Rohit Gupta, Indranil Biswas, B.K. Mohanty and Sushil Kumar
In the paper, the authors study the simultaneous influence of incentive compatibility and individual rationality (IR) on a multi-echelon supply chain (SC) under uncertainty. The…
Abstract
Purpose
In the paper, the authors study the simultaneous influence of incentive compatibility and individual rationality (IR) on a multi-echelon supply chain (SC) under uncertainty. The authors study the impact of contract sequence on coordination strategies of a serial three-echelon SC consisting of a supplier, a manufacturer and a retailer in an uncertain environment.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors develop a game-theoretic framework of a serial decentralized three-echelon SC. Under a decentralized setting, the supplier and the manufacturer can choose from two contract types namely, wholesale price (WP) and linear two-part tariff (LTT) and it leads to four different cases of contract sequence.
Findings
The study show that SC coordination is possible when both the supplier and the manufacturer choose LTT contract. This study not only identifies the influence of contract sequence on profit distribution among SC agents, but also establishes cut-off policies for all SC agents for each contract sequence. This study also examine the influence of chosen contract sequence on optimal profit distribution among SC agents.
Research limitations/implications
Three-echelon SC coordination under uncertain environment depends upon the contract sequence chosen by SC agents.
Practical implications
This study results will be helpful to managers of various SCs to take operational decisions under uncertain situations.
Originality/value
The main contribution of this study is that it explores the possibility of coordination by supply contracts for three-echelon SC in a fuzzy environment.
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Ryan Varghese, Abha Deshpande, Gargi Digholkar and Dileep Kumar
Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a booming sector that has profoundly influenced every walk of life, and the education sector is no exception. In education, AI has…
Abstract
Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a booming sector that has profoundly influenced every walk of life, and the education sector is no exception. In education, AI has helped to develop novel teaching and learning solutions that are currently being tested in various contexts. Businesses and governments across the globe have been pouring money into a wide array of implementations, and dozens of EdTech start-ups are being funded to capitalise on this technological force. The penetration of AI in classroom teaching is also a profound matter of discussion. These have garnered massive amounts of student big data and have a significant impact on the life of both students and educators alike.
Purpose: The prime focus of this chapter is to extensively review and analyse the vast literature available on the utilities of AI in health care, learning, and development. The specific objective of thematic exploration of the literature is to explicate the principal facets and recent advances in the development and employment of AI in the latter. This chapter also aims to explore how the EdTech and healthcare–education sectors would witness a paradigm shift with the advent and incorporation of AI.
Design/Methodology/Approach: To provide context and evidence, relevant publications were identified on ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Google Scholar using keywords like AI, education, learning, health care, and development. In addition, the latest articles were also thoroughly reviewed to underscore recent advances in the same field.
Results: The implementation of AI in the learning, development, and healthcare sector is rising steeply, with a projected expansion of about 50% by 2022. These algorithms and user interfaces economically facilitate efficient delivery of the latter.
Conclusions: The EdTech and healthcare sector has great potential for a spectrum of AI-based interventions, providing access to learning opportunities and personalised experiences. These interventions are often economic in the long run compared to conventional modalities. However, several ethical and regulatory concerns should be addressed before the complete adoption of AI in these sectors.
Originality/Value: The value in exploring this topic is to present a view on the potential of employing AI in health care, medical education, and learning and development. It also intends to open a discussion of its potential benefits and a remedy to its shortcomings.
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Ning Qian, Muhammad Jamil, Wenfeng Ding, Yucan Fu and Jiuhua Xu
This paper is supposed to provide a critical review of current research progress on thermal management in grinding of superalloys, and future directions and challenges. By…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper is supposed to provide a critical review of current research progress on thermal management in grinding of superalloys, and future directions and challenges. By understanding the current progress and identifying the developing directions, thermal management can be achieved in the grinding of superalloys to significantly improve the grinding quality and efficiency.
Design/methodology/approach
The relevant literature is collected from Web of Science, Scopus, CNKI, Google scholar, etc. A total of 185 literature is analyzed, and the findings in the literature are systematically summarized. In this case, the current development and future trends of thermal management in grinding of superalloys can be concluded.
Findings
The recent developments in grinding superalloys, demands, challenges and solutions are analyzed. The theoretical basis of thermal management in grinding, the grinding heat partition analysis, is also summarized. The novel methods and technologies for thermal management are developed and reviewed, i.e. new grinding technologies and parameter optimization, super abrasive grinding wheel technologies, improved lubrication, highly efficient coolant delivery and enhanced heat transfer by passive thermal devices. Finally, the future trends and challenges are identified.
Originality/value
Superalloys have excellent physical and mechanical properties, e.g. high thermal stability, and good high-temperature strength. The superalloys have been broadly applied in the aerospace, energy and automobile industries. Grinding is one of the most important precision machining technologies for superalloy parts. Owing to the mechanical and physical properties of superalloys, during grinding processes, forces are large and a massive heat is generated. Consequently, the improvement of grinding quality and efficiency is limited. It is important to conduct thermal management in the grinding of superalloys to decrease grinding forces and heat generation. The grinding heat is also dissipated in time by enhanced heat transfer methods. Therefore, it is necessary and valuable to holistically review the current situation of thermal management in grinding of superalloys and also provide the development trends and challenges.
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The purpose of this paper is to use the NACA 0015 symmetric hydrofoil as the research subject and control cloud cavitation on hydrofoils.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to use the NACA 0015 symmetric hydrofoil as the research subject and control cloud cavitation on hydrofoils.
Design/methodology/approach
Based on observed distribution of caudal fin spines on fish, a bionic structure of fin-like spines is arranged on the hydrofoil suction surface, which maintains the cavitation in a quasi-steady state stage by eliminating the cyclic shedding process of cloud cavitation. Based on the modified shear stress transport k-ω turbulence model and the Zwart–Gerber–Belamri cavitation model, this paper compares and analyzes the NACA 0015 hydrofoil and the bionic NACA 0015 hydrofoil under condition of an angle of attack of 8° and a cavitation number of 0.8.
Findings
The results show that the average drag of the hydrofoil is reduced but the lift is decreased, and the lift-drag ratio is increased after arranging the bionic structure. The bionic structure can effectively reduce the turbulent kinetic energy and make the flow more stable; it also can effectively control the hydrofoil surface side-entrant jet and the vortex shedding process of the near wall region.
Originality/value
Based on the above conclusions, the bionic structure of fin-like spines can achieve a significant passive control in the hydrofoil cloud cavitation process.
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Xushan Zhao, Yuanxun Wang, Haiou Zhang, Runsheng Li, Xi Chen and Youheng Fu
This paper aims to summarize the influence law of hybrid deposited and micro-rolling (HDMR) technology on the bead morphology and overlapping coefficient. A better bead topology…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to summarize the influence law of hybrid deposited and micro-rolling (HDMR) technology on the bead morphology and overlapping coefficient. A better bead topology positively supports the overlapping deposited in multi-beads between layers while actively assisting the subsequent layer's deposition in the wire and arc additive manufacturing (WAAM). Hybrid-deposited and micro-rolling (HDMR) additive manufacturing (AM) technology can smooth the weld bead for improved surface quality. However, the micro-rolling process will change the weld bead profile fitting curve to affect the overlapping coefficient.
Design/methodology/approach
Weld bead contours for WAAM and HDMR were extracted using line lasers. A comparison of bead profile curves was conducted to determine the influence law of micro-zone rolling on the welding bead contour and fitting curve. Aiming at the optimized overlapping coefficient of weld bead in HDMR AM, the optimal HDMR overlapping coefficient curve was proposed which varies with the reduction based on the best surface flatness. The mathematical model for overlapping in HDMR was checked by comparing the HDMR weld bead contours under different rolling reductions.
Findings
A fitting function of the bead forming by HDMR AM was proposed based on the law of conservation of mass. The change rule of the HDMR weld bead overlapping spacing with the degree of weld bead rolling reduction was generated using the flat-top transition calculation for this model. Considering the damming-up impact of the first bead, the overlapping coefficient was examined for its effect on layer surface flatness.
Originality/value
Using the predicted overlapping model, the optimal overlapping coefficients for different rolling reductions can be achieved without experiments. These conclusions can encourage the development of HDMR technology.
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Saied Farham-Nia and Alireza Ghaffari-Hadigheh
The aim of this paper is to study the optimal pricing decision in a supply chain with a dual distribution channel in a centralized and decentralized decision-making systems and…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to study the optimal pricing decision in a supply chain with a dual distribution channel in a centralized and decentralized decision-making systems and investigate the economic impact of retail services on pricing behaviors with respect to the power structures.
Design/methodology/approach
To reach the equilibrium behavior of decision-makers, two-stage optimization, the Stackelberg game and the Bertrand–Nash game have been used. Also, to explore the effect of environmental uncertainty on the behavior of decision-maker, demand functions are characterized as an uncertain price dependent, service dependent and channel dependent. Decision parameters are based on experts’ belief degree, in the sense of uncertainty theory initiated by Liu (2007).
Findings
Obtained results reveal that the retail services have a strategic role in the centralized supply chain and the decentralized supply chain with dominant manufacturer, while both the supply chain and the consumer suffer from higher environmental indeterminacy.
Research limitations/implications
This study is based on possible scenarios of dual distribution system only. Further research is recommended to investigate the applicability of the authors framework in different distribution systems.
Practical implications
The study findings are believed to be valuable for supply chains and organizations about to make a strategic decision on price of their good/service.
Originality/value
The paper contributes to the scarce literature on Uncertainty Theory initiated by Liu (2007), and combination of it with Game Theory for pricing in distribution system of supply chains. The study also contributes by investigating impact of non-price competitive factor (level of service) on pricing strategy.
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Diego Quer-Ramón, Enrique Claver-Cortés and Laura Rienda-García
Since the beginning of the 21st century, China’s outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) is growing steadily and Chinese multinationals (MNCs) are playing an increasingly…
Abstract
Purpose
Since the beginning of the 21st century, China’s outward foreign direct investment (OFDI) is growing steadily and Chinese multinationals (MNCs) are playing an increasingly important role in the global economy. Thus, the number of papers focusing on China’s OFDI and Chinese MNCs has been increasing during the last years. The aim of this chapter is to carry out a review of the empirical papers dealing with Chinese MNCs published between 2002 and 2012 in high-impact international business and management journals.
Design/methodology/approach
This chapter reviews 43 empirical papers focusing on Chinese MNCs that were published in nine major scholarly journals between 2002 and 2012.
Findings
We report individual and institutional contributions, the theories and methods used, the research topics, and the main findings. We also discuss implications for future research.
Originality/value
Some previous literature reviews have dealt with research on China’s OFDI and Chinese MNCs. Nevertheless, none of the earlier reviews dealt specifically with empirical papers; neither did they provide an analysis of both individual and institutional contributions.
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Kwadwo Asante, Petr Novak and Michael Adu Kwarteng
Environmental sustainability orientation has emerged to drive firms into eco-friendly production. Yet, the consequence of this new strategic thinking on firms’ green innovations…
Abstract
Environmental sustainability orientation has emerged to drive firms into eco-friendly production. Yet, the consequence of this new strategic thinking on firms’ green innovations, especially small- and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs), remains unresolved. Recognizing that the connection between environmental sustainability orientation and green innovation may not always be direct, the study theorizes that dynamic capability and entrepreneurial orientation may form part of the boundary conditions that strengthen its effect on small enterprises’ green innovation. The study adjoins the dynamic capability theory with the entrepreneurial orientation theory to test this relationship among small businesses within a developing economy. Results from the partial least squares–structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) suggest that environmental sustainability orientation will result in green innovation when the SME’s dynamic capability can develop a creative reconfiguration of knowledge and new distinctive resources to support this new strategic direction. Similarly, findings from the study suggest that environmental sustainability orientation will translate into better green innovation outcomes when the SME entrepreneurial orientation has a solid attraction to protect the ecosystem and does not perceive green innovation as a risky enterprise.
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Wenjie Wang, Mengran Zhang, Binxia Zhao, Linxue Liu, Ruixuan Han and Nan Wang
The purpose of this paper is to improve the degradation efficiency of Rhodamine B (RhB) by new photocatalytic materials.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to improve the degradation efficiency of Rhodamine B (RhB) by new photocatalytic materials.
Design/methodology/approach
Binary Z-scheme g-C3N4/Bi2WO6 photocatalytic material was synthesized by the one-step hydrothermal reaction. The construction of Z-scheme heterojunction led to the rapid separation of photogenerated electrons and holes, which would degrade RhB into small molecular substances to achieve the purpose of degradation.
Findings
It was found that Bi2WO6/25%g-C3N4 displayed the highest photocatalytic activity, which was about 1.44 and 1.34 times higher than that of pure Bi2WO6 and g-C3N4, respectively. According to the trapping experiments, the superoxide radical (·O2−) was the major active species of the RhB decomposition in Bi2WO6/g-C3N4 catalysts.
Originality/value
The successful synthesis of Z-scheme Bi2WO6/g-C3N4 provides new ideas and references for the design of catalysts with high photocatalytic activity, which should have wide applications in the future.