Rabia Hassan, Zeeshan Ahmad Arfeen, Mehreen Kausar Azam, Zain ul Abiden Akhtar, Abubakar Siddique and Muhammad Rashid
Material selection, driven by wide and often conflicting objectives, is an important, sometimes difficult problem in material engineering. In this context, multi-criteria…
Abstract
Purpose
Material selection, driven by wide and often conflicting objectives, is an important, sometimes difficult problem in material engineering. In this context, multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) methodologies are effective. An approach of MCDM is needed to cater to criteria of material assortment simultaneously. More firms are now concerned about increasing their productivity using mathematical tools. To occupy a gap in the previous literature this research recommends an integrated MCDM and mathematical Bi-objective model for the selection of material. In addition, by using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), the inherent ambiguities of decision-makers in paired evaluations are considered in this research. It goes on to construct a mathematical bi-objective model for determining the best item to purchase.
Design/methodology/approach
The entropy perspective is implemented in this paper to evaluate the weight parameters, while the TOPSIS technique is used to determine the best and worst intermediate pipe materials for automotive exhaust system. The intermediate pipes are used to join the components of the exhaust systems. The materials usually used to manufacture intermediate pipe are SUS 436LM, SUS 430, SUS 304, SUS 436L, SUH 409 L, SUS 441 L and SUS 439L. These seven materials are evaluated based on tensile strength (TS), hardness (H), elongation (E), yield strength (YS) and cost (C). A hybrid methodology combining entropy-based criteria weighting, with the TOPSIS for alternative ranking, is pursued to identify the optimal design material for an engineered application in this paper. This study aims to help while filling the information gap in selecting the most suitable material for use in the exhaust intermediate pipes. After that, the authors searched for and considered eight materials and evaluated them on the following five criteria: (1) TS, (2) YS, (3) H, (4) E and (5) C. The first two criteria have been chosen because they can have a lot of influence on the behavior of the exhaust intermediate pipes, on their performance and on the cost. In this structure, the weights of the criteria are calculated objectively through the entropy method in order to have an unbiased assessment. This essentially measures the quantity of information each criterion contribution, indicating the relative importance of these criteria better. Subsequently, the materials were ranked using the TOPSIS method in terms of their relative performance by measuring each material from an ideal solution to determine the best alternative. The results show that SUS 309, SUS 432L and SUS 436 LM are the first three materials that the exhaust intermediate pipe optimal design should consider.
Findings
The material matrix of the decision presented in Table 3 was normalized through Equation 5, as shown in Table 5, and the matrix was multiplied with weighting criteria ß_j. The obtained weighted normalized matrix V_ij is presented in Table 6. However, the ideal, worst and best value was ascertained by employing Equation 7. This study is based on the selection of material for the development of intermediate pipe using MCDM, and it involves four basic stages, i.e. method of translation criteria, screening process, method of ranking and search for methods. The selection was done through the TOPSIS method, and the criteria weight was obtained by the entropy method. The result showed that the top three materials are SUS 309, SUS 432L and SUS 436 LM, respectively. For the future work, it is suggested to select more alternatives and criteria. The comparison can also be done by using different MCDM techniques like and Choice Expressing Reality (ELECTRE), Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Preference Ranking Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE).
Originality/value
The results provide important conclusions for material selection in this targeted application, verifying the employment of mutual entropy-TOPSIS methodology for a series of difficult engineering decisions in material engineering concepts that combine superior capacity with better performance as well as cost-efficiency in various engineering design.
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This study explores stakeholders’ perspectives on sustainability at a nature-based tourism destination in the UK, approached through the lens of socio-cognitive mindfulness…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores stakeholders’ perspectives on sustainability at a nature-based tourism destination in the UK, approached through the lens of socio-cognitive mindfulness theory. Specifically, this study attempts to find out how stakeholders work with special qualities of place to engage with visitors to contribute to their level of mindfulness.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs a qualitative exploratory research design using semi-structured interviews that were conducted with 19 stakeholders associated with key authorities, businesses and charities in Dartmoor National Park. Thematic analysis of the semi-structured interviews with the key stakeholders is included. Nvivo was employed to categorize the complex process.
Findings
Several crucial findings emerged. Stakeholders revealed how Dartmoor’s special qualities, visitor control, novelty, and connecting with visitors, not only contributed to local and business development but also promoted mindfulness and sustainable practices. Businesses, organisations, administrative bodies and charities work closely with each other to protect both nature and local communities in the area. However, they are faced with some existing challenges relating to a lack of information.
Originality/value
This study offers an original and innovative application of mindfulness theory to the consideration of supply-side perspectives on sustainability in visitor–environment relations. In doing so, the research provides new insights into these relationships that can help to promote positive engagement with natural settings.
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Maricela Salgado, María Valeria De Castro Martínez, Esperanza Marcos Martínez, Marcos López-Sanz and María Luz Martín-Peña
The purpose of the paper is to present a service design (SD)-based methodology developed to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) undertake organisational change.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the paper is to present a service design (SD)-based methodology developed to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) undertake organisational change.
Design/methodology/approach
This research used the design science research methodology, which enabled the creation of the Service Design for Organisational Change (SD4OCh) methodology. A real case study of a small service company specialised in neuropsychological disorders was used for the definition and validation of SD4OCh.
Findings
The main outcome of this study is the SD4OCh methodology, which is based on three key stages: diagnosis (knowing where to begin by detecting the organisation's strengths and weaknesses), innovation (improving the structure/processes and designing/redesigning services by employing a customer-centric approach), and implementation (enabling the definition of the route towards organisational change). There is also a transversal evaluation stage, which quantifies the organisational changes.
Research limitations/implications
This study adds valuable knowledge to the service science research field and contributes to the awareness of the usefulness of SD theory within companies, especially those which are small and medium-sized, since those companies lack the tools and methods required to tackle organisational change, signifying that the challenges the companies confront are different to those of larger companies.
Originality/value
Although this is a SD-based research, the SD4OCh methodology was developed in order to enable companies to make holistic changes, namely, to innovate their services, structure, and processes, thus supporting and guiding organisational change.
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XinYing Chew, Raed Alharbi, Khai Wah Khaw and Alhamzah Alnoor
The study is interested in knowing “the role of the organizational structure as a mediating variable of the relationship between the information technology and organizational…
Abstract
Purpose
The study is interested in knowing “the role of the organizational structure as a mediating variable of the relationship between the information technology and organizational communication”.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was conducted in several service companies, and the study adopted the questionnaire as a basic tool for the data collection on the practical side, as 267 opinions were surveyed, in addition to conducting personal interviews, and the normal distribution of data was tested, analyzing, describing and diagnosing study variables, testing correlations and determining direct effects.
Findings
Findings show that there is no direct and significant statistical impact of information technology on organizational communications. Whereas there was a positive, direct and statistically significant impact of information technology on the organizational structure. There was also a positive, direct and statistically significant effect of the organizational structure on organizational communication.
Research limitations/implications
This paper is restricted to the role of the organizational structure as a mediating variable of the relationship between the influence of information technology on organizational communication.
Practical implications
As part of the practical implication, the paper suggests the need to increase support and attention to the importance of information technology in service organizations in order to increase coordination and organizational communication and achieve a high ability to explore and exploit ideas.
Originality/value
Apart from the fact that several companies were engaged, the organizational structures of these companies were engaged too to examine the impacts of Information technology (ICT) on organizational communication.
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Tom A.S. McLaren, Erich C. Fein, Michael Ireland and Aastha Malhotra
The purpose of this study is to test whether presenting organizational change in a way that promotes the status quo will result in increased employee support for the change.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to test whether presenting organizational change in a way that promotes the status quo will result in increased employee support for the change.
Design/methodology/approach
Using quantitative methodology, categorical data were collected through an online cross-sectional survey in which 222 adult respondents participated. The items used vignette-based question blocks with fixed response options. Item responses were analyzed using an exact binomial test – focusing on the relationship between status quo bias and other responses to change communications.
Findings
The findings demonstrated that status quo bias has an association with employee sensemaking. These results suggest that status quo bias can be utilized by organizational leaders and change practitioners to endorse change efforts. Furthermore, it not only appears that promoting what is staying the same but also including a small reason to justify the change can bring additional advantage. Advertising a vision of radical transformation is problematic as it may actually heighten employee resistance.
Originality/value
This research explores and presents a convergence between organizational change management and behavioral economics – specifically, status quo bias. No other comparable study collecting data across a number of organizational change themes and critiquing existing change management models could be found during the preparation of this research effort.
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As a relatively new computing paradigm, crowdsourcing has gained enormous attention in the recent decade. Its compliance with the Web 2.0 principles, also, puts forward…
Abstract
Purpose
As a relatively new computing paradigm, crowdsourcing has gained enormous attention in the recent decade. Its compliance with the Web 2.0 principles, also, puts forward unprecedented opportunities to empower the related services and mechanisms by leveraging humans’ intelligence and problem solving abilities. With respect to the pivotal role of search engines in the Web and information community, this paper aims to investigate the advantages and challenges of incorporating people – as intelligent agents – into search engines’ workflow.
Design/methodology/approach
To emphasize the role of the human in computational processes, some specific and related areas are studied. Then, through studying the current trends in the field of crowd-powered search engines and analyzing the actual needs and requirements, the perspectives and challenges are discussed.
Findings
As the research on this topic is still in its infancy, it is believed that this study can be considered as a roadmap for future works in the field. In this regard, current status and development trends are delineated through providing a general overview of the literature. Moreover, several recommendations for extending the applicability and efficiency of next generation of crowd-powered search engines are presented. In fact, becoming aware of different aspects and challenges of constructing search engines of this kind can shed light on the way of developing working systems with respect to essential considerations.
Originality/value
The present study was aimed to portrait the big picture of crowd-powered search engines and possible challenges and issues. As one of the early works that provided a comprehensive report on different aspects of the topic, it can be regarded as a reference point.
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Victoria Kramer and Manfred Krafft
As empirical insights into when salespeople should integrate information and communication technology (ICT) into their sales tasks are limited, the purpose of this study is to…
Abstract
Purpose
As empirical insights into when salespeople should integrate information and communication technology (ICT) into their sales tasks are limited, the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of salespeople’s ICT orientation on role stress by considering the interplay of individual salesperson characteristics and the complexity of the selling environment, differentiating between customer and supplier complexity.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors develop an empirical framework based on the Job Demands-Resources model and previous research in the area of technology in sales. They test their hypotheses by means of a survey of 255 business-to-business salespeople which is analyzed using ordinary least squares regressions.
Findings
The results of this study show that ICT orientation generally helps salespeople to reduce role ambiguity. However, the benefits salespeople derive from ICT orientation to reduce role conflict depend on an interplay of both their job tenure and the average relationship duration with customers as well as the complexity of the selling environment.
Originality/value
This study contributes to research on the impact of technology use on salespeople by enhancing the understanding of contexts that make ICT valuable for them. In particular, the findings of this study demonstrate that the impact of ICT orientation on salespeople’s role stress depends on an interplay of individual salesperson characteristics, that is, resources, and environmental complexity characteristics, that is, demands.
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Nasser Fathi Easa and Ayman Mahmoud Bazzi
This paper aims to examine the moderated mediation effect of the lack of students’ socialization (as one of the COVID-19 consequences) and the university reputation on the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the moderated mediation effect of the lack of students’ socialization (as one of the COVID-19 consequences) and the university reputation on the relationship between the service innovation and students satisfaction. The relationship between students satisfaction and their loyalty is also examined.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopts a quantitative research approach, whereas the study population consists of all universities’ students in Lebanon. Data were collected from 201 students, elected depending on snowballing sample technique. A questionnaire was used to gather data, whereby partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to check the proposed scales validity and the relationships between the study variables.
Findings
The findings reveal a significant direct effect for university’s service innovation on students satisfaction and an indirect effect through the mediation role for university reputation. Moreover, an evidence for weak negative significant effect for lack of socialization on students satisfaction exists. Whereby, lack of socialization does not moderate the relationship between university service innovation and students satisfaction. Finally, students satisfaction has a significant positive effect on their loyalty.
Originality/value
This paper advances the service innovation literature in the higher education sector. In addition, the paper might be the first paper to address the influence of lack of socialization as one of the COVID-19 consequences on students satisfaction. Furthermore, areas for future research are suggested.