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This paper aims to investigate the difference between the impacts of indicators of trade barriers (TBs) on bankrupt enterprises (BEs), new enterprises (NEs) and other enterprises (OEs).

The paper has used a multiple-step approach. At the first stage, the initial data has been collected from interviews with 164 top managers of SMEs in West Azerbaijan in Iran during two periods of 2013–2015 and 2017–2019. At the second step, multiple correspondence analysis has been used to summarize the relationships between variables and construct indices for different groups of TBs. Finally, the generalized structural equation model method was used to examine the impact of export barriers.

The results showed that the political legal index is the main TBs for BEs and NEs, but it had a more significant impact on BEs; the financial index was the second major TBs factor for BEs, while OEs did not have a problem in performance index, and the financial index was classified as a minor obstacle for them. All indicators of marketing barriers (except production index) had a negative and significant effect on all enterprises; the most important TBs for NEs was the information index.

The results indicated that if enterprises have a strong financial system and function, they can lessen the impact of sanctions and keep themselves in the market.

As an emerging technology, Radio Frequency IDentification (RFID) and blockchain have the potential to disrupt many areas of business and social structure. However, it is loaded with significant technical, social, legal, financial and ethical complications that bring difficulty in its widespread use within the public distribution system (PDS). This research aims to analyze the barriers to integrated RFID and blockchain adoption in developing countries' PDS. Furthermore, this study also aims to validate the proposed framework against the Indian PDS.

The proposed framework consists of 10 potential barriers to integrated RFID and blockchain adoption. To identify the barriers, this study referred to the extant literature followed by consultations with domain experts. This study prepared the DEMATEL-based questionnaires, collected the data from four domain experts and analyzed them using an integrated Grey-DEMATEL approach.

The obtained results provide a precise list of barriers and the correlations among them. From the results, it is concluded that the unavailability of a skilled workforce at affordable cost, lack of knowledge about privacy level and unclear return on investment and benefits are the most critical blockchain adoption barriers in the context of Indian PDS.

This research proposes a framework consisting of 10 integrated RFID and blockchain adoption barriers in relation to Indian PDS. It also proposes a method for analyzing causal interrelationships between the barriers while allowing for data input from domain experts. Consequently, the framework is capable of coping with experts' biases and data scarcity.

Recently, increasing costs and competitive pressure have accelerated the search for different business models in both the production and service sectors. The rapid development of technology has increased the importance of digitalization, especially in developing new and different strategies. The digital service business model has also become a new business model that companies have recently preferred. In addition to its many advantages, it is a business model in which different barriers arise in practice. When we look at the literature, there are very few studies, especially on digital servitization. The purpose of this study is to integrate the concept of digital servitization with the Industry 4.0 perspective.

To achieve this aim, first, the authors identify various challenges and barriers in front of digital servitization based on the Industry 4.0 perspective. Later, they determine the relative importance of these barriers critical to the success of digital servitization. Lastly, one multi-criteria decision-making method, the fuzzy decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory method, is used to analyze the cause-and-effect relationship between each barrier based on the Industry 4.0 perspective

Based on the results, the most crucial cause-and-effect barriers are insufficient infrastructure/lack of IT infrastructure and high implementation, respectively. Therefore, this study offers the reader the possible barriers to sustainable digital servitization with Industry 4.0 perspective implementations and comprehensive solutions for these barriers. In addition, this study draws a roadmap for disseminating digital service applications.

There is no study, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, about determining barriers and problems with merging digital servitization with the Industry 4.0 perspective. So, there is still a significant gap in the literature about investigating these two essential topics from the Industry 4.0 perspective.

The present study aims to investigate the relationship between institutional influence and performance, mediated through transformational leadership (TL) and moderated by barriers, situational factors, communication and implementation.

Using a structured survey instrument, data were collected from 370 faculty members from 31 higher educational institutions in southern India. After checking the psychometric properties of the instrument, the authors used Hayes’s PROCESS to test the direct hypotheses and three-way interactions.

The results revealed that TL mediated the relationship between institutional influence and performance. Further, the findings supported the three-way interactions between (1) institutional influence, barriers and communication positively affecting TL; and (2) TL, situational factors and implementation affecting the performance of faculty members.

This study underscores the importance of TL for the smooth functioning of higher educational institutions and achieving superior performance, especially in the new normal context after the global pandemic.

This study makes several significant recommendations to administrators in higher educational institutions, in addition to contributing to the vast literature on TL. The study suggests that administrators must invest resources in developing TL skills so that employees reach their fullest potential and contribute to achieving organizational goals. In addition, leaders in organizations need to exercise a transformational style to combat the new normal post-pandemic academic environment.

This study provides new insights into the importance of TL style and institutional influence to enhance performance. To the best of our knowledge, the conceptual model developed and tested the first of its kind in India, significantly contributing to theory and practice.

Electricity savings from energy-efficient appliances (EEAs) may have a significant impact on reducing global warming. There are several barriers confronted by EEAs, which have lowered their acceptance rate. The current study aims to identify and highlight key barriers to strengthening domestic sector adoption of EEAs in developing countries.

In the current study, 13 barriers were discovered by an in-depth literature review and the judgement of experts as well. Further, integrated “interpretive structural modeling” (ISM) and “decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory” (DEMATEL) approaches are used to evaluate barriers. The ISM technique is implemented to categorize barriers into distinct hierarchy levels and “cross-impact matrix multiplication applied to classification” (MICMAC) analysis to divide barriers among four clusters “independent, linkage, dependent and autonomous.” Moreover, the DEMATEL methodology is applied to classify the barriers among cause and effect clusters.

The integrated ISM and DEMATEL approach suggests that the topmost influencing barriers to the acceptance of EEAs are the lack of Government policies and initiatives, lack of attractive loan financing and subsidized energy prices.

This study would help researchers, regulators, producers, policymakers and consumers to comprehend the need for additional developments and understand that the adoption of EEAs is a current need. Overall, the results of this study expedite stakeholders with the key barriers that may assist to enhance the acceptance of EEAs within the domestic sector.

An extensive literature survey showed a dearth of studies for the identification, modeling and analysis of barriers collectively. Therefore, the current work used the ISM and DEMATEL approaches to fill the gap and to provide more comprehensive knowledge on barriers related to the acceptance of EEA.

The apparel and textile sector poses a significant environmental challenge due to its substantial contribution to pollution in the form of air, water and soil pollution. To combat these issues, the adoption of sustainable practices is essential. This study aims to identify and analyse the barriers that hinder the progress of sustainability in the apparel and textile industry. By consulting experts in the field, critical barriers were identified and given special attention.

To achieve the research objective, an integrated approach involving Interpretive Structural Modelling (ISM) and fuzzy MICMAC decision-making techniques was employed. The results were further validated through the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method.

The findings highlight that barrier related to clothing disposal, inadequate adaptation to modern technology, challenges affecting sector efficiency and issues related to fashion design are crucial in influencing the remaining six barriers. Based on the outcomes of the DEMATEL method, a comprehensive cause-and-effect diagram was constructed to gain a deeper understanding of these challenges.

This research provides valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders in the apparel and textile industry. It offers a strategic framework to address and overcome sustainability barriers, promoting the development of a more environmentally responsible and resilient sector.

The purpose of this research is to conduct an in-depth investigation of the barriers apparel and textile sectors. It is feasible that both the management team and the medical experts who provide direct patient care could benefit from this research.

Food supply chains (FSCs) are fast becoming more and more complex. Sustainability is a necessary strategy in FSCs to meet the environmental, economic and societal requirements. Industry 4.0 (I4.0) applications for a circular economy (CE) will play a significant role in sustainable food supply chains (SFSCs). I4.0 applications can be used in for traceability, tracking, inspection and quality monitoring, environmental monitoring, precision agriculture, farm input optimization, process automation, etc. to improve circularity and sustainability of FSCs. However, the factors integrating I4.0 and CE adoption in SFSC are not yet very well understood. Furthermore, despite such high potential I4.0 adoption is also met with several barriers. The present study identifies and analyzes twelve barriers for the adoption of I4.0 in SFSC from an CE context.

A cause-effect analysis and prominence ranking of the barriers are done using Rough-DEMATEL technique. DEMATEL is a widely used technique that is applied for a structured analysis of a complex problems. The rough variant of DEMATEL helps include the uncertainty and vagueness of decision maker related to the I4.0 technologies.

“Technological immaturity,” “High investment,” “Lack of awareness and customer acceptance” and “technological limitations and lack of eco-innovation” are identified as the most prominent barriers for adoption of I4.0 in SFSC.

Successful mitigation of these barriers will improve the sustainability of FSCs through accelerated adoption of I4.0 solutions. The findings of the study will help managers, practitioners and planners to understand and successfully mitigate these barriers.

Women entrepreneurs contribute significantly to Asian economies. However, women in this region face an alarming array of barriers to entrepreneurship. This research study aims to examine the factors, i.e. government support, family social support, financial literacy and managerial skills, in building the entrepreneurial capacity of women entrepreneurs under the lens of the person–environment (P-E) fit theory. Furthermore, the study also examines the moderating effect of socio-cultural barriers in the said relationships.

For the study, the data was collected from the owners of 311 women-owned manufacturing and services sector enterprises from the northern Indian community.

Findings suggest that all the factors significantly affect the entrepreneurial capacity of women entrepreneurs, and the barriers work as a moderator between the relationships.

Based on P-E fit theory, this unique research study proposes a model to test the role of factors such as government support, family social support, financial literacy and managerial skills in developing women entrepreneurs’ entrepreneurial capacity along with examining the moderating role of socio-cultural factors contributing to the entrepreneurial capacity of women.

The main purpose of this paper is to investigate drivers and barriers of climate change mitigation strategies (CCMS), their linkages and impact in Indian Iron and Steel Industry (IISI) in light of ninth sustainable development goal (building resilient infrastructure, promote sustainable industrialization and foster innovation).

To identify relevant drivers and barriers, a thorough literature review and opinions of industry experts were obtained. Utilizing Total Interpretive Structural Modeling (TISM), the selected drivers and barriers were modeled separately along with Cross Impact Matrix-multiplication Applied to Classification (MICMAC).

Pragmatic and cost-effective technology, less supply chain complexity, robust policy and legal framework were found to have the highest driving power over all the other drivers. Findings suggest political pressure as the most critical barrier in this study. The results from TISM and MICMAC analysis have been used to elucidate a framework for the understanding of policymakers and achieve top management commitment.

This paper will help researchers, academicians, industry analysts and policymakers in developing a systems approach in prioritizing CCMS in energy-intensive (coal dependent) iron and steel plants. The model outcomes of this work will aid operational research to understand the working principles in other industries as well.

To the best of authors' knowledge, there is paucity of reported literature for the drivers and barriers of CCMS in iron and steel industry. This paper can be considered a unique, first attempt to use data from developing nations like India to develop a model and explain relationships of the existing drivers and barriers of CCMS.

The purpose of the article is to explore the perceptions of Brazilian game developers about the power relations between them and the sponsors of digital game platforms. It also aims to identify forms of collective action that developers can use to counteract the asymmetry of power.

The research employed an abductive approach, seeking empirical evidence that would challenge consolidated theory. To achieve this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 Brazilian developers. The data were analyzed qualitatively using NVivo software. The aim was to resolve theoretical ambiguities identified in the literature review and to explore unexpected findings.

The study explores Brazilian game developers' perceptions through interviews, revealing their experiences within the industry’s concentrated structure and their use of collective action to navigate power dynamics.

The study's focus on Brazil limits the generalizability of its findings to the broader game development industry.

The study suggests Brazilian game devs can leverage collective action to counteract power imbalance with platforms, collaborate through events and projects and facilitate internationalization of their games.

The study suggests collective action could empower developers to challenge platform dominance and foster a stronger community among Brazilian game developers.

The article’s value lies in examining Brazilian devs' experiences within their specific industry context and highlighting collective action as a potential strategy for developers.