Operational Flexibility: A Model for Effective Project Management

The aim of this study is to investigate the role of operational flexibility for effective project management in the construction industry. The specific objectives are to: a) Identify the determinants of operational flexibility potential in construction project management b) Investigate the contribution of each of the determinants to operational flexibility potential in the construction industry c) Investigate on the moderating factors of operational flexibility potential in a construction project environment d) Investigate whether moderated operational flexibility potential mediates the path between predictors and effective construction project management e) Develop and test a conceptual model of achieving operational flexibility for effective project management The purpose of this study is to findout ways to utilize flexibility inorder to manage uncertain project environment and ultimately achieve effective project management. In what configuration these operational flexibility determinants are demanded by construction project environment in order to achieve project success. This research was conducted in three phases, namely: (i) exploratory phase (ii) questionnaire development phase; and (iii) data collection and analysis phase. The study needs firm level analysis and therefore real estate developers who are members of CREDAI, Kerala Chapter were considered. This study provides a framework on the functioning of operational flexibility, offering guidance to researchers and practitioners for discovering means to gain operational flexibility in construction firms. The findings provide an empirical understanding on kinds of resources and capabilities a construction firm must accumulate to respond flexibly to the changing project environment offering practitioners insights into practices that build firms operational flexibility potential. Firms are dealing with complex, continuous changing and uncertain environments due trends of globalization, technical changes and innovations and changes in the customers’ needs and expectations. To cope with the increasingly uncertain and quickly changing environment firms strive for flexibility. To achieve the level of flexibility that adds value to the customers, firms should look to flexibility from a day to day operational perspective. Each dimension of operational flexibility is derived from competences and capabilities. In this thesis only the influence on customer satisfaction and learning exploitation of flexibility dimensions which directly add value in the customers eyes are studied to answer the followingresearch questions: “What is the impact of operational flexibility on customer satisfaction?.” What are the predictors of operational flexibility in construction industry? .These questions can only be answered after answering the questions like “Why do firms need operational flexibility?” and “how can firms achieve operational flexibility?” in the context of the construction industry. The need for construction firms to be flexible, via the effective utilization of organizational resources and capabilities for improved responsiveness, is important because of the increasing rate of changes in the business environment within which they operate. Achieving operational flexibility is also important because it has a significant correlation with a project effectiveness and hence a firm’s turnover. It is essential for academics and practitioners to recognize that the attainment of operational flexibility involves different types namely: (i) Modification (ii) new product development and (iii) demand management requires different configurations of predictors (i.e., resources, capabilities and strategies). Construction firms should consider these relationships and implement appropriate management practices for developing and configuring the right kind of resources, capabilities and strategies towards achieving different operational flexibility types.

Acid activated montmorillonite: an efficient immobilization support for improving reusability, storage stability and operational stability of enzymes

Three enzymes, α-amylase, glucoamylase and invertase, were immobilized on acid activated montmorillonite K 10 via two independent techniques, adsorption and covalent binding. The immobilized enzymes were characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption measurements and 27Al MAS-NMR spectroscopy. The XRD patterns showed that all enzymes were intercalated into the clay inter-layer space. The entire protein backbone was situated at the periphery of the clay matrix. Intercalation occurred through the side chains of the amino acid residues. A decrease in surface area and pore volume upon immobilization supported this observation. The extent of intercalation was greater for the covalently bound systems. NMR data showed that tetrahedral Al species were involved during enzyme adsorption whereas octahedral Al was involved during covalent binding. The immobilized enzymes demonstrated enhanced storage stability. While the free enzymes lost all activity within a period of 10 days, the immobilized forms retained appreciable activity even after 30 days of storage. Reusability also improved upon immobilization. Here again, covalently bound enzymes exhibited better characteristics than their adsorbed counterparts. The immobilized enzymes could be successfully used continuously in the packed bed reactor for about 96 hours without much loss in activity. Immobilized glucoamylase demonstrated the best results.

Investigations on polyaniline based systems for technologically important applications and some novel polymers as prospective candidates for fabricating polymer light emitting diodes

Light emitting polymers (LEP) have drawn considerable attention because of their numerous potential applications in the field of optoelectronic devices. Till date, a large number of organic molecules and polymers have been designed and devices fabricated based on these materials. Optoelectronic devices like polymer light emitting diodes (PLED) have attracted wide-spread research attention owing to their superior properties like flexibility, lower operational power, colour tunability and possibility of obtaining large area coatings. PLEDs can be utilized for the fabrication of flat panel displays and as replacements for incandescent lamps. The internal efficiency of the LEDs mainly depends on the electroluminescent efficiency of the emissive polymer such as quantum efficiency, luminance-voltage profile of LED and the balanced injection of electrons and holes. Poly (p-phenylenevinylene) (PPV) and regio-regular polythiophenes are interesting electro-active polymers which exhibit good electrical conductivity, electroluminescent activity and high film-forming properties. A combination of Red, Green and Blue emitting polymers is necessary for the generation of white light which can replace the high energy consuming incandescent lamps. Most of these polymers show very low solubility, stability and poor mechanical properties. Many of these light emitting polymers are based on conjugated extended chains of alternating phenyl and vinyl units. The intra-chain or inter-chain interactions within these polymer chains can change the emitted colour. Therefore an effective way of synthesizing polymers with reduced π-stacking, high solubility, high thermal stability and high light-emitting efficiency is still a challenge for chemists. New copolymers have to be effectively designed so as to solve these issues. Hence, in the present work, the suitability of a few novel copolymers with very high thermal stability, excellent solubility, intense light emission (blue, cyan and green) and high glass transition temperatures have been investigated to be used as emissive layers for polymer light emitting diodes.

Influence of Major Operational Parameters on Aerobic Granulation for the Treatment of Wastewater

Effective solids-liquid separation is the basic concept of any wastewater treatment system. Biological treatment methods involve microorganisms for the treatment of wastewater. Conventional activated sludge process (ASP) poses the problem of poor settleability and hence require a large footprint. Biogranulation is an effective biotechnological process which can overcome the drawbacks of conventional ASP to a great extent. Aerobic granulation represents an innovative cell immobilization strategy in biological wastewater treatment. Aerobic granules are selfimmobilized microbial aggregates that are cultivated in sequencing batch reactors (SBRs). Aerobic granules have several advantages over conventional activated sludge flocs such as a dense and compact microbial structure, good settleability and high biomass retention. For cells in a culture to aggregate, a number of conditions have to be satisfied. Hence aerobic granulation is affected by many operating parameters. The organic loading rate (OLR) helps to enrich different bacterial species and to influence the size and settling ability of granules. Hence, OLR was argued as an influencing parameter by helping to enrich different bacterial species and to influence the size and settling ability of granules. Hydrodynamic shear force, caused by aeration and measured as superficial upflow air velocity (SUAV), has a strong influence and hence it is used to control the granulation process. Settling time (ST) and volume exchange ratio (VER) are also two key influencing factors, which can be considered as selection pressures responsible for aerobic granulation based on the concept of minimal settling velocity. Hence, these four parameters - OLR, SUAV, ST and VER- were selected as major influencing parametersfor the present study. Influence of these four parameters on aerobic granulation was investigated in this work

Investigations on the structural and operational changes of Ring Seine Fishing Systems of Kerala and its Life Cycle Assessment (lCA)

The study covers theFishing capture technology innovation includes the catching of aquatic animal, using any kind of gear techniques, operated from a vessel. Utilization of fishing techniques varies, depending upon the type of fisheries, and can go from a basic and little hook connected to a line to huge and complex mid water trawls or seines operated by large fishing vessels.The size and autonomy of a fishing vessel is largely determined by its ability to handle, process and store fish in good condition on board, and thus these two characteristics have been greatly influenced by the introduction and utilization of ice and refrigeration machinery. Other technological developments especially hydraulic hauling machinery, fish finding electronics and synthetic twines have also had a major impact on the efficiency and profitability of fishing vessels.A wide variety of fishing gears and practices ranging from small-scale artisanal to advanced mechanised systems are used for fish capture in Kerala. Most important among these fishing gears are trawls, seines, lines, gillnets and entangling nets and traps The modern sector was introduced in 1953 at Neendakara, Shakthikulangara region under the initiative of Indo-Norwegian project (INP). The novel facilities introduced in fishing industry by Indo- Norwegian project accordingly are mechanically operated new boats with new fishing nets. Soon after mechanization, motorization programme gained momentum in Kerala especially in Alleppey, Ernakulam and Kollam districts.