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Article
Publication date: 1 September 2000

Yanqing Duan and Russell Kinman

Small businesses play a crucial role in national and local economies, but their problems are not always accorded the same importance as those of larger organisations. Research…

930

Abstract

Small businesses play a crucial role in national and local economies, but their problems are not always accorded the same importance as those of larger organisations. Research shows that many small businesses fail from lack of management ability. It has been argued that small businesses can improve their performance and increase their competitiveness with better information and decision support systems (DSS). Study of the few research papers available reveals that the current use of computers in small and medium‐size enterprises (SMEs) is often limited, and geared to operational support rather than managerial decision making. The work discussed in this paper investigated current DSS use in small manufacturing businesses in Bedfordshire, and canvassed the views of managers as to what additional support they most needed. Conclusions are drawn from the results of interviews with managers of six small manufacturing businesses and a large‐scale self‐report survey of Bedfordshire firms.

Details

Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development, vol. 7 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1462-6004

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Article
Publication date: 26 March 2024

Samira Joudi, Gholamreza Mansourfar, Saeid Homayoun and Zabihollah Rezaee

Considering the standards developed by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), this study aims to examine whether the link between material sustainability and…

294

Abstract

Purpose

Considering the standards developed by the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), this study aims to examine whether the link between material sustainability and financial performance depends on the extent to which the company is oriented toward stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the predictions, 13,942 firm-year observations from 43 different countries are used, covering the period from 2010 to 2019. Using a hand-mapping approach to match the indicators suggested by the SASB with those of the ASSET4, the authors realize that there are 170 material sustainability indicators among 466 indicators of the ASSET4. The authors use three different methods to verify if the materiality matters, including the alphas obtained from the Fama and French factor models, comparing the average abnormal returns of the portfolios and the bootstrapped Cramer technique.

Findings

The findings show that companies investing in material sustainability activities perform better than those investing in immaterial activities. Also, consistent with the theoretical foundations, the authors find that the effect of investing in material sustainability activities is more pronounced in stakeholder-oriented countries than that in shareholder-oriented countries. The results are robust to a battery of sensitivity tests.

Research limitations/implications

Owing to COVID-19 in late 2019, data from 2020 to 2022 have not been used to obtain reliable results.

Practical implications

The results obtained in the current research provide valuable guidance for investors to make investments considering the degree of materiality of sustainability activities in different industries. It also helps managers to increase the company’s financial performance, make efficient decisions related to investment in sustainability activities and find investment strategies on the material sustainability issues in their industries.

Social implications

This study provides a clearer understanding of investment in sustainability activities in different industries by separating material and immaterial sustainability activities in stakeholder and shareholder-oriented countries, and the results obtained can change the perspective of investors and company managers regarding investing in such activities in different countries. Investing in more materiality sustainability activities than the immateriality dimension can be new opportunities for companies to achieve predetermined goals, help retain and attract business partners or be a source of innovation for new product lines or services. Internal morale and employee engagement may increase while increasing productivity and firm performance. This discussion opens the way for future research.

Originality/value

This study provides insight into the effect of investing in material and immaterial sustainability activities in different industries on the company’s performance in shareholder and stakeholder-oriented countries.

Details

Corporate Governance: The International Journal of Business in Society, vol. 24 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1472-0701

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Article
Publication date: 20 April 2020

G. Sowmya, Gireesha B.J., Muhammad Ijaz Khan, Shaher Momani and Tasawar Hayat

The purpose of this study is to conduct a numerical computation to analyse the thermal attribute and heat transfer phenomenon of a fully wetted porous fin of a longitudinal…

87

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to conduct a numerical computation to analyse the thermal attribute and heat transfer phenomenon of a fully wetted porous fin of a longitudinal profile. The fin considered is that of a functionally graded material (FGM). Based on the spatial dependency of thermal conductivity, three cases such as linear, quadratic and exponential FGMs are analysed.

Design/methodology/approach

The governing equations are nondimensionalised and solved by applying Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg fourth-fifth order technique.

Findings

The parametric investigation is executed to access the significance of the pertinent parameters on the thermal feature of the fin and heat transmit rate. The outcomes are portrayed in a graphical form.

Originality/value

No such study has yet been published in the literature.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 30 no. 12
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

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Book part
Publication date: 28 September 2020

Joanna Golden, Mark Kohlbeck and Zabihollah Rezaee

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a firm’s cost structure (specifically, its cost stickiness) is associated with environmental, social, and governance…

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate whether a firm’s cost structure (specifically, its cost stickiness) is associated with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) sustainability factors of performance and disclosure.

Methodology/approach – This study uses MCSI Research KLD Stats (KLD) and Bloomberg databases for the 13-year period from 2003 to 2015 in constructing ESG performance and disclosure variables, respectively. The authors adopt the general cost stickiness models from Anderson, Banker, and Janakiraman (2003) and Banker, Basu, Byzalov, and Chen (2016) to perform the analysis.

Findings – The authors find that a firm’s level of cost stickiness is positively associated with certain sticky corporate social responsibility (CSR)/ESG activities (both overall and when separately classified as strengths or concerns) but not with other nonsticky CSR activities. The authors also show that the association between cost stickiness and ESG disclosure is incrementally stronger for firms with CSR activities classified as sticky. Furthermore, the authors provide evidence that ESG disclosure is greater when both cost stickiness and the degree of sticky CSR activities increase. The authors show that when cost stickiness is high and CSR activities are sticky, management has incentives to increase CSR/ESG sustainability disclosure to decrease information asymmetry.

Originality/value – The findings present new evidence to understand how management integrates cost management strategies with various dimensions of sustainability performance decisions and show that not all ESG activities are equally effective when it comes to cost stickiness. The authors also demonstrate that increased sustainability disclosure helps reduce information asymmetry incrementally more when both costs are sticky and CSR activities are sticky.

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Article
Publication date: 9 September 2024

Muhammad Faisal, Iftikhar Ahmad, Qazi Zan-Ul-Abadin, Irfan Anjum Badruddin and Mohamed Hussien

This study aims to explore entropy evaluation in the bi-directional flow of Casson hybrid nanofluids within a stagnated domain, a topic of significant importance for optimizing…

24

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to explore entropy evaluation in the bi-directional flow of Casson hybrid nanofluids within a stagnated domain, a topic of significant importance for optimizing thermal systems. The aim is to investigate the behavior of unsteady, magnetized and laminar flow using a parametric model based on the thermo-physical properties of alumina and copper nanoparticles.

Design/methodology/approach

The research uses boundary layer approximations and the Keller-box method to solve the derived ordinary differential equations, ensuring numerical accuracy through convergence and stability analysis. A comparison benchmark has been used to authenticate the accuracy of the numerical outcomes.

Findings

Results indicate that increasing the Casson fluid parameter (ranging from 0.1 to 1.0) reduces velocity, the Bejan number decreases with higher bidirectional flow parameter (ranging from 0.1 to 0.9) and the Nusselt number increases with higher nanoparticle concentrations (ranging from 1% to 4%).

Research limitations/implications

This study has limitations, including the assumption of laminar flow and the neglect of possible turbulent effects, which could be significant in practical applications.

Practical implications

The findings offer insights for optimizing thermal management systems, particularly in industries where precise control of heat transfer is crucial. The Keller-box simulation method proves to be effective in accurately predicting the behavior of such complex systems, and the entropy evaluation aids in assessing thermodynamic irreversibilities, which can enhance the efficiency of engineering designs.

Originality/value

These findings provide valuable insights into the thermal management of hybrid nanofluid systems, marking a novel contribution to the field.

Details

World Journal of Engineering, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1708-5284

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Book part
Publication date: 17 February 2025

Hanna Górska-Warsewicz

Branding in the labor market is an important issue due to the growing importance of brand. This study aimed to analyze the term of trust in the employee- and employer-based brand

Abstract

Branding in the labor market is an important issue due to the growing importance of brand. This study aimed to analyze the term of trust in the employee- and employer-based brand equity for gray-, blue-, and white-collar workers using bibliometric analysis. The study design included the formulation of three research questions. Bibliometric data comprised 205 employee-based brand equity publications and 40 employer-based brand equity publications from the Scopus database. The analysis involved quantitative measures such as the number of publications and citations as well as the frequency of source types, authors, and countries. VOSviewer software mapped the co-occurrence of keywords in employee- and employer-based brand equity publications. These mappings revealed eight clusters related to employee-based brand equity publications and four clusters in terms of employer-based brand equity publications. The issue of trust has been analyzed in publications on employee-based brand equity; no such studies have been noted for employer-based brand equity. Employee- and employer-based brand equity has not been analyzed for various collar workers.

Details

Future Workscapes: Strategic Insights and Innovations in Human Resources and Organizational Development
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-83608-932-2

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Article
Publication date: 22 December 2020

Saima Batool, Muhammad Nawaz and Mohammed Kbiri Alaoui

This study presents a mathematical approach and model that can be useful to investigate the thermal performance of fluids with microstructures via hybrid nanoparticles in…

43

Abstract

Purpose

This study presents a mathematical approach and model that can be useful to investigate the thermal performance of fluids with microstructures via hybrid nanoparticles in conventional fluid. It has been found from the extensive literature survey that no study has been conducted to investigate buoyancy effects on the flow of Maxwell fluid comprised of hybrid microstructures and heat generation aspects through the non-Fourier heat flux model.

Design/methodology/approach

Non-Fourier heat flux model and non-Newtonian stress–strain rheology with momentum and thermal relaxation phenomena are used to model the transport of heat and momentum in viscoelastic fluid over convectively heated surface. The role of suspension of mono and hybrid nanostructures on an increase in the thermal efficiency of fluid is being used as a medium for transportation of heat energy. The governing mathematical problems with thermo-physical correlations are solved via shooting method.

Findings

It is noted from the simulations that rate of heat transfer is much faster in hybrid nanofluid as compare to simple nanofluid with the increasing heat-generation coefficient. Additionally, an increment in the thermal relaxation time leads to decrement in the reduced skin friction coefficient; however, strong behavior of Nusselt number is shown when thermal relaxation time becomes larger for hybrid nanofluid as well as simple nanofluid.

Originality/value

According to the literature survey, no investigation has been made on buoyancy effects of Maxwell fluid flow with hybrid microstructures and heat generation aspects through non-Fourier heat flux model. The authors confirm that this work is original, and it has neither been published elsewhere nor is it currently under consideration for publication elsewhere.

Details

Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1573-6105

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Article
Publication date: 3 January 2023

Neha Vijay and Kushal Sharma

The investigation of fluid flow over a rotating disk has been increasing due to the spread of machine technology. Because of this development, we scrutinized the…

290

Abstract

Purpose

The investigation of fluid flow over a rotating disk has been increasing due to the spread of machine technology. Because of this development, we scrutinized the Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow of hybrid nanofluid caused by a decelerating rotating disk with Ohmic heating, Soret and Dufour effects. The disk's angular velocity is taken to be an inversely time-dependent linear function. Moreover, the temperature-dependent viscosity of hybrid nanofluid is incorporated in the present investigation. Methanol is considered as base fluid, while copper oxide (CuO) and magnesium oxide (MgO) are nanoparticles.

Design/methodology/approach

Estimated fundamental partial differential equations of flow problems are altered as a dimensionless system of ordinary differential equations using appropriate similarity transformation and solved using a numerical technique: BVP Midrich scheme in Maple software. The impression of emerging non-dimensional parameters is portrayed graphically. All outcomes are shown in the velocity, temperature and concentration profiles.

Findings

The developed flow problem involves a non-dimensional parameter (A) that reveals the deceleration of the disk. For larger values of A, the disk decelerates faster and for some fixed time, the fluid surrounding the disk revolves more rapidly than the disk itself. The radial velocity of fluid diminishes and axial velocity becomes uniform when the disk is subjected to wall suction velocity (B).

Originality/value

This analysis is significant in biomedical engineering, cancer therapeutic, manufacturing industries and nano-drug suspension in pharmaceuticals. The novelty of the current study is the hybrid nanofluid flow with Ohmic heating, Soret and Dufour effects on a decelerating rotating disk. To the best of the author's knowledge, no such consideration has been published in the literature.

Details

Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, vol. 19 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1573-6105

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Article
Publication date: 16 December 2024

Jamshaid Iqbal and Fahad Munir Abbasi

The primary purpose of this research is to investigate the flow and heat transfer characteristics of non-Newtonian nanofluids, specifically Reiner–Philippoff (R-Ph) fluids, across…

7

Abstract

Purpose

The primary purpose of this research is to investigate the flow and heat transfer characteristics of non-Newtonian nanofluids, specifically Reiner–Philippoff (R-Ph) fluids, across a radially magnetized, curved, stretched surface. By considering factors such as Brownian motion, thermophoresis and viscous dissipation, the study aims to enhance the understanding of heat transfer mechanisms in various engineering and industrial applications, thereby contributing to improved thermal management strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employs the local non-similarity method to analyze the flow and thermal behavior of R-Ph nanofluids over a radially magnetized, curved, stretched surface. The governing system is simplified using suitable transformations, and a local non-similarity approach is applied to treat non-dimensional partial differential equations as ordinary differential equations. The resulting system is numerically solved by employing the Bvp4c algorithm via MATLAB. Various dimensionless parameters, such as thermophoresis and magnetic numbers, are systematically varied to evaluate their impact on the velocity, concentration and temperature profiles of the nanofluid.

Findings

The results indicate that the concentration profile of the nanofluid improves with increasing thermophoresis and magnetic numbers, while it decreases with higher Schmidt and Bingham numbers. The velocity of the nanofluid decreases with larger magnetic numbers and curvature parameters but increases with the R-Ph fluid and Bingham numbers. Additionally, the temperature profile shows a decreasing trend for higher curvature and Bingham numbers while rising with higher Brinkman and magnetic numbers. The Sherwood number increases with Schmidt number, thermophoresis and Brownian motion parameters.

Originality/value

This study provides a novel analysis of R-Ph nanofluids in the context of curved stretching surfaces under magnetic fields, contributing to the understanding of non-Newtonian fluid dynamics. The use of the local non-similarity method to transform and solve the governing equations offers a fresh perspective on heat transfer phenomena. The findings have significant implications for various fields, including engineering, electronics and biomedical applications, by enhancing thermal efficiency and performance in systems utilizing nanofluids.

Details

Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, vol. 21 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1573-6105

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Article
Publication date: 23 August 2024

Muhammad Sohail, Esha Rafique and Kamaleldin Abodayeh

This investigation delves into the rationale behind the preferential applicability of the non-Newtonian nanofluid model over alternative frameworks, particularly those…

18

Abstract

Purpose

This investigation delves into the rationale behind the preferential applicability of the non-Newtonian nanofluid model over alternative frameworks, particularly those incorporating porous medium considerations. The study focuses on analyzing the mass and heat transfer characteristics inherent in the Williamson nanofluid’s non-Newtonian flow over a stretched sheet, accounting for influences such as chemical reactions, viscous dissipation, magnetic field and slip velocity. Emphasis is placed on scenarios where the properties of the Williamson nanofluid, including thermal conductivity and viscosity, exhibit temperature-dependent variations.

Design/methodology/approach

Following the use of the OHAM approach, an analytical resolution to the proposed issue is provided. The findings are elucidated through the construction of graphical representations, illustrating the impact of diverse physical parameters on temperature, velocity and concentration profiles.

Findings

Remarkably, it is discerned that the magnetic field, viscous dissipation phenomena and slip velocity assumption significantly influence the heat and mass transmission processes. Numerical and theoretical outcomes exhibit a noteworthy level of qualitative concurrence, underscoring the robustness and reliability of the non-Newtonian nanofluid model in capturing the intricacies of the studied phenomena.

Originality/value

Available studies show that no work on the Williamson model is conducted by considering viscous dissipation and the MHD effect past over an exponentially stretched porous sheet. This contribution fills this gap.

Details

Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, vol. 20 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1573-6105

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