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1 – 10 of over 2000Marzenna Cichosz, Maria Aluchna, Ewa Sońta-Drączkowska and A. Michael Knemeyer
Organizational pursuit of sustainability in multi-tier supply chain systems operating in unpredictable environments is often associated with the emergence of paradoxical tensions…
Abstract
Purpose
Organizational pursuit of sustainability in multi-tier supply chain systems operating in unpredictable environments is often associated with the emergence of paradoxical tensions. This study aims to summarize and synthesize existing literature on managing various paradoxical tensions in supply chains (i.e. sourcing, making, delivering and reverse logistics) as organizations pursue sustainability transformation. It also strives to motivate new academic research inquiry into developing responses to sustainability paradoxes.
Design/methodology/approach
The study draws on a systematic literature review of 73 papers from the Web of Science database selected at the intersection of paradox, sustainability and logistics/ supply chain management (SCM). Applying paradox theory as a guiding lens, we investigate organizational strategies, practices and capabilities described in the literature to navigate sustainability paradoxes in supply chains.
Findings
The results assert that the success of sustainability transformation will depend on an organizational ability to recognize, accept and navigate paradoxical tensions in one's supply chain. This requires developing the dynamic capabilities of paradoxical leadership, strategic agility, innovativeness, collaboration with contextualization and governance. Successful sustainability transformation is not reliant on finding an optimal, final design but rather the continuous balancing of tensions inherent within or across the organizations that make up one's supply chain.
Practical implications
The research offers an integrative conceptual framework to guide organizations in navigating sustainability paradoxes in supply chains, embracing strategic, practice and capability levels. It also outlines opportunities for future research inquiries connected to this framework that are needed to build additional insight for addressing paradoxical tensions related to the pursuit of sustainable supply chain management.
Originality/value
This study takes a dynamic capabilities approach to navigating paradoxical tensions in pursuit of sustainable supply chain management.
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S. Sridhar and M. Muthtamilselvan
This paper aims to present a study on stability analysis of Jeffrey fluids in the presence of emergent chemical gradients within microbial systems of anisotropic porous media.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present a study on stability analysis of Jeffrey fluids in the presence of emergent chemical gradients within microbial systems of anisotropic porous media.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses an effective method that combines non-dimensionalization, normal mode analysis and linear stability analysis to examine the stability of Jeffrey fluids in the presence of emergent chemical gradients inside microbial systems in anisotropic porous media. The study focuses on determining critical values and understanding how temperature gradients, concentration gradients and chemical reactions influence the onset of bioconvection patterns. Mathematical transformations and analytical approaches are used to investigate the system’s complicated dynamics and the interaction of numerous characteristics that influence stability.
Findings
The analysis is performed using the Jeffrey-Darcy type and Boussinesq estimation. The process involves using non-dimensionalization, using the normal mode approach and conducting linear stability analysis to convert the field equations into ordinary differential equations. The conventional thermal Rayleigh Darcy number
Originality/value
The study’s novelty originated from its investigation of a novel and complicated system incorporating Jeffrey fluids, emergent chemical gradients and anisotropic porous media, as well as the use of mathematical and analytical approaches to explore the system’s stability and dynamics.
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Krishna Venkitachalam, Birgitta Schwartz and Sten Söderman
The motivation for this paper is to provide a deeper understanding of some of the important and trending topics in the sport industry. Besides this, to consider the changing…
Abstract
Purpose
The motivation for this paper is to provide a deeper understanding of some of the important and trending topics in the sport industry. Besides this, to consider the changing landscape of ownership, strategies and organisation of several types of sports in the contemporary environment, there is a need for deeper contextual knowledge of how different sport/s, leagues, clubs, associations, teams etc. own, organise and strategise at local to national to regional to international contexts.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper introduces the special issue on the sport industry that welcomes three interesting contributions of focusing on the important themes related to the sport industry. They include (1) digital transformation and needed capabilities, (2) fan engagement in a digital way using social media and finally (3) the relevance and relation of social capital in the organisational strategy of sports organisations.
Findings
Four generic insights related to the themes and emerging trends in marketisation, ownership and digitalisation strategies in the sport industry are introduced in this paper. The first insight is that sports digitalisation and politicisation significantly impact the strategising, organising and networking activities of sports owners to foster value capture. Secondly, owners’ performance duality of marketisation of their sports clubs and vested business interests unravels the paradoxes of idealism and profit-maximisation. Thirdly, individual sports stars position themselves as an influential platform of value creation through on-field performance, social engagement and self-interests. Finally, the fourth insight is that the dual aims of sporting on-field success and profit making of large capital-funded sports clubs endanger the autonomy and governance of sports bodies/associations and an equitable sporting competition environment.
Originality/value
This paper provides an overview and reflections on the contributions of the papers in this special issue. The papers give different perspectives on how sport has been influenced by the development in society (1) with increasing digitalisation influencing organising of sport clubs and strategies for engaging fans, and (2) the influence of marketisation and politics in ownership strategies. As such, four insightful reflections are developed based on the originality of the contributions and the related extant literature presented on the themes of marketisation, ownership and digitalisation of the sport industry.
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Shubhi Gupta, Sireesha Rani Vasa and Prachee Sehgal
This study aims to explore how information technology (IT) professionals perceive work-life balance (WLB) in a work-from-home (WFH) setup. Additionally, it explores what emotions…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore how information technology (IT) professionals perceive work-life balance (WLB) in a work-from-home (WFH) setup. Additionally, it explores what emotions one may associate with such changing work environments, which have high implications for organisational success.
Design/methodology/approach
The two primary research questions guided this research. An online questionnaire-based survey was conducted to collect the data so that respondents’ both subjective and objective perceptions were documented. Purposive cum snowball sampling was used to collect data from 262 IT professionals. However, the data was analysed using both qualitative (content analysis) and quantitative (chi-square) techniques.
Findings
The findings of this study are interesting in nature and reported the work-life experiences at various socio-demographic levels (age, gender, educational qualification, designation, work experience, income, type of family and the number of children). The comprehensive examination of the data obtained from diverse aspects related to remote work environments has shed light on crucial facets impacting IT professionals. A predominant observation derived from the study reveals a significant disparity in working hours between male and female respondents during remote work. This discrepancy is notable, with male employees tending to work longer hours (i.e. 10 or more hours daily) than their female counterparts. The investigation into respondents’ sleep patterns revealed that the majority slept between 5 h and 7 h daily, underscoring reduced sleep hours for IT professionals during remote work. This comprehensive study thus emphasises the multifaceted nature of gender-associated influences on work patterns, health and well-being during remote work scenarios among IT professionals. As remote work is the new normal, this study has high implications for future work arrangements and organisational success.
Practical implications
The findings of the study will assist managers in dealing with the work conflict issue of remote workers. Importantly, these managers should try eliminating or reducing workplace conflict, emotional exhaustion and social overload associated with remote work.
Originality/value
This study is a humble attempt to highlight the employee’s WLB in the context of WFH in an emerging market (i.e. India). Furthermore, emphasises practical issues associated with changing work paradigms and concludes with interesting recommendations for future work arrangements.
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Shalini Mittal and Aditya Anshu
Like many diasporas, the Tibetan diaspora has also had cataclysmic events and migratory movements and wish to return to their exiled homeland one day. In their countries of…
Abstract
Introduction
Like many diasporas, the Tibetan diaspora has also had cataclysmic events and migratory movements and wish to return to their exiled homeland one day. In their countries of settlement, they face various challenges as they try to cope with their loss and adapt to a new environment.
Purpose
This study aims to attempt to explore the socio-political construction of the mental health issues and coping strategies of the members from different generations of the Tibetan diaspora in India using the social ecological model as the theoretical framework. This study further aimed to provide suggestions based on findings to inform culturally sensitive care.
Design/methodology/approach
Using the snowball sampling method, 20 Tibetans residing in North India were interviewed about their socio-political experiences. The obtained narratives were analyzed using thematic content analysis framework by Braun and Clarke (2006).
Findings
Findings suggest that several socio-political conditions shape the mental health issues of the Tibetans that are inclusive of the acculturative stress, distress, intergenerational trauma and negative affectivity. A range of coping strategies, including spiritual-religious coping, collective coping and nostalgic coping emerged from the analysis.
Research limitations/implications
This study has few limitations that must be considered to accurately interpret the findings. First, the sample size is small and hence may not be an accurate representation of the entire Tibetan diaspora. Second, the study uses self-reported data that may be subject to personal biases. Third, having been conducted in a specific socio-political context, the findings of this study may not be generalizable to other settings or to the members of the Tibetan diaspora elsewhere.
Practical implications
The findings of the study will help spread awareness about mental health issues within the Tibetan diasporic community. The study will also help the mental health professionals to recognize the need for culturally responsive approaches to care. It also highlights the need to use the benefits of traditional healing practices, spirituality and cultural identity. The findings also will be relevant to developing interventions that are effective at individual, interpersonal, community and societal levels. The tailored interventions should address political issues surrounding the Tibetans, emphasize on their education and support cultural activities that can be essential for identity affirmation of these individuals.
Originality/value
Shifting focus: Instead of viewing mental health solely through a psychological lens, it recognizes the powerful influence of political and social forces on their well-being. Generational lens: It explores how different generations within the diaspora grapple with the complexities of exile and its impact on their mental health. Unveiling coping strategies: It goes beyond the diagnosis, showcasing the diverse coping mechanisms used by Tibetans, including spiritual practices, collective support and even nostalgia.
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Previous research has focused on the outcomes of telework, investigating the advantages and disadvantages of teleworking for employees. However, these investigations do not…
Abstract
Purpose
Previous research has focused on the outcomes of telework, investigating the advantages and disadvantages of teleworking for employees. However, these investigations do not examine whether there are differences between teleworkers when evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of teleworking. The aim of this study is to identify of distinct classes of teleworkers based on the advantages and disadvantages that teleworking has for them.
Design/methodology/approach
This study used secondary survey data collected by the Spanish National Statistics Institute (INE). A sample of 842 people was used for this study. To identify the distinct classes of teleworkers, their perceived advantages and disadvantages of teleworking were analyzed using latent class analysis.
Findings
Three different classes of teleworkers were distinguished. Furthermore, sociodemographic covariates were incorporated into the latent class model, revealing that the composition of the classes varied in terms of education level, household income, and the amount of time spent on teleworking per week. This study also examined the influence of these emergent classes on employees’ experience of teleworking.
Originality/value
This study contributes to previous research investigating if telework is advantageous or disadvantageous for teleworkers, acknowledging that teleworkers are not identical and may respond differently to teleworking.
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Ahmed M. Galal, Muhammad Zeemam, Muhammad Imran, Muhammad Abdul Basit, Madeeha Tahir, Saima Akram and Jihad Younis
Nanofluids are used in technology, engineering processes and thermal exchanges. In thermal transfer processing, these are used for the smooth transportation of heat and mass…
Abstract
Purpose
Nanofluids are used in technology, engineering processes and thermal exchanges. In thermal transfer processing, these are used for the smooth transportation of heat and mass through various mechanisms. In the current investigation, we have examined multiple effects like activation energy thermal radiation, magnetic field, external heat source and especially slippery effects on a bioconvective Casson nanofluid flow through a stretching cylinder.
Design/methodology/approach
Several studies used non-Newtonian fluid models to study blood flow in the cardiovascular system. In our research, Lewis numbers for bioconvection and the influence of important parameters, such as Brownian diffusion and thermophoresis effects, are also considered. This system is developed as a partial differential equation for the mathematical treatment. Well-defined similarity transformations convert partial differential equation systems into ordinary differential equations. The resultant system is then numerically solved using the bvp4c built-in function of MATLAB.
Findings
After utilizing the numerical approach to the system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), the results are generated in the form of graphs and tables. These generated results show a suitable accuracy rate compared to the previous results. The consequence of various parameters under the assumed boundary conditions on the temperature, motile microorganisms, concentration and velocity profiles are discussed in detail. The velocity profile decreases as the Magnetic and Reynolds number increases. The temperature profile exhibits increasing behavior for the Brownian motion and thermal radiation count augmentation. The concentration profile decreased on greater inputs of the Schmidt number and magnetic effect. The density of motile microorganisms decreases for the increased value of the bio-convective Lewis number.
Originality/value
The numerical analysis of the flow problem is addressed using graphical results and tabular data; our reported results are refined and novel based on available literature. This method is useful for addressing such fluidic flow efficiently.
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Tatiana E. Bustos and Yamanda Wright
This book chapter briefly discusses the historical and cultural context of ethnography and evaluation as positioned in the United States and the opportunities made possible by…
Abstract
This book chapter briefly discusses the historical and cultural context of ethnography and evaluation as positioned in the United States and the opportunities made possible by merging techniques and methodology. By merging, methodological pluralism and increased responsiveness to cultural contexts are leveraged, and the critical relevance of engaging communities in evaluation processes is underlined. However, engaging with communities with marginalized backgrounds can present complicated power dynamics in practice that require the evaluator to rethink their role. Equity-centered research practices from the Equity-Centered Research Framework are linked to expound on the need for transforming the evaluator's role to shift and share power with communities throughout engagement. We expand on how transformative work also requires ongoing examinations of positionality in the evaluator role through the lens of relationships. Borrowing from ethnographic concepts, relational dimensions of positionality are conceptualized as alignment, temporality, and place. Each component is illustrated with details on how power dynamics may occur throughout community engagement as well as ways to manage and mitigate power differentials between the roles of the evaluator and community partners. We then offer three broad evaluator practices to support transformation: (a) identify positionality, (b) embed into everyday practice, and (c) negotiate in collaborations with communities. With these practices, we reflect on critical questions and position communities as critical learning partners to promote actions to mitigate and manage ongoing power dynamics. We close this chapter with our experiences interrogating positionality to illustrate distinct burdens and insights as evaluators of color.
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Annie K. Lewis, Nicholas F. Taylor, Patrick W. Carney and Katherine E. Harding
Interventions that improve timely access to outpatient health services are essential in managing demand. This process evaluation aimed to describe the implementation, mechanism of…
Abstract
Purpose
Interventions that improve timely access to outpatient health services are essential in managing demand. This process evaluation aimed to describe the implementation, mechanism of impact and context of an intervention to reduce waiting for first appointments in an outpatient epilepsy clinic.
Design/methodology/approach
The UK Medical Research Council framework was used as the theoretical basis for a process evaluation alongside an intervention trial. The intervention, Specific Timely Appointments for Triage (STAT), is a data-driven approach that combines a one-off backlog reduction strategy with methods to balance supply and demand. A mixed methods process evaluation synthesised routinely collected quantitative and qualitative data, which were mapped to the domains of implementation, mechanisms of impact and contextual elements.
Findings
The principles of the STAT model were implemented as intended without adaptation. The STAT model reached all patients referred, including long waiters and was likely generalisable to other medical outpatient clinics. Mechanisms of impact were increased clinic capacity and elimination of unwanted variation. Contextual elements included the complexity of healthcare systems and the two-tier triage practice that contributes to prolonged waiting for patients classified as non-urgent.
Originality/value
This process evaluation shows how a data-driven strategy was applied in a medical outpatient setting to manage demand. Improving patient flow by reducing waiting in non-urgent, outpatient care is a complex problem. Understanding how and why interventions work is important for improved timeliness of care, and sustainability of public health services.
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