Flexible production units provide very efficient mechanisms to adapt the type and production rate according to fluctuations in demand. The optimal sequence of the different manufacturing tasks in each machine is a challenging problem that can deal with important productivity benefits.

The coming decades, the baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1965) are going to retire. This retirement wave will cause a loss of knowledge for organizations and thus threatens the organization‟s ability to make knowledge productive and thus competitiveness. As knowledge management (KM) is the formal …

The road to science for the arts therapies requires research on the full breadths of the spectrum, from systematic case studies to RCTs. It is important that arts therapists and arts therapeutic researchers reflect on the typical characteristics of each research paradigm, research type and research method …

Deze scriptie bevat een onderzoek naar de toepasbaarheid van UPK (User Productivity Kit) binnen Fontys Hogescholen. UPK is een online trainingsmodule voor het trainen van gebruikers. Naast de trainingsmodule kan d.m.v. UPK online documentatie aangeboden worden of dienen als eerstelijns ondersteuning …

Vast empirical evidence underscores that exporting firms are more productive than non-exporters. As governments accordingly pursue export-promoting policies we are interested in the firmness of these conclusions with respect to African small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and the influence of the …

This paper describes the ecological concept of strategic fit in order to enhance sustainable and innovative organisations. The Ecological System Model integrates concepts of ecology and evolutionary economic theory by comparing organisations and ecosystems at a consistent system level. It introduces …

Our ageing population is the result of two demographic trends: decreasing fertility levels and higher life expectancy. As a corollary to these demographic trends, the working population is ageing and shrinking at the same time. This development will affect the performance of organizations in the next …

The predicted mean vote (PMV) model of thermal comfort, created by Fanger in the late 1960s, is used worldwide to assess thermal comfort. Fanger based his model on college-aged students for use in invariant environmental conditions in air-conditioned buildings in moderate thermal climate zones. Environmental …

Agriculture is the main driver of the economy and the source of living for the majority of the population in Ethiopia. However, its performance has been poor and unable to feed the ever increasing population. Thus there is a need to change this trend and ensure the food security of the population. Agricultural …

Women play critical roles in agriculture in many parts of the world. Yet, despite their contribution to global food security, women farmers are frequently underestimated and overlooked in development strategies. For this reason, women find it more difficult than men to gain access to valuable resources …