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With the recent availability of large number of bioinformatics data sources, query from such databases and rigorous annotation of experimental results often use semantic frameworks in the form of an ontology. With the growing access to heterogeneous and independent data repositories, determining the semantic similarity or difference of two ontologies is critical in information retrieval, information integration and semantic web services. The purpose of this paper is to propose a new sense refinement algorithm to construct a refined sense set (RSS) for an ontology so that the senses (synonym words) in this refined sense set represent the semantic meanings of the terms used by this ontology.

A new concept of a semantic set is introduced that combines the refined sense set of ontology with the relationship edges connecting the terms in this ontology to represent the semantics of this ontology. With the semantic sets, measuring the semantic similarity or difference of two ontologies is simplified as comparing the commonality or difference of two sets.

The experimental studies show that the proposed method of measuring the semantic similarity or difference of two ontologies is efficient and accurate; comparisons with existing methods show the efficacy of using the new method.

The concepts introduced in this paper will improve automation of bioinformatics databases to serve queries based on heterogeneous ontologies.

This study aims to present a conceptual framework for understanding the dual orientations of market-based organizational learning (MBOL), namely, market orientation (MO) and learning orientation (LO), in the development of pricing capability (PC) with the goal of improving business performance (BP). This framework further explores the moderating effects of coordination mechanism (CM) and environmental dynamism (ED) on the PC–BP link and the mediating role of PC on the relationship between MBOL and BP.

This study applied the partial least squares structural equation modeling on survey data from 298 Indian small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) operating in manufacturing and service sectors.

The findings indicate that MBOL significantly contributes to PC development, which in turn improves BP. Interestingly, PC acts as a partial mediator in the MO–BP link, as well as LO–BP link. Moreover, CM and ED strengthen the effect of PC on BP. Finally, MO and LO have substantial and distinct effects on PC and BP.

This study examines only one market-related capability, i.e. PC, considers multi-industry SMEs rather than specific large industries and uses cross-sectional instead of longitudinal data.

These findings are crucial from managerial standpoints because SMEs need to understand the MBOL dimensions, including MO and LO, and their significance in improving PC and BP.

Understanding how MBOL adoption contributes to superior performance is critical, but research in the SMEs context is still lacking. This study addresses a research gap by examining the impact of MBOL on BP, both directly and indirectly, through PC in the context of SMEs.

This study seeks to investigate how managerial assumptions shape international market orientation (IMO) and how IMO, in turn, affects the performance of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), drawing from cognitive theory and the resource-based view (RBV) to provide the theoretical framework.

The study focuses on the relatively unexplored domain of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Japan. A survey was developed and tested using data from 303 Japanese SMEs. The study model was subsequently analyzed using the partial least squares (PLS) technique.

The study reveals a nuanced relationship between managerial frames of reference (FoRs) and IMOs. The results confirmed notable congruence between interfunctional market orientation and managers who exhibit a political FoR. They also revealed a positive correlation between professional FoR managers and customer market orientation. Additionally, the findings showed that entrepreneurial FoR managers displayed a significant association with competitive market orientation and Bureaucratic FoR matched with the three types of IMO. Finally, the results indicate that all three forms of IMO have a substantial impact on performance, albeit to varying degrees.

The applicability of our results to multinational corporations (MNCs) has not been evaluated. Since the primary focus was to identify the types of associations among FoR and IMO, the causal pathways and explanatory factors that underpinned these observed relationships were not examined in this study. Additionally, due to the geographical concentration of our sample in Japan, we were unable to conduct tests on the suggested model in other countries to validate and potentially generalize the research findings.

By developing an implicit understanding of the market orientation fit within the organization’s FoR, managers can enhance their understanding of competitors' activities and enable them to respond with greater efficiency.

To the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the rare papers that inspect the relationship between International market orientations and managerial assumptions as well as their effect on performance.

Increased concern about the extensive use of information and communication technology (ICT) has led to widespread research on its effects on employees. This study aims to examine the effect of ICT use and demand on employee-related outcomes, particularly work-life balance, job satisfaction, personal burnout and intention to leave.

The developed model was tested using a survey questionnaire distributed among academics and administrative employees working in the higher education (HE) sector in Qatar. New statistical tools were adopted to analyze the study data (i.e. PLSpredict and partial least squares structural equation modeling for unobserved heterogeneity).

The results confirmed that ICT use affects ICT demand and ICT demand significantly influences employee-related outcomes.

The findings will help HE institutes to carefully examine the negative effect of ICT use and come up with practical ways to avoid such effects.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is one of the rare papers that inspect the negative effect of ICT use in the HE sector. Furthermore, it is the only paper inspecting such relationship in Gulf region.

Building upon the firm market orientation theories, this study aims to examine the individual and synergistic effects of the firm inside-out and outside-in marketing capability on its incremental and radical product innovation outcomes.

By collecting cross-sectional data from 203 manufacturing firms in Pakistan, confirmatory factor analysis in AMOS and hierarchical multiple regression analysis in SPSS are performed to validate the study measurement models and test the hypothesized relationships, respectively.

The findings of this study suggest both inside-out and outside-in marketing capability critical for incremental and radical product innovation. Specifically, inside-out marketing capability is found positively associated with incremental product innovation and non-linearly (inverted U-shaped) associated with radical product innovation. Conversely, outside-in marketing capability is found positively associated with radical product innovation but non-linearly (inverted U-shaped) associated with incremental product innovation. However, the results indorse that developing synergy between the inside-out and outside-in marketing capability positively impacts both incremental and radical product innovation.

Drawing from the firm inside-out and outside-in market orientation theories, the study extends the existing research on product innovation outcomes from the marketing capabilities perspective. Previous literature highly recognized the value of the firm market orientation and being market-driven in market-based product innovations. However, there was a lack of understanding of how the firm marketing capabilities facilitate incremental and radical product innovation. This study provides a novel understanding of the firm inside-out and outside-in marketing capability role in inducing incremental and radical product innovation which enrich and extend the current literature on firm capabilities and product innovations from a marketing perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate diversity of marketing practices of firms operating in the same environment, by identifying how management perception and business strategy (BS) fits with the choice of the marketing practice.

A model was developed and tested using survey methodology based on three well-validated research instruments. Data were analyzed using the partial least square approach.

The results showed that different marketing practice were coupled with different frame of reference, as well as different BS. These forces were found to be inter related, and internally coherent, resulting in viable configurational profiles.

The research is unique and exploratory, and was conducted in three Arabic countries with a small sample size. For these reasons, generalizability is somewhat constrained.

The findings would help managers to carefully examine the internal logic of their marketing-related profiling; it can be used as an assessment tool, where performance should be enhanced if the variables are coherent.

To author’s knowledge this is the first study that inspect three variables that had been associated with decision making, but not integrated together in a holistic framework to explain marketing diversity. Additionally it identified four viable types of marketing practices with its corresponding frame of reference and BS. Therefore, the paper reports a work in an area not previously researched.

The purpose of this paper is to compile a comprehensive status report on pipes/piping networks across different industrial sectors, along with specifications of materials and sizes, and showcase welding avenues. It further extends to highlight the promising friction stir welding as a single solid-state pipe welding procedure. This paper will enable all piping, welding and friction stir welding stakeholders to identify scope for their engagement in a single window.

The paper is a review paper, and it is mainly structured around sections on materials, sizes and standards for pipes in different sectors and the current welding practice for joining pipe and pipe connections; on the process and principle of friction stir welding (FSW) for pipes; identification of main welding process parameters for the FSW of pipes; effects of process parameters; and a well-carved-out concluding summary.

A well-carved-out concluding summary of extracts from thoroughly studied research is presented in a structured way in which the avenues for the engagement of FSW are identified.

The implications of the research are far-reaching. The FSW is currently expanding very fast in the welding of flat surfaces and has evolved into a vast number of variants because of its advantages and versatility. The application of FSW is coming up late but catching up fast, and as a late starter, the outcomes of such a review paper may support stake holders to expand the application of this process from pipe welding to pipe manufacturing, cladding and other high-end applications. Because the process is inherently inclined towards automation, its throughput rate is high and it does not need any consumables, the ultimate benefit can be passed on to the industry in terms of financial gains.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the only review exclusively for the friction stir welding of pipes with a well-organized piping specification detailed about industrial sectors. The current pipe welding practice in each sector has been presented, and the avenues for engaging FSW have been highlighted. The FSW pipe process parameters are characteristically distinguished from the conventional FSW, and the effects of the process parameters have been presented. The summary is concise yet comprehensive and organized in a structured manner.

This study aims to develop a moderated mediation model that enables the examination of the direct relationship between brand orientation (BO) and export performance, the mediating effects of external and internal branding capabilities on the BO-export performance link, and the moderating influence of institutional environment, i.e. regulatory turbulence and policy support.

A time-lag primary data was collected from two-wave survey of 684 cross-industry exporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) using an online-email based survey technique, and the research model was validated using ordinary least squares regression analysis in SPSSV.27 and Hayes’ PROCESS macroV.2.13.

Regression findings indicate that the relationship between BO and export performance is not direct, but rather mediated by means of both external and internal branding capabilities. It further helps to uncover the dual role of institutional environment, with regulatory turbulence weakening and policy support strengthening the indirect influences of BO on export performance via external and internal branding capabilities.

This study advances branding literature by conceptualizing and empirically testing the role of BO associated with internal and external branding capabilities and, subsequently, with export performance.

The research findings indicate that brand-oriented SMEs must actively engage in the development of branding capabilities to improve their export performance.

While brand creation is essential for the success and growth of SMEs competing in the worldwide marketplaces, there is a dearth of research explaining the underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions through which BO influences export performance.