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At this moment, there is substantial anxiety surrounding the fire safety of huge reinforced concrete (RC) constructions. The limitations enforced by test facilities, technology, and high costs have significantly limited both full-scale and scaled-down structural fire experiments. The behavior of an individual structural component can have an impact on the entire structural system when it is connected to it. This paper addresses the development and testing of a self-straining preloading setup that is used to perform thermomechanical action in RC beams and slabs.

Thermomechanical action is a combination of both structural loads and a high-temperature effect. Buildings undergo thermomechanical action when it is exposed to fire. RC beams and slabs are one of the predominant structural members. The conventional method of testing the beams and slabs under high temperatures will be performed by heating the specimens separately under the desired temperature, and then mechanical loading will be performed. This gives the residual strength of the beams and slabs under high temperatures. This method does not show the real-time behavior of the element under fire. In real-time, a fire occurs simultaneously when the structure is subjected to desired loads and this condition is called thermomechanical action. To satisfy this condition, a unique self-training test setup was prepared. The setup is based on the concept of a prestressing condition where the load is applied through the bolts.

To validate the test setup, two RC beams and slabs were used. The test setup was tested in service load range and a temperature of 300 °C. One of the beams and slabs was tested conventionally with four-point bending and point loading on the slab, and another beam and slab were tested using the preloading setup. The results indicate the successful operation of the developed self-strain preloading setup under thermomechanical action.

Gaining insight into the unpredictable reaction of structural systems to fire is crucial for designing resilient structures that can withstand disasters. However, comprehending the instantaneous behavior might be a daunting undertaking as it necessitates extensive testing resources. Therefore, a thorough quantitative and qualitative numerical analysis could effectively evaluate the significance of this research.

The study was performed to validate the thermomechanical load setup for beams and slabs on a single-bay single-storey RC frame with and without slab under various fire possible scenarios. The thermomechanical load setup for RC members is found to be scarce.

In structural fire engineering, the design of columns is done either by prescriptive approaches or by empirical equations derived from experimental research. Performance-based design is the emerging methodology for designing structures under fire, which is case-specific. There is a need to develop design equations from first principles to design/find the residual strength of the column at elevated temperatures. The present study aims to develop equations from stress block parameters to find the residual strength of reinforced concrete (RC) columns subjected to elevated temperatures.

The stress-strain variation across the cross-section of the RC column is determined at elevated temperatures. Based on the updated stress distribution diagram, stress block parameters are derived for various depths of neutral axis (NA) and different temperatures. Using updated stress block parameters, Pu-Mu interaction curves are generated for elevated temperatures. The results are verified against conventional methods and experimental results.

The load-carrying capacity calculated from the proposed methodology is analogous to the experimental results. The methodology can be utilized to estimate the residual strength of RC columns subjected to elevated temperatures.

The work done here attempts to develop the equations to estimate the residual strength of the column. The work involves calculating the strength of columns subjected to fire curves.

This paper aims to review the literature on the relationship between the implementation and performance of 4.0 industrial revolution (IR) technologies and explores the extent to which the effects of several internal and external contingency factors on these relationships have been considered by the existing empirical studies.

To achieve its purposes, this study follows a systematic review of the literature and explores the published empirical research on implementation and performance links of 4.0 IR technologies and the effects of contingency factors on these links in mainly three main databases.

The findings of this study reveal that in general several contingency factors tend to have significant effects on the implementation and performance links of 4.0 IR in several contexts. This study also shows that the effects of these contingencies the effects of contingency factors on the implementation and performance links of 4.0 IR technologies are receiving growing attention from researchers and have been studied in different approaches but the moderation approach was the highest.

The review of the literature conducted in this study refers to those studies published mostly by three main databases (i.e. Scopus, Web of Sciences, and Science Direct), and only those papers published in English, and thus does not contain publications out of these restrictions.

This is one of the early literature review studies to explore and discuss the current state of research on the effects of contingency factors on the relationships between the implementation and performance of 4.0 IR technologies in the contexts of logistics and supply chain management.

This study aims to examine empirically the nature of supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly on the Indian automobile sector.

The authors evaluate the stock market performance of individual company and its quantitative relationship to certain variables related to company’s supply chain.

The authors analysed the company’s operations considering several ratios like asset intensity, company size, labour intensity and inventory to revenue.

The results of analysis can help the companies to understand how disruptions in the supply chain can affect the company’s operations and how it is perceived by the investors in the stock market.

Also, investors are benefitted, as they can understand how different companies with different operational characteristics react to global disruptions in supply chains, which in turn would help them to find better investment opportunities.

Although there is some literature available on the qualitative as well as quantitative analysis, the authors go further to analyse the impact of supply chain disruption on the stocks of the automobile sector.

This study seeks to investigate the ability of blockchain technology (BCT) to increase circular economy (CE) practices in the electronics industry, emphasising India and Taiwan.

The study adopts a mixed-methods approach. Initial qualitative semi-structured interviews examined how BCT could inform CE practice. The qualitative aspects were followed by the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), integrating qualitative and quantitative approaches, and fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), to analyse data from 391 industry experts surveyed.

The results show that the BCT has great potential to promote CE processes by improving the aspects of security, transparency and traceability. BCT adoption is driven by a conducive regulatory regime, stakeholder collaboration, and the availability of required technology.

By identifying key drivers and requisite requirements for successful BCT adoption in CE practices, this research offers critical guidance for policymakers, practitioners and researchers. It adds to the wider conversation about how emerging technologies can support sustainability and efficiency in industry.

This study contributes to the literature by providing a new lens to study BCT and CE practices intersectionality, particularly in the context of the emerging electronics industry and in countries such as India and Taiwan. Unlike previous research that studied either BCT or CE independently, this study uniquely illustrates how the principles underpinning these concepts, when implemented together, can positively impact sustainability outcomes within a resource-intensive industry notorious for generating highly significant waste streams.

This paper aims to analyse the fiscal performance of non-special category states of India.

This study applied a global Malmquist productivity index (GMPI) to measure the state fiscal performance, using eight fiscal indicators to measure the fiscal stance of 17 non-special category states of India over the period 2000–2020.

The findings reveal significant inter-state variations in all the fiscal indicators over the period. Goa, Haryana, Kerala, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Jharkhand have been the best fiscal performers in recent years. The states Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha present an interesting case; their fiscal performance index (productivity) score increased more than 1% during the sample period as compared to other states. This improvement is primarily associated with revenue efficiency, expenditure quality and size of capital outlay.

The conventional Malmquist productivity index uses a geometric mean form of two contemporaneous measures of productivity change and this index faces a potential linear programming infeasibility problem in measuring cross-period directional distance functions. Therefore, productivity growth measured using indexes should be interpreted with caution. Therefore, the results obtained based on the GMPI might be missing the sensitive check.

This study is a pioneering initiative in India, constructing a fiscal performance index to measure and rank the non-special category states of the country based on GMPI, thus addressing limitations in previous studies on index formation techniques and selecting fiscal indicators.

The purpose of this study is to explore the machining characteristics of electrical discharge machining (EDM) when a tool is fabricated using powder metallurgy. Because pure Cu tools obtained using conventional machining pose problems of high tool wear rate, tool oxidation causes loss of characteristics in tool shape.

The research investigation carried out experiments planned through Taguchi’s robust design of experiments and used analysis of variance (ANOVA) to carry out statistical analysis.

It has been found that copper and chromium electrodes give less metal removal rate as compared to the pure Cu tool. Analytical outcomes of ANOVA demonstrated that MRR is notably affected by the variable’s polarity, peak current, pulse on time and electrode type in the machining of EN9 steel with EDM, whereas the variables pulse on time, gap voltage and electrode type have a significant influence on EWR. Furthermore, the process also showed that the use of powder metallurgy tool effectively reduces the value of SR of the machined surface as well as the tool wear rate. The investigation exhibited the possibility of the use of powder metallurgy electrodes to upgrade the machining efficiency of EDM process.

There is no major limitation or implication of this study. However, the composition of the powders used in powder metallurgy for the fabrication of tools needs to be precisely controlled with careful control of process variables during subsequent fabrication of electrodes.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the effectiveness of copper and chromium electrodes/tools fabricated by means of powder metallurgy in EDM of EN9 steel. The effectiveness of the tool is assessed in terms of productivity, as well as accuracy measures of MRR and surface roughness of the components in EDM machining.

This study aims to propose mindfulness as a key factor in merchants’ adoption of mobile payments through the trust and perceived value pathways in an unorganized sector.

Data were collected physically via a structured questionnaire from a random sample of 350 merchants from the unorganized retail sector in India. Partial least squares-based structural equation modeling was used to analyze the data.

Mindfulness plays a key role in the formation of trust and perceived value, which further influences merchants’ intentions to adopt mobile payments. Furthermore, moderating effects of technology anxiety and skepticism were also observed.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to illustrate mindfulness in merchants of the unorganized sector in adopting mobile payments to influence the adoption intentions of mobile payments in emerging markets.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an incisive commentary on the role of replication in advancing knowledge accumulation in organizational science. For research to be credible, it must be replicable. However, replication studies are seldom published in high-quality management research journals. Drawing on insights from other disciplines, this essay offers a critical analysis of the replication process. The central conclusion of the essay is that replication should be firmly integrated into the scientific process within management and related fields. Doing so will not only advance robust and reliable theories but also yield valuable lessons for managerial practice and inform sound policymaking.

To structure the argument that replication ensures the validation of theories, refinement of methodologies and greater applicability of research findings, this essay uses Simon Sinek’s Why, How and What framework to highlight the essential role of replication research in advancing management studies. By addressing why replication is critical, how it can be effectively conducted and what the authors can do to promote replication research in organizational studies, the essay underscores its importance in building a reliable and credible foundation for knowledge.

Replication serves as a cornerstone of academic rigor, promoting the cumulative growth of knowledge. This essay outlines the essential steps for conducting robust replications of prior research through three approaches: literal, operational and constructive replication. Furthermore, it proposes actionable strategies for individual, doctoral programs and institutions (i.e. journals and conferences) to enhance transparency and accountability in management research by leveraging replication as a critical tool.

The originality of this essay lies in addressing the underrepresentation of replication research in management, despite its critical role in ensuring scientific rigor. Drawing insights from different disciplines, it provides a framework for conducting replication studies, emphasizing their value in validating theories and bridging the gap between research and practice. By proposing actionable steps for fostering a culture of replication, the essay advocates for increased transparency and accountability in management research. Its main contribution lies in highlighting the necessity of replication as a foundation for robust theory-building, practical insights and evidence-based policymaking, enhancing the credibility of the field.

To attain a competitive edge, it is essential to realize the significant critical success factors (CSFs) that contribute to the adoption of Quality 4.0 (Q4.0) in manufacturing organizations. Therefore, the study aimed to analyze CSFs for Q4.0 implementation in manufacturing small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) using multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) tool.

The present study begins with a systematic literature review of past studies about Q4.0 implementation in manufacturing, followed by the identification of CSFs. Further, a case study was conducted wherein 42 CSFs identified were grouped into five dimensions. Best–worst method is a MCDM tool applied as a solution methodology for the analysis of CSFs based on expert opinion and priority order of CSFs attained.

The priority order of CSFs is obtained. Based on the findings, significant CSFs are “Data prediction and Analytics,” “Organizational culture towards Quality 4.0” and “Machine to Machine communication.”

The shifting market dynamics incorporate Q4.0 inclusion for realizing zero defects and high traceability in automotive SMEs. The present study offers implications for industry managers and practitioners by delivering insights on how Q4.0 could be serving automotive systems and CSFs that industry authorities need to pay attention to effectively adopt Q4.0 in the current quality systems. The study will facilitate industry practitioners to meticulously examine CSFs for Q4.0 toward the improvement of SME performance.

The identification of CSFs for Q4.0 adoption in manufacturing SMEs, along with the prioritization of CFSs using the MCDM tool, is the original contribution by the authors.