People CMM

Purpose-The purpose of this paper is to present a capability maturity model (CMM) developed to implement continuous improvement in small and medium scale construction companies (SMSCC) in Nigeria. Design/methodology/approach-A multi-strategy approach involving qualitative studies of SMSCC in Nigeria was conducted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposively selected construction experts in Nigeria to identify variables essential for continuous improvement in SMSCC. Data collected were thematically analysed using NVIVO. Subsequently, a system thinking approach is employed to design and develop the CMM for implementing continuous improvement SMSCC, by exploring possible relationships between the variables established. Findings-CMM provided a five-level approach for the inclusion of investigated variables such as team performance; culture; structure; post-project reviews, financial risk management, waste management policy and cost control. These variables are factors leading to continuous improvement in SMSCC, implementable within a six to seven and a half years' timeline. Practical implications-The system thinking model revealed cogent archetypes in the form of reinforcing loops that can be applied in developing the performance of SMSCC. Continuous improvement is feasible. However, it takes time to implement. Further longitudinal studies on the cost of implementing continuous improvement through CMM a knowledge transfer project can be initiated. Originality/value-A methodical strategy for enhancing the effectiveness and operations of SMSCC in developing countries can be extracted from the causal loop diagram and the CMM.

Development of social networks of scientists in the World Wide
Web creates new schemes for wider awareness of the global scientists’
community of scientific research findings. In this case, existing information
technologies are facing difficulties in resolving contradictions,
generated by a broad stream of scientific publications and complexity
of access to these publications. Resolution of this controversy
is carried out thanks to “digitalization” of scientific content, which
predetermines possibility of implementation of new principles for
information disseminating, such as SMM (Social Media Marketing).
To substantiate and assess SMM, we accepted the hypothesis
about possibility of phenomenological presentation of lifecycle of
scientific publications with the states of readers’ community: S1 –
unawareness; S2 – awareness; S3 – positive attitude; S4 – citation;
S5 – negative attitude. In view of these states, the model of publication
lifecycle based on a Markov chain was constructed. It was proposed
to use SMM principles from professional marketing agencies in relation
to promotion of scientific content on the Internet. A distinctive
feature of this approach is that proposed Markov chain is adjusted to
different possible states of reader’s community on assessment of publication
by establishing the values of transition probabilities, which are
chosen for particular states based on the expert evaluation.
We investigated the influence of expansion of readers’ audience,
provision of presentation clarity, articles uniqueness, professional
orientation, and data objectivity on the distribution of publication
readership. Effectiveness of publications promotion with an active
authors’ participation to follow up on their publications in social
scientific networks was shown.
Keywords: SMM, scientometrics, social