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1 – 10 of 282
Article
Publication date: 25 March 2024

Yu Huang, Xiaofen Ji, Lina Zhai and Francisca Margarita Ocran

Breast cancer has become the largest cancer in the world today. Health problems for women with breast cancer need to be addressed urgently. This study aims to select the best…

Abstract

Purpose

Breast cancer has become the largest cancer in the world today. Health problems for women with breast cancer need to be addressed urgently. This study aims to select the best method for preparing temperature-sensitive sports underwear, and to verify the feasibility of using K-type thermocouple threads in underwear fabrics.

Design/methodology/approach

In the experiments, two samples were designed for temperature-sensitive performance tests and the effects produced by different outer layer structures were investigated. In the second step, K-type thermocouple wires were integrated into sports underwear. The comfort and feasibility of the temperature-sensitive underwear were investigated.

Findings

It was finally verified to obtain the best comfort and temperature-sensing performance of K-type thermocouple filaments integrated into sports underwear with plain stitching.

Originality/value

The underwear has a certain prospect for the application of smart apparel based on breast cancer health monitoring, which is of some significance for monitoring smart apparel.

Details

International Journal of Clothing Science and Technology, vol. 36 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0955-6222

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 February 2024

Huy Cuong Vo Thai, Trinh-Hoang Hong-Hue and My-Linh Tran

This study aims to investigate the relationship between dynamic capabilities and sustainable business performance in Vietnamese small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)…

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the relationship between dynamic capabilities and sustainable business performance in Vietnamese small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), focusing on the mediating role of digitalization strategies. Specifically, the authors seek to explore whether and how the three critical characteristics of dynamic capabilities (DCs) – sensing, seizing and transforming capabilities – are linked to business model innovation (BMI) or sustained performance and what dimensions contribute to their development and adoption in digitalization strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analyse a sample of 596 Vietnamese SMEs using a validated measurement framework to explore the three clusters of DCs activities and their contributions to digitalization strategies, BMI and sustainable business performance across economic, social and environmental dimensions.

Findings

The study highlights the pivotal role of sensing, seizing and transforming capabilities in the adoption of digitalization strategies, BMI, as well as in promoting sustainable business performance. Firstly, sensing capability profoundly influences product digitalization strategy, whereas seizing capability has the greatest impact on process digitalization strategy. Secondly, sensing and transforming capabilities significantly contribute to BMI. Thirdly, both process and product digitalization strategies exert a significant positive influence on sustainable business performance, especially the environmental dimension. Finally, the study exhibits the indirect impacts of seizing and sensing capabilities on sustainable business performance through product and process digitization strategies.

Originality/value

This study extends recent research by investigating the DCs underlying a firm’s digitalization strategies and contribute to ongoing calls for further investigation in the DCs literature. This research design, which draws from a validated measurement framework, responds to recent calls to broaden the toolkit used in DCs research. The practical implications of this study can benefit SMEs in Vietnam and beyond as they seek to enhance their digitalization strategies and achieve sustainable competitive advantage.

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 27 May 2024

Priscilla Huldt Navarro and Linnea Haag

The purpose of this paper is to explore how process management (PM) can support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in pursuing sustained competitive advantage. For this…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how process management (PM) can support small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in pursuing sustained competitive advantage. For this purpose, a dynamic capabilities (DC) lens was used.

Design/methodology/approach

A narrative literature review and a multiple case study with an action research approach at two road freight transport companies were used.

Findings

PM provides structure and system thinking to support the development of competitive advantage. Concerning PM, management of knowledge, management style and process orientation are key factors for the generation of competitive advantage for SMEs.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to PM literature by studying its support for and implementation at SMEs. Furthermore, the study contributes to the literature on DC by providing concrete examples of activities linked to such capabilities.

Practical implications

This study contributes to practitioners by providing examples of implementing PM and identifying competitive advantage, connected with PM elements.

Social implications

This study has social and environmental implications for the quality of life of the Swedish people.

Originality/value

This paper contributes to clarifying the connection between the research fields of quality management and DC to explore how PM can support SMEs in pursuing sustained competitive advantage.

Details

International Journal of Lean Six Sigma, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-4166

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 May 2024

Cristiane Froehlich, Luísa Baggio Reinhardt, Dusan Schreiber and Luciene Eberle

Digital transformation is a process in which organizations use technology as an essential resource to improve performance and increase market reach and results.

Abstract

Purpose

Digital transformation is a process in which organizations use technology as an essential resource to improve performance and increase market reach and results.

Design/methodology/approach

This research aims to verify how dynamic capabilities are configured for the development of strategies and processes necessary for digital transformation. To this end, qualitative research of an exploratory nature was carried out, operationalized through in-depth individual interviews with a semi-structured approach with managers who occupy leadership positions, in addition to a documentary survey of the internal records of the analyzed organization. In data analysis, the content analysis technique was used.

Findings

The main results of the research showed that the dynamic capabilities configured in sensing, seizing and reconfiguring contribute to leveraging digital transformation in the business studied through the reformulation of strategies to integrate and coordinate the implementation of new routines, investments in technological and human resources and actions to change culture with a focus on digital transformation considering the company’s stakeholders.

Originality/value

This transformation affects business models, products, services and processes, as well as the review of strategies, organizational structures and management concepts.

Details

Benchmarking: An International Journal, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1463-5771

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2023

Gernot M. Stadtfeld and Tim Gruchmann

The research on supply chain resilience (SCRES) has gained momentum after organizations have experienced more frequent and severe disruptions, especially with COVID-19 and the…

Abstract

Purpose

The research on supply chain resilience (SCRES) has gained momentum after organizations have experienced more frequent and severe disruptions, especially with COVID-19 and the Russia/Ukraine conflict. Due to its potential for new practices and capability building, SCRES requires dynamic capabilities (DC) to enable an organization to prepare for, counter, and recuperate from disruptions leading to performance improvements and competitive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

The present literature study seeks to enrich the theoretical debate on DC in SCRES, contributing to an advanced understanding of SCRES. Therefore, a meta-review of 83 peer-reviewed literature reviews has been conducted. Based on qualitative content analysis and abductive reasoning, relevant constructs are synthesized to facilitate theory-building for SCRES DC into a comprehensive framework.

Findings

The analysis reveals that SCRES has developed into an independent research area. Thus, resilience capabilities must be considered bundles of practices, evolving from different areas beyond supply chain risk management (SCRM). Most recent literature reviews on SCRES address more than one practice bundle applying SCRES DC as antecedents of new DC when organizational structures become more mature, leading to path dependencies when building business capabilities.

Originality/value

Aggregating extant literature on SCRES into a theoretical framework, the study contributes to a better understanding of the relationships between DC and SCRES practices while offering potential avenues for future research. It enriches DC theory by extending its microfoundations towards a holding/buffering dimension, which particularly accounts for the stability-based view of SCRES.

Details

The International Journal of Logistics Management, vol. 35 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0957-4093

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 May 2023

Ramji Nagariya, Subhodeep Mukherjee, Manish Mohan Baral and Venkataiah Chittipaka

This research tries to find the blockchain-based resilience strategies that can help the supply chains of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to recover from the…

Abstract

Purpose

This research tries to find the blockchain-based resilience strategies that can help the supply chains of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to recover from the disruptions and work effectively in a resource-based view perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

Eight broad strategies and 32 sub-strategies are identified from the literature review. Delphi study was carried out, and detailed discussion with 16 experts helped in finalizing these strategies. Further, the best-worst method (BWM) prioritized these strategies.

Findings

The findings suggests that “building social capital,” improving “coordination capabilities,” “sensitivity towards market,” “flexibility in process and production,” “reduction in process and lead time,”and “having a resource efficiency and redundancy” are the top strategies on which the top management should focus to overcome the situations of disruptions and enhance performance of MSMEs.

Practical implications

The blockchain-based strategies will enable the companies in tracing the products from the company to customers. Further, the customers will be able to identify their manufacturers, the raw materials used in manufacturing, and the life and quality of raw used materials. Altogether the textile industry will become more sensitive toward environmental practices.

Originality/value

The previous research has not identified and evaluated the blockchain-based resilience strategies, and therefore this study tries to fill this gap. This study used a smaller sample from the experts, so the results may vary if the larger data set is used and hypothesis testing can be done.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 73 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 29 March 2024

Nikunj Kumar Jain, Kaustov Chakraborty and Piyush Choudhary

The purpose of this study is to develop a conceptual framework to understand how industry 4.0 technologies can help firms building supply chain resilience (SCR). With the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to develop a conceptual framework to understand how industry 4.0 technologies can help firms building supply chain resilience (SCR). With the increasing in turbulent business environment and other disruptive events, firms want to build robust and risk resilience supply chains. The study also explores the role of supply chain visibility (SCV) and environmental dynamism (ED) on the relationship between Industry 4.0 and SCR.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data from 354 firms designated by the Indian Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, as well as organizations that work with these oil and gas firms was analyzed with structural equation modelling, hierarchical linear regression and necessary conditions analysis.

Findings

The findings reveal that Industry 4.0 base technologies enable firms to develop and exploit SCV to build SCR. Furthermore, Industry 4.0 base technologies substantially correlate with SCV under the differential effect of ED, improving SCR.

Research limitations/implications

The cross-sectional data restrict the generalizability of the findings to other geographies and sectors.

Originality/value

This study can assist managers in making well-informed decisions about the strategic use of technology to increase SCV and foster resilient supply chains.

Details

Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0885-8624

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 9 May 2024

Max Rosvall and Ida Gremyr

Quality management (QM) can support organisations in contributing to sustainable development. As a result of an expanding focus from customers towards stakeholders within QM, the…

51

Abstract

Purpose

Quality management (QM) can support organisations in contributing to sustainable development. As a result of an expanding focus from customers towards stakeholders within QM, the perspectives to consider multiply. Understanding how practices and tools for process management are specifically affected by this increase in perspectives is key to creating the right conditions for improvement initiatives that support sustainable development.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper constructs a typology wherein the use of process management practices and tools is described in nine distinguished system contexts. Inductive discrimination is used to differentiate the system contexts and different use cases for process practices and tools.

Findings

Using the system of systems grid (SOSG), mainstream business process management (BPM) practices are positioned in a simple unitary context, whilst sustainability challenges also involve more complex contexts. Addressing these challenges requires integrating new tools and methods from paradigms outside of traditional functionalist business process management practices.

Research limitations/implications

This paper highlights the necessity to consider system contexts when developing feasible practices and tools for effective process management.

Practical implications

Practical implications are that quality practitioners aiming to exploit the potential in process management to support sustainability get support for planning and conducting process improvement initiatives aiming to consider several stakeholder perspectives.

Originality/value

This paper presents a new typology for understanding the context of QM process initiatives and BPM in light of a contemporary sustainability focus.

Details

The TQM Journal, vol. 36 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-2731

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 March 2024

Gang Yu, Zhiqiang Li, Ruochen Zeng, Yucong Jin, Min Hu and Vijayan Sugumaran

Accurate prediction of the structural condition of urban critical infrastructure is crucial for predictive maintenance. However, the existing prediction methods lack precision due…

61

Abstract

Purpose

Accurate prediction of the structural condition of urban critical infrastructure is crucial for predictive maintenance. However, the existing prediction methods lack precision due to limitations in utilizing heterogeneous sensing data and domain knowledge as well as insufficient generalizability resulting from limited data samples. This paper integrates implicit and qualitative expert knowledge into quantifiable values in tunnel condition assessment and proposes a tunnel structure prediction algorithm that augments a state-of-the-art attention-based long short-term memory (LSTM) model with expert rating knowledge to achieve robust prediction results to reasonably allocate maintenance resources.

Design/methodology/approach

Through formalizing domain experts' knowledge into quantitative tunnel condition index (TCI) with analytic hierarchy process (AHP), a fusion approach using sequence smoothing and sliding time window techniques is applied to the TCI and time-series sensing data. By incorporating both sensing data and expert ratings, an attention-based LSTM model is developed to improve prediction accuracy and reduce the uncertainty of structural influencing factors.

Findings

The empirical experiment in Dalian Road Tunnel in Shanghai, China showcases the effectiveness of the proposed method, which can comprehensively evaluate the tunnel structure condition and significantly improve prediction performance.

Originality/value

This study proposes a novel structure condition prediction algorithm that augments a state-of-the-art attention-based LSTM model with expert rating knowledge for robust prediction of structure condition of complex projects.

Details

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

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 30 May 2023

M. Cristina De Stefano and Maria J. Montes-Sancho

Climate change requires the reduction of direct and indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a task that seems to clash with increasing supply chain complexity. This study aims to…

Abstract

Purpose

Climate change requires the reduction of direct and indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, a task that seems to clash with increasing supply chain complexity. This study aims to analyse the upstream supply chain complexity dimensions suggesting the importance of understanding the information processing that these may entail. Reducing equivocality can be an issue in some dimensions, requiring the introduction of written guidelines to moderate the effects of supply chain complexity dimensions on GHG emissions at the firm and supply chain level.

Design/methodology/approach

A three-year panel data was built with information obtained from Bloomberg, Trucost and Compustat. Hypotheses were tested using random effect regressions with robust standard errors on a sample of 394 SP500 companies, addressing endogeneity through the control function approach.

Findings

Horizontal complexity reduces GHG emissions at the firm level, whereas vertical and spatial complexity dimensions increase GHG emissions at the firm and supply chain level. Although the introduction of written guidelines neutralises the negative effects of vertical complexity on firm and supply chain GHG emissions, it is not sufficient in the presence of spatial complexity.

Originality/value

This paper offers novel insights by suggesting that managers need to reconcile the potential trade-off effects on GHG emissions that horizontally complex supply chain structures can present. Their priority in vertically and spatially complex supply chain structures should be to reduce equivocality.

Details

International Journal of Operations & Production Management, vol. 44 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0144-3577

Keywords

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