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This research recognizes the importance of the founding conditions of a firm. A new construct, Founding Time (FT) has been conceptualized, measured, and validated to represent one of the founding conditions of a firm. FT is then used to understand the phenomena of growth of firms.

The impact of FT on the growth of a firm has been examined. This examination reveals that there is a certain zone of FT, which seems to result in high firm growth rates. This research also establishes that there is an optimum for the FT of a firm.

A multimethod approach has been used which includes econometric modeling and case studies. This approach has allowed us to triangulate the results of FT in this research.

High-efficiency video coding (HEVC) is the latest video coding standard that has better coding efficiency than the H.264/advanced video coding (AVC) standard. The purpose of this paper is to design and develop an effective block search mechanism for the video compression-HEVC standard such that the developed compression standard is applied for the communication applications.

In the proposed method, an rate-distortion (RD) trade-off, named regressive RD trade-off is used based on the conditional autoregressive value at risk (CaViar) model. The motion estimation (ME) is based on the new block search mechanism, which is developed with the modification in the Ordered Tree-based Hex-Octagon (OrTHO)-search algorithm along with the chronological Salp swarm algorithm (SSA) based on deep recurrent neural network (deepRNN) for optimally deciding the shape of search, search length of the tree and dimension. The chronological SSA is developed by integrating the chronological concept in SSA, which is used for training the deep RNN for ME.

The competing methods used for the comparative analysis of the proposed OrTHO-search based RD + chronological-salp swarm algorithm (RD + C-SSA) based deep RNN are support vector machine (SVM), fast encoding framework, wavefront-based high parallel (WHP) and OrTHO-search based RD method. The proposed video compression method obtained a maximum peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) of 42.9180 dB and a maximum structural similarity index measure (SSIM) of 0.9827.

In this research, an effective block search mechanism was developed with the modification in the OrTHO-search algorithm along with the chronological SSA based on deepRNN for the video compression-HEVC standard.

In construction management, risks and claims are treated separately, but several studies tacitly acknowledge a strong link between the two. In this context, this research intends to investigate whether risks and claims have a causal relationship? Based on this causal relationship, a claim-based risk assessment model (C-RAM) is developed to quantify occurrences and cost implications of risks using project data.

First, the causal relationship between risks and claims is established through a conceptual framework for content analysis of the literature on risk management (RM) and claim management (CM). Then, a C-RAM is developed based on the content analysis of 234 claims from 24 settled arbitration awards.

Risks and claims are found to be two stages in the same chain of uncertain events that affect projects, subsequently revealing a causal relationship between risks and claims. Due to this causal relationship, claim documents become a potential source of risk information from past projects. Proposed C-RAM quantifies occurrences of risks with three parameters: number of projects in which a risk occurs, number of ways in which a risk occurs, and number of claims a risk causes if it occurs. Also, cost implications of risks are quantified as percentage of contract sums for interpretation as tangible values.

Though C-RAM is applicable to all types of claims, the results in this paper are based on impacts of risks in past projects that caused claims and reached to arbitration stage.

The causal relationship between risks and claims will encourage integration of knowledge on RM and CM which is currently treated separately. Practitioners can now visualize claims as cost implications of risks that occurred in projects. Further, C-RAM makes risk assessment (RA) more objective by quantifying the cost implications of risks as percentage of contract sums which can be readily used for contingency estimation.

The relationship between risks and claims, and the potential of claim documents as a source of project risk information, can initiate a new paradigm in RM research based on project data.

Since the first Volume of this Bibliography there has been an explosion of literature in all the main areas of business. The researcher and librarian have to be able to uncover specific articles devoted to certain topics. This Bibliography is designed to help. Volume III, in addition to the annotated list of articles as the two previous volumes, contains further features to help the reader. Each entry within has been indexed according to the Fifth Edition of the SCIMP/SCAMP Thesaurus and thus provides a full subject index to facilitate rapid information retrieval. Each article has its own unique number and this is used in both the subject and author index. The first Volume of the Bibliography covered seven journals published by MCB University Press. This Volume now indexes 25 journals, indicating the greater depth, coverage and expansion of the subject areas concerned.

The purpose of this paper is to present a sensitivity analysis of fault-tolerant redundant repairable computing systems with imperfect coverage, reboot and recovery process.

In this investigation, the authors consider the computing system having a finite number of identical working units functioning simultaneously with the provision of standby units. Working and standby units are prone to random failure in nature and are administered by unreliable software, which is also likely to unpredictable failure. The redundant repairable computing system is modeled as a Markovian machine interference problem with exponentially distributed failure rates and service rates. To excerpt the failed unit from the computing system, the system either opts randomized reboot process or leads to recovery delay.

Transient-state probabilities have been determined with which the authors develop various reliability measures, namely reliability/availability, mean time to failure, failure frequency, and so on, and queueing characteristics, namely expected number of failed units, the throughput of the system and so on, for the predictive purpose. To spectacle the practicability of the developed model, a numerical simulation, sensitivity analysis and so on for different parameters have also been done, and the results are summarized in the tables and graphs. The transient results are helpful to analyze the developing model of the system before having the stability of the system. The derived measures give direct insights into parametric decision-making.

The conclusion has been drawn, and future scope is remarked. The present research study would help system analyst and system designer to make a better choice/decision in order to have the economical design and strategy based on the desired mean time to failure, reliability/availability of the systems and other queueing characteristics.

Different from previous investigations, this studied model provides a more accurate assessment of the computing system compared to uncertain environments based on sensitivity analysis.

The internet of things and just-in-time are the embryonic model of innovation for the state-of-the-art design of the service system. This paper aims to develop a fault-tolerant machining system with active and standby redundancy. The availability of the fault-tolerant redundant repairable system is a key concern in the successful deployment of the service system.

In this paper, the authors cogitate a fault-tolerant redundant repairable system of finite working units along with warm standby unit provisioning. Working unit and standby unit are susceptible to random failures, which interrupt the quality-of-service. The system is also prone to common cause failure, which tends its catastrophe. The instantaneous repair of failed unit guarantees the increase in the availability of the unit/system. The time-to-repair by the single service facility for the failed unit follows the arbitrary distribution. For increasing the practicability of the studied model, the authors have also incorporated real-time machining practices such as imperfect coverage of the failure of units, switching failure of standby unit, common cause failure, reboot delay, switch over delay, etc.

For deriving the explicit expression for steady-state probabilities of the system, the authors use a supplementary variable technique for which the only required input is the Laplace–Stieltjes transform (LST) of the repair time distribution.

For complex and multi-parameters distribution of repair time, derivation of performance measures is not possible. The authors prefer numerical simulation because of its importance in the application for real-time uses.

The stepwise recursive procedure, illustrative examples, and numerical results have been presented for the diverse category of repair time distribution: exponential (M), n-stage Erlang (Ern), deterministic (D), uniform (U(a,b)), n-stage generalized Erlang (GE_[n]) and hyperexponential (HE_[n]).

Concluding remarks and future scopes have also been included. The studied fault-tolerant redundant repairable system is suitable for reliability analysis of a computer system, communication system, manufacturing system, software reliability, service system, etc.

As per the survey in literature, no previous published paper is presented with so wide range of repair time distribution in the machine repair problem. This paper is valuable for system design for reliability analysis of the fault-tolerant redundant repairable.

This paper aims to explore the content of the psychological contract (PC), i.e. work-family conflict (WFC), family-work conflict (FWC), work overload (WO) and work autonomy (WA) and its impact on well-being (WB), i.e. job satisfaction (JS), family satisfaction (FS), life satisfaction (LS), through the mediation of psychological distress (PD).

The current study has adopted a quantitative approach and a cross-sectional research design with a snowball sampling technique. The sample size consists of 400 employees from the banking sector. SPSS and AMOS 20v has been used for structural equation modelling to give empirical findings from the responses collected.

The current study has checked the relationship between PC and WB through the mediation analysis of PD. WA was not affecting the WB of banking employees. The study found that there was partial mediation. It was also proven that the lower the breach of PC lower the PD, and the higher the WB.

The current study has tried to explain the content of PC among the employees of the banking sector and how that is associated with WB. There was limited work from which showcase the WFC, FWC and WO from the view of PC theory, and it affects different WB, i.e. JS, LS and FS.

The present study aims to demonstrate the use of renewable source in the preparation of polyurethane (PU) coatings and mitigation of corrosion of mild steel using nano zinc phosphate. Results indicated improvement in the properties of the PU coatings, especially anticorrosive properties by the addition of nano zinc phosphate.

Renewable-source-based polyestermyristamide polyol was synthesized using myristic acid as a starting material. The synthesis of polyol was carried by amidation as well as by esterification by a one-pot route. The structure of the prepared polyestermyristamide was confirmed with the support of end-group analysis and spectral study. PU coatings were prepared from synthesized polyestermyristamide polyol and used to protect metal substrate against corrosion. Corrosion properties of the prepared PU were found to be lower; hence, to improve the performance of these coatings, nano zinc phosphate was added to the coatings. The nano zinc phosphate was synthesized in the laboratory by reported sonication method and analyzed for morphology by scanning electron microscopy. Performance of coatings was studied with respect to effect of percentage nano zinc phosphate on thermal stability, mechanical properties and chemical resistances of PU coatings.

The combination of zinc phosphate nano rods and particles in myristic acid-based PU coatings provided substantial corrosion barrier properties to the coatings. Different per cent of the synthesized zinc phosphate nano rods and particles were loaded into the matrix, and corresponding coatings were estimated for corrosion resistance, thermal and chemical properties. Immersion study of the coated panels in 3.5 per cent NaCl solution showed good corrosion resistance for both PU coatings containing 2 and 3 per cent nano zinc phosphate.

This paper has provided the solution to replace existing petroleum-based raw materials with myristic acid as a renewable source in preparing PU coatings. Conventional coatings act as physical barriers against aggressive species but do not have ability to perform as permanent impassable to corrosive species. Hence, nano-sized zinc phosphate is used as corrosion inhibitor in to the synthesized PU coatings for enhancing anticorrosive performance.

In the paper, polyesteramide polyol is synthesized using renewable-source-based material, i.e. myristic acid to replace existing petroleum-based acid as a greener approach. Normally, vegetable oils are preferred as they have such kinds of polyols. The polyesteramide reaction is one pot that avoids the extra steps required in the synthesis. Further, it has been found that the pristine renewable coatings are unable to fully protect subtract from corrosion, whereas an addition of the nano-size zinc phosphate has enhanced the corrosion properties of the coatings.

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of corporate social responsibility (CSR) expenditure and business responsibility report (BRR) on a firm’s financial performance. Additionally, the study explores whether CSR expenditure and firm performance are related linearly or otherwise. The study also assesses the influence of mandating CSR expenditure on a firm’s performance.

The study is set in India and uses a nine-year data set from 165 companies listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange. Data compilation and analysis are done by using content analysis and panel data regressions.

The main findings of the study are that the effect of CSR expenditure on firm performance in India is non-linear and can be characterized as parabolic for investigated firms. While some performance indicators suggest a U-shaped relationship, others show an inverted U-type pattern, making a definitive conclusion elusive in either direction. BRR scores themselves have a positive impact on firm performance. Mandatory CSR expenditure affects the financial performance negatively, but the market performance improves in general.

The study provides new insights on the relationship between CSR expenditure, BRR scores and firm performance from India, which is not only a notable emerging market but also has other gripping characteristics. It has a prolific history of philanthropy, and yet, it is the first country in the world to mandate CSR expenditure in recent times. The equation between reported economic progress and general quality of life remains intriguing, and yet the number of studies on the effects of CSR expenditure on firm performance are no match to the volume of ongoing and completed works in more developed markets. This study attempts to trim the gap and provide some useful insights for managers, policymakers and stakeholders, apart from prompting further research.

Although the international business literature has examined leader traits that are desirable in different cultures, it has not examined critical behaviors or managerial attributions of credit and blame. Credit and blame attributions have important consequences for the desirability of leadership across cultures. Arguing that these types of managerial attributions are likely to have a strong impact on what constitutes desirable leadership; the authors examine them in five countries, namely, USA, France, India, Turkey and Vietnam. The purpose of this paper is to contribute by examining the influence of credit and blame attributions on subordinate satisfaction and leadership perceptions (desirability), unaddressed in the literature.

The model was tested using questionnaire responses of subordinates in a variety of business organizations, from the five countries indicated, including manufacturing, telecommunication, financial and other services.

Using the implicit leadership theory, the authors contribute by demonstrating the importance of these attributions for leadership perceptions in five different cultures. The results are supportive of the hypotheses and suggest the important moderating role of subordinate performance for leadership perceptions. The authors discuss findings in the context of the literature, highlight contributions and identify limitations and future directions.

Using the implicit leadership theory, the authors contribute by demonstrating the importance of these attributions for leadership perceptions in five different cultures.