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• Advancing Maintenance 4.0 through an Asset Management Framework: a South African Petrochemical Industry Case Study

  1-20

  Rina Peach

  Refilwe Matsha

  Views:

  46

  The rapid advancement of digital technologies has raised uncertainty about the adequacy of traditional maintenance models to meet Industry 4.0 requirements. This study develops and validates an asset management framework to support the South African petrochemical industry’s transition to Maintenance 4.0. The framework was validated through a quantitative survey conducted within a leading petrochemical company in South Africa, ensuring its practical applicability. Descriptive statistical analysis confirmed 15 of 17 framework characteristics and supported five of seven theoretical propositions. Key enablers of Maintenance 4.0 adoption include the integration of human intelligence, machine learning, and real-time data, as well as the role of organizational culture and asset resilience in shaping outcomes. The study offers both theoretical contributions and practical guidance for maintenance professionals seeking to align maintenance practices with Industry 4.0 principles, with relevance extending beyond the immediate case context.

• Wearable technology usage among students of the University of Debrecen

  33-47

  Gergely Ráthonyi

  Kinga Ráthonyi-Odor

  György Szabados

  Zoltán Bács

  Éva Bácsné Bába

  Views:

  288

  The lack of physical activity and the growing prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle are urgent public health problem worldwide. The problem is also typical of the young population, especially university students, who spend most of the day in a sitting position. Technological development is one of the catalysts for the rise of a sedentary lifestyle, nevertheless, thanks to this, many devices have appeared on the market that can be used to encourage physical activity. The widespread of wearable activity tracker devices – wristwatches, wristbands – among the population shows a constantly increasing trend, with a parallel increase in the amount of data collected about ourselves (step count, calories burned, heart rate). The main goal of the present study derives from the recognition of the gap in this field in the domestic sports science literature therefore our focus is on modern information technology tools in the dimension of physical activity. The aim of this study is to assess the attitudes of the university student population towards activity-tracking devices. We conducted a cross-sectional online quantitative survey (questionnaire) among DE GTK students. 340 people filled out the questionnaire correctly. In addition to descriptive statistics, parametric and non-parametric tests (Pearson's chi-square test, Fisher's exact test, t-test, Mann-Whitney test) were used to examine the relationships. The results of the statistical tests were considered significant if p<0.05. We performed the distribution of the variables using the Kolgomorov-Smirnov test. The majority of respondents (55%) have already tried some kind of wearable device that measures physical activity. Every third student (34%) are currently using their device. Those who have not tried these devices so far indicated the price as the primary deterrent. 32% of the students plan to invest in such a device in the future. 39% of device users use an activity tracker bracelet, while 61% use or used a smartwatch. In terms of sex, we did not find any differences in asset ownership. The primary goal of the students (66.8%) was to track their physical activity. The most frequently used function was tracking the number of steps, indicated by 81% of the respondents, followed by heart rate measurement (67%). Most of them (69%) set some kind of goal regarding their number of steps. According to every third student, they moved more as a result of the device and managed to maintain the increased level of physical activity. 44% of the students claimed that their physical activity did not change despite using the device. Students tend to disagree with the positive statements related to the devices in connection with a healthy lifestyle. Although the present study suggests that wearable devices have an impact on students and they track their measured data, it is questionable whether the devices themselves are enough of an incentive for students to develop a healthier lifestyle.

• Company Valuation of an Entity Operating in International Accounting Environment

  320-331

  Mirjam Hamad

  Ildikó Dékán Tamásné Orbán

  Views:

  678

  Company and asset valuation plays a major role nowadays. Determining the company’s value is a key factor for management in appropriate decision making, and it is a necessary step for individuals who wish to invest and for investors. There are numerous models which utilize different methods for company valuation. In our study we based our valuation on the McKinsey model for a company in an international accounting environment. In the study we present the main attributes of the McKinley model, its structure, which includes the main steps of valuation. We put a special emphasis on the calculation of free cash flow, future balance sheets and profit and loss accounts anticipation as well as future turnover, which highly influences the changes of data in the future reports thus in the company value. The McKinsey model is a discounted cash flow model, in which the company value and the consequent future cash flow can be determined as present value.