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The purpose of this paper is to provide a cost-effective foundation technique for the design of foundations of transmission towers, heavily loaded structures, etc.

Experimental model tests are conducted in a model test tank to find out the effect of length and diameter of geogrid encased granular pile anchors, the relative density of sand and the angle of inclination of the pile from the vertical on uplift behavior of granular pile anchors.

The uplift capacity of the geogrid encased granular pile anchor increased with increasing length and diameter of granular pile anchor. Further, increasing the relative density of surrounding soil increased uplift capacity of geogrid encased granular pile anchor system. Moreover, increasing the angle of inclination of loading also increased uplift capacity of whole system. Thus, the proposed system can be effectively used in field for further applications.

The paper is helpful for the engineers looking for cost-effective foundation techniques for heavily loaded structures.

This paper aims to carry out numerical study on growth of a single bubble from a curved hydrophilic surface, in nucleate pool boiling (NPB). The boiling performance associated with NPB on a curved surface has been analyzed in contrast to a plane surface.

Commercial software ANSYS Fluent 2021 R1 has been used with its built-in feature of interface tracking based on volume of fluid method. For water as the working fluid, the effect of microlayer evaporation underneath the bubble base has been included with the help of user-defined function. The phase change behavior at the interface of vapor bubble has been modeled by using “saturated-interface-volume” phase change model.

An interesting outcome of the present study is that the bubble departure gets delayed with increase in curvature of the heating surface. Wall heat flux is found to be higher for a curved surface as compared to a plane surface. Effect of wettability on the time for bubble growth is relatively more for the curved surface as compared to that for a plane surface.

Effect of surface curvature has been investigated on bubble dynamics and also on temporal variation of heat flux. In addition, the impact of surface wettability along with the surface curvature has also been analyzed on bubble morphology and spatial variation of heat flux. Furthermore, the influence of wall superheat on the bubble growth and also the wall heat flux has been studied for fixed angle of contact and varying curvature.

An electrorheological (ER) fluid consists of dielectric particles blended in a nonconducting oil. ER lubricants are often considered smart lubricants. This paper aims to examine the steady state and dynamic response of multilobe journal bearings using an ER lubricant.

Reynold’s equation has been used to describe the lubricant flow in the journal-bearing clearance space. The Bingham model is used to characterize the nonlinear behavior of the lubricant. The solution of the Reynolds equation is obtained using the Newton–Raphson method, with gaseous cavitation in the fluid film numerically addressed by applying a mass-conserving algorithm. The effects of lobe geometry and the applied electric field are investigated on film pressure profile, fluid film thickness, direct stiffness and damping parameters. The equation of motion for journal center coordinates is solved using the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method, to predict journal center motion trajectories.

Using ER lubricant combined with two-lobe journal bearing significantly improved the minimum film thickness by 49.75%, the direct stiffness parameter by 132.18% and the damping parameter by 206.3%. However, the multilobe configuration was found to negatively impact the frictional powerloss of the bearing system. In the case of multilobe configurations of journal bearings using ER lubricant, linear motion journal trajectories are observed to be reduced and exhibit increased stability.

This study presents the effect of an ER lubricant and multilobe configuration on the rotor-dynamic performance and stability analysis of hydrodynamic journal bearings.

The peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/ILT-06-2024-0201/

The previous researchers have identified human capital, relational capital and structural capital as knowledge assets in knowledge-driven organizations. The current study is an attempt to identify and validate the knowledge assets in construction projects. The study also aims to understand the interrelation of these knowledge assets and their impact on project performance through the development of a conceptual model.

The study is divided into three phases. In phase I, the constructs of “knowledge assets” and “project performance” in construction projects are identified using the exploratory factor analysis. In phase II, these constructs are validated using confirmatory factor analysis. Two separate surveys are conducted for phase I and phase II, respectively. In phase III, the authors develop two conceptual models based on the literature review and two construction project cases in India. The models examine the inter-relationship of knowledge assets and measures their impact on project performance. The models are empirically tested using the responses of the second survey through a structural equation model.

The study extracts four knowledge asset constructs and one performance construct which are named human capital, structural capital, relational capital, human capital capacity building process and project performance, respectively. The study finds that both the conceptual models are statistically excellent fit. The results of the models suggest that relational capital and structural capital have a direct positive impact on project performance, whereas human capital has an indirect effect on project performance mediated through relational capital, structural capital and human capital capacity building process.

The items for knowledge asset constructs and measurement of project performance are moderated by experts, working in construction projects in India, hence the process may contain subjective bias. Further, two construction project cases were selected by authors in the study that originate from India.

The study has implications for the project executors (contractors) as well as for project owners. The contractors must maintain healthy relations with all the stakeholders in a project like a client, suppliers, architects, etc. They must develop systems that are people-friendly to avoid the problems of time and cost overruns in projects. The owners must also maintain healthy relations. This can result in a win-win situation for both parties and can lead to superior project performance.

The study develops and empirically tests two conceptual models that explain the interrelations of knowledge assets and how it benefits the construction project performance in India. Therefore, the generalization of the results is difficult; however, the results can be replicated in projects with similar settings.

Individuals with dual diagnoses might experience significant clinical and social vulnerabilities during the pandemic and lockdown. This study aims to compare medication adherence, substance use, clinical stability and overall functioning before and during lockdown periods.

This was a cross-sectional survey among patients registered in dual diagnosis clinic of an addiction psychiatry center in Northern India between March 2019 and February 2020. This study approached 250 patients for telephonic interviews. This study assessed adherence to medications with the brief adherence rating scale (BARS). Global functioning was measured by global assessment of functioning. Clinical interviews assessed substance use and the clinical status of psychiatric disorders.

One hundred fifty patients were recruited. The mean age of the sample was 35.8 years. The sample had a slight preponderance of alcohol dependence. Depressive disorder was the largest category of psychiatric diagnosis. Compared to prelockdown period, during the lockdown, there were an increased number of days of nonadherence (X² 17.61, p <  0.05), proportion of patients underdosing (X² 8.96, p = 0.003) and lower BARS scores (t = 10.52, df = 144, p < 0.0001). More patients were abstinent from substances during the lockdown (X² 49.02, p < 0.0001). Clinical stability of psychiatric disorders did not differ during the two-time points, but overall functioning decreased during the lockdown (t = 2.118, p = 0.036). This study observed a small positive correlation (r = 0.2, p = 0.02) between functioning and adherence levels.

Lockdown was associated with poor medication adherence, change in substance use patterns and functional impairment. In the future, treatment programs and policies must take preemptive steps to minimize the effects of restrictions.

The objective of the study is to analyse the impact of research and development investment on the firm performance of “small” scale firms vis-a-vis “medium”-scale firms.

The dataset comprised of a balanced panel of 486 research and development conducting Indian manufacturing small and medium enterprises, constructed for the period of 2006–2017. Fixed Effects, Random Effects Model and Hausmann test were used to analyse the determinants of firm performance in manufacturing small and medium enterprises in India.

It was found that from firms’ research and development (R&D) investments in terms of performance could be attained if simultaneously internationalisation and higher capital intensity could be achieved.

Managers could pay specific attention to the antecedents of firm performance and calibrate their R&D investment, internationalisation efforts and capital intensity simultaneously to achieve higher growth and productivity. For policymakers, the results provide an insight into how the firms in both categories could be differently incentivised, such that resources are better utilised.

The study analysed the determinants of firm performance in small and medium-sized firms at a disaggregate level as well as at a sectoral level using fixed effects, random effects and lagged effects to arrive at novel results, which have important implications for their competitiveness.

Titanium (Ti) alloys are in high demand in manufacturing industries all over the world. The property like high strength to weight ratio makes Ti alloys highly recommended for aerospace industries. Ti alloys possess good weldability, and therefore, they were extensively investigated with regard to strength and metallurgical properties of welded joint. This study aims to deal with the analysis of strength and microstructural changes in Ti-6Al-4V (Grade 5) alloy after tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding.

Two pair of Ti alloy plates were welded in two different voltages, i.e. 24 and 28 V, with keeping the current constant, i.e. 80 A It was a random selection of current and voltage values to check the performance of welded material. Both the welded plates were undergone through some mechanical property analysis like impact test, tensile test and hardness test. In addition, the microstructure of the welded joints was also analyzed.

It was found that hardness and tensile properties gets improved with an increment in voltage, but this effect was reverse for impact toughness. A good corroboration between microstructure and mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, hardness and toughness, was reported in this work. Heat distribution in both the welded plates was simulated through ANSYS software to check the temperature contour in the plates.

A good corroboration between microstructure and mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, hardness and toughness, was reported in this study.

Infrastructural revolution, intense competition and customer attraction towards organised apparel retailing in India are potentially affecting traditional retailing. The authors seek to identify the factors that customers perceive during shopping in organised apparel retail store. This study also investigates the indirect effects of identified factors on behavioural outcomes such as loyalty.

The study randomly selected the customers immediately after shopping to minimise the experience's carryover effects. A sample of 648 customers was collected. Data were analysed using multivariate analysis of covariance.

The study has found that in-store logistics is the second order factor with ease of return, on-shelf availability, product accessibility, shopping convenience, and product information as the variables. The result shows that in-store logistics, store environment, store communication, merchandise assortment, perceived price and employee attribute influence customer satisfaction. As expected, these factors indirectly influence the loyalty.

This study focused on organised multi-brand apparel retailing, and the survey was conducted in a tier-II city of India only. Hence, any attempt to generalise the findings must be undertaken with caution.

In the context of multi-brand retailing, competition is fierce. New entrants and traditional apparel retailers hesitate to adopt organised apparel retailing. The findings of this study can be helpful for new entrants and traditional apparel retailers to adopt organised apparel retailing.

Previous studies in the field of multi-brand retailing have mainly focused on the marketing aspect of retail stores. This study contributes to the operations aspect and tests the impact of operational function (in-store logistics) on customer satisfaction.

In the time of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic, the effective leadership is what all the organisations are now requiring. Retaining and satisfying the employees in these tough times has become very difficult. In view of this, the present study attempts to investigate three objectives: first, to find out the direct effect of effective leadership on job satisfaction and organisational citizenship behaviour (OCB); second, to examine the relationship between job satisfaction and OCB and, third, to investigate whether effective leadership positively moderate and mediate the link between job satisfaction and OCB among managerial employees of private manufacturing firms of Chhattisgarh state.

Correlational research design was applied in the present study. Cluster sampling was used to finalise sample region, and simple random technique was applied to collect primary responses. Employees working at the managerial positions were chosen as participants in the present study. About 530 questionnaires were sent to the participants in which 400 responses were found useable for analysis.

The results explained a significant relation of effective leadership with job satisfaction and OCB. In addition, job satisfaction also revealed a positive correlation with OCB. The moderating and mediating effect of effective leadership in the link between job satisfaction and OCB was also noted in significant association.

Private sector enterprises were economically harmed by COVID-19's sudden arrival. This forced corporations to minimise expenses by cutting staff, production and operations. Employees felt alone, needed assistance and guidance. This research demonstrates how effective leadership may reconnect workers and boost organisational performance.

Small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have now become an important part of economy for not only developed nations but also for emerging economies. Irrespective of the benefits that can be derived, SMEs in emerging economies still lack the will to implement quality management (QM) practices. Using a comparative study, the purpose of this paper is to understand the status of QM practices in SMEs of emerging economies.

A survey-based approach was adopted to understand the established QM practices in the SMEs. A survey instrument was designed by reviewing the literature on QM initiatives in SMEs. A sample of 270 SMEs across Southern India and 189 SMEs in Namibia was selected through stratified random sampling technique.

The overall response rate was 19.52 percent for India and 26.46 percent for Namibia, respectively. There were similarities and differences in responses from SMEs in both countries. Similarities are in terms of limited implementation of QM practices, and also less use of tools and techniques. Reasons for not implementing include unknown to the authors, and the high cost of training. Differences emerged in the type of market (Indian SMEs catering to one major customer), CSFs and business performance indicators. It was interesting to find that management commitment and involvement do not have a major influence as CSF for SMEs in both the countries.

The research is the first attempt in bringing a comparative study about QM practices in SMEs from developing countries. The insights will help emerging economies to develop policies for education and training, and thus facilitate implementation of QM practices in SMEs.