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Interface distinct two-phase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations require accurate tracking in surface curvature, surface area and volume fraction data to precisely calculate effects such as surface tension, interphase momentum and interphase heat and mass transfer exchanges. To attain a higher level of accuracy in two-phase flow CFD simulations, the intersection marker (ISM) method was developed. The ISM method has cell-by-cell remeshing capability that is volume conservative, maintains surface continuity and is suited for the tracking of interface deformation in transient two-phase flow simulations. Studies of isothermal single bubbles rising in quiescent water were carried out to test the ISM method for two-phase flow simulations.

The ISM method is a hybrid Lagrangian–Eulerian front tracking algorithm which can model an arbitrary three-dimensional surface within an array of cubic control volumes. Fortran95 was used to implement the ISM method, which resulted in approximately 25,000+ lines of written code and comments. To demonstrate the feasibility of the ISM algorithm for two-phase flow simulations, the ISM algorithm was coupled with an in-house CFD code, which was modified to simulate two-phase flows using a single fluid formulation. The constitutional equations incorporated terms of variable density and viscosity. In addition, body force source terms were included in the momentum equation to account for surface tension and buoyancy effects.

The performance of two-phase flow simulations was benchmarked against experimental data for four air/water bubbles with 1, 2.5, 5 and 10 mm of diameter rising in quiescent fluid. A variety of bubble sizes were tested to demonstrate the accuracy of the ISM interface tracking method. The results attained were in close agreement with experimental observations.

The results obtained show that the ISM method is a viable means for interface tracking of two-phase flow CFD simulations. Other applications of the ISM method include simulations of solid–fluid interaction and other immersed boundary flow problems.

The ISM method is a novel approach to front tracking, and the results shown are original in content.

Provides a critique of method‐ism ‐ the view that methodology is necessary and sufficient for information systems’ development success; method‐ism presupposes also that systems developers understand the value of methodology and will prefer to work with it rather than without it. Argues, against method‐ism, that method flows from understanding, and not the reverse. Hence method cannot be a substitute for understanding. Discusses the way in which humans tend to interact with the world by means of ready‐to‐hand tools, using the ideas of Heidegger and Ihde. Shows that tools are used only if available (ready‐to‐hand) in the world of doing. If a methodology is not ready‐to‐hand, it will break down and be ignored in the pragmatics of getting the job done. Presents a number of arguments why methodologies by design will tend to break down (not be ready‐to‐hand) and hence be discarded.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the intra-organizational factors effective in a successful strategy implementation, measure the interaction intensity, analyze relation patterns among those factors, and lastly, prioritize the factors according to the level of importance and effect in the success of a strategy implementation.

A review of the literature produced 13 key intra-organizational factors involved in successful strategy implementation. The factors were then prioritized and the interaction among them was identified using interpretive structural modelling (ISM). DEMATEL was employed to quantitatively calculate the importance, intensity and effect in the interaction among the factors. Finally, combining both the aforementioned methods an integrated ISM-DEMATEL model was devised through which the factors were prioritized while the importance, intensity and effect of each factor were quantitatively calculated.

Prioritization and establishing relations and interactions among the identified factors by ISM; determining the priority of each factor and their intensity of effect and interaction on a quantitative basis through DEMATEL method and developing the integrated model of ISM-DEMATEL for intra-organizational factors effective in successful strategy implementation.

Due to time limitation, the hybrid model could not be practically applied to any organizations or businesses and in this research, only 12 experts were consulted to construct the model. If the experts involved were increased both quantitatively and qualitatively no doubt the final model would be upheld.

Managers who are involved in strategy implementation or who intend to enter this phase are advised to apply the integrated ISM-DEMATEL model that presented in this paper in order to obtain good perspective about interaction and prioritization among the intra-organizational factors effective in strategy implementation success.

Identification of 13 key intra-organizational factors effective in successful strategy execution, by studying through the literature; prioritization and establishing relations and interactions among the identified factors by ISM; determining the priority of each factor and their intensity of effect and interaction on a quantitative basis through DEMATEL method; developing the integrated model of ISM-DEMATEL for intra-organizational factors effective in successful strategy execution; improving the integrated model through ISM by applying the findings obtained through DEMATEL.

Analyzing factors of delays in construction projects and determining their impact on project performance is necessary to better manage and control projects. Identification of root factors which may lead to project delay and increased cost is vital at the early or planning stage. Better identification of delay factors at the early stage can help the practitioners to reduce their impacts over the long run. Hence, the purpose of this paper is to propose an intelligent method to analyze causal relationships between delay factors in construction projects. The proposed approach is further validated by a real case study of the construction projects in West Azerbaijan province in Iran.

During the first phase, the fuzzy cognitive map (FCM) is drawn to indicate the causal relationships between the delay factors and the evaluation factors. For this purpose, the causal relationships between 20 delay factors and four evaluation factors are considered. Afterward, the effect of each factor on management goals is evaluated by using a hybrid learning algorithm. Delay factors are further prioritized by applying fuzzy data envelopment analysis (FDEA). In the second phase, an interpretive structural modeling (ISM) is employed to determine the root causes of delay factors.

Results of the first phase show that “supervision technical weaknesses for overcoming technical and executive workshop problems” and “Inaccurate estimation of workload, required equipment and project completion time” are the most significant delay factors. In contrary, “non-use of new engineering contracts” has the lowest impact on the management goals. Meanwhile, the results of the second phase conclude that factors like “Inaccurate estimation of workload, required equipment and project completion time” “weakness of laws and regulations related to job responsibilities” and “lack of foreseen of fines and encouragements in the contracts” are the most significant root factors of delay in construction projects.

This paper integrates three methods including FCM method, FDEA and ISM. In the first phase, FCM is drawn according to the experts’ opinions and concerning management goals and delay factors. Later, these factors are prioritized according to the results of running the algorithm and using the FDEA model. The second phase, the seven-step in the ISM methodology, is done to identify the root factors. To ensure that the root factors of the delay are at a lower level of hierarchical structure, delay factors are partitioned by drawing the ISM model.

Sustainability is a very important factor to be considered in the supply chain (SC) of any industry. Agricultural industry needs to be addressed even more importantly with the tools of sustainability as it concerns the life of millions. This paper explores the critical barriers (CBs) in the sustainable supply chains (SSCs) of makhana industry located in the northern part of India and seeks to design a model for the researchers and the managers who want to work in this industry.

Initially, the CBs were identified with the help of an extensive literature review of sustainability in SCs for agri-industry and discussion with makhana industry experts (consisting of managers and senior managers) and academicians (consisting of professors and research scholars). The study uses the multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) technique, namely interpretive structural modeling (ISM) and fuzzy ISM to develop the model. The study finally validates the model using Matrice d'impacts croisés multiplication appliquée á un classment (MICMAC) analysis.

The obtained results indicate that, in the SSC of makhana industry, the role of “Lack of adoption of organic agricultural management techniques” (CB2), “Lack of modern techniques (CB4)”, “Multiple intermediaries” (CB5), “Weak socio-economic conditions” (CB7) and “Lack of proper knowledge” (CB1) are very significant. These barriers are needed to be addressed first as they have the highest driving power and other barriers are directly driven by these CBs.

The paper has included seven experts, and the interrelationship between CBs has been developed on the basis of their knowledge and discussion, so the results may be a little bias. Moreover, the paper has obtained the results using the ISM and fuzzy ISM by considering ten CBs; the researchers can explore this research by including more CBs and validate the results using other MCDM techniques like fuzzy-decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL), fuzzy-Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and Best Worst Method (BWM).

This study is unique as per industry point of view and may help the researchers and managers to explore the field of makhana.

In the Indian manufacturing SMEs context, supply chains have a complex structure having multiple echelons, multiple partners and multiple locations. Due to these complexities, most of the Indian manufacturing SMEs face several types of supply chain risks. This paper aims to identify the dominant risk variables and to develop the interrelationship among these risk variables.

Based on the literature review and experts’ opinion, nine dominant risk variables faced by an Indian manufacturing SMEs have been identified. An interpretive structural modelling (ISM) approach has been adopted to establish the interrelationship among the risk variables. These risk variables have been classified by using MICMAC analysis. Based on ISM-MICMAC approach, a case study on three Indian manufacturing SMEs has been carried out.

This study would help the supply chain managers to understand and prioritize the significant risk variables. Nine significant risks variables of Indian manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have been studied. External risk, information technology risk and financial risk have identified as most influencing risk variables, while delay risk and market risk have emerged as the most dependent risk variables. These results will provide a guideline to supply chain managers for implementation of supply chain risk management (SCRM).

In this study, an ISM-based model is developed based on the opinion of experts from a group of Indian manufacturing SMEs; as such, this model may be biased and limited to a selected company. This framework can be extended further by adding more risk variables and sub-risk variables from the other sectors/organizations.

Many SCRM models are available in past literature, but no model has been proposed for the Indian Manufacturing SMEs. This research finding can be useful for managers to understand the characteristics and interrelationships among the risk variables for building a robust supply chain. These results will also help the supply chain managers in making proactive plans for SCRM, especially in the Indian SMEs context.

Many waste-to-energy (WTE) plants are constructed and operated using the public-private partnership (PPP) mode in China. However, risk events of PPP WTE incineration projects sometimes occur. This study aims to clarify the relationship of risks in China's PPP WTE incineration projects and identify the key risks accordingly and risk transmission paths.

A risk list of PPP WTE incineration projects was obtained based on literature analysis. Moreover, a hybrid approach combining fuzzy sets, decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) and interpretive structural modeling (ISM) was developed to analyze the causality of risks, explore critical risks and reveal the risk transmission paths. The quantitative analysis process was implemented in MATLAB.

The results show that government decision-making risk, government credit risk, government supervision behavior risk, legal and policy risk, revenue and cost risk and management capacity risk are the critical risks of PPP WTE incineration projects in China. These critical risks are at different levels in the risk hierarchy and often trigger other risks.

Currently, there is a lack of exploration on the interaction between the risks of PPP WTE incineration projects. This study fills this gap by examining the key risks and risk transfer pathways of PPP WTE incineration projects from the perspective of risk interactions. The findings can help the public and private sectors to systematically understand the risks in PPP WTE incineration projects, thus enabling them to identify the risks that need to be focused on when making decisions and to optimize risk prevention strategies. The proposed hybrid approach can offer methodological ideas for risk analysis of other types of PPP projects.

Business environments and global transportation system have become more complex than ever due to complexity drivers of industries which create uncertainty and unpredictability to organizations. Like other industries, the maritime business faces different and difficult problems which threaten organizational survival. The ability to cope with those uncertainties, threats and problems shows the resilience ability of organizations that help to survive and prosper. The organizational resilience concept arises as a requirement to deal with problems and uncertainties of business environments which are swiftly changing. This study aims to suggest an organizational framework to show how maritime business organizations as the sea leg of global transportation system can develop resilient organizations via complex adaptive systems (CAS) approach if adequate design features of CAS could be defined and included in organizational properties.

A total of 15 CAS features were identified as the enablers of organizational resilience throughout the literature. An interpretive structural modeling (ISM) approach has been conducted to determine the mutual relation between the CAS features which constitute an organizational framework. These CAS features have been categorized by conducting MICMAC analysis.

This study proposes a framework that identifies CAS features as the enabler of resilient maritime business organizations. The CAS approach offers new managerial toolkit to realize current organizational situations and allows managers to understand that it is difficult to control their system in this dynamic environment where special management practices are required especially in volatile times rather than ordinary times. Also, organizations could not compete as a sole organization but as a web/system of organizations. CAS is more resilient than other systems because resilience is the emergent occurrence of the system formed from nonlinear, dynamic interactions with self-organized agents.

The research has some limitations, like organizational resilience studies are in the infant stage and further research into this area should be extended. This study uses the CAS approach to develop organizational resilience. Further studies could use different lenses and contemporary subjects in management field which should also be useful while developing resilience in organizations. This study uses ISM and MICMAC analysis where further studies could use quantitative design and methods like formal concept analysis or the decision making trial and evaluation laboratory to determine the relational weighs of CAS features while developing resilient organizations. Future studies may also focus on different maritime stakeholders like IMO or ILO, maritime agencies, freight forwarders or insurance underwriters regarding developing and enhancing resilience of the maritime system.

World trade and transportation systems are getting more uncertain and lean on complex relations where maritime transportation is a “vital backbone” of such operations. But becoming more complex structures leads to vulnerable systems and organizations. Most risk management applications are based on predicting the known risks where many of them are not enough to fight with unknowns. Coping with today's problems are difficult for organizations in any industry. But for maritime business stakeholders who work in such a global web of relations, it is much more challenging. So, stakeholders of the system like forwarders, ports or ship chandlers may easily apply those features to develop resilient organizations too. Legal authorities of the system and rule-makers like local Chambers of Shipping, IMO or Classification societies can benefit from this framework and provide supportive settings to develop system-wide resilient organizations.

By understanding environmental uncertainty and complexity better than others, organizations become resilient and cope with significant difficulties which make them more competitive as a substantial strategic advantage. Resilient management offers to break down points at the system and shows them ways to restore quickly while transporting goods while traditional risk assessments are not enough.

The originality of the study lies in two folds; first of all the key and most used features of CAS is linked to developing resilient maritime organizations and by maritime expert opinions, this study tries to determine which of these CAS features are the most effective to trigger other features to develop organizational resilience in the maritime business. And secondly, the concept of organizational resilience and the CAS approach are not analyzed in depth in the context of maritime business.

Tourism is one of the upcoming service industry in India with high potentials for future growth, particularly in rural areas. Many potential barriers are affecting the growth of tourism in rural India. Therefore, it is essential to explore and prioritize the barriers to tourism growth in rural India.

Qualitative and quantitative responses from “16” experts related to tourism and hospitality management from central India are collected for this study. An integrated Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) based framework is adopted to identify and relate significant barriers to tourism growth in India.

The result of the study identified many significant barriers and their importance to tourism growth in rural India.

The findings of this study add to the knowledge base of tourism research in line with the previous literature. This study offers an in-depth understanding of barriers focusing on rural tourism growth and devising both the plan of action and the suggestive measures in dealing with rural tourism.

The study provides a robust framework by integrating Interpretive Structural Modelling(ISM) and Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) to explore and prioritizing the critical barriers to rural tourism growth in India. The results of this study can help the decision-maker to fundamentally improve the economy of India through the growth of rural tourism.

Risk factors related delay hinder the schedule performance of most construction projects in the world. It is a critical challenge to realize the advantages of prefabricated construction projects (PCPs) under the negative effect of schedule delay. This paper aims to propose an exhaustive list of risk factors impeding the progress of PCPs and evaluate the collected risk factors based on the cause–effect relations. The ultimate goal is to improve the understanding of the complex relations among various risk factors related delay in PCPs, and also offer managers a reference on aspect of schedule risk management.

This paper proposes a hybrid method of GT–DEMATEL–ISM, that is combing grounded theory, DEMATEL (decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory) and ISM (Interpretative Structural Modeling), to collect, evaluate and structure risk factors related delay for PCPs. The research procedure of this methodology is divided into three stages systematically involving qualitative and quantitative analysis. In the first stage, GT is utilized to implement qualitative analysis to collect the risk factors leading to schedule delay in PCPs. While, the quantitative analysis is to analyze and evaluate the collected risk factors based on the cause–effect relations in the next two stages evaluation by the DEMATEL focuses on quantifying the priority and intensity of the relations between factors. Additionally, ISM is employed to construct the hierarchical structure and graphically represent the pairwise relations between factors.

The outcome of qualitative investigation by grounded theory proposes a theoretical framework of risk factors related delay for PCPs. The framework contains three levels of category, namely, core category, main category and initial category and provides a list of risk factors related delay. Following this finding, evaluation results by the DEMATEL classify factors into cause and effect groups and determine 11 critical delay risk factors. Meanwhile, the findings show that risks referring to organizational management issue foremost impact the progress of PCPs. Furthermore, a systemic multilevel hierarchical structure model is visually constructed by ISM to present the pairwise linkages of critical factors. The model provides the risk transmission chains to map the spread path of delay impact in the system.

The contribution of the study involves twofold issues. Methodologically, this research proposes a hybrid method GT–DEMATEL–ISM used to identify and analyze factors for a complex system. It is also applicable to other fields facing similar problems that require collecting, evaluating and structuring certain elements as a whole in a comprehensive perspective. The theoretical contribution is to fill the relevant research gap of the existing body of knowledge. To the best knowledge of the authors, this paper is the first attempt to integrate qualitative and quantitative research for risk analysis related delay and take the insight into the whole process of PCPs covering off-site manufacture and on-site construction. Furthermore, the analysis of findings provided both a micro view focusing on individual risk factor and a managerial view from a systematic level. The findings also contribute the effective information to improve the risk management related schedule delay in PCPs.