Kim Piew Lai, Siong Choy Chong and Binshan Lin
This study aims to investigate how the quality of care (QOC) in terms of structure and process affects the equity customers have with them and their influences on the intention to…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate how the quality of care (QOC) in terms of structure and process affects the equity customers have with them and their influences on the intention to revisit and recommend health-care providers.
Design/methodology/approach
The study gathers 200 (pilot) and 400 (mass) data to validate and assess the framework structurally using the means-end chain (MEC) model via AMOS 26.0.
Findings
Customers with substantial equity derived from QOC are more inclined to revisit and recommend health-care providers. In addition, customers who rely solely on QOC, i.e. disregarding the perceived worth of the brand, value and relationship equity, are less devoted than those who recognise the value offered by health-care providers.
Practical implications
Hospital management could formulate alternative hospital visit strategies that improve customer access to the health-care system by establishing a treatment charter, akin to informed consent, that explains the instrument and the procedure used for each treatment. It is essential to improve understanding by better communicating the functionalities of the equipment and facilities, as well as the medical benefits customers would gain from using them. Hospital staff, such as check-up assistants, might be trained to convey treatment benefits to customers in a more understandable manner.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is likely the first study to link flow experience to QOC (structure and process), customer equity and the intention to revisit and recommend. This study contributes to the service literature and the MEC model by providing empirical evidence of QOC in enhancing customer equity and how customers perceive their intention to revisit and recommend.
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Evgeniy G. Molchanov, Angelika K. Musaelyan, Ruslan G. Mikhaylenko and Elena N. Smertina
Purpose: The purpose of the chapter is to determine the dependence of the process of decision making in modern business systems on their organizational structure and to…
Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of the chapter is to determine the dependence of the process of decision making in modern business systems on their organizational structure and to substantiate the necessity for considering the requirements to the process of decision making during designing the organizational structure of a business system.
Methodology: A new simplified classification of the organizational structure of business systems according to the criterion of complexity is offered, and its two main types are distinguished – organizational structure of low complexity and organizational structure of high complexity.
Conclusions: According to the offered classification, dependence of the process of decision making in modern business systems on complexity of their business structure at each stage of making of managerial decisions is determined. As a result of analysis of statistical data, it is determined that business systems with organizational structure of low complexity dominate in Russia. By the example of modern Russian business systems with the organizational structure of high complexity – Sberbank, Lukoil, Gazprom, and Rosneft – it is shown that formation of the structure of this type and supporting its functioning requires resources and thus is inaccessible for most modern business systems. Moreover, the expected advantages, related to high probability of making of optimal managerial decisions, are not always gained in practice.
Originality/value: It is substantiated that the process of decision making in modern business systems largely depends on the complexity of their organizational structure. With increase of complexity of a business system, resource intensity of decision making and duration of this process increase, but the risk of nonoptimal decisions decreases. Organizational structure of low complexity is peculiar for business systems that have deficit of financial and human resources, which does not allow using the means of optimization and fully control the process of decision making. However, in this case, managerial decisions are made much quicker. In the conditions of modern market economy, it is necessary to make quick optimal decisions, which cannot be achieved within the organizational structure of either low or high complexity. Thus, it is necessary to find a way to make quick optimal managerial decisions beyond the design of organizational structure.
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Yuanzhen Chu, Weipeng Sun, Pengcheng Mou, Qiuyu Lin, Yong Jiang and Shuangxi Wang
Steel structures are easily corroded under coastal atmospheric environment due to high humidity and high saltwater spray. To extend service life of steel structure infrastructure…
Abstract
Purpose
Steel structures are easily corroded under coastal atmospheric environment due to high humidity and high saltwater spray. To extend service life of steel structure infrastructure, it is necessary to remove rust and apply paint on the steel structure once a year. However, existing wall-climbing sandblasting robots are difficult to work on narrow steel beams and cause serious environmental pollution. The purpose of this study is to design a robot that can effectively remove rust from narrow steel beams and reduce environmental impact to extend the service life of steel structure infrastructure.
Design/methodology/approach
The heavy-duty wall-climbing robot designed in this study can effectively solve the above problems. The robot achieves adjustable magnetic adsorption force of the permanent magnet adsorption through a novel switch design and can work flexibly and stably on narrow steel beams through a worm-like internal and external alternating motion structure. In addition, it is equipped with a sandblasting recovery device to reduce environmental pollution.
Findings
The on-site test results on steel beams show that trust removal level can reach Sa2.0. The recovery rate of sandblasting and rust removal is close to 95%. The robot can carry a 40 kg sandblasting equipment and move at a speed greater than 40 cm/min, indicating that it can efficiently complete the rust removal work of narrow steel structures.
Originality/value
The originality lies in the design of the robot with features such as adjustable magnetic adsorption, special motion structure for narrow beams and a sandblasting recovery device. The value is that it can solve the problems of existing robots in working on narrow steel beams and environmental pollution and effectively extend the service life of steel structure infrastructure by efficiently removing rust.
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This study explores how companies’ operations and supply networks can induce social impacts such as enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The study focuses on social…
Abstract
Purpose
This study explores how companies’ operations and supply networks can induce social impacts such as enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). The study focuses on social enterprises’ supply networks and examines the effects of supply network characteristics on the creation and resolution of social–commercial objectives tension.
Design/methodology/approach
A supply network that is divided into five embedded cases, where each case is the supply network of a social enterprise, was studied. Forty-eight interviews at social enterprises, corporate customers, distributors, suppliers, non-governmental organizations and charities were conducted.
Findings
The study highlights how social enterprises use their supply networks to help disadvantaged people gain employment, truly balance DEI and efficiency objectives and manage paradoxical tensions. The results reveal three types of social purpose supply networks, dichotomized, paired and blended, that hybrid and for-profit organizations can adopt to jointly pursue multiple, potentially competing, objectives and resolve the paradoxical tensions in their supply networks. The creation and resolution of tension are also clarified by considering dyadic, triadic and tetradic tie structures.
Originality/value
The study contributes to the literature by extending the analysis of paradoxical tension between commercial and social welfare objectives such as DEI to the supply network level and revealing three social purpose supply network structures that depict social enterprises’ different ways to resolve paradoxical tensions. The study contributes to social network theory by describing the dynamic interaction between strong and weak ties in multi-tie structures.
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The purpose of this study is to investigate the bending behaviour of three-dimensional (3D) thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) structures printed onto the fabric.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the bending behaviour of three-dimensional (3D) thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) structures printed onto the fabric.
Design/methodology/approach
TPU parts with varying infill patterns and raster angles were 3D-printed onto both woven and knitted fabrics. The resulting hybrid structures’ bending behaviours were evaluated using three test methods: cantilever bending, three-point bending and circular compression. Besides, both sides of the hybrid structures were tested to capture the influence of test direction.
Findings
The fabric structure is effective on adhesion force and greater values were observed for woven fabrics. The infill structures, raster angle and test directions were observed effective on the bending behaviour of the hybrid structures. The 45° raster angle resulted in greater bending resistance in three test methods. For knitted fabric structures, gyroid infill generally exhibits superior bending resistance. A case of fabricating a personal elbow brace for cubital tunnel syndrome was also introduced.
Originality/value
This study provides experimental information about the effects of 3D printing parameters on the bending behaviour of the hybrid structures and supports the development of special-purpose designs with tailored functionalities for various applications.
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Jinnuo Zhang, Ran He, Konstantinos P. Baxevanakis and Andrew Gleadall
This paper aims to investigate the potential for 4D deformation of the smallest building blocks of the material extrusion additive manufacturing (MEAM) process: single extrudates…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the potential for 4D deformation of the smallest building blocks of the material extrusion additive manufacturing (MEAM) process: single extrudates produced with a single material. In contrast to previous 4D printing approaches where property-variations are realised across multiple layers or with complex composites, this study hypothesises that residual strain varies from top-to-bottom within a single printed extrudate and that this offers an opportunity to achieve controllable 4D printing with the smallest possible resolution (single lines in a single layer).
Design/methodology/approach
The influences of bed temperature, printing temperature, printing speed, extrusion width, extrusion thickness and activation temperature are quantified in terms of residual strain and 4D curvature.
Findings
An almost fourfold variation in curvature was achieved, printing speed and layer thickness greatly affected 4D deformation: the maximum curvature was increased by >600% compared to the minimum curvature when varying printing speed. In addition to rigorous parametric characterisation, a case study demonstrates the 4D deformation of a flat single-layer lattice into a 3D self-formed stent structure comprised of intricate single-extrudate struts. A separate case study demonstrates the resilience of the method by showing results to translate to alternative materials, with alternative printing hardware and with a different 4D activation procedure.
Originality/value
This study successfully proves a new way to achieve intricate 3D structures with the MEAM process, which would be impossible without 4D deformation due to their intricacy and the need for support material. The findings are also relevant to research into undesired warping due to the quantification of residual strain.
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Yazid Abdullahi Abubakar, Hazwan Haini, George Saridakis and Pang Wei Loon
This paper aims to suggest that foreign investment spurs entrepreneurial activity (i.e. new business formation) through various crowding-in mechanisms. Previous research also…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to suggest that foreign investment spurs entrepreneurial activity (i.e. new business formation) through various crowding-in mechanisms. Previous research also highlights the importance of production structures in developing a country’s absorptive capacity. Thus, the authors examined the extent to which sophisticated production structures can promote the crowding-in (positive) effects of foreign investment on new business formation.
Design/methodology/approach
This study uses an annual-level unbalanced panel dataset of 94 countries from 2006 to 2020. The authors use system Generalized Method of Moments estimator, which can control for endogeneity and simultaneity issues. Additionally, they split their sample data set to examine the effects on coastal and landlocked countries (which are economically at a disadvantage).
Findings
Using the economic complexity and economic diversification index as their measure of production structure, the authors find evidence that foreign investment is associated with greater entrepreneurial activities, and this effect is greater when production structures are more sophisticated. However, this complementary effect is not observed in the subsample of landlocked economies, which face impediments to global trade and other structural challenges.
Research limitations/implications
The results imply that policymakers can promote new business formation by developing a country’s production structure in tandem with foreign investment in knowledge intensive sectors.
Originality/value
The authors empirically establish that production structures can promote the crowding-in effects of foreign direct investment on entrepreneurial activities using two measures of production structures, namely, economic complexity and economic diversification.
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Faisal Alnori and Abdullah Bugshan
The literature is remarkably silent on questions concerning the nexus between firms’ capital structure adjustment speed and the uncertainty of oil prices. This study aims to…
Abstract
Purpose
The literature is remarkably silent on questions concerning the nexus between firms’ capital structure adjustment speed and the uncertainty of oil prices. This study aims to examine how oil price fluctuations affect a firm’s capital structure and adjustment speed.
Design/methodology/approach
This research focuses on a set of corporations from the Gulf Cooperation Council spanning from 2011 to 2022. The methods applied are panel fixed effects and dynamic two-step system Generalized Method of Moments models.
Findings
The findings indicate that changes in oil prices significantly impact corporate capital structure. Specifically, high oil price volatility leads to a reduction in both market leverage and book leverage. In addition, increased volatility in oil prices results in higher costs for leverage adjustment speed, which subsequently influences how quickly companies move toward their optimal leverage ratio. It is observed that when there is an increase in oil price volatility, firms adjust their leverage more slowly. At the same time, they do so more rapidly during phases of lower oil price volatility.
Practical implications
The findings of this study hold significant implications for corporate managers, investors and lenders. The observed negative relationship between oil price uncertainty and leverage suggests that corporate managers may benefit from prioritizing equity financing over debt during periods of heightened oil price volatility. In addition, managers should integrate oil price uncertainty into their liquidity management strategies by maintaining sufficient cash reserves. This proactive approach can help mitigate the challenges posed by reduced access to external debt financing during volatile periods. Furthermore, understanding the influence of oil price fluctuations on firms’ cost of debt is crucial, as it directly impacts firms’ adjustment costs in achieving their optimal capital structures. Creditors, too, should consider the adverse effects of oil price volatility on corporate financing when designing credit policies, ensuring they remain responsive to the financial constraints faced by firms under such conditions.
Originality/value
At best, this study presents new evidence that sheds light on the nexus between oil price volatility and the speed at which firms adjust their leverage toward the trade-off theory’s optimal target.
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Abstract
Purpose
On the premise of verifying whether the platformization organization of DEEs is born, this work aims to explore the evolutionary process of the organizational structure of digital entrepreneurial enterprises (DEEs) and to further reveal the drivers of organizational structure evolution from the perspective of data resources.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use a longitudinal two-case approach to analyze rich archival and interview data from two DEEs in China.
Findings
The findings reveal that the organizational structure of DEEs evolves from hierarchy, network and flatlization to platformization, that the drivers of evolution include building data flow channels, removing barriers of data flow and forming data rules. Meanwhile, the coordination devices in this process have gradually evolved from hierarchy to standard operating procedures, shared culture, norms, etc. to achieve a balance between commercial and creative success.
Originality/value
This work develops a framework for the evolution of organizational structure of DEEs from organization design theory lens and provide some management insights into the development of DEEs.
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Mohamed Zaki Balboula and Mona Ahmed Shemes
This study examines how financial distress affects the capital structure of Egyptian firms following the 2016 currency flotation, examining the moderating roles of board…
Abstract
Purpose
This study examines how financial distress affects the capital structure of Egyptian firms following the 2016 currency flotation, examining the moderating roles of board characteristics and ownership structure.
Design/methodology/approach
Utilizing data from non-financial companies listed on the Egyptian Stock Exchange from 2017 to 2022, we apply two-stage least squares (2SLS) and propensity score matching (PSM) to address endogeneity and selection bias.
Findings
Our findings indicate that financially distressed firms tend to increase their debt burden, but robust governance mechanisms, such as higher board independence, larger boards and strong blockholder and institutional ownership, significantly mitigate this effect. Managerial ownership shows a stabilizing influence during distress, while chief executive officer duality does not significantly impact leverage decisions. These findings underscore how robust corporate governance promotes more conservative capital structure decisions during economic volatility.
Research limitations/implications
Our study focus, country and period could limit the generalizability of our findings to other regions or sectors.
Practical implications
Investors and policymakers are advised to focus on firms with effective governance structures to mitigate distress-induced leverage increases. Governance reforms that enhance board effectiveness and ownership structure, e.g. increasing board independence requirements and promoting greater institutional investor participation, can further stabilize capital structure during downturns. Managers, in turn, should diversify financing and adopt prudent debt strategies to reduce overreliance on leverage.
Originality/value
In contrast to most studies, this research reverses the lens by exploring how financial distress shapes capital structure decisions in an emerging market context, specifically post-Egypt’s 2016 currency flotation. Employing both 2SLS and PSM to address endogeneity and selection bias, the study highlights the mitigating role of governance mechanisms, which can buffer firms against heightened debt reliance under economic volatility.