Browsing by Author "Lighterness, Paul"

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    An integrated knowledge transfer framework for enhancing international university-industry collaboration in novel sanitation technology development
    (Cranfield University, 2023-12) Fox, Harvey; Encinas-Oropesa, Adriana; Lighterness, Paul
    Approximately 3.5 billion people worldwide lack access to safe sanitation services, a challenge that demands innovative solutions. University-industry collaborations (UICs) are increasingly recognised as a means to develop and commercialise cutting-edge technologies addressing such global issues. However, these partnerships face complexities in transitioning lab-based inventions to market-ready products, especially during the critical stages of technology development and refinement. This thesis presents an integrated knowledge transfer framework for international UICs, focusing on the development and commercial handover of novel sanitation technology. Through a series of interconnected studies, the research explores the micro-level interactions and processes within the execution phase of international UICs. The framework synthesises insights from three key studies: field testing dynamics in cross-cultural settings, which reveals the effectiveness of diverse team structures in different geographical contexts; a novel iterative development process (ERDE: Experimenting, Reviewing, Distributing, Executing), which provides a structured approach to capturing and integrating multi-modal feedback from dispersed partners; and the role of physical and digital boundary objects in technology and knowledge synchronisation across dispersed partners, highlighting the challenges and successes of alignment between university and industry collaborators. Each study contributes unique insights: the field testing research informs practices for geographically dispersed collaborations; the ERDE framework addresses challenges in the technology ‘Valley of Death’ by facilitating decentralised development; and the boundary object study emphasises the need for adaptive communication strategies across cultural and institutional boundaries. By examining a range of critical activities in technology development, this research contributes to both theoretical understanding and practical management of knowledge transfer in international UICs. The integrated frameworks offers a comprehensive approach to navigating the complexities of geographically dispersed innovation processes and facilitating knowledge alignment within international collaborations, particularly for technologies intended for diverse global contexts. This work has implications for academics, practitioners, and policymakers involved in developing and transferring innovative technologies across institutional and international boundaries to achieve far-reaching societal impact
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    Design and implementation of a novel user interfacing module for the Cranfield circular toilet.
    (Cranfield University, 2022-02) Noaman, Mohamad Waleed; Encinas-Oropesa, Adriana; Lighterness, Paul
    This thesis presents empirical research on the development and implementation of a novel, water-saving user-interfacing module, that operates as a part of a comprehensive non-sewered sanitation system, the Cranfield Circular Toilet, that performs decentralized human waste evacuation and treatment. Building upon previous knowledge in this project, a prototype was designed, manufactured and assembled. It boasts new automated features that augment the functions of its mechanical evacuation subsystems, utilisation of water for interface flushing from the liquid purification process, and a streamlined design for manufacturability, in preparation for volume production and commercialization. Laboratorial tests were carried out to validate its main functionalities in self- cleaning and waste evacuation of solid and liquid human wastes to the backend treatment modules. Being a first prototype, findings from those tests were substantial in informing future design decisions in the module’s evolution, through selection of suitable and cost-effective operational features, optimisation of its geometric designs, and achieving further rationalisation in using resources, in aim to achieve higher levels of performance and user appeal, and a successful integration with the rest of the sanitation system.
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    An empirical test of the influence of rural leadership on the willingness to participate in public affairs from the perspective of leadership identification
    (MDPI, 2023-10-12) Zhang, Mengjuan; Shi, Hongwei; Williams, Leon; Lighterness, Paul; Li, Mingxing; Khan, Asad Ullah
    The participation of villagers in rural public affairs is vital for the sustainable development of rural communities and the improvement of villagers’ quality of life. Various factors, including individual characteristics, village environment, social forces, and national policies, influence villagers’ willingness to participate. However, empirical research on the determinants of villagers’ participation in public affairs often overlooks the role of grassroots leadership. To address this gap, this study proposes a theoretical model examining the relationship between transformational leadership and villagers’ willingness to participate in public affairs. Using a sample of 438 villagers from Jiangsu Province in eastern China, structural equation modeling and regression are employed to analyze the data. The findings indicate that moral modeling, leadership charm, and personalized care directly impact villagers’ willingness to participate in public affairs or indirectly influence it through leadership identification, which acts as a mediator. Furthermore, shared vision enhances the positive relationship between leadership identification and villagers’ awareness of public affairs participation. These findings provide valuable insights for village cadres seeking to promote active participation in public affairs among villagers. Specifically, gaining recognition through virtuous conduct, capabilities, and strong cadre–villager relationships serves as a foundation for influencing villagers’ willingness to participate in public affairs, while shared vision plays a strategic role in mobilizing villagers based on their identification with leaders.
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    Impact of crowdsourcee’s vertical fairness concern on the crowdsourcing knowledge sharing behavior and its incentive mechanism
    (Springer, 2020-11-07) Zhu, Binxin; Williams, Leon; Lighterness, Paul; Peng, Gao
    This paper examines in detail the impact of the crowdsourcee’s vertical fairness concern on the knowledge sharing incentive mechanism in crowdsourcing communities. The conditions for the establishment of the incentive mechanism are analyzed and the impact of fairness concern sensitivity on expected economic revenues of both sides as well as the crowdsourcing project performance is studied by game theory and computer simulation. The results show that the knowledge sharing incentive mechanism can only be established if the ratio between the performance improvement rate and the private cost reduction rate caused by shared knowledge is within a certain range. The degree of the optimal linear incentives, the private solution efforts, and the improvement of knowledge sharing level are positively correlated with the sensitivity of vertical fairness concern. In the non-incentive mode, the ratio between the performance conversion rate of private solution effort and the performance conversion rate of knowledge sharing effort plays an important role in moderating a crowdsourcing project’s performance. The authors find that the number of participants is either conducive or non-conducive to the improvement of performance. The implementation of knowledge sharing incentive can achieve a win-win situation for both the crowdsourcer and the crowdsourcee
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    Study on incentive mechanisms of smes crowdsourcing contest innovation.
    (Cranfield University, 2021-02) Zhu, Binxin; Williams, Leon; Lighterness, Paul
    Dealing with insufficient resources is a common challenge yet practical reality for many project managers working within SMEs. With the rise of Web 2.0, crowdsourcing contest innovation (CCI) it is now possible for project managers to use online platforms as a way to collaborate with external agents to fill this resource gap and thus improve innovation. This research uses agent-based modelling to prognosticate the efficacy of crowdsourcing contest innovation with a particular focus on the project manager ‘seeker’ within an SME initiating competitive crowdsourced contest teams made up of individual ‘solver’ participants. The contribution of knowledge will benefit the open innovation community to better understand the main motivational incentives to obtain maximum productivity of a team with limited project management resources. In pursuit of this, the social exchange theory is challenged, this thesis explores the motivation factors that influence solvers to participate in SMEs CCI from the perspectives of benefit perception and cost perception. The results found that non-material factors such as knowledge acquisition and sharing, reputation can stimulate solvers to participate in SMEs CCI more than material (physical money) rewards. Meanwhile, risks such as intellectual property risks and waste of resources are significant participation obstacles. Based on this, the principal- agent theory is used to design the models of team collaboration material incentive mechanism, dynamic reputation incentive mechanism and knowledge sharing incentive mechanism, and the performance of each incentive mechanism is analysed. At last, according to the principles of sample selection, Zbj.com, the China’s most successful crowdsourcing platform of which the main clients are SMEs, is chosen as the research object, and the effectiveness of the incentive mechanisms designed in this thesis is verified. It is found that the material and non-material incentives have been partially applied on the platform, and the explicit, implicit and synergistic effects of incentives are preliminarily achieved. According to the research results, it is suggested that the guarantee measures of the incentive mechanisms should be further developed, such as optimising pricing services and refining task allocation rules.
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    Survey data supporting 'Exploration of latent user needs for innovation in the sanitation industry'
    (Cranfield University, 2023-06-01 15:48) Marks, Emma; Abu-Bakar, Halid; Lighterness, Paul; Williams, Leon; Encinas-Oropesa, Adriana
    CSV file containing survey resutls from 165 households with each survey covering a set of 15 questions around the topic of user behaviour relating to toilet habits in UK homes.