Sriyanto Sriyanto, Muhammad Saeed Lodhi, Hailan Salamun, Sardin Sardin, Chairil Faif Pasani, Gulnaz Muneer and Khalid Zaman
The study aims to examine the role of health-care supply chain management during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-section of 42 selected sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries.
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to examine the role of health-care supply chain management during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-section of 42 selected sub-Saharan African (SSA) countries.
Design/methodology/approach
The study used cross-sectional robust least square regression for parameter estimates.
Findings
The results confirmed the N-shaped relationship between the health-care logistics performance index (HLPI) and COVID-19 cases. It implies that initially HLPI increases along with an increase in COVID-19 cases. Later down, it decreases COVID-19 cases by providing continued access to medical devices and personal protective equipment. Again, it increases due to resuming economic activities across countries.
Practical implications
The continuing health-care supply chain is crucial to minimize COVID-19 cases. The international support from the developed world in providing health-care equipment, debt resettlement and resolving regional conflicts is deemed desirable to escape the SSA countries from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Originality/value
The importance of the health-care supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic is evident in the forecasting estimates, which shows that from August 2021 to April 2022, increasing the health-care supply chain at their third-degree level would reduce coronavirus registered cases. The results conclude that SSA countries required more efforts to contain coronavirus cases by thrice increasing their health-care logistics supply chain.
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Mika Hyötyläinen and Kristian Möller
Business services have an important role in the development of global knowledge‐base economy. This is particularly clear in the field of ICT services where business customers are…
Abstract
Purpose
Business services have an important role in the development of global knowledge‐base economy. This is particularly clear in the field of ICT services where business customers are requiring an increasing amount of complex services in order to support their utilization of advanced ERP, SCM and CRM solutions for boosting their business processes and competitive advantage. The complexity of these services and customers' requests for special adaptations form a critical challenge for service providers. This paper seeks to develop solutions for managing this complexity.
Design/methodology/approach
Three service design and development methods – service industrialization, tangibilization, and service blueprinting – are introduced and then analyzed as to how they can be utilized as an integrated system to reduce the complexity of ICT services. This is carried out through an action research‐based case study of an ICT service provider.
Findings
The results include a service architecture framework, which can be used for creating a modularized offering and implementation system for complex business services. It reduces the complexity of services while allowing their customer specific adaptation.
Practical implications
Key aspects are the identification of service modules and interfaces in a multi‐actor service offering setting and the providing of adequate resources for the design phase of the customized service project. This is essential in order to be able to simultaneously respond to customer specific needs and to reduce the number of existing technologies and overlapping functionalities, seemingly contra dictionary aims.
Originality/value
Findings of the paper offer significant theoretical and managerial implications for the design and production of complex business services.
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CONFERENCES are like committee meetings: everyone says his piece, sits clown satisfied at his own oratory and convinced that right (by which he means what he has advocated) will…
Abstract
CONFERENCES are like committee meetings: everyone says his piece, sits clown satisfied at his own oratory and convinced that right (by which he means what he has advocated) will prevail, and then as a general rule at least, all go home and the ripples fade and nothing is done.
NOBODY can win all the time. From Employer to Worker, from Reader to Editor there must always be some times when each wins and others where they lose out.
Jenarthanan Mugundhu, R. Jeyapaul and Naresh Neeli
The purpose of this paper is to develop a mathematical model for delamination through response surface methodology (RSM) and analyse the influences of the entire individual input…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to develop a mathematical model for delamination through response surface methodology (RSM) and analyse the influences of the entire individual input machining parameters (cutting speed, depth of cut and feed rate) on the responses in milling of glass fibre reinforced plastics (GFRP) composites with solid carbide end mill cutter coated with polycrystalline diamond (PCD).
Design/methodology/approach
Three factors, three levels face-centered central composite design matrix in RSM is employed to carry out the experimental investigation. Shop microscope is used to examine the delamination of GFRP composites. The “Design Expert 8.0” software was used for regression and graphical analysis of the data collected. Analysis of variance is used to check the validity of the model and for finding the significant parameters.
Findings
The developed second-order response surface model is used to calculate the delamination of the machined surfaces at different cutting conditions with the chosen range of 95 per cent confidence intervals. Analysis of the influences of the entire individual input machining parameters on the delamination has been carried out using RSM.
Originality/value
Influence of solid carbide end mill coated with PCD on delamination of bi-directional GFRP composite during milling has not been analysed yet using RSM.
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Maziar Moradi-Lakeh, Salime Goharinezhad, Ali Amirkafi, Seyed Mohsen Zahraei, Arash Tehrani-Banihashemi and Abdolreza Esteghamati
Despite significant progress in Iran's immunization programs, vaccine policymaking in the country still faces various challenges and shortcomings. To address these issues and…
Abstract
Purpose
Despite significant progress in Iran's immunization programs, vaccine policymaking in the country still faces various challenges and shortcomings. To address these issues and ensure sustained progress toward achieving comprehensive vaccination policies, it is essential to identify the critical factors influencing vaccine policies in Iran. Our study aims to provide evidence-based insights that can inform the development of effective and equitable vaccine strategies, leading to a more sustainable and efficient approach to vaccination in the country.
Design/methodology/approach
This mixed-method study aimed to analyze the factors influencing the future of human vaccine policy using Cross Impact Analysis. Firstly, a scoping review was conducted to identify the factors affecting the future of human vaccine development. Secondly, a semi-structured interview was conducted with experts in this field to add more factors and confirm the identified factors within the Iranian context. Finally, a Cross-Impact Analysis (CIA) approach was applied to comprehend the complex relationships between the identified factors. Thematic analysis was used for the qualitative data, and MICMAC analysis was applied to characterize the relationships between the factors.
Findings
Seventeen key driving force factors were identified through comprehensive review and interviews. These factors were assigned weighted values ranging from zero to three and subsequently analyzed using MICMAC software. Employing the Cross-Impact Analysis (CIA) technique, the study characterized the impact of each factor on vaccine policy and elucidated the intricate interactions between them. The findings underscored that robust leadership and governance, an innovative ecosystem, and well-established immunization information systems emerged as pivotal driving forces shaping vaccine policy in Iran.
Research limitations/implications
While this study contributes valuable insights into the driving factors influencing vaccine policy in Iran, it is important to acknowledge several limitations. The results rely on the subjective perceptions of a diverse group of specialists, and future research could delve into additional factors in other countries to identify common themes and differences.
Practical implications
This study provides evidence to assist policymakers in making informed decisions regarding vaccines in Iran. The findings suggest that enhancing access to vaccines, fostering trust in the healthcare system, and prioritizing equity in distribution can contribute to increased vaccination rates and a reduction in vaccine-preventable diseases.
Originality/value
This study provides a unique contribution to the field of vaccine policy by utilizing the cross-impact analysis to examine the complex interactions among various factors. The results of this analysis demonstrate that these interactions can significantly impact the overall system, highlighting the need for policymakers to consider multiple factors when formulating effective strategies. By revealing the significance of these interactions, this research offers valuable insights into the development of successful policies that can shape a desirable future for vaccine policy in Iran. Future studies could ratify the findings from this research by applying other methodological approaches.
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Moustafa Mohamed Nazief Haggag Kotb Kholaif, Bushra Sarwar, Ming Xiao, Milos Poliak and Guido Giovando
This study aims to explore the pandemic's opportunities for enhancing the environmental practices of the food and beverages green supply chains and its effect on the supply…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the pandemic's opportunities for enhancing the environmental practices of the food and beverages green supply chains and its effect on the supply chains' viability by exploring the relationship between fear and uncertainty of COVID-19, food and beverages green supply chain management (F&B-GSCM) and supply chains’ viability based on the two dimensions (robustness and resilience) and examine the moderating effect of innovative technology adoption like big data analysis (BDA) capabilities and blockchain technologies (BCT) on this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
This study adopted partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) on a sample of 362 F&B small and medium enterprises (SMEs)’ managers in the Egyptian market for data analysis and hypothesis testing.
Findings
The empirical results show that the fear and uncertainty of the pandemic have a significant positive effect on green supply chain management (GSCM). Also, BDA moderates the relationship between fear and uncertainty of COVID-19 and GSCM. However, BCT do not moderate that relationship. Similarly, GSCM positively affects supply chain viability dimensions (robustness and resilience). In addition, F&B-GSCM significantly mediates the relationship between fear and uncertainty of COVID-19 and supply chain viability dimensions (robustness and resilience).
Practical implications
Food and beverages (F&B) managers could develop a consistent strategy for applying BCT and BDA to provide clear information and focus on their procedures to meet their stakeholders' needs during COVID-19. Governments and managers should develop a consistent strategy to apply food and beverages supply chains (F&B SCs)' green practices to achieve F&B SCs' resilience and robustness, especially during the pandemic.
Originality/value
The Egyptian F&B SCs have been linked directly with many European countries as a main source of many basic food and agriculture products, which have been affected lately by the pandemic. Based on the “social-cognitive,” “stakeholder” and “resource-based view” theories, this study sheds light on the optimistic side of the COVID-19 pandemic, as it also brings the concepts of F&B-GSCM, SC resilience, SC robustness and innovative technologies back into the light, which helps in solving F&B SC issues and helps to achieve their viability.
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Dhruba Kumar Gautam and Prakash Kumar Gautam
The purpose of the study is to investigate the stressors faced by migrant entrepreneur-managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of the study is to investigate the stressors faced by migrant entrepreneur-managers of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their resilience strategies for reviving their businesses.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs a qualitative research design based on grounded theory. Semi-structured interview questionnaire was used for one-to-one interviews with 20 migrant entrepreneur-managers, representing ten different business sectors during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020 and 2021. Interviews were transcribed, coded into open code, axial code and selective code to identify the major themes, and analysis was done into three levels to explore the stressors and initial strategies implemented to cope with the crisis. Trustworthiness of the findings was ensured by credibility, transferability, dependability and conformability, and reflexivity.
Findings
This study explored three types of stressors: finance-related stressors, supplies-related stressors and human resources-related stressors in migrant SME entrepreneur-managers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study revealed the use of comprehensive supply chain strategies followed by migrant SME entrepreneur-managers to be resilient enough to cope with a crisis situation like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Originality/value
This study covers an under-researched area of research related to stressors and resilience strategies in migrant SME entrepreneur-managers during the pandemic situation. A large body of prior research contributes to employees' stress and coping behaviors, while this paper focuses on stressors in migrant entrepreneur-managers in the special context of pandemics and their strategies to be resilient during a crisis situation. Thus, the findings of this study contribute to SME entrepreneur-managers, policy makers and academicians so that a large number of migrant entrepreneurs can develop resilient strategies for crisis situations. Furthermore, this study contributes to the supply chain resilience literature and resource dependency theory.
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Ajay Kumar Pandey, Saurabh Pratap, Ashish Dwivedi and Sharfuddin Ahmed Khan
The existing literature reflects that the connection between enablers of Industry 4.0 (I4.0), Supply Chain (SC) sustainability and reliability is understudied. To cover this gap…
Abstract
Purpose
The existing literature reflects that the connection between enablers of Industry 4.0 (I4.0), Supply Chain (SC) sustainability and reliability is understudied. To cover this gap, the purpose of this study is to identify and benchmark the enablers of I4.0 for SC sustainability to build a Reliable Supply Chain (RSC).
Design/methodology/approach
This study benchmarks the I4.0 enablers for SC sustainability for building a RSC and analyses them with a multi-method approach. The identified potential enablers are validated empirically. A multi-method approach of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Preference Ranking for Organization Method for Enrichment Evaluation (PROMETHEE-II) was used to investigate the influence of the identified benchmarking enablers and develop an interrelationship diagram among the identified enablers.
Findings
This study benchmarks the potential enablers of I4.0 to achieve high ecological-economic-social gains in SCs considering the Indian scenario. Digitalization of the supply chain, decentralization, smart factory technologies and data security and handling are the most prominent enablers of I4.0 for SC sustainability to build a RSC.
Originality/value
The findings from the study may benefit managers, practitioners, specialists, researchers and policymakers interested in I4.0 sustainability applications.