Search results

The purpose of the paper is to design a nonlinear dynamic inversion (NDI) based robust fault-tolerant control (FTC) for aircraft longitudinal dynamics subject to system nonlinearities, aerodynamic parametric variations, external wind disturbances and fault/failure in actuator.

An uncertainty and disturbance estimator (UDE) technique is used to provide estimate of total disturbance enabling its rejection and thereby achieving robustness to the proposed NDI controller. As needed in the NDI design, the successive derivatives of the output are obtained through an UDE robustified observer making the design implementable. Further, a control allocation scheme consigns control command from primary actuator to the secondary one in the event of fault/failure in the primary actuator.

The robustness is achieved against the perturbations mentioned above in the presence of actuator fault/failure.

Lyapunov analysis proves practical stability of the controller–observer structure. The efficacy and superiority of the proposed design has been demonstrated through Monte-Carlo simulation.

Unlike in many FTC designs, robustness is provided against system nonlinearities, aerodynamic parametric variations, external wind disturbances and sinusoidal input disturbance using a single control law which caters for fault-free, as well as faulty actuator scenario.

The requirement of robust cooperative control is essential to achieve consensus between unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) operating in swarm formation. Often the performance of these swarm formations is affected by wind gust disturbances. This study proposes an effective robust consensus protocol, which will ensure the UAVs in swam formation to collectively meet the desired objective in real-time scenario.

In this work, the swarm of UAVs are modeled as multiagent systems by using the concepts of algebraic graph theory. To address the challenges of a complex and dynamic environment, an adaptive sliding mode control (SMC)-based consensus protocol is proposed. The closed loop stability analysis is established through Lyapunov theory.

The efficacy of the discussed robust consensus controller is analyzed through numerical simulations. Further, the quantitative analysis using Monte-Carlo simulations validates performance of the proposed robust consensus protocol. The presented consensus protocol can be easily implementable as robust flight controller for swarm of UAVs. Also, as the consensus theory is based on the algebraic graph theory, the proposed design is scalable for a large number of UAVs in swarm formation.

The proposed adaptive SMC achieves robust consensus of longitudinal dynamics states between all the UAVs by mitigating the effects of wind gust disturbances. Also, the adaptive SMC offers chattering-free control efforts.

Theory of Constraints (TOC), though a well-established process improvement methodology in manufacturing, is still a novel philosophy for healthcare and an exhaustive review of literature is needed to summarize the key findings of various researchers. Such a review can provide a direction to the researchers and academicians interested in exploring the application of TOC in the healthcare sector. This paper aims to review the existing literature of TOC tools and techniques applied to the healthcare environment, and to investigate motivating factors, benefits and key gaps for identifying directions for future research in the domain of healthcare.

In this paper, different electronic repositories were searched using multiple keywords. The current study identified 36 articles published between January 1999 to mid-2021 to conceptualize and summarize the research questions used in the study. Descriptive analysis along with pictorial representations have been used for better visualization of work.

This paper presents a thorough literature review of TOC in healthcare and identifies the evolution, current trends, tools used, nature of services chosen for application and research gaps and recommends future direction for research. A variety of motivating factors and benefits of TOC in healthcare are identified. Another key finding of this study is that almost all implementations listed in literature reported positive outcomes and substantial improvements in the performance of the healthcare unit chosen for study.

This paper provides valuable insight to researchers, practitioners and policymakers on the potential of TOC to improve quality of services, flow of patients, revenues, process efficiency and cost reduction in different health care settings. A number of findings and suggestions compiled in the paper from literature study can be used for diagnosing, learning and making substantial changes in healthcare. The methodologies used by different researchers were analysed and combined to propose a generic step by step procedure to apply TOC. This methodology will guide the practising managers about the appropriate tools of TOC for their specific need.

Good health is always the first desire of all men and women around the globe. The global aim of healthcare is to quickly cure more patients and ensure healthier population both today and in future. This article will work as a foundation for future applications of TOC in healthcare and guide upcoming applications in the booming healthcare sector. The paper will help the healthcare managers in serving a greater number of patients with limited available resources.

This paper provides original collaborative work compiled by the authors. Since no comprehensive systematic review of TOC in healthcare has been reported earlier, this study would be a valuable asset for researchers in this field. A model has been presented that links various benefits with one another and clarifies the need to focus on process improvement which naturally results in these benefits. Similarly, a model has been presented to guide the users in implementation of TOC in healthcare.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the indirect effects of nutritional knowledge and attitude toward food label use on food label use through self-efficacy and trust, as well as whether gender moderates this relationship.

A sample of Indian adults with multiple chronic conditions was surveyed about their nutritional knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy and use of food labels. Hypotheses were tested using Hayes’s (2013) PROCESS macro for SPSS.

The results show that nutritional knowledge and attitude toward food label use positively predict food label use through self-efficacy and trust. However, these mediation effects are moderated by gender such that the indirect relationship is stronger among men than women.

Food marketers and government agencies engaged in nutrition education campaigns should aim to increase patients’ confidence in comprehending food label information.

Since food labels can be a valuable tool to help patients with chronic diseases to make informed decisions about their diet and lifestyle, regulators may consider mandating nutritional labels on foods to help them improve their food or dietary choices.

This study uniquely applies Fisher and Fisher’s (1992) information–motivation–behavioral skills model as a theoretical framework to examine the influence of nutrition knowledge and attitude toward food label use on food label usage of Indian patients with multiple chronic diseases.

Moving beyond the concept of congruence between celebrity image and brand image, this study explores a new domain in which to investigate the match-up hypothesis. Specifically, this study aims to understand the extent to which consumers engage in more indulgent behavior when participants are primed with a celebrity with a certain perceived lifestyle.

Two independent experiments were undertaken to observe consumer reactions to advertisements using celebrities as priming stimulus. Experiment 1 featured a 2 (perceived celebrity lifestyle) × 3 (celebrity persuasion style) between-subjects design, while a follow-up study featured a 2 (celebrity’s on-screen portrayal) × 3 (celebrity persuasion style) between-subjects factorial design.

Results support the proposition that celebrities cause priming effects such that consumers’ attitude and willingness to spend (WTS) on the endorsed brand depends on their perception of the celebrity’s lifestyle. Participants exposed to a perceived high-flamboyant-lifestyle celebrity had a more positive attitude toward the endorsed brand and were more willing to spend money when the celebrity used a “spend money” persuasion style than when the celebrity used a “save money” persuasion style in endorsements. Findings of a follow-up study suggest that exposure to a celebrity playing a flamboyant character on-screen was seen to be associated with a positive attitude toward the brand and increased WTS, than exposure to a celebrity playing a less flamboyant character on-screen.

Although effects of person primes are evidenced in the literature, previous studies are silent on the impact of presenting celebrities as priming stimulus. This study extends the idea of priming using a social category that has not been explored before, namely, celebrities and explores the effect that celebrity priming has on activating specific consumer response behavior.

This paper aims to examine the traditional business communities and family businesses of India, their emergence and sustained growth.

The authors analyze the role of business communities in family businesses of India and identify business communities that have still sustained and marked a global presence.

Business communities such as Marwaris have the knack for business activities and are leaders of family businesses in India today, who have sustained their past success and continue to create new histories. Other traditional business communities such as Parsis, Sindhis, Chettiars and Gujarati banias have not been able to sustain much. Possible reasons were switching to white-collar jobs, taking up diplomacy and other professions, inter caste marriages, international migration in search of business and Indian government policies.

This study provides a useful source of information for academics, policy-makers and economists.

Traditional business communities populate the list of family businesses that have marked their global presence. This paper identifies various factors that are responsible for the growth and sustainability of these business communities.

The study clarifies the role of business communities in domestic economic development.

The paper explored traditional business communities of India and assessed their role in family businesses of India that currently mark a global presence.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between CEO leadership behavior and the culture of the organization within the context of Indian organizations.

Two five-scale questionnaires were completed by senior executives (n=485) who have interaction with their CEO. The first instrument captured the executives’ perspective of their CEO’s leadership behavior along six dimensions (People Centric, Global Ambitions, Opportunity Sensing, Visionary, Exemplary, and Dependable). The second instrument captured the executives’ perspective of their organization’s culture along six dimensions (Results Focused, Talent Development, Employee Empowerment, Equity and Fairness, Open Communication, and Decentralization). These data were analyzed using factor analysis, correlation analysis, and least-squares regression.

A correlation analysis indicates that a significant relationship exists between several aspects of CEO leadership behavior and characteristics of the organizational culture. Regression analysis indicated that the overall CEO leadership behavior prominently explains (R²=0.397) the organization’s culture. Notably, two CEO dimensions, People Centricity and Global Ambition, were found to have an exceptionally high degree of association with the culture of the organization.

There is consistency between findings from western academic leader-culture research and the same in the Indian work setting.

Findings of this study can serve as a guidepost for the selection of leaders in an organization.

There is a scarcity of leader-organization research involving national culture features; the Indian context is fundamental to this study and is called for by the growing presence of India-born leadership in western organizations.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a case study of a global challenge: the relationship between commercial development and the protection of eco-fragile systems particularly where river water is involved. It reviews and critiques the legal and political processes that underpinned the Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2010 in Delhi and the building of the accommodation Village on the floodplain of the river Yamuna.

The paper covers the controversial modern history of the Yamuna river that runs through Delhi. The river is “dead” and has been subject to litigation concerning its usage and that of its flood plain. In particular, the controversy peaked prior to the CWG 2010 in Delhi and the required buildings associated with the games. The paper traces the history of the legal actions and the inter-related involvement of the various actors being the politicians, construction developers, the river bank dwellers and the local environmentalists. Close analysis is made of the statutory administrative procedures required for environmental clearance, the subsequent case law both in the High Court of Delhi and the Supreme Court of India. Additionally, usage is made of the media and its concerns over corrupt and negligent practices.

The Indian judiciary in their willingness to promote the construction of the Village failed to apply its own environmental jurisprudence. There was a failure to “lift the veil” and review flawed administrative practices that violated governing statutes. National pride, time pressures, political support, economic interests and rapid urbanisation created a pressure that the courts could not challenge. It was left to investigative committees, after the Games had concluded, to expose these wrongdoings.

The paper highlights the issue of the relationship of the courts and political and economic interests and how legally protected ecological interests are ignored.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate dimensions of employee silence in Indian work context with regard to the supervisors and how job satisfaction mediates the relationship between silence and turnover intention. The study also explores the relevance of superior-subordinate relationship and self-image maintenance perspectives in Indian socio-cultural context to explain and understand the phenomenon of silence in India.

Qualitative (n=55) and quantitative data (n=334, n=314 and n=116) were collected from employees working in private, public and multinational organizations located in northern part of India. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were performed to explore and validate the dimensions of silence behavior among Indian managers and structural equation analysis was carried out to see the meditating role of job satisfaction in the relationship of silence and turnover intention.

Results have indicated the existence of four major dimensions of silence in India namely; fear of retaliation, internal motivation, self-competence and self-image as the possible causes of silence. Further job satisfaction has mediated the effect of silence on turnover intention. This study showed the positive impact of silence on satisfaction which is contrary to the western studies. These results have supported the theoretical arguments developed in this paper in the Indian work context.

The results are useful in understanding the dynamics of silence in Indian organizations as employees might use silence in a strategic manner to regulate their satisfaction and in maintaining their membership with the organization.

The present study is among the first attempts to empirically examine the causes and consequences of employee silence in the high power distance and collectivistic cultural context.

The purpose of this paper is to formulate heavy-duty lithium complex grease using low molecular weight poly tetra fluoro ethylene (PTFE) micro-particles as extreme pressure (EP) additive manufactured by E-beam scissoring and ultra-high speed grinding process of pre-sintered PTFE scrap.

Lithium complex grease is formulated with PTFE micro-particles, and optimum treat rate was studied by standard bench tests by ASTM D 2266 and IP-239 for tribological properties and compared with commercially available Molybdenum Di sulphide (Moly)-based lithium complex grease. The performance of the grease was further evaluated by a cyclic load test at varying speeds and loads to simulate the operational field conditions.

The lithium complex PTFE grease was manufactured using PTFE micro-particles as EP additive. The PTFE micro-particles dispersed in the lithium complex grease significantly improve the anti-wear performance and load bearing properties. Further, when the product was tested under a cyclic load conditions on standard tribological bench test against commercially available Moly lithium complex grease, shows stable anti-wear properties and reduced coefficient of friction.

The low molecular weight PTFE micro-particles, manufactured in the in-house electron beam (E-beam) and ultra-high speed micronizer facility from a pre-sintered PTFE scrap has been used as EP additive for grease applications for the first time. The results on the cyclic load tests indicate significant performance improvement in retaining the anti-wear and friction properties. Thus, value addition is done in formulating superior performance grease and evaluating under cyclic load conditions similar to field operating conditions and also in creating value added additives by converting the pre-sintered PTFE scarp which is environmental hazard due to poor biodegradability, creating a cyclic economy and a sustainable concept.