Anil R. Sahu, Rashmi R. Shrivastava and R.L. Shrivastava
The purpose of this paper is to identify critical factors of total quality management (TQM), for use in a possible framework that addresses sustainable quality improvements in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify critical factors of total quality management (TQM), for use in a possible framework that addresses sustainable quality improvements in technical institutes as a plausible means of TQM implementation in higher education programs.
Design/methodology/approach
The literature survey of the TQM and related quality methodologies and content analysis of TQM literature in technical institutes provide the theoretical and practical background for this work. The content analysis was carried out following the standard principles of deductive reasoning and subsequently, relevant factors were identified for implementations.
Findings
Unlike the scenario in industry, TQM philosophies have to be adopted differently for a successful implementation in technical institutes. The identified critical factors of TQM and related quality improvement methodologies provide a comprehensive guideline for an effective and efficient implementation of TQM in technical institutes.
Originality/value
This paper identifies the critical factors of quality improvement initiatives that are most comprehensive and have potential to address the quality issues of technical institutes. The critical factors identified in this study, offer a practical guidance for academics to implement TQM in technical institutes and can form the basis for delineating a mathematical model for these institutes.
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Anil Kumar, Amit Pal, Ashwani Vohra, Sachin Gupta, Suryakant Manchanda and Manoj Kumar Dash
Supplier selection for capital procurement is a major strategic decision for any automobile company. The decision determines the success of the company and must be taken…
Abstract
Purpose
Supplier selection for capital procurement is a major strategic decision for any automobile company. The decision determines the success of the company and must be taken systematically with the utmost transparency. The purpose of this paper is to construct capital procurement decision-making model to optimize supplier selection in the Indian automobile industry.
Design/methodology/approach
To achieve the stated objective, a combined approach of fuzzy theory and AHP-DEMATEL is applied. Evaluation parameters are identified through an extensive literature review and criteria validation has been introduced through a Fuzzy Delphi method by using fuzzy linguistic scales to handle the vagueness of information. AHP is employed to find the priority weight of criteria, although an inter-relationship map among criteria is not possible through AHP alone since it considers all criteria as independent. To overcome this, DEMATEL is used to establish cause-effect relationships among criteria.
Findings
The results show that the total cost of ownership (TOC) is the first weighted criterion in supplier selection for capital procurement, followed by manufacturing flexibility and maintainability, then conformity with requirement. The cause-effect model shows that supplier profile, TOC, service support and conformity with requirement are in the cause group and are considered to be the most critical factors in selecting the supplier.
Originality/value
The study’s outcome can help the automobile industry to optimize their selection process in selecting their suppliers for capital procurement; the proposed model can provide guidelines and direction in this regard.
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Chetanya Singh, Manoj Kumar Dash, Rajendra Sahu and Anil Kumar
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly applied by businesses to optimize their processes and decision-making, develop effective and efficient strategies, and positively…
Abstract
Purpose
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly applied by businesses to optimize their processes and decision-making, develop effective and efficient strategies, and positively influence customer behaviors. Businesses use AI to generate behaviors such as customer retention (CR). The existing literature on “AI and CR” is vastly scattered. The paper aims to review the present research on AI in CR systematically and suggest future research directions to further develop the field.
Design/methodology/approach
The Scopus database is used to collect the data for systematic review and bibliometric analysis using the VOSviewer tool. The paper performs the following analysis: (1) year-wise publications and citations, (2) co-authorship analysis of authors, countries, and affiliations, (3) citation analysis of articles and journals, (4) co-occurrence visualization of binding terms, and (5) bibliographic coupling of articles.
Findings
Five research themes are identified, namely, (1) AI and customer churn prediction in CR, (2) AI and customer service experience in CR, (3) AI and customer sentiment analysis in CR, (4) AI and customer (big data) analytics in CR, and (5) AI privacy and ethical concerns in CR. Based on the research themes, fifteen future research objectives and a future research framework are suggested.
Research limitations/implications
The paper has important implications for researchers and managers as it reveals vital insights into the latest trends and paths in AI-CR research and practices. It focuses on privacy and ethical issues of AI; hence, it will help the government develop policies for sustainable AI adoption for CR.
Originality/value
To the author's best knowledge, this paper is the first attempt to comprehensively review the existing research on “AI and CR” using bibliometric analysis.
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The majority of the world's population has limited access to needed medicines. The purpose of this paper is to explain why certain characteristics of the global pharmaceutical…
Abstract
Purpose
The majority of the world's population has limited access to needed medicines. The purpose of this paper is to explain why certain characteristics of the global pharmaceutical market have not served a large majority of potential consumers in the developing world.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a political economy analysis of evolutionary and regulatory aspects of both supply and demand conditions for global pharmaceuticals, it can be understood why most of the world's poor have limited access to basic medicines. The paper then turns to what avenues are available for improving access to medicines. An analysis of the chief proposed solutions, namely: pooled demand and relaxation of intellectual property rights, reveals their inadequacies. A third emerging avenue, the growing production of pharmaceuticals in the south, is examined through case studies of leading producers including India, China, and South America.
Findings
While each of the three options offers potential benefits, none is adequate to solve the problem – a new, perhaps combinatorial, approach will be needed to ensure that a wider global market for pharmaceuticals can be created.
Originality/value
The paper offers insights into the political economy of the global pharmaceutical industry.
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Monica Malhotra, Vaishali Sahu, Amit Srivastava and Anil Kumar Misra
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of presence of buried flexible pipe on the bearing capacity of shallow footing. First, a model study is performed where…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of presence of buried flexible pipe on the bearing capacity of shallow footing. First, a model study is performed where shallow footing model is tested for its load settlement behavior, with and without the existence of buried PVC pipe lying vertically below the base of the footing.
Design/methodology/approach
The experimental set-up consisted of a steel box filled with sand at two different relative density values [RD = 50 per cent (medium dense) and RD = 80 per cent (dense sand)] and vertical load was applied on the model footing through hydraulic jack and reaction frame arrangement connected with a proving ring. Test results are verified numerically using commercially available finite element code PLAXIS 2D. With due verification, a parametric study has been conducted, numerically, by varying the range of input parameters, such as unit weight, angle of internal friction, diameter of buried conduit and the Elastic modulus of the soil to assess the pre cent reduction in the capacity of the foundation soil because of the presence of underlying buried flexible pipe.
Findings
Results show that for each footing, there exists a critical depth below which the presence of the buried conduit has negligible influence on the footing performance. When the conduit is located above the critical depth, the bearing capacity of the footing varies with various factors, such as geotechnical parameters of soil and location and diameter of the buried conduit.
Originality/value
It is an original paper performed to assess the presence of buried flexible pipe on the bearing capacity of the shallow footing.
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Niragi Dave, Vaishali Sahu and Anil Kumar Misra
The purpose of this work is to study the in-situ performance of ternary geopolymer concrete in road repair work. Geopolymer cement concrete is an attractive alternative to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this work is to study the in-situ performance of ternary geopolymer concrete in road repair work. Geopolymer cement concrete is an attractive alternative to Portland cement concrete owing to environmental, economic and performance benefits. Industrial wastes, such as fly ash (FA) and ground granular blast furnace slag (GGBS), have been extensively used to manufacture unitary and binary geopolymer concrete with heat activation (at different temperature); however, it has indicated a limitation for its application in precast industry only.
Design/methodology/approach
In the present study, efforts have been made to produce a ternary geopolymer concrete mix, using GGBS, FA and Silica fumes (SF) in varied proportion mixed with 8 M sodium hydroxide (NaOH) as alkali activator and cured at ambient temperature. Total ten geopolymer concrete mixes have been prepared and tested for strength and durability properties and compared with control mix of ordinary Portland cement (OPC). Based on the mechanical properties of various mixes, an optimum geopolymer concrete mix has been identified. The control mix and optimum geopolymer have been studied for microstructural properties through scanning electron microscopy.
Findings
The in situ performance of the optimum mix has been assessed when used as a road repair material on a stretch of road. The ternary geopolymer concrete mixes (a) 65% GGBS + 25% FA + 10% SF, (b) 70% GGBS + 20% FA + 10% SF, and (c) 75% GGBS + 15% FA + 10% SF have resulted in good strength at ambient temperature and the mix 75% GGBS + 15% FA + 10% SF have shown good in situ performance when tested for road repair work.
Originality/value
Geopolymer concrete is gaining interest in many fields as an alternative to conventional concrete, as it not only reduces carbon footprint due to huge cement production but also provides a sustainable disposal method for many industrial wastes. This paper focuses on finding some alternative of OPC concrete to reduce dependency on the OPC.
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Amit Srivastava, Dharmendra Kumar Srivastava and Anil Kumar Misra
The present study aims to demonstrate the performance assessment of flexible pavement structure in probabilistic framework with due consideration of spatial variability modeling…
Abstract
Purpose
The present study aims to demonstrate the performance assessment of flexible pavement structure in probabilistic framework with due consideration of spatial variability modeling of input parameter.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis incorporates mechanistic–empirical approach in which numerical analysis with spatial variability modeling of input parameters, Monte Carlo simulations (MCS) and First Order Reliability Method (FORM) are combined together for the reliability analysis of the flexible pavement. Random field concept along with Cholesky decomposition technique is used for the spatial variability modeling of the input parameter and implemented in commercially available finite difference code FLAC for the numerical analysis of pavement structure.
Findings
Results of the reliability analysis, with spatial variability modeling of input parameter, are compared with the corresponding results obtained without considering spatial variability of parameters. Analyzing a particular three-layered flexible pavement structure, it is demonstrated that spatial variability modeling of input parameter provides more realistic treatment to property variations in space and influences the response of the pavement structure, as well as its performance assessment.
Originality/value
Research is based on reliability analysis approach, which can also be used in decision-making for quality control and flexible pavement design in a given environment of uncertainty and extent of spatially varying input parameters in a space.
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Mariam Anil Ciby and Shikha Sahai
COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of home-based teleworking globally. Coupled with this, there are rising concerns about workplace cyberbullying. However, less…
Abstract
Purpose
COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of home-based teleworking globally. Coupled with this, there are rising concerns about workplace cyberbullying. However, less studies have explored workplace cyberbullying in non-western countries. The purpose of the current study is to examine whether workplace cyberbullying affects employees' intention to stay and to find out the mechanisms underlying the relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected among Indian home-based teleworkers. Data were analysed using SmartPLS and SPSS-PROCESS macro.
Findings
Results show that workplace cyberbullying negatively impacts intention to stay and affective commitment acts as a mediator between this link. The results also reveal that workplace social capital moderates the negative effects of workplace cyberbullying on affective commitment. The results further confirm that workplace social capital moderated the indirect impact of workplace cyberbullying on intention to stay via affective commitment.
Practical implications
This study highlights the potential of leveraging workplace social capital in order to reduce the negative effects of workplace cyberbullying.
Originality/value
These findings can complement the previous studies on the impact of negative work events on affective commitment and intention to stay as well as extend researchers' understanding of the underlying mechanism between workplace cyberbullying and intention to stay. Furthermore, this research explains how employees can utilise social resources from workplace social capital to mitigate the negative outcomes of workplace cyberbullying.
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Abla Chaouni Benabdellah, Kamar Zekhnini, Anass Cherrafi, Jose Arturo Garza-Reyes, Anil Kumar and Jamal El Baz
Blockchain technology (BT) is creating a new standard for all business operations. It can assist businesses in handling the complexity of circular digital supply chain (DCM…
Abstract
Purpose
Blockchain technology (BT) is creating a new standard for all business operations. It can assist businesses in handling the complexity of circular digital supply chain (DCM) management. Despite this optimistic view, several barriers hinder its implementation. In this regard, this study contributes to Industry 4.0, circular economy (CE), the viability with a critical emphasis on its potential ramifications and influence on the future agenda while using BT technology in the supply chain (SC). In addition, the research reduces the knowledge gap by investigating and ranking the key barriers to the deployment of BT in viable circular digital supply chains (VCDSCs) and studies their interdependencies and causal relationships. The purpose of this paper is to address these issues.
Design/methodology/approach
The barriers to BT adoption in the VCDSC are identified through a thorough literature review and considering viability performance. These barriers are then classified using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) method. Decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) is then employed to examine the cause/effect, correlation, and connection among the 14 barriers selected barriers from the AHP classification to estimate each barrier's overall degree of impact over the others.
Findings
This paper identifies and analyzes the BT adoption barriers in the VCDSC as well as examines how the key barriers interact. As a result, according to the AHP/DEMATEL method, the most prominent influencing barriers to the BT implementation in the VCDSC are “Data transparency,” “Market competition,” “Missing infrastructure,” “Lack of standardization,” “Complex protocol,” “Lack of industry involvement,” “Financial constraints,” “Missing infrastructure,” “Data transparency” and “Interoperability.” The outcomes offer a potential path for identifying important barriers as well as insight into the implementation of BT in the SC while integrating different capabilities such as viability, sustainability and CE principles.
Practical implications
Managers and researchers will benefit from this research by gaining an understanding of the challenges that must be prioritized and examined for BT to be implemented successfully in the VCDSC.
Originality/value
The use and implementation of blockchain-enabled VCDSC continue to face challenges despite an increase in relevant practice and research. Despite the benefits of BT, managers struggle to apply such technology in the context of their company. In this respect, this paper uses an integrated AHP–DEMATEL for categorizing the BT barriers as well as the interrelationship between them. In this respect, this paper presents the BT barriers studied are those related to the use of BT in the SC while integrating different paradigms such as viability, digitalization and CE. While many studies look at the barriers to BT adoption; none of them has ever included the viable capability, which means the ability to “react agilely to positive changes, be resilient to absorb negative events and re-cover after disruptions and survive at long-term periods.” The study concludes with insightful comments based on the findings and suggestions for eradicating those obstacles and their associated effects.