Search results

Drawing from stakeholder (ST) and social exchange theory (SET), the purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between customer perceived ethicality (CPE), electronic word of mouth (eWOM), customer trust (CT) and customer loyalty (CL). Furthermore, this study aimed to understand the dual role of CPE and eWOM in obtaining CT and achieving CL.

Using a quantitative, cross-sectional research design, data were collected from face-to-face surveys, yielding 358 responses. The partial least square algorithm was used to test the proposed hypothesis.

The analysis revealed that CPE and eWOM positively affect CT and CL, and CT has a mediating effect on the association between CPE–CL and eWOM–CL. CT was also found to positively affect CL.

Hotel managers can prioritize ethical practices and leverage the power of eWOM to build trust and achieve loyalty. This integrated approach not only enhances customer satisfaction and retention but also creates a competitive advantage.

The novelty of this study lies in the investigation of the dual role played by CPE and eWOM as antecedents of CT and CL within the hotel industry. Finally, this study explains the drivers of CT and CL, thereby making a novel contribution to the literature.

Bank unionism illustrates some of the diverse experiences of Malaysian unions in a seemingly hostile legislative environment. The National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) is a powerful union that contrasts with in‐house unions in several banks and which shows that it is not impossible for Malaysian unions to organise and secure gains for members. Its experience illustrates the importance for union prosperity of: workplace union activity; the capacity to protect members from insecurity and arbitrary treatment; workplace reform strategies; internal discourse; education and training; union culture; creative and strategic approaches to industrial action; and the role of politics in industrial relations.

The aim of this article is to analyse the information technology implementation styles in companies and their relation with different indicators of shop floor workers' subjective well‐being. The sample is composed of 11 tile production companies and 285 workers. Results from cluster analysis show two main implementation styles, so‐called “continuous implementation style” and “first‐time implementation style”. Besides, results from MANOVA show significant differences in workers' cognitive well‐being (i.e. job satisfaction, role ambiguity, and positive attitudes toward information technology) but no significant differences in workers' affective well‐being (i.e. job related enthusiasm, job related comfort and general mental health) due to information technology implementation styles. Limitations and future research are discussed.

Drawing on open innovation and knowledge-based view, this study was initiated by investigating the fact that despite the growing literature on external knowledge being important for bridging the knowledge gap across the new product development (NPD) processes, gaps exist to explore as to what are the potential knowledge sources and their contribution for the Fuzzy-Front end (FFE-) (i.e. idea-generation) phase of the NPD process?

Thirty-seven open-ended interviews with the NPD managers in large firms from the Chemicals and Electronic industries have been conducted to collect the data following thematic analysis into NVIvo 12.

The findings reveal customers, suppliers and external research organizations are the potential knowledge sources. Each of the sources delivers distinct knowledge for FFE of the NPD process. The empirical analysis of this study demonstrates that each of the potential knowledge sources though bridges the knowledge gap that innovative firms seek for the FFE of the NPD process, however collaboration with such sources incurs significant costs, risks, resources, capabilities and management practices which differs noticeably among different kinds of knowledge sources.

Managers must need assessing not just the gains but also the pains associated with each of the knowledge source before deciding to make additional investments in terms of resources and capabilities dedicated to learning from them while considering any of these for the FFE.

This new conceptualization of FFE offers a better theoretical and practical rationale for how and what types of different sources of knowledge can bridge the knowledge gaps for the FFE of NPD processes provided that innovative firms have necessary resources to entail a successful collaboration.

The purpose of this study is to explore the use of iMindMap software as an interactive tool in the teaching and learning method and also to be able to consider iMindMap as an alternative instrument in achieving the ultimate learning outcome.

Out of 268 students of the management accounting at the University of Technology MARA (Terengganu), 97 students have participated in this survey to evaluate the effectiveness of iMindMap in teaching and learning.

Results indicate that the majority of the students acknowledged that iMindMap is more attractive than conventional teaching methods and found that iMindMap shows clearly how the points are all associated and linked together. Students could find that learning is an exciting experience and were able to visualize the whole course content remarkably via iMindMap.

This study presents an alternative instrument, which is innovative and interactive in teaching and learning, especially for accounting students where the students’ technology acceptance could also be viewed.

The purpose of this paper is to identify and prioritize the lean implementation (LI) barriers in the context of labor intensive Indian ceramic industries through a statistically reliable and validated model.

In this study, LI barriers are identified through a comprehensive review of relevant literature and discussions held with academicians/practitioners. Identified barriers, thereafter, are evaluated with Cronbach's alpha values using a statistical tool. The interpretive ranking process (IRP) methodology is applied for ranking of the barriers with reference to the measurable performance indicators.

The study identified highly relevant barriers of Indian ceramic industries. Further, these barriers were compared with performance measures through a cross-interaction matrix developed in the IRP model. The model highlights the analysis of dominance relationship of different barriers. Moreover, the result shows that top management commitment and leadership is at the top of the model, followed by lack of training opportunity and skills, and resistance to change and adopt innovations indicating their strongest driving power in LI.

This model may enable the firms to understand the LI barriers and come up with sensible implementation program. Further, the correlation results among the barriers will provide insights in mitigating the hurdles of lean manufacturing (LM) implementation in the industries.

This study empirically develops a model through the IRP for the barriers in LM implementation. From the reported literature, it appears that the application of IRP is very rare in ceramic industries in India. The analysis and prioritization of LI barriers may help practitioners to plan strategies to implement lean in a selected domain.

Since, wear is the one of the most commonly encountered industrial problems leading to frequent replacement of components there is a need to develop metal matrix composites (MMCs) for achieving better wear properties. The purpose of this paper is to fabricate aluminum MMCs to improve the dry sliding wear characteristics. An effective multi-response optimization approach called the principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify the sets of optimal parameters in dry sliding wear process.

The present work investigates the dry sliding wear behavior of graphite reinforced aluminum composites produced by the molten metal mixing method by means of a pin-on-disc type wear set up. Dry sliding wear tests were carried on graphite reinforced MMCs and its matrix alloy sliding against a steel counter face. Different contact stress, reinforcement percentage, sliding distance and sliding velocity were selected as the control variables and the response selected was wear volume loss (WVL) and coefficient of friction (COF) to evaluate the dry sliding performance. An L25 orthogonal array was employed for the experimental design. Optimization of dry sliding performance of the graphite reinforced MMCs was performed using PCA.

Based on the PCA, the optimum level parameters for overall principal component (PC) of WVL and COF have been identified. Moreover, analysis of variance was performed to know the impact of individual factors on overall PC of WVL and COF. The results indicated that the reinforcement percentage was found to be most effective factor among the other control parameters on dry sliding wear followed by sliding distance, sliding velocity and contact stress. Finally the wear surface morphology of the composites has been investigated using scanning electron microscopy.

Various manufacturing techniques are available for processing of MMCs. Each technique has its own advantages and disadvantages. In particular, some techniques are significantly expensive compared to others. Generally the manufacturer prefers the low cost technique. Therefore stir casting technique which was used in this paper for manufacturing of Aluminum MMCs is the best alternative for processing of MMCs in the present commercial sectors. Since the most important criteria of a dry sliding wear behavior is to provide lower WVL and COF, this study has intended to prove the application of PCA technique for solving multi objective optimization problem in wear applications like piston rings, piston rods, cylinder heads and brake rotors, etc.

Application of multi-response optimization technique for evaluation of tribological characteristics for Aluminum MMCs made up of graphite particulates is a first-of-its-kind approach in literature. Hence PCA method can be successfully used for multi-response optimization of dry sliding wear process.

The global construction industry faces both challenges and opportunities from electronic waste (e-waste). This study aims to present a bibliometric analysis and comprehensive literature assessment on e-waste in concrete construction materials.

This study studies 4,122 Scopus documents to examine garbage generation in different countries and inventive ways to integrate e-waste into construction as a sustainable strategy. This study lists famous researchers and their cooperation networks, demonstrating a robust and dynamic area with a surge in research output, notably from 2018 to 2022. Data is visually represented using VOS Viewer to show trends, patterns and study interests throughout time.

The findings imply that e-waste can improve construction materials’ mechanical characteristics and sustainability. The results are inconsistent and suggest further optimization. e-Waste into construction has garnered scientific interest for its environmental, life cycle, and economic impacts. This field has great potential for improving e-waste material use, developing sophisticated prediction models, studying environmental implications, economic analysis, policy formulation, novel construction methods, global cooperation and public awareness. This study shows that e-waste can be used in sustainable building. It stresses this area’s need for research and innovation. This lays the groundwork for using electronic trash in buildings, which promotes a circular economy and environmental sustainability.

The findings underscore the critical role of ongoing research and innovation in leveraging e-waste for sustainable building practices. This study lays the groundwork for integrating e-waste into construction, contributing to the advancement of a circular economy and environmental sustainability.

The social implications of integrating e-waste into construction are significant. Using e-waste not only addresses environmental concerns but also promotes social sustainability by creating new job opportunities in the recycling and construction sectors. It fosters community awareness and responsibility towards sustainable practices and waste management. Additionally, this approach can reduce construction costs, making building projects more accessible and potentially lowering housing prices.

This research contributes to the field by offering a bibliometric analysis and comprehensive assessment of e-waste in concrete construction materials, highlighting its global significance.