Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Ahmed Mohammed Abdelalim Author-X-Name-First: Ahmed Mohammed Author-X-Name-Last: Abdelalim Title: A novel diagnostic prognostic approach for rehabilitated RC structures based on integrated probabilistic deterioration models Abstract: The task of maintaining the huge stock of structures provides both owners and engineers with financial and technical challenges. Building managers are increasingly faced with having to maintain their building assets more efficiently whilst reducing the short and long-term cost of rehabilitation. Several approaches employing a Markovian model have been adapted to the bridge structure domain; fewer in the domain of concrete buildings. The present paper describes a parallel approach to maintenance management used in bridge structures, but adapted to the maintenance of reinforced concrete buildings. The maintenance of several components of a concrete structural system is considered in the context of both yearly and longer-term maintenance planning. The significance of different components in relation to others in the system is determined by first conducting a failure mode effect and criticality analysis (FMECA) on all structural/non-structural elements. The FMECA permits developing a component criticality index from which their relative importance is assigned amongst the different building components. An optimisation of different possible maintenance actions is considered in relation to the cost of specified actions or replacement of components based on a multi-objective index (MOI). This index provides a means of relating competing maintenance objectives; that of controlling maintenance intervention costs and maintaining component condition ratings. It provides yearly maintenance costs of individual components for a given structural system over a long-term horizon that spans the life of the building. Journal: Int. J. of Decision Sciences, Risk and Management Pages: 119-134 Issue: 3 Volume: 8 Year: 2019 Keywords: reinforced concrete buildings; building maintenance; component deterioration; failure mode analysis; criticality index; multi-objective index; MOI; condition rating; maintenance; Markovian models; decision making; optimisation. File-URL: http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=99677 File-Format: text/html File-Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers. Handle: RePEc:ids:ijdsrm:v:8:y:2019:i:3:p:119-134 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Mohamed Bechir Chenguel Author-X-Name-First: Mohamed Bechir Author-X-Name-Last: Chenguel Title: The determinants affecting the preference of Islamic banking services in Tunisia Abstract: In Tunisia, the small number of Islamic banks could not make the balance with conventional banks, but despite this, Islamic banks showed great performance, and are making more efforts to attract more customers. The purpose of our work is to focus on factors influencing consumers to adopt Islamic banking services. We developed an econometric study, using data collected with a questionnaire sampling method. The survey questionnaire used in this study distributed 328 questionnaires and successfully received 141 questionnaires. Questionnaire data were processed by SPSS econometric data processing software. We developed an approach based on correlation and multiple regression analysis. The regression and correlation results showed a relationship between the dependent variable (adoption of Islamic banking) and other independents variables (degree of religiosity, consumer knowledge, reputation, costs, and advertising. Based on the results, we found factors that influence the adoption of Islamic banking in Tunisia, mainly the degree of religiosity, consumer awareness, reputation and costs. Only the advertising factor has no significant effect. Journal: Int. J. of Decision Sciences, Risk and Management Pages: 135-148 Issue: 3 Volume: 8 Year: 2019 Keywords: Islamic finance in Tunisia; adoption of Islamic banking; Islamic banks; Tunisia. File-URL: http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=99690 File-Format: text/html File-Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers. Handle: RePEc:ids:ijdsrm:v:8:y:2019:i:3:p:135-148 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: Angeliki N. Menegaki Author-X-Name-First: Angeliki N. Author-X-Name-Last: Menegaki Author-Name: Giorgos M. Agiomirgianakis Author-X-Name-First: Giorgos M. Author-X-Name-Last: Agiomirgianakis Title: Risk dimensions of a vertical Chinese expansion in the Greek tourism sector: the Chinese side Abstract: The soaring Chinese outbound tourism, the agglomeration of Chinese investment in Greece and the attractiveness of Greece as a Mediterranean tourist destination jointly generate motives for Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in the Greek tourism sector. However, to the best of our knowledge, a risk analysis of Chinese vertical integration in tourist businesses has received a rather limited research attention. The purpose of this paper is to investigate Chinese investment in the Greek tourism sector via a multiple dimensional risk analysis involving economic, environmental, social and cultural risks that could be possibly faced by prospective Chinese tourism investors in Greece. This paper will help Chinese public agents in reducing asymmetric information associated with an expansion in Greek tourism market. Journal: Int. J. of Decision Sciences, Risk and Management Pages: 149-171 Issue: 3 Volume: 8 Year: 2019 Keywords: Chinese tourism; Greece; industrial tourism; risk; vertical integration; China. File-URL: http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=99691 File-Format: text/html File-Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers. Handle: RePEc:ids:ijdsrm:v:8:y:2019:i:3:p:149-171 Template-Type: ReDIF-Article 1.0 Author-Name: José Cristiano Pereira Author-X-Name-First: José Cristiano Author-X-Name-Last: Pereira Author-Name: Marcelo D. Fragoso Author-X-Name-First: Marcelo D. Author-X-Name-Last: Fragoso Title: Risk assessment of failure in the assembly of rotors during manufacturing process - a case study Abstract: This paper proposes a framework for identifying the most significant risks during rotor assembly process, based on Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Bayesian Belief Network (BBN). The assembly of rotors is a very critical process and risk assessment method is crucial to ensure operation safety. The application of the method revealed that the most significant risks are related to software malfunction, program failure, system function failure and poor integration of hardware and software. The paper proposes responses to these risks aiming at preventing the occurrence of failure. The analysis put forward here may be an invaluable source for maintenance professionals, safety engineers and decision makers in companies, in the sense that it augments their information and helps to identify critical risks in the rotor assembly process. The identification and prioritisation of risk factor makes it easier to allocate resources to prevent rotor failure and improve product quality and ensure organisation sustainability. Journal: Int. J. of Decision Sciences, Risk and Management Pages: 172-196 Issue: 3 Volume: 8 Year: 2019 Keywords: risk assessment; Bayesian belief network; BNN; analytic hierarchy process; AHP; rotor assembly; product quality; organisation sustainability. File-URL: http://www.inderscience.com/link.php?id=99694 File-Format: text/html File-Restriction: Access to full text is restricted to subscribers. Handle: RePEc:ids:ijdsrm:v:8:y:2019:i:3:p:172-196