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Providing a comprehensive literature review to consolidate existing knowledge, advancements and future directions in the field. By synthesizing the state of research, this work enhances the understanding of Prescriptive Maintenance (PsM) methodologies, applications and potential benefits to assist researchers in identifying fruitful avenues for further investigation, and guide practitioners in implementing PsM strategies to improve maintenance outcomes in their industries.

Through a systematic, multistage, specialists audited analysis of peer-reviewed articles, conference papers, books sections, thesis, magazines and industry reports, this work provides a literature review analyzing PsM origins, definitions, enablers, outputs and emerging trends.

PsM concept evolved in recent years representing a shift from traditional maintenance, leveraging prescriptive analytics, data-driven modeling and optimization techniques to enable proactive decision-making and optimal resource allocation. By harnessing PsM, organizations can anticipate and mitigate failures, optimize maintenance actions and enhance asset reliability.

Existing literature points out the following challenges for PsM implementation: prescriptive analytics improvement, scalability of frameworks, development of prototypes, processes integration; PsM maturity assessment; asset health prognostics assertiveness, real-time data availability and adoption of cost functions to grasp business and environmental, social and governance (ESG) costs.

Optimal deployment of resources with little or no human intervention in the maintenance decision process and the creation of new services improving reliability and operational performance.

By optimizing maintenance, not only direct costs diminish but also environmental, social and governance (ESG) related costs decrease by reducing energy waste during equipment’s operating phase, assessing the ecological impact of providing maintenance to operators and line maintenance stakeholders and, consequently, minimizing or even eliminating harmful effects on the environment and the human.

Work consolidating existing PsM-related knowledge and indicating future work is a gap in the literature. This paper fills this gap.

The purpose of this study is to improve the coating properties of shellac–epoxidised novolac blends by treatment with melamine formaldehyde resin (MF) at ambient temperature for its use as a coating material.

Epoxidised-novolac resin was synthesised by epoxidation of novolac resin with epichlorohydrin. Novolac resin was synthesised by reaction of phenol with formaldehyde in acidic medium. Shellac was blended with the epoxidised-novolac resin in solution in varying ratios and treated the blends with MF resin in fixed ratio. Coating properties of the treated compositions were studied using a standard procedure. The compositions were characterised with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and scanning electron microscopic (SEM) spectroscopy.

Treatment of shellac–epoxidised-novolac blends with MF resin improved water and alkali resistance of the blends, besides enhancing gloss. Gloss in all the blends was uniformly increased on treatment with MF resin. Water resistance of the blends tremendously improved after treatment with MF resin. Contact angle of the blends against water increased while decreased against ethylene glycol and dioxane. The compositions were more resistant to polar solvent than non-polar ones, suggesting that the compositions shifted to hydrophobic (lipophilic) nature on treatment with the MF resin.

A specified concentration of MF resin was used in the study. Different concentrations of the MF resin can also be tried for treatment of shellac–epoxidised-novolac blends to see the effect of the resin on the blends.

Treatment of shellac–epoxidised-novolac blend with MF resin improved the coating properties of the blends. The formulation SeNB-64 is the best with high gloss, good impact, scratch hardness and water resistance, and hence can be used as coating material for metal surfaces.

Blending of shellac with epoxidised-novolac resin and treatment of the blends with the MF resin was done for the first time. The formulation SeNB-64 can be used as coating material for metal surfaces.

Today, with the increasing involvement of the environment and human beings business units, paying attention to fulfilling social responsibility obligations while making a profit has become increasingly necessary for achieving sustainable development goals. Attention to profit by organizations should not be without regard to their social and environmental performance. Social responsibility accounting (SRA) is an approach that can pay more attention to the social and environmental performance of companies, but it has many barriers. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify barriers to SRA implementation and provide strategies to overcome these barriers.

In this study, the authors identify barriers to social responsibility accounting implementation and provide strategies to overcome these barriers. By literature review, 12 barriers and seven strategies were identified and approved using the opinions of six academic experts. Interpretive structural modeling (ISM) has been used to identify significant barriers and find textual relationships between them. The fuzzy technique for order performance by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) method has been used to identify and rank strategies for overcoming these barriers. This study was undertaken in Iran (an emerging market). The data has been gathered from 18 experts selected using purposive sampling and included CEOs of the organization, senior accountants and active researchers well familiar with the field of social responsibility accounting.

Based on the results of this study, the cultural differences barrier was introduced as the primary and underlying barrier of the social responsibility accounting barriers model. At the next level, barriers such as “lack of public awareness of the importance of social responsibility accounting, lack of social responsibility accounting implementation regulations and organization size” are significant barriers to social responsibility accounting implementation. Removing these barriers will help remove other barriers in this direction. In addition, the results of the TOPSIS method showed that “mandatory regulations, the introduction of guidelines and social responsibility accounting standards,” “regulatory developments and government incentive schemes to implement social responsibility accounting,” as well as “increasing public awareness of the benefits of social responsibility accounting” are some of the essential social responsibility accounting implementation strategies.

The findings of the study have implications for both professional accounting bodies for developing the necessary standards and for policymakers for adopting policies that facilitate the implementation of social responsibility accounting to achieve sustainability.

This paper creates a new perspective on the practical implementation of social responsibility accounting, closely related to improving environmental performance and increasing social welfare through improving sustainability.

Experts believe that the strategies mentioned above will be very effective and helpful in removing the barriers of the lower level of the model. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, for the first time, this study develops a model of social responsibility accounting barriers and ranks the most critical implementation strategies.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of problem-solving approaches in maintenance cost management (MCM). In particular, the paper aims to examine characteristics of MCM models and to identify patterns for classification of problem-solving approaches.

This paper reflects an extensive and detailed literature survey of 68 (quantitative or qualitative) cost models within the scope of MCM published in the period from 1969 to 2013. The reviewed papers have been critically examined and classified based on implementing a morphological analysis which employs eight criteria and associated expressions. In addition, the survey identified two main perspectives of problem solving: first, synoptic/incremental and second, heuristics/meta-heuristics.

The literature survey revealed the patterns for classification of the MCM models, especially the characteristics of the models for problem-solving in association with the type of modeling, focus of purpose, extent and scope of application, and reaction and dynamics of parameters. Majority of the surveyed approaches is mathematical, respectively, synoptic. Incremental approaches are much less and only few are combined (i.e. synoptic and incremental). A set of features is identified for proper classification, selection, and coexistence of the two approaches.

This paper provides a basis for further study of heuristic and meta-heuristic approaches to problem-solving. Especially the coexistence of heuristic, synoptic, and incremental approaches needs to be further investigated.

The detected dominance of synoptic approaches in literature – especially in the case of specific application areas – contrasts to some extent to the needs of maintenance managers in practice. Hence the findings of this paper particularly address the need for further investigation on combining problem-solving approaches for improving planning, monitoring, and controlling phases of MCM. Continuous improvement of MCM, especially problem-solving and decision-making activities, is tailored to the use of maintenance knowledge assets. In particular, maintenance management systems and processes are knowledge driven. Thus, combining problem-solving approaches with knowledge management methods is of interest, especially for continuous learning from past experiences in MCM.

This paper provides a unique study of 68 problem-solving approaches in MCM, based on a morphological analysis. Hence suitable criteria and their expressions are provided. The paper reveals the opportunities for further interdisciplinary research in the maintenance cost life cycle.

This chapter delves into how smart city innovations positively affect workforce efficiency, residents’ quality of life (QoL), and the delivery of services, particularly within the dynamic context of smart cities: innovation, development, transformation, and prosperity. It discusses the role of technologies like cyber-physical systems, the Internet of Things, and intelligent transport systems in creating efficient, sustainable urban spaces that benefit the workforce and the broader community. The chapter highlights strategies for improving urban environments, ensuring workforce well-being, and fostering sustainable growth by examining the interplay between these technologies and urban living. The narrative emphasizes the necessity of ongoing innovation, policy support, and workforce adaptation, underscoring the importance of tailoring smart city initiatives to regional needs for maximal impact on employee performance, QoL, and service delivery. Additionally, it introduces a comprehensive framework designed to guide the development of next-generation smart cities. This framework integrates advanced technologies for optimized urban management and service provision, directly linking to enhanced employee performance through improved urban infrastructure and services. The strategic application of this framework aims to elevate economic prosperity and societal well-being, ensuring workforce efficiency is central to the urban development agenda. The enhanced employee performance, catalyzed by smart city innovations, is pivotal in driving economic vibrancy, social inclusivity, and environmental sustainability, shaping the future of urban development. This analysis will offer valuable insights for smart cities research and development in the Gulf Region, suggesting pathways for implementing these concepts to address the region’s urbanization and development challenges.

The deployment of solar photovoltaic (PV) in higher education institutions is beneficial and critical for attaining sustainable campus goals. However, various barriers hamper the adoption of the technology, and unless these challenges are identified, formulating tailor made solutions to boost deployment will be challenging. Thus, this study aimed to identify the barriers to the deployment of PV in the public university sector in South Africa.

A critical review of the literature was conducted to identify the factors that negatively impact PV deployment. By screening the barriers identified from the literature using a conceptual framework, the barriers that were considered relevant to deployment within a university context were selected. Thereafter, the selected barriers and additional barriers recommended by panellists were verified through a three-round Delphi survey. The factors were either accepted or rejected as barriers in the sector based on the factors' mean score and interquartile range values.

The study observed that 12 barriers hamper PV deployment in the public university sector. The findings indicated that the top five barriers were the lack of incentives, lack of green building targets, lack of financial resources, high initial cost, and lack of clear policy direction. However, the study found that deployment was not hindered because there was resistance to change or uncertainty of recouping investment costs. The deployment was also not hindered because there was a lack of demand from electricity end-users or a lack of suitable installation space.

Given the lack of empirical studies on the subject in the region, the present study contributes to the body of knowledge by identifying the significant barriers that impede PV deployment in the public university sector. Furthermore, insight is provided on measures that relevant stakeholders can take to motivate and support universities to deploy the technology further.

To explore compatibility of natural resin shellac with acrylic resin in order to make a more eco‐friendly coating composition and also to open a new avenue for consumption of shellac.

Different compositions of paint were prepared by varying the contents of shellac and acrylic resin. Selection was made for the composition yielding the best combination of properties like water resistance, alkali resistance, washability, etc.

Modification of shellac with acrylic resin showed improved film performance. The modified product showed good adhesion, finish; the films were smooth, flexible and no flaking/detachment was observed from the surfaces. This resulted in from esterification linkages between shellac and acrylic resin.

The concentration of shellac in the composition was limited to a certain extent. Increase in shellac content impairs the film performance of the composition, especially with regard to alkali resistance.

Shellac was found to be very compatible with acrylic resin at all concentrations, this may be adopted in developing other shellac‐acrylic based products.

The modification of shellac with acrylic resin has been done, for the first time, to open a new vista for the consumption of shellac in surface coating.

The purpose of this paper is to study the effect of various stoichiometric ratios for synthesised epoxy phenolic novolac (EPN) resins on their physicochemical, thermomechanical and morphological properties.

In the present study, EPN (EPN-1, EPN-2, EPN-3, EPN-4 and EPN-5) resins were synthesised by varying five types of different stoichiometric ratios for phenol/formaldehyde along with the corresponding molar ratios for novolac/epichlorohydrin. Their different physicochemical properties of interest, thermomechanical properties as well as morphological properties were studied by means of cured samples with the variation of its stoichiometric ratios.

The average functionality and reactivity of EPN resin can be controlled by controlling epoxy equivalence as well as cross-linking density upon its curing as all of these factors are internally correlated with each other.

Epoxy resins are characterised by a three-membered ring known as the epoxy or oxirane group. The capability of the epoxy ring to react with a variety of substrates imparts versatility to the resin. However, these resins have a major drawback of low toughness, and they are also very brittle, which limits their application in products that require high impact and fracture strength.

Epoxy resins have been widely used as high-performance adhesives and matrix resins for composites because of their outstanding mechanical and thermal properties. Because of their highly cross-linked structure, the epoxy resin disables segmental movement, making them hard, and it is also notch sensitive, having very low fracture energy.

Epoxy resin is widely used in industry as protective coatings and for structural applications, such as laminates and composites, tooling, moulding, casting, bonding and adhesives.

Systematic study has been done for the first time, as no exact quantitative stoichiometric data for the synthesis of EPN resin were available on the changes of its different properties. Thus, an optimised stoichiometric composition for the synthesis of the EPN resin was found.

This article focuses on the Spanish labour market, and its primary objectives are to analyse the factors determining the ICTs usage at workplace, and examine how the workers' e-skills match with the job tasks requiring ICTs. Furthermore, it will explore whether doing ICTs training activities has a positive effect on the probability of carrying out appropriately the ICTs at work.

The methodology applied is an ordered response model analysing how the workers' e-skills match with the knowledge required to the ICTs usage at the job. This econometric specification will control by the selection bias generated because not all employees use ICTs to perform the job tasks. Data are obtained from the Survey on Equipment and Use of ICTs in Households (ICTS-H Survey).

Educational attainment and the type of ICTs training are the most relevant variables to explain the ICTs usage and the quality of the job match.

Data used are cross-sectional, and it excludes the possibility of observing how the workers' careers evolve depending on their ICTs training.

The methodology applied allows the authors to obtain the marginal effects to the variables explaining the probability of using ICTs at job, and how the workers' knowledge match with the e-skill required by the employers.

The results are a source of information to policymakers about how workers face the introduction of ICTs in the labour market.

To the best of author's knowledge, the article's topic and its methodology are unprecedented in the economic literature and, specially, in the Spanish case.

The purpose of this paper is to improve the properties of shellac by blending with novolac and to study the thermal behaviour of the blends with an ultimate aim to use as surface coating material.

Novolac was synthesized by reaction of phenol with formaldehyde in a molar ratio of 1:0.8, in acidic condition. Blending of shellac with novolac was done in solution and films of the blends, prepared on glass slides and tin panels, were baked at 150°C for 15 minutes. Properties of the films were studied as per standard procedures.

Films of shellac‐novolac blends showed improvement in gloss and impact resistance compared to those of shellac alone. Gloss of blends increased with the increase in concentration of novolac and further increased on baking the films. Scratch hardness of shellac decreased on blending with novolac. Baked films of the blends showed resistance to heat and water. Films of shellac‐novolac blends were found to be more resistant to polar solvents compared to non‐polar solvents.

Shellac, prepared from kusmi seedlac, was used in the study. Besides shellac, dewaxed decolorized lac (DDL), dewaxed lac (DL) and bleached lac (BL) could also be used for study on blending with novolac.

Blending of shellac with novolac improved the film properties of shellac. The study suggests that the compositions can be utilised in developing formulations of coating material with improved properties for metal surfaces.

The formulations based on modification of shellac with novolac and study of the film properties utilising various instruments are novel. The formulations based on shellac and novolac can find applications in the field of surface coating with desired purposes.