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This study is intended to introduce and summarise Industry 4.0 practices in BRICS nations (the abbreviation “BRICS” is made up of the first letters of the member countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) and determine each nation’s current contribution to Industry 4.0 practice implementation based on past literature. As the BRICS countries continue to play an essential role in the global economy, it is significant to understand Industry 4.0, focussing on these emerging economies.

To assess the present research work on Industry 4.0 practices and research studies in BRICS nations, a systematic literature review (SLR) is performed using the articles available on the SCOPUS database. This study is a descriptive analysis based on the frequency and year of publications, the most influential universities, most influential journals and most influential articles. Similarly, this study consists of category analysis based on multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methods, research design used, research method utilised, different data analysis techniques and different Industry 4.0 technologies were used to solve different applications in the BRICS nations.

According to the analysis of past literature, the primary identified practices are centred on operations productivity, waste management, energy reduction and sustainable processes. It also found that despite the abundance of research on Industry 4.0, the major academic journal publications are restricted to a small number of industries and issues in which the manufacturing and automotive industries are front runners. The categorisation of selected papers based on the year of publication demonstrates that the number of publications has been rising. It is also found that China and India, out of the BRICS countries, have contributed significantly to Industry 4.0-related publications by contributing 61 percent of the total articles identified. Similarly, this study identified that qualitative research design is the most adopted framework for research, and empirical triangulation is the least adopted framework in this field. The categorisation of selected articles facilitates the identification of numerous gaps, such as that 67.14% of the literature research is qualitative.

Understanding Industry 4.0 in the BRICS nations helps to identify opportunities for international collaboration and future cooperation possibilities. This study helps to promote collaboration between BRICS countries and other nations, organisations or businesses interested in capitalising on these growing economies' assets and capabilities related to Industry 4.0 technologies. This study helps to provide essential insights into the economic, technological and societal impacts, allowing for effective decision-making and strategic planning for a sustainable and competitive future. So, this contribution links the entire world in terms of the better utilisation of resources, the reduction of downtime, improving product quality, personalised products and the development of human resource capabilities through the application of cutting-edge technologies for nearly half of the world’s population.

In this study, BRICS nations are selected due to their significant impact on the world regarding social, economic and environmental contributions. In the current review, 423 articles published up to August 2022 were selected from the SCOPUS database. The comparison analysis of each BRICS nation in the form of applications of Industry 4.0, the primary area of focus, leading industry working, industry involvement with universities and the area that needs attention are discussed. To the best of our knowledge, this is the most recent SLR and meta-analysis study about Industry 4.0 in BRICS nations, which analysed the past available literature in nine different descriptive and category-wise classifications, considering a total of 423 articles. Based on this SLR, this study makes some important recommendations and future directions that will help achieve social, economic and environmental sustainability in BRICS nations.

This study aims to characterize the behavior of blended concrete, including metakaolin (MK) and quarry dust (QD), as supplementary cementing materials. The study focuses on evaluating the effects of these materials on the fresh and hardened properties of concrete.

MK, a pozzolanic material, and QD, a fine aggregate by-product, are potentially sustainable alternatives for enhancing concrete performance and reducing environmental impact. The addition of different percentages of MK enhances the pozzolanic reaction, resulting in improved strength development. Furthermore, the optimum dosage of MK, mixed with QD, and mechanical properties like compressive, flexural and split tensile strength of concrete were evaluated to investigate the synergetic effect of MK and quarry dust for M20-grade concrete.

The results reveal the influence of metakaolin and QD on the overall performance of blended concrete. Cost analysis showed that the optimum mix can reduce the 7%–8% overall cost of the materials for M20-grade concrete. Energy analysis showed that the optimum mix can reduce 7%–8% energy consumption.

The effective utilization is determined with the help of the analytical hierarchy process method to find an optimal solution among the selected criteria. According to the AHP analysis, the optimum content of MK and quarry dust is 12% and 16%, respectively, performing best among all other trial mixes.

This study has empirically investigated the impacts of climate change on agricultural productivity worldwide, considering the ranking of agriculture productivity. Additionally, the study has estimated the extent to which climate change favoured agriculture productivity from a global perspective.

The study prepared a suitable econometric model and employed the quantile panel Autoregressive Distributed Lag technique with a two-step Error Correction Mechanism to assess the influence of global warming on worldwide agrarian productivity.

The estimated results provide evidence for the nonlinear impacts of climate change on agriculture productivity across all quantiles. Moreover, threshold levels of average annual temperature rise with the improvement of agricultural productivity, depicting that low-productive areas are highly vulnerable to global warming. Additionally, agricultural inputs like labour, capital and irrigated land are positively related to agricultural productivity, with relatively substantial marginal productivity in highly productive regions. Nevertheless, technological innovations are found to be more productive in low-productive areas.

Policymakers should prioritize region-specific climate-smart agriculture by targeting policies to increase agricultural productivity and minimize the effects of climate change on food security and nutrition.

Despite significant research in this area, there remains a knowledge gap on the nature of this relationship, especially regarding productivity thresholds under warming. The study aims to fill this gap, offering valuable insights to guide policy actions and adaptation strategies to mitigate the adverse impacts of climate change on agriculture productivity.

This study aims to investigate the determinants of employees’ readiness to adapt to the change from the conventional banking system to the Islamic banking system in Libya. The determinants identified by this research include supervisors’ support, trust in leadership, participatory management, employees’ involvement in the change, the attitude of top management towards the change, openness towards the change and nature of change.

The study adopted a quantitative approach by using a self-administered questionnaire survey where a total of 482 sets of questionnaires were distributed manually of which 316 completed questionnaires were found to be usable. The structural equation modelling techniques were used to test and validate the proposed model.

Statistically, the study found that supervisor support, employees’ involvement in the change process and openness towards change showed significant relationships on employees’ readiness to perform their jobs in Libyan banks where the conventional financial system had been changed to the Islamic banking system. However, on the contrary, trust in leadership, participatory management and the attitude of top management towards the change process were found to have no significant relationship towards employees’ readiness. In addition, a significant moderation effect of the nature of change has been found on the relationship between openness to change and employees’ readiness for change.

Determinants of employees’ readiness for the transformation process identified in the present study can be used in assessing the employees’ readiness before implementing any change. In fact, openness and willingness towards change were found to be significant factors in employees’ readiness in the transformation process. Therefore, banks can use this information as one of the important criteria in recruiting employees. Open-minded and receptive attitudes towards change could be the quality of employees that banks should look for.

Overall, this study can be considered as novel because its findings will prompt other researchers to conduct and expand similar research in this field. Specifically, the findings of this research could facilitate the Central Bank of Libya in identifying their readiness gaps and organisational obstacles that stalled the move of conventional banks in Libya to migrate into the Islamic banking system.

The present study identifies and analyses the circular supply chain (CSC) enablers concerned with industrial organizations to understand the interconnectedness of CSC enablers.

Conducting a thorough literature review and utilizing a hybrid approach involving Robust-Best-Worst-Method (RBWM) and Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM) methodologies, we assess the intensity and connectivity of Circular Supply Chain Enablers (CSCEs), incorporating expert opinions. Additionally, we employ fuzzy-MICMAC analysis to determine the driving-dependent power of the CSCEs.

The study identifies 30 CSCEs in a framework, excluding three low-impact enablers at the initial stage. An additional 30 CSCEs are introduced to enhance the framework for improved implementation. The Fuzzy MICMAC study underscores the high instability of four enablers in the linkage quadrant, signaling that minor adjustments negatively impact organizational performance.

This work holds practical significance for industry researchers and practitioners alike. The initial study introduces a structural hierarchy of CSCEs, aiming to provide a model for academics studying CSC and facilitate its practical implementation.

Fused filament fabrication (FFF) is a widely used 3D printing technique for the fabrication of mechanical metamaterials with intricate geometries. Gradient strategy is applied to geometric parameters of gradient star re-entrant hybrid auxetic (GSRA) structure. Deformation behaviour is studied under compressive loading. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of gradient geometric parameters on mechanical properties, namely, specific strength (SS), specific modulus (SM) and specific energy absorption (SEA).

Response surface methodology (RSM) is implemented for the design of experiments of gradient geometric parameters to minimize the number of experimental tests. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene material is used for the fabrication of GSRA structures by FFF technique. The best set of gradient parameters has been optimized maximizing all three responses using RSM and artificial neural network optimization technique.

During compressive testing, row-wise deformation is observed with two-stage plateau regions, which results in increase in SEA of the structure. Furthermore, based on analysis of variance and 3D response plots, it is found that height gradient is the most influencing gradient geometric parameter on SS and SM, whereas the wall thickness gradient has maximum influence on SEA. Meanwhile, the interaction effect of wall thickness gradient and height gradient has maximum influence on SS, SM and SEA.

This study of applying gradient strategy to geometric parameters is limited to GSRA structure under compressive loading. In addition, findings are valid within the selected range of gradient geometric parameters. These findings are useful for the selection of gradient geometric parameters to maximize SS, SM and SEA of GSRA structure simultaneously. These outcomes pave the way for designing light-weight gradient hybrid auxetic structures in the field of construction, aerospace, automobile and biomedical engineering.

Limited experimental study is available on investigating the influence of gradient geometric parameters on mechanical properties, namely, SS, SM and SEA, and deformation behaviours of hybrid auxetic structures. This study directly addresses the above research gaps.

Blockchain technology (BCT) can play a vital role in manufacturing industries by providing visibility and real-time transparency. With BCT adoption, manufacturers can achieve higher productivity, better quality, flexibility and cost-effectiveness. The current study aims to prioritize the performance metrics and ranking of enablers that may influence the adoption of BCT in manufacturing industries through a hybrid framework.

Through an extensive literature review, 4 major criteria with 26 enablers were identified. Pythagorean fuzzy analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method was used to compute the weights of the enablers and the Pythagorean fuzzy combined compromise solution (Co-Co-So) method was used to prioritize the 17-performance metrics. Sensitivity analysis was then carried out to check the robustness of the developed framework.

According to the results, data security enablers were the most significant among the major criteria, followed by technology-oriented enablers, sustainability and human resources and quality-related enablers. Further, the ranking of performance metrics shows that data hacking complaints per year, data storage capacity and number of advanced technologies available for BCT are the top three important performance metrics. Framework robustness was confirmed by sensitivity analysis.

The developed framework will contribute to understanding and simplifying the BCT implementation process in manufacturing industries to a significant level. Practitioners and managers may use the developed framework to facilitate BCT adoption and evaluate the performance of the manufacturing system.

This study can be considered as the first attempt to the best of the author’s knowledge as no such hybrid framework combining enablers and performance indicators was developed earlier.

In the textile dyeing industry, the foam dyeing has been recognized as a significantly sustainable alternative for the cotton fabrics. However, this efficient technology undergoes the many issues related to the foam generation, foam optimization and the required performance of the resultant fabrics. The purpose of this paper is to address these issues through the development and optimization of the novel reactive foam dyeing recipes for the cotton fabrics.

The foam dyeing recipes were generated and optimized using the different stabilizers, foaming agents and three primary colors of reactive dyes. The different recipes were applied onto the cotton fabric using laboratory scale foam coating machine. The performance of the foam coated and padded fabrics was evaluated using different criteria including the shade depth, rubbing fastness, air permeability, washing fastness, perspiration fastness, light fastness and tear strength. Then, a complex decision-making approach, namely, analytic hierarchy process (AHP), was applied for the ranking of the key recipes based on the main criteria.

The newly optimized foam dyeing recipes were found very competitive with the conventional pad dyeing process with respect to the shade-depth and the other performance properties. The optimization of foaming parameters and addition of stabilizers have advanced the foam dyeing process, which would accelerate the implementation of foam dyeing methods in the textile industry. Furthermore, significant water and energy savings would be achieved as compared to the conventional foam dyeing. AHP model offered a comprehensive and rational way to identify the most important recipes amongst the selected recipes.

In this research, novel foam dyeing recipes have been developed for the cotton fabrics through the optimization of the different stabilizers, foaming agents and the three primary colors of reactive dyes. Until now, the exiting literature has not reported the combination of these stabilizers with the different foaming agents and three primary reactive dyes for the improvement of sustainable foam cotton dyeing process.

This article aims at - exploring and prioritizing the barriers to adoption of digitization in supply chains (SCs), categorizing them into sustainability triple bottom line (STBL) based upon their direct impact and suggesting digital technologies to address each barrier.

A five-phase methodology is used which consists of an exploration of 44 barriers to the adoption of digitization in SCs, analysis of 44 barriers for mean, standard deviation and Cronbach alpha based on questionnaire-based feedback of 25 experts, extraction of 10 most significant barriers through 05 experts, followed by categorization of the barriers into STBL referring to their direct impact on STBL, prioritization of ten barriers using Fuzzy Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution and recommendation of digital technologies to address each barrier.

While all the barriers considered in this study significantly impede the adoption of digitization in SCs, lack of top management commitment (B1) is found to be most crucial while lack of culture toward use of information and communication technology required for digitization (B3) has minimum impact. Large investment in digital infrastructure (B6), difficulty in integration of cyber physical systems (CPSs) on varied platforms (B8) and lack of experts having knowledge of digital technologies (B2) are equally important barriers requiring more attention while adopting digitization in SCs.

This study is mainly based on feedback from 25 seasoned experts; a wider cross section of experts will give more insight.

The outcomes are very significant for organizations looking to adopt digitization in their SCs. Simultaneous consideration to all the barriers becomes impractical hence prioritization of same will be useful for the SC managers to benchmark their preparedness and decide strategies for the adoption of digitization with due consideration toward the impact of barriers on STBL. The digital technologies recommended will further aid in planning the digital strategies to address each barrier.

A unique approach to explore, analyze, prioritize and categorize the barriers to adoption of digitization in SCs is used to provide a deeper understanding of factors deterring the same. It implies that a supportive top management along with systematic allocation of finances plays a crucial role. The importance of availability of digital experts for integrating CPSs on a single platform is also highlighted. The digital technologies recommended will further assist the organizations toward adoption of digitization in SCs with due consideration to STBL.

The purpose of this study is to examines the relationship between doom-scrolling and employee performance among Generation Z working in the information technology (IT) sector in India.

The study followed a quantitative research approach with a descriptive research design. A purposive sampling technique is used in the study. A sample of 393 Generation Z employees of the IT at the locations in and around the Chandigarh region of northern India was considered in the study. The data were collected primarily through a survey questionnaire and analyzed through structural equation modeling.

The findings of the study reveal the significant impact of doom-scrolling on employee performance among the Gen Z of the IT sector in India.

The present study has measured the direct impact of doom scrolling on employee performance. However, the possibilities of other factors such as work stress and work-life balance as mediators cannot be ruled out for an indirect relationship between doom scrolling and employee performance.

The findings of the study state that doom scrolling has a significant impact on the employee performance of Gen Z employees in the IT sector of India. Such findings will be an insight into the other service sector of India such as health care and hospitality in recognizing the pattern of behavior followed by Gen Z employees toward social media, technology and job performance.

The findings will be imperative to Gen Z and other segments of the population of society also in understanding the role of addiction to social media and technology can be disruptive.

The study is useful in understanding the role of addiction to social media and technology can be disruptive. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this research is the first of its kind to understand how doom scrolling significantly affects employee performances in the IT sector of India.