A.U. Malik, Rais Ahmad, Sharif Ahmad and Sultan Ahmad
Nickel aluminide coatings on mild steel have been prepared by pack cementation process. The high temperature oxidation behaviour of the coatings have been studied at 750°, 800�…
Abstract
Nickel aluminide coatings on mild steel have been prepared by pack cementation process. The high temperature oxidation behaviour of the coatings have been studied at 750°, 800° and 850° in flowing air. The influence of different rare earth oxide addition on the oxidation rates of nickel aluminide coating on mild steel has also been investigated. The kinetic of the oxidation of nickel aluminide coating on mild steel, with or without addition of RE2O3 proceeds by a diffusion controlled mechanism as revealed by the parabolic nature of weight gain Vs time plots. At higher temperatures the oxidation rates of the nickel aluminide coatings are lowered down markedly irrespective of rare earth oxide concentration. The oxidation rates are significantly affected by the morphology of the oxide scales, in cases where the structure of oxide scales is not seriously disrupted due to decarburization, the oxidation rates are significantly reduced.
Najib Mahfuz is the first Arab‐language author to win the Nobel Prize in literature. Born in 1911 the son of a middle‐class Jamaliyah merchant, he became the most popular novelist…
Abstract
Najib Mahfuz is the first Arab‐language author to win the Nobel Prize in literature. Born in 1911 the son of a middle‐class Jamaliyah merchant, he became the most popular novelist in Egypt and the Arab countries.
Zeshan Ahmad, Belal Mahmoud AlWadi, Harish Kumar, Boon-Kwee Ng and Diep Ngoc Nguyen
The digital transformation of family-owned small businesses (F-OSBs) has become a critical area of research to maintain their economic contribution in today’s rapidly evolving…
Abstract
Purpose
The digital transformation of family-owned small businesses (F-OSBs) has become a critical area of research to maintain their economic contribution in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. This study examines the effect of internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy on the digital transformation of F-OSBs by mediating strategic agility and moderating artificial intelligence usage.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employed a cross-sectional survey design to collect primary data from 378 descendent entrepreneurs of F-OSBs in Pakistan’s five major cities.
Findings
The study revealed that leadership ability, internet marketing, technology utilization, and artificial intelligence used by the F-OSBs can contribute to their digital transformation, but e-commerce ability does not. The strategic agility of the descendant entrepreneur enhances the abilities of e-commerce, leadership, and technology utilization, leading to the digital transformation of F-OSB. However, strategic agility reduces the role of Internet marketing in digital transformation. Artificial intelligence usage moderates leadership’s ability to improve strategic agility but increases technology utilization for strategic agility and digital transformation of F-OSB.
Practical implications
The digital transformation through a combination of strategic agility and artificial intelligence can increase the F-OSBs' proactive approach to respond to changing market conditions even during economic recessions like COVID-19.
Originality/value
This study broadens the existing literature by examining the effect of descendent entrepreneur’s internet entrepreneurial self-efficacy, strategic agility, artificial intelligence usage, and their interplay on the digital transformation of F-OSB through the unified theory of acceptance and the use of technology.
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Zeshan Ahmad, Usama Najam and Norizah Mustamil
The succession phenomenon in family-owned businesses (F-OB) determines their future viability and success. This study aims to provide insight into key research areas related to…
Abstract
Purpose
The succession phenomenon in family-owned businesses (F-OB) determines their future viability and success. This study aims to provide insight into key research areas related to F-OB’s succession and identify gaps in current literature that can be explored in future research.
Design/methodology/approach
The research article analysis was conducted using bibliometric techniques with VOS viewer and R-Studio Software. This study analyzed 799 articles from the Web of Science (1993–2023) to assess succession in F-OBs and future research directions.
Findings
This bibliometric study provides evolutionary publication trends on the succession of F-OBs. It also identified journals, universities, future trends, thematic maps, cluster networks, authorship countries, theoretical lenses and research gaps linked with F-OB’s succession.
Originality/value
This study focuses on the trends and research themes that have influenced and progressed the comprehension of succession phenomena and dynamics associated with the survival of F-OBs. By conducting a bibliometric analysis of these influential studies, the research provides an overview of significant advancements. It highlights gaps that can be addressed as future research opportunities to enhance the succession processes of F-OBs.
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The insurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic insinuated that family-owned small hotels (F-OSH) should adopt AI capabilities and innovation activities and digitize their operations to…
Abstract
Purpose
The insurgence of the COVID-19 pandemic insinuated that family-owned small hotels (F-OSH) should adopt AI capabilities and innovation activities and digitize their operations to survive. This study examines the potential of AI capabilities to digitally transform F-OSHs by leveraging innovation ambidexterity, preparing them for future disasters proactively. Additionally, it sheds light on how the impact of AI capabilities on innovation ambidexterity varies based on strategic fit. In addition, this research explores the influence of digital entrepreneurial intention on fostering innovation ambidexterity, essential for digital transformation in F-OSHs.
Design/methodology/approach
The study collected primary data from 318 descendant entrepreneurs designated as chairpersons or managing directors in F-OSH and analyzed the data using the partial least structural equation modeling technique.
Findings
This study found a positive association of AI capabilities, and digital entrepreneurial intention with the digital transformation of F-OSHs, while strategic fit does not have an association with innovation ambidexterity. Innovation ambidexterity mediates the relationship between AI capabilities and digital transformation in F-OSHs. Moreover, a strong strategic fit increases the effect of AI capabilities on innovation ambidexterity. Furthermore, a high intention for digital entrepreneurship reduces the impact of innovation ambidexterity on the digital transformation of F-OSHs.
Practical implications
The combination of AI capabilities and innovation ambidexterity has transformed F-OSHs' digital transformation. This proactive approach to dealing with economic recessions such as COVID-19 is also influenced by digital entrepreneurial intention and strategic fit.
Originality/value
Anchored on the dynamic capability theory, this study provides valuable insights and novel empirical evidence by investigating the mediating mechanism of innovation ambidexterity and boundary condition of strategic fit and digital entrepreneurial intention between AI capabilities and digital transformation in F-OSHs.
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Zeshan Ahmad, Shahbaz Sharif, Iftikhar Ahmad, Syed Muhammad Waseem Abbas and Mussrat Shaheen
Present study investigated the influence of female descendent entrepreneur's self-compassion on the perceived succession success of small-family businesses (S-FB) with the…
Abstract
Purpose
Present study investigated the influence of female descendent entrepreneur's self-compassion on the perceived succession success of small-family businesses (S-FB) with the mediating mechanism of financial literacy.
Design/methodology/approach
The primary data was collected from 319 female descendent entrepreneurs who were designated as chairwomen, and managing director positions in their retails sector S-FBs. The purposive sampling technique was used to collect the data. The provided hypotheses are tested using the partial least square structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique. This study followed multiple regression analyses to see the influence of self-compassion (mindfulness, self-isolation, self-judgment and over-identification) on financial literacy and perceived succession success.
Findings
The results reveal that female descendent entrepreneurs mindfulness and over-identification significantly increase but self-isolation decreases the likelihood of successful succession transition. Moreover, female descendent entrepreneur's financial literacy increases mindfulness and overidentification while it decreases self-isolation and improves the likelihood of succession success. However, financial literacy does not influence self-judgmental traits and perceived succession success.
Practical implications
This study highlights a vital issue, how the financial literacy of female descendent entrepreneurs manages their self-compassion and increases the likelihood of succession success. In addition, it covers a research gap and helps the S-FBs to improve their survival rate by focusing on the descendent entrepreneur's self-compassion and financial literacy.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the body of knowledge by emphasizing predictors that influence the successful succession transition to subsequent generations. This study determines the influence of self-compassion of female descendent entrepreneurs on perceived succession success and financial literacy as a mediator by using the self-control theory. The study can be useful to family business consultants, policymakers and family businesses.
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Alhassan Musah and Ibrahim Nandom Yakubu
This paper seeks to provide empirical insight into how industrialization and technology affect environmental quality in Ghana.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to provide empirical insight into how industrialization and technology affect environmental quality in Ghana.
Design/methodology/approach
Using Ecological Footprint (ECF) as a measure of environmental degradation, the authors employ annual data from World Development Indicators of the World Bank and the Global Footprint Network spanning from 1970 to 2017 and apply the fully modified least squares (FMOLS) technique.
Findings
The results reveal that industrialization has a negative significant influence on ECF, suggesting that industrialization contributes to environmental sustainability in Ghana. The authors find that technology is harmful to the environment as it has a positive significant effect on ECF. The study also documents that while education and financial development improve environmental sustainability, fossil fuel consumption exacerbates environmental degradation in Ghana.
Originality/value
The environmental impact of industrialization is still being debated, with very scanty empirical evidence in the African context. Based on a detailed review of the literature, this paper provides an initial attempt to investigate the industrialization–environmental sustainability nexus in Ghana. Besides, whereas most extant studies have employed CO2 emission as a proxy of environmental degradation, the authors use ECF to gauge the level of environmental degradation which is regarded as a more inclusive metric.
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Ufana Riaz, S.M. Ashraf and Sharif Ahmad
The purpose of this paper is to report a comparative study of conducting polymer (CP) dispersed oil polyurethane coatings derived from a sustainable resource, i.e. polyaniline…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report a comparative study of conducting polymer (CP) dispersed oil polyurethane coatings derived from a sustainable resource, i.e. polyaniline (PANI)/coconut oil polyesteramide urethane (CPEAU) and poly(1‐naphthylamine) (PNA)/linseed oil polyurethane (LPUA) coatings.
Design/methodology/approach
The coatings were prepared chemically and were characterized for their physico‐chemical, physico‐mechanical, corrosion protective efficiency, and open circuit potential measurements. The morphological analysis of the corroded carbon steel (CS), coated uncorroded CS, and coated corroded CS specimens, was carried out by SEM analysis.
Findings
The study revealed that the presence of a CP enhanced the corrosion protective efficiency of the sustainable resource‐based organic coatings. The type of CP used also played a major role in defining the corrosion resistance behavior of the coating materials.
Originality/value
The comparative study of anticorrosive properties of CP with oil‐based polyurethane blends has been studied for the first time.
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Salama A. Mostafa, Mohd Sharifuddin Ahmad, Aida Mustapha and Mazin Abed Mohammed
The purpose of this paper is to propose a layered adjustable autonomy (LAA) as a dynamically adjustable autonomy model for a multi-agent system. It is mainly used to efficiently…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to propose a layered adjustable autonomy (LAA) as a dynamically adjustable autonomy model for a multi-agent system. It is mainly used to efficiently manage humans’ and agents’ shared control of autonomous systems and maintain humans’ global control over the agents.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors apply the LAA model in an agent-based autonomous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) system. The UAV system implementation consists of two parts: software and hardware. The software part represents the controller and the cognitive, and the hardware represents the computing machinery and the actuator of the UAV system. The UAV system performs three experimental scenarios of dance, surveillance and search missions. The selected scenarios demonstrate different behaviors in order to create a suitable test plan and ensure significant results.
Findings
The results of the UAV system tests prove that segregating the autonomy of a system as multi-dimensional and adjustable layers enables humans and/or agents to perform actions at convenient autonomy levels. Hence, reducing the adjustable autonomy drawbacks of constraining the autonomy of the agents, increasing humans’ workload and exposing the system to disturbances.
Originality/value
The application of the LAA model in a UAV manifests the significance of implementing dynamic adjustable autonomy. Assessing the autonomy within three phases of agents run cycle (task-selection, actions-selection and actions-execution) is an original idea that aims to direct agents’ autonomy toward performance competency. The agents’ abilities are well exploited when an incompetent agent switches with a more competent one.
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High temperature oxidation and hot corrosion behaviour of some ceramic‐based coatings, e.g. borate, silicate‐chromate and carbide‐oxide on mild steel has been investigated in the…
Abstract
High temperature oxidation and hot corrosion behaviour of some ceramic‐based coatings, e.g. borate, silicate‐chromate and carbide‐oxide on mild steel has been investigated in the temperature range of 400–850°C. The coated steel in general shows much better oxidation and hot corrosion resistance than the uncoated steel specially at higher temperatures. The borate coating has better hot corrosion resistance performance between 700 and 800°C whereas silicate‐chromate is suitable at temperatures above 800°C. The coated steels show parabolic behaviour during oxidation. In presence of Na2SO4, the corrosion rate increases with increasing salt concentration till a maxima is reached. The amount of Na2SO4 corresponding to the maximum corrosion rate decreases with increasing temperature. A self‐sustained fluxing cum sulphidation mechanism has been proposed to explain hot corrosion behaviour of uncoated or coated mild steel.