Distribution through electronic media provides an avenue for promotion, recognition and an outlet of display for graphic designers. The emergence of available media technologies have enabled graphic designers to extend these boundaries of their practice. In this context the designer is constantly striving for aesthetic success and is strongly influenced by the fashion and trends of contemporary design work. The designer is always in a state of inquiry, finding pathways of discovery that lead to innovation and originality that are highly valued criteria for self-evaluation. This research is based on an analysis of the designer perspective and the processes used within an active graphic design practice specializing entirely within a digital collage domain. Contemporary design methodologies were critically examined, compared and refined to reflect the self-practice of the researcher. The refined methodology may assist designers in maintaining systematic work practices, as well as promote the importance of exploration and experimentation processes. Research findings indicate some differences in the identified methodologies and the design practice of the researcher in the sense that many contemporary designers are not confined to a client-base but are self-generating design images influenced by contemporary practitioners. As well as confirming some aspects of more conventional design processes, the researcher found that accidental discoveries and the designer’s interaction with technology plays a significant part in the design process.

Standardisation of plant and machinery valuation practices in Malaysia

Plant and machinery valuation is important to every company.s annual financial reporting. It is reported under the non-current assets section, and the valuers are generally employed to provide the up to date valuation of the non-current assets valuation such as property, plant and equipment that can make up to 80% of the total assets of a company. The valuation of plant and machinery is also important for other purposes such as securing loan facilities, sales, takeover, insurance and auction. The application of 2005 International Financial Reporting Standard (IFRS) has a subsequent impact on the financial sector, as a whole. The accountants have to choose between the Historical Cost approach and Market Value approach in determining the value of the client.s assets. In Malaysia, the implementation of IFRS has a domino effect on the financial system, especially for plant and machinery valuation for financial reporting. The comparison data for plant and machinery valuation is limited unlike land and building valuation. The question of Malaysian valuer.s ability to comply with the IFRS standard keeps rising every day, not just to the accountants, but also other related parties such as financial institutions, government agencies and the clients. This is happening because of different interpretations of premise of value for plant and machinery, as well as methods been used and differences in standards of reporting among the valuers conducting plant and machinery valuation. The root of the problem lies in the lack of practical guidelines governing plant and machinery valuation practices and different schools of thought among the valuers. Some follow the United Kingdom.s RICS guidelines, whilst some valuers are more comfortable with the United State.s USPAP rules, especially on the premise of value. This research is to investigate the international best practices of plant and machinery valuation and to establish the common valuation concept, awareness and application of valuation methodology and valuation process for plant and machinery valuation in Malaysia. This research uses a combination of the qualitative and quantitative research approach. In the qualitative approach, the content analyses were conducted from the international practices and current Malaysian implementation of plant and machinery valuation. A survey (quantitative approach) via questionnaire was implemented among the registered and probationary valuers in Malaysia to investigate their understanding and opinion relating to plant and machinery valuation based on the current practices. The significance of this research is the identification of international plant and machinery practices and the understanding of current practices of plant and machinery valuation in Malaysia. It is found that issues embedding plant and machinery valuation practices are limited numbers of resources available either from scholars or practitioner. This is supported by the general finding from the research survey that indicates that there are immediate needs for practical notes or guidelines to be developed and implemented to support the Malaysian valuers practising plant and machinery valuation. This move will lead to a better understanding of plant and machinery valuation, reducing discrepancies in valuation of plant and machinery and increased accuracy among practising valuers.

Moving beyond traditional clinics : creating a new legal clinics through community partnerships

To overcome the challenge of finding placements for large student numbers, QUT has partnered with community organisations to enable students to work on community-based projects addressing a community need. Students work in interdisciplinary teams with the community organisation to resolve issues and identify solutions to suit the organisation and client base. This paper will describe the community engaged learning pedagogy that is employed in the subject and will consider the benefits and challenges to law students of working collaboratively and developing community relationships. Critical appraisal of the legal system and the role of lawyers and analysis of the professional and ethical responsibilities legal practitioners is a focus of the subject. Explicit emphasis is placed on developing a sense of social responsibility and inculcating a pro bono ethos. Students attend workshops on topics such as reflective practice, cultural competencies, client solutions, collaborative practice and ethical obligations. This paper will discuss the challenges in creating the new legal clinic subject, benefits to students and community partners, and the results of initial student evaluation of the subject.

On the security of TLS renegotiation

The Transport Layer Security (TLS) protocol is the most widely used security protocol on the Internet. It supports negotiation of a wide variety of cryptographic primitives through different cipher suites, various modes of client authentication, and additional features such as renegotiation. Despite its widespread use, only recently has the full TLS protocol been proven secure, and only the core cryptographic protocol with no additional features. These additional features have been the cause of several practical attacks on TLS. In 2009, Ray and Dispensa demonstrated how TLS renegotiation allows an attacker to splice together its own session with that of a victim, resulting in a man-in-the-middle attack on TLS-reliant applications such as HTTP. TLS was subsequently patched with two defence mechanisms for protection against this attack. We present the first formal treatment of renegotiation in secure channel establishment protocols. We add optional renegotiation to the authenticated and confidential channel establishment model of Jager et al., an adaptation of the Bellare--Rogaway authenticated key exchange model. We describe the attack of Ray and Dispensa on TLS within our model. We show generically that the proposed fixes for TLS offer good protection against renegotiation attacks, and give a simple new countermeasure that provides renegotiation security for TLS even in the face of stronger adversaries.

Peer review : a professional development process for librarians

Peer review is a reflective process which allows us to formalise, and gain maximum benefit from, collegial feedback on our professional performance. It is also a process that encourages us to engage in cycles of planning, acting, recording and reflection which are familiar components of action learning and action research. Entering into these cycles within the peer-review framework is a powerful and cost-effective means of facilitating professional development which is readily adapted to the library context. In 1996, a project implementing peer review, in order to improve client interaction at the reference desk, was completed at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Library. For that project we developed a set of guidelines for library staff involved in peer review. These guidelines explained the value of peer review, and described its principles and purposes. We also devised strategies to assist staff as they prepared for the experience of peer review, engaged in the process and reflected on the outcomes. A number of benefits were identified; the peer-review process enhanced team spirit, enhanced client-orientation, and fostered collaborative efforts in improving the reference service. It was also relatively inexpensive to implement. In this paper we will discuss the nature of peer review and its importance to library and information professionals. We will also share the guidelines we developed, and discuss the implementation and outcomes of the peer review project at the University of Southern Queensland. We will conclude by discussing the benefits perceived and the issues that arose in the USQ context, and by suggesting a range of other aspects of library service in which peer-review could be implemented.

Quality of life for older people in residential care is related to connectedness, willingness to enter care, and co-residents

Aim: To establish associations with quality of life (QOL) of older people in long-term residential care facilities in two New Zealand cities. Methods: The outcome measure of QOL was the Life Satisfaction Index. We used multiple linear regression to explore how broad categories of factors might contribute to QOL. Results: A total of 599 people (median age of 85 years; 74% women) participated. Response rates were 85% for facilities and 83% for residents. A resident's QOL was significantly related to the QOL of co-residents. QOL was higher for people who were more positive about entry to residential care, more physically able, and not depressed, and for those with more family and emotional support. Conclusion: Attending to the circumstances around entry to residential care may enhance QOL, as may promoting physical activity, treating depression and ensuring older people remain emotionally connected to their families. In choosing a facility, noting the QOL of co-residents is important.

Resthomes : where the ‘work’ goes on

Discusses the findings of a recent doctoral thesis looking at the life of frail elderly people in rest homes. Explains how encouraging as much self-management as possible and the continuation of many daily activities can help elderly people keep their self-esteem and dignity.

Agreement to and compliance with advice on removing mats or rugs by older people with visual impairments

The article presents a study which investigated the reasons why advice related to the removal of mats or rags by older people with visual impairments had a low rate of acceptance. The researchers speculated that it may have been due to older people's need to maintain a sense of control and autonomy and to arrange their environments in a way that they decided or a belief that the recommended modification would not reduce the risk of falling. A telephone survey of subsample of the participants was conducted in the Visually Impaired Persons (VIP) Trial. All 30 interviewees had rugs or mats in their homes. Of the 30 participants, 20 had moved the rugs or mats as a result of recommendations, and 10 had not.

Shaping the conversation : how management consultants engage knowledge boundary processes

This paper aims to contribute to an understanding of what actually takes place during consulting engagements. It draws on data collected from a qualitative case study of eight engagements by a niche consultancy in Australia to describe how consultants actively engage boundary crossing processes to address knowledge boundaries encountered during formal interactions with clients. While consultants actively managed knowledge boundary processes during interactions, by applying techniques such as evoking an ‘ideal state’ for clients, the engagements also yielded many missed opportunities for knowledge transformation.

Promoting independence in residential care : successful recruitment for a randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVES: To describe the recruitment strategy and association between facility and staff characteristics and success of resident recruitment for the Promoting Independence in Residential Care (PIRC) trial. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of staff and facility characteristics and recruitment rates within facilities with calculation of cluster effects of multiple measures. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Staff of low-level dependency residential care facilities and residents able to engage in a physical activity program in 2 cities in New Zealand. MEASURES: A global impression of staff willingness to facilitate research was gauged by research nurses, facility characteristics were measured by staff interview. Relevant outcomes were measured by resident interview and included the following: (1) Function: Late Life FDI scale, timed-up-and-go, FICSIT balance scale and the Elderly Mobility Scale; (2) Quality of Life: EuroQol quality of life scale, Life Satisfaction Index; and (3) falls were assessed by audit of the medical record. Correlation between recruitment rates, facility characteristics and global impression of staff willingness to participate were investigated. Design effects were calculated on outcomes. RESULTS: Forty-one (85%) facilities and 682 (83%) residents participated, median age was 85 years (range 65-101), and 74% were women. Participants had complex health problems. Recruitment rates were associated (but did not increase linearly) with the perceived willingness of staff, and were not associated with facility size. Design effects from the cluster recruitment differed according to outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The recruitment strategy was successful in recruiting a large sample of people with complex comorbidities and high levels of functional disability despite perceptions of staff reluctance. Staff willingness was related to recruitment success.

Residential care workers and residents : the New Zealand story

Aims To describe the nature and size of long-term residential care homes in New Zealand; funding of facilities; and the ethnic and gender composition of residents and residential care workers nationwide. Methods A postal, fax, and email survey of all long-term residential care homes in New Zealand. Results Completed surveys were received from an eligible 845 facilities (response rate: 55%). The majority of these (54%) facilities housed less than 30 residents. Of the 438 (94%) facilities completing the questions about residents’ ethnicity, 432 (99%) housed residents from New Zealand European (Pakeha) descent, 156 (33%) housed at least 1 Maori resident, 71 (15%) at least 1 Pacific (Islands) resident, and 61 (13%) housed at least 1 Asian resident. Facilities employed a range of ethnically diverse staff, with 66% reporting Maori staff. Less than half of all facilities employed Pacific staff (43%) and Asian staff (33%). Registered nursing staff were mainly between 46 and 60 years (47%), and healthcare assistant staff were mostly between 25 and 45 years old (52%). Wide regional variation in the ethnic make up of staff was reported. About half of all staff were reported to have moved within the previous 2 years. Conclusions The age and turnover of the residential care workforce suggests the industry continues to be under threat from staffing shortages. While few ethnic minority residents live in long-term care facilities, staff come from diverse backgrounds, especially in certain regions.

Intercultural residential care in New Zealand

Along with other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, New Zealand’s society is aging such that an increase in the number of older people requiring residential care is predicted. What cannot be foreseen is how culturally defined health beliefs affect the care given to older people in residential care. In this article, the authors describe and discuss the culturally based health beliefs of some Pacific Islands caregivers and predominately European (Pakeha) older people resident at one long-term care facility in Auckland, New Zealand. The delivery of care is influenced by culturally related beliefs about “being old.” Racism is evident in residential care, and the authors discuss the reactions of caregivers, residents, and management. This research extends the discussion of caregiving and receiving into the cross-cultural setting, and the findings highlight a number of elements in cultural differences between carer and cared-for that might affect care practices at the residential facility studied.

‘All in a day’s work’ : the lifeworld of older people in New Zealand rest homes

This doctoral thesis contributes to critical gerontology research by investigating the lived experiences of residents in the everyday world of New Zealand rest homes. There is a need to understand how frail rest home residents experience "age". This study focuses on describing and understanding residents lived experiences. As the New Zealand population is ageing, this phenomenological focus adds clarity to the poorly understood lived experiences about being aged in rest homes. Policy initiatives such as the Positive Ageing Strategy with its emphasis on keeping older people living in the community largely ignore the life practices of the increasing proportions of frail older people who require long-term residential care. My mixed-methods modified framework approach draws on the lifeworld as understood by Max van Manen (1990) and Alfred Schütz (1972). The lifeworld is made up of thematic strands of lived experience: these being lived space, lived time, lived body and lived relations with others, which are both the source and object of phenomenological research (van Manen, 1990). These strands are temporarily unravelled and considered in-depth for 27 residents who took part in audio-recorded interviews, before being interwoven through a multiple-helix model, into an integrated interpretation of the residents‟ lifeworld. Supplementing and backgrounding the interviews with these residents, are descriptive data including written interview summaries and survey findings about the relationships and pastimes of 352 residents living in 21 rest homes, which are counted and described. The residents day-to-day use of rest home space, mediated temporal order, self-managed bodies and minds, and negotiated relationships are interpreted. The mythology of the misery of rest home life is challenged, and a more constructive critical gerontology approach is offered. Findings of this research reveal how meanings around daily work practices are constructed by the residents. These elders participate in daily rest home life, from the sidelines or not at all, as they choose or are able, and this always involves work for the residents. They continue to actively manage satisfactory and fulfilling pastimes and relationships, because in their ordinary, everyday lifeworld it is “all in a day‟s work”.