Search results

The prediction of accurate failure strength and a composite laminate failure load is of paramount importance for reliable design. The progressive failure analysis helps to predict the ultimate failure strength of the laminate, which is more than the first ply failure (FPF) strength. The presence of a hole in the laminate plate results in stress concentration, which affects the failure strength. The purpose of the current work is to analyze the stress variation and progressive failure of a symmetric laminated plate containing elliptical cutouts under in-plane tensile loading. The effect of various parameters on FPF and last ply failure (LPF) strength is studied.

The ply-by-ply stresses around elliptical cutouts are obtained analytically using Muskhelishvili's complex variable formulation. To predict the progressive failure, Tsai–Hill (T-H) and Tsai–Wu (T-W) failure criteria are used, and depending on the mode of failure, lamina modulus is degraded.

The study has revealed that fiber orientation and stacking sequence for given loading have the most significant effect on the laminate's failure strength.

Complex variable method and conformal mapping are simple and proficient for studying failure analysis of a laminated plate with elliptical cutout.

The growing complexity and pace of industrial technological changes are forcing firms to forge new alliances and to respond more efficiently to the market changes. This process is leading some companies toward more strategic joint integration with others. The development of new engineering‐based products is one of the key factors in both corporate and national success. The importance of the new product development process to corporate success is now firmly recognized. It is reflected in continuing interest so as to how this process might be most effectively and efficiently “managed.” This paper aims to investigate this issue.

The methodology of research is soft system methodology (SSM) and statistical. This paper, first, reviews the role of innovation, relationship between time/cost of production, effective factors of product efficiency. Then, using SSM, the authors introduces an integrated network model innovation based on internal and external organizational elements when it applies to the research and development complex environment of engineering‐based new product development programs.

While previous attempts in modelizing the process of innovation was not adequate in view of the increasing complexity, changing conditions are now influencing the innovation process.

The paper discusses the evolution, changing perceptions and changing practices of what constitutes the dominant model of best practice in the innovation process.

The purpose of this study is to investigate and analyze the knowledge management (KM) model of Nonaka and Takeuchi, focusing on institutional and infrastructure factors in a specific field of design offices in a product-oriented organization. In other words, this research does not intend to recreate the model of Nonaka and Takeuchi, but seeks to expand and modify this model according to the specific context and institutional and infrastructure factors that may specifically affect the effectiveness of the model.

This study used two distinct questionnaires, administered to the same set of respondents, to comprehensively address different dimensions of KM. The first questionnaire, focused on KM components, assessed aspects such as knowledge creation, sharing and utilization. The second questionnaire evaluated institutional and infrastructural factors critical to KM, covering dimensions like organizational culture, values, leadership, context, hardware, software and network systems. This dual-questionnaire approach is justified, as it allows for a detailed and differentiated analysis: one tool captures the operational aspects of KM, while the other explores the supporting infrastructure. This methodology ensures that the study accurately measures both the effectiveness of KM practices and the adequacy of the supporting environment, thus providing a robust assessment of the KM system.

This study identifies seven key factors influencing KM processes: organizational culture, values, leadership, context, hardware, software and network systems. These factors shape how knowledge is created, shared and used, and support proposed modifications to the Nonaka and Takeuchi KM model. Using the TOPSIS method, this study found that organizational context, culture and values rank above average, while KM policies are moderate, and information technology is below average in the design offices of a product-oriented organization in Tehran. Further research in different sectors could help validate these findings.

This study introduces a novel enhancement to the Nonaka and Takeuchi KM model by incorporating a comprehensive analysis of institutional and infrastructural factors. Unlike existing models, which primarily focus on generalized KM principles, this research uniquely integrates specific factors such as organizational culture, leadership and technological infrastructure. The originality of this work lies in its tailored approach for product-oriented organizations, offering a more precise and actionable framework for improving KM practices. This advancement not only deepens theoretical insights but also provides practical value by addressing the specific needs and dynamics of the target organizations.

In this article we present the system that we have developed at Rutgers University for the solid freeform fabrication of multiple ceramic actuators and sensors. With solid free form fabrication, a part is built layer by layer, with each layer composed of roads of material forming the boundary and the interior of the layer. With our system, up to four different types of materials can be deposited in a given layer with any geometry. This system is intended for fabrication of functional parts; therefore the accuracy and precision of the fabrication process are of extreme importance.

This study aims to empirically evaluate the impact of interorganizational groupings on corporate performance in project-based organizations.

The study develops and tests a theoretical model whereby groupings include project team, community of practice (CoP), community of interest (CoI), and knowledge network (KN). Organizational performance is supported on financial, process, internal, and cultural aspects. Based on a questionnaire, data was obtained from a sample of 142 companies in North America. The measurement model was tested and confirmed by using structural equation modeling (SEM).

The results confirm the positive effects of knowledge networks and communities of interest. However, the impact of project teams turned out to be negative, and communities of practice were not shown to affect corporate performance. Additionally, the results underscore the importance of organizational networks in creating conditions favorable to a firm's success.

It was verified that knowledge networks and communities of interest affect the measures of organizational performance, including financial, process, internal, and cultural performance. This is useful for researchers and executives looking for appropriate outcomes through the implementation of knowledge management initiatives. Furthermore, this study provides a starting point for further research on the role of inter- and intraorganizational networks in project-based organizations.

This study claims that a key to performance for project-based organizations is development and management of organizational networks in the form of knowledge networks and communities of interest.

Given the growing external value chain disruptions, there have been many studies seeking to propose methods for improving the resilience of global value chains (GVCs). This study complements previous studies by proposing the perspective of firm strategy in switching governance modes to improve the resilience of GVCs. Specifically, this study explores under what conditions MNCs are more likely to switch governance toward non-equity mode (NEM) from the alternative ones. This study introduces three industry-specific factors that affect MNCs’ decision for NEM. It then applies this framework to explain how Korean MNCs’ strategic governance change for the co-productions with Chinese firms when entering their film market which is highly restricted by the Chinese government. This study enriches the research on GVC resilience by arguing that MNCs can avoid unfavorable environmental impacts by flexibly changing their GVC governance modes under certain conditions. This study also contributes to the understanding on why some countries maintain their high attractiveness for foreign MNCs, whereas other countries do not, given the similar level of restrictive government regulations. The protectionist policies of the host government are valid only in an industry where the three conditions are met, as they increase the possibility of domestic firms’ participation by encouraging foreign MNCs to shift their entry mode from sole venture toward alliances with domestic firms.

The aim is to analyze the European eco-management because the global warming has become a topical issue impacting the whole world. Individual countries are trying to minimize all the catalysts of global warming, such as carbon emissions. This paper addresses this issue and analyzes the performance of European eco-management for the purpose of future energy investments being environmentally.

This paper develops a fuzzy decision-making model to study the performance indicators of selected countries based on EMAS III standard. It employs interval type-2 fuzzy DEMATEL to evaluate the performance factors and TOPSIS methodology to assess five selected European countries' performance in relation to eco-friendly, emission and renewable energy.

Eco-friendly energy plays the most critical role in this respect followed by emissions and renewable energy which constitute significant factors. The novelty of this study is identifying significant criteria regarding environmental and energy efficiency of investments and making performance assessments of European countries with a new fuzzy decision-making model. Both expert opinions and datasets are used for the analysis. This paper supports previous research about energy efficiency investments in Europe.

The innovative feature of this study is identifying significant criteria regarding environmental and energy efficiency of investments and assessing the performance of European countries with a new fuzzy decision-making model. The fact that the analysis only concerns the European region is an important limitation. In future analyses, other groups of countries can be examined. Innovations can be made regarding the method applied. In this context, analyses can be done utilizing different fuzzy numbers. Finally, the importance of the criteria can be calculated with other methods such as SWARA.

The paper fills the gap in performance analysis of European eco-management for environmentally friendly and efficient energy investments is done in this manuscript.

Analysis of European eco-management performance was done for environmentally friendly and efficient energy investments. A fuzzy decision-making model is constructed. The paper fills the gap in performance analysis of European eco-management for environmentally friendly and efficient energy investments.

The Russia–Ukraine war has disrupted the wheat supply worldwide. Given that wheat is one of the most important agri-food products in the world, it is necessary to pay attention to the wheat supply chain during the global crises. The use of resilience strategies is one of the solutions to face the supply chain disruptions. In addition, there is a possibility of multiple crises occurring in global societies simultaneously.

In this research, the resilience strategies of backup suppliers (BS) and inventory pre-prepositioning (IP) were discussed in order to cope with the wheat supply chain disruptions. Furthermore, the p-Robust Scenario-based Stochastic Programming (PRSSP) approach was used to optimize the wheat supply chain under conditions of disruptions from two perspectives, feasibility and optimality.

After implementing the problem of a real case in Iran, the results showed that the use of resilience strategy reduced costs by 9.33%. It was also found that if resilience strategies were used, system's flexibility and decision-making power increased. Besides, the results indicated that if resilience strategies were used and another crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic occurred, supply chain costs would increase less than when resilience strategies were not used.

In this study, the design of the wheat supply chain was discussed according to the wheat supply disruptions due to the Russia–Ukraine war and its implementation on a real case. In the following, various resilience strategies were used to cope with the wheat supply chain disruptions. Finally, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the wheat supply chain in the conditions of disruptions caused by the Russia–Ukraine war was investigated.