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The present study proposes a model to examine the cultural fit between buyers and suppliers for establishing synergies in their processes and practices.

This study assessed buyers' culture through the Competing Values Framework and used Quality Management Practices Model as a proxy to assess suppliers' culture. The data from 262 paired respondents were used for this analysis. This survey was administered in India, using linear snowball-sampling technique. This study applied 3SLS regression for each culture group separately.

This study has instituted the cultural fit between the buyers' and suppliers' culture. It is observed that for getting synergies between cultures, buyers need to choose a set of suppliers which have similar cultural traits.

This study presents empirical findings based on data from Indian manufacturing firms. These findings need testing in other developing countries and other sectors.

Organizations can formulate right policies for supplier selection based on the cultural fit between buyers and suppliers.

With increasing role of suppliers in the value chain, organizations around the world need to work with the right suppliers for gaining a sustainable competitive advantage. Selection of the right suppliers depends on the cultural fit between buyers and suppliers that, in turn, depends on the selection of the right suppliers based on the prevailing culture.

The purpose of this paper is to establish the relationship between organizational culture (OC) and total quality management (TQM) practices in the Indian construction industry.

A questionnaire survey was conducted to draw valid empirical data from 200 construction firms in India. The dominant culture was identified using cluster analysis.

The findings of cluster analysis show four emergent clusters, namely, internal, flexible, comprehensive and control. The OC profile of the Indian construction organizations is dominated by internal focus characterized by the features of both group and hierarchical cultures of Competing Values Framework (CVF). Furthermore, the results revealed that the comprehensive focus culture is the most suitable culture in addition to the internal and flexibility focus cultures for the implementation of TQM in India.

Before implementing the TQM practices, managers in construction organizations need to be aware of cultural orientation emphasized in their organizations to facilitate the effective implementation of TQM.

This paper contributes to the existing literature by providing empirical evidence that leads to the association between OC and TQM practices. The study proposes besides the internal and flexibility focus cultures, the comprehensive focus culture within the Indian construction industry are key drivers for the successful implementation of TQM practices.

This study attempts to identify and analyse the barriers to implementing a reverse logistics (RL) system in Indian Construction, Real estate, Infrastructure and Project (CRIP) sectors and present a structured model to identify interdependencies among them.

The barriers to implementing RL in CRIP sectors in India were identified using a Delphi study. The interdependencies were identified using Interpretive Structural Modeling (ISM). Further, using the Matriced' Impacts Croisés Multiplication Appliquée à un Classement (MICMAC) analysis, the barriers were classified on the basis of their driving power and interdependencies.

The study has identified ten barriers that can hamper the application of an RL system in CRIP sectors. The finding of the ISM model shows that macro level barriers such as lack of awareness of reverse logistics, insufficient government policies and unavailability of standard codes stimulate each other and also drive all other barriers. The organization-specific barriers operating at the strategic/tactical level, namely, company's rigid mechanism, lack of awareness of economic profits, inadequate company’s organizational policies and lack of training, reluctance from stakeholders, scarcity of resources and finance from company are found at the intermediate level of hierarchy and they can be influenced by the barriers at the lower level and influence the barriers on the and higher levels. The operational level barrier namely “Inadequate Information Technology system” is at the top of the hierarchy and can be driven by all the barriers at the lower level.

The present findings are based on the opinions of experts only from Indian CRIP sectors so the results may require to be validated in other contexts.

The structural model presenting the interdependencies will be a guide for the CRIP supply chain professionals in understanding and ranking the barriers they may face while implementing the RL system.

The study contributes to the existing literature by providing a set of barriers and their interdependencies faced during the implementation of an RL system implementation in CRIP sectors. It is one of the first studies which identifies barriers applicable to the CRIP firms in India and models their inter-dependencies. Additionally Consequently, these firms can make a move forward towards a circular economy by overcoming these interlinked barriers.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical model to explain the impact of big data and predictive analytics (BDPA) on sustainable business development goal of the organization.

The authors have developed the theoretical model using resource-based view logic and contingency theory. The model was further tested using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) following Peng and Lai (2012) arguments. The authors gathered 205 responses using survey-based instrument for PLS-SEM.

The statistical results suggest that out of four research hypotheses, the authors found support for three hypotheses (H1-H3) and the authors did not find support for H4. Although the authors did not find support for H4 (moderating role of supply base complexity (SBC)), however, in future the relationship between BDPA, SBC and sustainable supply chain performance measures remain interesting research questions for further studies.

This study makes some original contribution to the operations and supply chain management literature. The authors provide theory-driven and empirically proven results which extend previous studies which have focused on single performance measures (i.e. economic or environmental). Hence, by studying the impact of BDPA on three performance measures the authors have attempted to answer some of the unresolved questions. The authors also offer numerous guidance to the practitioners and policy makers, based on empirical results.

The purpose of this paper is to formulate frameworks for the drivers and barriers of integrated sustainable solid waste management (ISSWM) with reference to conditions prevailing in India.

A multi-phased approach was adopted in this paper to come up with the conceptual framework of the drivers and barriers of ISSWM. In the first phase, drivers and barriers of ISSWM were identified based on a systematic literature review process. In the second phase, 25 experts having 15 plus years of experience in the field of sustainable development and environmental management were consulted to get their opinion. Validation and understanding of the interrelationship among the selected drivers and barriers were done based on the insights from expert interviews. And in the final phase, structural self-interaction matrix and transitive links are defined based on the expert opinion to come up with the theoretical frameworks of drivers and barriers of ISSWM.

Findings reveal the importance to have a system view point approach by giving equal importance to social, environmental and economic pillars of sustainability along with the technology component to effectively and sustainably manage the solid waste disposal. Institutional effectiveness and the robust policy and frameworks are the two variables found to have the highest driving power. Poor social values and ethics, huge population and illiteracy are the three most critical barriers faced by developing nations in achieving the sustainability practices in the solid waste management. The proposed frameworks of drivers and barriers of ISSWM will definitely help policy makers to effectively manage the sustainable waste management practices for developing economies by focusing on the key variables listed out.

One of the limitations is in the use of very limited sample size in the study. Another limitation is that total interpretive structural modeling fails to come up with the relative weightings of drivers and barriers used in the study. These limitations can be overcome by extending the research by using a semi-structured questionnaire survey with higher sample size for the empirical validation of the model.

This research will help to clearly understand the framework of drivers and barriers of variables and their hierarchical level based on the driving power and dependence. Since such articles focusing on the conceptual frameworks of drivers and barriers of ISSWM are found to be very scant, this paper will equally help academicians and waste management professionals to understand the concepts deeply, by getting answers to the fundamental questions of “what,” “why” and “how.” Developed framework of drivers explicitly shows the need to attain financial stability through the commercialization of the waste management initiatives, which will help to reduce burden on various governmental institutions. Commercialization opportunities will also help to have more successful start-up ventures in solid waste management domain that can provide improved employment opportunities and hygiene environment in the developing nations like India.

Based on the authors’ best knowledge, there is hardly any article that explicitly explains the conceptual frameworks of the drivers and barriers of ISSWM by considering the conditions prevailing in developing countries like India. And thus, this can be considered as one of the unique research attempts to build a clear conceptual framework of ISSWM. The study contributes significantly to the existing literature body by clearly interpreting the interrelationships and the driving power and dependence of variables of ISSWM.

The downstream oil marketing companies (OMCs) have an opportunity to compensate their huge under-recovery by increasing non-fuel revenues through strategic planning for collaboration with organized companies (OCs) of auto-servicing sector, who are experiencing a surge in the demand for auto-servicing. The purpose of this paper is to explore the business need for strategic collaboration and empirically validate the building mechanism for collaborative capacities between the two sectors (OMCs and OCs).

The paper is designed to explore the implementation of collaboration using needs analysis, exploratory factor analysis and structural equation modelling process for building collaborative capacities between the two sectors.

Although alignment is a necessary condition before allowing for a valid collaboration between the two sectors, the external alignment process is highly significant for implementing collaboration unlike the internal alignment process.

Methodological limitations include the use of convenience sampling and anonymous survey-based research.

Selecting the “right” identified factors for collaboration is unquestionably one of the most important topics in the collaboration literature, which holds vast practical implications.

This study provides practical and theoretical insights for implementing collaboration based on empirical results.

The purpose of this paper is to propose the idea of linking the use of the Monte Carlo simulation with scenario planning to assist strategy makers in formulating strategy in the face of uncertainty relating to service quality gaps for life insurance business, where discontinuities always remain for need‐based selling.

The paper reviews briefly some applications of scenario planning. Scenario planning emphasizes the development of a strategic plan that is robust across different scenarios. The paper provides considerable evidence to suggest a new strategic approach using Monte Carlo simulation for making scenario planning.

The paper highlights which particular service quality gap attribute as risk impacts most and least for the possibility of occurrences as best case, worst case, and most likely case.

This study suffers from methodological limitations associated with convenience sampling and anonymous survey‐based research.

The approach using Monte Carlo simulation increases the credibility of the scenario to an acceptable level, so that it will be used by managers and other decision makers.

The paper provides a thorough documentation on scenario planning upon studying the impact of risk and uncertainty in service quality gap for making rational decisions in management of services such that managers make better justification and communication for their arguments.

The paper offers empirical understanding of the application of Monte Carlo simulation to scenario planning and identifies key drivers which impact most and least on service quality gap.

This paper examines the ways in which the concepts of “quality”, “productivity” and “business performance” are dealt in the literature to exhibit that terms used within these fields are vaguely defined and poorly understood. The purpose of this paper is to define quality, productivity and business performance along with their linkages for home-based brassware manufacturing units.

This paper reviews related academic literature mostly since past ten years.

This paper clarifies meaning and linkages of quality, productivity and business performance in home-based brassware manufacturing units.

The meaning and interpretations of quality, productivity and business performance may differ for other manufacturing units.

This paper highlights determinants of quality, productivity and business performance using key performance areas as applied explicitly for home-based brassware manufacturing units. The systems approach has been applied to understand productivity.

This paper creates terminologies that reduce the existing confusion with the field for applications in academia and brassware industry.

Discusses the ways in which Spain has influenced both East and West, with particular emphasis on religion with the Jesuits to the fore. Concentrates mainly on Spanish Jesuits in India and shows how they adapted to the Indian culture and way of life. Elaborates on the Jesuits’ clear emphasis on education, instruction and information in addition to spreading religious belief to all. Concludes with the modern role of Jesuits in combating hunger, drug abuse and homelessness in India.

Books and Pamphlets. AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Chemical Abstracts Service 1958 supplement to the list of periodicals abstracted by Chemical Abstracts (1956 edition). Columbus, Ohio, the Service, 1959. 40 pp. $1.