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Self-localization of an underwater robot using global positioning sensor and other radio positioning systems is not possible, as an alternative onboard sensor-based self-location estimation provides another possible solution. However, the dynamic and unstructured nature of the sea environment and highly noise effected sensory information makes the underwater robot self-localization a challenging research topic. The state-of-art multi-sensor fusion algorithms are deficient in dealing of multi-sensor data, e.g. Kalman filter cannot deal with non-Gaussian noise, while parametric filter such as Monte Carlo localization has high computational cost. An optimal fusion policy with low computational cost is an important research question for underwater robot localization.

In this paper, the authors proposed a novel predictive coding-biased competition/divisive input modulation (PC/BC-DIM) neural network-based multi-sensor fusion approach, which has the capability to fuse and approximate noisy sensory information in an optimal way.

Results of low mean localization error (i.e. 1.2704 m) and computation cost (i.e. 2.2 ms) show that the proposed method performs better than existing previous techniques in such dynamic and unstructured environments.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this work provides a novel multisensory fusion approach to overcome the existing problems of non-Gaussian noise removal, higher self-localization estimation accuracy and reduced computational cost.

This study investigates the impact of social media marketing activities on customer purchase intention in the Malaysian property market.

The study utilises a survey research approach to collect data from 331 respondents using a questionnaire.

The findings of the study reveal that entertainment, interaction, customisation and word-of-mouth variables had a significant and positive impact on customer purchase intention in the Malaysian property market. However, the study demonstrates a positive but insignificant impact of trendiness on customer purchase intention.

First, the study relies on a sample of 331 respondents in Malaysia, which may limit the generalizability of the findings to a broader population. Hence, future research could aim for a more extensive and diverse sample to enhance the validity of the results. Second, while the study identified significant relationships, the measurement of variables, in particular “trendiness,” could be refined for better accuracy. The future study may consider including a more precise measurement to provide comprehensive insights.

The results suggest that marketers should focus on creating engaging and interactive content, providing personalised experiences and leveraging word-of-mouth recommendations to enhance customer purchase intention. The overall findings highlight the importance of social media marketing activities in the property market and their potential to drive customer purchase intention.

The study contributes to the existing literature by shedding light on the role of social media marketing activities in influencing customer purchase intention in the Malaysian property market.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no similar studies have been conducted in this area of research.

In today's global economy, developing supply chain agility (SCA) and lean practices (LP) as resource-based view and dynamic capabilities are essential for firms to sustain their competitive advantage (CA) and enhance their operational performance (OP). The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test a framework to investigate how CA is achieved through SCA and LP and how these, in turn, can enhance a firm's OP.

For data collection, the authors adopted the survey method using self-administered questionnaires. Two-source survey data were collected in two rounds (separated by a two-month lag time) from supply chain managers, operational managers and general managers. The purpose of collecting data in two rounds was to reduce common-method bias. Likert scale (1–5) was used in the questionnaire. Smart PLS 3 and SPSS 23 were used for the data analysis purpose.

SCA was found to directly and positively affect OP. LP also positively affected OP. In addition, CA fully mediated the relationship between SCA, LP and OP.

This study encourages the managers of manufacturing firms to adapt LP and their supply chains (SCs) to become agile and leverage the advantages of their implementation to improve their OP and succeed in the market.

This study is one of the first to investigate the effect of SCA and LP on OP. Furthermore, the first study examines CA's mediating impact on the relationship between SCA, LP and OP.

Pakistan had never been a place of serious and nuanced debate and contestation of politics of postcolonial critique, that is, the continuity of economic, political, and cultural dependency of newly independent countries (NICs) on ex-colonizers as pointed out by neocolonialism, dependency theory, and postcolonial theory, respectively. Instead, Pakistan is presented by extant liberal academic literature as a “failed nation” and a state dominated by the military and plagued by religious extremism. As opposed to this, through the literary and activists writings of Aziz-ul-Haq, this chapter will try to illustrate how cultural contestation of the nation-building project postindependence from British rule was a lot more complex and interesting in Pakistan. This was so because the nation-building project of Pakistan was, on the one hand, an amalgamation of Indo-Persian, Arab, Indian, and Western colonial and civilizational influences and, on the other hand, entailed suppression of resilient local and national cultures of its constituent nationalities developed over centuries. This was later expressed in ethno-nationalist politics. However, when it came to the politics of the marginalized in the late 1960s, there were important political, theoretical, and literary insights which caused a change in the direction of political practice in Pakistan, which paralleled the politics expressed by writers like Fanon and early Subaltern Studies influenced by the Naxal Movement in India. The contestation and confusion arising from this dialectic also entered Pakistan's literary and cultural sphere. This chapter not only tries to give a different postcolonial critique of the failure of nation-building project in Pakistan but, though at a preliminary level, is an attempt to separate the original postcolonial theory in its radical tradition from contemporary postmodern/poststructuralist postcolonial theory marked with pessimism and resignation.

This study aims to examine the implementation of agile practices in Industry 4.0 to assess the financial performance measurements of manufacturing firms. It also investigates the relationship between supply chain performance and financial performance.

The study is based on an experimental research design by collecting data from 329 responses from key officials of manufacturing firms. The analyses are carried out to explore this modern concept with the help of the SPSS program, which is used to conduct a confirmatory factor and reliability analysis and Smart-partial least square (PLS) version 4.0 with structural equation modeling.

This research demonstrates the positive effect agile supply chain strategies in Industry 4.0 may have on manufacturing companies' financial performance as a whole. Everything throughout the supply chain in Industry 4.0, from the manufacturers to the end users, is taken into account as a potential performance booster. The values obtained from the model's study show that it is both dependable and effective, surpassing the threshold for such claims. The research is supported by factors like customer involvement (CUS), continuous improvement (CI), integration (INT), modularity (MOD), management style (MS) and supplier involvement (SI) but is undermined by factors including postponement (PPT).

According to the findings of the study, Industry 4.0 firms' financial performance and overall competitiveness are significantly improved when their supply chains are more agile. A more agile supply chain helps businesses to more rapidly adapt to shifts in consumer demand, shorten the amount of time it takes to produce a product, enhance product quality and boost customer happiness. As a consequence of this, there will be an increase in revenue, an improvement in profitability and continued sustainable growth.

There are literary works available on agile practices in various fields, but the current study outlines the need to understand how supply chains perform financially under the mediating effect of agile supply chains in Industry 4.0 which contribute most to the organization's success. The study will aid companies in understanding how agile practices will further the overall performance of the organization financially.

This study attempts to find the structural relationship between Total Quality Management (TQM) and Corporate Sustainability (CS) by analyzing the role of Innovation Capability (IC).

The authors conducted the study in the context of manufacturing industries in the Indian Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) sector. In the process, The authors attempt to throw light on the significance of TQM and IC in bringing out sustainable practices in organizations. The authors used Structural Equation Modeling with AMOS to study the relationship between TQM and CS.

The authors measured TQM through product control management, process control, vendor quality management and customer relationship improvement. We did find a direct relationship between TQM and CS, along with its three dimensions: environmental sustainability, economic sustainability and social sustainability. TQM was found to be antecedent to IC. IC, measured through product innovation, process innovation and managerial innovation, did not mediate the relation between TQM and CS. However, the link between TQM and social and environmental sustainability partially mediates through IC at the dimension level.

TQM can provide a holistic means of nurturing participation and satisfaction of stakeholders for achieving corporate sustainability and in the process, can create an innovative culture for stimulating a circular social economy.

This study fills the gap in the literature by providing a structural model that explains the relationship between TQM and corporate sustainability and highlights the role of innovation capability in achieving it.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role that information systems (IS) artifacts (IS for automation and IS for analytics) and process standardization play in enhancing different dimensions of supply chain agility (SCA) (sensing, comprehending and responding).

Data collected through the survey approach was used to examine the research model. The results were analyzed based on regression analysis. Various tests were conducted to validate the results of the mediation hypotheses.

The results show that IS for analytics has a significant association with all dimensions of SCA and mediates the relationship between IS for automation and SCA’s sensing and comprehending dimensions. In addition, process standardization directly and uniquely influences the comprehending and responding dimensions of SCA.

The assessment of the relationship between different IS features in the context of SCA enhancement contributes to theory development in the area of IS-enabled supply chains. Furthermore, investing in both process and IS-related initiatives offers unique value in the context of supply chains. The data collection approach limited us to a cross-sectional analysis, whereas longitudinal data could have offered deeper insights.

IS artifacts and process-based initiatives can be leveraged for organizational capability enhancement. Organizations that are vigilant, analysis driven and take quick actions, invest in IS-based tools that support analytics. The highest impact of these tools is visible in the enhancement of the comprehending dimension of SCA.

Prior research does not explicitly examine the interplay among the different IS artifacts. Furthermore, process-centric initiatives can also be used in conjunction with or as an alternative to IS-based initiatives. The originality of this work stems from jointly evaluating the role of IS artifacts and process standardization in making the supply chain more agile.

This study examines the direct and indirect effects of social capital on supply chain performance via supply chain quality integration (SCQI), which refers to integrating supply chain partners from the perspective of quality management. It also examines the moderating role of environmental uncertainty in the link between social capital and SCQI and determines the conditional indirect effect of social capital on supply chain performance via SCQI.

Data were collected using a time-lagged research design through a self-administered survey of supply chain professionals in manufacturing firms in Pakistan. Hayes’ PROCESS Macro was used to test the hypotheses.

The results show a positive relationship between social capital and supply chain performance. SCQI partially mediates the relationship between social capital and supply chain performance. Environmental uncertainty significantly moderates that relationship in such a way that firms that operate under high environmental uncertainty are more likely to use their social capital to develop SCQI than firms that operate under low environmental uncertainty.

The study has practical implications for managers who seek to implement SCQI practices using social capital. Leveraging social capital across the supply chain fosters strong connections and a quality-oriented approach across the supply chain, and improves overall performance. Managers can use the power of social capital to navigate environmental uncertainty.

This study’s originality lies in its drawing on the dynamic capability theory and contingency theory and integrating the dispersed scholarly work on social capital, SCQI, and supply chain performance under the boundary condition of environmental uncertainty.

The link between supply chain agility (SCA) and performance has been tested in previous research with different samples and results. The present paper quantitatively analyses and summarises the impact of SCA on performance found in previous empirical papers and determines the influence of several identified moderators.

Using a meta-analysis approach based on a systematic literature review, a total of 63 empirical papers comprising a sample of 14,469 firms were meta-analysed to consider substantive (type of performance and SCA operationalisation) and extrinsic (economic region and industry) moderators.

Results confirm a significantly large, positive correlation between SCA and performance. None of the analysed moderators has enabled the identification of any significant differences between the SCA and performance correlations by subgroup. However, high heterogeneity in total variance, both in the full sample and the subgroups by moderator, demands further rigorously reported empirical research on this topic with clearly conceptualised variables and frameworks and the use of validated scales.

Several research gaps and best practice recommendations have been indicated to improve future empirical research on this topic.

Practitioners in different economic regions and industries will find consistent evidence of improvements in performance through SCA.

No meta-analysis has been found in previous research to estimate the value of the correlation between SCA and performance and the influence of moderating variables.

This study aims to examine the effect of supply chain agility (SCA) on operational performance (OP) measurements of steel manufacturing firms. It also investigates the role of cost efficiencies concerning enhance OPs.

The study is based on an experimental research design by collecting data from responses 398 responses of key officials of India’s steel manufacturing firms. Analyses are carried to explore this modern concept with the help of Smart-partial least square (PLS) version 3.3.2 with confirmatory factor analysis and PLS structural equational modelling.

SCA factor (SCAF) directly has influenced the firm’s OP. It also represents cost efficiencies that have partial mediation between the SCAF and OP. The impact of cost efficiencies on OPs is strongly significant as compared to the impact of SCAF on cost efficiencies.

Management teams in the manufacturing industry should stress the role of SCA as a comprehensive concept in responding to market needs in a volatile environment. SCA reflects one of its winning strategies in today’s dynamic and competitive world. Managers must thoroughly know the ramifications of agility to develop a mechanism for determining the procedures and identifying inequality in SC operation.

This study speaks explicitly about the linkage between SCAF, OP, CE. It is an addition to the existing theories of RBV. Enhancements in OP measurements, specifically performance and flexibility, will lead to better firm performance. study conceptualizing the complementing effects of SCA (IS capability) and OPs and second cost efficiencies play positive partial mediating effect in between the link. The achievement of SC agile is especially a critical approach to Boost customer satisfaction and differentiate market position.