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This study aims to evaluate the melting process of the phase-change RT-35 material in a shell and tube heat exchanger saturated with a porous medium. Titanium porous media with isotropic and inhomogeneous structures are studied. The considered tubes in the shell and tube exchanger are made of copper with specific thicknesses. The phase-change material has a non-Newtonian behavior and follows the endorsed Carreau–Yasuda Model.

The enthalpy–porosity method is used for modeling of the melting process. The governing equations were transferred to their dimensionless forms. Finally, the equations are solved by applying the Galerkin finite element method.

The findings for different values of the relative permeability (K*) and permeability deviation angle (λ) are represented in the forms of charts, streamlines and constant temperature contours. The considerable effects of the relative permeability (K*) and deviation angle (λ) on the flow line patterns of the melting phase-change material are some of the significant achievements of this works.

This study was conducted using data from relevant research articles provided by reputable academic sources. The data included in this manuscript have not been published previously and are not under consideration by any other journal.

The current extensive business ecosystem, characterized by technological advances and development, impressive customers, and increasing social concerns, has exerted great pressure on business organizations. Among different business values for affording this pressure, organizational agility is a critical factor that should be carefully incorporated in business processes. The main purpose of the present study is to investigate the role of social networking technology, as a crucial collaborative tool, on organizational agility.

A model based on structural equations was designed in this regard. The constructs of this model are quality of service, varieties of services, costs and speed of service as independent variables and also agility management as a dependent variable. Based on the conceptual model, a questionnaire was prepared and distributed among the experts of social networking technology and agility management. Based on Cochran's formula the sample size was 384. The response rate was 100%. The main statistical measures such as Chi-square ratio to the degree of freedom, Non-soft Fitness Index (RMSEA), Goodness of Fit Index (GFI) and Modified fitness index (AGFI) were employed for analyzing the model.

Results of obtained data indicated that a variety of services as the main factor of social networking technology has the most impact on the agility of a company. Then, the speed of service, service quality and costs were ranked respectively in second to fourth. Providing information technology (IT) service perceptions, promoting the service climate and thorough identification of IT requirements are the main critical success factors for maintaining a robust impact of social networking technology on organizational agility. Moreover, a well-designed enterprise structure alongside employing newly developed IT infrastructures such as cloud computing certainly improves the capabilities of organizations to improve their agility.

Although the literature suggests a positive impact among IT or social networks on organizational agility, it is deficient in relation to considering the impact of social networking. Furthermore, a structural equation model (SEM) is used for assessing unobservable latent constructs and their related interrelationship.

Healthcare failure mode and effect analysis (HFMEA) identifies potential risks and defines preventive actions to reduce the effects of risks. In addition, a discrete event simulation (DES) could evaluate the effects of every improvement scenario. Consequently, a proposed integrated HFMEA-DES model is presented for quality improvement in a general hospital.

In the proposed model, HFMEA is implemented first. As any risk in the hospital is important and that there are many departments and different related risks, all defined risk factors are evaluated using the risk priority number (RPN) for which related corrective actions are defined based on experts' knowledge. Then, a DES model is designed to determine the effects of selected actions before implementation.

Results show that the proposed model not only supports different steps of HFMEA but also is highly in accordance with the determination of real priorities of the risk factors. It predicts the effects of corrective actions before implementation and helps hospital managers to improve performances.

This research is based on a case study in a well-known general hospital in Iran.

This study takes the advantages of an integrated HFMEA-DES model in supporting the limitation of HFMEA in a general hospital with a large number of beds and patients. The case study proves the effectiveness of the proposed approach for improving the performances of the hospital resources.

This study aimed at determining the decisive factors for achieving sustainable procurement in construction projects.

Questionnaire survey of principal stakeholders involved in construction project delivery within client, consulting and contracting organisations in Nigeria were conducted to assess stakeholders' perspectives on the decisive factors for achieving sustainable procurement in construction projects using importance weights. A total of 243 questionnaires were distributed and a response rate of 51% (123 questionnaires were adequately filled and returned) was achieved. Descriptive and inferential statistics were utilised in analysing elicited data.

The results from data analysis showed that “satisfaction – including workforce satisfaction and user satisfaction”, “value for money” and “creating a healthy, nontoxic environment – including high indoor air quality” were the top most three decisive factors for achieving sustainable procurement in construction projects in Nigeria.

An understanding of these decisive factors can help principal stakeholders in the construction industry of developing countries to facilitate the development of methods required in supporting the adoption of sustainable procurement practice.

The purpose of this paper is to study the role of organizational forgetting in the impact of strategic thinking on the implementation of an organizational excellence model. Furthermore, the factors with main effects on the implementation success of the organizational excellence model are investigated. The two main causes of organizational forgetting, including purposefulness and randomness, along with the three main factors of strategic thinking (vision, creativity and systematic thinking) also are explored. Enablers and results, which are the two key parts of an organizational excellence model are considered as well.

A model based on structural equations is designed, in which organizational forgetting factors, strategic thinking measures and main parts of a business excellence model are incorporated based on the literature. A total of 297 Iranian companies in which an organizational excellence model had been implemented are selected for investigation. A questionnaire is designed and distributed among the experts, middle managers and top managers of these companies. Based on Cochran’s formula, the sample size of 168 is obtained, for which the response rate is 100 percent. Main statistical measures such as χ² ratio to degree of freedom, non-soft fitness index (RMSEA), fitness index (GFI) and modified fitness index (AGFI) are used to assess the performance of the proposed model.

According to the results of the statistical significance tests, the role of organizational obsessive mediators in the establishment of the organizational excellence model has been largely confirmed. Furthermore, the mediator role of organizational forgetting in the final impact of strategic thinking on implementing an organizational excellence model has been widely endorsed. Failure to use knowledge from learning, the inability of a company in coding and documenting knowledge and lack of incentives to share it are the most important factors in the forgetting of knowledge in companies.

As top managers, middle managers and experts are hard to reach due to the wide geographical spread of the organization under study, a questionnaire is designed and distributed among them. The impact of organizational forgetting on other quality management systems such as ISO 9001 and ISO 4001 needs another research to be conducted in the future.

Using new experiences, increasing the competency of employees and managers experience through organizational learning, employee and managerial assessment and organizational strategy assessment are the main practical methods for considering organizational forgetting in the process of implementing organizational excellence models.

This research addresses organizational forgetting besides strategic thinking as joint main roles for implementing organizational excellence, whereas previous research works only considered strategic thinking as a factor. Furthermore, a structural equation model is developed for appraisal of effect of different factors.

This article examines the direct effect of total quality management (TQM) practices on organizational performance (OP) and innovation (INN), as well as their indirect effect through organizational learning (OL) as a mediating variable. In addition, this survey examines company size as a contextual variable in the relationship between TQM and outcome variables.

A conceptual framework is proposed to test causal links between TQM, OP, INN and OL. To empirically test this framework, 110 questionnaires were collected from large Tunisian quality-certified industries, and 167 questionnaires were collected from small and medium-sized industries (SMIs) in order to examine the effect of company size. In this order, a multigroup analysis (MGA) is performed.

Using the structural equation modeling technique, seven hypotheses are investigated. The results reveal that TQM has a direct and significant positive effect on OP and INN. Data analysis shows that there is a significant positive effect between TQM and OL, while OL positively influences OP and INN. Furthermore, the results illustrate a mediating effect of OL between TQM and OP and INN. The results reveal that large industries and SMIs show significant differences in the relationship, including the conceptual model.

The conceptual framework can be used by practitioners for effective implementation of TQM practices to simultaneously improve operational performance, quality performance and INN. This study also focuses on the role of OL in large-scale industries.

While the relationships between TQM, INN and OP have been examined separately in previous studies, this study examines the relationship between these variables in a unique model in Tunisian industries, including OL as a mediating variable. In addition, it is one of the few studies that considers firm size as a contextual variable and provides an analysis of its effect on the relationships between these variables. This study presents new data and empirical insights into the relationship between these variables.

This study examines the theoretical and empirical relationships between LM&SS, human resource management (HRM), climate for LM&SS and outcomes (employee well-being and performance) in hospitals. As part of this research, the authors examine the interplay between “hard” and “soft” practices for LM&SS and “soft” HR practices.

A cross-sectional, multisite survey study covering all internal service units at all eight Dutch university hospitals was conducted (42 units, N = 218 supervisors, N = 1,668 employees), and multivariate multilevel regression analyses were performed.

A systems approach involving “soft” LM&SS practices that are specifically HR-related has a positive effect (β is 0.46) on a climate for LM&SS. A climate for LM&SS is not related to perceived performance or employee health. It is, however, positively related to employee happiness and trusting relationships (both βs are 0.33). We did not find that a climate for LM&SS had a mediating effect.

This study shows that a balanced approach involving both “hard” and “soft” factors is crucial to achieving the desired breadth and depth of LM&SS adoption at the macro, meso, and micro levels. The authors found that a climate for LM&SS positively affects employee well-being in hospitals.

In their attempt to create mutual gains for both their organization and their employees, hospitals that adopt LM&SS should foster a climate for LM&SS by embracing a balanced approach consisting of both “hard” and “soft” practices, thereby internalizing LM&SS at the macro, meso, and micro levels.

This is one of the first studies to examine in-depth the impact of “hard” and “soft” LM&SS on both employee well-being (subdivided into different components) and performance in healthcare, as well as the role of “soft” HRM in this relationship. Linking LM&SS, HRM and outcomes to a climate for LM&SS is relatively a new approach and has led to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the internalization of LM&SS in healthcare.

In this paper, a systematic review of 284 articles published between 2015 and 2022 and a full-text thematic analysis of 70 selected articles was conducted to catalog and synthesize factors in a framework. Thematic analysis subsequently revealed 18 selective codes under three groups of drivers, barriers, and outcomes. These three groups were explained by four key aspects including organization, stakeholders, infrastructure, and business environment that set a framework for the digitalization of construction. The study finally concluded digitalization strategies with a focus on support mechanisms, government incentives, regulations, the transition from manual labor to technicians, organizational technology culture, methodology development, and innovation processes. Such strategies provide insight into prioritizing resources towards smooth digital transformation in construction businesses.

A two-stage methodology is adopted by undertaking a systematic literature review followed by thematic content analysis. This work concludes with an analysis of remaining research gaps and suggestions for potential future research.

In this paper, a systematic review of 284 articles published between 2015 and 2022 and a full-text thematic analysis of 70 selected articles was conducted to catalog and synthesize variables in a framework. Thematic analysis subsequently revealed a set of variables and factors describing construction digitalization under three groups of success factors, barriers, and outcomes. A critical content analysis of the representative studies was conducted to identify five future research trends as well as associated research gaps and directions on the topic.

This study contributes to practice by providing directions concerning the key strategies and priorities associated with the digitalization of construction businesses.

This ground-breaking research brings to light a classified set of factors that are important for the digitalization of construction businesses. The elicited framework contributes to the current body of knowledge by offering a unique conceptualization of both driving and adverse aspects for the seamless digital transformation of construction.

This paper aims to propose a laser micro-machined 4 × 4 elements microstrip array antenna suitable for 5 G millimeter wave (mm-wave) applications. Each patch element of the array is excited with same amplitude and phase that is achieved with proper novel impedance matching stub. The proposed antenna achieves a simulated gain of 13.15 dBi and a measured return loss of −24.80 dB at 28.73 GHz with a total bandwidth of 7.48 GHz. The designed antenna is directional with a directivity of 15.1 dBi at 28.73 GHz, whereas fabricated on a low cost FR4 substrate with a substrate thickness of 0.074 λ mm. The antenna is realized with an aperture size of 2.24λ × 3.26λ.

The antenna structure starts from the design of single element called unit cell. The single element is designed using the transmission line model equations of a rectangular patch. To design a 28 GHz microstrip patch antenna, a dielectric material with lower permittivity and having thickness (h) less than 1 mm is required. This specification gives better gain and efficiency by reducing surface waves and mutual coupling between elements. The inset width is optimized to achieve the minimum reflection coefficient (S11). The single element has been arranged with a minimum spacing of λ/2 (5.3571 mm) in an H plane and E plane. It is connected using the microstrip lines with proper impedance matching. The four 2 × 2-sub array cell subsystems are connected with a corporate feed together formed the 4 × 4-array cell. Rectangular planar array method is used to arrange the elements in the 4 × 4 array cell.

The design concept is simple which includes the combination of corporate feed and insect feed. It is compact in size and easy to fabricate. The bandwidth of fabricated prototype antenna array is achieved as 7.48 GHz from 24.98 GHz to 32.46 GHz. The mutual coupling is very less though the antenna array is placed with minimum spacing between adjacent elements. This is because of the microstrip feeding structure with minimum phase shift. The gain can be further enhanced with increasing number of array element and proper designing of feed line. Owing to the advantages of low profile, wide bandwidth and high gain, the designed array will be potentially useful in 5 G wireless communications.

The measured antenna offers bandwidth 7.48 GHz (24.98 GHz-32.46 GHz) with centered frequency 28.73 GHz. The agreement between simulated and measured results is good. The VSWR is observed 0.32 < 2, offers good impedance matching and low mutual coupling. It gives better E-Field and H-field radiation patterns of the 4 × 4 array antenna structure at 28 GHz. The total gain of 13.14 dBi is achieved at the center frequency. The total efficiency of 63.42 per cent is achieved with FR4 substrate.

The study aims to identify Green Lean Six Sigma (GLSS) barriers in the context of Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) and prioritize them for executing the GLSS approach.

A systematic literature review (SLR) was used to identify a total of 14 barriers, which were then verified for greater relevance by the professional judgments of industrial personnel. Moreover, many removal measures strategies are also recommended in this study. Furthermore, this work also utilizes Gray Relational Analysis (GRA) to prioritize the identified GLSS barriers.

The study reveals that training and education, continuous assessment of SDG, organizational culture, resources and skills to facilitate implementation, and assessment of satisfaction and welfare of the employee are the most significant barriers to implementing this approach.

The present study provides an impetus for practitioners and managers to embrace the GLSS strategy through a wide-ranging understanding and exploring these barriers. In this case, the outcomes of this research, and in particular the GRA technique presented by this work, can be used by managers and professionals to rank the GLSS barriers and take appropriate action to eliminate them.

The ranking of GLSS barriers gives top officials of HEIs a very clear view to effectively and efficiently implementing GLSS initiatives. The outcomes also show training and education, sustainable development goals and organizational culture as critical barriers. The findings of this study provide an impetus for managers, policymakers and consultants to embrace the GLSS strategy through a wide-ranging understanding and exploring these barriers.

The GLSS barriers in HEIs may significantly affect the society. HEIs can lessen their environmental effect by using GLSS practices, which can support sustainability initiatives and foster social responsibility. Taking steps to reduce environmental effect can benefit society as a whole. GLSS techniques in HEIs can also result in increased operational effectiveness and cost savings, which can free up resources to be employed in other areas, like boosting student services and improving educational programs. However, failing to implement GLSS procedures in HEIs could have societal repercussions as well. As a result, it is critical for HEIs to identify and remove GLSS barriers in order to advance sustainability, social responsibility and operational effectiveness.

GLSS is a comprehensive methodology that facilitates the optimum utilization of resources, reduces waste and provides the pathway for sustainable development so, the novelty of this study stands in the inclusion of its barriers and HEIs to prioritize them for effective implementation.