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Numerous attempts at installing six sigma (SS) have faced challenges and fallen short of the desired success. Thus, it becomes vital to identify the critical factors and characteristics that play a pivotal role in achieving successful adoption. In this study the research has aimed to highlight that a considerable number of corporate SS initiatives, around 60%, fail primarily due to the improper incorporation of essential elements and flawed assumptions.

To validate the influence of critical success factors (CSFs) on SS accomplishment, the study employed a research design combining exploratory and mixed-methods approaches. A Likert-scale questionnaire was utilized, and a simple random sampling method was employed to gather data. Out of the 2,325 potential participants approached, 573 responses were received, primarily from Germany, the United Kingdom and Sweden. The analysis focused on 260 completed questionnaires and statistical methods including structural equation modeling (SEM), exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were utilized for data analysis.

The study acknowledged four essential components of CSFs that are imperative for sustaining the success of SS: (1) Competence of belt System employees; (2) Project management skills; (3) Organizational economic capability and (4) Leadership commitment and engagement. These factors were identified as significant contributors to the maintenance of SS’s success.

The practical implications of this research imply that institutions, practitioners, and researchers can utilize the four identified factors to foster the sustainable deployment of SS initiatives. By incorporating these factors, organizations can enhance the effectiveness and longevity of their SS practices.

The investigation's originality lies in its contribution to assessing CSFs in SS deployment within the European automobile industry, utilizing a mixed-methods research design supplemented by descriptive statistics.

The purpose of this paper is to realize the lightweight of connecting rod and meet the requirements of low energy consumption and vibration. Based on the structural design of the original connecting rod, the finite element analysis was conducted to reduce the weight and increase the natural frequencies, so as to reduce materials consumption and improve the energy efficiency of internal combustion engine.

The finite element analysis, structural optimization design and topology optimization of the connecting rod are applied. Efficient hybrid method is deployed: static and modal analysis; and structure re-design of the connecting rod based on topology optimization.

After the optimization of the connecting rod, the weight is reduced from 1.7907 to 1.4875 kg, with a reduction of 16.93%. The maximum equivalent stress of the optimized connecting rod is 183.97 MPa and that of the original structure is 217.18 MPa, with the reduction of 15.62%. The first, second and third natural frequencies of the optimized connecting rod are increased by 8.89%, 8.85% and 11.09%, respectively. Through the finite element analysis and based on the lightweight, the maximum equivalent stress is reduced and the low-order natural frequency is increased.

This paper presents an optimization method on the connecting rod structure. Based on the statics and modal analysis of the connecting rod and combined with the topology optimization, the size of the connecting rod is improved, and the static and dynamic characteristics of the optimized connecting rod are improved.

Integrating additive manufacturing (AM) tools in traditional mold-making provides complex yet affordable sand molds and cores. AM processes such as selective laser sintering (SLS) and Binder jetting three-dimensional printing (BJ3DP) are widely used for patternless sand mold and core production. This study aims to perform an in-depth literature review to understand the current status, determine research gaps and propose future research directions. In addition, obtain valuable insights into authors, organizations, countries, keywords, documents, sources and cited references, sources and authors.

This study followed the systematic literature review (SLR) to gather relevant rapid sand casting (RSC) documents via Scopus, Web of Science and EBSCO databases. Furthermore, bibliometrics was performed via the Visualization of Similarities (VOSviewer) software.

An evaluation of 116 documents focused primarily on commercial AM setups and process optimization of the SLS. Process optimization studies the effects of AM processes, their input parameters, scanning approaches, sand types and the integration of computer-aided design in AM on the properties of sample. The authors performed detailed bibliometrics of 80 out of 120 documents via VOSviewer software.

This review focuses primarily on the SLS AM process.

A SLR and bibliometrics using VOSviewer software for patternless sand mold and core production via the AM process.

Vaccine hesitancy is a long-standing issue among both the general population and health communicators. This study aims to ascertain the inclination and the reasons for vaccine hesitancy by conducting content analysis and sentiment analysis of the perspectives expressed in comments on videos related to vaccine hesitancy uploaded from India on YouTube.

The assessment of the sentiments of the vaccine-hesitant population is done using Valence Aware Dictionary and sEntiment Reasoner sentiment analysis module implemented with Python’s NLTK library to automatically determine the sentiments of the comments. Manual content analysis was performed on 60.09% viewer comments randomly selected from the total comments in 238 videos on vaccine hesitancy originated from India and labelled each comment with labels “Anti”, “Pro”, “Confused”, “Not Applicable” and “Unrelated” labels.

The study found “Mistrust-Government policies”, “Fear-health related consequences”, “Mistrust-Scientific research”, “Vaccine effectiveness and efficacy” and “Misinformation/myths” as the top five determinants for vaccine hesitancy, whereas “Religious beliefs”, “Fear-Economic consequences”, “Side Effects- short-term” and “Fear-mode of administration” found to be the lesser cited reasons for vaccine hesitancy. However, the study also investigates changes in the inclination of Indian commenters towards vaccine hesitancy and revolving issues over time.

Public health policymakers and health communicators may find the study useful in determining vaccine hesitancy factors in India.

The originality of this study lies in its approach. To date, no sentiment analysis has been conducted on the content released on YouTube by Indian content creators regarding pro- and anti-vaccination videos. This inquiry seeks to fill this research gap.

This study aims to examine the influence of digital financial literacy (DFL) on the financial well-being (FWB) of students in Andhra Pradesh, specifically exploring the factors of impulsivity and self-control. Both DFL and FWB are treated as multi-dimensional constructs in the study. The research delves into the impact of DFL dimensions, viz. digital financial knowledge, digital financial experience and digital financial skills, on both impulsivity and self-control. Subsequently, the study assesses the effects of impulsivity and self-control on financial well-being.

To gather data, a questionnaire-based survey method was employed, reaching 475 university students through purposive sampling. The study utilizes confirmatory factor analysis for scale validation and structural equation modeling for hypothesis testing.

The results reveal a significantly negative influence of digital financial knowledge (DFK), digital financial experience (DFE) and digital financial skills (DFS) on impulsivity, while demonstrating a significantly positive impact on self-control. Additionally, the study finds that impulsivity negatively affects financial well-being, whereas self-control has a positive impact. Focusing on higher education institutions in Andhra Pradesh, the research highlights students’ limited concern for long-term financial planning.

This study underscores the relevance of understanding the crucial role of digital financial literacy in enhancing their financial well-being. The implications of these research findings are substantial and can be utilized to shape educational programs for students in higher education institutions. Such programs can guide institutions in imparting knowledge and skills related to personal finance management, particularly in the context of the increasing digitalization of financial transactions.

This study aims to evaluate the sustainable supply chain performance indicators. At a macro level, the identification of the sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) performance indicators is done through exhaustive literature survey and interviews with experts. Furthermore, these indicators are evaluated through a hybrid approach, i.e. total weighted interpretive structural modelling (TWISM) followed by analytic hierarchical process (AHP).

Micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in India are a major contributor to nation’s GDP. However, this sector struggles to comprehend benefits from implementation of SSCM due to a lack of appropriate performance evaluation metrics. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the body of knowledge in SSCM by proposing and evaluating a set of SSCM performance indicators.

The paper highlights the SSCM performance indicators and concludes that business strategies, implementation planning and impact of stakeholders are the top SSCM performance indicators (SPIs). Therefore, the decision-makers must initially focus on strategic requirements which foster the implementation of SSCM, thereby ensuring profitability for all stakeholders.

Although the proposed framework was validated through a case study on Indian automobile component manufacturing MSMEs, future research would explore the extension of the framework to other industries.

The originality of this study lies in the application of the novel TWISM-AHP tool. Furthermore, the SPIs identified in the study, consider the integration of the triple bottom line from the MSME perspective. The TWISM-AHP analysis will be beneficial for SC decision-makers to enhance the SSCM performance based on the identified indicators and their criticality.

Financial and nonfinancial disclosures (sustainable accounting) are crucial in the annual financial reports of many firms. This study aims to explore the dynamic relationship between sustainability disclosure quality (SDQ) and financial performance (FP) within mandatory disclosure frameworks. SDQ is evaluated across six dimensions, encompassing both the quality and quantity of disclosures, aiming to understand their reciprocal influence.

Using the generalized method of moments (GMM), this research analyzes data from 2013 to 2019, focusing on 99 listed Indian firms within the S&P Bombay stock exchange (BSE) 500 index. The study uses rigorous measurement criteria to assess SDQ and uses statistical methods to unveil the causal link between SDQ and FP.

The results show a positive causal connection between SDQ and FP, where organizations with good FP make relatively higher disclosures across FP proxies than their counterparts. Additionally, the study investigates the impact of research and development (R&D) expenditure and dividend payments (DIVD) on SDQ. Notably, lower R&D spending is associated with higher quality SDs, and companies with superior SDQ exhibit increased DIVD.

The findings advocate for strengthened regulatory compliance, incentivized sustainable practices and heightened reporting standards for a transparent business environment and achieving the relevant United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

This research contributes original insights by uncovering the intricate relationship between SDQ and FP, shedding light on the impact of R&D expenditure and DIVD on SDQ. These findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of the interplay between FP and sustainability reporting within the context of mandatory disclosure frameworks.

This study aims to examine the influence of corporate carbon emissions on the financial performance of select Indian companies. It further studies the moderating role of science-based target initiatives (SBTi) in this relationship.

The study is based on 57 Indian SBTi companies and 74 Bombay Stock Exchange-listed non-SBTi companies for the period of four years from 2019–2020 to 2022–2023. The panel data regression models are used to study this association. Furthermore, two-stage least square and generalized method of moments models are used to test the robustness of the results.

There is a negative relationship between corporate carbon emissions and financial performance. The findings support the “win-win” hypothesis and confirm that reducing carbon emissions can improve the financial performance of Indian firms. Furthermore, the SBTi moderate the carbon emission and firm performance nexus.

The findings of the study would provide insights to the policymakers, regulators and managers to mainstream climate change in their core business activities driving sustainability and profitable outcomes.

This study is a noble attempt to study the moderating role of science-based targets in the carbon emissions and firm performance nexus in an emerging market setting. Earlier studies have been conducted in a cross-country context.

The study aims to examine the impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) disclosure on financial performance by considering the moderating impact of less and high climate-sensitive industry firms.

The present study is a panel data approach with a sample of the top 100 Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)-listed non-financial firms covering the years 2019–2022. Appropriate panel data models have been used to investigate the association between ESG disclosure and financial performance, followed by an instrumental variable regression model to address endogeneity. Further, the panel data interaction effect model has been used to examine the moderating impact.

The results favour the value-enhancing function of ESG disclosure. Of the three ESG components, only the G factor affects firm performance significantly. The interaction effect model suggests that the link between ESG disclosure and financial performance is moderated by industry. However, this effect is greater for less sensitive industries. The results are robust to endogeneity.

The study’s novelty lies in the use of the integrated “Stakeholder Capitalism Metrics”, which has not been previously used in any study to assess the ESG disclosure of corporates. To further distinguish itself, the moderating impact of high and less climate-sensitive industry firms on the ESG-financial performance link, which remains unexplored in the fast-emerging nation of India, is looked into.

The increasing complexity and globalization of supply chains raise risks such as human rights abuses and environmental damage while affecting their supply chain performance (SCP), which prompted a study on supply chain due diligence (SCDD) practices. This study examines the impact of SCDD practices on the SCP. It examines if and how these relationships can be influenced by factors such as organizational culture and trust.

A conceptual model and hypotheses based on institutional theory were developed. The survey instrument captures organizations' perceptions of SCDD practices and related key performance indicators for SCP. The study collects data from 329 supply chain and logistics managers in Indian manufacturing and logistics organizations, and the hypotheses are validated using a structural equation model.

Results indicate that SCDD practices positively influence SCP. Trust and organizational culture strengthened SCDD–SCP relationships.

The study explores how organizations perceive and implement due diligence in their supply chains, highlighting areas for improvement. This understanding could help organizations enhance their supply chain management strategies, leading to better risk management, cost reduction, avoiding penalties and improved overall performance.

The main contribution of the study is to examine organizations' perceptions of SCDDA implementation and then identify its effects on supply chain performance. This is done considering trust and organizational culture as moderating factors.