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Article
Publication date: 14 July 2021

Shubham Dixit, Shiwangi Singh, Sanjay Dhir and Swati Dhir

This study aims to identify the antecedents of strategic thinking and its relationship with competitive advantage. Further, this study analyses the mediating effect of strategic…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to identify the antecedents of strategic thinking and its relationship with competitive advantage. Further, this study analyses the mediating effect of strategic thinking between its antecedents and competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

A self-reported questionnaire with 51 questions was floated among 220 professionals from various industries in India. The response was analysed using the partial least squares-structural equation modelling methodology using SmartPLS software.

Findings

The direct effect of creativity, corporate culture and knowledge management are established with strategic thinking, as well as a competitive advantage. Also, the study finds a significant relationship between strategic thinking and competitive advantage. The study finds no mediation (direct effect) in the case of creativity, corporate culture and knowledge management. Further, no mediation (no relationship) is found in the case of vision.

Practical implications

Business must start adopting strategic thinking practices in their decision-making process to create a competitive advantage. Further, the influence of corporate culture, creativity and knowledge management on strategic thinking highlights their importance.

Originality/value

The study establishes the impact of antecedents of strategic thinking on competitive advantage. The study highlights the importance of other factors along with strategic thinking for achieving competitive advantage.

Details

Journal of Indian Business Research, vol. 13 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1755-4195

Keywords

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Case study
Publication date: 18 November 2013

Nakul Gupta, Radha R. Sharma and Rupali Pardasani

Entrepreneurship, internationalization, family-owned business management, strategic management.

Abstract

Subject area

Entrepreneurship, internationalization, family-owned business management, strategic management.

Study level/applicability

MBA/postgraduate management program courses on family business management. The case can be taught at the beginning of the course to acquaint students with the dynamics of family-owned businesses. MBA/postgraduate/undergraduate courses on entrepreneurship. It can be used in the middle of the course to highlight the challenges presented by an entrepreneur due to change in the business environment and macroeconomic scenario. MBA/postgraduate course on strategic management. It can be used at the beginning of the course to introduce strategies for managing and sustaining growth of a business. MBA/postgraduate course on organizational development. It can be used in the middle of the course to help students understand the importance of designing an optimal organizational structure for a family business.

Case overview

FragraAroma was an Indian fragrance company. Anil Gupta, the Founder and Managing Director of FragraAroma, and his sister Nisha were equal shareholders of the company. With changes in the Foreign Direct Investment Policy in 2013 in India, Anil and Nisha's husband Tarun had different expansion plans for FragraAroma. While Anil was planning to expand FragraAroma internationally, but his sister and her husband wanted diversification of the company's customer segment in the domestic market itself. The case is poised at the juncture, where Anil was facing a labyrinth of critical decisions. Would he go ahead with Tarun's expansion plan or stick to his plan of internationalization? Would his decision affect the harmony of the family? Was there a way that could enable him sailing his family and family business out of the doldrums?

Expected learning outcomes

This case is primarily about a family business and the dilemmas faced by the owner of that family business. The case captures the challenges faced by a family business in sustaining growth and competitiveness. The case can be used to understand how decisions are taken in a family-owned business. To understand the challenges faced by a family-owned business while developing and implementing its growth strategies. To understand the opportunities and challenges presented to a family-owned businesses when macroeconomic scenarios change. To understand the spillover effects of business decisions on family relations in a typical family-owned business setup.

Supplementary materials

Teaching notes are available for educators only. Please contact your library to gain login details or email support@emeraldinsight.com to request teaching notes.

Details

Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, vol. 3 no. 7
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 2045-0621

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Article
Publication date: 4 February 2025

Himanshu Prajapati, Shubham Dable, Ravi Kant and Usha Batra

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) influences the supply chain, including innovation, structure, availability and communication. It influences the supply chain by modifying how products are…

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Abstract

Purpose

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) influences the supply chain, including innovation, structure, availability and communication. It influences the supply chain by modifying how products are designed, manufactured, delivered and discarded for the sustainability of an organization. Sustainability emphasizes the use of optimal raw materials, efficient storage and delivery, on-time supply, productivity development, recycling, remanufacturing and refurbishing. The aim of this study is to identify and establish causal relationships among the key aspects that contribute to the success of I4.0-enabled sustainable supply chain (I4eSSC). The objective is to classify these components into discrete categories according to their causal and consequential linkages.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper presents a three-phase hybrid Criteria Importance Through Inter-criteria Correlation and Grey Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (G-DEMATEL) framework to achieve the stated objectives. A study is conducted to empirically examine the Indian automobile sector in order to illustrate the suitability of the suggested framework.

Findings

During the initial stage, a total of 26 success factors have been identified for the I4eSSC implementation. During the second part of the study, a total of 20 success factors were found and deemed critical success factors (CSFs). During the concluding stage, it was seen that out of the total of 20 chosen CSFs, nine were categorized in the cause group, whereas the remaining 11 were classified under the effect group. The analysis revealed that the element of “adoption of emerging technology for sustainable product and process development” was assigned the greatest level of importance.

Practical implications

This study aims to motivate professionals to enhance the integration of I4.0 into sustainable supply chains to maximize the advantages offered by these two separate concepts. It is imperative to devote genuine consideration to the examination of causal group variables in the context of I4eSSC, since these elements possess a direct influence on the overall performance of systems and exert a significant impact on the components within the effect group.

Originality/value

This study presents an extensive compilation of CSFs pertaining to the implementation of I4eSSC. The primary objective is to determine the relative relevance of these factors and explore the intricate causal relationships that exist among them. Furthermore, this study stands out due to its novel application of a specific decision-making methodology within the field of I4eSSC.

Details

Journal of Advances in Management Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0972-7981

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Case study
Publication date: 12 May 2023

Shubham Kumar, Tanuj Mathur and Himanshu Misra

The readers will gain practical insights on the key attributes of a women entrepreneur, the role of innovative product design and usage, the core challenges and opportunities and…

Abstract

Learning outcomes

The readers will gain practical insights on the key attributes of a women entrepreneur, the role of innovative product design and usage, the core challenges and opportunities and the strategies to overcome entrepreneurial hurdles in the Moonj handicraft business.

Case overview/synopsis

The case is about “Rekhaakriti”, a handicraft artisan-oriented firm, which deals in the business of selling handicrafts items like traditional wooden toys, Moonj baskets, rice bowls and vermilion boxes, in both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) markets. Incorporated as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in the year 2014, “Rekhaakriti” was founded with the purpose of preserving, promoting and advancing the Moonj handicraft. Throughout its formative years, the organization experienced several organizational and operational challenges and got almost on the edge of collapse. The dilemma that surrounded Rekha Sinha, a key founding member of “Rekhaakriti”, was whether to carry or dissolve the organization. But, after much contemplation, she decided to convert the organization to a sole proprietorship firm in the year 2017. However, the restructuring decision was also proving to become less effective in attaining the objectives for which the firm got established. This led the owner, Rekha Sinha, to further dug deep to identify obstacles (both internal and external) that impede her firm’s expansion and growth. This case narrates Rekha Sinha's intricate entrepreneurial path in building an innovative handicraft organization and explains how she overcame the overall organizational and operational obstacles. The case provides the context for students to assume the role of protagonist and explore creative strategies for overcoming market obstacles through upskilling, design intervention and product innovation.

Complexity academic level

The case study is intended for the students pursuing their graduation and post-graduation courses in business, management studies, marketing and entrepreneurship. The case also provides suitable insights to management trainees and executives.

Supplementary material

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

Subject code

CSS 8: Marketing.

Details

Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies, vol. 13 no. 1
Type: Case Study
ISSN: 2045-0621

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 8 February 2023

Sumit Kumar Mehta and Sukumar Pati

The purpose of this paper is to investigate computationally the hydrothermal characteristics for forced convective laminar flow of water through a channel with a top wavy wall and…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate computationally the hydrothermal characteristics for forced convective laminar flow of water through a channel with a top wavy wall and a flat bottom wall having metallic porous blocks.

Design/methodology/approach

The governing equations are solved computationally using a finite element method–based numerical solver COMSOL Multiphysics® for the following range of parameters: 10 ≤ Reynolds number (Re) ≤ 500 and 10–4 ≤ Darcy number (Da) ≤ 10–1.

Findings

The presence of porous blocks significantly influences the heat transfer rate, and the value of local Nusselt number increases with the increase in Da. The value of the average Nusselt number decreases with Da for the top wall and the same is enhanced for the bottom wall of the wavy channel with porous blocks (WCPB). The value of the average Nusselt number for WCPB is significantly higher than that of the wavy channel without porous block (WCWPB), plane channel without porous block (PCWPB) and plane channel with the porous block (PCPB) at higher Re. For PCPB, the performance factor (PF) is always higher than that of WCWPB and WCPB for Da = 10–4 and Da = 10–3. Also, PF for WCPB is higher than that of WCWPB for higher Re except for Da = 10–4. Further, the value of for WCPB is higher than that of PCPB at Da = 10–2 and 10–1 at Re = 500.

Practical implications

The current study is useful in designing efficient heat exchangers for process plants, solar collectors and aerospace applications.

Originality/value

The analysis of thermo-hydraulic characteristics for laminar flow through a channel with a top wavy wall and a flat bottom wall having metallic porous blocks have been analyzed for the first time. Further, a comparative assessment of the performance has been performed with a wavy channel without a porous block, a plane channel without a porous block and a plane channel with porous blocks.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 33 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

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Article
Publication date: 22 July 2021

Sumit Kumar Mehta, Sukumar Pati, Shahid Ahmed, Prangan Bhattacharyya and Jishnu Jyoti Bordoloi

The purpose of this study is to analyze the thermal, hydraulic and entropy generation characteristics for laminar flow of water through a ribbed-wavy channel with the top wall as…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to analyze the thermal, hydraulic and entropy generation characteristics for laminar flow of water through a ribbed-wavy channel with the top wall as wavy and bottom wall as flat with ribs of three different geometries, namely, triangular, rectangular and semi-circular.

Design/methodology/approach

The finite element method-based numerical solver has been adopted to solve the governing transport equations.

Findings

A critical value of Reynolds number (Recri) is found beyond which, the average Nusselt number for the wavy or ribbed-wavy channel is more than that for a parallel plate channel and the value of Recri decreases with the increase in a number of ribs and for any given number of ribs, it is minimum for rectangular ribs. The performance factor (PF) sharply decreases with Reynolds number (Re) up to Re = 50 for all types of ribbed-wavy channels. For Re > 50, the change in PF with Re is gradual and decreases for all the ribbed cases and for the sinusoidal channel, it increases beyond Re = 100. The magnitude of PF strongly depends on the shape and number of ribs and Re. The relative magnitude of total entropy generation for different ribbed channels varies with Re and the number of ribs.

Practical implications

The findings of the present study are useful to design the economic heat exchanging devices.

Originality/value

The effects of shape and the number of ribs on the heat transfer performance and entropy generation have been investigated for the first time for the laminar flow regime. Also, the effects of shape and number of ribs on the flow and temperature fields and entropy generation have been investigated in detail.

Details

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, vol. 32 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0961-5539

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Article
Publication date: 11 July 2024

Ann Francis, Vandana Padmanabhan and Albert Thomas

Contemporary construction techniques provide benefits of speed and cost savings on a large scale, and is viable in urban regions with exorbitant housing demand. In rural areas…

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Abstract

Purpose

Contemporary construction techniques provide benefits of speed and cost savings on a large scale, and is viable in urban regions with exorbitant housing demand. In rural areas, where scale and access to technology are unavailable, locally prevalent vernacular architecture and methods are more suitable. Although vernacular construction techniques have historically proven more sustainable and climate-sensitive, the lack of skilled labour and lack of versatility in material selection limits its application on large-scale projects. This study explores the choice of building design and technology, from the context of embodied energy, carbon and other life cycle impacts for housing construction.

Design/methodology/approach

Life cycle assessment (LCA) that evaluates impacts due to the products/processes is used to analyse different construction techniques. Further a detailed estimation of embodied carbon and embodied energy is done for both “vernacular” and “contemporary” choices of construction methodology for a case study project.

Findings

The building constructed using vernacular techniques has lower embodied carbon and energy by over 30% compared to the other clusters designed using contemporary confined masonry techniques. However, with a few external interventions the contemporary methods can be implemented with improved sustainability.

Research limitations/implications

The limitation of the study is that it presents a case study-based exploration into comparing construction techniques to provide a practical understanding of making sustainable design choices and, hence, is limited to two construction methods. However, the same method could be extended to compare other construction techniques. Furthermore, it does not present a whole building LCA since the operating phase impacts are assumed to be fairly constant for such housing type, irrespective of the chosen method. Similarly, the demolition phase or the potential of reuse of the waste generated, water consumption and cultural and social heritage are not investigated in comparing the alternatives. Nevertheless, future studies could perform extensive exploratory and modelling studies on the operation phase and demolition phase to understand these impacts further.

Practical implications

In mass housing projects that belong to the so-called “affordable housing” or low-income housing category, sustainability concerns are not yet at the forefront of the decision-making process. Therefore, this study emphasizes the importance of incorporating sustainability into building design and construction and making sustainability accessible to even low-income communities. Adequate planning, social awareness initiatives and imparting skills and knowledge of sustainability to these communities are of utmost importance. The choice of design and materials should be encouraged by keeping in mind lower upfront costs as well as low maintenance and operational costs.

Social implications

The primary implications of the study are that the vernacular technologies are much superior in terms of sustainability in comparison to conventional construction of RCC framed structures as well as contemporary construction methods such as confined masonry. However, the implementation of such techniques presents significant challenges such as a lack of skilled forces, increased maintenance and lack of flexibility to minor modifications. Hence, although being a sustainable choice its acceptance and execution present practical difficulties. Therefore, this study primarily aims to reinforce the belief in vernacular architecture and techniques to build sustainable and resilient communities while highlighting the challenges of the modern world in implementing them.

Originality/value

Most studies advocate using construction methods based on their ease of implementation, maintenance or cost. However, this study highlights the importance of considering the aspect of sustainability in the context of the choice of methods for housing construction in urban and semi-urban areas. This study also addresses the need not to overlook vernacular construction technologies while selecting technology for housing for low-income communities.

Details

Engineering, Construction and Architectural Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0969-9988

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Article
Publication date: 3 July 2024

Karthikeyan Marappan, M.P. Jenarthanan, Ghousiya Begum K and Venkatesan Moorthy

This paper aims to find the effective 3D printing process parameters based on mechanical characteristics such as tensile strength and hardness of poly lactic acid (PLA)/carbon…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to find the effective 3D printing process parameters based on mechanical characteristics such as tensile strength and hardness of poly lactic acid (PLA)/carbon fibre composites (CF-PLA) by implementing intelligent frameworks.

Design/methodology/approach

The experiment trials are conducted based on design of experiments (DoE) using Taguchi L9 orthogonal array with three factors (speed, infill % and pattern type) and three levels. The factors have been optimized by solving the regression equation which is obtained from analysis of variance (ANOVA). The contour plots are generated by response surface methodology (RSM). The influencing parameters are found by using Box–Behnken design. The second order response surface model demonstrated the optimal combination of input parameters for higher tensile strength and hardness.

Findings

The influencing parameters are found by using Box–Behnken design. The second order response surface model demonstrated the optimal combination of input parameters for higher tensile strength and hardness. The results obtained from RSM are also confirmed by implementing the machine learning classifiers, such as logistic regression, ridge classifier, random forest, K nearest neighbour and support vector classifier (SVC). The results show that the SVC can predict the optimized process parameters with an accuracy of 95.65%.

Originality/value

3D printing parameters which are considered in this work such as pattern types for PLA/CF-PLA composites based on intelligent frameworks has not been attempted previously.

Details

Pigment & Resin Technology, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0369-9420

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